Hey Family!!!
I am doing so well here at the MTC! I admit, at first I was VERY homesick. I've realized that I inherited the crying trait times 2. Also the stress trait. At first, all I had to do was think of you guys and I could feel the tears welling up. But it is getting better! I have had wonderful days! We are very busy and I am often stressed, but I am learning to let go of it and enjoy the work. Yesterday was one of the best days so far. We taught our investigator for the fifth time, and it went very well. I feel that I learned so much and felt the Spirit. I also had so much fun!
I got the package with the MP3 and tissues. You know me well. Thank you! I also got both of the skirts. I do not need another charger. I think I will be fine until I get to Korea. No worries! Also, don't worry about how much time I have to read emails. We learned that we are allowed to print them off earlier in the day, and then take them with us and read them. It doesn't take up any of the hour we have to respond. So write as much as you want, and I will have plenty of time to read and think about them before we go and respond.
You know when I told you that you don't need to worry about writing me long emails and Dear Elders? I lied. I loved reading your emails and I want to hear from you all the time! You don't really need to worry about it, but even if you just send a thought or one sentence about your day every day through Dear Elder, it would mean the world to me. Really, even just one word. Thank you for all that you have sent me and done so far! It makes me so happy!
My companion is great! She is very sweet and kind and a little quiet, but also very social and fun. She loves to run and to exercise. We do very well together and have a lot of fun. We teach well and I am very glad I get to serve with her. Oh, her name is Sister Courtney Allred. Fun times!
I love my district so much. The other sister companionship is awesome, and we are all great friends. The Elders are hilarious. We love to sing together and harmonize. Sometime I may send you a recording. Anyway, they make each day so much better and fun. My teacher is called Brother Campbell. He only really talks in Korean, but I can understand almost all of what he says. When I first walked in, he told me that he knew Tristan and served with him in Busan. Pretty cool! He is the BEST teacher and is very funny. However, he also takes the work very seriously and tells us often that we are his hope and answers to his prayers. He loves the Korean people so much, and knows the language and culture so well. He is a great teacher.
Korean itself is good! I feel incredibly blessed to have taken it before and to have listened to it so much. I can understand much of what our investigator, a native Korean from Busan, says. I just have a harder time responding. My district seems to think that I am the fount of Korean knowledge, but I am learning so much and only have the basics. I was just so blessed to have had all the opportunities with Korean before my mission. I admire how quickly they learn and have grown. It also helps me so much to try to teach them and talk about it with them. I feel that I have SO MUCH more to learn, and I am working hard to prepare.
Dad, your message was so awesome. Thank you for sharing it with me. I seriously sobbed for a little bit while I read it. It was so beautiful and meant a lot to me! I think about you both often and love you both so much!
Ooh, story time. The other day, when we did our service project, we were told to go vacuum in 1M, the building where General Authorities often go. The last week, we also had all of the new mission presidents and General Authorities here for an orientation thing before they started. Don't get your hopes up, I didn't see the prophet or meet anyone while they were here, but I did vacuum many of the rooms where they met! While we were vacuuming, Sister Allred and I found a table with all the General Authorities name tags on them. Yup. I totally touched Elder Holland's name tag. I admit I thought about licking it or blowing on it or something, but decided that would be too weird. I am holy now that I touched it, though?
I don't think I can upload pictures on this computer, but I will ask and try to figure it out or use another one next time. I am sorry! I will try to get it to work.
Anyway, I love you all SO MUCH. I am having a wonderful time and have been so blessed while here. Heavenly Father has comforted me, pushed me, strengthened me, and I know that I am doing the right thing. I feel Christ's hand so often in my life. I know that He lives. I am so grateful that He has chosen me to help in sharing His gospel and serving the Koreans. I cannot wait to get over there and really work! This is really the hardest thing I have ever done, and I know it will get harder, but it is also the best.
I love you!
Sister Stapley
PS. Mom and Dad: I sent you a letter yesterday that should get there soon with more of my thoughts. I hope it comes soon!
I am doing so well here at the MTC! I admit, at first I was VERY homesick. I've realized that I inherited the crying trait times 2. Also the stress trait. At first, all I had to do was think of you guys and I could feel the tears welling up. But it is getting better! I have had wonderful days! We are very busy and I am often stressed, but I am learning to let go of it and enjoy the work. Yesterday was one of the best days so far. We taught our investigator for the fifth time, and it went very well. I feel that I learned so much and felt the Spirit. I also had so much fun!
I got the package with the MP3 and tissues. You know me well. Thank you! I also got both of the skirts. I do not need another charger. I think I will be fine until I get to Korea. No worries! Also, don't worry about how much time I have to read emails. We learned that we are allowed to print them off earlier in the day, and then take them with us and read them. It doesn't take up any of the hour we have to respond. So write as much as you want, and I will have plenty of time to read and think about them before we go and respond.
You know when I told you that you don't need to worry about writing me long emails and Dear Elders? I lied. I loved reading your emails and I want to hear from you all the time! You don't really need to worry about it, but even if you just send a thought or one sentence about your day every day through Dear Elder, it would mean the world to me. Really, even just one word. Thank you for all that you have sent me and done so far! It makes me so happy!
My companion is great! She is very sweet and kind and a little quiet, but also very social and fun. She loves to run and to exercise. We do very well together and have a lot of fun. We teach well and I am very glad I get to serve with her. Oh, her name is Sister Courtney Allred. Fun times!
I love my district so much. The other sister companionship is awesome, and we are all great friends. The Elders are hilarious. We love to sing together and harmonize. Sometime I may send you a recording. Anyway, they make each day so much better and fun. My teacher is called Brother Campbell. He only really talks in Korean, but I can understand almost all of what he says. When I first walked in, he told me that he knew Tristan and served with him in Busan. Pretty cool! He is the BEST teacher and is very funny. However, he also takes the work very seriously and tells us often that we are his hope and answers to his prayers. He loves the Korean people so much, and knows the language and culture so well. He is a great teacher.
Korean itself is good! I feel incredibly blessed to have taken it before and to have listened to it so much. I can understand much of what our investigator, a native Korean from Busan, says. I just have a harder time responding. My district seems to think that I am the fount of Korean knowledge, but I am learning so much and only have the basics. I was just so blessed to have had all the opportunities with Korean before my mission. I admire how quickly they learn and have grown. It also helps me so much to try to teach them and talk about it with them. I feel that I have SO MUCH more to learn, and I am working hard to prepare.
Dad, your message was so awesome. Thank you for sharing it with me. I seriously sobbed for a little bit while I read it. It was so beautiful and meant a lot to me! I think about you both often and love you both so much!
Ooh, story time. The other day, when we did our service project, we were told to go vacuum in 1M, the building where General Authorities often go. The last week, we also had all of the new mission presidents and General Authorities here for an orientation thing before they started. Don't get your hopes up, I didn't see the prophet or meet anyone while they were here, but I did vacuum many of the rooms where they met! While we were vacuuming, Sister Allred and I found a table with all the General Authorities name tags on them. Yup. I totally touched Elder Holland's name tag. I admit I thought about licking it or blowing on it or something, but decided that would be too weird. I am holy now that I touched it, though?
I don't think I can upload pictures on this computer, but I will ask and try to figure it out or use another one next time. I am sorry! I will try to get it to work.
Anyway, I love you all SO MUCH. I am having a wonderful time and have been so blessed while here. Heavenly Father has comforted me, pushed me, strengthened me, and I know that I am doing the right thing. I feel Christ's hand so often in my life. I know that He lives. I am so grateful that He has chosen me to help in sharing His gospel and serving the Koreans. I cannot wait to get over there and really work! This is really the hardest thing I have ever done, and I know it will get harder, but it is also the best.
I love you!
Sister Stapley
PS. Mom and Dad: I sent you a letter yesterday that should get there soon with more of my thoughts. I hope it comes soon!