Monday, June 29, 2009
Hi everyone!First off- Happy birthday/ belated Father's Day Dad!! Time goes by quick. I feel like I was just saying happy birthday to Brooke! Things are going well here. Daegu is getting into monsoon season- which apparently means it will just pour rain at random parts of the day. I heard Michael Jackson died ( but not Farah Fawcett). That was just kind of weird to hear- like when Heath Ledger died. It's not something you expect to hear! Aunt Cheryl mentioned there are violent demonstrations going in Iran- wow, it sounds like things are pretty scary over there right now. It's amazing how the media can revolutionize how people receive information. I hope things make progress over there. How's the North Korea nuclear situation? I haven't heard about that in a while. And, you know, I kind of have a vested interest in that! Korea has definitely benefited from the media. Everyone has a cell phone, mp3 player, etc. I'm not kidding. It's really cute to see elderly people texting or hear their pop song ringtones! I mention them because there are A LOT of elderly people in Daegu. I'm not kidding. It seems like every other person I run into is 60+ years old. And several are 80+ years old! Interesting tidbit. Needless to say, I do a lot of bowing (mostly head-bowing). Anyway, Thursday this week, Sister Lee and I received many blessings. One that is not the most important (but is funny): Food! The Sangin elders get food (not infrequently)from the members but since we have two wards, we don't get a ton. The ward mission leader randomly asked if we needed food this week. We mentioned that we like fruit and he promptly got us melons the next day. When we visited the bishop, he saw the melons and gave us yet another one. Then we got a call from the Relief Society president (she didn't talk to mission leader) who gave us a huge bag of food from the ward. So we're rolling in fruit now!!! We were really thankful to everyone in the ward. We definitely didn't mean to end up with so much! So yes. We were blessed this week. Many other things happened too, but that just showed us how the Lord is looking out for all of us. We are loving the work and feeling so blessed. I love the people here! We truly love them. I love you all! Have a great week!Love,Alyssa
Monday, June 22, 2009
Hello Mom, Dad, and everyone!
Today is the first day of my 3rd transfer! And I'm staying in Daegu with Sister Lee! We're excited! We have a lot we want to do this transfer...get to know the bus routes (we have the subway down), BRT with our members in Sangin and Daemyong, 3 upcoming baptisms (2 scheduled- Hae-meen and Meen-joon, hopefully Sae-un too), try to get a new investigator! I will probably leave next transfer so I have a lot of motivation for this transfer. And I'm quickly leaving greenie status! That's cool that Grandpa Plasterer is in Seoul right now. Does he know Seoul well? I didn't know that he spent time here. How long will he be in Seoul? I got Chelsea's letter a week and a half ago and am sending her a reply today (we only write letters on P-days and I didn't have much time last P-day on account of WooBang land!). I got your birthday card! Thank you everyone! I loved that everyone signed it. I won't lie- I teared up just a bit. I love you all so much! It's funny. I woke up and actually felt older! But it's not weird to say I'm 22 years old because I actually never say that. In Korea, when you're born you are one year old, and every New Year your age changes. So I've been saying I'm 23 years old for three months. That's good! Thinking 22 is old is nonsensical. I'm just getting started! It is kind of scary how time flies though. My birthday was fun. We got together with some missionaries at Mr. Pizza (a coveted missionary treat) and they surprised me with cake. Then it was back to work! We taught Hyun-ah with her brother Dae-hyun and a Sangin member, Han-nah. Wow. Thank goodness for lessons with members! They can share such powerful testimonies of the gospel. It brings a new atmosphere to the lesson! That night, we ran into an investigator Jeen Yoon Ok near her apartment. We didn't even realize we were close by where she lives! When she found out we were on our way to grab sandwiches for dinner, she insisted on treating us and we talked about the Church. Afterwards, we ran into her daughter on our way home. I told Sister Lee that we should just hang out by the apartments/subway stops of people we want to visit. We are ALWAYS running into people when we least expect it! It's funny how a big city can become so small when you're a missionary. We're in our own world, constantly traveling between Sangin and Daemyong. In fact, there's a man who is always selling something on our subway line- going up and down the train with his cart. He knew my trainer and met her and an old companion once, then met me afterwards. It's really funny. Every time I see him now, he says "Hi Reen-poh-duh! How are you doing?" in English and we exchange pleasantries. Wow. That's when you know you LIVE on the subway line. Haha. I'm just thankful we have a subway! Saturday, at the English class in Sangin, I had the opportunity to talk about our beliefs with one of the students. He had a question about the origin of our Church- why we cannot be classified as Protestant, like other churches. Because we were talking in English, I spoke simply (like it would be any different in Korean :) ) and testified of the Restoration of the gospel and Heavenly Father's plan for us with Jesus Christ as our Savior. I realized how important it is to teach simply. And really, the purpose of the gospel is simple! We all can find true happiness and live with our Heavenly Father again. As my companion and I talked with the man, I realized that everyone is searching for happiness. They just don't know where to find it. We propose that we do know where to find it, and then ask people to gain a testimony for themselves through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is so important I really like Ether 12 because it shares many examples of faith from the Book of Mormon. Thank you everyone for your scripture references! I wrote down three from Doctrine and Covenants. Random- I guess I need to study that more! There is so much opportunity for growth as a missionary. Well, I guess it's always there, we just don't see it. Now that I'm on a mission, I want to know everything I can- because, well, sometimes I really need it! Before I took the Bible for granted, but now I want to know all about it. There are so many different Christian churches in Korea, so some people know the Bible VERY well. It's like that in many other places too, but it's a little daunting when you're talking about it in Korean! I'm so thankful for scripture refs between Bible, BOM, and D&C. I think it's interesting to see how Heavenly Father uses the same words, teaches the same principles, throughout all of the scriptures. The gospel really doesn't change! This next transfer should be interesting. There is so much to do. But I'm going to take it one day at a time. Otherwise, it's just overwhelming! That's a big lesson I've learned over the past five months. You can't learn Korean grammar in a day, teach perfectly at the start, never make a mistake. Heck, I make mistakes left and right! But the important thing is that we always try to progress. I think a General Authority said your testimony can never just stay in the same place. It's always either growing or decreasing. I think that can apply in other parts of life too. If everything is just stagnate, something is up. Life can be amazing! We just have to work through the hard part to get there.I love you everyone!
Swim a lot for me!
Love,Alyssa
Today is the first day of my 3rd transfer! And I'm staying in Daegu with Sister Lee! We're excited! We have a lot we want to do this transfer...get to know the bus routes (we have the subway down), BRT with our members in Sangin and Daemyong, 3 upcoming baptisms (2 scheduled- Hae-meen and Meen-joon, hopefully Sae-un too), try to get a new investigator! I will probably leave next transfer so I have a lot of motivation for this transfer. And I'm quickly leaving greenie status! That's cool that Grandpa Plasterer is in Seoul right now. Does he know Seoul well? I didn't know that he spent time here. How long will he be in Seoul? I got Chelsea's letter a week and a half ago and am sending her a reply today (we only write letters on P-days and I didn't have much time last P-day on account of WooBang land!). I got your birthday card! Thank you everyone! I loved that everyone signed it. I won't lie- I teared up just a bit. I love you all so much! It's funny. I woke up and actually felt older! But it's not weird to say I'm 22 years old because I actually never say that. In Korea, when you're born you are one year old, and every New Year your age changes. So I've been saying I'm 23 years old for three months. That's good! Thinking 22 is old is nonsensical. I'm just getting started! It is kind of scary how time flies though. My birthday was fun. We got together with some missionaries at Mr. Pizza (a coveted missionary treat) and they surprised me with cake. Then it was back to work! We taught Hyun-ah with her brother Dae-hyun and a Sangin member, Han-nah. Wow. Thank goodness for lessons with members! They can share such powerful testimonies of the gospel. It brings a new atmosphere to the lesson! That night, we ran into an investigator Jeen Yoon Ok near her apartment. We didn't even realize we were close by where she lives! When she found out we were on our way to grab sandwiches for dinner, she insisted on treating us and we talked about the Church. Afterwards, we ran into her daughter on our way home. I told Sister Lee that we should just hang out by the apartments/subway stops of people we want to visit. We are ALWAYS running into people when we least expect it! It's funny how a big city can become so small when you're a missionary. We're in our own world, constantly traveling between Sangin and Daemyong. In fact, there's a man who is always selling something on our subway line- going up and down the train with his cart. He knew my trainer and met her and an old companion once, then met me afterwards. It's really funny. Every time I see him now, he says "Hi Reen-poh-duh! How are you doing?" in English and we exchange pleasantries. Wow. That's when you know you LIVE on the subway line. Haha. I'm just thankful we have a subway! Saturday, at the English class in Sangin, I had the opportunity to talk about our beliefs with one of the students. He had a question about the origin of our Church- why we cannot be classified as Protestant, like other churches. Because we were talking in English, I spoke simply (like it would be any different in Korean :) ) and testified of the Restoration of the gospel and Heavenly Father's plan for us with Jesus Christ as our Savior. I realized how important it is to teach simply. And really, the purpose of the gospel is simple! We all can find true happiness and live with our Heavenly Father again. As my companion and I talked with the man, I realized that everyone is searching for happiness. They just don't know where to find it. We propose that we do know where to find it, and then ask people to gain a testimony for themselves through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is so important I really like Ether 12 because it shares many examples of faith from the Book of Mormon. Thank you everyone for your scripture references! I wrote down three from Doctrine and Covenants. Random- I guess I need to study that more! There is so much opportunity for growth as a missionary. Well, I guess it's always there, we just don't see it. Now that I'm on a mission, I want to know everything I can- because, well, sometimes I really need it! Before I took the Bible for granted, but now I want to know all about it. There are so many different Christian churches in Korea, so some people know the Bible VERY well. It's like that in many other places too, but it's a little daunting when you're talking about it in Korean! I'm so thankful for scripture refs between Bible, BOM, and D&C. I think it's interesting to see how Heavenly Father uses the same words, teaches the same principles, throughout all of the scriptures. The gospel really doesn't change! This next transfer should be interesting. There is so much to do. But I'm going to take it one day at a time. Otherwise, it's just overwhelming! That's a big lesson I've learned over the past five months. You can't learn Korean grammar in a day, teach perfectly at the start, never make a mistake. Heck, I make mistakes left and right! But the important thing is that we always try to progress. I think a General Authority said your testimony can never just stay in the same place. It's always either growing or decreasing. I think that can apply in other parts of life too. If everything is just stagnate, something is up. Life can be amazing! We just have to work through the hard part to get there.I love you everyone!
Swim a lot for me!
Love,Alyssa
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hi everyone!
Wow- this is the last week of the transfer. Time is flying by! I feel like Sister Lee and I just became companions! We really want to stay together in Daegu next transfer. A few of our investigators are really close to baptism- they are so good! One is a middle school student and the others are elementary school students. They all have family ties in the church and come to church every week with their family members (their uncles). It's amazing to see how much they learn from Primary, Young Women's, and Sunday School! Hae-meen and Meen-joon are brother and sister. The other girl is Sae-un, who I mentioned before. Hopefully I'll be writing more about them later!
On Thursday this last week Sister Lee and I had an opportunity to go to a traditional Korean music concert with another investigator. It was really cool! At first the music was hypnotic (and a teeny bit boring) and I started getting sleepy. But later on, they had some amazing dance numbers with drums and other things like that. So that helped wake me up! It was a fun cultural experience and a good way to bond with Jeen-Yoon Ohk.
Yesterday, a member asked Sister Lee and I a question that I'm still pondering about today. She asked us how she could find happiness. Where do you begin with that? We share that message every day- that we have the way to find happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ. But as we talked with this member yesterday, I realized that we are working with real people who have real lives. Missionaries come in and out, but these people continue on in their own lives. We want the changes people make in their lives to last. Everyone wants to find happiness. But it can't come through a job, through getting married, through finishing school. All these things are just markers in life. They cannot be the markers of happiness.
Receiving baptism is just part of the conversion process. After someone is baptized, they do not automatically find their purpose in life and are forever happy. Finding your purpose in God's plan takes time and effort. It requires sincere prayer, scripture study, and trying your best to become involved in the Church. When the member asked me how I found happiness before my mission, I first responded that sometimes I look back on a time period and think, "Wow. I was happy then!" But at the time, I didn't necessarily always feel spectacular. In fact, that was hardly the case. Sometimes things went wrong. I didn't always feel good. But I told the member that honestly, the times when I was the happiest were when I cared about others and tried to be their friend. I was happiest when I tried to follow the Lord. (In fact that applies now too!) We talked about that with the member for a while. Since she is going through a hard time, we talked about the true meaning of happiness.
Honestly, I don't know where I would be without the gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us hope that we can be eternally HAPPY- isn't that what everyone wants? Everyone has frailties, everyone has weaknesses. I recognized that yesterday, when someone who seemed so strong-minded quietly asked us that question. Through the gospel, we can overcome those weaknesses. The Atonement of Jesus Christ will help us to bypass all that. I know this is why we're sharing the gospel. We all need an extra boost. EVERYONE needs to know that there is someone out there who loves them, that they have a place in this life. We are all brothers and sisters. We can all help each other to find that happiness in our own lives. And if the person seeking happiness doesn't have the gospel, we can share it with them. That's why I'm here!
I'm so thankful for that experience yesterday. I hope the member can find strength from the Lord as she continues her search for happiness. I am thankful for prophets in the scriptures, for modern-day prophets, all who can help us to find our place in life. I am thankful for prayer because I know the Lord loves us and will help us when we humbly and sincerely ask Him.
Things are going well. I AM happy! Yesterday just put me in a pensive mood. But don't worry, it won't last for long. We're going to Woo Bong land today! I am way excited. It's going to be so much fun! So yes. Things are going well. I will continue trying to be a better missionary. Thinking about others is SO much better than thinking about yourself. Just don't get too worried about them!
Love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
Wow- this is the last week of the transfer. Time is flying by! I feel like Sister Lee and I just became companions! We really want to stay together in Daegu next transfer. A few of our investigators are really close to baptism- they are so good! One is a middle school student and the others are elementary school students. They all have family ties in the church and come to church every week with their family members (their uncles). It's amazing to see how much they learn from Primary, Young Women's, and Sunday School! Hae-meen and Meen-joon are brother and sister. The other girl is Sae-un, who I mentioned before. Hopefully I'll be writing more about them later!
On Thursday this last week Sister Lee and I had an opportunity to go to a traditional Korean music concert with another investigator. It was really cool! At first the music was hypnotic (and a teeny bit boring) and I started getting sleepy. But later on, they had some amazing dance numbers with drums and other things like that. So that helped wake me up! It was a fun cultural experience and a good way to bond with Jeen-Yoon Ohk.
Yesterday, a member asked Sister Lee and I a question that I'm still pondering about today. She asked us how she could find happiness. Where do you begin with that? We share that message every day- that we have the way to find happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ. But as we talked with this member yesterday, I realized that we are working with real people who have real lives. Missionaries come in and out, but these people continue on in their own lives. We want the changes people make in their lives to last. Everyone wants to find happiness. But it can't come through a job, through getting married, through finishing school. All these things are just markers in life. They cannot be the markers of happiness.
Receiving baptism is just part of the conversion process. After someone is baptized, they do not automatically find their purpose in life and are forever happy. Finding your purpose in God's plan takes time and effort. It requires sincere prayer, scripture study, and trying your best to become involved in the Church. When the member asked me how I found happiness before my mission, I first responded that sometimes I look back on a time period and think, "Wow. I was happy then!" But at the time, I didn't necessarily always feel spectacular. In fact, that was hardly the case. Sometimes things went wrong. I didn't always feel good. But I told the member that honestly, the times when I was the happiest were when I cared about others and tried to be their friend. I was happiest when I tried to follow the Lord. (In fact that applies now too!) We talked about that with the member for a while. Since she is going through a hard time, we talked about the true meaning of happiness.
Honestly, I don't know where I would be without the gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us hope that we can be eternally HAPPY- isn't that what everyone wants? Everyone has frailties, everyone has weaknesses. I recognized that yesterday, when someone who seemed so strong-minded quietly asked us that question. Through the gospel, we can overcome those weaknesses. The Atonement of Jesus Christ will help us to bypass all that. I know this is why we're sharing the gospel. We all need an extra boost. EVERYONE needs to know that there is someone out there who loves them, that they have a place in this life. We are all brothers and sisters. We can all help each other to find that happiness in our own lives. And if the person seeking happiness doesn't have the gospel, we can share it with them. That's why I'm here!
I'm so thankful for that experience yesterday. I hope the member can find strength from the Lord as she continues her search for happiness. I am thankful for prophets in the scriptures, for modern-day prophets, all who can help us to find our place in life. I am thankful for prayer because I know the Lord loves us and will help us when we humbly and sincerely ask Him.
Things are going well. I AM happy! Yesterday just put me in a pensive mood. But don't worry, it won't last for long. We're going to Woo Bong land today! I am way excited. It's going to be so much fun! So yes. Things are going well. I will continue trying to be a better missionary. Thinking about others is SO much better than thinking about yourself. Just don't get too worried about them!
Love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Hi Mom and Dad!
It was so nice to hear from you! It sounds like you had a really exciting week. I can just imagine you, Grandma, Brooke, and Ruby. Does Grandma call Ruby "the baby"? Haha- just like the old days!
That's scary that a few missionaries got the swine flu- at the MTC? A couple of people here said they were worried about the missionaries who just came from the MTC (like me), but I clarified I was in Korea BEFORE the outbreak. That's an important distinction!
And we have gone to Parade of Homes before. Remember? With Jenn and her mom and grandma. Those homes are huge! Nothing like that in Korea!!! Everyone lives in apartments.
Speaking of Korea, my companion and I went to a shiksa yesterday at a ward member's apartment. As we chatted with her family and another random lady in the ward, random people from the ward started showing up at the front door. People were coming in with other people's kids and I was so confused- it was a continuous stream of people for 10 minutes! It turns out the shiksa included about 10-12 families from the ward. That apartment was filled to the brim! The bishop has 9 active kids- so they caused a lot of excitement when they showed up. We ate on the floor traditional style (we do that at most shiksas). The men all ate in the living room, some of the women in the master bedroom, the kids in another bedroom, and the rest of the women in the kitchen. It was really fun! It was funny to see the cultural differences too. As soon as the prayer was over, all the men rushed the food table. I laughed and told my companion about "ladies first" in America as we got in line behind them. I miss that about the MTC! The shiksa felt like a big family reunion- all the kids had a lot of fun together.
Well I have to go! We're having a shiksa today with my companion's recent convert.
Love you!
Love,
Alyssa
It was so nice to hear from you! It sounds like you had a really exciting week. I can just imagine you, Grandma, Brooke, and Ruby. Does Grandma call Ruby "the baby"? Haha- just like the old days!
That's scary that a few missionaries got the swine flu- at the MTC? A couple of people here said they were worried about the missionaries who just came from the MTC (like me), but I clarified I was in Korea BEFORE the outbreak. That's an important distinction!
And we have gone to Parade of Homes before. Remember? With Jenn and her mom and grandma. Those homes are huge! Nothing like that in Korea!!! Everyone lives in apartments.
Speaking of Korea, my companion and I went to a shiksa yesterday at a ward member's apartment. As we chatted with her family and another random lady in the ward, random people from the ward started showing up at the front door. People were coming in with other people's kids and I was so confused- it was a continuous stream of people for 10 minutes! It turns out the shiksa included about 10-12 families from the ward. That apartment was filled to the brim! The bishop has 9 active kids- so they caused a lot of excitement when they showed up. We ate on the floor traditional style (we do that at most shiksas). The men all ate in the living room, some of the women in the master bedroom, the kids in another bedroom, and the rest of the women in the kitchen. It was really fun! It was funny to see the cultural differences too. As soon as the prayer was over, all the men rushed the food table. I laughed and told my companion about "ladies first" in America as we got in line behind them. I miss that about the MTC! The shiksa felt like a big family reunion- all the kids had a lot of fun together.
Well I have to go! We're having a shiksa today with my companion's recent convert.
Love you!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, June 1, 2009
Hey everyone!
Daegu is starting to get HOT. But not wet. Yet! There is more to come. Today my big P-day trip was going to Costco with Sister Lee to get pizza. I kid you not. Some of the elders met up to buy a bunch of junk food, but we couldn't really think of something to buy that we wouldn't regret later. (Sisters are a bit more picky about the food we keep at home!).
On Saturday, we taught Hyun-a as usual after English class. The next day, I saw her brother at church (they go to different wards)and he said they talked about faith and read scriptures together and prayed! I was so happy to hear that she is applying what we are talking about at home.
Today, something exciting happened at Costco. I ran into a French woman on the escalator! A couple was in front of us (obviously not Korean), so I said hi. They said hi back and continued talking...I realized it wasn't English...and then that it was French! So I garnered my courage and said "Parlez-vous Francais?" She was really suprised and asked if I was from Canada. (Probably because I'm obviously not French). I couldn't say much, just basically that I can't speak French well because I speak Korean all the time. But still, it was a great experience! She and the man (I think he was American) are teachers here.
It reminded me of my second week here. A foreigner sat next to me on the subway. I asked if he was American, and he said no- Spaniard. He also said he coudn't speak much English and no Korean. But he muttered something about French and I said, "Wait, I know some French!" It was really cool. I told him that I was a missionary and we talked about the Church in Korea, Spain, France, and the U.S. What are the chances?? There I was in Korea speaking French with a Spaniard. Amazing!
Anyway, I have to go! Love you all! This summer will be great!
Love,
Alyssa
Daegu is starting to get HOT. But not wet. Yet! There is more to come. Today my big P-day trip was going to Costco with Sister Lee to get pizza. I kid you not. Some of the elders met up to buy a bunch of junk food, but we couldn't really think of something to buy that we wouldn't regret later. (Sisters are a bit more picky about the food we keep at home!).
On Saturday, we taught Hyun-a as usual after English class. The next day, I saw her brother at church (they go to different wards)and he said they talked about faith and read scriptures together and prayed! I was so happy to hear that she is applying what we are talking about at home.
Today, something exciting happened at Costco. I ran into a French woman on the escalator! A couple was in front of us (obviously not Korean), so I said hi. They said hi back and continued talking...I realized it wasn't English...and then that it was French! So I garnered my courage and said "Parlez-vous Francais?" She was really suprised and asked if I was from Canada. (Probably because I'm obviously not French). I couldn't say much, just basically that I can't speak French well because I speak Korean all the time. But still, it was a great experience! She and the man (I think he was American) are teachers here.
It reminded me of my second week here. A foreigner sat next to me on the subway. I asked if he was American, and he said no- Spaniard. He also said he coudn't speak much English and no Korean. But he muttered something about French and I said, "Wait, I know some French!" It was really cool. I told him that I was a missionary and we talked about the Church in Korea, Spain, France, and the U.S. What are the chances?? There I was in Korea speaking French with a Spaniard. Amazing!
Anyway, I have to go! Love you all! This summer will be great!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, May 25, 2009
Hi Mom and Dad!
I love hearing from you! I am sending you a letter today with a few pictures. Let's see when you get it! Sounds like things are going well in Utah. It's starting to get really hot in Daegu, which means there are worse things to come (Daegu is the hottest city in Korea, and it's only May!) We did have a couple of days (a week apart) when it just poured rain all day. The weather was cool, but I think it was just setting us up for a lot of heat!
Mom, your family picture sounds like fun, and I'll try to have someone take a picture of me, but do you have to photoshop me in? I've never been a fan of the missionary photoshopped pictures. No matter what you do, it's not going to look right! I think it's okay for Christmas pictures, but are you planning to hang it over the fireplace? I was planning on sending you a CD anyway, so I'll put it on there.
It sounds like Chris had a great soccer season and Dad is having fun with his baseball team. You better save Casey's court appearance for me! Haha...that's funny.
Things are going well here. I can't believe another week went by! This transfer is going by really fast. My goal is to speak more Korean with my companion because (1) well, she's...Korean, (2) I'm IN Korea, and (3) That's what I'm called to do! It's not that I haven't been speaking Korean, it's just that Sister Lee speaks pretty good English so it's easy to lapse into English. Konglish is kind of fun, unfortunately, but I'm going to push the Korean. It's fun to learn new words and see it on a sign or hear it the same day. It makes me more motivated to learn other things! Especially so I can participate more in conversations and teaching people.
Yesterday Sister Lee and I had an interesing experience while kaka-hoho-ing. (That means tracting door-to-door.) A lot of times, people don't even open their front doors. They just yell who's there and open the door if they know you or want to hear what you have to say. So, we have to make the gospel sound as interesting as possible in 5 seconds. Ha! At one door, an artsy guy opened the door, listened to my companion's intro, then shut it. I wasn't surprised, and was turning around to leave, but my companion said he wanted to talk to us more. I was so surprised! I found out after our brief conversation with him that he told Sister Lee that he wanted to come to our church. He had researched the Mormon church online and was surprised to find out that we had churches in Daegu! We gave him a Book of Mormon and pamphlet about the Restoration. We were so happy! That almost never happens!
That reminded me that you never know who will be interested in the gospel. This guy seemed a little intimidating, but he had a sincere desire to know more about our message. I'm so grateful we went kaka-hoho-ing at his building. Who knows if anyone would have found him otherwise?
I love this gospel and find the strength to share it with others as I study it everyday. I am so thankful for experiences that make us excited about missionary work. After we met that man, my companion and I were so happy and talked to every person we ran into after that! (after we left the building). I know through focusing on others we can truly serve the Lord and find the happiness we seek. I am definitely learning that as I've been here! Life is not perfect, but we can make the most out of it anyway.
Well I love you all! I have to go!
Love,
Alyssa
I love hearing from you! I am sending you a letter today with a few pictures. Let's see when you get it! Sounds like things are going well in Utah. It's starting to get really hot in Daegu, which means there are worse things to come (Daegu is the hottest city in Korea, and it's only May!) We did have a couple of days (a week apart) when it just poured rain all day. The weather was cool, but I think it was just setting us up for a lot of heat!
Mom, your family picture sounds like fun, and I'll try to have someone take a picture of me, but do you have to photoshop me in? I've never been a fan of the missionary photoshopped pictures. No matter what you do, it's not going to look right! I think it's okay for Christmas pictures, but are you planning to hang it over the fireplace? I was planning on sending you a CD anyway, so I'll put it on there.
It sounds like Chris had a great soccer season and Dad is having fun with his baseball team. You better save Casey's court appearance for me! Haha...that's funny.
Things are going well here. I can't believe another week went by! This transfer is going by really fast. My goal is to speak more Korean with my companion because (1) well, she's...Korean, (2) I'm IN Korea, and (3) That's what I'm called to do! It's not that I haven't been speaking Korean, it's just that Sister Lee speaks pretty good English so it's easy to lapse into English. Konglish is kind of fun, unfortunately, but I'm going to push the Korean. It's fun to learn new words and see it on a sign or hear it the same day. It makes me more motivated to learn other things! Especially so I can participate more in conversations and teaching people.
Yesterday Sister Lee and I had an interesing experience while kaka-hoho-ing. (That means tracting door-to-door.) A lot of times, people don't even open their front doors. They just yell who's there and open the door if they know you or want to hear what you have to say. So, we have to make the gospel sound as interesting as possible in 5 seconds. Ha! At one door, an artsy guy opened the door, listened to my companion's intro, then shut it. I wasn't surprised, and was turning around to leave, but my companion said he wanted to talk to us more. I was so surprised! I found out after our brief conversation with him that he told Sister Lee that he wanted to come to our church. He had researched the Mormon church online and was surprised to find out that we had churches in Daegu! We gave him a Book of Mormon and pamphlet about the Restoration. We were so happy! That almost never happens!
That reminded me that you never know who will be interested in the gospel. This guy seemed a little intimidating, but he had a sincere desire to know more about our message. I'm so grateful we went kaka-hoho-ing at his building. Who knows if anyone would have found him otherwise?
I love this gospel and find the strength to share it with others as I study it everyday. I am so thankful for experiences that make us excited about missionary work. After we met that man, my companion and I were so happy and talked to every person we ran into after that! (after we left the building). I know through focusing on others we can truly serve the Lord and find the happiness we seek. I am definitely learning that as I've been here! Life is not perfect, but we can make the most out of it anyway.
Well I love you all! I have to go!
Love,
Alyssa
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