HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

A note before reading...Rebekah and I share the same birthday

Anyoung-ha-sa-yoooo!

Happy birthday mom!!!!

It's been a great birthday for me at the MTC.

We started out the day at the temple. What better way could you spend a birthday? The sisters in my district wrote little sticky notes and stuck them all over my things while I was in the shower. I keep finding them everywhere. It's awesome. I loved the birthday package! The cheese was delicious. I'm a little concerned that the brie didn't really make. But I'll probably eat it anyway. Haha.

I want to thank everyone who's written me!!! I love getting letters, and the little notes from "dear elder"! They cheer me up everyday. I've never felt so loved in my life. The little sticky note from my DL this morning said, "Happy Birthday! Without you in our district, we'd never get any mail...." Of course that's not true, but really illustrative of the awesome friends and family that I have who write me so much! I'm trying to write everyone back! Today I had 20 letters to write. I have 5 left.... So hopefully I can make it. ;0)

So much has happened in one week. I don't even know where to begin. Last Tuesday night, Elder Ballard spoke at the devotional. I'm pretty sure I quote things that he told us about missionary work at least twice a day. Tonight's devotional is supposed to be special. The speaker will be talking on the special October Book of Mormon issue of the Ensign. They asked us to read the whole thing by tonight. It is super useful! I know I'll use it all the time in the field. We're hopeful another apostle will come.... But we'll see.

Being here is like trying to drink from a fire hose. I learn so much everyday; not just Korean either. Each hour brings new insights into the gospel. On Sunday night they show old MTC devotionals in some of the buildings. We watched this one that Elder Holland gave a few years ago. Everything he said is still so powerful. I wish that I could send everyone a copy. He asked us to make our mission a part of our souls down to the very marrow of our bones. Later in the talk, he spoke about why missionary work is so hard. This has been something I've wondered lately. If our message is so powerful, so applicable for everyone, so inviting, then why is so hard? Why aren't people lining up to be baptized? Elder Holland said this, "The price of our salvation wasn't cheap. So why would we expect it to be easy for us?" Elder Holland always seems to explain the gospel with such clarity to me, in the exact way I need to understand it. Of course a mission should be hard. Our message wouldn't be sincere unless we experienced an iota of the feelings the Savior felt during his earthly ministry.

In other news, our first investigator actually became our first teacher! He is sooo cool! He just got home from his mission five weeks ago, so he's still full of this intensity about everything gospel and Korea related.

(a side random side story) Do you remember how missionaries used to write me little notes when I worked at the MTC? I wrote a post about it a few weeks ago on my other blog... Well, normally I never kept those notes. But for whatever reason, two years ago, I kept one from a certain Korean district. Which I then threw into my suitcase as I left Provo last month. I found it when I was unpacking at the MTC. Turns out Tanner hyoung-jae-nim was in that district! I showed him the note last night, and he just started laughing! It was his companion who actually wrote it! Isn't that so funny? What a weird coincidence!

Let's see... what else is there to mention?

I took a picture... And i was going to send it in this email. But alas, I forgot my camera in my room.... :0(

I see Elder Murray in the cafeteria sometimes. But it's always so crowded. We don't get to talk much.

Sister Hatch comes into the MTC tomorrow. I can't wait! Best birthday present ever!!!!!

I love you and miss you all!

-Westrup cha-mae-nim

First Week!

I suppose now is the time when my typing skills will really come in handy.

The first week has been fantastic! Not to sound cliche, but the MTC really does have a spirit about it that no place else in the world does. Except for the temple of course. But it's so constant. I love it. I feel like I've learned so much here. And it's only been a week.

I'll try and go through these details pretty quickly.  My companion is Painter Cha-mae-nim (Sister) and she is from Chicago. She also attends BYU. She was a nursing major before she came to BYU. Our district is so big that they split us into two classrooms. And guess what? It's just sisters in our classroom! It's fun being around the Elders, but it's really fun being around all sisters. We laugh probably too much. All of the sisters in my classroom also stay in my dorm room. There are six of us together pretty much non-stop. But it's great! They're all pretty incredible. We just have one teacher, Wells Hyoung-jae-nim. He's nice. And really patient with us.

Which brings me to the Korean language. I was doing great last week! I felt so confident in everything I was saying, and the grammar. And then came the fateful moment when I learned the Korean alphabet. IT IS SO HARD!!!!! But I can read now, and things are slowly progressing. Wells Hyoung-jae-nim asked that we learn the characters without romanizing the sounds. It's been really hard for me to remember what all the vowels mean without associating an English sound with them. But Hyoung-jae-min promised us that that would be easier later. It's been really humbling. I just sit and STARE at the words. I can see what a consonant is, and what a vowel is in a syllable. But for the life of me, I can't seem to make the sounds go together. But I will very soon! It's already getting easier. Here was the first Korean sentence that Wells hyoung-jae-nim wrote on the board and I read (in romanized form): oo-ri-nun ki-do wa yo-sib sa-mi-se eh-dae-han na-nu-go-ship-sum-nee-da. Which translates to: We have a message about prayer and Joseph Smith we'd like to share. Great huh? We're already teaching an investagator (which is really just another teacher at the MTC). But he only speaks to us in Korean. This is another part of the MTC that's been really hard for me. We're taught to teach people not lessons. But it's hard to teach to our investigators needs when a) we don't know the language enough to find out their needs, and b) once we do find out their needs, we don't have the vocabulary to teach to their needs. It will come though. I have faith it will come.

My branch president's name is President Shin. He and his wife are from Korea. They are so sweet and Korean! I love it!

Let's see what else....

Oh, Dad! Heartstrings came in handy. And you thought watching all those Korean soap operas wouldn't be useful. It acutally has helped with the candance of the language and pronunciation. My companion actually watched some episodes before she left as well. We quote it all the time! (And by quote, I mean we actually just say "what!" really dramatically)

And now, a word about writing letters to me:

Dear Elder is THE BEST THING EVER! I highly recommend that to anyone who wants to write me. I get it the same day you send it. I, however, can only write back on P-day. But it does really help me out to receive letters throughout the week. There are a few people who wrote me(cough cough Jette) who's address I do not have. And there are also a ton of other people I would like to write, but who never sent me their address. :0( SO I NEED YOUR ADDRESSES! bitte! (i find myself reverting back to german a lot here being as german is TONS EASIER than Korean. You were lucky dad)

And now the part where I ask for stuff.... Sorry.

I somehow didn't pack sweats.... Could you send me a super cheap wal-mart pair. You can get them for like 10 bucks or less I think. Men's sweats are prefrable as they are much comfier. Also, I had to get shots! It was awful!!!! (not really) it just cost a lot. I think insurance might pay for it but I'm not sure.... You have to call this number 801-422-8940... Or I can just pay for it. It doesn't matter. Well I have three minutes left. So I have to get going!

But just remember, obedience begats blessings. but exact obedience begats miracles.

Love,

Westrup Cha-mae-nim.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

This is my first experience in getting a missionary ready to leave.  My brother went about 30 years ago, but I wasn't involved much with that.  There are the medical exams, dental visits, new glasses, shots, visa pictures, (she already the passport), garments, communicating with the church travel department, attending the temple and the clothes shopping.  Rebekah was never one to do a lot of shopping when she was living at home, but apparently it is a college gained skill.  Even though she came home with her college wardrobe, she still needed another skirt, "Oh but wait if I get that skirt then I should get another blouse to go with it."  Rebekah said it was like, "If you give a mouse a cookie."  Hence the two huge pieces of luggage and remember the book she wanted to take from the last post?  NO MORE ROOM :)

Did I mention Rebekah will be in the MTC the same time as two of her cousins?  Elder Murray reported the same day (called to the New Jersey Morristown Spanish speaking Mission) and Elder Carlson (called to serve in the Colorado Denver South Mission) will report on September 28th.  The other cool thing is each one of them is being supported spiritually with a commitment to help with a small monthly donation to each of them.  They will truly be blessed for their efforts.  Thanks Grandad and Oma!!!



It is always nice when a mother has her family gathered in one spot.  (Might I add with no fighting and 'one upping another').  Rebekah was set apart the Monday before her Wednesday departure date.  With the family and Grandad in attendance it was wonderful experience.



Rebekah with President and Sister Treadway.  They have watched her grow up and grow over the last six years.



A Practice in Humility

I don't pocess the writing skills that Rebekah has, but I hope to keep you interested for the next 18 months as a contributing writer to her blog.    Rebekah, before she left was blessed to be humble and practice humility.  Before she even left out the door, her first encounter with humility arrived in a package from the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center.  A long awaited research project had come to fruition in the form of a publication from Deseret Book.  Rebekah, under the mentorship of Professor Dennis A. Wright, had researched and written a paper on the historic site of Ensign Peak.  She asked if I thought she whould take it with her.  Well, #1...it was not on the required list of books to bring.  #2...probably not the place or time to brag about your accomplishments.  Side note here... I was not blessed to have humility while she is gone and that is why I am sharing this on her blog 'cuz I think this is way exciting.

After devouring the chapter entitled, "Ensign Peak: A Historical Review," I did take the time to read some of the other chapters.  If you love Utah history or the settling of the Salt Lake Valley, there are several pieces which might be of interest.  Such as "Salt Lake City:  Founded upon the Doctrine and Covenants,"  "Camp Douglas:  Keeping a Watchful Eye on the Saints," and "And Should We Die? Pioneer Burial Grounds in Salt Lake City"  to name a few.  In fact I wished we had access to the book when Roger and I gave talks in Sacrament meeting for the 24th of July. I wish we had the time before she left to really talk about her chapter.   It's a good read and I give a 5 out of 5 stars. :)

Anyonghaseyo

Wednesday is the big day!
I report to the MTC at 1:25 pm.

The only thing that's left to do is get set apart.

Oh yeah, there's that packing thing as well.

My mom will be updating this blog while I'm gone. But I would still love to hear from you! Just click on my address button on the right of this page, and you'll find my MTC address (which you should use until December), and my address in Korea.

So goodbye friends, I hope to hear from you soon!
\(^0^)/