Week 1 in the MTC

Day 7 Without Daryl...

So Daryl has had her first week in the MTC. I know you all have been dying to know but, yes Michelle and I have survived our first week without her... But in all honesty it was hard but we are surviving without our bacon eating, hammocking, messy little Daryl. Daryl seems to have had a great first week, there have. Been several sightings of her and she looks spectacular! In our own special sister email that I cannot publicize because I'm sure Michelle would kill me she told me: 

"The MTC is literally like a spirit prison locked in a room 14 hour a day but I love it. The spirit is amazing and it makes it all worth it." 

All I know is the following:

1. she has a much better attitude about this mission thing than I do

2. sitting still for 14 hours really isn't hard for her so its no wonder she doesn't mind it

3. if I had to be locked in a room for 14 hours a day there better be free tacos, waffle love, and a lot of puppies or I couldn't do it.

Here's Daryl's email after her FIRST week in the MTC: 

Hello Friends and Family!!

Okay everyone no worries I made it through the first week! Seems more like a family reunion and High School reunion here haha I see everyone!! It was funny my Companion and I on the first day were walking around and people would ask us where we are going and we'd tell them Korea and with out a doubt every single person says "I will pray for you" or "Good luck with that language!" Hahaha we would just laugh, and say ya you are right and keep walking. OH MAN THE MTC is something different!! BUT AMAZING. I love it here so much. It's crazy because the day I came in over 200 new Missionaries came in and today we are getting 700 new missionaries and then in a couple of weeks we will be getting even more! Racing to get a good spot in the lunch line is real thing and my Momma definitely taught me to love food so my companion and I race down to beat everyone. 

MY COMPANION! So the funny thing with this is that I pretty much followed all of my district on instagram before I came into the MTC. Haha so I was already following my Companion and I knew her already! Her name is Sister Christensen from Mission Viejo, California. She is adorable. We clicked instantly. We actually walked right past each other and didn't say anything when we were passing each other on the first day but now all we do is laugh so hard and cry from laughing so hard! She likes to surf and play water polo but she is the best and I am so happy we are companions. We get lost all the time but we just laugh. 

The Korean Language IS A BEAST. The Elders in our district go crazy with all the studying and learning! Oh man the very first day we went to class our teachers could only speak Korean to us. But when I walked into class and saw who my teacher was it was Brother Hone!!!!(Sorry if I spelled it wrong) But Taylor Hone is one of my Brother's good friends and served with Corbin in Korea. It was so funny to see him as my Teacher and basically all the teachers who teach us Korean I know from before! Which is truly a blessing and amazing. Korean is tough. It is a whole new language but it such a beautiful language! I'm trying my hardest to learn it and understand it but I fall in love with it every day and I am so determined to learn it. My District is awesome. Sister Christensen and I are the only Sisters in our District but they are all amazing! One of the Elders, Elder Allen came late because he is in the Airorce but he wasn't set apart yet. So we got to be there with him when he got set apart and it was truly such an amazing experience.The Spirit was so strong.

A lot of emotions this week but if it's one thing I would want to share with you is a quick story our Branch President told us. President Parriton, is from New Zealand but he came in one day to talk to our District. He told us how his son served in Korea. When he got back from his mission he felt like he wasn't effective in his Mission at all. His son was discouraged because he only baptized two people. Six years later President Parriton and His wife were called as Mission Presidents in the Daejeon Korea Misson where his son served. He received a phone call one day from an Elder saying a Korean man insisted that Presidet Parriton baptize him. President Parriton showed up for the baptism and the Korean Man he was baptizing took out his flip phone and the screensaver was of President Parriton's Son and Him. He told the President that he has had this as his screensaver for 6 years and that his son was the one who first told him about the Church. Now
​6 years later he is getting baptized. The spirit was so strong and it really testified to me because all of us really can make a difference even if it's just through one person. It may seem like we tried our hardest and nothing happened, but the blessings may not come right away, but they will come no matter what.  I LOVE YOU ALL. Sorry if this is ages long haha but also!! I got one Poly Sistaaaa in my Zone from Tonga named Sister Kava and she's AWESOME. And we have a Korean district straight from Korea here with us and I am obsessed with all of them. They're the CUTEST! LOVE YOU

-Sister Kaufusi

WE EVEN GOT PICTURES TO PROVE SHE'S ALIVE!!

 

SHE'S ALIVE!!!

Yesterday was a hard day as we said our goodbyes to Sister Kaufusi and dropped her off at the Mission Training Center (MTC). She was in good cheer and didn't even shed a single tear as she walked off leaving one sad Mom and big Sister. As we were driving away I couldn't help but yell "If you change your mind don't worry I'll come get you!!" If you haven't figured out this is Alexis by the way and I have been given the lovely task of keeping everyone updated on my Sister's doings. 

Day 1 without Daryl... lots of tears... lots of forgetting she's gone and unchecking her name on my snapchat... even Bella is noticing her absence. 

But don't worry, we got: 

1. a picture and 

2. an email!! 

She's alive and well. Here's her very FIRST-- and not last, unfortunately-- email as Sister Kaufusi:

Hi Momma! and Hello to the family!

Okay so first off, yes I am alive. And yes Taylor is my teacher! So funny when I walked in because all he could do was speak Korean to me and it was crazy! But he's an amazing teacher and I'm so grateful he is my teacher, on the real so grateful. It's funny to not see him playing Zombies or him and I laughing all the time at our house hahaha. Anyways I just wanted to let you all know I am doing well and I have the cutest companion! We are the only Sisters in our district but all the Elders are seriously so awesome. I get overwhelmed but I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it here! It's definitely going to be a challenge to learn this language but I am all ears and ready for the challenge. Everyday I crave to learn it more and more regardless if I make mistakes. Tomorrow we're supposed to teach a full 20 minute lesson in Korean so we'll see how that goes! HA!  The Spirit is so strong here and I've seen so many Elders and Sisters from the Provo area!

It's funny because lots of the people in my district I followed on social media before hand, even my companion and we were all laughing because we already know each other but we finally met in person! I get lost about 100x a day with Sister Christensen but we just laugh and run so we aren't late to anything. I love you all and I hope you guys are doing amazing. I'm taking one day at a time and taking a DEEP BREATH. This is such a good experience and all the Sisters are amazing in my room and building. We have some Koreans from Korea and they are the cutest little sisters. They giggle all the time and are just so smiley and fun I love it! Literally obsessed with them! Love you.

-Also Corbin, give me the most tips you can that helped you learn the language, and everyone knows you here and I'm known as Kaufusi's little Sister. And I found the desk you scribbled your name underneath this desk that I found in my room. HA! Tell Taylor he's an awesome teacher and same with Sister Gardiner!  LOOOVE YOOU!

Brons-Hope you birthday and Anniversary was fun.

Lex-Don't be a weenie and get lots of gainzzz

Mom-Stop Crying I love you!

Dad- Make sure the cats and dogs have water and water my grass will ya?! ;) haha love you!

I'll try and send pictures next week!

-Sister Kaufusi 

How lucky are we to have had Corbin serve in South Korea as well?! A lot of his former companions and sisters who served with Corbin in Seoul teach Daryl and see her everyday. I'll do my best to keep this updated with her emails and pictures!! Yes Michelle has stopped crying... and NO I will not stop being a weenie! 

Farewell Pictures and Farewell to Friends

Sister Kaufusi with some of her friends after being set apart.

 Pictures from Her Farewell