Sister Messer's new address

Sister Austriana Messer
Canada Toronto Mission
197 County Court Blvd., Suite 203
Brampton, Ontario L6W 4P6
CANADA

It takes two of our stamps and takes about 5-7 days for a letter to arrive.
Austrie LOVES letters...I'm just sayin'....And, she's good about writing back :)

Good Bye Provo-Hello Toronto!

Hi everyone, Austrie's mom.  I have to tell you we were graced by a phone call from Sister Messer this morning at 5:45am.
 IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO HEAR HER SWEET VOICE!!!
She was at the SLC airport with 14 other missionaries travelling to Toronto as well.
She will fly into Detroit at 10:00am, NV time, and then on to Toronto an hour later.  She'll arrive at 12:30NV time.
She was really looking forward to getting to Toronto!
So, we got a letter from her that she wrote on Thanksgiving Day.  She said they had a grand Thanksgiving meal in the cafeteria.  They also had a fireside that morning.  This is what she said
"This morning I had to usher the devotional.  I was in charge of the very front by the podium.  Guess who our speaker was?  Elder Russell M. Nelson!  When he came in I was only 5ft away from him!  Ushers had saved seating in the 4th row.  During a missionary's talk, I was looking at him and he turned directly at me, smiled and winked.  I'm not even fibbing.  I was like "What the?"  Then it got awkward cuz I wasn't sure he was looking at me so I kinda looked around and no one else saw it."
She also said that Sister Shelby Bennet accompanied a violinist for "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief."  Sister Bennet is also from our stake and she entered the MTC the same day as Aus.  She also saw Elder Derrick Cameron ushering the upper level, and saw Elder Zach Staley in the congregation.  Yay for Logandale Stake!

Last week at the MTC

LOVE the pictures!  I did get your cookies! Yum! Just got back from the temple. We did initiatories...how do you spell that? haha It was cool to do that again since I hadn't gone since i went through. WE took a district picture in front of the temple (minus the other sisters because they're always late/doing their own thing) But I will try to send it asap! Just think...one week from right now i'll be on a plane to Toronto!!! well, technically to Detroit. (did you get my last letter with all my travel plans?) We're quite excited.  There's about 15 missionaries going to Toronto in our travel group. BIG! It will be fun! Alright...I try to write down things I want to tell you through out the week but it's so hard to remember because SO MUCH happens! It's insane.

So mady, to answer your question about cute elders...I think you'd like it here. I'll have to send you a picture of my district. I think you may be rather fond of a few of them. As far as at the MTC, you'd love to walk around because there are an abundance of rather good looking young men. Don't worry, my heart is locked ;)

OHMYGOSH. a few nights ago there was a BYU fball game going on. Kill me! I fell asleep to hearing Beyonce or something like that. Alright, not quite but i did open my window and look out & I can see the fball field lights & hear the band and crowd. talk 'bout torture.

I can't remember if i told you this but I basically spend all day in building 8m. Sis. Bennett is right down the hall, along with elder cameron! and elder staley is on the next floor up! So everyone from our valley is in the same building. I see them quite often!

 I'm really learning how to recognize the Holy Ghost and it's crazy powerful! Like HEY hg, where have you been all my life? ;) Learn to recognize those promptings! It's so neat. I wish I could've learned a while ago! Or at least better recognize it.

Another thing we did last night was BOM study with our district. We start where we left off last study but we usually only get through about 4 verses in 1/2 hour or so. We get into topics that are just really cool that I never knew about the BOM. For example, When Nephi talks about he father "dwelt in a tent" Did you know that was referring to their temple? I guess they had a "portable temple" they carried w/them as they traveled. So the verse in 1 Nephi that just says "and he dwelt in a tent" or whatever, they're totes talking about the temple. Which totally makes sense! Why would Nephi talk about their tents all the time and where it was at? Cuz it's the temple! oh heyyy.

Well, I've only got a few more minutes. I guess I need to type faster but alas, i cannot! Hopefully I can print out that family pic you sent me, it's a keeper! Next time you get an email from me i'll be in TORONTO! ah!

sister messer

Sister Messer's First Letter!

Tuesday November 8, 2011

HELLO!!!!!!!
Today is Pday and our district went to the temple and did a session together. it was really cool to see our district all there together! We're all getting to know each other really well and it's so fun with everyone. Mom, remember the kid from vegas who went through the temple the week before me who was going to Toronto? Was his name Elder Rogers? He's in my district. I see Shelby Bennett pretty much every day. Our class rooms are in the same building, on the same floor so it's good to meet up by the bathrooms and talk about how things are going. The 1st time we taught an investigator, Sister Turvaville and I were feeling kind of down because we didn't have much time to prepare and we were just nervous! But we ran into Sister Bennett & her companion and she said she cried after they got done because she was so disappointed...that made me not as sad anymore. haha But just yesterday my teacher (sister christensen) told sis. Turvaville and I that she feels like she neglects us a lot but it's because she doesn't worry about us. We felt good after that! Kind of gave us some hope.

Side note---did dad see my blog post from yesterday? Happy Birthday dad!

Goodness, i don't quite know how to tell you about a full week at the mtc in one letter...SO MUCH happens all the time. SO much learning & long hours. It's crazy! But i think i love it...

After you dropped me off, I was lead to a sister missionary who helped check me in. Guess what? She's FROM toronto. It was crazy! I actually just ran into her at the laundry room today (about the laundry room...hundreds of washer/dryers...it's insane!) and her friend back in Toronto is really interested about the church. She said she has been asking questions about the Gospel because a family member just died or something like that. So she gave me her info and i'm supposed to do the goods once I get there...cool, huh?
I've seen 3 interior design majors here too! Sister Huppe who dropped out last year, Sister Neilson...who also dropped out & then Megan Pruden who i'd emailed before I left...remember her? Well we live on the same floor & see each other every day. familiar faces, yay! I've also seen 2 people from my BYUI 12 ward. One elder was standing behind me in the book store and i was like woah! You were in 12th ward! Things that like that happen all the time...small world.

OK so as i was saying, they checked me in & all the new missionaries met in a big room for a meeting with the Presidency. 421 new missionaries arrived last wednesday. The 1st lady of Honduras just happened to be on campus so she said hi to all of us. Pres. Hinckley's son (just got released from the quorum of 70) also said hi. That night we had a workshop and I got to sit by Sister bennett.

Ok, i got your letter that said you saw that girl from the nauvoo pageant--so did i! She was walking down the stairs in my building. So she must be a teacher here or something. I would've said something but she was too far away. Dad, there's some missionaries in my hall going to Billings...just fyi. haha

I've learned a lot about relying on the spirit. Basically that every good thought that comes to you is the spirit. I think that will help me a lot while teaching investigators. If it pops into my head, i'm just gonna roll w/it! We're getting better at teaching. It's hard though! Trying to relate all this doctrine so that it fits to the person you're teaching specifically...hard.

We get treated pretty good here! The elders in our district are so funny. We're trying to get used to calling people "sister" and "elder" instead of guys. So every time they say "hey guys" or whatever, someone snaps their name tag off. the one that folds over their chest pocket...i guess it's hard to put back on? haha anyways...They practice their gentleman qualities by taking our trays from us at the cafeteria (one time one yelled "sisters! Don't even think about it!!) Or run to the doors to open it first. I find it amusing and partially embarrassing but sister turvaville & I admitted we don't like to be served but we're letting them do it anyways. haha

Yes, busy 24/7. Wake up really early. The bathroom situation is good mom. haha and i had a top bunk until my roommates left for Germany yesterday morning so i moved! Shoes are good, robe is good, wearing dresses is alright...getting used to it.

AH! i only have 10 min. left on the comp. Uhhh but i think that's pretty much it. I'll try to write before next p day! Off to dinner then a fireside!

Miss & love ya!

Sister Messer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

I love you & miss you!

Disneyland Oct '11

*don't flip out...i made this a while time ago and scheduled it to post on your birthday :)

Austrie's pre-mission photos!

Aren't these so pretty!  Tara Leavitt took them.
Her photography website is: http://taraspurebliss.com/

P.S.  We are still waiting to receive her first MTC email....

THE DAY AUSTRIE ENTERED THE MTC
               November 9th, 2011

Hello everyone,
Austrie's mother here.  I told her I would post her mission letters and pictures.  So, here we go. 

This is Austrie with her family right before we dropped her off at the MTC.



                                        
                                               As soon as we arrived, some nice Elder Missionaries
                                              greeted her, toted her luggage, and escorted her inside
                                              the MTC.

I can't wait to here from her!  I wonder what she's doing right now.  Well, I know what she's doing right now because it's 11:30pm UT time.  She's sleeping!

It's Like, Totally Weird.

Well, I'm off. Please write me!

Sister Austriana Messer

Canada Toronto Mission

Provo Missionary Training Center
P.O. Box 326

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604

A Last Hurrah

Taryn came down to play with me for my "last weekend" home! We went to the local Pomegranate Festival, ate at Tiffany's, went to the Pirate football game and planned a family BBQ. I think the most difficult part about not having my phone with me on the mish is that we can't text each other 24/7. lame.
Every Thanksgiving we hold a family kickball game but obviously I won't be here for that! So we played an early game Saturday night.

Oh, and we watched/sang along to our favorite movie. But that goes without saying. 

Another One Down

Something I probably won't be doing for 18 months:

Riding face down all the way home. Check.

My Halloween

H-A-Double L-O-W-Double E-N Spells Halloween. 

Please do tell me you sang the tune of that song while you read that. That's simply what I was aiming for. 

Halloween this year was simple. We carved pumpkins, did the usual "wait until last minute" costume ritual. It involves heading to the storage room & looking through our 2 huge plastic storage bins piled with old clogging & creative dance costumes. Pick a unitard.....any unitard. I was trying to get Ari to go with the Olympic gymnast idea which then turned into a Pirate...which turned into Katniss Everdeen. (am I the only one who kind of prefers Gale over Peeta?)

After wandering around a trunk or treat event & seeing the cousins all dressed up, we came home and watched Brigham City. I deem it an appropriate Halloween movie, it's pretty crazy! But let me share a story with you. I took an arts & humanities class my second semester at BYUI, taught by a Brother Clifford. He was a theater professor & we got on the topic one class about his acting career. He told us he was actually in the movie Brigham City. I really enjoyed him as a teacher, he was a cool/theater/corduroy blazer type of guy. Every class he would verbally take the role. Every time he would say my name he would look up at me in the back corner and smile. I swear to you he would not do this any time, to any other person! I talked my roommate, Jesika, into taking this class with me so she sat right next to me. We would always laugh because it happened every. single. time. Without fail! She can attest to it. 

Fast forward almost 3 years later. 

(I really hope you've seen this movie)

I'm keeping my eyes peeled to find Bro. C when I realize half way through the movie that he's Steve. Let me give ya a refresher: he's the creeper. 

I also love the twist in the movie...ya know, how the murderer only kills red haired girls. Awesomeeeee.

So it's nice to finally know that every time he took role, he was only admiring how well I could have fit the part for the next murder mystery. 

Ooooowoooowoo 

(ghost sounds!)

What were you for Halloween?