Hi Mom! And Dad!
Thanks so much for your letters this week!
Things are going well with Sister Alcazar so far. She has jumped into life as an American missionary in Korea! She has good ideas about how we can help the members in the ward, and isn't scared to try to talk to them! That is huge, because it can be really intimidating as a greenie. The members are really impressed by her attitude and can't believe she has just been here two weeks! Sister Alcazar studied Japanese before Korean, which has a similar grammar makeup and some similar words, so I think that has helped her a lot. There are also a lot of foods in Korea that are the same thing but go by another name in Japan. When Sister Alcazar lived in San Diego, she worked at a sushi restaurant so she loves trying new things. Yes, she definitely had nakgi bokkum bap (fried rice with octopus) during her first week. I went through the menu with her and was really surprised when she went for that. I've been avoiding octopus my whole mission! Although there have been some occasions when I've had to eat a tentacle or two...uh, yay!
On Sunday, we got to teach Do Ha-yun the 2nd lesson, and set a preliminary baptism date with her! Her mom (a non-member) had said she wants her to get baptized, but we still have to check the date with her and see what her husband says about it. We're grateful for Ha-yun's older brother (middle school student who's a member), who agrees to help out at Ha-yun's lessons.
On Monday, we met with Sister Shin Hee-sun, a less-active member in the Hogye branch who said she needed help making a phone call to the American embassy. We thought we were going there to help her with her English call, but when we got there, she said, "Okay, let's pray!" So we prayed and then she looked at us expectantly for a spiritual message, and we happily obliged. Luckily, we had taken a General Conference Liahona along with us and marked Sister Beck's talk for her to read. Shin Hee-sun is having trouble deciding between religions right now even though she was baptized into our church last year. It's interesting because she said every time her friend, a Buddhist nun, teaches her about Buddhism, I call her! And lately when I've called her, She talked about how she attended church diligently for 6 months, prayed and studied the scriptures for 2 hours everyday. During that time, she said she felt herself receiving personal revelation and felt close to the Lord. But having a calling in church was hard for her and she didn't like being so busy. She said she recognizes that she doesn't feel the same spiritually now that she is not going to church or studying her scriptures. Sister Alcazar and I were impressed by how straightforward Shin Hee-sun was with us. We were so grateful that we chose to share Sister Beck's talk about personal revelation with her, which we decided on before Shin Hee-sun told us about her experience with personal revelation! I am truly grateful for how the Lord can guide us, even in the seemingly small decisions we make. I know I need to recognize and allow for His guidance more in my life---especially as a missionary!
Yesterday, we had zone meeting in the Hogye branch church. We enjoyed meeting up with all the missionaries in the Ulsan area and learning from our zone leaders. Afterward, we practiced for a musical number we have coming up. Elder Michael Ringwood of the Seventy is doing a mission tour in Korea so we have to sing when he meets with two zones in our mission. Yeah, we're a little nervous....putting a musical number together with 12 missionaries who live far away from each other is no easy task! The mission tour conference is later this month in Daegu. Even the missionaries on Jeju-do get to fly to Daegu to see Elder Ringwood .
Today we went to a whale museum/small aquarium with the other sisters and the Bangojin elders. It was a lot of fun! We actually went last week, but it was closed, so we went back to downtown Ulsan and rode a big ferris wheel that lets you see much of Ulsan. So we were excited about going back this week.
So it has been a good week! Sister Alcazar and I are excited to begin another week, work hard, and help our investigator and less-active members progress. I really do love Ulsan! We want to do the best we can to serve the people here.
Oh Mom, can you check with Alyse and Chelsea about the housing situation? It's really important to get that taken care of as soon as possible because finding housing can get really difficult as it gets closer to the beginning of school. Let me know what happens!
I love you! Have a great week!
Oh yes, and happy much belated birthday Brooke! I can't believe you're 16 now! Now YOU can drive me around! haha. I love you!
I hope Dad and Chris have a fun time in southern Utah!
Love,
Alyssa
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hi Mom! (and Dad and everyone else!)
I'm sorry to hear that Sister Scott passed away. She and her husband both seemed genuinely kind and caring. Please send him my condolences.
As for this week, things are going well so far for Sister Alcazar and I in Ulsan. Unfortunately, Sister Alcazar hasn't been able to meet the people we usually meet every week, but I promised her that they do actually exist! She has been getting to know members in the ward though, so that is good. We visited Sister Kang Ji-yae on Monday (Sister Kang lives in the Hogye branch, which was her last area when she returned from the Busan mission last year!). Even though Sister Kang is just a year older than me, she seems so much more mature because she's married and is expecting a baby next month. She is always really helpful and updates us on less-active members that it would be good to visit. Her husband is really funny too. He makes fun of me because he says whenever he says a joke that I don't think is really funny, or if I don't know what to say, I kind-of half laugh. "hahahaha...ha." I realized that I do, as a matter of fact, do that. I don't know how to stop! Anway, they're a really fun couple.
On Tuesday, we met a member of the Bangojin branch that we hadn't been able to spend time with before. Sister Heo Hyo-gyung and her daughter Shin Sur-gi have been members of the Church for four years and have been close with the elders during that time. She is really kind and enthusiastic. I wish we could spend more time at the branch so we could get to know her and the other members better! It's hard because we attend one meeting of each branch each week, so some people we only see in going and passing. Sad day! There are some amazing people in our branches!
Yesterday, we had zone conference in Daegu. My companion Sister Alcalzar had to give her intro talk as a new greenie, and I had to give my farewell talk to the missionaries because it's my last transfer. Sister Hadden, my MTC companion that I now live with (!), and Elder Matsuura and Elder Voorhies also gave their last talks. I haven't served around the elders, which is funny because Elder Matsuura was my zone leader for 3 transfers when I was serving on Jeju-do, and I didn't meet him until a month and a half ago! It was a really good zone conference. I always appreciate hearing from President Jennings. He talked about how obedience and diligence bolster us in order to be able to accomplish the Lord's work in His own way.
Elder Brown, the area medical advisor, and Elder Gibson, the area mental health advisor, also spoke to us about staying physically and emotionally healthy. I especially appreciated Elder Gibson's talk because he talked about overcoming discouragement. He gave some really good insight into a problem that I think afflicts us all at one time or another (and not usually just once!). Elder Gibson talked about overcoming discouragement from a psychologist's point of view, but in the realm of the gospel. It's amazing because we can overcome anything if we follow the principles of the gospel!
I am so grateful to be serving here in Ulsan. I can't say that enough. I know this is the Lord's work. I know that Heavenly Father provided a way for us through the Atonement in order to live with Him again. He loves us SO MUCH! We can't comprehend how much that love extends. We are capable of doing anything if we try our best to live according to His will. I know that as we try to develop the same love for others that Christ has for us, we will grow so much beyond what we can imagine. It's an eternal, lifelong process. I have a long way to go! But I love the people here in Korea. I love my branches, the members we work with, our investigator, potential investigators. I know we are all beloved, divine creations of our Heavenly Father. Each one of us has great worth, and He wants to see each one of His children return to Him someday. I know that no matter what happens, He still loves us. He wants us to make righteous choices, but He has provided repentance as a way for us to overcome our human fallacies. We are all imperfect, but as we work each day, we can progress so much and come closer to the Savior! I know that it is my purpose as a missionary to invite the people of Korea unto Christ so they can partake of the same blessings that I have, well, basically been given. It's not easy by any means, but no one ever said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it!
I love you all! Please have a wonderful week and remember that no matter what, there is always at least one person, Heavenly Father, who loves you. Better yet, there are probably a ton of people who love you! And how can we show our appreciation for receiving all this love? By showing it right back...plus more!
Love you!
Love,
Alyssa
I'm sorry to hear that Sister Scott passed away. She and her husband both seemed genuinely kind and caring. Please send him my condolences.
As for this week, things are going well so far for Sister Alcazar and I in Ulsan. Unfortunately, Sister Alcazar hasn't been able to meet the people we usually meet every week, but I promised her that they do actually exist! She has been getting to know members in the ward though, so that is good. We visited Sister Kang Ji-yae on Monday (Sister Kang lives in the Hogye branch, which was her last area when she returned from the Busan mission last year!). Even though Sister Kang is just a year older than me, she seems so much more mature because she's married and is expecting a baby next month. She is always really helpful and updates us on less-active members that it would be good to visit. Her husband is really funny too. He makes fun of me because he says whenever he says a joke that I don't think is really funny, or if I don't know what to say, I kind-of half laugh. "hahahaha...ha." I realized that I do, as a matter of fact, do that. I don't know how to stop! Anway, they're a really fun couple.
On Tuesday, we met a member of the Bangojin branch that we hadn't been able to spend time with before. Sister Heo Hyo-gyung and her daughter Shin Sur-gi have been members of the Church for four years and have been close with the elders during that time. She is really kind and enthusiastic. I wish we could spend more time at the branch so we could get to know her and the other members better! It's hard because we attend one meeting of each branch each week, so some people we only see in going and passing. Sad day! There are some amazing people in our branches!
Yesterday, we had zone conference in Daegu. My companion Sister Alcalzar had to give her intro talk as a new greenie, and I had to give my farewell talk to the missionaries because it's my last transfer. Sister Hadden, my MTC companion that I now live with (!), and Elder Matsuura and Elder Voorhies also gave their last talks. I haven't served around the elders, which is funny because Elder Matsuura was my zone leader for 3 transfers when I was serving on Jeju-do, and I didn't meet him until a month and a half ago! It was a really good zone conference. I always appreciate hearing from President Jennings. He talked about how obedience and diligence bolster us in order to be able to accomplish the Lord's work in His own way.
Elder Brown, the area medical advisor, and Elder Gibson, the area mental health advisor, also spoke to us about staying physically and emotionally healthy. I especially appreciated Elder Gibson's talk because he talked about overcoming discouragement. He gave some really good insight into a problem that I think afflicts us all at one time or another (and not usually just once!). Elder Gibson talked about overcoming discouragement from a psychologist's point of view, but in the realm of the gospel. It's amazing because we can overcome anything if we follow the principles of the gospel!
I am so grateful to be serving here in Ulsan. I can't say that enough. I know this is the Lord's work. I know that Heavenly Father provided a way for us through the Atonement in order to live with Him again. He loves us SO MUCH! We can't comprehend how much that love extends. We are capable of doing anything if we try our best to live according to His will. I know that as we try to develop the same love for others that Christ has for us, we will grow so much beyond what we can imagine. It's an eternal, lifelong process. I have a long way to go! But I love the people here in Korea. I love my branches, the members we work with, our investigator, potential investigators. I know we are all beloved, divine creations of our Heavenly Father. Each one of us has great worth, and He wants to see each one of His children return to Him someday. I know that no matter what happens, He still loves us. He wants us to make righteous choices, but He has provided repentance as a way for us to overcome our human fallacies. We are all imperfect, but as we work each day, we can progress so much and come closer to the Savior! I know that it is my purpose as a missionary to invite the people of Korea unto Christ so they can partake of the same blessings that I have, well, basically been given. It's not easy by any means, but no one ever said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it!
I love you all! Please have a wonderful week and remember that no matter what, there is always at least one person, Heavenly Father, who loves you. Better yet, there are probably a ton of people who love you! And how can we show our appreciation for receiving all this love? By showing it right back...plus more!
Love you!
Love,
Alyssa
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Hi Mom, Dad, and everyone!
This has been a big week. Last Friday night, Sister Yoon and I got transfer calls...she talked to one of the APs, Elder Pendley, who told her that she had to transfer to Daegu-Sangin/Daemyong wards (my greenie area!). I got a call from President Jennings, which means...I'm training now!! Based on my interview with him earlier this transfer, I pretty much knew it was coming, but now I'm actually doing it! Three sister missionaries (2 Korean, 1 American), and one Korean elder came into the mission this transfer, making up a total of 80 missionaries.
But anyway, we Sister Yoon and I still had a lot that happened before training day came up. On Saturday, May 22, we had our children's English class in the Bangojin area. Actually, before that, we were visiting less-active members' houses, when we ran into a young couple and their son admiring puppies in a pet store window. The wife was Korean and her husband was American, so at first when they waved to us from down the street, I thought it was because they saw another American. But no, as we got closer, Sister Yoon recognized the wife, Kim Lyo-won, as a sister missionary who served in her home ward in Seoul several years ago. What a small world! The couple said they just moved to Korea (Cojae-do) from Provo after the husband graduated from BYU. They were just in Ulsan for a wedding- so it's an amazing coincidence we saw them on the street in little, older Bangojin area! Kim Lyo-won's husband said he served in the Busan mission from 2003-2004 and knew Stephen Ricks from Yorba Linda who served then! Apparently Stephen is in the Air Force now- I figured that you and Casey would want to know that (unless you already do!). Sister Yoon and Kim Lyo-won were so excited to see each other and talk about mission life. I can't say it enough- church member life is small in Korea! I feel like everyone has a connection to some other member somehow.
So then Sister Yoon and I went to English class, which has been going great now that I've started playing games with the little boys like Pictionary and Hangman. Two of the boys, brothers Lee Moon-hyeon and Gwang-hyeon, are really good at English even though they're only 8 and 7 years old. They have been very patient and helpful with a younger classmate who doesn't know much English. Myong-hyeon has a future as a professional translator! I was really impressed at how attentive they have been as we learned letters and numbers with the younger boy even though they already know all of that. They have also learned how to pray from the missionaries and they argue over who can choose the hymns. The fact that they're excited about singing the hymns makes me happy! Their mom, Nam Hyun-ju, is not yet interested in learning more about the gospel, but I hope that we're building a solid foundation of how she views the church.
Later that day, Sister Yoon and I went to the big cooking competition at the Hogye branch. There were five teams involved in the cooking competition...and the catch was only one member cooked at a time, so when the next member's turn came, he/she didn't know what the last member had done, much less what meal they were cooking! It was a lot of fun. I didn't see the cooking actually going on, because downstairs, at the same time, each of the missionaries had a game room where the members of the teams competed each other in various games. Afterwards, the teams got to eat their own foods, which almost all turned out to be some variation of duk bokki- a super condensed, mashed-up rice that looks like a large white eraser (duk) in spicy red sauce. It's a really common snack in Korea. After the competition, we all watched two inspirational videos together about people that overcame their hardships and are still having fruitful, happy lives. One of the people had no limbs, but doesn't let anything get him down- he said he would't change his condition because that has influenced what he has become. He said that he is happy because he chose to have a positive attitude
and didn't let anything get him down. He is a really good inspirational speaker! Do Ha-youn's mom, Pak Young-mi, said that she found the video very inspiring. We were happy that she could come and hear Brother Jo Hyeon-su's testimony about overcoming our individual obstacles as we make goals. I know that Heavenly Father's plan was meant to help us to become the best we can possibly be. We have so much promise! If we have positive attitudes and work hard, I know we can achieve what we might've thought was impossible. As long as we rely on the Lord and act on our faith, the Lord can work through us to accomplish miracles. Yes, this is definitely a lesson I still need to learn/relearn every day of my mission. But I think it is the most important lesson we can learn. We are meant to be happy. And I know that we can become happy as we follow the Lord and strive to do better each day.
On Sunday, May 23rd, Sister Yoon gave her farewell talk at Bangojin branch because she has to go to Daegu this week. Then we went to the Hogye branch and taught Do Ha-youn the rest of the first lesson after chruch with her brother Gyong-hoon. She seems to be doing well, although we really want her to pray on her own. (It's hard for a 10 year old to remember!) We invited her to pray on her own again, so I hope she remembers!
That night, we had dinner at Kim Yang-hee's house, a sister in the Hogye branch. She invited us, the Hogye elders (Chae Jong-seok & Murray), Gyungju elders (Ballantyne & um..his comp...), Bangojin elders (Bocchino & Moore), plus...Jun Ji-yoon, another single sister (30's) in the branch. So yes, it was a very full house! We had a lot of fun, mostly because the elders decided it would be fun to sing country songs and Disney songs together after dinner. The Koreans, another elder, and I couldn't join in on the country songs but we had fun singing Disney together. The elders remembered SO much more of the song lyrics than I did...which I thought was pretty funny.
On Monday, we had our last district meeting of the transfer with Sisters Culver and Hadden, Elders Wells and Jung Gi-hun, and Elders Bocchino and Moore. Elder Bocchino decided to have Preach My Gospel Jeopardy, which turned out to be a blast! We had to do things like name all the commandments we have to teach in the 4th lesson and remember which church leader said, "Every member a missionary."- Pres. Howard W. Hunter. It might not sound like a lot of fun to you, but we got really into it! Not to brag or anything, but my team "Jung-Pohoh (Elder Jung and I) definitely won! It was really close though! By the way, our team name was "Jung-Pohdoh"
because my name in Korean is "Reen-poh-duh". But since "Poh-doh" means grapes in Korean, I get "Reen-poh-doh!" a lot. Haha!
That afternoon, Sister Yoon and I visited Song Young-ok, a recent convert in the Shinjung branch in Ulsan that Sister Yoon taught last transfer with Sister Hadden. Sister Song was really sweet. She is in her late 50's/60's and joined the church after her daughter, who was less-active for 10 years decided to come back. And now her mom is a member! Sister Yoon was really sad to say goodbye to her too. Aigo, transfers are never fun!
On Tuesday, we met with Lee Ji-yae in the Bangojin branch and were finally able to watch the Restoration video with her! She is amazing. That afternoon, we were supposed to have district proselytng outside, but because it was pouring rain (it's Monsoon season!), we ended up doing district door-to-door proselyting. (Korean is so much more fun- kakahoho!). Sister Yoon and I had a miracle happen. A man invited us into his home and we were able to basically teach him the first lesson, (in answer to his question how our church differs from other churches). We also taught a little about the Word of Wisdom, talked about Moroni's promise, and left a Book of Mormon with him. As we were there, I could feel the Spirit and realized how important it is for us to be able to receive that. This work is not about how well we can teach- it is about how much we allow the Spirit to work through us. This man told us how he knew an American named Jason from an English class that was a member of the church. He had seen missionaries numerous times on the street, but said he never had enough courage to go up and talk to them Did you hear that? He said that he never had enough courage to go up to the missionaries! And the missionaries always think of it the other way around! This man has strong faith in his own church right now, but he was to open to hearing what Sister Yoon and I had to say, and we were so grateful for the opportunity to talk to him. I know the Lord is guiding his work!
Wednesday was a really BIG day. It was training day! For training day, we got to go to Nampo-dong, a big shopping area in Daeshin, my old area when I served in Busan. We practiced proselyting on the subway and outside with the new greenies and had a great experience. While Sister Alcalzar and I worked on a fun proselyting scavenger hunt, we managed to get two contacts and give a Book of Mormon away to a man who said he would read part of it! That night, I found out that I would be training Sister Alcalzar. She is really sweet, from San Diego, and I'm excited to serve with her!
Oh yes, Mom, can you check with Alyse to see how fall housing plans are going? Please make sure something is happening! And I hope Chelsea is enjoying life in Aspen Grove! It sounds like she should have a good summer. I love you all! Have a great week! Thank you so much for all of your support! I am ready to work hard for the last weeks I have left as a missionary!
Love,
Sister Linford
This has been a big week. Last Friday night, Sister Yoon and I got transfer calls...she talked to one of the APs, Elder Pendley, who told her that she had to transfer to Daegu-Sangin/Daemyong wards (my greenie area!). I got a call from President Jennings, which means...I'm training now!! Based on my interview with him earlier this transfer, I pretty much knew it was coming, but now I'm actually doing it! Three sister missionaries (2 Korean, 1 American), and one Korean elder came into the mission this transfer, making up a total of 80 missionaries.
But anyway, we Sister Yoon and I still had a lot that happened before training day came up. On Saturday, May 22, we had our children's English class in the Bangojin area. Actually, before that, we were visiting less-active members' houses, when we ran into a young couple and their son admiring puppies in a pet store window. The wife was Korean and her husband was American, so at first when they waved to us from down the street, I thought it was because they saw another American. But no, as we got closer, Sister Yoon recognized the wife, Kim Lyo-won, as a sister missionary who served in her home ward in Seoul several years ago. What a small world! The couple said they just moved to Korea (Cojae-do) from Provo after the husband graduated from BYU. They were just in Ulsan for a wedding- so it's an amazing coincidence we saw them on the street in little, older Bangojin area! Kim Lyo-won's husband said he served in the Busan mission from 2003-2004 and knew Stephen Ricks from Yorba Linda who served then! Apparently Stephen is in the Air Force now- I figured that you and Casey would want to know that (unless you already do!). Sister Yoon and Kim Lyo-won were so excited to see each other and talk about mission life. I can't say it enough- church member life is small in Korea! I feel like everyone has a connection to some other member somehow.
So then Sister Yoon and I went to English class, which has been going great now that I've started playing games with the little boys like Pictionary and Hangman. Two of the boys, brothers Lee Moon-hyeon and Gwang-hyeon, are really good at English even though they're only 8 and 7 years old. They have been very patient and helpful with a younger classmate who doesn't know much English. Myong-hyeon has a future as a professional translator! I was really impressed at how attentive they have been as we learned letters and numbers with the younger boy even though they already know all of that. They have also learned how to pray from the missionaries and they argue over who can choose the hymns. The fact that they're excited about singing the hymns makes me happy! Their mom, Nam Hyun-ju, is not yet interested in learning more about the gospel, but I hope that we're building a solid foundation of how she views the church.
Later that day, Sister Yoon and I went to the big cooking competition at the Hogye branch. There were five teams involved in the cooking competition...and the catch was only one member cooked at a time, so when the next member's turn came, he/she didn't know what the last member had done, much less what meal they were cooking! It was a lot of fun. I didn't see the cooking actually going on, because downstairs, at the same time, each of the missionaries had a game room where the members of the teams competed each other in various games. Afterwards, the teams got to eat their own foods, which almost all turned out to be some variation of duk bokki- a super condensed, mashed-up rice that looks like a large white eraser (duk) in spicy red sauce. It's a really common snack in Korea. After the competition, we all watched two inspirational videos together about people that overcame their hardships and are still having fruitful, happy lives. One of the people had no limbs, but doesn't let anything get him down- he said he would't change his condition because that has influenced what he has become. He said that he is happy because he chose to have a positive attitude
and didn't let anything get him down. He is a really good inspirational speaker! Do Ha-youn's mom, Pak Young-mi, said that she found the video very inspiring. We were happy that she could come and hear Brother Jo Hyeon-su's testimony about overcoming our individual obstacles as we make goals. I know that Heavenly Father's plan was meant to help us to become the best we can possibly be. We have so much promise! If we have positive attitudes and work hard, I know we can achieve what we might've thought was impossible. As long as we rely on the Lord and act on our faith, the Lord can work through us to accomplish miracles. Yes, this is definitely a lesson I still need to learn/relearn every day of my mission. But I think it is the most important lesson we can learn. We are meant to be happy. And I know that we can become happy as we follow the Lord and strive to do better each day.
On Sunday, May 23rd, Sister Yoon gave her farewell talk at Bangojin branch because she has to go to Daegu this week. Then we went to the Hogye branch and taught Do Ha-youn the rest of the first lesson after chruch with her brother Gyong-hoon. She seems to be doing well, although we really want her to pray on her own. (It's hard for a 10 year old to remember!) We invited her to pray on her own again, so I hope she remembers!
That night, we had dinner at Kim Yang-hee's house, a sister in the Hogye branch. She invited us, the Hogye elders (Chae Jong-seok & Murray), Gyungju elders (Ballantyne & um..his comp...), Bangojin elders (Bocchino & Moore), plus...Jun Ji-yoon, another single sister (30's) in the branch. So yes, it was a very full house! We had a lot of fun, mostly because the elders decided it would be fun to sing country songs and Disney songs together after dinner. The Koreans, another elder, and I couldn't join in on the country songs but we had fun singing Disney together. The elders remembered SO much more of the song lyrics than I did...which I thought was pretty funny.
On Monday, we had our last district meeting of the transfer with Sisters Culver and Hadden, Elders Wells and Jung Gi-hun, and Elders Bocchino and Moore. Elder Bocchino decided to have Preach My Gospel Jeopardy, which turned out to be a blast! We had to do things like name all the commandments we have to teach in the 4th lesson and remember which church leader said, "Every member a missionary."- Pres. Howard W. Hunter. It might not sound like a lot of fun to you, but we got really into it! Not to brag or anything, but my team "Jung-Pohoh (Elder Jung and I) definitely won! It was really close though! By the way, our team name was "Jung-Pohdoh"
because my name in Korean is "Reen-poh-duh". But since "Poh-doh" means grapes in Korean, I get "Reen-poh-doh!" a lot. Haha!
That afternoon, Sister Yoon and I visited Song Young-ok, a recent convert in the Shinjung branch in Ulsan that Sister Yoon taught last transfer with Sister Hadden. Sister Song was really sweet. She is in her late 50's/60's and joined the church after her daughter, who was less-active for 10 years decided to come back. And now her mom is a member! Sister Yoon was really sad to say goodbye to her too. Aigo, transfers are never fun!
On Tuesday, we met with Lee Ji-yae in the Bangojin branch and were finally able to watch the Restoration video with her! She is amazing. That afternoon, we were supposed to have district proselytng outside, but because it was pouring rain (it's Monsoon season!), we ended up doing district door-to-door proselyting. (Korean is so much more fun- kakahoho!). Sister Yoon and I had a miracle happen. A man invited us into his home and we were able to basically teach him the first lesson, (in answer to his question how our church differs from other churches). We also taught a little about the Word of Wisdom, talked about Moroni's promise, and left a Book of Mormon with him. As we were there, I could feel the Spirit and realized how important it is for us to be able to receive that. This work is not about how well we can teach- it is about how much we allow the Spirit to work through us. This man told us how he knew an American named Jason from an English class that was a member of the church. He had seen missionaries numerous times on the street, but said he never had enough courage to go up and talk to them Did you hear that? He said that he never had enough courage to go up to the missionaries! And the missionaries always think of it the other way around! This man has strong faith in his own church right now, but he was to open to hearing what Sister Yoon and I had to say, and we were so grateful for the opportunity to talk to him. I know the Lord is guiding his work!
Wednesday was a really BIG day. It was training day! For training day, we got to go to Nampo-dong, a big shopping area in Daeshin, my old area when I served in Busan. We practiced proselyting on the subway and outside with the new greenies and had a great experience. While Sister Alcalzar and I worked on a fun proselyting scavenger hunt, we managed to get two contacts and give a Book of Mormon away to a man who said he would read part of it! That night, I found out that I would be training Sister Alcalzar. She is really sweet, from San Diego, and I'm excited to serve with her!
Oh yes, Mom, can you check with Alyse to see how fall housing plans are going? Please make sure something is happening! And I hope Chelsea is enjoying life in Aspen Grove! It sounds like she should have a good summer. I love you all! Have a great week! Thank you so much for all of your support! I am ready to work hard for the last weeks I have left as a missionary!
Love,
Sister Linford
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Hi everyone!
So this is crazy...it's almost the end of the transfer! We find out what is going on tomorrow- and it looks like Sister Yoon, my companion has to leave and be another sister's SENIOR companion! She is nervous about it, but I know she'll be great.
The big news this week is we have a new investigator!!! Her name is Do Ha-youn and she is a 10 year old girl in the Hogye branch. She has been coming to church every week with her older brother for 2 years, but hasn't been baptized or taught the lessons. Her older brother was taught and baptized by the missionaries a few years ago. We were happy to visit her yesterday, but were nervous about how to approach her mom about teaching her. It worked out great though! When we got there, her mom (not a member) sat us down and basically said, "My daughter wants to get baptized so you need to teach her!" Wow! Her mom is really straightforward. Sister Yoon and I were so surprised- little need for icebreakers! So we got right down to business and taught Ha-youn the first half of the first lesson. She's not the easiest to teach though! She wanted to know how exactly Christ was resurrected. When we explained why, she said "Yeah I know that. But HOW was He resurrected?" She talked about how she imagined someone just popping up from the ground. I don't know...it may be a little sacriligeous but it was so funny! I don't think she was satisfied with our reply to that...oh well! She also wanted to name all 12 of the original apostles and know who was the prophet following Adam, the first man on Earth (that would be Seth). And she even talked about the two men that were crucified with Christ on the hill. It turns out that she has been studying (no, I'd say absorbing!) a comic book-like version of the Bible. So she knows a lot now! Korea has all kinds of comic book-like books that explain things to kids that they might have no interest in otherwise (historical people, movements, etc.) I'm not one for comic books, but it seems like American kids could definitely benefit from that!
On Monday, we met a new less-active member Yu Hee-jeen, at a bead/jewelrymaking shop where she works. She was really nice and the cool thing is the next day we randomly saw her on the other side of the city at KFC near our house. Two completely different missionary areas! (Shinjung and Bangojin). We were really suprised to see her there...but then we remembered that real people, unlike missionaries, do not need to get permission to go from one area to another...and they can eat wherever they want! Shinjung and Bangojin are both in Ulsan, but Ulsan is the city with the most landmass in Korea. It's huge! Thus...the one hour commute it takes us to get to our areas.
On Tuesday, we were excited to meet with Lee Jee-yae, who has started studying the Book of Mormon with us each week. We hope to introduce her to Yu Hee-jin at the bead shop because they are both singles in the Bangojin branch without strong ties to the other members. I know it's hard to be single in America, but being a single member of the church in Korea in a small branch...is no fun at all! So many young people are either studying in America, in the army (men have to do 2 years of military service), studying somewhere else in Korea, or in Seoul! Or...sadly, less-active. The matchmaker within me wants to pair up all the singles I've met in different areas. But I'm not bold enough for that yet :)
I am sad to be in what might be my last week with Sister Yoon. We've learned a lot from each other over the past 5 weeks! I really am thankful to be serving here in Ulsan. We've had some wonderful experiences with the members and less-active members here. We're getting ready for a cookoff competition that the Hogye branch is having on Saturday. I'll let you know how that goes! I hope that Do Ha-youn's mom can come with her. That would be perfect! I am thankful for the blessings the Lord gives us and am so thankful for the knowledge of the gospel. I am grateful for our Savior. I know He lives, and that it is through his atoning sacrifice that we can live with Him and Heavenly Father again. I love Heavenly Father with all my heart and love all of you too! I love the people here in Korea. They are such kind people!
I have to go!
Love,
Alyssa
So this is crazy...it's almost the end of the transfer! We find out what is going on tomorrow- and it looks like Sister Yoon, my companion has to leave and be another sister's SENIOR companion! She is nervous about it, but I know she'll be great.
The big news this week is we have a new investigator!!! Her name is Do Ha-youn and she is a 10 year old girl in the Hogye branch. She has been coming to church every week with her older brother for 2 years, but hasn't been baptized or taught the lessons. Her older brother was taught and baptized by the missionaries a few years ago. We were happy to visit her yesterday, but were nervous about how to approach her mom about teaching her. It worked out great though! When we got there, her mom (not a member) sat us down and basically said, "My daughter wants to get baptized so you need to teach her!" Wow! Her mom is really straightforward. Sister Yoon and I were so surprised- little need for icebreakers! So we got right down to business and taught Ha-youn the first half of the first lesson. She's not the easiest to teach though! She wanted to know how exactly Christ was resurrected. When we explained why, she said "Yeah I know that. But HOW was He resurrected?" She talked about how she imagined someone just popping up from the ground. I don't know...it may be a little sacriligeous but it was so funny! I don't think she was satisfied with our reply to that...oh well! She also wanted to name all 12 of the original apostles and know who was the prophet following Adam, the first man on Earth (that would be Seth). And she even talked about the two men that were crucified with Christ on the hill. It turns out that she has been studying (no, I'd say absorbing!) a comic book-like version of the Bible. So she knows a lot now! Korea has all kinds of comic book-like books that explain things to kids that they might have no interest in otherwise (historical people, movements, etc.) I'm not one for comic books, but it seems like American kids could definitely benefit from that!
On Monday, we met a new less-active member Yu Hee-jeen, at a bead/jewelrymaking shop where she works. She was really nice and the cool thing is the next day we randomly saw her on the other side of the city at KFC near our house. Two completely different missionary areas! (Shinjung and Bangojin). We were really suprised to see her there...but then we remembered that real people, unlike missionaries, do not need to get permission to go from one area to another...and they can eat wherever they want! Shinjung and Bangojin are both in Ulsan, but Ulsan is the city with the most landmass in Korea. It's huge! Thus...the one hour commute it takes us to get to our areas.
On Tuesday, we were excited to meet with Lee Jee-yae, who has started studying the Book of Mormon with us each week. We hope to introduce her to Yu Hee-jin at the bead shop because they are both singles in the Bangojin branch without strong ties to the other members. I know it's hard to be single in America, but being a single member of the church in Korea in a small branch...is no fun at all! So many young people are either studying in America, in the army (men have to do 2 years of military service), studying somewhere else in Korea, or in Seoul! Or...sadly, less-active. The matchmaker within me wants to pair up all the singles I've met in different areas. But I'm not bold enough for that yet :)
I am sad to be in what might be my last week with Sister Yoon. We've learned a lot from each other over the past 5 weeks! I really am thankful to be serving here in Ulsan. We've had some wonderful experiences with the members and less-active members here. We're getting ready for a cookoff competition that the Hogye branch is having on Saturday. I'll let you know how that goes! I hope that Do Ha-youn's mom can come with her. That would be perfect! I am thankful for the blessings the Lord gives us and am so thankful for the knowledge of the gospel. I am grateful for our Savior. I know He lives, and that it is through his atoning sacrifice that we can live with Him and Heavenly Father again. I love Heavenly Father with all my heart and love all of you too! I love the people here in Korea. They are such kind people!
I have to go!
Love,
Alyssa
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Hi Mom, Dad, and everyone!
Happy late Mother's day! I really enjoyed talking to Mom, Dad, Chelsea, and Christopher on Sunday. It was great! Thank you so much for staying up to talk to me!
Today was a really good P-day! Sister Yoon and I went to the Bangojin area with the other sisters (Sisters Hadden and Culver), the Bangojin elders (Bocchino & Moore), Shinjeong elders (Jung Gi-hon & Wells), and the Hogye elders (Chae Jong-sok & Murray). In Bangojin, we took a bus out to an old elementary school that has been converted into a school museum/ reptile zoo. It was a lot of fun! We spent a couple hours playing with all the reptiles there. Get this- I let them put a huge python around my neck! We felt like we were little kids again- and I held and played with countless snakes, lizards, and turtles. Can you believe it? Conquering little fears- one at a time!
On Tuesday, Sister Yoon and I were excited to meet with Lee Jee-yae again- she is a less-active member in the Bangojin branch who has started coming to English class every Tuesday and now studies the gospel with Sister Yoon and I afterwards. She wants to study the Book of Mormon together from the beginning. We always have a really good time with her! This week we talked about Joseph Smith's testimony of the Book of Mormon and how the Lord helped him to prepare the way for the restoration of the Church. *If you haven't read it in a while, you should read Joseph Smith's testimony at the very beginning of the Book of Mormon (before 1 Nephi)- It's amazing! It really helps investigators and new members understand how exactly we got the Book of Mormon in the first place. We wanted to watch the Restoration video with Lee Jee-yae but ran out of time. Well, at least we have next week! We're really grateful that we have a standing appointment with her. She is so ready and willing to learn. It's the best!
On Wednesday, we had interviews with President Jennings, had a big lunch, and district meeting afterwards. It was a full day! Interviews went well- Sister Yoon is nervous because she probably has to go senior next transfer and she is just in her 2nd transfer right now! We don't want her to go- she and I just got here! But we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks. I really enjoyed talking to Sister Jennings and the other missionaries while President held interviews. She is funny and really intelligent- I always have to make a list about the books she talks about so I can read the later (she was a librarian).
Anyway, I have to go, but tell Brooke and Christopher congratulations on the ballet competition (Brooke) and Wizard of Oz callbacks (Christopher). That's awesome! I'm happy to hear that you and Dad went to a genealogy class at church. I want to work on genealogy when I get home and put the things I learned from my BYU genealogy class to use.
(uh...so long ago! Freshman year!) I talked to Kim Jung-jae, a sister in the Bangojin branch who is the Family History consultant for the Ulsan district. She told me that most Koreans have their family history dating back several generations (which is incredible!). The catch is that the history is recorded in hanja (Chinese characters), plus it's in cursive, so many people can't actually read their family histories. That's where people like Sister Kim Jung-jae come in! I thought that was interesting. Family is such an important part of Korean culture- and it's also the central part of our message as missionaries! It's perfect! I am so grateful to know that families can live together forever with Heavenly Father through temple ordinances. Now that I'm on my mission, I realize now that the family really is at the center of Heavenly Father's plan for us. We weren't sent to Earth alone- we were given parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, all kinds of support for life-- that can extend into the eternities. So yes- I'm actually really excited about getting into genealogy with you when I get back, Mom! It will be fun!
I love you all so much!
Love,
Alyssa
Happy late Mother's day! I really enjoyed talking to Mom, Dad, Chelsea, and Christopher on Sunday. It was great! Thank you so much for staying up to talk to me!
Today was a really good P-day! Sister Yoon and I went to the Bangojin area with the other sisters (Sisters Hadden and Culver), the Bangojin elders (Bocchino & Moore), Shinjeong elders (Jung Gi-hon & Wells), and the Hogye elders (Chae Jong-sok & Murray). In Bangojin, we took a bus out to an old elementary school that has been converted into a school museum/ reptile zoo. It was a lot of fun! We spent a couple hours playing with all the reptiles there. Get this- I let them put a huge python around my neck! We felt like we were little kids again- and I held and played with countless snakes, lizards, and turtles. Can you believe it? Conquering little fears- one at a time!
On Tuesday, Sister Yoon and I were excited to meet with Lee Jee-yae again- she is a less-active member in the Bangojin branch who has started coming to English class every Tuesday and now studies the gospel with Sister Yoon and I afterwards. She wants to study the Book of Mormon together from the beginning. We always have a really good time with her! This week we talked about Joseph Smith's testimony of the Book of Mormon and how the Lord helped him to prepare the way for the restoration of the Church. *If you haven't read it in a while, you should read Joseph Smith's testimony at the very beginning of the Book of Mormon (before 1 Nephi)- It's amazing! It really helps investigators and new members understand how exactly we got the Book of Mormon in the first place. We wanted to watch the Restoration video with Lee Jee-yae but ran out of time. Well, at least we have next week! We're really grateful that we have a standing appointment with her. She is so ready and willing to learn. It's the best!
On Wednesday, we had interviews with President Jennings, had a big lunch, and district meeting afterwards. It was a full day! Interviews went well- Sister Yoon is nervous because she probably has to go senior next transfer and she is just in her 2nd transfer right now! We don't want her to go- she and I just got here! But we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks. I really enjoyed talking to Sister Jennings and the other missionaries while President held interviews. She is funny and really intelligent- I always have to make a list about the books she talks about so I can read the later (she was a librarian).
Anyway, I have to go, but tell Brooke and Christopher congratulations on the ballet competition (Brooke) and Wizard of Oz callbacks (Christopher). That's awesome! I'm happy to hear that you and Dad went to a genealogy class at church. I want to work on genealogy when I get home and put the things I learned from my BYU genealogy class to use.
(uh...so long ago! Freshman year!) I talked to Kim Jung-jae, a sister in the Bangojin branch who is the Family History consultant for the Ulsan district. She told me that most Koreans have their family history dating back several generations (which is incredible!). The catch is that the history is recorded in hanja (Chinese characters), plus it's in cursive, so many people can't actually read their family histories. That's where people like Sister Kim Jung-jae come in! I thought that was interesting. Family is such an important part of Korean culture- and it's also the central part of our message as missionaries! It's perfect! I am so grateful to know that families can live together forever with Heavenly Father through temple ordinances. Now that I'm on my mission, I realize now that the family really is at the center of Heavenly Father's plan for us. We weren't sent to Earth alone- we were given parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, all kinds of support for life-- that can extend into the eternities. So yes- I'm actually really excited about getting into genealogy with you when I get back, Mom! It will be fun!
I love you all so much!
Love,
Alyssa
Hi Mom!
We all got together today to watch Young Women's conference together at the mission home and get to spend P-day together. It's been fun! I got to go to a Buddhist temple nearby (sorry I can't remember the name right now) with Sister Hadden, Sister Olgolvie, and three greenie sisters that just came in this transfer. They are so nice! We had a lot of fun and now we're getting ready to watch Young Women's conference all together and have pizza. It will be good! I was also really excited to see Sister Jung, my companion from Jeju-do. She said her new area in Busan- Goejong/Daeshin/Yeongdo branches (the area that I had to close for sisters when we went to Jeju) is going great! I was excited to talk about the members there with her.
And no, Korea does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but May 5th happens to be a big holiday- Children's Day! Everyone gets work off and goes on picnics or just in general spends time with their families. Last year, we spent the day in the country with the whole stake! This year, we went to a village between Kyongju and Ulsan and had lunch, painted pottery, and played games with the Hogye branch. It was a lot of fun! Sister Yoon and I were excited to get to know the members better and meet a potential investigator. (She is 10 years old, comes to church every Sunday with a relative or something, and hasn't been baptized...plus we met her mom, who is definitely ALSO a potential investigator!) That night, we went to visit a less-active member that the elders said we should focus on, Sister Choi Yoo-jin- and it went great! We got to sit down and talk, with her whole family (her, husband, two young daughters). She is REALLY kind and loved talking about her experience in different wards in the area. She talked about how she knew she needed to act to really have faith, and that right now she just had the belief. We said "yes, that's like a scripture!" And she finished our sentence "in Alma- chapter 32!". So were really excited because she obviously has remembered a lot from the scriptures.
Oh yes, I just remembered... before we went to the country for Children's Day, there was a baptism at the Hogye branch for a girl, Choo Ha-eun (it was her birthday)! The cool thing is her parents asked us to teach her all the lessons before she got baptized, so we taught her all the 4 lessons in 2 days! Her dad is a member of the district presidency, but he fooled us into believing that he was less active the first time we met him!
O yes, Happy late birthday (May 5) Sheri!!!! I love you!
Thanks! I love you so much! Have a great week and Happy early Mother's Day!!
We all got together today to watch Young Women's conference together at the mission home and get to spend P-day together. It's been fun! I got to go to a Buddhist temple nearby (sorry I can't remember the name right now) with Sister Hadden, Sister Olgolvie, and three greenie sisters that just came in this transfer. They are so nice! We had a lot of fun and now we're getting ready to watch Young Women's conference all together and have pizza. It will be good! I was also really excited to see Sister Jung, my companion from Jeju-do. She said her new area in Busan- Goejong/Daeshin/Yeongdo branches (the area that I had to close for sisters when we went to Jeju) is going great! I was excited to talk about the members there with her.
And no, Korea does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but May 5th happens to be a big holiday- Children's Day! Everyone gets work off and goes on picnics or just in general spends time with their families. Last year, we spent the day in the country with the whole stake! This year, we went to a village between Kyongju and Ulsan and had lunch, painted pottery, and played games with the Hogye branch. It was a lot of fun! Sister Yoon and I were excited to get to know the members better and meet a potential investigator. (She is 10 years old, comes to church every Sunday with a relative or something, and hasn't been baptized...plus we met her mom, who is definitely ALSO a potential investigator!) That night, we went to visit a less-active member that the elders said we should focus on, Sister Choi Yoo-jin- and it went great! We got to sit down and talk, with her whole family (her, husband, two young daughters). She is REALLY kind and loved talking about her experience in different wards in the area. She talked about how she knew she needed to act to really have faith, and that right now she just had the belief. We said "yes, that's like a scripture!" And she finished our sentence "in Alma- chapter 32!". So were really excited because she obviously has remembered a lot from the scriptures.
Oh yes, I just remembered... before we went to the country for Children's Day, there was a baptism at the Hogye branch for a girl, Choo Ha-eun (it was her birthday)! The cool thing is her parents asked us to teach her all the lessons before she got baptized, so we taught her all the 4 lessons in 2 days! Her dad is a member of the district presidency, but he fooled us into believing that he was less active the first time we met him!
O yes, Happy late birthday (May 5) Sheri!!!! I love you!
Thanks! I love you so much! Have a great week and Happy early Mother's Day!!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Hi Mom and Dad!
This past week went by really fast! Last Friday, Sister Yoon and I spent an hour of quality time with our Hogye branch mission leader proselyting on the street after our missionary coordination meeting. It was an interesting threesome- Sister Yoon, me, and our former AP,a very confident ward mission leader Brother Jon (Something-something). Needless to say, I was a little intimidated. I learned a lot from about street proselyting!
On Saturday, Sister Yoon and I had the privilege to help a sister in the Bangojin branch make jello for the precise reason that I am American and thus must be pre-disposed to the art of jello-making. I warned her that I had never actually made jello (got me!), but we helped her anyway. And thus I discovered that yes, it is actually ridiculously easy to make jello. And it went over REALLY well at the baptismal service we had that night for a boy in the ward! Everyone was especially fond of the fruit-filled jello (haha!).
On Sunday we were excited to see three really important less-active members come to church in the Bangojin branch. Okay, so one of them already came every other Sunday, but the other two sisters hadn't been in a long time. We were happy to see Lee Ji-yae, a college student who hasn't been coming to church because the sister missionaries haven't been a presence in the branch for a while. Well, Sister Yoon and I are changing THAT! It's hard because we have two areas here and it's hard to split, so we can't be completely supportive of less active members in either branch. I feel bad for Ji-yae because there aren't really other singles in the branch, but Sister Hadden, who serves in a larger branch in the district, wants to get her involved with the district singles. YAY!
On Monday we had Zone Conference in Daegu! It was great- it had been nine months since I was in my greenie area! I was excited because I hadn't been to a Zone Conference in 5 months (that's what happens when you're on an ISLAND with only 5 other missionaries!). We were happy to see other missionaries serving in/around Daegu and Ulsan. We had a really good conference about helping the new "To the Rescue" program work in the branches where we serve. "To the Rescue" is a program introduced by President Monson to help less active members come back to church and find people to teach for the missionaries. We were excited to learn how to work with the leaders to make the program a success.
After the conference, I stayed in Daegu on splits! I had a really good experience working with Sister Crowther
who is serving in the Daemyong/Sangin wards! On Monday, after the conference, a Daemyong bishopric counselor and the elders went shopping with Sister Crowther and I for food for the missionaries. I thought that was so generous of the families in the ward who wanted to give the missionaries food. I am always impressed at how generous the people of Korea are. The missionaries feel bad accepting their tremendous generosity. We are humbled when we think WE are the missionaries and they are the members.
On Tuesday, she and I met with Kim Hyeon-a and her sister Kim Hyeon-ju for lunch. They're both converts from last year in the Sangin ward and I got to teach Hyeon-a before she was baptized! It had been FOREVER since we had seen each other. I really enjoyed seeing them and seeing how they had become a stronger family in the gospel. Everyone in their family was baptized in the past year (one by one), and now their uncle is an investigator! Hyeon-ju is really sweet. They're both so kind! I love and miss working with their family. Their brother, Dae-hyeon, is now a student at BYU!
Then, Sister Crowther and I had Sangin ward mission coordination meeting with the Sangin elders (Elder Ballam and Elder Kemmerer) and the really funny ward mission leader (Brother Jon Jung-shin)- otherwise known as (oori saranghanin songyochekimja- our beloved ward misison leader)- that's the nickname I gave him when I served here as a greenie! He is devoted to missionary work in the ward an is a big help (he used to be the Daegu stake president!). Then, Sister Crowther and I visited Jung Ok-nam, a convert of a few years ago with the Sangin elders. She is really kind to the missionaries and is so cute when she prays! When I served with Sister Young Lee-bin here last year, we used to visit her every week, so I wanted to see her again. She is so cute! She got really excited when I showed her a picture of Sangin ward members from a fireside last year and she got out her magnifying glass so she could see everyone's faces. When she saw herself, she got excited and said, "Harmoni eeda!" (It's Grandmother!). She really wants the elders to be able to teach her sons, so we prayed that they would have the opportunity to teach him.
After that, Sister Crowther and I went to the Daemyong ward area and had dinner with the Daemyong elders (Elder Lee Chan-joon and Elder Matsuura) and a cute family with a baby girl. She has grown a LOT since last year! I am really worried about seeing how big Ruby is when I get back!
Today, we had another sisters' P-day out and went to the Kyung-ju National museum. It is really interesting to see the artifcats they have here that are hundreds of years old! I am especially intrigued by the Buddhas that are here. (Oh yes, I'm still here- we're using the museum's public access computers). Korea has an amazing, rich, LONG cultural history. I can see why the Korean people have so much pride for their country. We've introduced ourselves to LOTS of people here- there's a ship of foreigners that landed for the day at Ulsan, so we got to meet lots of elderly Americans and Europeans. Plus, there are a ton of kids here on field trips! Sister Hadden and I enjoyed talking to an elderly man from America who was familiar with the church in Polynesia. He said his ship docked there once on a Sunday and they couldn't do anything because all the Mormons were resting! Haha! I thought that was pretty funny :)
I can't say enough how grateful I am to be serving here in Korea. I am SO grateful for my amazing companion, Sister Yoon. She is only in her second transfer but you wouldn't know that from talking to her! She has an AMAZING testimony of the gospel and wants to share it with everyone! I also know this gospel is true. I am so thankful for our loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet and that he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God. bear testimony that as we apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon, we will become so much happier. Most importantly, I know the gospel allows us to progress, to learn, to stretch, to do better each day. We are not perfect- but we come closer to Christ as we TRY to grow each day. I bear testimony that we do need to TRY EACH DAY! Our testimony needs continaual nourishment. How can we nourish it? Through study, prayer, and sharing it with others!
Sister Yoon and I are committed to working hard and FINDING INVESTIGATORS for our area! I know if we work diligently everyday, the Lord will bless us. We saw how he blessed our work with less-active members on Sunday!
I just started reading the Book of Mormon again and I love 1 Nephi 9:6. The Lord will HELP us accomplish His work. He has promised us that! It CAN be done!
Oh yes, tell Jocelyn and Jason congratulations on getting married! That's AWESOME!
Oh yes, and I did get Chelsea's email last week. I think that's amazing that she wants to go to the Jerusalem center! Sorry I didn't write back Chelsea- and I just wrote a ridiculously long email so I'll write you back next week!
I love you! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
This past week went by really fast! Last Friday, Sister Yoon and I spent an hour of quality time with our Hogye branch mission leader proselyting on the street after our missionary coordination meeting. It was an interesting threesome- Sister Yoon, me, and our former AP,a very confident ward mission leader Brother Jon (Something-something). Needless to say, I was a little intimidated. I learned a lot from about street proselyting!
On Saturday, Sister Yoon and I had the privilege to help a sister in the Bangojin branch make jello for the precise reason that I am American and thus must be pre-disposed to the art of jello-making. I warned her that I had never actually made jello (got me!), but we helped her anyway. And thus I discovered that yes, it is actually ridiculously easy to make jello. And it went over REALLY well at the baptismal service we had that night for a boy in the ward! Everyone was especially fond of the fruit-filled jello (haha!).
On Sunday we were excited to see three really important less-active members come to church in the Bangojin branch. Okay, so one of them already came every other Sunday, but the other two sisters hadn't been in a long time. We were happy to see Lee Ji-yae, a college student who hasn't been coming to church because the sister missionaries haven't been a presence in the branch for a while. Well, Sister Yoon and I are changing THAT! It's hard because we have two areas here and it's hard to split, so we can't be completely supportive of less active members in either branch. I feel bad for Ji-yae because there aren't really other singles in the branch, but Sister Hadden, who serves in a larger branch in the district, wants to get her involved with the district singles. YAY!
On Monday we had Zone Conference in Daegu! It was great- it had been nine months since I was in my greenie area! I was excited because I hadn't been to a Zone Conference in 5 months (that's what happens when you're on an ISLAND with only 5 other missionaries!). We were happy to see other missionaries serving in/around Daegu and Ulsan. We had a really good conference about helping the new "To the Rescue" program work in the branches where we serve. "To the Rescue" is a program introduced by President Monson to help less active members come back to church and find people to teach for the missionaries. We were excited to learn how to work with the leaders to make the program a success.
After the conference, I stayed in Daegu on splits! I had a really good experience working with Sister Crowther
who is serving in the Daemyong/Sangin wards! On Monday, after the conference, a Daemyong bishopric counselor and the elders went shopping with Sister Crowther and I for food for the missionaries. I thought that was so generous of the families in the ward who wanted to give the missionaries food. I am always impressed at how generous the people of Korea are. The missionaries feel bad accepting their tremendous generosity. We are humbled when we think WE are the missionaries and they are the members.
On Tuesday, she and I met with Kim Hyeon-a and her sister Kim Hyeon-ju for lunch. They're both converts from last year in the Sangin ward and I got to teach Hyeon-a before she was baptized! It had been FOREVER since we had seen each other. I really enjoyed seeing them and seeing how they had become a stronger family in the gospel. Everyone in their family was baptized in the past year (one by one), and now their uncle is an investigator! Hyeon-ju is really sweet. They're both so kind! I love and miss working with their family. Their brother, Dae-hyeon, is now a student at BYU!
Then, Sister Crowther and I had Sangin ward mission coordination meeting with the Sangin elders (Elder Ballam and Elder Kemmerer) and the really funny ward mission leader (Brother Jon Jung-shin)- otherwise known as (oori saranghanin songyochekimja- our beloved ward misison leader)- that's the nickname I gave him when I served here as a greenie! He is devoted to missionary work in the ward an is a big help (he used to be the Daegu stake president!). Then, Sister Crowther and I visited Jung Ok-nam, a convert of a few years ago with the Sangin elders. She is really kind to the missionaries and is so cute when she prays! When I served with Sister Young Lee-bin here last year, we used to visit her every week, so I wanted to see her again. She is so cute! She got really excited when I showed her a picture of Sangin ward members from a fireside last year and she got out her magnifying glass so she could see everyone's faces. When she saw herself, she got excited and said, "Harmoni eeda!" (It's Grandmother!). She really wants the elders to be able to teach her sons, so we prayed that they would have the opportunity to teach him.
After that, Sister Crowther and I went to the Daemyong ward area and had dinner with the Daemyong elders (Elder Lee Chan-joon and Elder Matsuura) and a cute family with a baby girl. She has grown a LOT since last year! I am really worried about seeing how big Ruby is when I get back!
Today, we had another sisters' P-day out and went to the Kyung-ju National museum. It is really interesting to see the artifcats they have here that are hundreds of years old! I am especially intrigued by the Buddhas that are here. (Oh yes, I'm still here- we're using the museum's public access computers). Korea has an amazing, rich, LONG cultural history. I can see why the Korean people have so much pride for their country. We've introduced ourselves to LOTS of people here- there's a ship of foreigners that landed for the day at Ulsan, so we got to meet lots of elderly Americans and Europeans. Plus, there are a ton of kids here on field trips! Sister Hadden and I enjoyed talking to an elderly man from America who was familiar with the church in Polynesia. He said his ship docked there once on a Sunday and they couldn't do anything because all the Mormons were resting! Haha! I thought that was pretty funny :)
I can't say enough how grateful I am to be serving here in Korea. I am SO grateful for my amazing companion, Sister Yoon. She is only in her second transfer but you wouldn't know that from talking to her! She has an AMAZING testimony of the gospel and wants to share it with everyone! I also know this gospel is true. I am so thankful for our loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet and that he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God. bear testimony that as we apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon, we will become so much happier. Most importantly, I know the gospel allows us to progress, to learn, to stretch, to do better each day. We are not perfect- but we come closer to Christ as we TRY to grow each day. I bear testimony that we do need to TRY EACH DAY! Our testimony needs continaual nourishment. How can we nourish it? Through study, prayer, and sharing it with others!
Sister Yoon and I are committed to working hard and FINDING INVESTIGATORS for our area! I know if we work diligently everyday, the Lord will bless us. We saw how he blessed our work with less-active members on Sunday!
I just started reading the Book of Mormon again and I love 1 Nephi 9:6. The Lord will HELP us accomplish His work. He has promised us that! It CAN be done!
Oh yes, tell Jocelyn and Jason congratulations on getting married! That's AWESOME!
Oh yes, and I did get Chelsea's email last week. I think that's amazing that she wants to go to the Jerusalem center! Sorry I didn't write back Chelsea- and I just wrote a ridiculously long email so I'll write you back next week!
I love you! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
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