Monday, October 19, 2009
Hi everyone! So this begins the last week of my 5th transfer!
Thanks for giving me the update on Jeni's family, Dad. Wow, the last time I saw Vivian she was a year old. I can't believe she is 3 now! I'm glad that things are going well in Jeni and Nate's family in San Diego. That's awesome that Nate is specializing in radiology- I bet he is really busy though! And I guess Peregrine Falcons are popular birds with the boys these days? I thought Jake and Christopher's argument about them was funny. I can see Chris working with animals when he grows up- he knows so much about them already!
By the way, We just had interviews with Pres. Jennings, and we all have a feeling that Sis. Musser is going to become senior and get transferred somewhere else. And then it will just be me and Sister Beckstead here in Daeshin/Goejong/Youngdo. If that happens, Sis. Beckstead will be sad to see Sis. Musser go- we love being the Three Amigos!
This week we had a fireside at the Daeshin branch church (the first LDS chapel in Busan!) honoring the longest-time member, Brother Yeong-Cheon Bae. He lives in the Haeoondae branch now (still in Busan, but Busan is HUGE), and is the sweetest man. He was also the president of the Seoul temple at one time. The only people invited to the fireside were people over the age 65 in the Busan stake and the missionaries to help run things. When we arrived to help out, as soon as the man in charge found out I could play the piano, he assigned me to practice a song they would all sing together and play the opening/closing hymns. The other missionaries worked on putting the dinner together. It was all thrown together in a couple of hours, but it managed to work out! When it was time to eat (before the presentation), the man in charge pulled me to the table in front of everyone to eat with Bro. Yeong-Cheon Bae and the other oldest members in the Busan stake. Talk about pressure! The other missionaries sat at another table in the back. It turned out well though- Brother Bae knows perfect English. Every time I asked him a question in Korean, he answered in English! He told me about how he met the missionaries (walking by the meetinghouse during priesthood meeting). He said he met with Pres. Hinckley when he came to Korea in 1966 to find a location for the first church building in Busan- the Daeshin branch that we were sitting in!
Later on, we watched a slideshow of pictures while Bro. Bae explained them. He has met many prophets and leaders of the church over the years when they came to Korea! (Lee, Kimball, Benson, Hinckley, Monson, Eyring). He has visited Salt Lake a few times as well. He is a very kind man and loves to sing. He even sang a few songs for everyone! The best part was when the entire room sang an old-time song together. I had to accompany it, but I had just seen the music for the first time an hour before. I tried my best, but the piano accompaniment doesn't go along with the voices and they weren't singing in the same key anyway! When we finally got through (I didn't do a great job), I was so relieved. But I was mortified when the man said we were going to sing it one more time because I hadn't had time to practice much! That time, I decided to just play the voice part and then it was okay. Oh my goodness. That was definitely an experience to remember! It was amazing to see the roots of the Church in Korea. It made me realize how important the missionary work we are doing right now is. Without the first 18 missionaries that came to Korea in the 50's (one which we met two weeks ago), the Church wouldn't even have a presence in Korea!
I love the people of Korea and want to serve them the best I can with help from the Lord.I love you all! Have a great week!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Hi everyone!I had a great week- it was the week of conferences! On Wednesday we had zone conference at the mission home, and on Saturday and Sunday we watched the conference sessions! Zone conference was really good. Pres. Jennings extended a challenge to read the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover by Christmas. You can join me if you want! We have softcover copies and are highlighting references to Christ, the principles of the gospel, and missionary work. It's been wonderful so far, even though I'm just three days into it! On Thursday I went on splits in Changwan with Sister Corrigan. It was amazing! We went to lunch with the elders and a lady in the ward- she brought a friend from her yoga class who is looking for religion. It was perfect! She referred her to us (the sisters) right there. After that, we met with a less-active woman in the ward and had a really good conversation with her. She was really kind, and I felt like we were able to begin building a good relationship with her. Then, we met with a 15 year-old girl in the ward and her friend. Her friend had expressed interest in the gospel, so we taught her the first lesson before dinner and made a return appointment! That night, while we were kaka-hoho-ing (going door to door), we met a woman who wants her daughter to start going to a church. We got her phone number and made a return appointment too! Just so you know, I have never been able to make a return appointment at the door before- so that was incredible! It helped that Sister Corrigan lived in the building, so we were able to tell people that as we went from door to door. That day showed me how much the Lord can bless missionaries as we strive to share the gospel. I wish every day could be like Tuesday, but having those special experiences makes us more motivated when we're having a not-so-successful day. It's amazing how a good attitude can change your outlook as a missionary. I need to work on that more- I'm so grateful for Sister Corrigan's example! We saw conference over the weekend and were really motivated by the talks from our leaders. I LOVED Pres. Ucthdorf's talk. I noticed that love and service were the main themes of many of the talks. I realize as a missionary that those are the two most important things we can develop in our lifetime. Without love for others, we can't experience true happiness. We are meeting with some new people this week, so cross your fingers! Hopefully they will become new investigators. We are also excited to watch part of conference with our investigator Yong Soon-Young. She has appreciated a few talks we have shown her from other conferences, so I hope she enjoys this one too! Plus, we should be finally meeting with Su-hyun's mom to get permission for baptism. We're (still) praying that her heart will be softened. The colors are starting to change in Busan, but I have to think really hard about exactly WHERE I saw the leaves changing. So I guess not really. I love fall though- the weather is amazing!I love you all and am grateful for your support! Have a great week!Love,Alyssa
Monday, September 28, 2009
Hi Mom, Dad, and everyone!
Yet another week has gone by. Wow, it's always fast! I'm writing in the afternoon again, but sometimes we have to check in the morning (after 10:30 am in Korea on Mondays), so yeah. I don't know what happens between when you write and I get it, but just leave plenty of room for me to get it! Thanks!!!Anyway, this week, on Wednesday, we had zone conference in Kimhae. It was really good. Our zone leaders, Sprosty and Shumway, initiated a round table discussion (minus the table, as they pointed out :) ) about how we visit the members in our areas. A big part of the missionary work we do is building up our areas, especially now that we serve in branches that range from small to mid-size. That means we spend time each week visiting less active members. We talked about how important it is to work with the branch presidencies, members in the ward, and the people we meet, so that everyone can build good relationships with each other.
The next day, we spent a few hours in Sheenpyung (an area in the Gwaejong branch)trying to visit members. (we love saying that name because it sounds Chinese to us. Sheenpyung! Sheenpyung!) I say "trying to" because it was so hard to find the addresses! The area is full of alley markets with people selling seafood, fruit, and other things, coupled with alleys filled to the brim with apartments. Needless to say, it's not the easiest place to get around. We were able to leave message cards at a few apartments though, because no one was home. Or else, in one case, the member had moved. Sad day!
We still haven't been able to get permission from Su-hyun's mother for baptism, but the member who knows her mom thinks everything will be okay. She is going to talk to her about it. Yong Soon-Young came to church in Daesheen yesterday! It worked out well because I gave a talk on prayer that day in the Daesheen branch. She stayed the whole time and for lunch afterwards. I'm excited for her lesson on Tuesday to see how she felt about church. She has been a couple of times, but as yet she hasn't felt ready to commit to coming every week. Maybe that will change this week!
I love you all and am so grateful for your support! I hope all is going well at home. Enjoy conference! I'm excited to see it in two weeks here (we watch it in English).I love you!Love,Alyssa
Yet another week has gone by. Wow, it's always fast! I'm writing in the afternoon again, but sometimes we have to check in the morning (after 10:30 am in Korea on Mondays), so yeah. I don't know what happens between when you write and I get it, but just leave plenty of room for me to get it! Thanks!!!Anyway, this week, on Wednesday, we had zone conference in Kimhae. It was really good. Our zone leaders, Sprosty and Shumway, initiated a round table discussion (minus the table, as they pointed out :) ) about how we visit the members in our areas. A big part of the missionary work we do is building up our areas, especially now that we serve in branches that range from small to mid-size. That means we spend time each week visiting less active members. We talked about how important it is to work with the branch presidencies, members in the ward, and the people we meet, so that everyone can build good relationships with each other.
The next day, we spent a few hours in Sheenpyung (an area in the Gwaejong branch)trying to visit members. (we love saying that name because it sounds Chinese to us. Sheenpyung! Sheenpyung!) I say "trying to" because it was so hard to find the addresses! The area is full of alley markets with people selling seafood, fruit, and other things, coupled with alleys filled to the brim with apartments. Needless to say, it's not the easiest place to get around. We were able to leave message cards at a few apartments though, because no one was home. Or else, in one case, the member had moved. Sad day!
We still haven't been able to get permission from Su-hyun's mother for baptism, but the member who knows her mom thinks everything will be okay. She is going to talk to her about it. Yong Soon-Young came to church in Daesheen yesterday! It worked out well because I gave a talk on prayer that day in the Daesheen branch. She stayed the whole time and for lunch afterwards. I'm excited for her lesson on Tuesday to see how she felt about church. She has been a couple of times, but as yet she hasn't felt ready to commit to coming every week. Maybe that will change this week!
I love you all and am so grateful for your support! I hope all is going well at home. Enjoy conference! I'm excited to see it in two weeks here (we watch it in English).I love you!Love,Alyssa
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
This week we were able to meet with Kim Su-hyun's friend Jo Min-Jung after English class on Saturday. We were excited because Jo Min-Jung has started coming to church and mutual with Su-hyun every Sat/Sun. Hopefully she'll want to continue the lessons with us! We taught Yong-Soon Young some of the commandments on Friday and it went well! We were nervous because one of the commandments was...chastity. Osekheyo! (Awkward) But she took the lesson very well. Thank goodness! We committed her to coming to church next week because I have to give a talk in the Daeshin branch! It's on prayer, so that shouldn't be toooo hard to prepare. I'm still nervous though! In the Youngdo branch last Monday we had the BEST activity for Family Home Evening. (They hold a Family Home Evening at the church every Monday). We wrote the names of people from the scriptures on post-its and stuck them to their foreheads. Then we had to figure out who we were by asking yes/no questions. It was hilarious! There was one member who had "Emma Smith" stuck to his forehead. No one could look at him without laughing! I loved watching the branch president try to help one of the elders figure out he was "Laban." He finally pretended to cut his throat, and then Elder Ballam shouted, "Laban!" It was a lot of fun. I'm excited for this next week. We just keep moving forward! I love you all! Have a great week- and remember, every little thing you do to change your life can make a difference.
The Lord is mindful of everyone, and He will always listen to your prayers and help you find your way.
Love you!
Love,Alyssa
This week we were able to meet with Kim Su-hyun's friend Jo Min-Jung after English class on Saturday. We were excited because Jo Min-Jung has started coming to church and mutual with Su-hyun every Sat/Sun. Hopefully she'll want to continue the lessons with us! We taught Yong-Soon Young some of the commandments on Friday and it went well! We were nervous because one of the commandments was...chastity. Osekheyo! (Awkward) But she took the lesson very well. Thank goodness! We committed her to coming to church next week because I have to give a talk in the Daeshin branch! It's on prayer, so that shouldn't be toooo hard to prepare. I'm still nervous though! In the Youngdo branch last Monday we had the BEST activity for Family Home Evening. (They hold a Family Home Evening at the church every Monday). We wrote the names of people from the scriptures on post-its and stuck them to their foreheads. Then we had to figure out who we were by asking yes/no questions. It was hilarious! There was one member who had "Emma Smith" stuck to his forehead. No one could look at him without laughing! I loved watching the branch president try to help one of the elders figure out he was "Laban." He finally pretended to cut his throat, and then Elder Ballam shouted, "Laban!" It was a lot of fun. I'm excited for this next week. We just keep moving forward! I love you all! Have a great week- and remember, every little thing you do to change your life can make a difference.
The Lord is mindful of everyone, and He will always listen to your prayers and help you find your way.
Love you!
Love,Alyssa
Monday, September 14, 2009
Hi Mom!
Wow! Sounds like you all had a really fun week! And Chelsea must be having an awesome time at BYU- going to Bear Lake, bringing people to the pool, etc! That's great! Send everyone my love! I wrote Chelsea and Casey emails last week but haven't heard from them yet (hint hint). I'm also sending Chelsea a letter this week.
Things are going well with Yong Soon-Young. She doesn't want to commit to coming to church yet, but we hope conference next month will help her to change her mind. She loved a talk we showed her by Pres. Monson!
We still haven't gotten permission from Su-hyun's mom for baptism, but the YW presidency is going to talk with her and maybe visit her with us. One of the members is her mom's friend, so I think she'll have a better influence than we would.
We had an awesome combined zone P-Day last week- two zones went to Haeoondae Beach! It was fun to relax and talk to other missionaries on the sand. We got our feet wet, but that's it! A lot of the elders played football, and one of my comps played too, but she said they never passed the ball to her. Boo! I just enjoyed chatting with people by the water and playing with the sand a little bit. It was great!
Today is the first day of my fifth transfer- and I'm still with Sis. Beckstead and Sis. Musser! We're excited to serve together again. We LOVE our branches- the Gwaejong branch is amazing! They have an awesome youth/singles program and do seminary, English class, mutual, and singles meeting---all on Saturday! Korean kids are really busy during the week with school and hogwan (academy- usually English or math), so Saturday is the day of Church activities! Su-hyun always comes to mutual on Saturday, and it's great to see how the ward welcomes her in! She might as well be a member- on Saturday, they talked about preparing for the temple at mutual. She knows she needs to be baptized, but she also knows that she can still pray, read her scriptures, and come to church each Sunday. It's awesome! We love Su-hyun and pray that her mom's heart will be changed.
On Friday, we had a shiksa (meal) with the Daesheen Harmoni. Daesheen is one of the branches we serve in and Harmoni is Korean for grandmother. They call older women "harmoni" or "grandmother" in Korean. The Daesheen Harmoni is infamous for inviting the missionaries over frequently for shiksas and stuffing them to the brim! There are photos of missionaries all over her walls and in several photo albums. She used to be the cook for some of the past mission presidents, so she LOVES the missionaries. A little too much, you might say! On Friday, she served huge platters of bulgogi (beef), big potatoes, sweet potates, tomatoes, pineapples, apples, and rice. I've been avoiding beef (for my stomach), but I ate everything else. The poor elders, though (we were with four) got loaded down with food! The Daesheen Harmoni loves one in particular, Elder Bloomfield, so he and his companion, Elder Murray, had to eat a TON of food. They literally had to lick the massive plate of bulgogi clean, along with several huge servings of rice and potatoes. Seriously. I've never seen ANYONE fuller than Elder Murray! And still, after we ate all that, she pulled out melon ice cream bars.
The Daesheen Harmoni is really sweet though, and I'm grateful for the opportunity we had to get to know her at her house. She is getting older, but it is apparent her love for the missionaries is still strong as ever. She is so nice! We appreciated the experience...and ended up skipping dinner that night!
Well, I should go. We're going to Family Home Evening group at Youngdo branch tonight and we have the activity! It will be fun.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Have fun in San Diego next month!!!
Love,
Alyssa
Wow! Sounds like you all had a really fun week! And Chelsea must be having an awesome time at BYU- going to Bear Lake, bringing people to the pool, etc! That's great! Send everyone my love! I wrote Chelsea and Casey emails last week but haven't heard from them yet (hint hint). I'm also sending Chelsea a letter this week.
Things are going well with Yong Soon-Young. She doesn't want to commit to coming to church yet, but we hope conference next month will help her to change her mind. She loved a talk we showed her by Pres. Monson!
We still haven't gotten permission from Su-hyun's mom for baptism, but the YW presidency is going to talk with her and maybe visit her with us. One of the members is her mom's friend, so I think she'll have a better influence than we would.
We had an awesome combined zone P-Day last week- two zones went to Haeoondae Beach! It was fun to relax and talk to other missionaries on the sand. We got our feet wet, but that's it! A lot of the elders played football, and one of my comps played too, but she said they never passed the ball to her. Boo! I just enjoyed chatting with people by the water and playing with the sand a little bit. It was great!
Today is the first day of my fifth transfer- and I'm still with Sis. Beckstead and Sis. Musser! We're excited to serve together again. We LOVE our branches- the Gwaejong branch is amazing! They have an awesome youth/singles program and do seminary, English class, mutual, and singles meeting---all on Saturday! Korean kids are really busy during the week with school and hogwan (academy- usually English or math), so Saturday is the day of Church activities! Su-hyun always comes to mutual on Saturday, and it's great to see how the ward welcomes her in! She might as well be a member- on Saturday, they talked about preparing for the temple at mutual. She knows she needs to be baptized, but she also knows that she can still pray, read her scriptures, and come to church each Sunday. It's awesome! We love Su-hyun and pray that her mom's heart will be changed.
On Friday, we had a shiksa (meal) with the Daesheen Harmoni. Daesheen is one of the branches we serve in and Harmoni is Korean for grandmother. They call older women "harmoni" or "grandmother" in Korean. The Daesheen Harmoni is infamous for inviting the missionaries over frequently for shiksas and stuffing them to the brim! There are photos of missionaries all over her walls and in several photo albums. She used to be the cook for some of the past mission presidents, so she LOVES the missionaries. A little too much, you might say! On Friday, she served huge platters of bulgogi (beef), big potatoes, sweet potates, tomatoes, pineapples, apples, and rice. I've been avoiding beef (for my stomach), but I ate everything else. The poor elders, though (we were with four) got loaded down with food! The Daesheen Harmoni loves one in particular, Elder Bloomfield, so he and his companion, Elder Murray, had to eat a TON of food. They literally had to lick the massive plate of bulgogi clean, along with several huge servings of rice and potatoes. Seriously. I've never seen ANYONE fuller than Elder Murray! And still, after we ate all that, she pulled out melon ice cream bars.
The Daesheen Harmoni is really sweet though, and I'm grateful for the opportunity we had to get to know her at her house. She is getting older, but it is apparent her love for the missionaries is still strong as ever. She is so nice! We appreciated the experience...and ended up skipping dinner that night!
Well, I should go. We're going to Family Home Evening group at Youngdo branch tonight and we have the activity! It will be fun.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Have fun in San Diego next month!!!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hi everyone!
I hope you're enjoying the beginning of school/fall/anything else! I forgot to say thank you earlier for the letters from the Linford family reunion. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! That meant a lot to me. I loved the pictures too- it looks like everyone had a blast!
This week I got a letter from my friend Alyse, serving in Brazil with some amazing news...apparently her sister Jocelyn is engaged to Jason Thomas (Mom- Michael's younger brother). They plan to marry next April! That blew my mind. I still remember them as we were in high school. And when I get back they'll be married! I'm so happy for them!
This week, we made amazing progress with Yong Soon-Young, one of our investigators. (She has met with missionaries off and on for a long time.) I was on splits in a different branch, but Sis. Musser and Sis. Beckstead said church went really well. It was Fast Sunday, and they said the testimonies were just what Yong Soon-Young needed to hear! We love teaching Soon-Young and seeing how she progresses. She loves the scriptures and *yohrsheemee* (diligently) studies them- like she is in Institute or something! We are excited for her to see General Conference next month so she can hear from the leaders of the Church today.
We're also excited about Kim Su-Hyun, our 15 year old investigator. She might as well already be a member- she comes to everything and everyone loves her, but she needs permission from her mom to be baptized. If all goes well, we'll be able to meet with her mom this week and tell her more about the church. Su-Hyun's mom already knows she goes to church, but Su-Hyun is a little worried about asking for her permission. Sound familiar? It's very similar to a situation with Sae-un that I had in Daegu. Hopefully, Su-Hyun's mom's heart will be opened and she'll allow her daughter to be baptized.
Anyway, I love all of you so much! Oh yes, Happy birthday Chelsea!!! (For Sept. 4th). Wow, I can't believe you're already 19 years old!
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Alyssa
P.S. Mom I haven't gotten your email yet, but I'll check back later today. Love you! :)
I hope you're enjoying the beginning of school/fall/anything else! I forgot to say thank you earlier for the letters from the Linford family reunion. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! That meant a lot to me. I loved the pictures too- it looks like everyone had a blast!
This week I got a letter from my friend Alyse, serving in Brazil with some amazing news...apparently her sister Jocelyn is engaged to Jason Thomas (Mom- Michael's younger brother). They plan to marry next April! That blew my mind. I still remember them as we were in high school. And when I get back they'll be married! I'm so happy for them!
This week, we made amazing progress with Yong Soon-Young, one of our investigators. (She has met with missionaries off and on for a long time.) I was on splits in a different branch, but Sis. Musser and Sis. Beckstead said church went really well. It was Fast Sunday, and they said the testimonies were just what Yong Soon-Young needed to hear! We love teaching Soon-Young and seeing how she progresses. She loves the scriptures and *yohrsheemee* (diligently) studies them- like she is in Institute or something! We are excited for her to see General Conference next month so she can hear from the leaders of the Church today.
We're also excited about Kim Su-Hyun, our 15 year old investigator. She might as well already be a member- she comes to everything and everyone loves her, but she needs permission from her mom to be baptized. If all goes well, we'll be able to meet with her mom this week and tell her more about the church. Su-Hyun's mom already knows she goes to church, but Su-Hyun is a little worried about asking for her permission. Sound familiar? It's very similar to a situation with Sae-un that I had in Daegu. Hopefully, Su-Hyun's mom's heart will be opened and she'll allow her daughter to be baptized.
Anyway, I love all of you so much! Oh yes, Happy birthday Chelsea!!! (For Sept. 4th). Wow, I can't believe you're already 19 years old!
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Alyssa
P.S. Mom I haven't gotten your email yet, but I'll check back later today. Love you! :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Hi Mom and Dad!
This week, we had a great lesson with Yong Soon-Young, one of our investigators. We had already asked her to come to church two weeks ago but she declined. She was really nervous about being the "new person" at church. This week, we wanted to ask her again as we taught her about faith and repentance. My companion, Sister Beckstead, asked her boldly if she would reconsider coming to church. At first, Yong Soon-Young was apprehensive and seemed like she would say no. But when I assured her that she didn't need to commit to coming every week, just at least once, she said yes! Of course, we would like her to come every week...but when she is ready. We are really excited for her to come next week (she has something else this Sunday) because the last time she came to church was two years ago. (She has been meeting with the missionaries off and on during that time.) In the past month, we have seen Yong Soon-Young progress so much. She really STUDIES the scriptures and is seeking for answers. She is beginning to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and we are excited for her to meet more people who have gained that testimony as well. We have taught her about the sacrament and want her to see how important that is at church.
It's always amazing to see the little miracles in our experiences. I have gained a testimony that EVERYTHING comes one step at a time. Sometimes, we want to jump across everything and reach our goal right then, but then we wouldn't be able to learn along the way. This can apply to anything- in the gospel, in our lives, learning a language (ahem, Korean!). Learning the gospel comes "Line upon line, precept upon precept..." (Okay, I don't remember the scripture reference!)
Dad, thank you for your email. I'll ask the elders at the next transfer day if they know Moon Tae Gyu. That would be great if they did!
Oh yes. I have a great story! On Saturday, the missionaries in the Gwaejong branch went to the beach for a singles/youth activity. It was my first time to the beach since Jackie Roylance's wedding in Jan. 2008! Needless to say, I was ecstatic. We had a wonderful time bonding with the ward, our investigator Su-hyun, and the elders' investigators. At one point, we went over to the rocks to look for tidepools. While we were over there we saw a waygookeen (foreigner) picking up shells. We started talking to him and found out that HE is from Yorba Linda like me! He's in his early 30's, maybe? He is in Korea teaching English. His name is Mike Thompson and he asked if I knew the Daltons. I told him that my cousin married Johnny Dalton! Then, he asked if I knew the Linfords. I stopped and stared. I said I WAS a Linford!!! It was so funny. His family is in the Yorba Linda 2nd ward, so he is familiar with Uncle Mike's family. He took institute classes from Uncle Mike! He is less active in the church right now, but I can tell that his experience in the Fullerton 8th singles ward and at institute had a big impact on him. He lighted up when he talked about Uncle Mike and the families in the Yorba Linda 2nd ward (unfortunately in the other stake- so I failed the rest of the name game. Haha!).
I couldn't BELIEVE that I ran into a member of the church, from Yorba Linda, while looking for shells on the beach in Pusan, Korea during a branch activity. As a missionary! When things like this happen, I'm 99.9% sure there is no such thing as coincidences. EVERYTHING happens for a reason!
Anyway, I have to go but I love you all so much! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
This week, we had a great lesson with Yong Soon-Young, one of our investigators. We had already asked her to come to church two weeks ago but she declined. She was really nervous about being the "new person" at church. This week, we wanted to ask her again as we taught her about faith and repentance. My companion, Sister Beckstead, asked her boldly if she would reconsider coming to church. At first, Yong Soon-Young was apprehensive and seemed like she would say no. But when I assured her that she didn't need to commit to coming every week, just at least once, she said yes! Of course, we would like her to come every week...but when she is ready. We are really excited for her to come next week (she has something else this Sunday) because the last time she came to church was two years ago. (She has been meeting with the missionaries off and on during that time.) In the past month, we have seen Yong Soon-Young progress so much. She really STUDIES the scriptures and is seeking for answers. She is beginning to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and we are excited for her to meet more people who have gained that testimony as well. We have taught her about the sacrament and want her to see how important that is at church.
It's always amazing to see the little miracles in our experiences. I have gained a testimony that EVERYTHING comes one step at a time. Sometimes, we want to jump across everything and reach our goal right then, but then we wouldn't be able to learn along the way. This can apply to anything- in the gospel, in our lives, learning a language (ahem, Korean!). Learning the gospel comes "Line upon line, precept upon precept..." (Okay, I don't remember the scripture reference!)
Dad, thank you for your email. I'll ask the elders at the next transfer day if they know Moon Tae Gyu. That would be great if they did!
Oh yes. I have a great story! On Saturday, the missionaries in the Gwaejong branch went to the beach for a singles/youth activity. It was my first time to the beach since Jackie Roylance's wedding in Jan. 2008! Needless to say, I was ecstatic. We had a wonderful time bonding with the ward, our investigator Su-hyun, and the elders' investigators. At one point, we went over to the rocks to look for tidepools. While we were over there we saw a waygookeen (foreigner) picking up shells. We started talking to him and found out that HE is from Yorba Linda like me! He's in his early 30's, maybe? He is in Korea teaching English. His name is Mike Thompson and he asked if I knew the Daltons. I told him that my cousin married Johnny Dalton! Then, he asked if I knew the Linfords. I stopped and stared. I said I WAS a Linford!!! It was so funny. His family is in the Yorba Linda 2nd ward, so he is familiar with Uncle Mike's family. He took institute classes from Uncle Mike! He is less active in the church right now, but I can tell that his experience in the Fullerton 8th singles ward and at institute had a big impact on him. He lighted up when he talked about Uncle Mike and the families in the Yorba Linda 2nd ward (unfortunately in the other stake- so I failed the rest of the name game. Haha!).
I couldn't BELIEVE that I ran into a member of the church, from Yorba Linda, while looking for shells on the beach in Pusan, Korea during a branch activity. As a missionary! When things like this happen, I'm 99.9% sure there is no such thing as coincidences. EVERYTHING happens for a reason!
Anyway, I have to go but I love you all so much! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
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