i'm not sure if any of you have realized, but i'm leaving for CHILE in 4 DAYS! kind of a big deal. so i got my travel plans last week, and i need to be at the travel office at FOUR IN THE MORNING, so i can be at the airport for an early flight on monday. i can't believe it. it's so so so weird that it's somehow already been 9 weeks, and already i'm about to leave for some foreign country where i'll be expected to speak spanish and have some idea what i'm doing. i literallty feel like i jut got here! but at the same time, i feel like i've learned so much about myself and become a better person just in these 9 weeks. it's amazing how much the lord can touch your heart when you're open to it. the nice thing is that i think i've finally gotten to the point where i'm more excited to leave here than nervous, so that's been reassuring. going to chile will definitely be quite the adventure, and i'm looking forward to spending about 35 hours traveling across the world so i can teach those chilenos about something that's so close to my heart, and that can bring them the same happiness that i've felt.
other than that big news, pretty much everything else here is the same as usual. OH! except that we had some fun christmas celebrations at the mtc! we got to have a special church meeting with everyone in the mtc (usually we just meet in smaller groups and have a few speakers and take the sacrament, but this time we did it together with all 2,000+ missionaries). it was a really cool experience, and i loved just being able to see how many of us there really are! after that we had a really good lunch with turkey, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, stuffing, and cheesecake (which i think is super gross, but others seemed pretty excited about it...) then we got to watch a broadcast of the mormon tabernacle choir, which was AMAZING! i love love love christmas (check out the posts on my other blog for evidence) and especially christmas music, so it was a really nice treat. we also had another fireside with a speaker who was pretty much hilarious. he kept cracking all these jokes at us, and was prety sarcastic a lot of the time, but he was so great. he shared a message about how to be a successful missionary, and how to return home a more faithful person than when you left. it really gave me a lot to think about, and helped me become that much more excited to get out there and teach. after that we watched mr. kreuger's christmas (with jimmy stewart), then got to go back to our residence an hour early for some personal time! it was SUCH a great christmas. as for new years, i can't imagine that we'd be doing anything too crazy, considering the fact that we're missionaries, but i imagine that they might do something special on saturday evening, but we still don't know. i'll probably find out tomorrow. i'll let you know next week i guess!
AND (this is completely unrelated to anything i just said, but i just want you to know...), they've kept the christmas lights on outside, which seriously makes my day every time i see them. i definitely would've been a little upset if they'd decided to turn them off after christmas...that's all.
well, this is it. the last time i'll be writing within the united states of america. phew. that's a little scary. but kind of SUPER COOL at the same time! i hope you all had a fun and safe christmas with your family and friends, and i look forward to updating you all again next week (not sure of the day yet) when i'm a real-life (no longer in training) missionary! thank you, sincerely, for your love and support. although i don't always hear from you, i know that i have friends and family back home that love me and that want the best for me. thank you for that. i'm so lucky to have you. '
-hermana wright
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
December 22, 2011
hola mundo,
so, there's still no snow here...i feel totally jipped. but at least we still have christmas lights and are singing christmas hymns every day, or i'd probably be mad....haha.
um, i only have 2 and a half minutes left to write so things are going to have to be quick this time around. here are some hilights of my week:
i auditioned for a vocal solo in front of the wives of the presidency here at the mtc! if they choose my song, i'll sing in front of the whole mtc!! crazy...there's a chance i won't be able to because i leave so soon and they've already scheduled a lot of them, but we'll see
i got to be a host for a new missionary! basically i helped her get her luggage to her room, get her books and everything, and took her to meet her district! it was so fun and helped remind me of how i felt the day i got here! luckily, i feel a lot less overwhelmed now...i love this place!
oh man, those couple minutes went by fast! i'll try and do better next time....
merry christmas everyone! remember that the reason we have this holiday is to celebrate the birth of christ, and live as he did. have fun with your families and enjoy all of your fun traditions! i love you all, seriously!
hermana wright
so, there's still no snow here...i feel totally jipped. but at least we still have christmas lights and are singing christmas hymns every day, or i'd probably be mad....haha.
um, i only have 2 and a half minutes left to write so things are going to have to be quick this time around. here are some hilights of my week:
i auditioned for a vocal solo in front of the wives of the presidency here at the mtc! if they choose my song, i'll sing in front of the whole mtc!! crazy...there's a chance i won't be able to because i leave so soon and they've already scheduled a lot of them, but we'll see
i got to be a host for a new missionary! basically i helped her get her luggage to her room, get her books and everything, and took her to meet her district! it was so fun and helped remind me of how i felt the day i got here! luckily, i feel a lot less overwhelmed now...i love this place!
oh man, those couple minutes went by fast! i'll try and do better next time....
merry christmas everyone! remember that the reason we have this holiday is to celebrate the birth of christ, and live as he did. have fun with your families and enjoy all of your fun traditions! i love you all, seriously!
hermana wright
Thursday, December 15, 2011
December 15, 2011
i'm back! well, i've been here all along, but i do apologize for being a little mia last week. it's so hard to write everything i want to say in under 30 minutes! but i'll give it my best shot. especially since i have exciting news....i have a NEW COMPANION! again...haha. so if there's one thing i've learned about my stay here at the mtc, it's that things will always be changing. it's really good though because i think i'd probably get too comfortable otherwise. so her name is hermana jensen, and she's from orem utah. she's going to nicaragua for her mission, so she'll be here for 3 weeks, then she goes to the guatemala mtc for the remaining 6 weeks of her training. i'm SO lucky to have her, especially because she's a solo sister too (the only girl in her district/class), so i've been able to help her figure things out and get settled in. i can already tell that we'll get along really well over the next few weeks, and i'm really looking forward to getting to know her better.
and as for the spanish update: puedo hablar mas que antes, pero todavia tengo miedo! it's definitely gotten to the point where i think in spanish more often, and i can usually express myself, it may just take me longer than i'd like. especially when i have to use one of the harder grammar principles (subjunctive anyone? yuck.) but it's getting there. i'm feeling SO much more comfortable than the first couple of weeks, but i still have a long way to go.
things are getting pretty christmasy here, and i'm totally loving it. they have christmas lights like the ones on temple square on campus here, and i make sure to walk back that way to my residence every night so i can see them. DEFinitely a hilight of my day. we also have a homemade paper christmas tree with a tiny yellow star that i absolutely love. it's so cute. one of the elders even drew little colored lights on it. it was great. BUT, the best part is that our teacher, hermano wheeler, brought in ACTUAL colored christmas lights that we hung around the perimeter of the chalkboard! needless to say, i make sure that they're turned on every day when we go in for class. we also get to sing christmas hymns all the time, which helps me remember that it really is the christmas season. now we just need some more snow! it snowed once this week, but because it's provo, it definitely melted like 5 seconds later. but we were quick and made some little snowmen when we had the chance, and i took some pictures to prove it! the best part was that one of the elders, elder FLAKE, put his tag on the snowman. so like, elder flake...snowflake...yeah. i promise it was funny.
another great thing about this past week is that the byu men's chorus came to sing at the mtc on sunday! they did some of the songs from their christmas program and it was amazing. i absolutely LOVE music, but ESPECIALLY men's choirs, so it was pretty much the happiest thing ever.
on tuesday we had a devotional by elaine s. dalton, and she gave a really good talk about different kinds of gifts we give and receive at christmastime that can't be bought or sold. she focused on the birth of christ and what a blessing that is to all of us. one of the things that stood out the most to me was when she said "as a missionary, you set out to change someone's life with the gospel, and when they join the church, the end up changing yours." it was just a reminder to me that i have this great opportunity to go out there and change the world, and i can't wait to get to chile and get started! she also shared her favorite scriptures, which are proverbs 3:5-6, which says to trust in the lord and he will direct your paths. this has been such a helpful scripture to me as i've had different struggles here. as i've trusted in God, however, i've felt at peace knowing that he's directing my path and taking care of me every step of the way.
pues, es el tiempo para salir, pero i love you all! talk to you next week!
hermana wright
and as for the spanish update: puedo hablar mas que antes, pero todavia tengo miedo! it's definitely gotten to the point where i think in spanish more often, and i can usually express myself, it may just take me longer than i'd like. especially when i have to use one of the harder grammar principles (subjunctive anyone? yuck.) but it's getting there. i'm feeling SO much more comfortable than the first couple of weeks, but i still have a long way to go.
things are getting pretty christmasy here, and i'm totally loving it. they have christmas lights like the ones on temple square on campus here, and i make sure to walk back that way to my residence every night so i can see them. DEFinitely a hilight of my day. we also have a homemade paper christmas tree with a tiny yellow star that i absolutely love. it's so cute. one of the elders even drew little colored lights on it. it was great. BUT, the best part is that our teacher, hermano wheeler, brought in ACTUAL colored christmas lights that we hung around the perimeter of the chalkboard! needless to say, i make sure that they're turned on every day when we go in for class. we also get to sing christmas hymns all the time, which helps me remember that it really is the christmas season. now we just need some more snow! it snowed once this week, but because it's provo, it definitely melted like 5 seconds later. but we were quick and made some little snowmen when we had the chance, and i took some pictures to prove it! the best part was that one of the elders, elder FLAKE, put his tag on the snowman. so like, elder flake...snowflake...yeah. i promise it was funny.
another great thing about this past week is that the byu men's chorus came to sing at the mtc on sunday! they did some of the songs from their christmas program and it was amazing. i absolutely LOVE music, but ESPECIALLY men's choirs, so it was pretty much the happiest thing ever.
on tuesday we had a devotional by elaine s. dalton, and she gave a really good talk about different kinds of gifts we give and receive at christmastime that can't be bought or sold. she focused on the birth of christ and what a blessing that is to all of us. one of the things that stood out the most to me was when she said "as a missionary, you set out to change someone's life with the gospel, and when they join the church, the end up changing yours." it was just a reminder to me that i have this great opportunity to go out there and change the world, and i can't wait to get to chile and get started! she also shared her favorite scriptures, which are proverbs 3:5-6, which says to trust in the lord and he will direct your paths. this has been such a helpful scripture to me as i've had different struggles here. as i've trusted in God, however, i've felt at peace knowing that he's directing my path and taking care of me every step of the way.
pues, es el tiempo para salir, pero i love you all! talk to you next week!
hermana wright
Thursday, December 8, 2011
December 8, 2011
Sophia didn't have time to write a letter for her blog this week, but she wanted me (Livia) to let you all know she's continually adjusting and growing in the MTC.
An interesting tidbit she shared in a letter with me is that she encountered an Elder from my ward in Ogden. Elder Shafer made a pit-stop in the Provo MTC before heading to Peru for further training. She taught a lesson about time-management and he recognized Sophia from the times she has visited me and Kev in Ogden. The LDS Church always reminds us how small the world is.
Also, please note that her MTC mailbox changed from 285 to 287. So if you send a real letter or a package (Christmas goodies!) make sure you have the updated mailing address.
An interesting tidbit she shared in a letter with me is that she encountered an Elder from my ward in Ogden. Elder Shafer made a pit-stop in the Provo MTC before heading to Peru for further training. She taught a lesson about time-management and he recognized Sophia from the times she has visited me and Kev in Ogden. The LDS Church always reminds us how small the world is.
Also, please note that her MTC mailbox changed from 285 to 287. So if you send a real letter or a package (Christmas goodies!) make sure you have the updated mailing address.
Monday, December 5, 2011
December 1
gracias amigos!
es un milagro...finalmente estoy mejorando con hablando espanol! so it's gotten to the point where i'm speaking spanish so much that i've started to think in spanish...it's the wierdest thing. i think i talked last time about how i feel like i'm living in spanglish - a mysterious place where my spanish isn't all that great, and my english is progressively getting worse too-it's kind of sad. i catch myself every once in a while as i'm talking in english and can't think of a word because the only one that comes to mind is spanish. super wierd. but good i think! although my grammar hasn't gotten all that much better in spanish, i've noticed that it's definitely a lot easier to talk to other people and i'm a lot less scared of making mistakes, which is a huge relief.
so my thanksgiving was VERY different than usual, but sooo good. in the morning we heard from russell m nelson, which was of course an amazing experience. we also had a little thanksgiving program with some music and a dorky little pilgrim/indian skit that was totally hilarious. after that we got to do a service project, where we (all of the missionaries in the mtc) made 8,000 first aid kits that will be sent to the sudan. it was a really great experience to participate in something that would affect so many people.
i've only got a minute left, but i wanted to share a quick thought from our devotional speaker on sunday, elder yamashita of the 70:
-first of all, his wife spoke in VERY broken english, but i still felt so much love and appreciation for her for even trying to speak in a language that she'd only been learning for the last 2 months. it helped me realize that even though i still won't be very good at spanish when i get to chile, i will have god's help, and the people i teach will be able to feel his love through me as long as i'm doing everything i can top be a good missionary.
i also really liked this quote from president hinckley: "yesterday was a good day in my life. every day is a good day in my life. i hope you will make every day a good day in your life." ah! so inspiring! it's MY responsibility to make every day a good one here, in the mission field, and when i get home!
uh oh, time's up.
i love you all. no joke.
hna. wright
es un milagro...finalmente estoy mejorando con hablando espanol! so it's gotten to the point where i'm speaking spanish so much that i've started to think in spanish...it's the wierdest thing. i think i talked last time about how i feel like i'm living in spanglish - a mysterious place where my spanish isn't all that great, and my english is progressively getting worse too-it's kind of sad. i catch myself every once in a while as i'm talking in english and can't think of a word because the only one that comes to mind is spanish. super wierd. but good i think! although my grammar hasn't gotten all that much better in spanish, i've noticed that it's definitely a lot easier to talk to other people and i'm a lot less scared of making mistakes, which is a huge relief.
so my thanksgiving was VERY different than usual, but sooo good. in the morning we heard from russell m nelson, which was of course an amazing experience. we also had a little thanksgiving program with some music and a dorky little pilgrim/indian skit that was totally hilarious. after that we got to do a service project, where we (all of the missionaries in the mtc) made 8,000 first aid kits that will be sent to the sudan. it was a really great experience to participate in something that would affect so many people.
i've only got a minute left, but i wanted to share a quick thought from our devotional speaker on sunday, elder yamashita of the 70:
-first of all, his wife spoke in VERY broken english, but i still felt so much love and appreciation for her for even trying to speak in a language that she'd only been learning for the last 2 months. it helped me realize that even though i still won't be very good at spanish when i get to chile, i will have god's help, and the people i teach will be able to feel his love through me as long as i'm doing everything i can top be a good missionary.
i also really liked this quote from president hinckley: "yesterday was a good day in my life. every day is a good day in my life. i hope you will make every day a good day in your life." ah! so inspiring! it's MY responsibility to make every day a good one here, in the mission field, and when i get home!
uh oh, time's up.
i love you all. no joke.
hna. wright
Saturday, November 26, 2011
November 24, 2011
happy thanksgiving everyone! i have to admit, it doesn't feel ANYTHING like thanksgiving where i am right now. for example, i got up at 6:30 to go to breakfast and start my laundry. normally, i would just be rolling ouit of bed right about now to catch some of the parade on tv! but it's all good. we don't have any class today, which is nice because those are always so stressful for me (our teacher always talkes in spanish and we aren't allowed to speak english either, so yeah...kinda scary-but really helpful in learning the language in the long run).the schedule is a little different overall today though, which i'm excited for. it's always appreciated when they switch things up a bit. so pretty much when i'm done emailing, i'll go to a devotional (a big meeting where someone important in the Church talks to us), and rumors are that it's one of the 12 apostles! no one really knows, but i'm really excited to hear what they might have to tell us missionaries. after that we have our thanksgiving meal. yep...i'm having thanksgiving "dinner" at 11:30! haha. it is a little weird, but i guess it's so people won't have to work in the cafeteria at dinnertime, which is good. THEN we have a mtc-wide service project that i'm looking forward to. i think we're making some kind of hygiene (holy cow i'm forgetting how to spell in english...) kits, then it's time for our sack dinners! after THAT, we have another devotional! i'm so pumped.
in other news, you guessed it...more changes. on sunday i was assigned as my branch's "coordinating sister," which basically means that i'm like the relief society president for our little mtc branch. also, for those familiar with the term "zone leaders" it's a little like that for the sisters (and i go to branch council and other meetings with the zone leaders to report on how the sisters are doing and everything) i definitely didn't see it coming, especially because i'd only been in the branch for a week and hardly knew anyone, but i guess they thought i'd still be able to do a good job! so far i've really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the other sisters better, especially because so much of my day is spent with the elders of my district. it will definitely be difficult with the additional meetings and other responsibilities that i'll have, but i know the Lord is looking out for me and that this will really be a blessing in my life.
in other news, you might like to know that i really am loving being a missionary. it is hard. so so hard (emotionally, physically, spiritually, and every other kind of -ally) but is is SO good. it's been hard to adjust to changes every couple of days, but i know that the Lord is helping me to become the missionary he will need once i get to chile, and for the rest of my life really. i know that the things i'm giong through here will only benefit me as i come closer to Him and refine myself every day. it's a little rough, but i can tell that it's for the best. and as for spanish..yeah, it's still hard. BUT i think i'm less scared to speak it than when i got here, which is encouraging. now it's more about learning the vocabulary of the gospel lessons in spanish so i can share them more effectively.
and for a little spiritual message:
we had a devotional by T. Todd Christofferson on sunday and here are some of the things he said that i really loved:
this is the Lord's work, and you are His
sanctification comes from yielding your heart to God
it will likely require sacrifice, but the Lord knows and loves us, and the joy of Christ will overcome any tribulation
don't be afraid to yield your heart to God
this (missionary work) is the work of Christ, and we don't have to do it alone - in fact, most of it will be done by Him through you
well, only 45 seconds left! ah! love you all and hope life is treating you well. talk to you next week!
hermana wright
in other news, you guessed it...more changes. on sunday i was assigned as my branch's "coordinating sister," which basically means that i'm like the relief society president for our little mtc branch. also, for those familiar with the term "zone leaders" it's a little like that for the sisters (and i go to branch council and other meetings with the zone leaders to report on how the sisters are doing and everything) i definitely didn't see it coming, especially because i'd only been in the branch for a week and hardly knew anyone, but i guess they thought i'd still be able to do a good job! so far i've really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the other sisters better, especially because so much of my day is spent with the elders of my district. it will definitely be difficult with the additional meetings and other responsibilities that i'll have, but i know the Lord is looking out for me and that this will really be a blessing in my life.
in other news, you might like to know that i really am loving being a missionary. it is hard. so so hard (emotionally, physically, spiritually, and every other kind of -ally) but is is SO good. it's been hard to adjust to changes every couple of days, but i know that the Lord is helping me to become the missionary he will need once i get to chile, and for the rest of my life really. i know that the things i'm giong through here will only benefit me as i come closer to Him and refine myself every day. it's a little rough, but i can tell that it's for the best. and as for spanish..yeah, it's still hard. BUT i think i'm less scared to speak it than when i got here, which is encouraging. now it's more about learning the vocabulary of the gospel lessons in spanish so i can share them more effectively.
and for a little spiritual message:
we had a devotional by T. Todd Christofferson on sunday and here are some of the things he said that i really loved:
this is the Lord's work, and you are His
sanctification comes from yielding your heart to God
it will likely require sacrifice, but the Lord knows and loves us, and the joy of Christ will overcome any tribulation
don't be afraid to yield your heart to God
this (missionary work) is the work of Christ, and we don't have to do it alone - in fact, most of it will be done by Him through you
well, only 45 seconds left! ah! love you all and hope life is treating you well. talk to you next week!
hermana wright
Thursday, November 17, 2011
November 17, 2011
hello world.
good news and bad news: i haven't escaped yet. can that count as both? haha ok so i promise i really do love it here, it's just weird to know that i'm basically locked in for the next 7 weeks. oh yeah, so i found out i'm here for 9 weeks and a couple of days rather than the 8 that i was expecting! honestly though, i'm kind of relieved cause i don't want to leave this place until i feel more comfortable with spanish and with teaching strangers! so it all works out.
this week has proved to be even more exciting than the last! of course that means...MORE CHANGES! which everyone knows i absolutely love, right? ok so not really. but it's all working out at this point. what happened was that my class needed to combine with another class because there was only 4 of them and it was kind of a waste of a room to have so few people, but in moving rooms i also moved branches, which meant i needed to get a new companion and move to a different bedroom too! it has been sooo crazy. i think the hardest part was that it was so abrupt, but things have settled down a bit as i've gotten more comfortable with my new roommates and classmates. oh! and we got 2 brand new missionaries in our room yesterday which has been really fun so far. it's always exciting to see the new missionaries and share in their enthusiasm at being so fresh to the mission experience. i love it. and although it's hard to have left my old roommates (who i connected really well with even though i was only with them for less than a week), i'm looking forward to getting to know the new girls better.
so even though this week was extremely difficult in trying to adjust to all of the changes, i really do know that the Lord is looking out for me and that this will all be for the best. this week in mtc choir we sang "be still my soul" and it really hit me. the Lord is on my side and wants me to be happy and successful! this mission experience is most definitely the hardest thing i've ever done (and it's only just the beginning!), but i know i'm right where i need to be.
ok...time's almost up, so here's for the boring details:
my p-day is on thursday, so for any of you out there who decide to write me, you might not get a response until after then cause that's when i have the most time to write! and on that note, THANK YOU to those who have written me already! it makes SUCH a difference in my life when i hear from all of you who i care so much about. so keep it up and i'll try and get back to you as soon as i can, i promise :)
also, i can't send photos while i'm in the mtc, but i should be able to once i get out to chile. but you can send me yours for sure! i'd love to have some evidence of life back at home!
and of course, thanks for all of your love, encouragement, and support. i can feel it every day as i struggle through spanish and all of my daily tasks. so seriously, thank you so much.
gotta go!
love you all tons and tons!
hermana wright
good news and bad news: i haven't escaped yet. can that count as both? haha ok so i promise i really do love it here, it's just weird to know that i'm basically locked in for the next 7 weeks. oh yeah, so i found out i'm here for 9 weeks and a couple of days rather than the 8 that i was expecting! honestly though, i'm kind of relieved cause i don't want to leave this place until i feel more comfortable with spanish and with teaching strangers! so it all works out.
this week has proved to be even more exciting than the last! of course that means...MORE CHANGES! which everyone knows i absolutely love, right? ok so not really. but it's all working out at this point. what happened was that my class needed to combine with another class because there was only 4 of them and it was kind of a waste of a room to have so few people, but in moving rooms i also moved branches, which meant i needed to get a new companion and move to a different bedroom too! it has been sooo crazy. i think the hardest part was that it was so abrupt, but things have settled down a bit as i've gotten more comfortable with my new roommates and classmates. oh! and we got 2 brand new missionaries in our room yesterday which has been really fun so far. it's always exciting to see the new missionaries and share in their enthusiasm at being so fresh to the mission experience. i love it. and although it's hard to have left my old roommates (who i connected really well with even though i was only with them for less than a week), i'm looking forward to getting to know the new girls better.
so even though this week was extremely difficult in trying to adjust to all of the changes, i really do know that the Lord is looking out for me and that this will all be for the best. this week in mtc choir we sang "be still my soul" and it really hit me. the Lord is on my side and wants me to be happy and successful! this mission experience is most definitely the hardest thing i've ever done (and it's only just the beginning!), but i know i'm right where i need to be.
ok...time's almost up, so here's for the boring details:
my p-day is on thursday, so for any of you out there who decide to write me, you might not get a response until after then cause that's when i have the most time to write! and on that note, THANK YOU to those who have written me already! it makes SUCH a difference in my life when i hear from all of you who i care so much about. so keep it up and i'll try and get back to you as soon as i can, i promise :)
also, i can't send photos while i'm in the mtc, but i should be able to once i get out to chile. but you can send me yours for sure! i'd love to have some evidence of life back at home!
and of course, thanks for all of your love, encouragement, and support. i can feel it every day as i struggle through spanish and all of my daily tasks. so seriously, thank you so much.
gotta go!
love you all tons and tons!
hermana wright
Thursday, November 10, 2011
November 10, 2011
hello world! or more like the 7 people that actually read this...
anyway, LOTS of changes this week. first of all, my two companions moved up to the advanced spanish class, which left me to be a "solo" sister, which means that i'm the only sister missionary in my class right now! it's soo weird becuse i'd gotten so used to having them in class and i really miss them, but it'll get easier as i get used to it i'm sure. it's a little hard now though becuase it was so unexpected, and i now will always need to be with at least two elders at all times if i'm not with a sister, but i can already tell that it's all for the best. i have more experience with spanish, so i'm able to help the elders when they need it, and now that the class is smaller, i feel more comfortable being myself with them, so it's been a lot of fun. so yeah, it was kind of crazy, but i'm realizing that it's really helping me be patient and get used to the fact that i no longer have complete control over my own life...haha that's been a major theme for my first week here.
but seriously, this place is great. i eat extremely well, which is...good? haha. it's all buffet style, kind of like when i was at aspen grove over the summer, but on steroids cause there's so much stuff. what's really killing me is the fact that they serve dessert with every meal. it's so mean. i've finally gotten to the point where i can limit myself to one per day, but i'm still feeling a bit like a fatty, so we'll see if i cen get down to one a week eventually...but probably not.
and as for spanish...oh espanol. it's totally kicking my butt. it's probably not good to say that as a missionary, but it's true. it's such an awesome language, but i'm having the hardest time figuring out how to express what i really think and feel. ugh. so frustrating, but i know i'll get it eventually. sometimes i forget that i've only been here for a week.
well, sorry this email is a little pathetic, but i seriously have NO time to talk about everything that goes on here. i'll do better next time though and make an outline or something so i can fill you in on all the dirty (except not) details.
love you all,
please don't forget that i exist...k?
hermana wright
anyway, LOTS of changes this week. first of all, my two companions moved up to the advanced spanish class, which left me to be a "solo" sister, which means that i'm the only sister missionary in my class right now! it's soo weird becuse i'd gotten so used to having them in class and i really miss them, but it'll get easier as i get used to it i'm sure. it's a little hard now though becuase it was so unexpected, and i now will always need to be with at least two elders at all times if i'm not with a sister, but i can already tell that it's all for the best. i have more experience with spanish, so i'm able to help the elders when they need it, and now that the class is smaller, i feel more comfortable being myself with them, so it's been a lot of fun. so yeah, it was kind of crazy, but i'm realizing that it's really helping me be patient and get used to the fact that i no longer have complete control over my own life...haha that's been a major theme for my first week here.
but seriously, this place is great. i eat extremely well, which is...good? haha. it's all buffet style, kind of like when i was at aspen grove over the summer, but on steroids cause there's so much stuff. what's really killing me is the fact that they serve dessert with every meal. it's so mean. i've finally gotten to the point where i can limit myself to one per day, but i'm still feeling a bit like a fatty, so we'll see if i cen get down to one a week eventually...but probably not.
and as for spanish...oh espanol. it's totally kicking my butt. it's probably not good to say that as a missionary, but it's true. it's such an awesome language, but i'm having the hardest time figuring out how to express what i really think and feel. ugh. so frustrating, but i know i'll get it eventually. sometimes i forget that i've only been here for a week.
well, sorry this email is a little pathetic, but i seriously have NO time to talk about everything that goes on here. i'll do better next time though and make an outline or something so i can fill you in on all the dirty (except not) details.
love you all,
please don't forget that i exist...k?
hermana wright
Saturday, November 5, 2011
November 5, 2011
hola familia y amigos!
well, i've survived my first few days at the mtc! i only have 30 minutes to write so i couldn't possibly talk about everything that's happened, but i'll try! since arriving, i've been incredibly busy. like, more than any other time in my live ever, ever, ever, which, if you know me (and you obviously do if you're reading this!) is saying a lot. but i really do love it. our time is divided among personal study, companionship study, language study, language workshops, teaching workshops, with glimpses of free time here and there. needless to say, i'm studying and learning a TON! our first class period was slightly overwhelming because our teacher would only talk to us in spanish! oh and don't worry...he still does...but at least i've gotten used to it haha. so pretty much my life is already 90 percent in spanish, and a precious 10 percent in english. it is SO hard! i'm still terrified to talk in spanish because i forget how to conjugate my verbs and i'm missing a lot of the vocabulary, but i'm trying my hardest and i can already see that it's paying off. i'm a lot more comfortable talking than i was just a few days ago. for practice, yesterday we taught the first discussion in spanish (which is about God's love for his children) to one of the teachers in the mtc who was pretending to be an investigator, and i was scared out of my mind because i wasn't exactly sure how to say everything that i needed to, and i was afraid she would ask me something and i wouldn't know how to respond! of course, it went much better than expected because, even though i made a lot of grammatical mistakes, the Spirit was still able to teach through us and deliver the message that this person needed in their life. it was such an amazing feeling to be able to share my beliefs in spanish, and i look forward to being able to do that for the next 18 months!
oh! random fun fact: i have TWO companions! it's not common to have a companionship of three in the church, but just because of how the numbers worked out in our district (or "class", more or less), i'm with two other "hermanas" (sisters) who will be my partners in studying and teaching for the rest of my time at the mtc. we're also roommates which has been a lot of fun so far. just today we were talking about how strange it is that we've really only known each other for a couple of days, but already we feel like old friends, and we care so much about the success and happiness of the others. they are both amazing! one of my companions is more outspoken and is always making me laugh. we also have a lot of common interests (music, clothes, etc.) so it's always a lot of fun to talk with her. the other is more quiet, but has a subtle humor about her, and we get along great. i can tell she cares a lot about me and she is always trying to help me feel better about myself when i'm frustrated with my spanish. which is a lot of the time...haha.
well, i only have a few more minutes, but i want to let you all know that i'm having incredible exoperiences here, and i'm sooooo glad i made this decision to take time away from my personal life to teach others about jesus christ. it's definitely hard. like, sometimes i wonder if i can keep doing this for a year and a half because i care so much about what i'm diong and want to be the best i can. but the lord is helping me and i'll keep getting better, i just know it.
thanks for all your love and support!
hermana wright
p.s. i didn't bring any addresses with me so if you want to hear from me, send my your address!! i'd love to write you!!
well, i've survived my first few days at the mtc! i only have 30 minutes to write so i couldn't possibly talk about everything that's happened, but i'll try! since arriving, i've been incredibly busy. like, more than any other time in my live ever, ever, ever, which, if you know me (and you obviously do if you're reading this!) is saying a lot. but i really do love it. our time is divided among personal study, companionship study, language study, language workshops, teaching workshops, with glimpses of free time here and there. needless to say, i'm studying and learning a TON! our first class period was slightly overwhelming because our teacher would only talk to us in spanish! oh and don't worry...he still does...but at least i've gotten used to it haha. so pretty much my life is already 90 percent in spanish, and a precious 10 percent in english. it is SO hard! i'm still terrified to talk in spanish because i forget how to conjugate my verbs and i'm missing a lot of the vocabulary, but i'm trying my hardest and i can already see that it's paying off. i'm a lot more comfortable talking than i was just a few days ago. for practice, yesterday we taught the first discussion in spanish (which is about God's love for his children) to one of the teachers in the mtc who was pretending to be an investigator, and i was scared out of my mind because i wasn't exactly sure how to say everything that i needed to, and i was afraid she would ask me something and i wouldn't know how to respond! of course, it went much better than expected because, even though i made a lot of grammatical mistakes, the Spirit was still able to teach through us and deliver the message that this person needed in their life. it was such an amazing feeling to be able to share my beliefs in spanish, and i look forward to being able to do that for the next 18 months!
oh! random fun fact: i have TWO companions! it's not common to have a companionship of three in the church, but just because of how the numbers worked out in our district (or "class", more or less), i'm with two other "hermanas" (sisters) who will be my partners in studying and teaching for the rest of my time at the mtc. we're also roommates which has been a lot of fun so far. just today we were talking about how strange it is that we've really only known each other for a couple of days, but already we feel like old friends, and we care so much about the success and happiness of the others. they are both amazing! one of my companions is more outspoken and is always making me laugh. we also have a lot of common interests (music, clothes, etc.) so it's always a lot of fun to talk with her. the other is more quiet, but has a subtle humor about her, and we get along great. i can tell she cares a lot about me and she is always trying to help me feel better about myself when i'm frustrated with my spanish. which is a lot of the time...haha.
well, i only have a few more minutes, but i want to let you all know that i'm having incredible exoperiences here, and i'm sooooo glad i made this decision to take time away from my personal life to teach others about jesus christ. it's definitely hard. like, sometimes i wonder if i can keep doing this for a year and a half because i care so much about what i'm diong and want to be the best i can. but the lord is helping me and i'll keep getting better, i just know it.
thanks for all your love and support!
hermana wright
p.s. i didn't bring any addresses with me so if you want to hear from me, send my your address!! i'd love to write you!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
At the MTC
Saturday, October 29, 2011
hey, so um, you should write me.
if you want to keep in touch with me while i'm gone, then i have great news for you! there are these things called letters where you can write things on a piece of paper and put a stamp on it and send it anywhere in the world, then the other person sends one back! haha
if you would like to send me letters while i'm gone here's how:
in the mtc (until about jan. 2nd):
if you would like to send me letters while i'm gone here's how:
in the mtc (until about jan. 2nd):
sister sophia e wright
mtc mailbox #285
chi-chons 0103
2005 n 900 e
provo, ut 84604-1793
in chile:
once i'm in chile, because of how the mail system works, i can only receive letters that are one piece of printer paper, folded into thirds (remember "hot dog style"?...haha) and taped closed, with a US first class stamp and address on the outside.
letters:
sophia esther wright
chile concepcion south mission
pob 30150
salt lake city ut 84130-0150
packages:
sophia esther wright
chile concepcion south mission
o'higgins 940, oficina 503
concepcion
bio-bio
chile
phone (if you mail through private courier, they will require the phone number of the mission office): 56 412-210-312
but, i have good news!! because that whole letter-writing process is kind of complicated i was glad to find out today that you can go to dearelder.com and write letters for free for my whole mission!! all you have to do is go to the website, choose provo mtc, or chile concepcion south mission, click "write a letter," and you can type your letters to me for free. how awesome is that?!
so basically, i'd love to hear from you if you get a chance, but if not, i'll see you in a couple years!!
Friday, October 28, 2011
the call.
so, i've pretty much known that i wanted to serve a mission since i was 16. people keep asking me how i was so sure of it early on, and i've never been able to give them a straight answer! i think part of it has to do with growing up in maine and talking to people about the church pretty often, but mostly it just feels like something i'm supposed to do, you know? and when i put in my papers/"applied" in may and got my call in june, it definitely just seemed right!
(the video from my mission call opening)
it was super fun to open my call up at aspen grove. everyone was really supportive. i had my parents and siblings on conference call, and my parents on skype to witness the whole thing too! needless to say, i'm excited. it's weird that it's finally here, and to realize that i'll be dropping my "normal" life for the next year and a half, but i know it will be so worth it. i can't wait to get out there and tell people about what i believe. the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints has been such a good influence on my life, and being a part of it has brought me so much happiness. I know that its teachings are true, and i look forward to helping others come closer to jesus christ and change their lives for the better. wish me luck!
ps: if you'd like to keep in touch, i'll be posting details about letters/packages/emails/etc. as soon as i can!
(the video from my mission call opening)
it was super fun to open my call up at aspen grove. everyone was really supportive. i had my parents and siblings on conference call, and my parents on skype to witness the whole thing too! needless to say, i'm excited. it's weird that it's finally here, and to realize that i'll be dropping my "normal" life for the next year and a half, but i know it will be so worth it. i can't wait to get out there and tell people about what i believe. the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints has been such a good influence on my life, and being a part of it has brought me so much happiness. I know that its teachings are true, and i look forward to helping others come closer to jesus christ and change their lives for the better. wish me luck!
ps: if you'd like to keep in touch, i'll be posting details about letters/packages/emails/etc. as soon as i can!
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