Oh HAPPY DAY!!! 항복해요!

Family Family Family!!! HI!!!

How is everyone doing this week??  I think everyone had a pretty busy one from the emptiness of my inbox, but that's all good...less time to read things and more time to write; for this week that works out perfectly!!

I'll have to go in order of the events of the week...So this past week we had a combined Zone Conference.  I have mentioned before, and will continue to say so, that I LOVE getting together with other missionaries.  Though this round was a little strange because there was a lot of missionaries that I didn't recognize!  It's fun to have new missionaries in the field, and I love how nearly all of my group that I came out with is training, fun times.

This conference was great and we were able to talk about Elder Bednar and Elder Holland's conference addresses. This time is always my favorite. This discussion is led by Sister Gilbert and we all get to learn from each other and from the Spirit as we share the things we studied.

The MOST exciting part about the Conference, though, was the announcement by President Gilbert. Currently in our mission we have a complement (the amount of missionaries we are allotted from headquarters) of about 85 missionaries with about 20 of those being sisters. Currently we have a full complement. But with the new and amazing announcement from General Conference, we have received news of changes that will be coming to Busan, South Korea.

Our Sister's complement will go from 20 to 38, and our TOTAL missionary complement will rise to about 140!!!!!!!! This means that every branch and every ward in our mission will have 2 sets of missionaries!! When President and Sister Gilbert came to Korea there were only 72 missionaries...by the time their service is finished they will have doubled in number!!!!!!!! When I heard this news I just started to cry, and even now I can hardly hold back the tears of gratitude!!! We are about to get a force of missionaries that is needed and will be essential in helping our mission rise to where it needs to be.  Our hope is to have a Temple here is Busan, and now I can see it even clearer on the horizon!

The BEST part is, I may still be here for the first wave of new missionaries. I AM SO EXCITED!! But... there are some other changes that accompany this one...because of the new year and all the new missionaries coming, the transfer schedule will be changing.  Currently I'm scheduled (FAR TOO SOON) to come home July 2nd, right? Well, now I'll most likely be coming home July 29th.  (President had originally said June 19th and that literally sent me balling my eyes out...but then he realized he miscalculated!) So... yeah...I don't know if that will affect anything, and I'll keep you posted on what the official outcome will be, but for now it looks like I'll be home more around the end of July. (Sorry mom...)

NOW!!! THE REALLY EXCITING NEWS!!
On Sunday, November 11th, (11/11) Koreans celebrated 빼빼로 (peh peh ro) Day (they give each other chocolate covered prezel sticks because they look like an 11.. it's one of their 4 valentine-ish day's lol) But, on that day, Shin Jeong Branch had a different celebration. This Sunday, 이주희 (JuHee), 오세진(seh jeen) 오세민 (seh meen) ((brothers)), were baptized and confirmed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!!!  It was AMAZING!! We had 3 baptisms in one day, and then in 2 weeks the Elders will be having another one. It was really fun because me and Sister Yeon (my last companion) where the ones who first starting meeting with and talking with the brothers SehJeen And SehMeen. 

That day JuHee looked so beautiful in her white dress.  They were all smiles.  I was given the opportunity to sing a solo at the service and I sang "I Feel My Savior's Love." Then, the youth sang "I believe in Christ".  This was especially special for JuHee, because that was the first song she sang, the first Sunday she came to church a couple of weeks ago.  She remembered that song and asked if it could be sung at the baptism.

The Saturday before, we had our last lesson with JuHee before she was baptized. Her excitement was contagious.  At the end of the lesson she asked us if she could tell US everything that she learned.  Her testimony is so strong and so sweet.  She already has a love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And then to see her with the other youth later that day, it was as if she had been there all along. That was definitely a comforting moment when I realized that she would be taken care of.  She is going to bless so many lives with the light that she shines forth.

After such an amazing week, we definitely have our work cut out for us. This is always a hard moment.  You go from having people you are teaching, who are progressing really well, to starting again and finding more people.  But that means that this week I really get to show Heavenly Father my love and gratitude and my faith in Him.  And when you look at it that way, this week is going to be good!!

Things are winding down as being a trainer and my poor companion is having a hard time.  She is realizing that she is about to be put with another companion. I remember when that thought struck me as a trainee...it's always hard leaving that zone of comfort you've worked so hard to make. But I know that she will be able to learn so many other things from the other sisters in the mission!! I'm excited for her to experience more.

Hmm.. what else...
OH!! It was the GREATEST thing the other night!! We were walking back home from a members house at night and we passed the Hyundai Department Stores and the little kid inside of me just got giddy!! THEY HAD CHRISTMAS LIGHTS UP!!!!  It looks SOOO beautiful!  Instantly Christmas songs popped in my head and I couldn’t keep the giggle from rising to the smile on my face! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! ^___^  (Speaking of Christmas, I've been shopping for y’all!! I'm excited to send everything soon!!)

This week I have been studying the Beatitudes and the Lord's Intercessory prayer! The Beatitudes are neat.  I take them as the beginning and the end results, and then have Alma 5 be the self-evaluation in-between.  It's also neat to see the progression of the Beatitudes from the physical to the spiritual until we are prepared to meet God again.

As for the Intercessory prayer, I have been studying John 17 for a week now and have yet to finish the chapter! It's SO AMAZING!! I really like verse 17, follow the footnotes, especially to 2 Samuel and then follow the footnotes from there.  It's really neat to see what "truth" really is!

Well I love y’all!! Thank you for everything!! For the love and prayers and just greatness!!

kiss love hugs!