December 14, 2009
Hi everyone! Wow, this week went by much too fast! I'm glad you had a great early Christmas dinner with everyone! It sounds like it was a lot of fun! Haha, it's crazy to think that it's already been a year since last Christmas and all the snow that came. Sounds like it will be another white Christmas! Anyway, I have to say Cheju-do is amazing! It's not as cold as Busan was when I left, but I've heard it can snow every once in a while. I just hope that once in a while doesn't come too fast! Dad, Sister Jung is actually Korean- she is from Taejeon. She is part of the second set of Korean missionaries to go to the Provo MTC since they shut down the MTC in Seoul, and we were roommates at the MTC. We came to the mission at the same time! I am really excited to be serving with her. My Korean has already started improving! (It helps that now I really DO have to speak Korean all the time!!) The elders we serve with here, Elder (Gi-Ook) Ryu (Korean) and Elder DeWaal, have been really helpful. (Side-note- Sister Jung and I were really excited to work with Elder DeWaal because he is came to the mission the same time as us too!) Anyway, Elder Ryu and Elder DeWaal are referring their female investigators to us, and are helping us to get to know members in the ward. We made it a goal to visit all the active members within the first two weeks, so by the time we went to church yesterday, we already knew half the people there! One day, we went to a sister's home to help her move from one side of the city to the other to live closer to the church. The elders and some members from the relief society were already there, and later much of the youth and brethren came to help out too! It was really cool to see everyone work together to help the single mom and her two kids. The branch has a warm family feeling which showed when we went to a ward party on Saturday night. It was so much fun! Elder Ryu had organized the whole thing and put together some really fun games and a great lesson about eternal families. The problem in the branch is that there are several families with single moms who recently divorced and their children. They need support from the missionaries, but it was a little bit awkward with just the elders here. That's where we come in! Part of the reason Sister Jung and I were sent here was to strengthen them and encourage their families to become/remain strong in the Church. Oh yes, plus I must tell you what I heard happened back on the yoochi (mainland)- Remember Hyun-a? This is going back to the sum mer. I taught her with Sister (Young-bin) Lee and had many lessons with her brother Dae-hyun, a member who was baptized in March. She got baptized in July, and I have since heard about her mom and sister (Hyun-ju) who have gotten baptized (at different times). Well, I heard that her DAD just got baptized too! That's amazing, because that means everyone in the family are now members of the Church! I was so happy to hear about it from Sister Lee, Elder Kemmerer (an elder I served with there who went back to serve in the same stake), AND President Jennings! (He called us to ask us about our new area, and told me about a special fireside they had for new members in Daegu). One time, someone asked me if I could just have one goal as a missionary, what it would be. I said that I would love to see an entire family embrace the gospel and all become members. Well, it came true! I am so grateful for the happiness the gospel can bring to our lives. I love families and am so happy that the Kim family can now all experience the blessings of the gospel. I know with all my heart that if we follow the prophet and obey Heavenly Father, we will be able to find the peace we so much desire in this life. I know that no matter what the alternative is, nothing else can bring us that deep and everlasting happiness. I know that when we follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ, it is then that we will truly be able to fulfill our purpose here on Earth. I'm especially grateful that families can be together forever and live again with Heavenly Father and our Savior.I love you all so much and am grateful for your examples of love and kindness. I appreciate the time we have to reflect on the birth of our Savior and his life during the Christmas season. I think it's interesting to read 3 Nephi 1, which talks about the sign of the Savior's birth, along with Luke 2. Both the Book of Mormon and the Bible truly do testify of our Savior!Have a great week! Love you!Alyssa