"Not praying makes us to sadly"

 Dearest 여러분:

#TWINNING

Shout out to my mother! It's her birthday this week! 

It has been a great week! We've had a lot of good days and funny language mistakes. At TRC this past week, our member asked Sis. Warner how she was. Except Sis Warner zoned out for just a bit and heard "Where are you from?" She just responded with, "California." When the investigator just looked at her, she glanced at me and I just whispered, "How are you?"

For devotional this past week, Elder Ballard came and spoke to us! He talked about having a good attitude and setting goals. The cool thing was that it was broadcast to several MTCs live, including the Argentina one! So I got to watch it with Hermana Kelson, even though she's on another continent. We think a member of the Twelve comes on the 2nd Tuesday of every month so we missed it by one day when we got here and we'll miss it by one day when we leave.

The best part of this picture: Sis. Warner. Yes, we get along fabulously!

In one of our lessons this past week, our investigator brought up some concerns about the doctrine of Christ. We'd initially planned on discussing the last half of the Plan of Salvation but then thought he might have some concerns about that so we were ready to change plans if need be. During the lesson though, there was some confusion about whether I said we were going to talk about that today or whether Sis Warner heard we were going to talk about it tomorrow. Both of us were very confused. Needless to say, we did not discuss the doctrine of Christ.

My district with the senior district

We also got to go proselyting this week! You may be thinking, "Where did you find people to teach in Korean?" We went outside with the Native district and practiced so that we could practice Korean and they could practice teaching simply. Because that is all we can do. Our teacher was very worried that we would compare our Korean to them. However, we felt super empowered realizing that we really could do it!

Cutest Korean Sisters there ever were

On that note, this week while practicing, Sis. Warner asked me how I was doing. Instead of responding that I'm doing good, I responded with, "Goodnight!" To be fair, they start with the same syllable. So it wasn't that bad of a mistake.

Our title this week comes from Brother Jung, our teacher. For anyone learning a language, you know that direct translation doesn't work out that well. We started with a normal sentence in English but as he was writing it, he changed the sentence to match what we wrote. Which is not a normal sentence in English.

Our teacher is in the Korean pamphlet! He's famous! He's the one in the teal shirt.

As of this morning, we have become one of the senior districts. About 20 missionaries left for Daejeon and Busan. We get 10 more missionaries on Wednesday so our zone will only be about 35 people. On Wednesday though, we get 4 native Sisters and we'll fly to Seoul South with 2 of them! Only 3 weeks to go!

My district with the senior district

사랑합니다!!

Tobler 자매

Our weekly temple picture

Dearest 여러분

Dearest 여러분:

Sister Tobler and Sister Davis

Much love to all of you. The days here seem to last forever but the weeks fly by. And when I get to Monday, I don't even remember what I've done this week!

MTC Zone

A week from today, the Senior district will be flying out. Which means that we will be the Senior district! We fly out 4 weeks from today. Which is crazy! I'm trying to soak in all the Korean I can but I know it will still be a few months before I'm confident in Korea.

Learning Korean

This past week we learned testimony form! Almost 5 weeks here before we could correctly bear our testimonies. It's because it's in present progressive form which is kind of weird. But since then, we bear our testimonies 항상. 

There's not a whole lot to say this week. Everyday I can see progress in my Korean though and I get more and more excited to go there. 사랑합니다!!

Tobler 자매

EXTRA PICTURES:

I always put my head on Perlawan 자매님's shoulder because she's so short.

 Here's she's trying to put her head on my shoulder.

Sis. Davis and I got matching socks from Sis. Warner's mom.

So, a matching picture was in order.

"Look at us. Saving the world and it isn't even 8:00 yet"

인녕하세요!!

(Good Morning!!)

Sister Warner and I

So much has happened and nothing at all! Our zone doubled this week! We went from 23 missionaries to 46!! It's mostly Sisters which makes life in the residence a party 항상 (always). I got to host one of the new sisters so she got a little bit of a head start on the 한극말 (Korean). But not that much.

MTC Zone

The other day we got a sack breakfast and when Perlawan 자매님 went to eat her boiled eggs there was a surprise! It wasn't boiled. We thought it might have been a fluke. But all three eggs in our room were raw. Also my orange juice hadn't been properly factory sealed. So we've had better breakfasts. We went and let them know all the eggs were raw. Warner 자매님 and I felt like we were saving the world. Or at least the MTC. 

The 한극말 (Korean) is coming along! Our lessons are entirely in sentences now! We probably mess up subject markers or conjugate slightly wrong, but it's crazy to think how far we've come. We've learned 4 or 5 different ways to conjugate but 4 weeks into Spanish I'm not sure that we'd even learned how to conjugate at all.

The high temperature today was 49 degrees.
That means no coat, right?

In one of our last lessons, I was trying to explain that the priesthood is God's authority(관능). However, I forgot the word for authority so I just made up a word and said 관세. Our investigator nodded like he understood but I didn't know what I'd just told him. Turns out I'd said that the priesthood is God's power. Which is also true.

It's always a party with licorice, right?

Also in funny language mistakes: Luce 장로님 told a member that God loves death. Warner 자매님 and I weren't sure how to ask what someone's family was like so we asked if their families existed. Good news: their families existed.

Everyday here is a party! I love getting your letters!

사랑함니다!! (I love you!!)

Tobler 자매

I'm a little spoiled that my grandparents teach here.

"Who's Ho Sting?"

인녕하세요!!

This week has been great! Some days I wake up and forget that I'm a missionary so it's fun to remember that everyday!

This Wednesday will be 3 weeks in the MTC and all of the English missionaries that arrived on the same day as us will be gone! We're getting old.

Our district was asked to host the new missionaries  this Wednesday so I'm super excited! Our teacher was writing our teaching schedule on the board so we knew which investigators to prepare for, except on Wednesday we wouldn't be teaching so she just wrote "hosting." Elder Miller looked at it and was very confused why we had a new investigator. "Who's Ho Sting?" But actually, it's nobody.

The senior district left today which has been sad. We love them! I can't imagine being a branch president and having to say goodbye to the missionaries every 3 weeks. In the senior district, there were two Japanese elders and they're they first Japanese elders to go to Korea ever! That's how much the two countries hate each other. But also it's super cool that they get to be the first.

Something I've learned from my time here is that people can change. In the past two weeks, I've gone running everyday. Mostly that's because there are very few vegetables so I feel like I need to do something to be healthy since I can't really change the food. But the days that there are broccoli are the best days. Like yesterday. I've only had cooked broccoli twice while I've been here which just shows how infrequently they serve fresh vegetables. 

Yesterday, I ran into someone that I'm related to! I was about to walk into a row at the devotional last night, and a Sister behind me said, "Sister Tobler! Do you know a Darwin Tobler?" Turns out she was raised by Rodney, Darwin's son. So then I told her my grandpa was Richard and we were talking about funny stories we'd heard about Merlin, amongst other things. Fortunately she had her camera so she has a picture, but I don't know when she'll be able to send it to me. 

I love reading all your emails! 

사랑함니다!!

Tobler 자매

When the investigator becomes the teacher...

Anneyeonghaseo!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CATHERINE!!! DOUBLE DIGITS!

I don't have a lot to update on... pretty much everyday is Korean.

One of our teachers, Sister Yuen, went to California this past weekend. So we had a sub teacher but she also told us we were getting a new teacher. Turns out our new teacher is our investigator that we've taught 4 lessons to! He's also married to Sister Cho, who is another one of our teachers.

Elder Sayen (from the Philippines) has never seen snow before.

He was so excited for the snow!

One of the districts here leaves next Monday. We will miss them a lot. However, Sister Warner (my companion) was asked to be the new STL! She's super excited and I'm sure she'll do great.

My MTC Zone

Apparently I (#4) was the only that realized that the sign that said we had a weekly cleaning check was real. The best part of this is that Sister Perlawan (#1) folds up her sheets everyday, so her stuff was so clean that they didn't even grade her because they assumed no one lived there.

The Sisters in my district

Sometimes when I know I should be talking in Korean but I don't know how to say things in Korean, it comes out in another language. Usually Spanish. Like the other day I said something would be "Muy (very in Spanish) ChinCha (cheen-cha) bad."

The purpose (mokchok) in Korean. We memorized it!

The other sisters just looked at me. But they do the same thing. Sister Earnshaw used a Russian word the other day. She only knows one Russian word. So that was fun.  

Love, 

Sister Tobler

"The Catherine Pose"

P.S. And to make her mother happy, she took more pictures:

Sis. Warner and Sis. Tobler

We ran into Elder Godfrey!

Some people have all the luck.

Sarah saw Sister Kathi Porter, who serves at the MTC with her husband.
Sis. Porter texted the picture to Mom, who's a little jealous.

What do I do if the Investigator responds?

Annyeong!

Sister Warner and I

I don't know how to type in Korean on this keyboard so all the emails you get will be in English! Which is a bummer cause I was gonna tell you how much Korean I have learned.

They really do jump right into the language here in the MTC. On Wednesday, I went through the whole MTC and then straight to class where Sister Yuen talked only in Korean. Thursday was more Korean and Friday we learned sentence structure and praying. About half of every prayer I say is in Korean now. Which is because I know how to say Heavenly Father, Thank you for (one of the nouns I know), help us to feel the spirit, and In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. So that's fun. Korean is also the Celestial language because we're on the third floor of the building. (Sorry, Chinese and Japanese speakers, we all know the best language.)

On Friday night, we taught our first investigator.

After our first discussion

Sister Yuen asked us before if we had any questions and Sister Earnshaw asked, "What do I do if the investigator responds?" Elder Miller also asked what he should do if he was "talking in Korean and the investigator didn't understand, well, he might not think it's Korean, but..." We taught our investigator again on Saturday and we have one more lesson tonight.

My district consists of 6 sisters and 4 elders.

My MTC District

Everyone in here speaks another language so that's fun when we don't know how to say things in Korean but we can speak Tagalog, Maori, Spanish, French, Arabic, and German. All 6 of us sisters sleep in the same room!

My MTC Roommates

We're pretty much the best of friends and I'm so excited to be living with them for 2 months. Our room is on the 4th floor, last door so watch for the picture when we get shirts that say that.

Sundays are pretty much the best in the MTC. Except we get cereal for breakfast. But other than that. The sacrament prayer in Korean is SO LONG! Even when native Koreans say it! We got to watch The Character of Christ. I've heard from everybody that it's the best thing ever. It's true.

First Temple Trip while at the MTC

Also, singing with Brother Eggett. I knew he was the best before, but singing Praise to the Man with hundreds of missionaries as Brother Eggett talks about the fog rolling over Nauvoo and Joseph and Hyrum on their horses. SO POWERFUL.

The MTC is the best! I love you all!

Sister Warner and I at the Provo Temple

Love,

Sister Tobler

Goodbye and Tears

 Goodbyes before the crying started.

 Packing the suitcases into the car.

 And she's off!!!

Into the distance.