Pictures in the MTC

Mindys aunt Jeannie and uncle Roger are serving a mission in Oklahoma. Mindy got to see them often while they were in the MTC. Jeannie sent me these pictures she took of Mindy. Sorry that they are so small but I couldn't figure out how to enlarge them.

This is Mindy pointing to Russia on the Map in the MTC.

These are Mindys companions in the MTC.

This is Mindy and her Aunt Jeannie

Mindy and Aunt Jeannie pointing at the map to their different missions.

HELLO HELLO HELLO,
So I have finally figured out how to get more time emailing. Still 30 mins but just today I figured out that if I print the emails off real fast and log off and then log back on when I am done reading the emails I will have like a lot more time to write!! WOW Im smart, it took me a few weeks to figure it out though :)

Well everything is still great! I was sad to see aunt jeannie and uncle roger leave. It was so fun having them here. A good friend of mine came into the mtc this week. His name is scott and I know him from school. Its fun seeing him around!

So we taught lesson 1 in Russian last weds, it went pretty good. I need a lot of improvement, but I know it will get easier. HARD WORK AND THE LORDS HELP!!!! The lord helps and guides us so much. I am realizing all the things in my life that the lord has helped me with, or things that have led to getting me on this mission. I know the Lord has something planned for me in Russia. I wouldn't pick to be anywhere else but here on this mission, I would really really love to actually be in russia, but that comes soon enough. I love the Lord and I love his gospel, I have recieved so many blessing from the Lord. I have an amazing family and the best friends ever! I love you all so much. I have an understanding of why I am here, where Im going, and where I came from. I have the atonement, which without, life isnt even worth living. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ, we have everything we could ever want and need. He loves us so much, and is so willing to help us. Will you all do something? I want you to read in 3 Nephi when the Lord appears to the Nephites and then keep reading the next few chapters while he ministers to them and while you are reading think about what it would be like to see Jesus and to hug him and bow before him and kiss his feet. I know the spirit will touch your heart and you will grow closer to Christ. I WANT to SEE HIM, I want to stand before him and know that he is pleased with me and what I am doing. I know He loves me and that His love for me will never die, but to know that he is pleased with me is a whole nothing story. Those chapters of 3 Nephi and so powerful. Pay close attention to what the Lord says and what he does, VERY POWERFUL!!

Well only 5 more weeks and I will be in Russia. OH I cant wait. I'm so excited. So the new group on russian missionaries come tomorrow. We are excited for them to come.

OK so yesterday the coolest thing happened. I got 22 letters in the mail!!! HAHA it was awesome!!! All of them were from Katie all the way from Hawaii! Everyone in my district was so jealous and so impressed. That set the record for the most letters recieved in one day in our district! haha it was a great day of my life!!

So i hope everything is going great for everyone. Mom and dad, i hope you had fun in cali, at disneyland, and with little Trent, and with scott and amy! Drive by the MTC on your way home and wave to the buildings, im sure i will sense when you drive by. Rhiana hows school, are you almost done with that class, Amy have you started school yet, Hollie and cam whats up with you, and scott and amy how is little trent and life as parents? ok now you all have to write me and answer those questions!!!!! and add in alot more info about your amazing lives.

well once again my time is up :( I love you all and mom i will send pictures soon, i am developing them today

Love always and forever
cectpa gneiting

Hello My wonderful family,

How are the lives of the Gneiting/Kuehnes? anyone else reading this? I'm doing supper supper good! Everyday is amazing as a missionary. I still like here, but am so ready to get to Russia. Im not ready to speak the languange though, so a few more week will be good. Only 5 more weeks and then I will be in Russia!!!! YAY!! I cant wait, obviously since I have a countdown. The older group of missionaries left for Russia yesterday and today. So now we are no longer the new russians! Yesterday I had a new companion, it was one of the native russian sisters. Her companion and all the other native sister had already left so she couldnt be alone. So she asked me to be her companion, her room is right next to ours. So we had a good time yesterday. It was nice having her around all day, she taught me alot about Russian. I became really good friends with all the native sister, she all loved me!! haha ofcourse right? One of them is going to my mission, well she probaly is already there cuz she left yesterday. She is awsome, so maybe we will be companions someday!

You will never believe what happened!! Someone stole my camera! On sunday I had it with me cuz as a district we went up to the temple to take picture. We went back to the class and I was looking at the pictures I had taken and then I left it in our classroom and went to the fireside. Well that night I couldnt find it anywhere, I thought I had misplaced it. So i looked in the classroom and my residence room. Well it was nowhere. My camera case was in the clasroom though, which i thought was weird since it didnt have my camera in it. Well after searching, I reached into my camera case and my card that stores the pictures was in it. So someone went inot my classroom and stole my camera, they were nice enough to leave the memory card though haha. I was mad at first when I thought I had lost all my pictures, but once I found the memory card I wasnt mad anymore. I thought maybe it was the elders playing a trick on me, but they said they didnt do it. So I probably need a new camera. haha My memory card fits into sister boggs camera so if I really need to take a picture I just use hers. Try to buy on online, you can probably find a good deal. Gary usually can find really good deals of things, so maybe ask him. Anyway I was so excited to tell you all that haha. Great story to tell that my camera was stolen at the MTC.

So mom guess who spoke at RS on sunday?! Sister Susan W. Tanner! She did a really good job, ofcourse. After RS we went and meet her. She was way nice. We have devo tonight, which is always a general authority, we havent had any apostles come since I have been here though. I think it will be an apostle tonight, but we dont find out until like 20 mins before devo start. Cross your fingers that it will be!!!

So I got to go to the temple yesterday and today. And yesterday I even got to do baptisems, which missionaries arent allowed to do. I have my connections! haha no since I was companions with the native russian sister, we were allowed to. Since there are no temples in Russia, the natives can do whatever they want! so i got lucky. Tomorrow we have to teach the First lesson in Russian, no english! Kind of scarey, but we will do fine.

Well I am almost out of time again. 30 mins is not enough time. I love you all so much. Still waiting for pictures of Trent! He sounds like a cutie, Im sure he is cuz it runs in the family!!!! Well I want you all to know how much I LOVE being a missionary, everyday i am so thankful. I am so excited to share this gospel with the people of russia. I pray for yo uall every day, you mean so much to me. Remeber the Lord always and how much he loves you. Never lose faith, faith blesses our lives. Through faith we dont every need to fear. God and Jesus christ love us so much and want us to be happy, allow them to do that for us.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU,
Cectpa Gneiting

Aug 4, 2009

(In my last email to Mindy (this is Mindy's mom) I asked her a bunch of Questions and then she just hit reply and answered them and sent it back. She doesn't have much time to read and write emals so i thought this might make it quicker for her. So here are her responses to my questions. I had to edit this a little but I left a few things and you can see in some places where her spelling and english are a little different. She says that the Russian is really doing a job on her and she is already forgetting her english.)

1. So tell me what your responsibilities are as senior companion.
I basically just led them haha. I'm just responsible for making sure we do things we are supposed to and helping us get things done. We all are in the small boat though, so we all help each other.

2. Have you had any general authorities come speak?
We had Elder Groberg, you know the "otherside of heaven" a couple weeks ago. Every sunday we have a fireside but it is just some one that works here at the mtc. Then on tuesday nights we have devo which is some general authority, elder groberg is the only one that I have actually known who he is. Maybe the prophet will come tonight, I will let you know!

3. What is your favorite part of the MTC so far?
I love the food! That answers alot of questions people have asked me. All I eat is salads though! I have lost 9 lbs since being here!! YAY!!! I WILL NOT GAIN WEIGHT!!!!!

4. Did any of your instructors go to your mission? Have they told you any cool stuff about Russia?
One of my teachers went to my mission and the other went to st petersburg I believe. Yeah they tell us stories!

5. Answer the CD question from the other email I sent?
Yeah that all sounds great! Send me Women of Destiny forsure, thats my favorite. Make sure its the one with Gladis Knight!

6. How do you like your companions? Tell me a little bit about them.
I love my companions!!! Sister Boggs you already know about her, she is from Pason Utah. Then Sister Gilmore is from Seatle. They both are great, they are both helping me so much!

7. Do you still see Emily much? Have you heard much from Sister Alli Burton?
Oh do I see Emily!!!!! HAHA yes all the time. I havent seen her yet today though. But that will change soon. Emily leaves next monday :( so I am going to miss her, her companion is way awesome too. She is a nurse, so we get along well! Yeah Alli is doing great as always. I got a letter from her last week. She is now seving in Kansas, which is still part of the Independance Mission. So now she is a full pros sister. I have no doubt that she is doing awesome!I

8. Can you print off your emails? Can you get pictures on email if I send a few attached?
I dont know if we can print them I was wondering that to cuz I dont have a ton of time to read them and then write one too. No the pictures dont show up, well at least they didnt on sister gilmores email.

9. Will you get to call us from the airport when you fly out to Russia?
I dont knoe, i will find out.

10. Do you get packages and mail on the day they arrive at the MTC or do you have to wait until P day?
for the most part, unless the mail comes on saturday night then we dont get them til monday. And dearelders usually come the same day or next day unless they are on sunday then they come on monday.

Thanks for your emial. Great Idea with the questions, that makes things easier. Oh so i have been meaning to tell you that my departer date is September 28 or at least around that date. so not exactly 12 weeks! Eveything is going great here still, I am still loving it. Time is flying by though, i cant believe I have almost been here a month. Russian is coming along, some days coming slow and other days fast. It is a hard language but the way they teach us it doesnt seem to be as hard as you would think it would be. The Lord makes up the difference if I let him! I love my savior so much. Everyday I grow closer and closer to him!! He loves us so much, beyond words. He loves us so much that he volunteered to atone for each one of us. He wasnt forced to do it, he just loves us so much that he did it! He is my strengh, I cant do this with out him. I am so excited to go to Russia and bring happiness to those people. The gospel changes lives and makes people happy.
So the holy ghost is amazing, I am relying so much on him. At times I dont even realize it but the holy ghost is leading me to do and say things. Every week we get to do a mock teaching leason and sometimes I dont even know what I am saying becuase its not me saying it, its the Lord through the holy ghost. Its amazing.

Well I am out of time I love you all so so so much. Thanks for the letters they help me so much. I need your love and support everyday!!

Love all of you always,
Cectpa Gneiting

PS mom can u buy some of the scripute master picture things that you can put in sciprutes for me and send them to me. A sister from russia wants some but they dont have them here. thanks