Hi everyone!
Wow- this is the last week of the transfer. Time is flying by! I feel like Sister Lee and I just became companions! We really want to stay together in Daegu next transfer. A few of our investigators are really close to baptism- they are so good! One is a middle school student and the others are elementary school students. They all have family ties in the church and come to church every week with their family members (their uncles). It's amazing to see how much they learn from Primary, Young Women's, and Sunday School! Hae-meen and Meen-joon are brother and sister. The other girl is Sae-un, who I mentioned before. Hopefully I'll be writing more about them later!
On Thursday this last week Sister Lee and I had an opportunity to go to a traditional Korean music concert with another investigator. It was really cool! At first the music was hypnotic (and a teeny bit boring) and I started getting sleepy. But later on, they had some amazing dance numbers with drums and other things like that. So that helped wake me up! It was a fun cultural experience and a good way to bond with Jeen-Yoon Ohk.
Yesterday, a member asked Sister Lee and I a question that I'm still pondering about today. She asked us how she could find happiness. Where do you begin with that? We share that message every day- that we have the way to find happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ. But as we talked with this member yesterday, I realized that we are working with real people who have real lives. Missionaries come in and out, but these people continue on in their own lives. We want the changes people make in their lives to last. Everyone wants to find happiness. But it can't come through a job, through getting married, through finishing school. All these things are just markers in life. They cannot be the markers of happiness.
Receiving baptism is just part of the conversion process. After someone is baptized, they do not automatically find their purpose in life and are forever happy. Finding your purpose in God's plan takes time and effort. It requires sincere prayer, scripture study, and trying your best to become involved in the Church. When the member asked me how I found happiness before my mission, I first responded that sometimes I look back on a time period and think, "Wow. I was happy then!" But at the time, I didn't necessarily always feel spectacular. In fact, that was hardly the case. Sometimes things went wrong. I didn't always feel good. But I told the member that honestly, the times when I was the happiest were when I cared about others and tried to be their friend. I was happiest when I tried to follow the Lord. (In fact that applies now too!) We talked about that with the member for a while. Since she is going through a hard time, we talked about the true meaning of happiness.
Honestly, I don't know where I would be without the gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us hope that we can be eternally HAPPY- isn't that what everyone wants? Everyone has frailties, everyone has weaknesses. I recognized that yesterday, when someone who seemed so strong-minded quietly asked us that question. Through the gospel, we can overcome those weaknesses. The Atonement of Jesus Christ will help us to bypass all that. I know this is why we're sharing the gospel. We all need an extra boost. EVERYONE needs to know that there is someone out there who loves them, that they have a place in this life. We are all brothers and sisters. We can all help each other to find that happiness in our own lives. And if the person seeking happiness doesn't have the gospel, we can share it with them. That's why I'm here!
I'm so thankful for that experience yesterday. I hope the member can find strength from the Lord as she continues her search for happiness. I am thankful for prophets in the scriptures, for modern-day prophets, all who can help us to find our place in life. I am thankful for prayer because I know the Lord loves us and will help us when we humbly and sincerely ask Him.

Things are going well. I AM happy! Yesterday just put me in a pensive mood. But don't worry, it won't last for long. We're going to Woo Bong land today! I am way excited. It's going to be so much fun! So yes. Things are going well. I will continue trying to be a better missionary. Thinking about others is SO much better than thinking about yourself. Just don't get too worried about them!

Love you all! Have a great week!

Love,
Alyssa