Well, I typed a really great email... and then the computer ate it.
ㅠㅠ
Time is up and I have to go, so I'll fill y’all in next week.
highlights
*Singing American pop songs with Korean ladies in the car
*Being told I have Jesus hair
*Spending the day on a farm
***and now having an investigator with a baptismal date!!
I love y’all!
sorry...
FAMILY!! HI!! Everyone sounds like they are doing fantastic so that makes me happy! Lots of fun little surprises this week huh??
Honestly, I'm a little weirded out that it is already June!! Where is the time flying to!?!
Regardless of time, it has been another fantastic week here in the Korea Busan Mission (have I mentioned that it is the best mission in the world??) Sister Scott and I are still going strong and Heavenly Father is paving the way. Oh, the miracles have had our hearts brimming with gratitude!
My favorite moments all accumulated into this past weekend. Leading up to Saturday we had been trying to set up an appointment with the parents we met up on the mountain during morning exercises. As we were figuring out meeting places and schedules, we reminded the dad that we needed his wife there if we were going to be able to meet. Thats with the text came.... Dundundunn
He said that he was feeling a lot of 부담 (pressure) and sent us a message to have a good day. OH NO!! That had us in near tears. Usually if a message comes like that, they never want to meet. But when that message came, our prayers began. We prayed for their hearts to be softened and we prayed to have the chance to meet them, even at least once. Saturday rolls around and we get a message from the father again. He says that he will see us at the subway station at 3:30 and then take us to meet his wife. That message came and again our prayers began, prayers of gratitude!
The meeting on Saturday was the GREATEST first meeting I have EVER had with someone! We met the entire family, except the daughter who is finishing things up in her Utah high school. The spirit of this family is absolutely amazing. They have such a great love for each other. Really, it felt like we were meeting with a member family. As we talked, we set up everything for the twin boys to come out the the English classes and church activities. We also set up a time to come again when the daughter arrives next week. The family just kept making mention about how much they really like our church and how the daughter will probably want to come to church when she comes home...etc..
During that meeting we were able to give them a For Strength of Youth pamphlet and explain a little bit about what their daughter was learning from Mutual. When we meet the daughter, we are going to challenge her to do Personal Progress with her mom. WE HAVE A FAMILY to teach and it is the best feeling ever!
Sunday only made it better as we had 2 investigators at church in one ward, and in our other ward that night we put on a Fireside and probably had a total of about 6 investigators there. I got to sing "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" that night and that was lots of fun. President and Sister Gilbert came and it was amazing to see the love the people have for them, and they in return. They are truly amazing people.
There are some amazing things happened!! And I am SO excited to be apart of it and do it with my wonderful companion.
(Ok, funny moment of the week, it's not mine, but Sister Scott said I could share it... Last week in Sister Scott's email, she made mention of a "sickness" that she's caught since being on her mission in Asia. Like any worried mother might do, her mom immediately inquired of Pres.Gilbert and wondered how serious this 'sickness' was. A small reply later, and a little more explanation from Sister Scott's sisters, the mom was comforted to know that her daughters "YELLOW FEVER" was not life threatening. Hahahahahaha *the best part was, President Gilbert reminding her to be careful what she writes home in her letters hahah)
I love y’all!! Thanks for all the love and support!
Help me keep going till the "day that shall not be named" haha
kiss love hugs!
Darling Family!
HELLO!!! Glad to hear everyone is doing so well. Though I'm really sad to hear that the cutest of our family had to go today. ㅠㅠ I'll miss Rosie.
Besides that sad bit of news, this week has been absolutely, fantastically amazing in EVERY WAY!! Oh my heavens, I love missionary work!! Even more, I love seeing Heavenly Father taking such an active role is His work. He has given us so many miracles this past week I don't even know where to begin!!
The week started off with a day of spiritual enrichment. Tuesday was President Interviews and discussions with Sister Gilbert. I love the Gilbert's SO MUCH! The topic for this round of interviews was charity, but it was amazing to see where the Spirit took us as we all learned from each other. We talked about 3 levels of obedience (1. you just don't want to get in trouble 2. you want a reward or recognition 3. Love for the Savior and the desire to obey) and empathy (Us feeling God's love for others). A lot of our discussion was around the Mormon Message "The Coat" and how Christ-like that little boy really was. It was neat. We'll have to do an FHE about it or something! =] That day was just a spring board for the miracles that were heading our way!!
A couple of weeks ago, as the Elders were out doing some proselyting, a woman came up to them and told them that she was a member of our church, but she thought the church was only in Seoul and had been living in Korea again for 4 years, and had nearly given up hope of finding the church. From there, the Elders got her info and we were able to meet her in her home this past week. It was a tender experience; one where we were really able to feel Heavenly Father's love for this sister. We talked about how she first came into the church (met the missionaries first in GA, moved to OH and was baptized, lost track of the church on her move to IL, the Sister Missionaries found her the week she was leaving for Korea and searched for the church by the English name, not realizing that the church was in her native tongue!!) and then we talked about the things that she still remembered. Since being in Korea, she has been going to another church but just kept saying how confusing it was to go there and how she would often think of the "mormon" church. She realized that when she was coming to our church, she was truly happy with her family.
Then, my favorite part, is when we could teach her and share with her the message of the Restoration in her native tongue. I wish you could have seen the way she lit up when we handed her a Book of Mormon in Korean! All the lessons she took, every time she went to church, it was all in English. At the end of the lesson, she expressed her great gratitude and said that it actually made sense. I know that she had a testimony before; but now, as her understanding of it is now met, her testimony will be able to grow into a strong conversion!
Next miracle came as my companion and I were working out the next morning. We were taking our run up the mountain, but that day found us really tired and we didn't have the energy to go up the next switchback like we normal did. As we were standing there and stretching before making our way back down, a man comes up to us and asks us if we were Mormon. With enthusiasm we answered yes! And he goes on the explain that his daughter is in Utah right now going to high school to learn English. He explained that our church had opened their arms and hearts and had taken care of and included their daughter. They were so grateful for everything the members of our church had done for her as she had been away in another country. He explained that he had found our church here, but when he called (the church phone) no one had answered.
There on the mountain we were able to talk with these wonderful parents and get their information to meet again. We don't know if the daughter is a member, but because of the Christian examples of some families in Utah, Heavenly Father has given us the chance to teach a family. We are excited to share with the family the things the daughter has been experiencing in America.
Next miracle came over 2 days. One day, we met a lady on the subway and started talking like we were old friends! She was so adorable. She explained that she was Christian, but that she wasn't going to any church at the moment. Then, suddenly she was like "I want to come to your church!". We gave her the details, and got her information to meet up again and go together. The next day we were in the subway station. We just got of the train and as we were headed out I look into the train and see her again! Though it wasn't her stop, she jumps out and starts talking to us again! She was so excited to see us. She explained to us that her mom needed her up in Seoul this weekend, but the next week she really wanted to come to church. Again, we are excited to see where this will go!
Last miracle (well not really, but the last one I will share) came on Sunday as we taught our investigator at church. She got accepted into BYU and so we will be going back to school together this fall. We were able to have a really sweet lesson with her and a member that is about to serve a mission. We taught about the Savior and all that He has done for us. At the end of the lesson she was so grateful that we had taught simply, because she felt like she really understood. Then as we extended the commitment to read and pray about Christ, I have never seen an investigator take a commitment with such excitement!! Her testimony is growing and it's wonderful to see!
Oh I wish I could tell y’all all that has happened this week! So many wonderful things are happening! Heavenly Father has some really neat plans for these areas!
Thank you for all the love and prayers and support.
I miss you all, I love you more!
kiss love hugs!
