Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Week 2 Letter!

I am posting her letter exactly how she wrote it....spelling and all!! Just think...after 18 months, she won't know how to form correct English sentences.

ENJOY!!
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Well hello dear family!! I can hardly believe that another week has already flown by! Just 8 more Pdays and it's off to Korea for me!! YEAH!!!
 
First, I want to give some thanks yous.  Thank you Sister Hatfield for those DELICIOUS cinnamon rolls.  It was the perfect treat to share with the Sisters in my room, yummm sooo good!!  Thanks for the Meeves Family for making me the favorite Sister in my district with those delicious Krispy Kremes.  And thank you Sister Davies for that wonderful letter.  I love just being able to hear what is happening in everyone's day, it was such a treat to find a letter from you.  Daddy, thanks a million for including President Monson's New Years address.  I think my favorite was the C for Courage, especially the line that states that sometimes courage is just saying you will try again tomorrow.  Learning the Korean Language definitely takes courage. 
 
So, it's official... I LOVE Pdays.  Starting the day off with a trip to the temple, letter writing, and I never realized how much a really really like wearing jeans.  It's a nice break.  Everyone gave me the advice that once you make it to your first Sunday in the MTC everything just flies by, well for me that moment came after my first Pday last week.  But the real icing on the cake for Pdays is the Tuesday Night MTC Devotionals.  (Currently there is a rumor going around that the First Presidency will be coming next week to celebrate the 50th anniversary for the MTC, things became pretty suspicious when the entire MTC was taught a special version of "Called to Serve" on Sunday... were we doing it for fun or practicing for a Really awesome audience... hmmm...)
 
Besides Pdays I think my next favorite day would have to be Sundays.  It really is a day of rest and rejuvination. 
After some personal study in the morning, we begin the day with Relief Society. But this is not your normal Relief Society.  Because they love sister missionaries so much here at the MTC, we get some special treatment.  So our Relief Society consists of a special guest speaker each week.  This past Sunday was the General Primary President, Sister Wixom.  Her message was so touching, I couldn't hold back my tears.  She showed us a video clip entitled "my joy is full" I think.  It was about Christ visiting His other sheep in the Americas.  There were no words, just music as we saw the Savior bless and heal the people, and then call up the little children to bless them as the angels surrounded that gathering. Sister Wixom reminded us that, like those little children, we too are surrounded my angels.  To close she asked each of us to do her a favor.  Becuase we were missionaries being sent to all corners of the earth, and more places then she would ever have the chance to visit herself, she asked that WE tell the little children of the world who they are, and where we came from.  She asked us to remind and teach them that they are Children of God, like we all are.  And that they are loved and known.  She then asked us to sing them the same Primary Songs that taught us at a young age.  What a wonderful message it was!  It made me truly miss all my primary kids back in the Lakeland Ward.
 
 So here, each part of church is seperated by a block of personal study time.  It's nice to have that time to really focus on the gospel, because sometimes throughout the week it can feel like Korean is our main focus.  It was fun though, because I had the opportunity to teach on Patience in Sunday School!! It was so great!  I really do love teaching.  Sacrament meeting this week was on the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  I don't think I told yall how Sacrament Meetings work, so I'll share it with you know.  So, our Branch is made up of all the Korean speakers here in the MTC, and since we are learning the language for the purpose of sharing the gospel, it would be silly if we just did the entire thing in English!  So we don't! The songs are in Korean (which I'm getting better at reading! Sometimes I stilll just do some "ooo's" and "ahhh's".) the prayers are in Korean and even the talks are in Korean (well, 5mins have to be in Korean, then the last 3min you say in English what you just attempted to try and say in Korean.)  The Spirit is really special during this time and it's so nice to realize that I can actually understand parts of what is being said!!  Speaking in Korean is also nice for our Branch Presidency which is made up of President Shin, a native, Brother Jennings, the most recent Mission President of Busan, and Brother Stoddard, who tries to learn Korean. haha
 
Things with the language and with teaching our investigator are definitely getting better.  We are learning quickly and you really have to work to keep up, but that moment when you can actually say what you wanted to is SO AWESOME!!  It has also been pretty amazing seeing the spirit work in the 19 year old Elders that I serve and work with in my district.  There is no way we could be doing and learning the things that we are unless we truly did have Heavenly Father's blessing and the Holy Ghost with us. 
 
So, just so everyone knows, missionaries get to have fun too!! We got to play outside this week because it FINALLY snowed in Utah. It was fun playing in the snow and seeing all the snowmen that dotted the MTC. My favorite thingto to do throughout the week is SYL (speak your language).  I love the reactions I get from everyone when I reply in Korean.  They don't expect such a foreign language to come out of my mouth, and have the time they don't even know how to respond.  It's the greatest!!
OH! So cool!  We are getting Native Koreans coming today!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!! I already feel such a love for the people of Korea.  Brother Jennings explained to us that the Korean people wear their hearts on their sleeves.  That if giving the opportunity, they will give their love and loyalty over to you instantly.  I look forward to earning the hearts of the Korean people. 
 
I am So excited for Tyler and Brookelynn!!  I'm sad I will be missing their wedding, but I am so so sooo excited that Brookelynn will be apart of the family! It'll be great!
Gwendel, thanks for all the letters.. they really are great!
**Just so yall know, I can't actually see the Korean you attach at the end of my DearElder letters.  For some reason it doesn't actually work... So day I know. 
Dad, I in my first "letter" I'm pretty sure you told me you loved me, yes? haha I would say it differently, but it's all good!
 
I love you all dearly! Thanks for all the love and support!!
Here are some scriptures that have helped me this week..
3 nephi 26:9, Alma 18:34-35m, Alma 16:16, 2 Nephis 31 (*21) Good Chapter on the Missionary Purpose, 5th Article of Faith, 1 Nephi 1:20, John 15:16 + John 20:21
 
Love yall!! Talk to you next week!!
Ps if yall could get the emails to me before Tuesday, that would be great.. so I can reply to those ones as well!! Thanks Matt And Kaylani!!! I wrote yall a letter today, asking when yall were going to write bc i didn't see yalls emails. haha my bad!
Love, Sister Wells-Longshroe

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

FIRST LETTER!! Hooray

We finally got an email from Chalene. Her P-days are Tuesdays in the MTC. Expect all emails to come that day!

HERE IT IS!

Hello Dear Family!

Has it really only been less than a week since I last saw yall?? Because it seems like it has been so much longer!  The days are definitely long here, but so far the week did go by decently fast. 

First, thanks so much for all the letters and little notes of love and encouragement.  Every time I find a note or re-read a letter my day gets just a little bit better.  I doubt that I have found them all, but I am so very grateful for the ones that I have found!!

Ok, Dad (and I'm sure everyone else) wanted to know what all happened after the final hugs at the curb-side drop off. So let me just  tell you...

The Elders who were helping me with my luggage took me to my residence hall (17M) to wait to get my name tag (WHOOT!), room key, white hand book and schedule for the day.  After receiving all those things I was passed off to a Sister who then took me to drop off my bags at my room.  Of course, even then there wasn't time to rest!  We went straight to get my 10lb bag of Korean materials and books before I was whisked away to my classroom.  Here is where things get interesting!  As soon as I walked in I felt like I had a deer in headlights look on my face.  Of course my teacher was only speaking Korean and instantly I thought "What did i get myself into!?!"  Things got a little better when I met my companionS and realized I wasn't alone in all this.

Yes, I said companionS! I am in a Trio! Sister Baker is from South Jordan, Ut and a dance major from BYU (she knows Katelyn Carter).  Sister Kersey was one of the girls I found before the mission on Facebook and she is from Sacramento California.  Sister Baker is completely brilliant!! Seriously though, she is so smart and Sister Kersey is the giggly, comic relief of the group.  And then there is me.. a happy medium I think. 

There are 9 of us in my district, but there is 26 new missionaries in my zone going to 1 of the 3 Korean missions.  None of the Elders in my district are going to Busan, but all of them are really great.  So far we all work well together.  The funny thing though is that when they get stressed they all begin to laugh and get slap happy.  Needless to say we've already had some giggly days in the classroom.

(Mom, Elder Mitchell isn't in my district but we have talked!  He is very nice and was glad to have that connection.)

Now, the next big question... How is the language?? Well, it is SO HARD!!!!! I have been told by several teachers now that Korean in the second hardest language for native English speakers to learn.  You sound like Yoda when you directly translate what you saw in Korean to English.  For example, I Like Kimchi would be said I Kimchi Like in Korean.  Though the language is very difficult and I have already found myself more overwhelmed way more often then I thought possible I already can read, write, pray and teach basic in Korean.  Amazing how the Spirit enhances learning huh?  I know it is the Spirit because there is no other way I could possibly know the things I know.  The vocabulary is difficult to retain, but the words start sticking after frequent repetition.  The reading and writing part of Korean is pretty easy.  I think all my life I was meant to write in Korean!!!  Finally I have found a language that you spell the words EXACTLY as they sound! With their alphabet they have characters that represent soungs.  So "Hah" and "Dah" and "CHah" are all their own individual characters as well as the vowels like "EE" and "AH" and "OO".  The OO, OH, AH, UH's get a little bit confusing, but the more I read the easier it is to remember the difference. The really crazy part is we are already teaching an investigator! He is a native from Soeul, Korea and he speaks little to any English.  Luckily the Korean people are so kind and patient!! Seriously though!  I have never met a nicer group of people.

My Branch President, President Shin in a native from Korea and his wife, also a native served her mission in Busan!  Also, in my Branch Presidency are the very recently returned mission presidents from Busan!! It has been so nice to have Sis Jennings there to answer questions and just comfort us when we think we are getting in over our heads.  Sunday was kind of a hard day and she was there to give us words of comfort and big hugs!  I thought of you on Sunday mom when my companions and I went and watch music and the spoken word.  It was a little slice of home and our Sunday mornings.  

Time is up, so to quickly answer questions:
*I usually wake up at 5:45 to go to the special sister missionary work outs in the morning (anything from yoga to kick boxing)
*My favorite spiritual experience so far was listening to a rebroadcast of Elder Hollands MTC devotional intitled 'Missions are Forever' I'll write about that later...
*The Schedule is rigorous and has us going from sun up to sun down!! It's nice to be so busy, but at the same time is feels like you hardly get anything done! Again.. I'll write more later on that.

And one final funny story... so in Korean there are several works that sound VERY close to each other and if you don't pronounce things correctly then you can be WAY off base!  Such as We and Duck are very close as well as Atonement and Soy Sauce.  My personal favorite, instead of praying to Heavenly Father, a couple of times we accidently prayed to the Great Hippo!!! hahah Korean is great!  HARD but great!

I love all y'all!! Keep the letters coming!  I now understand why Gwen would always want them so so bad!!

My P-days are on Tuesdays so expect another letter from me then! 

Love dearly, Wells-Longshore Cha-Meh!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

PICTURES

I will upload more when I can get them from dad's camera!


Elders helping her with her luggage.
Mom super sad to see her go
Getting Super Excited


Knowing she is going to do amazing things!

Mailing Address

Her Mailing Address at the MTC is

Sister Chalene Wells-Longshore
MTC Mailbox #117
KOR-BUS 0327
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

You can also write to her using the website: DearElder.com. These get delivered to her TWICE a day! And you can send treats if you feel so inclined!

MTC Drop Off

We got to drop Sister Wells-Longshore off at the MTC yesterday afternoon. It was a completely different experience than what I had when I went almost 5 years ago. We were only allowed 1 car. We drove to the very end of the line, hopped out, hugged her real good, and then said goodbye. Two Elders were there to roll her suitcases to the spot and they were all off. Luckily we had all our tears out at Grandpa's house, so there were hardly any tears shed at the MTC. Mom, however, was a little different story. She cried pretty hard.  I think it was a little sadness and lots of joy!

She should be sending us a letter soon, and then we will find out who her companion is and when he Preparation Day (p-day) is so we know when to expect emails!

NOW THE FUN BEGINS!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Sister Chalene C. Wells-Longshore

Sister Chalene C. Wells-Longshore has been called to serve for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 18 months in the Korea Busan Mission. She reports to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on January 11. She gets to email home once a week, and then write personal letters once a week as well. We are going to post her emails here, so make sure that you follow the blog and get updates sent to your inbox!

We are excited for her new adventure and we hope that you are excited to follow along.

As Chalene's favorite sister, I will be keeping up this blog. If you have any questions, comments, complaints, or concerns, let me know!