First EMail from MTC

Dear Mom, Dad, Rebecca, Rachel, Rowan, and other loved ones,

Hello from the MTC! It has been about one million years since I've talked to you, so I have a lot to write! Firstly, I have several requests. Could someone find Sydnee Floyd's address for me? It could be on her facebook or on her blog. Just check from my accounts. Secondly, if you've already sent me a towel, bless your soul. If you haven't, don't. And then send me a Dear Elder ASAP telling me that you didn't send me one so that I can buy one at the bookstore. Finally, can you send me the email addresses of the rest of the family? I only have mom's memorized. Thank you!

I'll start off telling you about my companion. Her name is Sister Law, and she is from Vancouver. Her parents are from Hong Kong, so she is fluent in Cantonese already! This is a wonderful blessing for our whole class, because she is so patient and constantly corrects our pronunciation and tones. She is such a sweetheart, and we are already really good friends. She's not one of the super peppy, loud sister missionaries, which is perfect. Yesterday we were walking to class and she was walking on my right side, but then switched over to my left because it was weird. And she was right, it was weird. We already have our own little habits like that haha. We are pretty good at reading each other's minds too. Like yesterday, we were playing church hangman and I guessed hers the first try! It was "hymn." So maybe it wasn't me reading her mind; it was probably more like my vast experience with church hangman...

There are three elders in our class, and they are all very different from each other--it so amusing to watch them interact with each other. Elder Morton is obsessed with learning Cantonese. He constantly asks Sister Law, "What's the word for ice cream? Santa? Antarctica? Sassy?" Elder Arrington is probably too cool for words. He knows incredible amounts of random trivia, especially when it comes to longboarding, martial arts movies, and soccer. (Also, his letters are being posted on a blog as well: elderarringtion.blogspot.com. You should put that link on my blog with Jesse's and Sister Heaton's.) Elder Kimball is the quiet, seemingly docile one of the group. However, he can get sassy when he needs to! He's almost a redhead, so naturally I like him already. Since our district only has 5 people, we've already grown really close and we joke around all the time.

They pack in so much here at the MTC. I've been so busy that (apart from night one) I have crashed as soon as my head hits the pillow. We have about 6 hours of class every day except for Sundays and Preparation Days (which is Monday for my district). I think I have a pretty good ear for Cantonese sounds. I can't remember the pronunciation for very long, but when I repeat after my teacher or Sister Law, I can do a pretty good job! I think it's from French. A lot of the sounds in French are used in Cantonese too, especially the sounds in the back of the throat. On Saturday we taught our first investigator in Cantonese. Well, let's be real. I said about four sentences: "I am Sister Cutler and this is Sister Law." "We are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." "I know God is our Heavenly Father." "God loves his children." And Sister Law talked for about 30 minutes. It was a very humbling, and slightly frustrating experience. I alternated between trying to understand them, trying to think of any word in Cantonese, and praying that God would keep me from crying (which he did!). But when I relaxed for about two seconds, I felt the Spirit. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but as she told the Joseph Smith story, I could definitely feel the truthfulness of what Sister Law was saying.

In my personal study (an hour each day) I've been focusing on patience. It's only day 5, and I'm already getting frustrated with myself because I can't speak fluently! Yeah, I need to chill.

We aren't allowed to use our ipods here because it can be a distraction. But I have had songs running through my head (and often coming out of my mouth) constantly! I walk across campus singing "Cheetah Girls, Cheetah Sisters," "Do You Hear the People Sing?" "I Have Confidence" (from the Sound of Music). It seems like everyone has a similar problem. I heard "And I Will Always Love You" being sung in the gym the other day by a couple of the elders. And here is a conversation we heard this morning at breakfast:

Elder 1: Do you believe in magic, In a young girl's heart?
Elder 2 (joins in): How the music can free her whenever it starts! (They continue singing a few more lines)
Elder 2 (in a completely serious tone): I love you bro. You are such an example to me. (Then they bro hug)

Yes. I love the MTC. People are so open about their feelings and transition so readily from joking and laughter to serious "feelings" talks. It's like everyone has become just like me. Except without all the crying. (Side note: I've only cried once while here! Better believe it baby, because it's a new record!)

Another thing that happened in the MTC cafeteria: pizza salad. Not even kidding. Its lettuce with pizza toppings on it, as well as small chunks of actual pizza. The night before we had Papa John's, and the next day we had pizza salad. Coincidence? I think not. But the food isnt really that bad. And I can always eat cereal if I need to!

The other day in personal study I was reading in Philippians, and in there Paul calls his fellow missionaries "yokefellows." I love the image of all five of us missionaries carrying one huge, awkwardly bulky yoke together. So we've started calling each other yokefellows.

My favorite phrase in Cantonese is mihng mh mihngbaahk (pronounced ming-m-ming-ba). You say it super fast, and it means "Do you or do you not understand?" I say it all the time.

Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to put picture on here this week, but I'll try again next week! Please send me more on Dear Elder! I look forward to hearing from you! I love you all so much and I am so happy to be here!

Love Katie
AKA Sister Cutler
AKA Gat Jimuih (Cutler Sister)

Katie arrives at Missionary Training Center July 5th, 2012



Katie arrives at MTC in the rain.  New missionaries are dropped off by family or friends and assisted by others already at MTC.

She packed well--each bag was under weight allowances so she can add books and other necessities.

Brooke Adams and Becca Bradshaw deliver her safely to MTC.

This is her first letter (hand-written and mailed by post)



Dear Father, Mother, Rebecca, Rachel, Rowan:
My branch president told me to send you a letter to let you know I am alive!  Today has been so exhausting and crazy, but I know Cantonese words and have some new friends! My companion, Sister Law, is great.  We have faced two crises today: 1.  Her perfume bottle broke in her luggage, so we had to clean everything.  Bright side--my hands still smell good! and 2.  I don't have a towel...Can you send me one?  Apparently towels are luxuries only afforded to senior couples.  Bright side--we met about 20 people at the front desk and from housekeeping and from security who all wanted me to get a shower ASAP.

Our district has 3 elders and 2 sisters, and I can already tell we're going to be super close.  There is another companionship in our room, including my friend Sister Heaton!  She is so fun.

I am so tired but so happy.  I have no doubt that this is where I need to be right now. It's time for lights out and I don't have time tomorrow to write, so I'll wrap it up!  My p-day is Monday, so expect an email!  And please send me Dear Elder instead of email because I only get 30 minutes on the computer and I want to send you detailed emails!

I love you all so much.  Thank you for being supportive and wonderful!  Miss you lots!

Love, Sister Cutler

P.S. Sister Heaton sang the welcome song from "She's the Man" in class and I recognized it!

Desiderata

By Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Togetherness

Do you ever have those moments when something is so beautiful that you can't breathe? When your heart is so full and fit to burst that there actually isn't enough room in your chest for air? When you ache with longing, and you aren't quite sure why, but your white-hot joy is tinged with just a shade of grief? When you are reminded of something that feels more like home than anything you've ever experienced, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is? 

That feeling has come and gone many times lately. It's because I'm getting ready to say goodbye to my beautiful family for 18 months. It's because I've never been happier to be with them. It's because I have hope of good things to come. We're going separate ways for a while, and because of that I'm sad. But we'll be together again, and because of that I'm happier than ever! I am so blessed.

Team Alpha Wolf Squadron, getting ready to hit the beach!

Running a race with (or about a mile behind) Dad.

The prettiest pyramid ever!

Temple time with my parents.

Saying goodbye to Elder Jesse Sumrak. He'll be in Sierra Leone, I'll be in Hong Kong. We'll be across the world from each other, but we're both working toward the same end!

Sister and elementary-school-best-friend date! Fancy dinner followed by a crazy dance par-tay.

It doesn't get much better than this!

Just your normal game of Pirate Dog Hotel

As the babysitter of two very imaginative children, I wear multiple hats: lion tamer, Mom, cheerleading coach, bus driver, and, my personal favorite, sea lion. Today we played Pirates, but I was the only human pirate--the children were both pirate dogs, the older with a nose for treasure, and the younger with a nose for trouble. Per the request of the older pirate dog, I sailed our pirate ship to "the nearest hotel, please." Yes, very adventurous.

"And in which direction is the nearest hotel?" I asked. 

"West east." 

(Pointing both to my left and my right) "So this direction?"

"Duh."

(After arriving at the hotel) "So where exactly is this hotel?"

"Right here!"

"Well yes, but where in the world is it?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Oh yeah? Prove it!"

"Never mind."

Somewhere over the Rambo.

Mondegreen noun: the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase due to near homophony, in a way that yields a new meaning to the phrase.

Today's conversation at my grandparents' house:

Jesse: Yeah, BYU intramural soccer can get pretty intense. Some players take themselves way too seriously. I just play my soccer my way, which just happens to be fancy, and it ticks a lot of guys off. Once somebody tried to fight me just because I rainbowed his girlfriend.

Katie: Yikes! That's ridiculous.

Mom (after several moments of pondering): So what does it mean when you Rambo somebody? It doesn't sound very nice.

I don't want to know...

This conversation reminded me of another soccer-related conversation we had at a rec soccer practice in high school. My father was the coach, and on the day in question he was teaching us how to effectively guard our opponents. It is important to note that my father has a British accent.

Dad: Can anybody tell me what marking is?

Nico (again, after several moments of pondering): It's when you make fun of someone!

Adventures whilst at the boy scout store

Can I just take a moment to praise the Boy Scouts of America for their dedication to the welfare of this nation's children and future leaders, as well as the inexhaustible thoroughness of their merit badge program.

Not only do they give young men the opportunity to toughen up and enjoy the outdoors, but they also reward every small step on their way to manhood--even the step where the boys learn how to use the great outdoors instead of a cushy, indoor restroom. I would be proud to wear that on my sash. (Sash is kind of a girly word. Maybe they don't call it that. Because BSA is the furthest thing from girly.)





(The responsible, honest, too-mature-to-appreciate-bathroom-jokes voice in my head compels me to inform you that this is actually the "pulp and paper" badge, not the "nature is a bathroom" badge.)

Conclusive proof that conversations never seem quite as funny when you retell them.

Various conversations I have enjoyed in the past two days:

Sunday morning, mother and I were discussing... well actually, I have no idea how we got onto the topic, but she asked me if I liked Fiber One Bars, which I do. She then told me about that day's question-and answer article in the health section of the newspaper. A woman wrote in saying (and I paraphrase), "My friends and I recently decided that we needed to up our fiber intake, so we've greatly increased our Fiber One Bar consumption. We all have observed that as our Fiber One Bar consumption increases, so does our proclivity to pass gas. Is this normal?" To which I would respond, "Are you asking if the gas increase is normal? Or if your friends' tendency to discuss their gassiness is normal?" (But apparently they were onto something.)


The following conversation occurred in the car after dinner at the Sumraks, which consisted of three different types of cake, all of which were delicious. I blame the absurdity of our conversation on our ridiculously high levels of blood sugar. Rowan, attempting to tell Rebecca to "quit the back-sass," invented a new word: "back-sauce." We corrected him and then made two important observations: firstly, that "back-sauce" sounds disgusting; secondly, that you don't really need the prefix "back" for the sentence to make sense. "Sass" is sufficient. This led to an extensive discussion about various prefixes that could be used with "sass" and how those prefixes would change the meaning of the word. A debate ensued about the difference between "unsass" and "desass." "Resass" was pretty obvious. It all went downhill from there:

Katie: Mom, I think this car must run on "sassoline."

Rebecca: If you sass someone to death, you might be a "sassassin."

Rebecca: If you are huge, hairy, and extra sassy, they might call you the Sassquatch.

Katie: If you are a beloved and photogenic sheepdog with a tendency to be cheeky, they might call you "Sassie."

Rachel: If you are sassy, fairly attractive, with a strong Irish hairline, you might be Carlton "Sassiter."

Katie: If you were sassy and you married Prince Harry, you might live in a "sassle." They would call you the "prin-sass."

Katie: Mom, if you eat too many Fiber One Bars, you might get "sassy!"

Rowan chimed in with his own jokes, none of which made sense and all of which brought me to tears. The best part was after his sixth or seventh joke when he slapped the back of the passenger seat in frustration, slumped back, feeling defeated, and said with a grin, "You guys are lame."


And these gems come from recent babysitting adventures:

"But Katie, he keeps taking my car away from me! Make him stop!" "Don't worry, watch this." (I then start playing very enthusiastically with the airplane to distract him: "Quick, get your luggage, we're going to be late! Wait, you aren't the real pilot--you're a monkey! How are you going to drive the plane? Oh no, MAYDAY MAYDAY WE'RE GOING DOWN!") "Wait, actually I want to play with the airplane! NO, give me the airplane, he can have my car!" (I then proceed to rotate through the Marina, the Main Street, and the Zoo, making each one seem even more fun than the last. Much inner turmoil ensued, as both children tried to figure out whether to grab my current toy or wait to see what was next. I love Fisher Price.)

"See this dress? I wore it in my tap dance recital." "That's so pretty! When was your dance recital?" "The day after yesterday." "Don't you mean the day before yesterday?" "No, the day AFTER yesterday."

"Wow Katie, you're a good train track builder. This track is better than ever!"

"This train is going to take us straight to England! But it will take about 25 hours I think, because we have to stop off in Texas first." "Oh, you're going to pick up the cowboys?" "No way am I picking up any cowboys! No cowboys are allowed on this train!" "Why? Are you prejudiced against cowboys?" "You bet I am!" "You could put them in the next rail-car. You know, separate, but equal?" "Yeah, that's a great idea!"

"I usually eat my baked potato with whipped cream." "And a cherry on top?" "Huh?" "Never mind."