Hi Mom, Dad, and everyone!
Yet another week has gone by. Wow, it's always fast! I'm writing in the afternoon again, but sometimes we have to check in the morning (after 10:30 am in Korea on Mondays), so yeah. I don't know what happens between when you write and I get it, but just leave plenty of room for me to get it! Thanks!!!Anyway, this week, on Wednesday, we had zone conference in Kimhae. It was really good. Our zone leaders, Sprosty and Shumway, initiated a round table discussion (minus the table, as they pointed out :) ) about how we visit the members in our areas. A big part of the missionary work we do is building up our areas, especially now that we serve in branches that range from small to mid-size. That means we spend time each week visiting less active members. We talked about how important it is to work with the branch presidencies, members in the ward, and the people we meet, so that everyone can build good relationships with each other.

The next day, we spent a few hours in Sheenpyung (an area in the Gwaejong branch)trying to visit members. (we love saying that name because it sounds Chinese to us. Sheenpyung! Sheenpyung!) I say "trying to" because it was so hard to find the addresses! The area is full of alley markets with people selling seafood, fruit, and other things, coupled with alleys filled to the brim with apartments. Needless to say, it's not the easiest place to get around. We were able to leave message cards at a few apartments though, because no one was home. Or else, in one case, the member had moved. Sad day!

We still haven't been able to get permission from Su-hyun's mother for baptism, but the member who knows her mom thinks everything will be okay. She is going to talk to her about it. Yong Soon-Young came to church in Daesheen yesterday! It worked out well because I gave a talk on prayer that day in the Daesheen branch. She stayed the whole time and for lunch afterwards. I'm excited for her lesson on Tuesday to see how she felt about church. She has been a couple of times, but as yet she hasn't felt ready to commit to coming every week. Maybe that will change this week!

I love you all and am so grateful for your support! I hope all is going well at home. Enjoy conference! I'm excited to see it in two weeks here (we watch it in English).I love you!Love,Alyssa

Monday, September 21, 2009
This week we were able to meet with Kim Su-hyun's friend Jo Min-Jung after English class on Saturday. We were excited because Jo Min-Jung has started coming to church and mutual with Su-hyun every Sat/Sun. Hopefully she'll want to continue the lessons with us! We taught Yong-Soon Young some of the commandments on Friday and it went well! We were nervous because one of the commandments was...chastity. Osekheyo! (Awkward) But she took the lesson very well. Thank goodness! We committed her to coming to church next week because I have to give a talk in the Daeshin branch! It's on prayer, so that shouldn't be toooo hard to prepare. I'm still nervous though! In the Youngdo branch last Monday we had the BEST activity for Family Home Evening. (They hold a Family Home Evening at the church every Monday). We wrote the names of people from the scriptures on post-its and stuck them to their foreheads. Then we had to figure out who we were by asking yes/no questions. It was hilarious! There was one member who had "Emma Smith" stuck to his forehead. No one could look at him without laughing! I loved watching the branch president try to help one of the elders figure out he was "Laban." He finally pretended to cut his throat, and then Elder Ballam shouted, "Laban!" It was a lot of fun. I'm excited for this next week. We just keep moving forward! I love you all! Have a great week- and remember, every little thing you do to change your life can make a difference.
The Lord is mindful of everyone, and He will always listen to your prayers and help you find your way.
Love you!
Love,Alyssa

Hi Mom!
Wow! Sounds like you all had a really fun week! And Chelsea must be having an awesome time at BYU- going to Bear Lake, bringing people to the pool, etc! That's great! Send everyone my love! I wrote Chelsea and Casey emails last week but haven't heard from them yet (hint hint). I'm also sending Chelsea a letter this week.
Things are going well with Yong Soon-Young. She doesn't want to commit to coming to church yet, but we hope conference next month will help her to change her mind. She loved a talk we showed her by Pres. Monson!
We still haven't gotten permission from Su-hyun's mom for baptism, but the YW presidency is going to talk with her and maybe visit her with us. One of the members is her mom's friend, so I think she'll have a better influence than we would.
We had an awesome combined zone P-Day last week- two zones went to Haeoondae Beach! It was fun to relax and talk to other missionaries on the sand. We got our feet wet, but that's it! A lot of the elders played football, and one of my comps played too, but she said they never passed the ball to her. Boo! I just enjoyed chatting with people by the water and playing with the sand a little bit. It was great!
Today is the first day of my fifth transfer- and I'm still with Sis. Beckstead and Sis. Musser! We're excited to serve together again. We LOVE our branches- the Gwaejong branch is amazing! They have an awesome youth/singles program and do seminary, English class, mutual, and singles meeting---all on Saturday! Korean kids are really busy during the week with school and hogwan (academy- usually English or math), so Saturday is the day of Church activities! Su-hyun always comes to mutual on Saturday, and it's great to see how the ward welcomes her in! She might as well be a member- on Saturday, they talked about preparing for the temple at mutual. She knows she needs to be baptized, but she also knows that she can still pray, read her scriptures, and come to church each Sunday. It's awesome! We love Su-hyun and pray that her mom's heart will be changed.
On Friday, we had a shiksa (meal) with the Daesheen Harmoni. Daesheen is one of the branches we serve in and Harmoni is Korean for grandmother. They call older women "harmoni" or "grandmother" in Korean. The Daesheen Harmoni is infamous for inviting the missionaries over frequently for shiksas and stuffing them to the brim! There are photos of missionaries all over her walls and in several photo albums. She used to be the cook for some of the past mission presidents, so she LOVES the missionaries. A little too much, you might say! On Friday, she served huge platters of bulgogi (beef), big potatoes, sweet potates, tomatoes, pineapples, apples, and rice. I've been avoiding beef (for my stomach), but I ate everything else. The poor elders, though (we were with four) got loaded down with food! The Daesheen Harmoni loves one in particular, Elder Bloomfield, so he and his companion, Elder Murray, had to eat a TON of food. They literally had to lick the massive plate of bulgogi clean, along with several huge servings of rice and potatoes. Seriously. I've never seen ANYONE fuller than Elder Murray! And still, after we ate all that, she pulled out melon ice cream bars.
The Daesheen Harmoni is really sweet though, and I'm grateful for the opportunity we had to get to know her at her house. She is getting older, but it is apparent her love for the missionaries is still strong as ever. She is so nice! We appreciated the experience...and ended up skipping dinner that night!
Well, I should go. We're going to Family Home Evening group at Youngdo branch tonight and we have the activity! It will be fun.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Have fun in San Diego next month!!!

Love,
Alyssa

Hi everyone!

I hope you're enjoying the beginning of school/fall/anything else! I forgot to say thank you earlier for the letters from the Linford family reunion. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! That meant a lot to me. I loved the pictures too- it looks like everyone had a blast!
This week I got a letter from my friend Alyse, serving in Brazil with some amazing news...apparently her sister Jocelyn is engaged to Jason Thomas (Mom- Michael's younger brother). They plan to marry next April! That blew my mind. I still remember them as we were in high school. And when I get back they'll be married! I'm so happy for them!
This week, we made amazing progress with Yong Soon-Young, one of our investigators. (She has met with missionaries off and on for a long time.) I was on splits in a different branch, but Sis. Musser and Sis. Beckstead said church went really well. It was Fast Sunday, and they said the testimonies were just what Yong Soon-Young needed to hear! We love teaching Soon-Young and seeing how she progresses. She loves the scriptures and *yohrsheemee* (diligently) studies them- like she is in Institute or something! We are excited for her to see General Conference next month so she can hear from the leaders of the Church today.
We're also excited about Kim Su-Hyun, our 15 year old investigator. She might as well already be a member- she comes to everything and everyone loves her, but she needs permission from her mom to be baptized. If all goes well, we'll be able to meet with her mom this week and tell her more about the church. Su-Hyun's mom already knows she goes to church, but Su-Hyun is a little worried about asking for her permission. Sound familiar? It's very similar to a situation with Sae-un that I had in Daegu. Hopefully, Su-Hyun's mom's heart will be opened and she'll allow her daughter to be baptized.

Anyway, I love all of you so much! Oh yes, Happy birthday Chelsea!!! (For Sept. 4th). Wow, I can't believe you're already 19 years old!

Have a great week everyone!

Love,
Alyssa

P.S. Mom I haven't gotten your email yet, but I'll check back later today. Love you! :)

Hi Mom and Dad!
This week, we had a great lesson with Yong Soon-Young, one of our investigators. We had already asked her to come to church two weeks ago but she declined. She was really nervous about being the "new person" at church. This week, we wanted to ask her again as we taught her about faith and repentance. My companion, Sister Beckstead, asked her boldly if she would reconsider coming to church. At first, Yong Soon-Young was apprehensive and seemed like she would say no. But when I assured her that she didn't need to commit to coming every week, just at least once, she said yes! Of course, we would like her to come every week...but when she is ready. We are really excited for her to come next week (she has something else this Sunday) because the last time she came to church was two years ago. (She has been meeting with the missionaries off and on during that time.) In the past month, we have seen Yong Soon-Young progress so much. She really STUDIES the scriptures and is seeking for answers. She is beginning to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and we are excited for her to meet more people who have gained that testimony as well. We have taught her about the sacrament and want her to see how important that is at church.
It's always amazing to see the little miracles in our experiences. I have gained a testimony that EVERYTHING comes one step at a time. Sometimes, we want to jump across everything and reach our goal right then, but then we wouldn't be able to learn along the way. This can apply to anything- in the gospel, in our lives, learning a language (ahem, Korean!). Learning the gospel comes "Line upon line, precept upon precept..." (Okay, I don't remember the scripture reference!)
Dad, thank you for your email. I'll ask the elders at the next transfer day if they know Moon Tae Gyu. That would be great if they did!
Oh yes. I have a great story! On Saturday, the missionaries in the Gwaejong branch went to the beach for a singles/youth activity. It was my first time to the beach since Jackie Roylance's wedding in Jan. 2008! Needless to say, I was ecstatic. We had a wonderful time bonding with the ward, our investigator Su-hyun, and the elders' investigators. At one point, we went over to the rocks to look for tidepools. While we were over there we saw a waygookeen (foreigner) picking up shells. We started talking to him and found out that HE is from Yorba Linda like me! He's in his early 30's, maybe? He is in Korea teaching English. His name is Mike Thompson and he asked if I knew the Daltons. I told him that my cousin married Johnny Dalton! Then, he asked if I knew the Linfords. I stopped and stared. I said I WAS a Linford!!! It was so funny. His family is in the Yorba Linda 2nd ward, so he is familiar with Uncle Mike's family. He took institute classes from Uncle Mike! He is less active in the church right now, but I can tell that his experience in the Fullerton 8th singles ward and at institute had a big impact on him. He lighted up when he talked about Uncle Mike and the families in the Yorba Linda 2nd ward (unfortunately in the other stake- so I failed the rest of the name game. Haha!).
I couldn't BELIEVE that I ran into a member of the church, from Yorba Linda, while looking for shells on the beach in Pusan, Korea during a branch activity. As a missionary! When things like this happen, I'm 99.9% sure there is no such thing as coincidences. EVERYTHING happens for a reason!
Anyway, I have to go but I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Love,
Alyssa

August 18, 2009.
It was just a regular Tuesday. Kind of. Sister Musser, Sister Beckstead and I went to the post office to check for some much-awaited mail. A regular stream of cars flowed up and down the street. Nothing particularly unusual. Sadly, the mail hadn't come yet. As we stepped back into the sunlight, we were about to cross the street when five 70 year old men all blew their whistles at us. Then we took a look around- ALL the cars had disappeared. Everything was still. No pedestrians crossing the street, no cars driving by, just these elderly men with armbands standing at prescribed locations on the street with their whistles ready. Needless to say, we were just a BIT confused. Luckily, we ran into Elder Kim (from America) and Elder Draper who were walking to the post office.
So we found out that on August 18th, all of South Korea clears the streets for 15-30 minutes in the morning to practice for war with North Korea. No, I am NOT making this up! An ambulance zoomed down the street but nothing else was allowed to go down the street. Even an old man driving down the street in his wheelchair-scooter thing had to pull over. Sis. Musser, Sis. Beckstead, and I were really intrigued by the whole situation. All of a sudden, we remembered that there is a fairly unstable communist country just to the north of us. Not that'd we forgotten, it was just a, ahem, SUBTLE reminder.
So that was probably the most exciting thing that happened this week! Sister Beckstead and I also went on splits with Sister Hill, our sisters’ coordinator. She also happens to be my good friend Alyse Smith's cousin! (Alyse is serving a mission in Brazil). It's a smaaall world out here in the mission field! We had a really good experience together meeting with an investigator who Sister Beckstead had taught in a previous area. She seemed so happy when I first met her, but we realized as we talked to her that there was much beneath the surface that at first glance you wouldn't notice. It showed me that everyone is an iceberg. That's why getting to know people is so important in missionary work. In order to help people with their concerns, we have to gain their trust so we can actually KNOW who they are. As we taught this girl about the plan of salvation, we all felt the Spirit. I know that we can find true happiness as we follow Heavenly Father's plan for us. It provides us with the purpose in life that so many people are searching for. No one EVER has to feel alone. Heavenly Father will always be there for us, and I know He hears our prayers. I am so grateful for that.
I am excited for this next week with Sister Musser and Sister Beckstead! The transfer is halfway over- it goes by so fast!

I love you all and am so thankful to be counted among your family and friends. Really, you're the best!

Sincerely,
Sister Linford

Monday, August 18,2009
Hi Mom!
That's exciting that you got a new bishopric! That's random that the counselors have the same last name! I would LOVE to go to California next summer on vacation. I secretly hoped we could- serving in Pusan in the summer reminds me of California summers at the beach. I've heard someone describe it call it the California of Korea. And President Jennings is fine with parents picking up their missionaries- I've seen two cases recently when parents came to pick up their sons. I think he would understand if you came- especially because Dad served here! Just for your info :)Tell Brooke and Chris I wish them a great first day at school on Thursday! Brooke, that's so exciting that you're starting high school! You'll have to tell me all about it. And how does Chris like his uniform?? haha- I love you all so much!
This week we were blessed to be able to teach some new people in unexpected places. We went to visit an investigator (Jang Song-Young) whose friend happened to be there with her. Because we had two companionships there, the elders were able to teach her while we introduced the gospel to her friend. It was natural and worked out wonderfully! We left a Book of Mormon with Jang Song-Young's friend and should be able to meet with her again this week. We were able to take Jang Song-Young to church and met her afterwards to teach the first lesson. She had read the intro of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's testimony and is excited about church! It's amazing to teach someone who seems to be so open to the principles of the gospel. I've seen how our companionship is really blessed when we're in tune with the Lord.
Serving in three branches is a challenge, but Sis. Musser, Sis. Beckstead, and I are figuring it out! We've been keeping busy with meeting investigators and building relationships with members of the branches. Sis. Musser, Sis. Beckstead and I have been talking about how much our missions are changing us for the rest of our lives. I have come to love the gospel in a way that I never felt before. As we continually teach the principles of the gospel, I realize that it really is the way we can find happiness. I am so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that I can share our message of happiness with others. I know Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to make the most out of our lives- we can do that by following the Savior's example. I am learning so much about what is truly important in life- and especially about scheduling time! Sis. Beckstead mentioned that sometimes people say they don't have time for scripture study, but are their days filled to the brim with other really productive activities? Not usually... I have gained a STRONG testimony of using our time wisely. Wasting time is nonsensical! There is so much we can do with our lives. Why waste it with useless time on the internet or t.v.? I think the key phrase is "moderation in all things." We can live a healthy, balanced life as we continually strive to improve ourselves. Serving a mission really is a refining process. It's true! But our whole lives can be a refining process too. So make the most out of it!
Thanks everyone for your support! I hope you're all enjoying the end of the summer! Oh, and Mom, can you send me Sheri's address? I need to write her! Thanks! You should be able to contact her on Facebook, I think.
Love you!
Alyssa