Time in the MTC

[yellowkris10]

I am so excited to be going to Bulgaria! I just had a few questions:

*How long is the stay in the MTC?

*About how many sister missionaries are in Bulgaria at a time?

I think that is it for now, but I am sure I will be bursting with questions soon!

[Richard Davies]

How long is the stay in the MTC?

2 months

About how many sister missionaries are in Bulgaria at a time?

When I was there (almost 10 years ago now!) I think there were about 20 sisters. Maybe a more recent returned missionary can correct me if it's changed since then.

[Emilynis]

Hey yellowkris! I just got my call too!! Bulgaria here we come. I'm sooo excited. when is your report date? I don't go until February 4th, it seems like a lifetime...

My name is emily. can't wait to meet you!

[Brinton]

Emily....

Feb 4th seems like a long way away, but it will come up faster than you think!  I'm happy to see sisters called to the mish.  I loved my time in Bulgaria, it's a great place to be a missionary.  I hope you and yellowkris, have a wild time there! 

Joyce (Sister Brinton) Anderson
95-96
Plovdiv & Sofia

[Emilynis]

Joyce!

Thanks for your encouragement. What I want to know is how did you teach the gospel without the book of mormon in bulgarian!! I was reading about the missions history and saw that they only had parts translated early on.  Its mind blowing. I hoping that I can just spend my time trying to learn some bulgarian and study preach my gospel like a dog!

What is your best advice for fitting in? I read that there is some hostility toward americans, but being white, blonde, and 5'11 i think i'm going to stick out like a sore thumb. Do the people wear alot of color?

Thanks again,

Emily

[yellowkris10]

Emily!

I am also reporting on Feb. 4! My name is Kristen. It does seem like a long time away, but people tell me it will fly right by!

[Richard Davies]

What is your best advice for fitting in? I read that there is some hostility toward americans, but being white, blonde, and 5'11 i think i'm going to stick out like a sore thumb. Do the people wear alot of color?

As a missionary, I'm not sure that there's much you can do to not stand out... The white shirts and ties, dresses, and name tags are pretty much a dead give away. But that's okay, being noticed has it's positive aspects too. And after all, we are supposed to be a "peculiar people"!

I remember after I returned from my mission it felt strange to go out in public and not have everyone turn their head and start staring at me. 

[Brinton]

Emily...

Your question has brought back so many good and funny memories of being a tall, American girl!

I am also very tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, very pale skin....I cannot hide in a crowd in Bulgaria.  My first comp was a head shorter than I was, so we got even more strange looks.  Everyone just called us the tall one and the small one.  When she left, all of our neighbors kept asking was, "Where did the small one go?" 

There is really no way to "fit in" or to "stand out less" other than your actions.  By that I mean, don't raise too much of a ruckuss in the public square.  I remember one day standing on the front porch of the msision home, which at the time was over on Tzar Boris III.  The #5 tram track was across this 6 lane boulevard, which was jammed with traffic most of the time.  The tram whizzed by and there, squashed up on the back window was a companionship of elders, very noticable with their white shirts and ties.  You can't hid a Mormon missionary, you just can't....not really even in Pdday clothes.

The other thing that I remember about standing out is that my face and my eyes, because they are almond shaped, look very much like the icons of the Virgin Mary.  One day on a VERY crowded Chavdar in Plovdiv (ya'll remember those busses!!) I was haning on for dear life and this funny lady started kissing my arms and going on and on about how I looked like Mary.  I was still kind of a greenie at the time and I had no idea what was going on....so to say I was a bit freaked out, was an understatement -- my comp the small one translated for me!!  So, I'm sure you will have your own stories to tell....and write them down!

As for color, yes...Bulgaria is colorful!  I remember my first drive in from the Airport.  I noticed that all the bloks were grey and so ugly, but I came to really love them....I miss them actually!  But everyone wears bright colors and some even have wild orange hair (or some other shocking color).  During communisim things like hair dye and nice, colorful clothes were not really widely avalible, so when these started to be in the stores and stuff people bought them.  I especially love the native costumes, that they were for folk dancing.  They are so beautiful.  Most of them have coins sewn into the dresses or hats....it's amazing.  So...go to a folk dancing conceret at least once while you are there.

As for teaching w/o the Book of Mormon.  We did have a little condensed version called "Selected Passages" which was only about 1/4 of the whole thing.  We just made due, and thankfully, most people we came across were fluent in another language.  We gave away many Russian, Spanish, German, etc books.  I will say this though, I remember the day in 1999, when they issued the full Book of Mormon.  I was working at the MTC at the time, and the Bulgarian distrrict came down and found me in the back of the mail room.  They presented me with my own copy.  When they placed it my hands I just started to weep.  They didn't quite get why I was crying (silly boys!!).  Of course they were tears of pure happiness.  I could just feel the power of the Book of Mormon and I just said, "You guys don't even know how this is going to change things for the Bulgarians and how you serve your mission.  You have real power now with this full translation, the Church is going to really take off."  And it did.  I felt the same way when I finally got my triple combo a few years ago.  It took a long time, but in the end it was worth it, and now the members can really have the gospel in their own tounge.

I am always excited for the new missionaries, you'll have such a great time.  It's hard, don't get me wrong, and there will be days that you question your sanity, but it's great!

[yellowkris10]

Another quick question (or a few)...the packet that came with my call said for preparation day that jeans were not allowed. What type of pants would you recommend?

What was your favorite food that you ate? I have been looking at the different recipes and am getting really excited!

What sort of general interaction do you have with members? With those not of our faith on a day to day basis?

[Brinton]

I don't know about the jeans.  We were allowed to wear them.  Sometimes I think the info in that packet was totally unhelpful -- don't listen to me I am a heathen!!    I guess if you really want to know, write your mission president.  Rules etc, really come down to the president and what he and his wife decide what is good for the mission.  I guess though, Dockers? or some other khaki type pants?

Ok, as far as food goes, it was more of what didn't I like, because I liked pretty much everything, with a few exceptions -- it's always best not to be picky as a missionary.  My favorites were: bread, kiselo milako (yogurt), cirene (white cheese simlar to, but not the same as feta, and made of cow's milk), mussaka (meat and potato casserole), stuffed peppers (pyleni chooski), surmi (stuffed cabbage leaves), kozunak (Easter bread), fresh anything from the baazars, kifli (kind of a jam filled roll).   My not-so-favorites included: boza (a fermented grain drink), anything made of organ meats like liver, kidneys or the fat of the animals, head cheese, figs, and apricots.  In the summer you will be able to buy all sorts of really great, and I mean GREAT, fresh fruits and veggies in the markets. Most people have a little garden and they sell what they grow.  Like I said, the bread is pretty much the best thing on earth as well.  No really, I'm serious about the bread.  Eat bread, you will not regret it!     Bread also goes well with nutella....lots of nutella!

And for interactions with people...with memebers, you will see them at chruch, and if they are willing to help out with missionary work.  We would occasionally run into people in Sofia, more so in Plovdiv (smaller town).  We would also have branch activites on a weekly basis, kind of a mutual/FHE thing.  I don't know if missionaries are allowed to go to stuff like that now, but we always did.  In both Sofia and Plovdiv the missionares in my area had a weekly softball or volleyball game and we'd invite all the kids from the neighborhood to play.  But like I said, it will depend on what rules you are under with your current president as to how much you can interact with memebers.

I know this question will also come up as to if you will have dinner appts with members.  Not generally.  So prepare to feed yourself for the most part, although, if you do get fed by the Bulgarians, you will be happy, full and well taken care of.

As for interacting with non-members, you'll do this all day, everyday.  Be it thru street contacting, trackting, talking with your neighbors, and so on.   

[dlwerden]

Another quick question (or a few)...the packet that came with my call said for preparation day that jeans were not allowed. What type of pants would you recommend?

What was your favorite food that you ate? I have been looking at the different recipes and am getting really excited!

What sort of general interaction do you have with members? With those not of our faith on a day to day basis?

I was just looking at some pictures of a recent P-day activity to the Rock Monastery  that my son sent.  Both Elders and Sisters are wearing jeans in the picture.

My son says his favorite thing to eat is moussaka.  A couple of the RM's here have posted recipes for it that I've made on several occasions.  My family loves it!

[Brinton]

Speaking of food and Bulgarian cooking.....

I have a really great Bulgarian cookbook called Bulgarian Rhapsodyby Linda Joyce Forrestal.  You can get it on Amazon.com.  I love it, and it's right next to my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (you know the one with the red checker board cover that you should all have and use in your kitchens!!  )

Mother Linda learned from Bulgarians, and I've never gone wrong with any of her recipes.  It would be a great book for your family to have, or a great way to see what you will be eating in the near future.  And if you email her, she will totally email back with answers to your questions.....

There is also A Bulgarian Cooking group on GroupRecipies.com, there are many good recipes posted there from RMs. 

[Emilynis]

Brinton, thanks so much for all your useful info!!! Time is flying and this is all getting very exciting!!!!

Do they really play the bagpipes in Bulgaria??

[Brinton]

They play an instrument similar to a bagpipe called a gaida.  It has an air bladder, and pipes, but not the upright ones you would associate with on a bagpipe.  It sounds different too.  If you can find any Bulgarian Folk Music, you will be able to hear what it sounds like...I can hear it in my head now. 

Does anyone know if the gaida guy, who used to hang out around Alexander Nevski and the Narodna Subranie in Sofia is still around?  I loved that guy.  He would come up and play for us, then give us flowers....I think he was a bit crazy, but a good crazy.

[yellowkris10]

This all keeps sounding better and better!

What about water? Is it safe to drink or is it bottled water for 18 months?

I read somewhat about the weather, but what are your personal experiences with the weather? Anything special I should be especially prepared for?