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
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