The language is like gibberish to my ears

Family!!!! 

I finally made it to Korea! I never thought this day would actually happen. It is kind of crazy that I’m here out all on my own with my companion. I’m so used to having teachers and leaders all around me but now we are out here in the real world! The last day in the MTC was super emotional saying goodbye to our favorite teachers and fellow district. It’s hard leaving people you have spent 24/7 with and experienced so many challenges with. 

Jeeze the plane ride was the longest of my life. It was sooo uncomfortable trying to sleep. haha but I did talk to a lot of people on both plane rides. The first one to Detroit was a less active member and we talked about the gospel and that was a good experience. Even though she has some different stances on the gospel, we came off the plane as good friends I feel. Anyways.. Then I sat next to an American on the plane to Korea and we had good chats as well, He also gave me advice on how to not get jet lagged....idk if it really worked because I was exhausted. 

We took the subway from the airport and were to talk to many people on the subway. It was an interesting start to our new missionary experience! Apparently I talked to some drunken men... Idk why no one told me!  I’m so naive. But whatever, I guess I learn from my mistakes! I just thought they were tired.. We didn’t get to bed that night till 12:30. We stayed at the mission presidents super nice home and slept on our last real beds! I met my new companion the next day(Saturday)!  Her name is Sister Han Da Som, She is from the busan area in Korea and we are serving in the kang dong ward pretty close to the Han River. We are opening that area so there aren’t any investigators and we're starting fresh. 

We met the ward yesterday and I gave a little talk. The ward is super small. There’s about 30-40 active members and a ton of non active members. We have a lot of work to do! ahh. It’s a bit hard because my companion is more on the quiet side and doesn’t talk much..... so I am learning that I have to be the one to try and start conversations... This is super hard especially because I don’t know any KOREAN!!! I say something and people don’t understand.. so this is great! I feel like a buffoon!!!! Anyways, it will come with time a allllottt of studying!  We did our weekly planning session last night and I didn’t realize that missionary work entailed being a super expert at party planning!!! Thank goodness I learned a few things from my momma but not nearly enough! haha How do I get these members to come to activities and help them to invite their friends!? They don’t invite friends to anything or have time to help us out with teaching with members present! Any ideas??? This will be a fun week for sure! lots of hard work! It’s good I was raised by the craziest hardest workers ever! Hopefully I do you proud :) 

I’ve learned this week that I can’t get discouraged. At all. If I do, there is a barrier keeping me from doing my work as a missionary. This work is hard, but if I go about it with a positive attitude then I can accomplish more than I thought. It is hard not being able to be spiritually uplifted on Sundays because the language is like gibberish to my ears, but then I learn to be able to read doctrine and scriptures and uplift my spirit by my own efforts. So I have a goal this week to try to be the most positive I can be and not let the adversary get into my head and ruin me! I hope that makes sense! I love you! I think about a lot of my home ward :) those old memories make me happy and I hope this ward I can help here will be as great as my ward back home! They have taught me so much! I love you all!!!!!

Love

Sister Riley Wright

There was a piece of squid in my soup.  I avoided it at all costs!!!

Oh how memorable that trip was!

Nov 2 Snail mail 

Family,

I would just like to say I love you all!  This week is super crazy.  Teaching investigators, packing, going to Dr. appts every day, going to all different departure meetings, but I’m getting a lot done.  Today actually we taught our investigator about repentance and keeping commandments and how he’d be forgiven and more and more.  My companion was really amazed b/c I just kept coming up w/things to say that needed to be said.  Usually I’m stuttering like a fool!! Haha.  It was an answer to my prayers.  My faith and the Holy Ghost are key to everything & hard work.  It’s just been hard sometimes b/c I felt that I’m the slowest learner, but I’ve learned to accept it and try to work harder,  and the harder I work the more I will grow! 

I have not gained any weight!  Aren’t you proud!?  I feel like all I do is eat and sit though!  Maybe if you are all good, you can have a “chance” card from monopoly and I’ll send you some cool stuff from Seoul.  Maybe I’ll find some cool technology for Remy!  That would be awesome!  You all deserve a nice gift from across the sea!  You are all working so hard and being so nice to me and others as well. 

You might be getting this while I’m travelling to my destination.  We will be so far away, but close in spirit and prayers.  I ‘m getting really excited.  I just need to keep my momentum up the whole time I’m there!  I can’t forget that!  Remind me so I never forget!  I will for sure let you know what area I’m in and who my companion is.  I hope I’ll be able to send lots of snail mail to you just like I have been!  I know it’s going to be crazy but family is important too!  Sorry in advance; an email might be the only thing and then a snail mail every once in a while.  I love you!  You are the best family anyone could have.  You have taught me so much and helped me to understand how to be obedient and a hard worker.  Thanks for pushing me to be better!

Loves and Hugs XOXOXO  Sister Riley Wright

Say hi to everyone for me, I hope everyone is doing well.

I’m scared I’ll crush the Korean’s hands w/my firm handshake!!  I’ll save my handshakes for the Giles family;)

Nov 3, 2013, snail mail before leaving MTC

PS.  Momma, your fun missionary family party sounds so fun!!  I wish I sould be there to taste all the food.  Who are all the families that are attending?  Mmmmm, food sounds so good!  The MTC food is getting a bit old… haha, but not too bad.  I can’t wait to eat some Korean food!  Everyone that I’ve talked to that has been over there says the food is AMAZING!  Maybe I can figure out how to make it and send you recipes!  I’m also excited to cook again.  Fired rice and stir fry and chow mein!  And they will definitely have all the ingredients I’ll need!  Thanks for teaching me how to cook.  I’d be lost without it.  When I get back I want to learn how to make soufflés.. better late than never right?! 

Daddy I think it’s awesome you went for a morning session at the temple.  I feel like the morning sunshine just makes everything so much prettier and better.  I love the temple so much.  As a missionary I’ve been able to experience some really powerful things in the temple.  The spirit is so strong at times, not all the time, but when it does I realize it.  In the past it has been hard for me to notice the spirit or really feel anything.  But the Lord works with each of us in different ways and I’ve come to accept it.  I’m grateful for the moments that I’ve had. 

Remy!  I miss you like crazy!  I saw that picture of when you went on that hike and you wrote in the hikers notebook at the top of the mountain and you said “I’m Remy Wright & I’m an ASIAN!”  Haha.  I loved that.  Maybe when I get back we can go on a hike or go backpacking and we can write our names in the notebook at the top of the mountain!  

Note that Remy wrote

Top of the mountain

What made that backpacking trip in the Tetons so memorable was all the unfortunate things that happened.  I’m grateful for that because now I remember that family trip so well!!  The craziest, longest first hike into camp, Remy getting sick, snow, mom and dad having leg problems, gross curry dinner…Ha ha..Bear encounters, watching bears eat Huckleberries in our camp!  Oh how memorable that trip was!  Thank you family for your wonderful examples to me.  I love you! 

 Watch Monster’s University for me again!  I love Mike Wazouski!  I think that is my favorite movie.

PPS Thanks for all the packages!  I feel so loved.  You are the best!  The cookies have been so delicious and I miss all the baking and deserts!  Thank you for your love and support and love you’ve shown to me.  You make me smile all the time!!!  I love stickers as well!!!  Haha. They brighten my mood.

PPPS  I secretly cast Harry Potter spells at people…Its really fun…  Anyways, Love You!  Talk to you soon.

Love Sister Riley Wright

Tetons trip Ricey tying Remy's shoe

One of many snow flurries

Ricey & Remy 2nd morning

Gross Curry Dinner

Ricey & Remy 

Grand Teton in Background

Taking a break during long 1st day

Our Group 1st day on the Teton hike

He was starving so I gave him my banana.

Hello family!!!! sooo.. I accidentally deleted my draft instead of saving it... haha so I will try to say everything I wanted to! I leave in 6 days!!! It’s crazy and exciting but it also makes me a bit nervous! After being in the mtc for about 9 weeks, it makes me feel like I’m never going to leave here, but I’m going to be gone to Korea in a week!  Wild.  Anyways, yesterday we had in field orientation for Halloween! wooooo.  It’s fairly new and it has classes all day with the missionaries leaving this week. We learned about the importance of making goals first, then making plans and how much more effective we can be through this!  We learned about what we will be doing out in the field, giving advice on how to be the best we can be and working with the members of the ward.  I didn’t realize how much we’d be working with members, but now I see the effectiveness of being able to find investigators through the members of the ward who have been talking to people about the LDS church. That is why they stress and have been stressing even more recently of "every member a missionary". Super exciting and I just want to get to get going on the work!!  I am going to miss my companion Sister Goines.  We have grown a lot together with our ups and downs and learning how to work together, she has blessed my life already with her wise advice when I am discouraged and she picks me back up. The companionships really are inspired. I love the gospel and want to spread the word!  I know there will be challenging times ahead, but I will remind myself that those times are helping me become a better and more perfect person. :) Love you!  Sorry I couldn’t write more!  I’ll write when I’m out in Korea!!!!!

Love Sister Wright

This picture is of Garrett,  He is our personal driver to all the doctors’ appointments.  We go to the doctor almost every day!!  He was starving so I gave him my banana. He ate it while a girl was throwing up in the passenger seat because she had a kidney stone.. hahaha oh what a wonderful place:))

We are out in the outside world of Provo!

I find almost everything humorous!

Hellloooo!

Wow this week has been a bit different.  I don’t even remember what happened on Monday. But Wednesday my companion got super sick because of her migraines and the afternoon consisted of me trying to run after my companion because she had to throw up in the bathroom. I lost her at times and I was freaking out!  One time all the bathrooms were full and she had to swallow what she threw up,... hahaha sorry for the gross story, but we just keep laughing about it... haha.  I feel bad that I laugh at her pain, but it’s not my fault that I find almost everything humorous! Then yesterday it seemed like my teacher was stressed so in class I asked him in Korean if he’d like a cookie!  For some reason everyone else started laughing and I got real embarrassed!  People think that if they were in my head for a day they’d explode...haha I get super crazy when I’m delirious so that’s always fun.

Anyways, I spent all of today outside of the MTC. Sister Goines had several doctor appointments and I was enjoying my time in the waiting rooms. Half the day I was in doctors’ offices...it was interesting.  It was weird being out in the outside world; I didn’t know how to act!  But soon enough I’ll be out there. I got my travel plans today!  I leave on November 7th at 7:30!  2 days before expected, so that’s about 12 days... I’ve been here for almost 2 months now. Time is flying by and I don’t even know where it went! I’m super excited, and super sad to leave the MTC. I know there is no other place like it and I’ll miss the peace that’s here. I miss the Koreans that were here for 2 weeks!  They left last week, they were a hoot and so precious. I think Koreans are the cutest people and so dang funny. They laugh at my Korean, but also help me a ton with my language problems. Thank you daddy for your email you sent, your words and the talk you sent were so helpful. Yes life is hard, I shared that message with my companion. Today it just seems like nothing is going right and we both have felt like breaking down and crying at times, but without challenges, we can’t reach those amazing moments. We wouldn’t understand the difference between hardship and joy! It is amazing to know that we have been given this experience on Earth to feel these feelings and experience happiness and sorrow. Both are great teachers and they teach me every day.  I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for these experiences that make me a better, stronger person and missionary that helps me come closer to Christ.  Life is hard, but all is well! We have our Father, our Brother and our families all around us to lift us up. I love you and I pray for you always!

Love you!!!!

Sister Wright

The Koreans take up the whole cafeteria!

Oh wow, this week has been kind of crazy! and went by soo fast.  We had devotional on Tuesday and president Oaks spoke to us.  It was really good and now the devotionals will be broadcast to all the MTC's.  Sister Oaks said something really amazing.  She said what we are learning here is to learn how to love each other.  If we do not do that then we have failed our purpose.  Very interesting.  They make it a big deal that the MTC is not about learning a language, but to understand our purpose and to know how to help others and love our investigators. 

I’m really glad that I’m in the district that I m in right now. They are all really hard workers and set the bar high. Some of the other districts aren’t getting along as well as we are and I think that is because we are just so dedicated in the work that we don’t have time to think about anything that might bother us, and if they do bother us, we get over it real quickly, but there have been no problems and it is such a blessing. It’s amazing to see how well we all get along and help each other out.

We have groups leaving every 2 weeks so our zone is constantly changing. Our zone is the biggest in the mtc, The Koreans take up the whole cafeteria!  Next week we'll have about 100 missionaries going to Korea!!

On Monday I’ll have about 2 and a half weeks before I am in Korea!!!!  Super crazy, time is flying and 18 months really is so short.  Wednesday was a rough day for me, idk, I was striving to be more Christ-like but things just were'nt working out.  I was in one of the weirdest moods ever and I didn't understand it.  But yesterday I got things worked out, and it happened to be one of the best days I've had here!!!!  We got to teach our investigator with so much spirit and power and we weren't worried about the language,  We just wanted to come closer to our investigator and share our message.  Holy cow, we had been preparing this lesson all day and then at the very last second we decided to scrap our plan and just teach with the spirit.  That experience was absolutely amazing.  I know that the spirit was helping us and putting questions into our minds to share with our investigator.  I am so humbled by this experience because I know that it is not me teaching the investigator.  It's the spirit.  I am just the Lord's tool.  I love you and I'll send some pics soon!!!!

Sister Wright 

Holy cow I have been learning a ton

Hello!!!! 

Today is officially the second month mark!  It’s crazy to think I’ve been here for a month!  It only feels like it’s been a week! There is so much studying going on and busy schedules, but work is getting done. I am learning a lot about myself. I realize that I cannot do anything without the strength of the Lord and the power of the Holy Ghost. I fail when I get upset or angry at myself and I really start to struggle. My companion and I are trying to make it a goal to always stay positive no matter how hard it can get. I couldn’t teach my investigator AT ALL because I got so frustrated with myself and not understanding anything he was saying.  It really is a humbling experience and I was reading in the scriptures that without being humble, you can’t have faith. I obviously cannot do this alone because all that I have learned is from the help of my Savior. Without Him I can do nothing here because it is His work.  Holy cow I have been learning a ton.  I am unfortunately not fluent in the language yet... but I am able to make complete sentences, sort of... haha.  It takes me a couple tries to get it right. But just for being here for 4 weeks and being at the level I am right now is incredible. One of the elders in our district took 2 semesters at college of Korean and he said that we are already pretty much at the level he was when he finished his 2 semesters. That’s super crazy to think about. I think of my blessings each day. It is hard trying not to compare myself to other missionaries, but I just have to think to myself that everyone is different, and the language will get easier and I will understand it! One fun fact, I have been jump-roping for gym time and it’s a good work out. I wish I could play soccer but not enough girls play so we can’t, but volleyball is fun! I have not gained any weight here thank goodness :) the food isn’t bad, people may bag on it, but you just gotta be creative with the food you can find! That’s always fun. I try to stay positive with everything I do, I don’t want to have lame memories of the MTC!  I have been writing in my journal every day, I hope you write in your journals too.  They help me reflect on my day.  Journals just make me so happy!  I love you and I am praying for you!!  Stay strong and of good courage!!!  I love you and be Christ-Like.  I love the story of Christ washing the feet of the apostles.  He truly was perfect in every way.  I look to Him for advice :)

Love Sister Wright

The Korean sisters left :( they were so adorable!!!!

Hello!!!!

Next week I will be halfway through my MTC experience!!! The MTC has been an amazing experience. I feel the spirit everyday and there is so much learning going on with the language and within myself. Holy cow it will be sad to leave this place. I am glad I get to spend as much time here as i can because there is no place like it. I loved hearing from you and all the little messages you shared with me that uplifted me and kept me pushing myself to be better. Did I tell you being in the relief society broadcast was amazing?? We got to see so many amazing general authorities, the relief society presidency and the prophet! Right when Thomas Monson walked in, the spirit was felt so strongly. What an incredible feeling I wish i could just keep within me forever! And the singing really spoke to me while I was singing, both when we practiced the songs and when we performed.  It was amazing in the conference center. I wish I could go back! If you have the chance, look up the writer of 'More Holiness Give Me'. He was an amazing man and the way he died made me cry. This week I am trying to study as hard as i can to get this language down. This is the only time I will be able to have full hours to study this language and I can’t waste this precious time that I have. I have been able to memorize the first phrase of the first vision in Korean. Only a few more lines to go! I know Heavenly Father is helping me fulfill my righteous desires; I just have to work hard for them! I love you and ill write more soon!