Dear family,
This week has been the strangest of my whole life. I don't have time to tell you everything, but maybe when I get home ask me about week 19... haha. A quick review of the weirdness though-- If you remember from 3 weeks ago, there was a Chinese man I met that started talking to me that we wanted to refer to the Elders.. Well. It turns out he's not interested in the gospel. Ha. He called us 10 times that first week, even though my companion only picked up the first time. He REALLY wants to help me learn Korean. Anyway, so he stopped calling for a while, but then last Monday he called and asked if he could call everyday and help me with Korean (because he lives pretty far away). She said no. haha. And then he declared his love for me to my companion. And then she hung up on him. We were pretty sure she broke his heart, but he just keeps calling, so I guess not. He's really nice, and his Korean is awesome even though it's his second language, so if he didn't 'love' me and I weren't a missionary, it'd be a pretty great way to learn Korean, but oh well. I think we'll have to block his number, because he doesn't even pick up for the Elder's anymore. But yeah. I'm just glad he lives an hour away! haha.
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| Some Korean Elders. They are hilarious! |
Weird thing number two is the Ester came to church! I was so excited when she called and said she was finally going to come to church. She brought a friend though, and well...this is the part I really can't explain well over email, so I'll just have to tell you when I get home next April haha. But yeah. It was kind of a nightmare. But it's super funny now that I look back on it. But Ester was great. I'm glad she came. She's getting a lot better at exercising her faith and she's really progressing more.
This last week, we got to go to the temple again, which made me SO happy. The temple is incredible, and I gain so much strength from it. I'm definitely grateful we get to go each transfer, but I miss going more often. I will send some photos of our temple trip though:) I was super glad because after we went to lunch with some of my favorite missionaries, so that was super fun.
Yesterday was a pretty great day too (minus the part with Ester's weird friend haha)! The young women had their New Beginnings, and they invited us. It was wonderful. It's super cool, because I still don't understand much of what is happening around me, but the spirit was SO strong in that meeting. It made me really look back and remember my time in young women's. YW was probably my favorite time. It was the time I truly gained a testimony of the church and really decided who I wanted to be in this life. Young women are some of my very favorite people in the church for that reason. They really have to start deciding who they want to be, and if they can recognize that they are beautiful daughters of God, then wow. Amazing things will happen and continue to happen the rest of their lives. Thank you every one who influenced me at that time of my life, particularly my family, Mom and Dad, and my YW Leaders. You were vital in my conversion to the gospel:) Thanks everyone! I"m also SUPER excited for Emily to start Young Women's soon:) SO exciting!!
This week I've been studying about Alma and Ammon, and their INCREDIBLE missionary service. I've been particularly touched by Ammon's example of service. But I also love how excited they both get about the gospel and sharing it and the miracles they see. I've always loved those stories, but they ring particularly true as a missionary myself. The other day, we were talking and studying about how to help some less actives in our ward. As I read about Alma in chapter 31 of Alma, and how he sees these people that have really gone astray and lost what they once had, he really, and I mean REALLY, prays for them. He tenderly pleads for them because their souls are PRECIOUS. It's incredible. Alma truly understands who these people are- children of a loving Heavenly Father. He wants SO badly for them to understand that and come back to him. The sincerity of his prayer and the actions he takes are in stark contrast to the memorized prayer of the Zoramites. Such a good example. So yeah. I hope we can remember that with the people we work with each day. Everyone is a child of God, and He loves them perfectly. Just be patient with them and pray in faith for them to remember Him again.
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| Chae Urie and I |
One less active we are really working with is Chae Urie, which I have talked about before. She's SO cute! I love her. She was baptized 10 years ago, but fell away very soon after that, and spent her teens out of the church. Her family aren't members, which makes it hard for her. But she's amazing. She's at church every week, and we are reteaching her, because she doesn't know much of anything as far as the gospel goes. She has really been wondering about the Gift of the Holy Ghost lately, and I've just realized what a HUGE blessing it is to have that. But yeah. Although she's already baptized I kind of consider her my first convert on my mission. I am just so happy to see her become converted to the Lord. She's not there quite yet, but she definitely has the desire. I love her soooooo much!
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| some cupcakes we made for her (funfetti) |
This week we had a member come to one of our lessons and then afterward she bought us dinner (the most amazing food ever!!) but she was telling me that she lived in McLean Virginia about 4 years ago, and she was in the McLean 2nd ward. Is that Jennifer's ward?? I'm not sure. But it was pretty crazy to think that of all the places in the world she's lived it's by Jennifer and now in the ward I'm serving in in Korea. Her name is Chway Young Sheme... I"m not sure if Jenny would remember her or even if that's her ward, but she said Jennifer's name sounded familiar. Anyway. She's amazing.
So yeah. That's life here is Korea. ALWAYS and adventure:) I'm SO grateful to be here serving the Lord, even though I certainly don't feel like I'm good enough to be here, but oh well. I guess Heavenly Father is used to me being imperfect. But I love you all and am so grateful for all of you!! Have a wonderful week! Make it great and don't forget to smile!!:) Also, send more pictures. I want so see everyone again:)
Love,
Sister Hunter
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