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