PDay=Packing Day!

안양하새요 everyone!

The countdown is on! 3 days till Korea. Isn't that an amazing sentence? I think I've been in the MTC for years. Time has become Rip Van Winkle-esque. But instead of falling asleep, I feel more awake than I've ever been. Despite being absolutely exhausted, I'm filled with energy. 

We came full circle this week. My companion and I hosted newly-arriving missionaries again. It was so cool to guide people through the place that has changed me so much, knowing that it will change them as well. The first girl apparently wears bricks as clothing -- pack light, y'alls! 

By far the best part of the week was doing How To Begin Teaching. The first night of a missionary's MTC experience, they hold this seminar. All the new missionaries get to experience teaching an investigator for the very first time. There were about 7 pairs of missionaries that were chosen to demonstrate for all the new missionaries how to get through the door and teach the first part of a lesson. I still remember ours! We thought they were returned missionaries because they seemed so confident -- then we were called on to do it! Our first night, one girl in the audience tried to teach the investigator about how he could raise his dead child in the Millenium. We were all so scattered and nervous and confused. Getting the opportunity to demonstrate showed us how far we had come, and all the progress we had made. The investigators were hilarious. We're not sure but we think the first girl was a member; the second definitely wasn't. We listened as the new missionaries questioned the investigators after we had left. One elder asked if she had loved her dead grandfather. She responded "What kind of question is that??" in the most offended voice ever. It was hilarious. She ripped him apart. The second girl explained how the Godhead had been explained to her like "God is the bread, Jesus is the peanut butter and the Holy Ghost is the jelly". She also almost swore during the meeting. It was pretty funny, seeing all those young missionaries look so scandalized. Just kidding. I can't remember the last time I heard a swearword. We built off each other so well and managed a natural segue into the Plan of Salvation. I can't wait to be able to do that in Korean. We felt so confident. Progress is so gradual here that it's difficult to measure the growth of 9 weeks. We sat in a stairwell listening, wincing occasionally or going 'mm that was good' or just laughing out loud. What a perfect way to say goodbye to the MTC!

Another funny moment -- after the Tuesday devotional Sister Gilbert, our second counselor's wife, came to discuss with us. She gave us all these tips for eating Korean food -- "Okay, you have to figure out how to block off your sense of smell" "don't drink water after eating something spicy" "leave the rice till last but eat it all". She had really great solutions. One sister tentatively went "So I don't really like meat..." Sister Gilbert was quiet a minute, then looked her right in the eye with a lot of pity and went "Pray, sweetheart."

We also managed to break our toughest teacher at last. During one of our investigator lessons he sneezed really hard. My companion started to say "excu-" then remembered it's rude to acknowledge sneezes in Korea and went silent. He started laughing. It was awesome.

I am REALLY going to miss my companion. Sister Phillips has been amazing. She's gone through all the extreme highs and lows with me and hasn't faltered one step of the way. She's a huge nerd, bless her heart, so we have A LOT to talk about! She says she didn't realize how nerdy I was until like the second week and she was worried we'd have nothing in common. She has the best sense of humor that she uses to diffuse really tense situations, or make someone feel really fantastic about themselves. She is talented at seeing the best in people, and like an art restorer she brings what may have been faded or lost over time come to light. She's my favorite person ever, and I'm so glad that I got to be her companion. She's going to change Korea (even if all she does is introduce sarcasm into their culture because that apparently doesn't exist). She has an incredibly strong testimony that has really changed the way I see some things.

We've been playing this really fun game where we pass a notebook back and forth and each write a sentence in a story. It's not distracting and is really entertaining. (It may or may not have gotten us through a couple district meetings.) Speaking of which I will really miss my district. We've gotten really close (we haven't had a choice!) and I know all of them will serve amazing missions. Half of us are going to Seoul and the other half to Seoul South, so we'll get to say goodbye at the airport. 

One interesting way I've been able to judge how I've grown is that I was called as travel leader for our group. First off, I doubt that would have happened 9 weeks ago. I was really disorganized and unprepared for everything, but now I'm much more aware of what is going on and what needs to happen. Second, it would have stressed me out so much! But I feel pretty ready for it. We've been waiting nine weeks for this and I doubt anyone will miss their planes. 

Goodbye America! It's been nice knowing you. But I am so ready and eager for Korea! (We'll see how excited I am in a week.) I can't wait for all the experiences I will have and, even more, to watch peoples' lives be changed by the gospel. The gospel makes me the happiest in life. It has given me an amazing family and it provides a way for us all to return home to our Heavenly Father.  I want so badly for others to feel this joy that it brings. I know that it can make them so happy if they choose to accept it!

Love,

밸 Sister Bell

Hoisting the colors

With Sister Peseta from Samoa

With Sister Hatch and Sister Phillips

With Sister Jones

With Sister Cameron

Content never - Happy always!

Every hour I'm on a mission is another hour I believe less in coincidence. I have had too many happenstance experiences for them to be happenstance anymore! Take just one hour ago. My companion and I had forgotten our key to get into our room (no one will believe me but this is the first time that had happened) so we went to the front desk to get a spare. We were in our P-Day sweats, and to go to the front desk you're supposed to be in a skirt up there, but obviously we couldn't get into our room to change, so off we went. Of course, the terrifying (adult leader), was right there so we had to pull some secret agent moves so she wouldn't see us. Every time I've spoken with her I've really enjoyed her, but she is still really scary; it always looks like she's looking at you during devotionals, and she is hard and fast about the rules. But we managed to slip past her, sweats and all, and get to the front desk. Then I heard someone call my name. It was my friend from seminary who had moved to Utah, Tate Chester. She was there at the MTC for a test program - not as a full-time missionary yet - and she was only there for a little bit. If we hadn't forgotten our keys we would have missed her! It was crazy awesome. 

Just a little earlier in the temple I kept looking out for someone I knew in the sessions coming in and out. I didn't see anyone and was kind of sad about it. Then crossing the street back to the MTC I saw my friend crossing the opposite side and got to say hi to him too! Between seeing him and seeing Tate I.know that God is not going to leave me alone. I haven't been feeling especially so, but in Korea I know there will be times when I feel that way. It feels like His way of promising me that He will always be there for me.

Another cool thing that happened was the devotional Sunday. I don't know if it was coincidence or if they arranged it this way. But I got to sing for the devotional! It was an amazing experience; it all came together really smoothly. I found an incredible violinist and pianist, and we performed This is the Christ. The violinist is headed to Korea too. The devotional was completely focused on our branch. The group who just left had a district of only sisters -- we miss them so much, they were amazing! They taught and witnessed the conversion of a native Korean through TRC (a teaching method) and got to attend her baptism as missionaries at the MTC! It's definitely a rare thing to do. They hadn't even left the MTC before they taught someone who believed so much they wanted to join the church! We got to watch a video, and the districts who had left were in it. We also got to hear from Iris (the new Korean convert) who we've taught before in TRC. Her testimony was absolutely beautiful. Even for someone who's still feeling the greenie fire, her testimony is exceptionally strong! It was really Korea's time to shine. 

Earlier that day Sunday I was feeling a little stressed. Stressed is too strong of a word; I had confidence everything would turn out, but the day before had been pretty rough and I was trying to prepare for singing at the devotional and also accompanying for a sacrament musical number. I finally found time for the elders performing in sacrament and I to practice, but I had to miss Music and the Spoken Word and Relief Society to do so, which I was pretty sad about. I love being a part of that stuff, and MATSW centers me really well. But we found an empty chapel to practice in. On the computer screens was MATSW, which was pretty cool that we still got to watch it. But the first face I saw on screen was my friend Jordan's! BYU Singers had gone to sing in the performance. I knew almost everyone whose faces were onscreen. Again, God's way of reminding me that he is conscious of me and my needs and that everything will turn out okay.

TRC this week was a little different. We're doing Skype lessons now and that's pretty hard. The girl we were teaching made a swiping motion and kept saying Nephi, so I thought she was talking about Nephi killing Laban. She was not. She was thoroughly not. She was talking about Nephi forgiving his brothers. We lost our scripture references so we had to spend time finding the scripture in English, then in Korean. But somehow, we really connected with her. We had taught about forgiveness. It seemed like a random topic to choose but we both felt really strongly about it. She started crying. The Spirit was really strong; it was a message that for whatever reason she really needed to hear, even with our clumsy Korean.This next quote I said my companion wrote down; she says it's one of her favorite things I"ve ever said. "I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure if her tears were because of the Spirit or because we were butchering her language." 

Really though, we've had a good run of lessons. We got one 'investigator' to keep the Word of Wisdom, (LDS health code) which was really hard for her, and our especially difficult investigator is considering baptism. They haven't been easy on us. One companionship in another district got dropped. One investigator decided she didn't want to be baptized because she didn't feel the Spirit during one of their lessons. Korea is going to be even harder, I know!

The devotional Tuesday left me with some interesting thoughts. 

1. Content never, happy always. Especially relevant to missionaries.

2. When you love the people more than yourself, you will be happy.

3. Enjoy the journey.

1 week away from Korean and the stress is extreme for almost everyone. None of us are exactly fluent! The MTC is like a safe little bubble where we can make mistakes. In Korea we teach real children of God. I'm excited beyond words but also pretty nervous. Today in the temple, I opened randomly to D&C 6:20-24:

20 Behold,... I have spoken unto thee because of thy desires; therefore treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love.

 21 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

 22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

 23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

 24 And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness?

The Lord is speaking words of comfort and encouragement. I understood that I am doing good, that I am doing enough, and that I can continue to grow and do even better. As a missionary my thoughts are always "What more can I do?" or when I'm stressed "I'm not doing enough!" This week it's been important to stop and realize what I've accomplished instead of what I haven't. Korean is hard. Teaching is hard. But I am encircled in the arms of His love, and through Him I can do all things!

xoxo

Sister Bell

 Photos from this weeks' Sunday Devotional.  Lauren sang "This is the Christ"  

accompanied by Elder Royce (going to Busan) on the violin

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Happy Martinellis Day!

You are the message...

It was a fairly humdrum week at the MTC: a sentence I'm sure has never been said before. It was as smooth as it could have been. I don't know if the weeks have settled into an easier rhythm, or if it is me. My companion and I often talk about how much we've changed in 6 weeks. She's gotten more comfortable and confident and I've learned how to deal with stress better.

For instance, last Sunday. I had arranged for the departing group of missionaries to sing a musical number, since it's tradition for them to do so. I had put a lot of effort into finding a Korean translation of the EFY medley for them as that was what they REALLY wanted to do. Since it was kind of their party, I had asked one sweet elder, who loves music more than anything, to arrange times for their class to practice. Their last week was really busy, and I didn't know their schedule so that seemed like the best option. I helped him find a girl among the native Koreans who could play the piano, and checked in with him every day to see how practice was going. His response was always 'great'.

I don't know much Korean, but I don't think 'great' means 'so we haven't actually practiced once and no one knows the piece and singing in Korean is not easy and despite what you may think we haven't actually been trying at all'. I could be wrong. Saturday night I asked him how it was going and he still said 'great'.

Come Sunday and suddenly it wasn't so great. They did not know the piece, and as it turns out the Korean sister thought that I was playing, when I thought SHE was playing. Now please imagine me in all my five foot two blonde might marshalling together the truculent forces of stressed out missionaries who had not practiced this song a day in their lives, trying to get them to learn it an hour before sacrament meeting. This is a situation that should have stressed me out! And for some reason it didn't. (Maybe because it wasn't my mess. I derived a good deal of peace from that.) Six weeks ago it might have hospitalized me! But this time I was the example of serenity. Everyone in that class was really tall so I alternated accompanying and standing on the piano bench.

It was nothing short of a miracle that I found a master violinist an hour before we performed. He was in the new group and is simply fantastic. He didn't know the piece but he put together an awesome accompaniment.

Rule of thumb: if someone is bailing you out, don't sass them. One sister criticized my readiness to perform the piece. It was through sheer force of will that I restrained myself from criticizing her complete lack of sense of irony. She also wholeheartedly denied that they needed to practice at all (she changed her mind after she came to the practice). Then this same sister asked me to accompany her in the sacrament meeting. Please, please, bring your accompanists love and candy, because I promise they need it!

I also tried to bring them in about five times and somehow they never did until I literally sang along with the piece and sang to them "that's when you come in".

This calling has taught me a lot about Christlike attributes, especially gratitude, patience, and charity. Often I may lack one and the people I work with lack the others.

An aside; the violinist was hilarious! I said something about how it might not be pretty but we'd make it to the end. He said "you know Sister Bell (as we were practicing Armies of Helaman after everyone had left), a lot of people love the story this song is about. They think that everyone just made it through without a scratch on them. The truth is that almost all of them were gravely injured and a lot of them almost died. But still, they made it through alive."

We said goodbye to the departing district. We had gotten really close with them and we were all pretty sad to see them go. I think it's beginning to sink in that we're leaving in 3 weeks. We won't be in America for a year and a half! It's terrifying, but we are SO excited. No more brick walls, no more textbooks -- we'll be out in the real world! Teaching real people the gospel that all of us love so much.

My companion is amazing. She managed to worm out of one of the leaders that we were having an Apostle speak at our devotional! We were so excited. We told our whole class (we saw the leader later that day and he told us not to tell anyone, so we didn't tell anyone else and figured it was a commandment that only applied to later dispensations) and then all of us bet who it would be - things like Cadbury eggs and hugs and a good day. Mormons...

Elder Eads ended up winning as he bet that it was Elder Cook. It was an awesome devotional! He told us how they choose where missionaries serve, which was really cool to hear about. It makes me wonder who decided where I was going, and for what specific reasons I'm going to Korea. It was so neat to hear. One thing he said that really stuck with me: You are the message. By our words and actions we are the Savior's messengers.

Random advice to future sisters and elders: if you ever host new missionaries arriving at the MTC, do NOT tell their families they're going to a better place.

I wanted to share my favorite scripture with you all! D&C 50:24. 

 24 That which is of God is light; and he that receivethlight, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

It perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Every day it fills my life with greater and greater light. Every day I feel His love to a greater degree than I thought possible. What a comfort it is to know that we will never stop growing and progressing! That when our feet are turned to His path, we do not walk alone.

Saronghamneeda saramdur!

Bell Chameneem

lots of photos this week!

Lauren LOVES DUCKS...!

Sisters Coates and Phillips

 The flag cart...

 Quintessential MTC Map photo

Lauren said she can see this painting from the seat in her classroom, for about 11 hours a day...

Sister Phillips LOVES Batman!

District in the classroom

Phillips and Bell posting MTC flags - a job they have LOVED!

MTC Tips for Sister missionaries

MTC ADVICE (after being here for 6+ weeks, 3 still to go...)
1. There is a wrap bar in the cafeteria. If you ask they will custom make a salad for you! Just ask for it without the tortilla and bam: custom salad.
2. On P-day, doing laundry in the morning is best. There are actually washers and dryers available.
3. Wait to buy flashcards; the MTC has some great ones.
4. Buy a tshirt at the bookstore with your mission on it! They're so fun and a great souvenir.
5. Talk to EVERYONE. The senior couples, the elder in the lunchline. It's always interesting and a great way to meet people.
6. Definitely bring flipflops for the shower. They get cleaned every day and are still disgusting!
7. They don't really sell good pictures of the Savior at the bookstore...so if you want one, bring one.
8. Be friendly to the workers. They are all really nice and they've helped us a lot. We talked to the guy in charge of service, just friendly conversation and he switched us from scrubbing windows to hoisting the MTC nation flags in the morning - it's great!
9. Memorize scriptures before coming. This will help SO much!
10. The Bible videos the church puts out are some of the greatest tools ever. Watch the Savior during the whole thing. Elder Bednar directed them and they're really well done. I LOVE them and can't believe I haven't seen them before now.
11. Invest in some of those tan peekabo socks that work with flats. They're wonderful.
12. No, you don't need ten scarves.
13. I would recommend both sizes (messenger and shoulder) bags from OGIO. They're awesome!
14. As always I recommend Choies skirts. They are fantastic. Also, every sister has that skirt from missionary mall or Downeast; no one has the Choies stuff and everyone here wants to know where I got the midi-skirts. http://sunshineinmyseoul.blogspot.com/…/top-4-online-stores…

15. Don't be that girl that wears heels. Just wear your Croc flats and be done with it.
16. The cake here is never worth it; the fudge cookies are and the pumpkin soup absolutely is.
17. Go to the morning exercise class. It's early but ABSOLUTELY worth it. It's valuable in so many different ways!
18. I recommend reading the inspired questions in PMG, I think it might be page 107. Remember to let the Spirit ask the questions through you.
19. To save on pday letter time my companion and I go print off the letters we got during the week in the basement of 18M. It also makes it so we can look back at them during the rest of the week.

The MTC is like climbing a mountain...

How many people have compared a mission to climbing a mountain? Here's one more!

The MTC is like climbing a mountain. You climb and climb and work so hard. You reach the top, and what do you see? More mountains! And from where you stand, all of them look taller than the one you just climbed. Suddenly your legs are burning twice as hard, and your mind is cloudy from the exertion and thin air. But right beside me is my companion, reminding me to look where we were yesterday or last week. We only see the other mountains because we've climbed this one, or beat this challenge, or made this goal! That perspective gives us the motivation and energy to conquer the next challenge ahead.

This has probably been the best week yet! So many memories were made. We learned some VERY important lessons that were practically shouted at us in a still small voice. Mostly, it was just fun!

For example, we broke our teacher. Calm, serene Sister Simonsen was brought down at last. We joke how she is Pocahontas, and that's pretty accurate. But we were teaching her about temples in a lesson. Bear in mind that Korean uses a lot of the same syllables. It's an easy mistake to make. I accidentally told her she would marry her younger brother in the temple. And of course then my companion sang the wedding march because we couldn't remember the word for marriage. Apparently the wedding march is not a thing in Korea. We were DYING of laughter -- poor Sister Simonsen held it together as long as she could and then she broke. Miraculously we still felt the Spirit and got our points across but we couldn't breathe from paroxysms of laughter once we got out of there. It took at least ten minutes for us to calm down again. 

Everyone in our district but Sister Cameron has gotten sick. I know who I want on my team for the zombie apocalypse. 

We're part of this pilot program for Come Follow Me in the MTC's! It's amazing. Our Sunday training was really special. We are learning to teach as the Savior taught, through questions and understanding. We feel His love so strongly when we follow Him this way.

My calling as branch music director is also going well. Last Sunday I had a couple elders sing Come Thou Fount. One of them was so nervous he was shaking; the other was so confident he bore his testimony about it for fifteen minutes. Both of them are headed out next week. Another elder, Elder Schilling, joined fifteen minutes before. It was so special to see them bear their testimonies through song. They're all going to serve amazing missions! And they wrote me the sweetest note that reminded me that amidst all the struggle of the calling it really does touch peoples' lives.

Of course missions always have their unique individuals. One in particular has stood out. This person is so sweet and tries so hard, but usually in the wrong way. For example, we had cod for dinner one night. My companion got it and was eating it when this person came up to her and said, "do you wanna know something really gross?" All great and inspiring stories start off this way. "My dad used to work at a cod deworming factory! He said he pulled out so many worms that he never wants to eat cod again. But don't worry if they missed some in yours, they cook it so the worms just turn into protein."  

Our most difficult investigator also made huge steps. Brother Driggs is an amazing but demanding teacher and his "investigator personality" is SO difficult. But this week my companion and I had the same impressions during our lesson; thought of the exact same scriptures, both felt we should teach about the Atonement. If only every lesson was like that! We felt SO good walking out of there! 

One special thing that contributed towards our lesson that day was what happened that morning. We were cleaning halls. We saw President Lindahl walking towards us. I had gotten to talk to him before because I know his younger brother, so I said hi. Then my much beloved companion, Sister Phillips, said "we loved your devotional!" He had given one of our favorite devos earlier about the Doctrine of Christ and how to teach it. He started quizzing her right then and there about it! She was so mad at me because he made her recite all the steps, and I just kept saying things like "you can do it" "I know you know this" mostly because I didn't remember any of it myself. Things led to another thing and soon we were back in his office receiving the most valuable instruction we had ever received since coming here. We learned about the Light of Christ and the Spirit; we learned how to ask inspired questions; we learned how to lead through the Spirit; we learned how to teach through personal stories; we learned how to teach the Doctrine of Christ. Almost everything we would ever need to know to teach an investigator, we learned in an hour in his office. Most excitingly, we made an appointment with him to come back to his office and discuss those things more in two days! 

This was a direct answer to prayers. I had prayed to know more about the Light of Christ. I thought the answer might come at Tuesday Devotional with David F. Evans, but I only received the barest hint of anything relating to an answer. I thought maybe that was all I would get. But President Lindahl taught us extensively about the Light of Christ and its importance, and how to share it with others. It was AMAZING. 

Also, President Burgess, the MTC President, knows my name. He says hi to me every time he sees me without looking at my nametag. He calls my companion "Sister Bell's companion". She actually prefers that, saying that it’s best if the authorities don’t know your name. It’s really awesome but also absolutely terrifying!  

On Wednesday morning, at the last minute Sister Bertasso (by far the most formidable of the presidents' wives) came to my class and asked me to sing for the Wednesday new missionary devotional. I was so excited because a couple of my friends were going to be there as new missionaries! It was an amazing experience as always, tempered by her words "President Burgess is really excited to hear you again". No pressure. 

Anyways, this has been the most amazing week, full of CRAZY twists and turns—and the exhilaration of summiting yet another peak! I can't wait to see what challenges and blessings the next week brings. Thank you all for your letters and prayers; I treasure and hear one and I know God hears and treasures the other!

Love,

Sister Bell

 Sister Bell, Jones and Cameron

 Treats!

 Classroom

 We took a Disney Princess personality test and my mom sent matching socks...

 I got Elsa, Cinderella and Rapunzel (mostly Rapunzel)

 Korean sisters at the Temple

New sisters arrived!

 Sister Phillips and Bell

 It snowed this week!

It Snowed!!! such joy...

"Who you are today is not who you will be!"

Every week at the MTC is on a higher plane of extremes than the week before. The challenges are magnified and mutated; everything is harder, which last week you wouldn't have thought possible. The high points are higher; every joke is funnier. Every experience is more spiritual. We have new experiences that smash our paradigms to pieces and rebuild them from the ground up. You can't have one extreme without the other. My sense of perspective on what is hard and what is good has shifted into something that four weeks ago would have been unrecognizable. But as our trials grow in magnitude, so do we. Our repertoire of tools to use in difficulty expands. We stretch and grow to new heights.

For example, only 2 out of 9 people in our district have not gotten sick. It's been like the plagues of Egypt. At first our eyes were glassed over because Korean is hard; now it's probably because someone got no sleep last night. But we're learning how to deal with this difficulty too.

My sense of humor has radically changed as well. With no TV or anything we have to rely on ourselves for entertainment. We've gotten creative: shooting hairbands at targets, throwing our stress balls at the chalkboard, guessing movies based on the vaguest descriptions. My companion has started keeping a book of weird things heard at the MTC. "He did a wall sit while reciting the first vision in Korean for fifteen minutes, which broke the previous record." The girls picked everyone's spirit animals and Disney characters too. I got Rapunzel. The boys picked our Disney characters too but they weren't as nice! I still got Rapunzel but someone was Andy's mom, someone was the ugly stepmother. Things that were never that funny before are hilarious now. 

One of my personal trials has been my calling. I got called as branch music director. I didn't understand what hard was until I tried organizing singers. It has taught me to appreciate accompanists more, to always have a backup plan, and that a volunteer is worth an entire choir. Fun stuff.

Korean of course is also hard. We learned this week that 'to clean' is the same as 'to destroy by fire'. 'To feel' is extremely similar to 'to be greasy'. Poetic, right? It is a beautiful language but I am drowning in it. At least I'm not learning it as a third language. There are a couple Filipinas here learning Korean through English. What a headache! Our native teacher, Lee Chameneem, is amazing. All our teachers are. We couldn't do this at all without specifically them. 

I met with another teacher, Gardner Chameneem, and she gave me some awesome advice. Progress isn't a 90 degree angle. It's slow and steady, but it wins the race. All we have to do is keep going, sometimes faster than others, but just don't stop. Funny enough what they've been drumming into us is the phrase: this isn't a marathon, it's a sprint. SLEEPING is my sport. Running is hard and I guess I can walk when I need to – just keep moving.

We're part of a new pilot program that goes worldwide to 14 MTC's in June. So excited! It's only us and two other branches. It is like the program they started in my home ward, Come Follow Me, but for missionaries. The MTC presidency really loves the Koreans. We've been doing all sorts of new things. With this new program we're learning to teach as the Savior taught. The Lord is truly hastening His work. Our Sundays are now twice as full as before.

One of my favorite experiences so far happened Tuesday night. One of the counselors from the General Bishopric, Gerald Causse, came to speak to us. His talk was amazing! But the part that was really special to me happened after. Bishop Causse introduced this old Italian man. His name is Brother Giusti, from Rome, a new member. I couldn't believe it! He had directed the production of Carmen I was in over the summer. I had known him as Maestro Giusti and hadn't even known he was a member of the Church. He's an unbelievable musician. He and Bishop Causse played a duet on piano. Afterwards I went up to talk to him -- I don't know if he remembered me but he was very kind. I told him where I was going and his eyes went wide and he said "Korea! What part?" I told him Seoul and he smiled and told me that he knew an opera teacher at the University of Seoul. He gave me her name and some other information. It was really an answer to prayers. I was worried about not having any contacts in Seoul, but now I have somewhere solid to turn to.

I raised the Italian Flag in Brother Giusti's honor!

I've reached part of my goal! I finally memorized Our Purpose in Korean. It's a little rough but I can do it! It feels amazing to have accomplished something. I am also memorizing the First Vision in Korean -- I'm about halfway there. I figured out that the words match up pretty well to "Human" by the Killers, so sometimes I sing it while drying my hair or whatever and get some weird looks. Korean doesn't even sound like a real language.

Our teacher is forgetting English; a couple days ago he tried to call motivational speakers 'motivational speecherists'. I am too, actually. I told a girl good morning when it was ten at night.

I have loved hearing from you all, I wish I could take more time individually but I have basically time to eat and sleep and Korean and Spirit. It's a wild ride but I wouldn't trade it for anything! 

This gospel is the best part of my life and I wake up every day with a greater and fiercer belief in it.

xoxo Bell Cha-may

ps about 5 minutes ago my companion and me got to be part of a devotional. It was for the senior missionary couples and I and another girl were performing this lovely song -- she was singing, I was accompanying. I also played prelude. We weren't going to stay. The number went well. I was nervous since the entire MTC presidency, as well as some other really important people, were about three feet away from me. But we did well and there was a wonderful Spirit that permeated the room.

It turned out it was a devotional by Kelly Mills (from Laketown, and he knew some Weston relatives!) and since we had loved the one from a few weeks ago that he had given we decided to stay. I don't really know why. I was eager to get to the temple because our temple time was actually being cut in half by the devotional. It had actually been a major point of stress; my favorite time of the week is our PDay temple visit, but my companion was uncomfortable about just going to the celestial room and skipping the session two weeks in a row. We were going to try to just do initiatories. But even though I was desperate to get there in time, I had a feeling we needed to stay. My sweet companion agreed.

 We sat through the devotional; I'm pretty sure we were the only ones there under 60, as the other girls had left. President Mills (over all the international MTC's) gave a wonderful devotional, but it was the same one we had heard before, almost word for word. I wasn't sure why I had wanted to stay. Then he said something at the end that reminded me of a quote someone had sent me: "Who you are today is not who you will be!" With the stress of everything going on this week and a few troublesome interactions this was so important for us to hear. SO important. President Mills reminded us how far we had come already. We get so caught up in 'well, I haven't memorized THAT word yet' or 'i still have THIS little thing to do' that we can't see the road for the cobblestone. It was important for us to hear that not only have we progressed so far already, but we have so much farther we can go; and more than that, that this change can happen over a year and a half or two years. We don't have to be the missionary who converts others to baptism right this second. We can grow over time. I felt so much peace.

...until President Burgess, the MTC President, stood up and started speaking. He paused and looked at me and said "well, we can't let Sister Bell leave without letting her sing! She has a beautiful voice that really invites the Spirit. Sister Bell, do you have anything ready?" Of course not! My hands started shaking and they still haven't!

But first he asked me and Sister Phillips to bear our testimonies. Sister Phillips was so sweet. She talked about how this mission has changed her and helped her fall in love with the gospel. She bore her testimony about coming closer to Christ. I honestly don't remember what I said, other than that I loved my family and that I was not the same person as entered the MTC. Something like "I didn't smile all the time before I came, but now I'm here and can't stop smiling!" I asked President Burgess his favorite hymn and he said the one that I had been exactly thinking of: More Holiness Give Me. I sang the first and last verses (somehow I made it through) and then we thanked them and left.

My companion and I can't stop smiling. We know that that devotional was exactly where we needed to be. It gave us the spiritual strength we needed. I would never have chosen that over the temple, but God knew exactly where we needed to be to lift our spirits. We heard exactly what we needed to hear (and were just terrified enough!) I know that God guides the steps of even his most discouraged or frustrated daughter. I am so thankful for that. I'm thankful for a companion who listens! I'm thankful that God loves us so much that he knows exactly how to help us.

Playing piano for the devotional

 Korean sisters - the celestial branch (we are on the top floor of the dorm)

Lauren and Hye Joon Kim, a Utah Lyric Opera friend, and Sister Weston

 
Flag raising with Sister Phillips!

With Sister Phillips, Provo Temple

Thanks for all the Valentines!

If this week were written on a single page it would be entirely blackened with everything that's happened. I'll try to keep it to the highlights!

First thanks for all the Valentines! Especial thanks to my Young Women from my home ward. That was so sweet of you all to send me notes! Love you all!

We got to hoist flags for our service activity. We got to pick out the countries' flags represented at the MTC! They go on really tall poles so that everyone can see them. Of course we picked South Korea's. We also had to do Latvia's because there were visiting dignitaries that day. Super cool. We ended up racing to see which companionship could get theirs up the fastest. Sister Phillips is just a machine, so we won.

I got sick! Despite using hand sanitizer at least four times a day, and taking a probiotic every day, and being as careful as possible, I am sick. Yesterday morning I woke up with a hoarse voice (today it was no voice) and a small resentment against a certain sister in my room. She has been sick for over a week but has refused to go to the medical center. Anyways, she got me sick, and now poor Sister Phillips is getting sick. I woke up yesterday morning and knew I was sick. I was REALLY upset. Learning Korean is difficult enough without being ill. So I lay in my bed feeling sorry for myself. Then the thought came to my mind, "I would rather be here sick as all-get-out, serving the Lord, than anywhere else perfectly healthy and not serving Him." So I swung out of bed got started with the day.

I've been better about forgetting things! I haven't forgotten my nametag once. Today though I forgot my camera, so we went back for it. As we were walking down the stairs I realized I had also forgotten my connector cord. My companion remarked dryly, "It's okay, I didn't even put my key away this time." Oh she of little faith :)

I got to host this week! When you arrive at the MTC, a more seasoned missionary helps you get settled in and everything. It's weird to think that I'm the more seasoned missionary now. I got to greet cute Sister Woods. It was kind of hard watching her say goodbye to her family. I was glad they kept it brief because if they don't I have to tell them to hurry it up a little bit! I asked her how she was feeling and she got this blank look in her eyes and said, "I don't know...good, I think?" I felt that way my first day too! It's so confusing. I wish I could express how it gets even better than you could imagine every day here.

We learned three new sentence structures yesterday and I'm dying. Sometimes it feels like I am the only one. But a couple things have happened to help me feel more confident. First, a native Korean missionary, Elder Park, told me that my Korean is actually very good and my accent is reasonably decent! Very comforting. Second, in many of our lessons this week, we have been able to completely allow the Spirit to guide. We forgot to focus on the hardships of the language and instead focused on what our investigators needed. The Korean came, and both of them told us that they could see a light in us, that they could feel something so strongly. It made us both cry. It was so special. It's good to remember that we aren't here to learn Korean, we're here to learn how to help others come unto Christ. Korean is simply a tool.

Today alone has brought many miracles.

1. I accompanied my friend Sister Warren for a special musical number audition. I was struggling a bit with the piece but finally felt like I got it. I was just super nervous to play in front of the presidents' wives (note: yes we are Mormons, but that's multiple presidents, one wife each). She sounded beautiful. Then today I was sick, and it was a blessing in disguise because I was so out of it I didn't even care that they were listening. My eyes were burning a little and it was hard to read the music. I had gotten to practice it only a few times, but the Lord came through and I had it nearly memorized. It went really well. Today I was reading in the Book of Enos, and I realized the lyrics came from there - the title is 'My Soul Hungered'. Sister Warren is a convert and this song was really special to her; it talks about receiving comfort from the Lord after a great trial.

2. This morning I read a letter from my dad, in which he told me the story of a couple who had gone to the temple and received an answer to a very specific question. In fact it was so specific that my dad said "I don't know why I tell you this story". But today, Preparation Day, is our temple visit day. I love the temple more than anything but I was so out of it that my companion said "Okay, executive decision, we're skipping today, no way can you sit through a 2 and a half hour session." But I read the letter from my dad and felt really strongly that we just needed to go. So we went early, before our assigned time, and decided to forgo the long session for just sitting in the Celestial Room of the temple, its most special part. I know that my dad sent me that story for this reason: to get us to the temple.

3. We went and just sat there. I can't describe how happy the Celestial Room makes me. I can feel God's love so strongly there. I had a couple questions I had really been pondering for a while. They were answered perfectly in the Celestial Room as I sat and pondered the scriptures. They were hard questions too, and I know I didn't answer them through wish fulfillment; the answers didn't come from me. 'Less me, more thee.' The first place I turned to was Enos. Not only did I find out that the lyrics of the song came from this book, but it taught me about having faith in God. Enos 1:8 says that Enos' worries are taken care of because of his immense faith in Christ. In the same way, my worries have been swallowed up by Him. I know that the hardships of a mission are allayed by my faith in His divine existence. The next two references I found were also about faith, decidedly so. It felt so wonderful to have all my fears taken care of by His tenderness. One scripture especially on my mind has been "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole." In the Celestial Room, the pieces of myself that had been cut away by all my concerns returned, and I felt whole. At the same time I know I have so much more growing to do. But it certainly feels nice to have a solid foundation to build on. In Him and in my faith in Him I am made whole.

4. As we were sitting in the Celestial Room, this sweet old lady got up and sat on our couch next to us. She was probably in her late eighties. She introduced herself as Rhonda and told us that she had something to tell us. A few weeks ago she had been prompted strongly that she needed to share her story; this prompting had been reinforced by her visiting teacher's own prompting that Rhonda needed to tell someone her story. Rhonda told us that a few years back she had been prompted to tell her children , 5 of whom live in Missouri, one in Texas, that their houses needed to be blessed by the priesthood. They were. A few days later the Joplin Missouri tornado came tearing through and destroyed their town, but they and their houses were protected and untouched by the devastation. She laughed then and told us that her daughter in Texas was okay too. Then she told us that we, as missionaries, are also blessed and protected. She told us that the Lord loves us fiercely and that we are His children. It was so special to hear that, especially with how much pressure we put ourselves under. We were in the exact right place at the right time. I am sure that we didn't go there, at that time, by any accident.

5. After the temple we were walking down the hill. Funnily enough this didn't come from any prompting; the lady had a dog on her lap and I haven't even SEEN a dog in weeks so of course I ran over to pet it. The lady's name was Chris and she is one of the most interesting people ever. She looks a bit like Jane Goodall and their personalities are similar. From what I gathered, she was born in Holland, and she has lived in many other countries; she told us Provo was one of her favorite places because of the spirit of the MTC. She herself served a mission in Holland. Her father was in her district but he never converted. We talked to her for probably 20 minutes; she had this pure light exuding from her. She taught us (ironic for missionaries) about Joseph Smith and how strong her faith was in him. I've never doubted Joseph Smith or the Restoration, but I definitely have had questions about it. It's a hard part to teach, that God and Jesus appeared to a fourteen year old. But she really built my faith about him, and she taught me through example that the best way to convince someone of something is to show your own love and belief for and in it. She told us to never forget that God loves us and to never forget our faith. I'm starting to see a pattern :)

Another fun thing, our Korean branch (I guess we're one of the more advanced ones now that others have gone to Korea) got to take a field trip to another MTC campus where they want to build! It was really cool to get outside the MTC bubble. We get so claustrophobic sometimes; they had a revolving door in the building and the missionaries went crazy.

In the Asia building there are around 50 Japanese missionaries, probably 25 Koreans, and only 3 Vietnamese! Poor souls. I take them candy sometimes, they're so alone over there. Keep 'em in your prayers, they're starting to go a bit stir crazy.

My time is up, so in conclusion, I love you all and I know that God loves us all with an impossible love. He guides our path and makes our feet into wings. I love this gospel and every days I am blessed! I am so immeasurably excited.

XOXO,

Sister Bell

MTC Sister Valentine Slumber party...

 The tulips arrived!

 Lauren and Sister Sewell from Samoa...