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
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