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
Saturday, November 26, 2011
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
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