MTC - January 31, 2013

Hey everyone!

First of all, I will only be in the MTC for 6 weeks!  We are the first group going to Sweden with the shorter time span (the group before us was 10 weeks).  We're expected to leave March 4th or 5th. There are actually 32 new missionaries going to Sweden this time around.  Normally there are only around 5, at most 10, but this time around 32!  We're split into 3 districts.  Our Zone is combined with the Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Iceland missions (my zone had the largest increase ever seen with 49 new missionaries last Thursday).

My companion is from Provo, Utah and is 19 (she just turned 19 last December).  She went a semester at BYU before she came.  There are also 8 Alster (well technically that first A would have the two dots over it, but that's the Svenska word for Elders) in my District.  They're all 19 and 18.  Most of them attended BYU actually, with one U of U and one BYU-I among them. 

My companion and I have already taught 4 lessons in Svenska (and we're teaching a 5th tonight).  We've been working with an "investigator" (he's really a 24 year-old BYU student.)  Our first lesson we asked him if he was willing to follow Christ's example and be baptized and he actually said yes.  He's going to be baptized on February 9th.  My teacher had challenged my district to ask all investigators to be baptized, and he actually agreed to all 5 companionships.  He said he has never had everyone in the district commit someone to baptism on the first lesson in the year and a half that he's been here. 

I room with two other Systrar going to Sverige, both from Ogden.  Yesterday we had two Hermanas move in, both of whom are going to Chile.  We'll have an interesting mix of English, Svenska, and Spanish going on in our room now. It's actually really strange to think that I've been here just over a week.  Since we're so busy, it certainly feels like so much longer. 

Svenska is coming along.  We're already praying regularly in the language and we're understanding more that we think, but it's still not easy to say the least.  All of the words I've learned before haven't really come into play quite yet, since we are focusing on the gospel principles, but they'll be useful once I'm in the field.

We've been blessed with the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers during firesides/devotionals this week.  On Sunday we heard from Sister Burton (General Relief Society President) during Relief Society, and a Brother Richard Henton, Mission Business Administrator, during the night fireside.  On Tuesday we heard from Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife.  The overall messages were the importance of being happy, working in a companionship, and the meaning of a successful missionary.  My main impression was that it's just important to rely on the Lord in all that we do.  In fact I read a scripture that I had really like that told the same message. 1 Corinthians 5:7 - which pretty much says to walk by faith and not by sight.  That's exactly what I need to be doing now while I'm here in the MTC.  I just need to do my best to learn this new language and the Lord will make all of the difference.

Nauvoo Temple (New art!)

The Nauvoo, Illinois Temple (one of the many temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

This was my most recent project, but I won't have the time to finish it before I leave on my mission.

But I at least got the basic concept down! It's still more of a sketch as opposed to official line art, but I think you can still recognize it! (And you can still see my grid lines haha)

I was intending to finish it with my colored pencils in a similar technique as the picture to the right, particularly since I bought my new Prismacolor set (132 different colors! I was extremely happy that day haha!) but I just didn't have the time 

My Top Ten of 2012

As I was going through my reviews I was trying to decide what were my favorite books of the year and I came up with this.  (These are not necessarily in order)

1. Rhea Jensen Series (This is really my favorite series.   I finished reading the fifth book recently and I'm so looking forward to the sixth)
2. Heroes of Olympus Series (And I guess with that Percy Jackson haha)
3. False Prince  (super intriguing.  I look forward to what will happen next!)
4. Not My Type (Favorite LDS Romance this year!)
5. Seraphina (Dragons, need I say more?)
6. Grave Mercy (Assassin Nuns... yeah, I just said that.)
7. Austenland (and with it it's companion Midnight in Austenland)
8. Girl of Fire and Thorns and it's sequel Crown of Embers (I loved, loved, loved Crown of Embers)
9. To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson (I'm not normally one for nonfiction, but this was so worth it!)
10. Scarlet (Robin Hood!)

Mission Addresses!

I am now in Sweden on my mission!

My mission home address:

Sister Allison Marie Ryan
Sweden Stockholm Mission
Enebybergsvägen 38
182 46 Enebyberg
Sweden

Rick Riordan series review

Series Ratings
Percy Jackson and the Olympians 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heroes of Olympus 5 out of 5 stars
Kane Chronicles 4 out of 5 stars

I have a lot I can say about Rick Riordan haha!

Of course he's most famous for his Percy Jackson series, but he's also the author of the counterpart Kane Chronicles (follows Egyptian gods instead of Greek/Roman).

For those of you who don't know (that number is getting smaller and smaller as time goes on), Percy Jackson and the consequent Heroes of Olympus follows the adventures of demigods (half-human children on the Olympian gods).  The first series follows Percy Jackson, a son of Poseidon, and the prophecy that a child of the Big Three (Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon) would decide the fate of the world on his or her 16th birthday.  Percy can't help but wonder if he's the person spoken of in that prophecy.

The five books follow his adventures in Camp Half Blood (training place of the demigods) leading up to the moment when that prophecy comes to pass.  The Heroes of Olympus series follows another prophecy and the 7 demigods that it involves.

My favorite part of the series is the integration of the Greek/Roman mythology in the modern world.  My second favorite part would easily be the relationship between Percy and Annabeth.

Positives: mythology, magic (granted through deity heritage), Percy/Annabeth, and in the later ones I love Hazel, Leo and Frank.

Negatives: it's definitely a kid/teenaged book, so sometimes that interaction can be a bit tiresome for the older reader.

I first read the first four books in high school and at the time it seemed to me that it was a pale comparison to Harry Potter.  I grew bored of the series and never read the last book the Last Olympian.  As I reread those first four books and continued on to the other four books published in the series, I knew that I was too harsh on the series when I was younger.  I found it entirely enjoyable this time around and I would recommend it everyone of all ages.

The Kane Chronicles have many of the same qualities of the Percy Jackson series, but I find that some of the magic is just not there.  Though, the Egyptian mythology is excellent and I love the subtle hints that it takes place in the same world as the Percy Jackson books!

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Publishing order of the series and the order I read the books:

1. The Alchemyst
2. The Magician
3. The Sorceress
4. The Necromancer
5. (Novella ebook) The Death of Joan of Arc
6. The Warlock
7. (Novella ebook) Billy the Kid and the Vampyres of Las Vegas
8. The Enchantress

I started it when the first book came out and I was eager to read the second.  At that point life became busier, and I was unable to continue the series as it was published.  When I was looking around at what to spend my birthday money on, I remembered this series and bought the whole lot.  I'm not exactly happy that I did.

I have very mixed feelings about this series. 

Parts that I loved include: the historical titbits, including running into significant figures in history, the mechanism of magic, the mythology, and Scatty and her story.  Parts that I wasn't so fond of: the bogged-down details, how the story would sometimes lose its flow and just drag, and how I felt cheated at the end.

There's a lot of build of to a dramatic climax, and yet instead of being a big bang (well there were a lot of bangs involved, but you know what I mean) it more of just fizzled.  And right when things were starting to add up, it was suddenly over.  The last few pages were full of telling of events that would come to pass.  It was almost a blindside of an info-dump.  I didn't invest 6 books of time and effort to desire such a lackluster ending.  The way the story ended was fine, what wasn't was the way it was written.  An extra chapter with a little more showing would have been enough to fix this, but alas, this didn't happen to my disappointment.

Overall rating 3 out of 5 stars.

Cinder, Take a Bow, and Delirium

These three reviews are going to be a little more brief in nature

Cinder by Marissa Meyer 3.5 out of 5 stars

This is a science fiction retelling of the story Cinderella.  Some parts were enjoyable to read, others a deal more frustrating.  This thing with this story, the main "plot twist" was obvious before page 50, and I know that I'm not alone in discovering it.  The premise itself was interesting: Cinder is in fact a cyborg mechanic, a rather good one in fact.  But in a society where cyborg are heavily looked down upon, she has a hard time finding her true place.  A little bit of romance and lots of intrigue round out the picture, especially when the Lunar Queen visits the empire.

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg 3.5 out of 5 stars

Follows the narration of four characters attending a performing arts school.  I love the musical aspect of this book!  I found Emme's character adorable.  I can't say the same for some of the other characters in the book.  Most of the minor characters come across one dimensional (even the narrating ones at times), but I didn't find that it detracted too much from enjoying the story.  This one was quick, breezy read that was in one word: fun.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver 2 out of 5 stars

I didn't like this one too much.  One reason is a few out-of-place strong language instances.  There a couple of moments where I just wondered, "what was the point of this?"  But even saying that, the premise really intrigued me.   This dystopian novel centers around the idea of love.  Love is actually a disease: Amor Deliria Nervosa.  Lena just wants to make it to her 18th birthday where she can be cured and never have to worry about it.  But then she meets Alex, and now Lena is afraid that she might be infected.  What if love, this disease, is worth it?

I have no plans on reading the sequels, but I'll admit that I liked the overall idea.  Perhaps it just wasn't my cup of tea?

Out of Sight, Out of Time

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter 4.5 out of 5 stars

I'll premise this by saying I really do love this series.  Light-hearted, heart-felt and full of action.  Plus, it's about a spy school for girls the Gallagher Academy.  How cool is that? 

This is the fifth book in the series.  I would definitely recommend reading the books in order (but I will go ahead a recommend reading all of the books by Ally Carter, she's awesome!).

The story starts with Cammie waking up in an alpine convent.  She has no memory of how she got there or even what day it is.  It doesn't take long for her to find out that she has no idea what has happened during the entire summer (the last things that she remembers are the events of the fourth book); those months are just an empty space in her mind.  Cammie heads back to school to new faces and a general uneasiness.  Just what exactly had happened to her over the summer?  She, with the help of her friends, need to find out before the Circle stops or worse captures her.  The story follows along her rediscovery of the events of the summer and the mystery of why the circle is after her in the first place.

This is my least favorite book of the series (but rated at a 4.5 that's saying a lot!), mainly because there is a slight shift in the narrative.  Cammie in this book is not the same Cammie in the others.  This is an intentional shift, so it's forgivable, but it also wasn't quite as enjoyable.  Even saying that, I look forward to the 6th one!