I Totally Scored Getting Here At This Time!!! What A Blessing!

(September 15, 2014)
guten morgen liebe Familie!!!!

 I am sitting in a little internet next to Sister Norton typing as fast as my little fingers can go. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMMMAMAA!! I realized right after I sent my short email wed morning that you guys were probs out celebrating at that time. I was so out of it hahahaha. But I missed going to get cheesecake or something with you momma, I LOVE YOU!! You are beautiful and kind and always put others before you, how great of an example you are to me. I’ll have to send you a letter to do this great celebration justice. I have SO MUCH to say, so hopefully we can get through all of this in a half hour.

Did you know that the daily planners only last a transfer??? hahaha I do not know that but I thought they lasted for like ever.... Embarrassing!  Also did you know that we talk to our district leaders EVERY NIGHT?? hahaha that too is very new and also a little embarrassing.

So I’ll give some details from the MTC. 

Preston, England MTC

It all turned out ok no worries. I could not go on the finding activities cause my temporary visa was not good for that. So I went to the temple with the other Amis, haha Americans in the German terms, instead. I went to the Preston Temple three times while there. It was beautiful and I loved it. I became good friends with an elder from Whales, who is going to the Greece Athens mission. He is so cool and nice, and gave me a Book of Mormon with a sweet note in it. haha he signed it with 'love' hahahah that caught me off guard but worry not, he is just friendly like that. Elder Davies, from Wales. Wait is there an h in there or not.... anyway. I befriended some of the other English elders and would say God save the Queen with them. That was always fun. Only one of them, Elder Heath, said he actually thought the Queen was brilliant. They all went to the Alpine Mission though, laaaame.

So on Wednesday morning we woke up at 315 and left an hour later to the Manchester Airport. We were supposed to fly from Manchester to Munich, then on to Berlin. BUT our flight to Berlin was canceled, so we would have to take a 6 HOUR TRAIN RIDE instead. Meine gute!! It wasn't that bad, but actually I guess it was hahahah. We arrived in Berlin at like 730, and wandered around trying to find the APs. Nowhere in sight.  An hour later after finally getting a hold of them we realized we were at the stop after where they were. Ohhh mannn. The four of us little Berliners were so tired and out of it by the time they picked us up, hahah i could not stop laughing. So since it was so late, they just drove us to the office, where we were greeted with DOMINOES PIZZA yes you read that correctly. It was ok... haha but we did paperwork, and met with President Kosak! He is soooo funny and nice. I love him!!

Sisters Norton-Mittleman, with Pres. and Sister Kosak 

England MTC group arriving in Berlin with President and Sister Kosak

The AP’s drove us to the hotel where everybody else from Provo already was. Elder Wiesner and Elder Nelson are their names. Oh my gosh, Elder Nelson carried my huge suitcase and sister Frenkel's suitcase up this tiny stairwell at the same time AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED. Mensch I was just in awe hahahaha. Anyway, enough of this strong elder talk...

I wish I could describe every detail of the next day but I just can't!! Awww sorry one day you'll know. So we walked into the chapel where all the trainers were there to shake hands or hug us. It was so cute and fun. I was so excited to get paired with Sister Norton!! She is the best. So cute and funny, and makes the cutest most hilarious faces ever. We had to travel two hours to our area. tiirrreddd much? That was Thursday. Friday afternoon we traveled back to Berlin 2 hours because.... Oh yeah, ELDER BEDNAR WAS VISITING.  (On Saturday) we spent the night with some nearby sisters. I totally scored getting here at this time!!! What a blessing.  Right when he walked into the room and walked past us, I just felt the most amazing feeling. It was an undescribable confirmation to me that he truly is all that I sustain him and the other Apostles to be. Wow. He really stressed the importance of learning how to grow spiritually by ourselves.  Sorry I don't have more time for details. But I did get to see Elder Clarke, Meeks and Sister Knecht!!! hahah  Jacob and I kept dropping each others names on accident. Oh and his cousin is actually my zone leader! Haha I got phone calls from our district leader, and the two zone leaders all on Thursday night. That was fun.

Elder & Sister Bednar with the Germany, Berlin Mission. 
Can you find Madison Mittleman and Jacob Clarke?

It’s hard to describe how everything is, the city, the food, the work, because I have just had so much travel time. For four nights in a row I slept in four different beds. hahah what a life. Please send me all of Megan's emails when you get them, we can only send so much to each other yo.

So we live in the middle of the city, no bike.  Lots of train and buses.  This area is huge. But pretty. It's been cloudy and rainy, but not too bad or cold actually.

I have only met with 3 of our investigators, but with each of them I have really felt such LOVE for them: I just want to do all I can to help them get closer to Christ and to Heavenly Father. To feel that they have a purpose in this life, and there are things they can and should be doing to feel love and happiness. Sorry this email was a little whack, it's just been a CRAZY week.

I LOVE YOU ALLL,

SISTER MITTLEMAN

Goodbye & Hello

(September 10, 2014)

Well the time has come to say goodbye to good ol England. I'll miss the MTC soooo much it was really THE BEST MTC EVERRR. Any way its 4 am right now and we are leaving to the airport at 430. Not exactly sure what time our flight leaves. But we all fly to Munchen together except the one sis going to Frankfurt. The Alpiners get off there and me and my comps go on to Berlin with another elder. Yaaaay. Im tired and soo excited. I’m scared like crazy but I know its time  to move on and geh ins Feld as they say. I LOVE YOU AND WILL WRITE YOU ON MONDAY. DID YOU GET MY LETTER?? OK GOODBYE I MEAN AUF WIEDERSEHEN AWWW YEAHHHHH

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,

SISTER MITTLEMAN

I'm Just Pushing Forward Now. No Complaining. No Doubting (well sometimes) Just Moving On!!!

HERE WE ARE AGAIN. Sorry this keyboard is a little weird so sorry for all of the mistakes I make. Anyway.... Soooo I wish my email would sound as happy and wonderful and gushing with hugs and kisses as Herman Mittleman's was, but that is not the case. DON'T GET ME WRONG I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY AND THERE IS NOWHERE IN THE WORLD I WOULD RATHER BE THAN HERE RIGHT NOW SERVING THE LORD.

But anyway, remember how I said that obedience with exactness would be a blessing or a curse for me...guess which one it is right now.... uhuh uhuh.... tell me more.... if you said curse, you are riiiiight. aahhhhhhh what madness is this. I didn't expect alllll missionaries to be perfect people and have the same opinions and goals as me, but I didn't expect some people to be so.... I don't even know what the word I’m looking for is.

Alas, let us move on to better things, the things that have kept me here, and have kept me sane.

First of all, massive shout out and thanks to those who have sent me emails and kind words, it's so helpful to think of all the support back home, and I'm so thankful for family and friends that are helping me enjoy this experience.

Soooo I’m in the German district, one of two. I’m in the Benjamin Distrikt. I have TWO companions. Both from Germany. There are four other eldres. Alll from Germany. Needless to say the German that rushes through my head as I try to understand is fast, fast, fast and not very clear all the time. Even though we are in England, I feel like I’m in Germany, because I am just surrounded by German ALL THE TIME. In the other district everybody is from Germany, except one girl who grew up speaking German. Grrr she is from Oregon and can understand almost everything. Well she doesn't think so but I do. She is really funny and so nice. It's so weird, I came from speaking no German during the day at all, and hearing none at all except if I played a song or something. And all of a sudden it's all I hear. It's almost hard for me to write this in English, and in my journal too, because I just feel like everything is supposed to be auf Deutsch. hahahahahha it's a wild ride. They all say my German is amazing. Sometimes it is, sometimes it's.....uhh I don't know hahahhaha.

So my companions are Sister Frenkel from Frankfurt, and sister Kronwitter. Sister Frenkel talks SO FAST and speaks very litttttle English. Sister Kronwitter is easier to understand, and knows more English. Haha not like we use it. She is from Bayern! I love them. They're great!! We have good times together. Sister Frenkel was reaaaallly homesick the first and second day. One of the members of the presidency told us our companionship was very inspired, and I think that's true. We've been trying to help each other out and feel the love here.

So being here in England is cool I guess, when I remember I’m in England that is.  This MTC is so smallllll. It rains a lot, as you can probably guess.  There are only about 100 people here. But I love that!!!I I can say hi to President Edwards and sister Edwards on a daily basis. You can walk the whole length of the MTC within 10 minutes. There are three floors.  We eat three times a day. I had real shepherds pie yesterday!!! It was so good. We also had burritos yesterday, with salsa and cheese!!! SOMEBODY PLEASE GO GET A BREAKFAST BURRITO WITH QUESO BLANCO FOR ME PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!!!! awwww man  I miss the food my momma makes.  It's all good though. I’m here on the Lord's errand.

Everyday I try hard to remember what I'm here to do, and who I represent.  Before I came to the MTC, I understood that missions were hard, but I didn't really understand what that meant!!! Now that I am here, I have already learned my lesson. It's hard. Teaching is hard. Getting along with people is hard. I'm really trying to love my district, even when they are not obedient. When the MTC Presidents wife personally tells you to only play church songs on the keyboard, you only play church songs!!! Don't take pictures in the district rooms means DON'T TAKE PICTURES IN THE DISTRICT ROOMS. I don't feel the personal responsibility to tell these elders what the rules are, I think we are all old enough to make our own choices, and especially as missionaries, to choose the right and do what Christ would to. Ok that's all I'll say about that. I hope I don't sound wilted or overwhelmed. I’ve really gotten over the fact that this is a hard thing. I’m just pushing forward now. No complaining. No doubting (well sometimes) just moving on!!!

We got together to practice praying with people that we teach, and I was paired with our distriktleiter, elder Apel (who makes fun of my American voice, he sounds a little like Arnold hahahahha) and before we started, he said to me in English, "please don't hurt me" hahahahhaa not really sure what that meant but ok.

\\mom thank you for that little bag of notes, and the little pink book!! My companions think you are SO PRETTY!!  And the best mom. hahaha i look at it everyday.

I can't say how much I love being here. Everyday I pray to my father in heaven and thank Him that I am a missionary. The thought of it brings tears to my eyes, I am always overcome with the spirit.  WHAT A WONDERFUL WORK THIS IS.  Well, we leave on Wednesday morning for Germany. YESSSSSS. Of course the Geman will continue to be a struggle, but I gladly welcome the challenges, because I have the Lord on my side. das stimmt!!

Yesterday I was writing in my journal, and I wrote sigh.( you know to indicate that you're sighing in writing) haha. And as I put my scriptures up on the dresser, I felt like I should open my bible to the page that the bookmark was on, just to read what was there. Mind you, this mark is the little piece of fabric already there when it was wrapped up stuff.  I read the verse that first came into sight, and sure enough it was Isaiah 35:10. GO READ IT!!! Needless to say, I know that God loves me. I know that he has a plan for all of us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is meant for everybody on the earth that ever lived. Following Christ's teachings and example helps us to be happy, and to return to our father in heaven. They want us to, and expect us to return someday!!! I know that will all of my heart!!!

-Sister Mittleman (FINALLY)

VAS HAPPENIN

(August 28th, 2014)

Cheerio my friends I have arrived here in England. Sorry dad, I have to say it: I don't have a lot of time. haha. But really. Anyway, saying and waving goodbye at John Wayne Airport was so hard. I was crying as I waved my last goodbye and ventured in the little tunnel thing to the plane. My flights were fine. I met up with tons o' missionaries in Chicago. Sorry I didn't call!! My flight here was looooong and felt so weird because I was tired but not and it was night but it wasn't and then it was morning but it wasn't see what I did there..... I watched the sun set in America and rise in ENGLAND. It is so green and so flat. That's all I can say. I really have not done anything but walk in the front door, and take a picture and talk to sister Edwards. Now I have to go meet with a member of the MTC presidency and then unpack. I have my tag now!!! It's official. I don't know what's going on or where anything is or really what I’m supposed to do after all of this but ITS ALL GOOD. Well I love you. I’m here. I’m safe. Life is good. Time to go sing "God Save the Queen" or something.

Send her victorious happy and glorious, long tooo rein ooover us, God save the Queen.

love,

Sister Mittleman

WOOHOOOO