September 30, 3013

I'm not really sure what I shall tell out about this week. I want to tell you about all of the exciting things, because there have been a lot of exciting things, but I'm actually a little miserable right now. So. This may or may not reflect that :)

Anyway! Transfer calls were this week! And guess what: I'm going to.....

Stay in ______!

Not a surprise at all :) But I'm excited! I've talked to my new companion, Sister Sieverts a couple times, and she's great. It should be a good transfer.

Also, we have been seeing lots of miracles this week since the fast!  Let me start:

We were walking to an appointment, and a lady turns around and says, "Are you Mormons?" ...Erm, yes? (The Church isn't very well known here, so it's a surprise when people have heard of it, and even more so to take initiative to talk to us :)) "Can I have you're number?" Hehe, of course! ^^ Never, ever, ever happens. But she learned English from the missionaries before and wants us to come help her daughter! (We do a program where we help with English for 30 minutes and share a message for 30 minutes. I can't remember if I've said that already or not.) So we're meeting with her tonight :)

And on the subway, a random old man waved at us and told us to come over...and he knew of the Church too! But unfortunately that was our stop, so we got off. But he wanted a card and stuff.

And another investigator that we've been trying to meet with ever since I got to Korea -- we had called her and called her and she never answered, and we decided to call one more time - and she answered!  And wanted to still meet! So we met with her on Saturday, and had a great lesson about faith in Christ and how He knows what we are feeling and will help us through anything.  She said she would be baptized! No date yet, but that's a miracle. We weren't even planning on talking about that. But as the Spirit directs :)

And another investigator who has really not wanted to come to church came this week! I hope she liked it.. It may have been a bit awkward. It's always hard to jump into a new society, where everyone knows each other and the hymns and how the meeting works...Please, please, please help people who don't feel like a part of what's going on. I say that as both part of her experience at church and my experience as a new missionary. 

And another lady just showed up to English class one day - and is actually pretty open to the gospel. She is Christian, and was very intrigued to hear about these things, and liked that we listened. We usually share a video at the end of class, and we shared one about the Book of Mormon that answered a lot of questions she had, and then we let her pick one, and it answered even more. It was a miracle how well they fit :)

Well, those as just a few of the ones we've seen this week. It's been good. And I'm pretty happy I'm staying in ____. :D

Have a lovely week!

September 23, 2014

Oh! Oh! Other things! So I'm on a website. Check out ldsenglish.or.kr, as well as the "intermediate" video. Excitingly awkward :) (Yep, on the website under the second tab, I thnk?)

September 16, 2013

Sorry I'm emailing later today. You're sleeping now. We had another adventure for p-day today at the army base - it was like being in America again! With grass and trash cans and parking lots and houses and newspapers I could read and couches and Jamba Juice and Subway and mini golf and English! There aren't too many of those things in Korea. Though there are more Subways now - one of the ward mission leaders in our stake is starting up Subway here. He's part of the reason we could go to the base. Anyway, that was the adventure of the day - a little America bubble.

Before I forget to answer questions, because I always seem to forget to answer questions:

So you know how I was saying something needs to change? It's not just me thinking that - for 추석, (Chuseok, they say it's like Korean thanksgiving, but I think mostly because they get together with family. EVERYONE gets together with family. So much so that we pretty much have a week "off", as much as you get as missionaries, because there are no people to be talked to or visited. It's 3 days long, plus the weekend, so we're having a mission conference, zone activity, cleaning day, planning a foreigner 추석 party, and moving our p-day to Saturday. (I'm not sure what that means for email. I guess we'll see if it's Monday or Saturday) That's about the work we can do.) we're doing a mission-wide fast. There's something blocking the way we're doing missionary work, so President Christensen is asking us all to fast together before the conference. I'm super excited for this!!!!!!!!!! ^^ We're on the edge of something big. Just a little about the situation right now - There are lots of people like us in Korea. They're generally called a "전도사" (jundosa), who run around trying to get people to come to their church, and are kind of vicious about it. I can't remember if I told you about a lady we met, had and appointment with, and she took us to her 전도사 friend, who was kind of mean and forecful and Bible bash-y and wouldn't let me say anything and just laughed at us and our Korean. Sad day. Probably one of the least friendly people I've met here. But anyway, a lot of people see our nametags and see us as those sort of 전도사s, where as we're just inviting...anyway, I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this. There's a lot of confusion about religion here, like I've mentioned. And because of that, I think there are a lot of people who hear "religion" and just turn the sound down, without taking a second to consider or hear.. I promise this is the best thing that has ever happened to me, that has given me the most fulfillment. Otherwise, I'd be totally lost. I'd have thrown myself into school and friendships, and it'd be great and I'd be happy, but there would be something missing. I would try to ignore it, because I wouldn't know how to fix that hole that I tried to say wasn't there. But I'd never feel complete, and without that, I don't think I'd have the assurance or courage to ever be quite as happy or quite as secure as I can be. It's such an assurance that there is not only something bigger than me, but that I know what that something is. And that it make so much sense. That that something is a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants me to be happy, and will support me in all that I do. That when I have an awful day, I can pray and feel whole and comforted again. That when I have no idea what to do, I can recieve guidance, and an assurance that everything will be alright in the end, whether the end is tonight or in eternity. It's so much more than "Jesus loves you. Come to church." Both are true and essential, but this is truth! And I love it. It's that "something" more :)

So yes. We're fasting this week. And something big will happen. Like I said, either the next day, or a a beginning of a step-by-step process that will result in Korea knowing God's truth and finding that something. Both in that general sense, and also for each individual person, to find that "something" that has changed me into something so much better and happier and more confident than I would be otherwise. I know it will happen :)

So! I'll keep you posted :)

A couple other awesome things: We had ward conference this week, and usually we have about 70 people at church. But this week we had 160! Miracles like doubling the size of our ward :) A lot of less active {members}came, and families of part-member families, and some people who just live around the church. There is a member in our ward who has such an admirable desire to share the gospel, who passed out invitations to everyone she saw and brought at least 20 people herself. Just invite, invite, invite! She's amazing. And I talked to lots of people! I'm actually pretty happy with how well I can speak and understand Korean. LIke I'm nowhere near fluent, but I usually know what's going on and have something to say. It's a real blessing to be able to pick up things from context. And in a lesson this week, I was able to say just about everything I wanted to. Which is another miracle. I've been in this country for a month, studying Korean, a totally foreign language, and for the most part, can have and follow conversations, about people and the gospel. It's awesome :)

Anyway, that's quite a shpeel (it's so much more fun to spell it that way :)) and not much information about what I'm doing. 그녕, teaching, learning, talking, seeing miracles, building testimony, etc. There are hard things, and there are awesome things. I've just got to keep see the good! :D

Have a lovely week!

Sister Thomas ^^

Oh yeah. Transfers! We have a weirdy 9 week transfer this time, so no transfers this week! Not until the 3rd :)

September 9, 2013 - Hey, Y'all!

September 9, 2013

Hello :)

Thank you for all the advice and everything. It's helpful to get an outside perspective - a lot of times I think about things so much that I just start running in circles and don't have any new ideas and get stuck in a rut - so thanks a ton. It's just aggravating when I was all excited and had all these great things I wanted to try and new ideas and mindsets and I feel like I've gone backward a lot since coming here. Forward in some ways, backward in a lot. It's not so much that I can't think of the words for Korean or anything, just that it takes so much brainpower to always have to think about how I'm saying that I don't feel very natural. Anyway. I guess it's something that'll come with time. 

But it was a good week! Hehe, funny story - so there is a less active member that we've been trying to get in touch with for a while, we leave cards and cookie on her doorstep and everything, but she's never home, we called her "ghost lady".  everyone here is always so busy and doesn't always answer their phones. Anyway, she suddenly called us one night and invited us over the next day, which was exciting! So we go over there and ring the video/doorbell-esque thing, and she doesn't answer...so we call her and ask her if she's home, etc, and apparently, we had the wrong building number. We'd been leaving cookies and stuff for this random person this whole time :) But the meeting was great -she's super nice, has an adorable daughter, wants to come to church but can't, and said we should come back to visit! And I followed the whole conversation! It was awesome :) That's happened twice this week! ^^ As missionaries for the ward, we (us sisters and 4 other elders) are visiting the members of the ward to get to know them better and encourage them to do member missionary work. We visited a sister, her husband who isn't a member, and his mom who lives with them (I tried to talk with her once at church a couple weeks ago, and had no idea what she was saying or what was going on (grandmas here are especially hard to understand, they don't use the same sentence endings (culural/age sort of thing) so I especially have no idea what's going on.) but she really likes me now, even though we haven't had a proper conversation :)). Anyway, it was both kind of cool and kind of awkward with her husband there, she was very open about talking about how she'd like him to learn about the message of the gospel, and asked us to pray for him. I love missionary work :) And I understood most of that conversation too! Woot! :) Gifts of the Spirit are real. It just takes a little patience and diligence to aquire them :)

One of our investigators left for Thailand this last week :( She's the best, and we miss her! We had a good-bye party for her at the ward for Family Home Evening which was super fun (we play the funniest game there - it's probably just funny because everything is funny as a missionary, and the Bishop is hilarious (even in Korean :))) and she brought one of her friends, who also (thank goodness) speaks English really well - she's super cute and has the funniest laugh and giggles at everything :) And she said she'd start coming to our English class on Saturdays! She came this week and we talked to her lots and shared a little about the church, but mostly got to know her more. Ah, I wish you could meet these people! They're the best :) Anyway, I'll send a picture of some of them :)

And we did a whole lot more stuff too. I just don't have time to talk about 90% of it. Too bad. If you have any questions, ask! :D

Love you all!

토마스 자매

September 3, 2013: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

September 3, 2013

It's been the best week and the worst week. In that a lot of great things happened, but I'm getting down - the work is hard, especially in Korea where there is too much confusion about religion, and what we're doing (running around the streets talking to people) isn't effective. There has GOT to be change. There is so much potential. And then good ol' Korean is hard as ever. There's a pass off program we do and every time I explode into tears because I want to teach and follow the spirit and meet needs, etc., etc., etc., but in Korean too---it's rough. It'll come, I know, but it's back to the whole overwhelmed/feeling sort of isolated thing. Which I know is Satan...but it's still real, right now.

BUT I can tell we're on the edge of something HUGE ^^ I'm SUPER excited to see the work change here, because it has got to. There have been many promises made about Korea, and my zone specifically, and the push for member missionary work, and hearts are turning to the work, and we're going to have a huge conference, and I've been talking to other missionaries and they're feeling the same way, and there has been a ton of faith placed in Korea - 74 missionaries came with my group, and including us, our mission alone will have 90 new missionaries by the end of the year :) "The gospel in Korea - it's gonna be big" (name it!)

I feel super blessed to be right where I am, right now. And through rough times, I learn a lot. Those times are the times when I become stronger. It's a lesson in patience and trust, and the only way that I can make it through that is because I know the promises are sure. I am SO thankful for that.

I can't even remember what events happened this week. It's been long, with a lot of thoughts running through my head. Maybe I'll start to keep a bullet point list of the things that happened :)

Oh! We went to contact with a girl from our ward who is submitting her papers (for her mission) soon! That was an awesome experience, and probably more helpful for me than for her, I was reminded of the kind of contacter I wanted to be, because I was (finally) a teacher instead of just a follower. (I'm not really a fan of "the greenie days", but I know I am going to learn a lot from them. Like I love where I am and the work we're doing and my companion and everything, but just the whole following and feeling entirely useless.

Augusut 26, 2013 - HOoraH! NO time to think of a title!

August 26, 2013

So guess what.  P-day is actually tomorrow this time. Because we're goin’ to the TEMPLE! It's been so long since I've been  - a good 8 or so weeks. And the SEOUL temple! Same, but different :) super excited.

                            

It's going to be short this week, which is too bad cuz it was a GREAT week! (but i was in Korea. as a missionary. Of course it would be great :))  And a copy of my letter to Pres. Christensen ‘cuz then you’ll hear more about what I did.

This was a wonderful week. Lots of work, lots of miracles. People and the area are progressing!
First of all - one of our investigators was baptized yesterday! It was super exciting and satisfying in the best sort of way - that I didn't really do anything, that it was all between her and the Lord. She's planning on receiving the Holy Ghost next Sunday. Her journey also really stressed the importance of members to me.  Her friend did more for her than I'm sure I ever could.

One of our investigators is leaving for Thailand in about a week and a half. She is ready to be baptized, and she said she would be, but her situation with her parents is rough. When she mentioned being baptized to her mom, she was told that she would betray the family if she was baptized. Our investigator said we could help by helping her parents understand. We will possibly meet them this week.

We had lunch with another investigator this week, and she said that she had talked to some of her students about us, and we're going to meet them tomorrow! She is progressing as well, and recognizing more fully the nourishment she gets from the gospel. She said she was hoping to find "something" by meeting with us; I think she is beginning to recognize that "something."

Our other investigators are progressing well, some faster than others. I love serving in 중랑! The best people are here - the investigators, the ward members and leaders, Sister Gardiner - I feel like I'm learning lots and am able to do a bit of good for others, which is something I was worried about when I came to Korea and couldn't really speak Korean. I learn every day how it's not the language that matters, but the Spirit. And I'm sure I still have a lot to learn in the field.

Miracles! Of course, the baptism! And once again, how much of it wasn't us as missionaries. So much of the hand of the Lord preparing her, and friends supporting. I was honestly surprised about how quickly it happened. And then yesterday, we were 전도ing, and I had a strange desire to pass out all of the pass-along cards we had - it was a different sort of prompting than those that I've recognized before. And Sister Gardiner helped me to recognize that, but on our last card, a 학생 came up to us and started talking, just a very nice, open conversation, and we're going to meet with him again next week on the sidewalk.  And that was our wonderful week!

Yes! So one of our investigators was baptized! And it really was all the Lord and her friend. Missionary work works best when the members take the lead – there’s a friendship and support that a random missionary can't offer. It was the BEST and reminded me why I am here. Eek. Scatterde thoughts. pretty much. It's really exciting in a "that was cool!" way, but also in an eternal sense, which is the best!

A couple of other random things:

We ate with members this week - and had American food! Hamburgers and tacos, a rarity in these parts. They got them from the army base over here, which is the only place you can really buy lots of kinds of American stuff. 

Also, the old ladies are so funny. I saw one looking at us through the bus, so I bowed to her, and she mouthed to me "You're pretty!" Hehehe. That's an awesome thing about being a foreigner; all the old ladies tell you you’re pretty and that your Korean is good :)

And I don't have much time. LOVE! BYE!
Sis Thomas

Augusut 29, 2013 - Miracles, hiking, camels, and such

 

August 19, 2013

Hello!

Time for fun things, report of the week! Pictures first: I rode a camel last week right after I emailed y'all :) It's been on my bucket list, and it was actually a pretty lame ride, but I rode a camel! (I got permission and everything, don't worry :)) and then there’s a view from our house (one with the trees), and a view from the 35th floor of our ward mission leader's house (their family is the best. They're super fun and fed us delicious food ;)) but the picture doesn't do it justice. Seoul is fantastic. And then a picture of...something else. I forgot :) 

   

And if we ever find a post office, a letter will be on its way! After three weeks, I had time to write like half a letter...It doesn't say anything exciting, because I say everything in the email anyway, but it's just always fun to get a letter. Like I said, even if it has the contents of the Declaration of Independence in it. Hopefully the letter is a little more exciting than that, but no guarantees :)

Woot! This week was GREAT! And looking back seems like it started forever ago, so much has happened. Yes, so last P-day we went to the zoo. The animals are the same ;);.  It was funny though.  The Korean sister in our house would teach us some of the animal names and we'd walk around saying "monkey! monkey!" and people would look at us funny. Oh, the adventures of a foreigner :).  (I got my foreigner card today! I'm official!) And then we delivered cookies to some less active sisters - they were kind of ugly cookies, but hopefully not too bad (separate but related note - there's a recent convert in our ward who we help with English often (English is a big deal here. I've started talking to some people just because they're excited to try out their English on a native speaker. It's fun!) and she was talking about how if/when she goes to America, she wants to eat "USA cookie" and "USA bread" because they're so delicious :) (But bread really is different here. No Great Harvest. It's not bad though! Also, there are little toast stands on the sides of the street :) (I don't know how many parentheses I’m into right now :)))))) And then we did a service project with the missionaries in our zone and cleaned up a  mountain - I was excited because I've wanted to go hiking... Service and Hiking? Can life get any better? I submit that it canNOT! And then we had family home evening with the ward (on Tuesday, so they can do FHE as a family, then another with the ward if they like) and played ping pong - I'm awful. AWFUL. Anyway, we had a lot of meetings and activities this week, so I promise I'm also going to talk about lessons and investigators and miracles soon :) We also had a Sister's Conference for the whole mission, which was super fun and uplifting - church isn't as spiritually refreshing as it usually is because I don't know what anyone is saying. Thank goodness the Spirit is the same throughout languages/countries/etc. But I realized just how young our mission is - as in I recognized more than half of the people there from the MTC; probably the majority of us have been out less than two months. This is going to be quite an adventure :)

So by Thursday night, we finally had time for lessons. Yay! Lessons are the best. So we have one investigator who is leaving for Thailand in a couple weeks. She's fantastic.  We're actually going to go play with her and a member later today for P-day. But lesson-wise; we're feeling stuck; sometimes, it's hard to know how to help. She believes, but her parents are strongly Catholic, and she is hesitant about breaking from that family tradition. And I respect that. We don't want to be "that pushy missionary", because my purpose for being here is not baptismal statistics. It's to help people be happier and come unto Christ. But through making covenants, we can receive that additional guidance and peace - anyway, a hard spot to be. (and hard to explain fully in the few minutes I have to email. Obviously more thoughts and feelings and gospel principles and stories than that.) So we continue! Another one of our investigators, the one who speaks pretty good English, is also great :). We talked about a lot of things this week (that's one thing I like about her, we just talk. It's not a lesson. That's ideal, because I like just talking to people about awesome things!!) A couple things I want to share, because I loved the whole discussion - she said that she likes meeting with us because she sees a different "energy" in the missionaries than everyone else, and she likes that; she wants people to be able to see that in her. At first she thought it was just in the missionaries, but as she met and talked with the members last week, she thinks that it's more of the people in our church that have that "energy". She then talked about how confusing religions and truth is (and really, especially in Korea, religion is confusing. There are churches on every corner, meeting every day of the week, with their "전도서s" (kind of like missionaries, but more like run around and yell at everyone to repent and come to their church. (I very much want to avoid being a "REPENT!" person, because that sort of force and overbarance is not a part of the Gospel. In that sense, it was very helpful for me to hear what she had to say about our "energy" - the Spirit :))) and that everyone has their own opinion, and there are parts that are right about everything it seems, so how do you know what truth really is?  And then she said she met the missionaries, who told her that she could know and could find that truth for herself. That truth that doesn't change as opinions change. What is real. And for me, that is one of the best things about this Gospel -- that I can gather opinions and listen to everyone, but when everything is crazy and changing, I have this secure base that I can always return to because it's so real -- in every circumstance. I love it! :D

Anyway, that's most for this week :)

Love you all!

Sister Thomas