Bring on the Heat!

FAMILY!! 안녕하세요!!

Well, it certainly feels like summer here!!!! There have been some HOT days! It has always been rewarding (and slightly disgusting) as you come home at the end of the day quite literally drenched in sweat.. Wait girls don't sweat... umm.. how about glistening like a bedazzled vampire! Yeah, that... Haha

This week has been a wonderful week in the beautiful Land of the Morning Calm.  Last Sunday was packed (actually it's like a normal Sunday for us now) as we went between both of our wards. The Sabbath begins with a lesson before church begins. We are teaching the sweetest 12 year old girl. Her parents had been Less-Active for a couple of years, and so their daughter didn't have the opportunity to be baptized, but now that they are coming back to church, we have the blessing of teaching her. With her mom with us in the lessons, I think that the things that we teach are really needed for both of them. The mom's testimony is still weak from inactivity, so to see mother and daughter growing together in the Gospel is awesome.

After the lesson, we head up to Sacrament Meeting, and as soon as that is done it's down to the subway to head over to Haeundae ward. By the time we get there, it's the start of the 3rd hour.  We enjoy RS with those wonderful sisters and then we teach our investigator right after church ends. She is so amazing.  We've been talking a lot about showing our faith and following God's plan. She is heading to BYU the same time that I'm coming home, and so we are already making plans to been up there.  I know she will one day make those special covenants with her Father in Heaven and I look forward to being the member present/ translator at all her lessons in the states. The work surely goes on.

This week we did some fun proscelyting on the Haeundae beach.  We watched a mormon message about what things you are grateful for, and so we decided to do our own little version!  On the beach we like to take boards and stickers. The boards ask the question: "in this world, what is most precious to you?" and we have categories of family, health, friends, education, money and English. We have people put their stickers under what one they would choose and from there we can ask them why they chose that, and then offer them something more. We offer them some eternal truths that could make those things most precious to them even more so. I love being able to offer the things that are most precious to me as well.

According to our "numbers," it may not look like we had a good week this week, but it was a wonderful week full of going out and talking with people and searching out the 'lost sheep'.  I love just being on the streets of Korea!

This week it was again my privilege to go on exchanges. This time was fun as we put Sister Scott with Sister Yokam...they came to Korea at the same time! But Sister Gilbert and I had absolutely NO worries! (and they did great).  But then I got to go with Sister Beh, who is my first trainees, trainee...This exchange was going good, nothing too exciting or anything, just missionary work...but I felt that there was something that needed to be learned, as there always is. The night we were together I was praying and  one word just came to mind 잠재력 which means potential. 

The next morning after a normal personal and companion study, we were about to start language study when I felt again that we needed to take some more time to just learn from each other, and see if we could remember our true potential. The Spirit was so sweet as it prompted us to share with each other what our greatest wish or desire was as we continue on in our missions. Sister Beh's was to be an successful missionary, and mine was to finish off with no regrets. It was a really neat moment as we turn to each other and asked for help. We took the next hour of study time studying for each other.  Finding places in PMG or in the scriptures that would lead us to know how we can fulfill our greatest desire.  As we turned away from the thing WE wanted most and turned to helping someone else, the Spirit that was in the room was very special.  We were in tender tears by the end of the experience as we shared with each other exactly what the other person needed to hear. Originally we had both been trying to find the answer for ourselves, but it wasn't until we put someone else before us that we found, at least the beginning of, what we were searching for.

The gospel is just great!! Everything seems to come down to Turning Out, emulating the Character of Christ, turning beyond ourselves and just loving.  The First 2 Great Commandments are indeed LOVE! I love this work and I love being able to learn from so many different sources!  I love being able to feel the love from Heavenly Father, from my Family, from the Koreans, but even more then feeling it, I love trying to give it all away (which is pretty much impossible, but it's fun to try!)

I know this Gospel is true and it contains all the answers, comfort, love and guidance what we will ever need in our lives.  And beyond my personal hopes and desires, I want everyone to be able to accept this Gospel more fully with their hearts!

Thanks to everyone for all the love and support.  For the prayers and the sacrifices. For you wonderful examples as Christians who have Christ at the center of your heart.

I love y’all! mean it!
kiss love hugs!

PS next week will be the last email I send as a full time missionary, it will also be the last time I check my email (I believe..)

LOVE Y’ALL!