AUTUMN'S MISSION CALL!!!

I am sooo excited to announce my mission call. I opened it about a week ago and it has finally become a little less shocking.

I will be serving in the Hungary Budapest Mission!!!! Hungarian Speaking. I will be serving primarily as the Mission Nurse Specialist!!! I report on December 29th to the Provo MTC.

I could not be more excited. At first I had no clue where it was, but the more I have researched it the more perfect it feels. I am just thrilled!!

Here are some picture of the beautiful country I will be serving in:

Pretty perfect I'd say!

Autumn's Covert MTC operation

Since I am leaving on a mission and won't see my sister for 2 WHOLE YEARS!! (since she left 6 months before me) I decided that instead of mailing or dearelder-ing her my call, wouldn't it be WAY more awesome if I just read it to her LIVE?! ... so I decided that I would surprise her and kind of stalk her out, it's not breaking the rules if she didn't know I was coming right? and it was totally mission related, obviously, MY mission related. So I parked in a spot that I knew I would see her little curls bouncing by on her P-day up to the temple... after 3 hours of waiting I saw that perky little sister of mine just beaming as she skipped-hopped- and practically summersaulted her way to the temple (she always was cheerful, but the MTC like tripled that in her). I jumped out of my car and yelled her name, she was obviously shocked, and we had a movie like reunion full of screaming-running-arms wide open embracing-magic. I read her my call and, as predicted, she was SHOCKED!...just like all of us have been. Budapest?! who goes to Budapest?!!!

So I decided I needed to somehow document the moment and decided to take a video of her awesome new Chinese Skills (sounds pretty legit to me). She says that she is baring her testimony and talking about how exciting it was to hear my mission call. (For all I know she could have been saying the ABCs)

Austin - Madison Wisconsin - October 4, 2010

What up peeps?

Oh man, it's been a sweetite week. And I'm not even sure why. Because of the transfers we got little missionary work done except for a few lessons taught and five new investigators. God is so graceful...what the heck. Elder Cook and I have been reorganizing ourselves for the new transfer, I never did get fully unpacked from when I got to the apartment. We are trying to slow things down, think things through and do it right. We're praying harder, planning better and being more obedient and we're hopeful for a good transfer. Him and I both were so stinking glad to have conference. The phrase, "We have a prophet, we have a prophet!" Kept running through my head. It's that tight though? I had my infusion this week. It went waaay better than last time. The room wasn't 20 degrees below zero and this time I had my companion to keep me company. I do have to say, after taking the new pills for a month...I'm feeling a lot better. I called my doctor and he was really pleased to hear that, I got a refill and will be seeing him next week to see what else he may want to do. It's gettin' COLD HERE! Holy cow, it's still like 50 degrees but the wind chill is just frigid. I do not want to know what 8 degrees feels like...ooh maan. I'm going to need a little bit of money (probably just like 50-80 bucks) to buy gloves and a other winter gear like socks, gloves, hat, ear mittens and stuff like that...it's going to be colder than I expected, dang :((((((( I'm going to try as hard as I can to not stress out about it but for reals I'm freaking out.

My favorite talks this conference was President Uchtdorf's talk on pride, that was waay tight and how he totally put himself up there with the conference gods like President Benson's talk on pride. I also really liked Elder Scott and Elder Oak's talks, there were really conceptual and I really liked that. I made some really nice connections during them and have a few ideas on how I want to use those ideas in my mission.

The only funny story I have is that because it was transfers we did the HABENERO CHALLENGE. All the Eldesr that left had to eat a habenero and it was so funny. Also, all the Spanish elders ate them because we tight and cultural like that. Elder Hulet's face swole up so much it was so funny. Elder cook had burning gas for two days.

I got to go though. NOt much time. Love you all.

Elder Papritz.

Amy last week in MTC October 4, 2010

Da jia hao!

Its so weird to be writing my last e-mail in the MTC. We got up early today so that we can do laundry. Its strange to think that today is our last full day in the MTC and its a p-day. I am so excited to leave the MTC and to head out to Taiwan!! This week has been really weird with people leaving and packing. A few of the Elders who are not going to Taiwan left today or earlier this week. We got our flight plans switched earlier this week so now alll of the people going to Taiwan are on the same flight. I am so glad that they put us all on the same flight. It was so great to be able to call home too and to hear all of your voices even just for 5 min. I can't wait to talk to you tomorrow!!!!!! So just a reminder of my new flight plans. We leave SLC at 11:30am and get into LAX at 12:30. Then our flight leaves LAX at 5:10 for Taiwan. I will call some time around 1 or so. About calling cards. I will try to get one here at the MTC if they sell it and if not I will buy one with enough minutes to talk to you without any problems. I can't wait to hear from you all!!! I'l call home first and then Autumn and then Alden.

Ok enough legistics. This weekend was conference. Wasn't it great!! I loved the Spirit that was felt so strongly. It made me so excited when they announced 5 new temples!! One in Indiana too!! It thought of Kailee my old roommate when they annouced it and how excited I bet she is. All of the talks were wonderful. I had a few questions that I wanted answered during conference and they were answered within the first few talks! It was such a testament to me that Heavenly Father is indeed mindful of each of us and knows our needs and answers our prayers. We all watched the sessions in the gym. It was so fun to watch it with all of the other missionaries. I dont' know what my favorite talk would be but I noticed a theme throughout all of the talks. The importance of prophets was disscussed over and over. Especially the talk givien by President Ezra Taft Benson on the "14 fundementals of a prophet." You all should read that talk. I read it in my teaching of the living prophets class and its really good. I was also reminded of something that my teaching of the living prophets teacher said, "When prophets quote other prophets we need to pay attention to what they are saying." Having that talk mentioned twice at least to me tells me that we need to trust in the prophets more and follow their counsel. Also as Elder Holland and President Monson were talking about the people in their lives that have made a huge difference I thought of the many people who have made a big difference in mine. I am so grateful to each of you for helping me be who I am today. Especially my family. Thank you for all of your love and support thoughout my life and providing me with every opportuntiy that I wanted. Thank you for your strong testimonies and examples of what a disciple of Chirst should be. Words cannot express how grateful I am to you in the small amount of time that I have left to write an e-mail. Thank you for everything! xie xie!

I really don't know what else to write. This week has been really non eventful besides conference. Since I will be talking to you tomorrow I dont' know what else to say. I love you all! I can't wait to hear from you tomorrow!

All my love,

Yang Jiemei

Sister Amy Papritz

Amy - MTC - September 27, 2010

Da jia hao!!!!

I can't believe this will be the second to last time I will write you here in the MTC. Crazy!!!! I feel like I just got here!! So we got our flight plans on thursday. My flight leaves Salt Lake at 8 and we get into LA at 9:01. Then our flight doesn't leave to go to Taiwan until 1:20am. We get into Taiwan at 6:30 in the morning. Fun!!! Its really weird though because they do the flight alphabetical I am not flying with Sister Bready. There are a few people in our district who are leaving earlier in the day on Tuesday including my companion. They will get into Taiwan at 10:00pm so they will get to sleep and recover from the flight. I won't. I will just hit the ground running. I'm so excited though!!!!!!!!! So during that lengthy lay over in LA I am allowed to call home!!! I can't wait to hear all of your voices. Autumn, I need your phone number. I don't remember it so I need it so I can call you. by the way, WHERE ARE YOU GOING ON YOUR MISSION?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? This wait has been KILLING me!!! Its so hard because I can't call you up and see what the staus is I have to wait until the next dear elder comes which is at the end of the day. Tourture?? YES! I can't wait to find out. let me know ASAP!!!

So now that I have talked about flight plans. This week was really good. Last Monday at the temple we had the wonderful opportunity to help a couple with a family sealing. They had an old family name that they have been waiting for a long time to do. They asked a few of us missionaries to help with the sealing of a daughter to a family. We can do sealings as long as they are sealing of children to parents. It was a really great experience. I got to be the proxy for this daughter. As we were doing the sealing it reminded me so much of when the girls were sealed to us and the special spirit that was there. The words were so powerful. I am so grateful that I know that my family is sealed for time and all eternity. We had our last TRC appointment on saturday. So weird!!! I can't believe that we are done with our TRC experience. Since next week is General Conference no volunteers will come on Saturday. The teaching went well. We taught three girls from Taiwan. They were really nice but spoke really fast!!! Holy moly I'm going to be in trouble when I get there!!! haha oh well!! One of the girls reminded me a lot of Autumn. She looked like her only in Taiwan form. haha It made me miss her a lot. After we were done teaching it so weird to think that the next time that I will be teaching will be a really person from Taiwan who knows nothing about the church. I am so excited but nervous at the same time. This last week will be really weird and difficult to stay focused!!

This last Wednesday my disctrict and I had the opporunity to help host the new missionaries. It was a lot of fun! I helped three sisters get setteled in their room, get their tag and other things for the MTC, their teaching materials and I also took them to their classroom. Since I have gotten here I have been so excited for this opportunity to host. This job is only given to missionaries who leave within the next two weeks. I helped one sister who was going to Arizona.. i think. Another was going to Texas Houston East spanish speaking. The last sister was from Fiji and will be serving in the Marshall Islands. She was really nice. She was suprised when I told her I have been there and when we were there. She apparently was there in Fiji. All of these sisters were really nice I am so glad that I got to help them get settled here at the MTC and calm their fears. I know that all of them will do a great job. Sister Bready and I also found out that our teacher He laoshi reccomended us to help teach the new missionaries this Wednesday. The first day a missionary enters the MTC they go to a class where they first learn about teaching and what to a not to do. I am really excited and I am glad that he reccomended us.

Well that is our week in nutshell..... I can't believe that soon I will be out in the field. This next week is going to be crazy in trying to learn as much Chinese as I can before we go. But I am REALLY REALLY REALLY EXCITED!!!! I can't wait to go and share the Gospel with the people of Taiwan. I hope that all of you have a great week. Thank you so much for all of your love and suppport as I have been here in the MTC. I love you all!! This Gospel is true. I know it is. I know that the Book of Mormon truly is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know that by reading it we can draw closer to our Heavenly Father and that we more fully apply the wonderful gift of the Atonement in our lives. I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he is our Savior and that he and our Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us so personally. They know us by name and know all of our problems, fears, and joy. Again, I love you all!!

All my love,

Yang Jiemei

Sister Amy Papritz

Austin - Madison Wisconsin - September 27, 2010

Hermosa Familia,

My oh my, what a spectacular week it was, made as such by the receival of Autumn's mission call. I got it all on film (my reaction that is from reading it and even more), probably more than I needed to record but oh well. Pretty much all you need to know is that the videos didn't play on my camera and so we went on a gooose chase to find a camera that would play the videos. I figured I was going to follow along on the video and read your mission call as you were reading it but then realized that would be too tricky to do and so I after waiting half a day after having the call in my hands I finally got to open it.

And holy chupacabra it craazy, I was freaking out when I saw Hungary Budapest. And then I was really freaking out when I read that your "primary responsiblity" was to be a Mission Nurse Specialist like wth is that?? That's sounds so cool. I want a mission nurse specialist in our mission!! I hope you get a sexy Mission Doctor Specialist companion too and you two can take Hungaries slums and fancy touristy castle sites by storm. Also, I can't figure out if you are going to be a nurse of the people or of the missionaries. As in, Hungary doesn't have good health care, so you are going to be kind of like an "office missionary" and kind of be a first healthcare for them . Which reminds me, both Elder Campbell and Elder Cook are calling that you are going to meet your future husband on your mission. I don't know. But keep your eye out for any potentially mortally wounded, tall and handsome missionaries that you may or may not need to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on.

Also, about Hungarian. Yes, Finnish is widely agreed to be the hardest language to learn in the world. I'm not sure why either but from what I heard from a guy from my zone in the MTC that was from the Netherlands (and could speak Finnish too along with Dutch, obviously, and spoke English dang good too) and he said that Finnish is just a dirty language. Hard to pronounce, hard grammatical rules and mostly just reallly, really hard to pronounce. All the vowells are way back in the throat and sound weird, it sure sounded like dirty garbage when he spoke it. Sooooooo, yeeeah, you might have a pretty fun time learning Hungarian which sounds like (from what you told me) is related to Finnish. Oh, and I have to tell you that after I opened it I got Hungarian mixed up with Romanian (which, oddly enough, the countries are neighbors) but I was saying on the video how you will be able to understand me because Romanian is the oldest root Latin-based language and I fluent speaker can understand most all of the other latin-based languages. In fact, in the MTC we talked to some missionaries going to Romania and we could pretty much understand each other. Buuuuut that's not you. We probably will have a very hard time, in fact, understanding each other. But at least Spanish will be a peice of cake for you to learn when you get back after tackling something like Hungarian! Uuugh, but you are soooo close to Romania, I wonder how much of an influence it has on Hungarian, also from what I looked up there are a lot of Hungarian speakers in Romania. Maybe we could tour over there and I could speak Spanish to the Romanians and you could cover the 2 million Hungarian speakers there. Tight. Also, I better be home from my mission before you, I for sure want to visit Hungary to see you there. That would be sooo tiiight.

So we have transfers today, the only news I have is that Elder Hulet is out of here and we are most likely going to get an Elder Hirschi who is one transfer older than me and is mighty fine good at Spanish (he took five years before coming out) aaand was the only other person trained by my trainer, Elder Kelly. So that'll be tight, we can share old stories about our Pops. But Elder Cook and I are gearing up for another 6 weeks together. We going to do some good transfer goals and try to get some work done. We'll see how it goes.

I'm glad ya'll enjoyed the package I sent. I personally think that chile candy is nasty. But I tried to buy the best, easily to stand kind. I'm off the pain meds for my back, and I still have plenty left in case I have another accident so that's really nice. Also, I think the Crohn's medicine is workiiiing!! I haven't had almost any pain and I'm feeling really good. So that's kind of a relief. We'll see how it keeps helping me.

Well, I go to go. Love ya all.

Elder Papritz





Amy - MTC - September 20, 2010

Zao an!!!

Suprise!! I am writing this e-mail a little earlier than usual. ok a lot earlier. We realized today that we have a lot of time before we go to the temple at 9:30 so we are going to write our e-mails now so you get a great treat when you wake up this morning. This week was really good. Nothing really in particular happened. Its getting down to the wire though. 2 more weeks!! Its so crazy that we started our 10th week today. We should hopefully be getting our travel plans this week or next week. CRAZY!!! I'm so excited! I can't wait to get to Taiwan and hit the ground running. Our teacher He laoshi told us that the first month in Taiwan our heads will explode. haha He said its because we are trying to listen so hard and say what we learned. That will be fun. Our TRC appointment went really well. We taught a women who was from Taichung, Taiwan. She has been a member for a few months I think. We taught her as if she was a recent convert and we were re-teaching her the second lesson on the Plan of Salvation. It was kind of hard to understand her because of her thick Taiwan accent but the lesson still went really good. Heaven up me when I get to Taiwan and try to understand that accent!! Anywhoo, we discussed the Atonement more indepth since she has a few questions. We didn't know how to answer it and Sister Bready was looking in the scriptures and suddenly turned to Alma 7:11-13. It answered all of her questions!! I love how the Spirit works!! It was the best lesson we have had in regards to making it more of a disscussion rather than us just teacher her.

ummm what else can I tell you about this week. Its starting to get cold here but only in the mornings. Then it is really hot. haha silly Utah weather! The mountains are starting to change colors and it is beautiful. I love it. It reminds me of the fall in Oregon and I miss it. I LOVED the pictures that you sent me and the package. I look at those pictures often and I wish I could be there but I know I am needed here. The sweater is so great thanks!! It is just the right size and length. I lot of people have complemented me on it. Oh i rememberd something. So He laoshi was telling us about the importance of member referrals. He said that about 60- 70 percent of the baptisms that he had on his mission were from member referrals. He said because they had someone to take the lessons with that they knew and were friends with and that once they are baptized and the missionaries leave they have a support system in the ward. He told this great story how he in one area baptized 4 people at once and all from member referrals and the investigator bringing a friend. So I invite all of you to give referrals to the missionaries and to talk to your friends more about the Gospel. There are so many people how need it. He also advised us to be the best missionaries that we can be the kind that I would want a good friend to have teach me.

I am so grateful to be on a mission. I love it here!! I can't wait to get to Taiwan. I dont' know what else to tell you that happend this week. Sorry this e-mail is a little short. This week wasn't as eventful. Please keep me posted on Autumns call. As soon as you find out LET ME KNOW!! I was dying this week when I didnt' find out until FRIDAY!

I love you all!!

All my love,

Yang Jiemei

Sister Amy Papritz

P.S Mom I forgot to tell you before I left but can you go to OSU Federal and tell them that I will be out of the country in Taiwan. I tried to take care of that before I left but they wouldn't let me because it was too far in advanced. silly bank Xiexie!! Oh also if you could send a copy of my mission call that would be great too. I think it is up in my room on the window seat. Love you all!!!