The MTC Adventures

Sister Steadman with her bishop AND her dad. A special blessing for daughter and dad that he could prepare her for her mission and she could be his last missionary as bishop. This was taken her last night at home, right after being set apart as a missionary.



 Didn't you just love conference? It was fun to watch it with all the missionaries except for the hard chairs. I am jealous of you that watched it from a couch! I loved the Saturday morning session especially Elder Holland's talk. Thank you for all the sacrifices each of you have made so that I can be here! Dad- a new temple in you mission! How exciting! One day there will be one in POLAND!

 

 Siostra (Show-stra) Steadman, Stay, and Marshall pointing to Poland. And, evidently, standing in order of height.

I met my two companions: Sister Stay and Sister Marshall. They are both very different. Sister Stay was a dancer and always ready to go, moving fast. Sister Marshall is a scientist and is more methodical. We have got along great and have had some fun. We share a room with two girls going to Bulgaria. Next week we will be the only sisters in our branch.

 I love you all and love hearing from you. I love it here and have had amazing opportunities and adventures. The church is true!



 Learning Polish makes them want to pull out their hair.

Okay---the Language---it is hard! Remember how I took speech for how many years? My mouth wasn't built for this language. I am a walking miracle---the gift of tongues is real. I am learning more than I thought possible. The Lord will help you when you do your best. I am still trying to roll my rs.


Speaking of Polish, here is your random fact for the day. The way you say atonement is Zadoscuezynienie (with some Polish characters.) Then you have to add different endings according to what part it takes in the sentence (See, Mom I am learning my grammar).

 The Polish District at the MTC.

My district is amazing, which is good because we spend the entire day together. We have six elders. Two of them are from Germany, so who knows, maybe I will learn some German, too. The Elders are very courteous, standing when we come in and holding the door for us. We are all trying very hard to understand the language.

I love you all and I miss you. I pray for you. Thank you for all the prayers; they are needed. Remember the Church is true and that if you question it, read the Book of Mormon. It is our physical evidence of the truths.


Siostra Steadman with two friends from SUU. Sister Schmidt going to Ukraine; Sister Whitbeck going to Des Moines, Iowa. They all attended mission prep together.

This Church is true! Heavenly Father has prepared a way for us to return to live with him. He knows and loves us! I pray for all of you. I thank you for all of your prayers. I miss you but I am grateful that I get the opportunity to serve!



I just got back from going to the temple for the last time in 16 months. It was amazing. Go as often as you can; it will bring the needed strength in your life. I definitely needed it as I prepare to go to Poland- did I mention I am going to Poland? Afterwards our district went and talked to one of the Temple Presidency. It was an amazing experience. He pointed out that the gospel was restored at the right time; no other time would have worked before or after. People are the same way. They will be able to receive the restored gospel when it is right for them.



During our temple walk on Sunday, guess who we saw? Donny Osmond of course. He was there with his son/grandson. So I have officially been waved to by the famous Donny Osmond. Yet my favorite part of the day was a little girl named Marcie who wanted to shake the sister missionaries' hands. She was adorable and once again was a reminder of why we were on missions. She also made me miss the family and all the family parties.


 This Saturday night was interesting. While we were all preparing for bed, a sister manged to burn popcorn in the microwave---enough for there to be smoke and all of the fire alarms went off. It was funny to see every sister first reach for her name tag as we were evacuated from the building. We all had to wait in the parking lot as they cleared the building. This also happened to be when the Elders in the MTC Choir were returning. They thought we were having a party. I was asked the next day if the sisters had a nightly activity and if that is why we were always tired. Anyway, we were eventually let back in but since the popcorn was burnt on our floor we had to deal with the smell. Also that night a sister in the next room rolled off her bed and broke her arm. It was quite the night (no worries I sleep on the bottom bunk).:)




Yesterday, I spent most of the day in the real world. Sister's Stay shoulder has been acting up so we went to numerous doctors. I learned a lot about shoulders and x-rays. And Sister Marshall stayed back and took notes for us.  The one thing I noticed was how fast the day went by not being in class. I feel that when we are learning Polish and studying the gospel, time slows down so that we can learn all we need to in the short amount of time we have.


Life at the MTC is going great. I am super busy with little time. Remember when I was so shocked at going out into the real world? Well, now I know all the shuttle drivers, their majors, etc. By the end of today we will have gone to 17 different doctors appointments outside of the MTC and 13 times to the MTC health clinic. I have learned a lot by following my companions to various doctor's visits. (Siostra Steadman doing the physical therapy, pictured above).  But really I have been blessed and still have been able to learn everything that has been taught. I have come to the conclusion that I will not be able to speak fluently or even great when I get to Poland, but I will be able to say Wiem ze- I know that ... So that is all I really need right?

The missionaries going to Bulgaria and Poland.

On Sunday a convert from Bulgaria bore her testimony on how she joined the church and is now serving her mission. She said, "DON'T YOU DARE TO GIVE UP!" "There is someone like me who will take a long time to listen and to understand but will one day find the truth." This was a powerful testimony that we can never give up on what we know is right. Don't you dare.

They told us that they had a "special project" for us. This turned out to be cleaning out all of the drains in the showers for the sisters. Gross! We took pictures, soon to be coming. We showed our elders, and they thought we were killing rats. Yet, we worked together and laughed a lot. Mom- I have decided that you need to come on a mission. The senior couples get the royal treatment. Front row for all of the firesides.

Last week they recorded the Relief Society broadcast and we watched while the Elders had Priesthood. It is always amazing to be together as sisters. I loved President Monson's talk: "if you are judging, you are too busy to love." What a great reminder. After the meeting, because we were done before the Elders, all the 8 sisters on our classroom hall gathered together and just talked. It was fun to hear from sisters from Ireland, Germany, and around the US. Sisters going to Greece and the Czech Republic both put in their papers and they didn't want to learn a language, but here they are. We also talked about how we decided to serve a mission. One sister from Germany shared how she always wanted to serve but at one point wasn't able to even walk because of a back injury. She was told she wouldn't ever walk again. Yet, she was able to heal and even though she still has some pain, she is still serving a mission in Greece. There are amazing people here, grateful for what they have and ready to do all that is asked. I am blessed to be with so many amazing people. We also planned a European trip when we all get back---between the languages we all will know we should be able to travel anywhere in Europe, especially Eastern Europe.


Siostra Steadman and Sister Killian who is going to Bulgaria.

Halloween 2010

We think this is the 15th year that we have turned our garage into a county fair and cooked scones for the neighborhood. It takes all day to get everything read: the dough, the honey butter, the leaves swept away, the "decorations" hung. Last year we cooked over 500; this year closer to 250. Rain dampened the mood a bit, but we had a heater and padded chairs in the garage!

 This year our garage was even spookier----Dad hung lots of black shiny plastic to cover up the fact that he didn't clean the garage before the big scone cookout.  Here we have one of our victims: the corpse bride AKA our neighbor Sarah.

 It's fun to see the kids in our neighborhood. Some say that stopping by for a hot scone and drink is the highlight of their Halloween.

 We get all ages stopping by.

 And all sizes.

 And some we've seen for lots of years.

 We enjoy having the adults drop by and talking to our little friends as well.

It's especially fun to guess their costumes and see how much they have grown. If only I had taken pictures all along.

I am a Missionary MOM!

Since my husband, the now ex-bishop, and I have three daughters and no sons, we didn't necessarily plan on a missionary. But HOORAY! We have a missionary!

Our missionary received her call in April and waited four and a half months to enter the Missionary Training Center. She wanted to go the minute she turned 21 but had to be patient. She initially thought she was going to Portland. But she read it again: Poland Warsaw Mission!

There was a lot of screaming heard----mostly from her MOM!

She couldn't wait to go to the temple. She chose the St. George Temple. We had VIP treatment from her Aunt Lavon and Uncle Danny who work at this temple.

We went with Grandma and Grandpa and sisters and brother-in-law on the day of her graduation from college.

 What a great day! To the temple in the morning . . . .

To graduation in the afternoon . . . Our missionary was honored at SUU graduation as Outstanding Senior in the Management Major and graduated summa cum laude, highest honors! Now she is ready to shop, shop, shop for missionary clothes and supplies.

Grandma Peterson sewed her two skirts and Grandma Steadman made her a quilt! Thank goodness for Grandmas.

A trip to Europe was in order, before she went to the MTC.  Notre Dame---but wait! We weren't going to Paris. The joys of standby travel.

The Seine River which divides Paris in two, with the Eiffel Tower in the background. On Sunday, couples stroll along the River holding hands and street musicians play accordions.

Notre Dame from the back.

The Louve in the City of Lights. While it only cost 9.50 Euro to get it, the museum encompasses an entire city block. This is just the center plaza of the museum.

We also made it to Austria. Here we are at the Vienna Opera House. We attended a concert at the Musikverein of the Vienna Philharmonic---magical.

The Hall of Mirrors, Versailles France. We walked several miles carrying all our luggage to go to this Palace. They told us at the train station that we could store our luggage, but then we had to haul it. The treaty to end WWI was signed here.

The Eiffel Tower surprised me. It is so substantial and .... downright impressive. When the lights come on, it's a wowzer. They flash every hour after dark. I told everyone we met in Europe my daughter was going to Poland next to serve a mission.

Her Missionary Dinner . . . .after our missionary spoke in church, AKA farewell, her sister made a cake with the flag of Poland decorating the top. We also had the Polish and American flag flying from our front deck. Already, we love the people of Poland!

Friends from college.

Great-Grandma came with the help of Aunt Tren. She's 89 and still fine. We love them both!

Her "first" companion at the Provo Temple, minutes before the drop off at the MTC.



The Bishop and the Police Department

How do you know when it is time to be released as the bishop's family?

A couple of Sundays ago, I was trying to catch up on a bad night's sleep, and the phone rang in the early a.m. "This is the Police Department," I heard on the line, "and we are looking for your husband."
"Well, he's not here," I said.
"Do you own a Mercury Villager blue van with license plates"  . . . . the dispatcher asked.
"That sounds familiar," I said, a little concerned.
"Do you know where said car is at this moment?" she asked.
I had stayed up late to lock the doors after the teenager and pre-missionary were in. Would they had got up and took the car? The van with peeling paint and dents on every side?
"My husband had to have taken it to the church," I said, decisively.
Well, yes, it has been reported as abandoned overnight at the Green Oaks church."
At this point, I was struggling not to laugh, and relieved at the same time so I said, "Actually that van has been abandoned at the church for five and half years."  Finally I had the dispatcher surprised. I went on to say, "My husband is the bishop."
"Well, the people that reported it must not go to church, she replied.
I hung up the phone and laughed and decided it is time to be released when your car is reported abandoned at the church.

And the day came two weeks later. The announcement came at our daughter's opportunity to speak (aka farewell) before leaving on her mission to Poland! What a two weeks that was.

One last bit of irony: While my husband, now the ex-bishop, was giving his final testimony as bishop on the day of his release, the sign on the bishop's office with his name came unglued and slid to the floor. The second counselor saw it and gave it to him after the meeting.

It was time.

The bishop's wife screams occasionally

Now that I am older, I am seeing a few advantages to having younger siblings. While growing up changing diapers, looking for the binky or blanket to stop the screaming of one of those siblings, I was certain there were no pros to being a big sister. However, I no longer have young children, and when I want to do things kids like to do, I just borrow my siblings' children. I'm not their mother so I don't have to make them floss their teeth or eat nutritious food at my house. Chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast are okay. Playing card games until midnight is also allowed. What are their parents going to do? Fire me as a free babysitter/aunt of the year? Disclaimer: I am still a responsible adult and take good care of my siblings' kidlets.

Some of our adventures:

• Screaming as we ran around inside East High after going to U of U Gymnastics (Location of "High School Musical" if you are really out of it. Ask Tris for more info.)
• Flying one morning to Cali, getting on the wrong bus, exploring every inch of the Long Beach Aquarium after getting on the right bus, eating dinner at the airport while watching the planes land and take off, and flying home that night---beat that any of you wannnabe aunts of the year!

• Walking my dog, Lucy. Oh, the love that was showered on our family pooch. The magic of spending time with an eight-year-old is that simple things become magical.
• Going to the Church Museum---it is so much more interesting to share with a child. One loved the children's tea set that crossed the plains; one loved every single thing. "Did we see everything?" Tay-Tay asked as we left. I thought the same thing.
• Walking through Thanksgiving Point flower gardens on a summer night. The picture on my cell phone of a beautiful flower is there because my niece Nia taught me how to use the camera on the phone.
• Reading books together. Usually after a long walk with Lucy. Knowing all the places they will go if they love books as much as I do. Giving them hand-me-down books my girls read and loved.
• Hiking Rock Canyon. Crossing the river is more fun if someone is holding your hand.

• Dancing at the Symphony. Watching Jazzy dance at the Symphony. The outdoor symphony in the summertime. Lying on a blanket with lots of licorice and candy around. Watching the fireworks afterwards. Really, the only way to do the symphony. Even if you are a Humanities major.
• Playing card games. Here I confess some bias. We play "Authors." If you don't know that game, you must not be an English nerd. Of course, it is my fault that Tay -Tay and Nia know the titles of Louisa Alcott and Edgar Allan Poe.
• Attending the Theatre. Well, the high school version of Peter Pan may not be serious theatre but still is a lot of fun when JC laughs at all the jokes.

Valentine's Day/Birthday for the Bishop

It's the week of the Bishop's birthday and Valentine's Day and so I've decided to create a short list of things I like about the bishop:

1. His blue eyes (a flight attendant once asked him if they were REALLY THAT BLUE and if he was getting off the plane at her stop!)
2. He gets up at 5:30 a.m. to honor his covenants and go to meetings on Sunday.
3. He doesn't expect breakfast at that hour. Or any hour for that matter.
4. Did I mention his blue eyes?
5. He likes my parents, well, except for my dad's European-influenced driving.
6. When I am channel surfing, and he spots a football game, he only asks to see the score.
7. He always knows where his cell phone is (in contrast to the bishop's wife) and is therefore available to help his girls: Me, daughters #1,2, and 3, and his mom, including the time I ran out of gas on the freeway and had (the day before!) filled up the gas can and showed up to help me in less than 10 min.
8. He is a problem-solver---he was matching thread, determined to do some stitching needed on Daughter #3's prom dress since I was busy. (Ahem, I will be finishing that.)
9. If he's conducting Sacrament Meeting, he ignores the time until I am in my seat to start the meeting. Not that the bishop's wife is ever late.
10. He reads my blog and asks about my classes.

Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine's Day, Bishop!

Life can be funny with the Bishop

In case anyone is under the impression that life with a Bishop is all spiritual and pious, consider the following:

On Tuesday we went to the temple to do family names in preparation for sealings on Saturday. Prior to that, I fixed cajun pork chops (really opened a box of Winder Farm chops and threw them in the oven). We had eaten them before without complications. Due to some unforseen events, (the Bishop was late coming out of the dressing room and he is NEVER late) we missed the 6:40 session and ended up on the 7:00 p.m. which is an American Sign Language session for deaf patrons. If you want to go to a really reverent session, this is the one for you. Unfortunately, the cajun spiciness caused some "rumbly, tumbly" noises for both of us. In fact, the bishop noticed two deaf men turning around to look at him, look back at each other, and raise their eyebrows in concern. Unfortunately, we both giggled a bit when he told me in the celestial room.

Earlier in the day, I opened up my purse, pawing through crumpled Christmas receipts, and to my horror found a small package of ornament hangers. I had been in a store with the Bishop a few days before Christmas and picked up a box, remarking to him that we needed some for next year. At that point I planned to purchase them after Christmas when they would be marked down, even though I think they were all of $1.69.

I was aghast! Had I inadvertently put them in my purse instead of back on the shelf? What if I had been arrested for shoplifting? Was I now going to have to remember which store I had been in and go and confess my total lack of attention?And worst still, pay full price?

When we got home from the temple, I asked the Bishop: "Do you know how this box got in my purse?" He replied: "I knew you wanted some so I bought them at Smith's on our way home from snowmobiling. They were .19 cents. Did I forget to tell you?"

What a guy!