Happy Birthday, Chucky!

It's me again, everyone!

I love hearing from you, so thank you!

First of all, happy birthday to Charlotte! I hope it was a nice day and that Lincoln made you breakfast in bed. Secondly, I was sad to hear about Meredith. I hope she is doing better. I will pray for her. Also, Mom and Dad, I hope you are enjoying Korea. The Gilberts are the best and they are looking forward to talking to you too! It is actually not all that cold, luckily. I usually do just fine with my pea coat, which incidentally looks an awful lot like the Korean Navy jackets. There are a lot of sailors/Navy men in Jinhae, so it is kind of funny to have matching jackets. Ha.

Anyway, the work! This week has been good for a few reasons--we have been teaching two 14-year old girls, Lee Yeon Jeong and Eu Hae En. Sister Lee Ga Hee first met one of their friends, Sister Che, on the street about 6 or 7 weeks ago. We initially met with that friend, who the following meeting, brought 3 additional friends. Sister Che and Seong Ga Jeong, the third friend she invited to our meetings, have not been progressing. However, a few weeks ago Lee Yeon Jeong and Eu Hae En committed to be baptized on November 19th. They are the two who when they heard about the plan of salvation let out an audible sigh of awe. They are good girls. 

We were worried about parent permission, so last Monday we met Lee Yeon Jeong's mother. She wasn't expecting us, but we brought cookies and eventually brought up the baptism. The clock really has never ticked so loudly as it did in those moments of silent waiting...she wasn't too opposed, and generally had a positive attitude toward us and the idea, but said she needed to think about it. We felt good about the exchange. We are still waiting to hear about permission from her mother, but Lee Yeon Jeong passed her baptisimal interview on Sunday. 

Her friend, Eu Hae En, brought the baptisimal papers to church on Sunday, signature and all. We are excited, and at least Eu Hae En will be baptized on Saturday! We are really praying that Lee Yeon Jeong can join her. Two days ago we were able to finish teaching them the commandments. As Sister Lee Ga Hee and I started companionship study earlier that day, we began talking about what we had studied in personal study. About a week ago Sister Lee Ga Hee had been asking me a lot of questions about who will be able to go to the celestial kingdom/receive exaltation. It had been several days since we last talked about it. Before we began our discussion, suddenly D&C 137 popped into my head. I knew that was about Joseph Smith's brother, Alvin, and the celestial kingdom. I didn't know why I had thought of it, but as I flipped to it, I realized that it answered our question perfectly. We were both pleasantly surprised and relieved.

Anyway, I feel that I was prompted to find D&C 137 that morning. As we taught Eu Hae En and Lee Yeon Jeong the rest of the commandments later that night, they had quite a bit of skepticism about tithing, but committed to keep it. Also, when we talked about keeping the laws of the land, including even the small laws, like not crossing on a red light, we were surprised at the response. Sister Eu Hae En and Lee Yeon Jeong said that they had a friend about a year ago who crossed on a red light and was hit by a car and died. Sister Eu Hae En said that she felt our church was true, but wondered about the fate of their friend. She said that their friend had been religious, but since she was not part of our church, wondered if she would be able to go to the celestial kingdom. It was the perfect opportunity to read D&C 137 together and explain that those who would have accepted the gospel if they had not passed away can and will inherit the celestial kingdom. Even though I didn't understand a lot of what was going on in the lesson I am grateful that Heavenly Father gave me a tiny burst of inspiration to help our investigator.

As they left and Sister Lee Ga Hee and I did the dishes at the church, they came back about two minutes later inquiring how exactly to pay tithing. We told them we put it in an envelope and give it to the bishop. They said they would bring it to church the next day! I am inspired by their faith...10 minutes after hearing a commandment they are ready and committed to keeping it. It takes some of us years...it is a blessing to see faith grow. We are looking forward to their baptism this Saturday!

Transfer calls are on Thursday...we suspect that Sister Lee Ga Hee will be moving. I am a little overwhelmed at the prospect, but I know God is over all. Sister Lee has spent nearly 5 months of her mission here. We sometimes have different styles and ideas of missionary work, but I am learning a lot from her. She has the unique ability to see others needs and sacrifice in their behalf immediately. It is incredible. I am able to see her do so for me every single day, for our investigators, and for complete strangers. I know this is one of the reasons I am with her right now...It is something I really want to learn to do. The other day we passed a plant in the church landscape that was drooping because it needed water. I casually mentioned it to her and immediately she poured all her drinking water in the soil. It's just who she is to serve everything and everyone around her. If she moves I will miss being around someone who serves with such eagerness, but look forward, as always, to learning from someone else as well.

We were also able to teach Pak Jin Yeong (the girl we taught to pray last week) and her mother, Kim Gyeong Hoa. Sister Lee Ga Hee met Kim Gyeong Hoa on the bus a while ago. Kim Gyeong Hoa was not planning on participating in the lesson. She made us delicious food and expected we would just teach her daughter, Pak Jin Yeong. Pak Jin Yeong, as I've mentioned before is not attending school because she had trouble with friends. Anyway, they have two crazy dogs who are generally more of a nuissance than they're worth (it was heartbreaking to see them get beat down with a hanger...), so we were a little worried about the spirit being there. After lunch, they both agreed to participate in the lesson. We taught them the entire first lesson. They have little to no concept of God. I was able to relate the first vision, which brought the spirit. During the lesson the dogs were quiet enough to not chase the spirit away. I could tell Kim Gyeong Hoa was really trying to soak it all in. There is so much new vocabulary for people who have no religious background, but at the end of the lesson, Kim Gyeong Hoa, even before we had asked her, said that she wanted to read more of The Book of Mormon and understand it better. She explained that as wek spoke she felt something warm in her body and that her heart was at peace. We smiled, delighted at her recognition of the spirit, and told her that was exactly what she felt. They are reading the BOM and we will talk to them more this week. It was maybe the closest to how I imagined missionary work being. It was exciting. Pak Jin Yeong closed the meeting with a prayer. From her mom we learned that she was excited to meet with us again. We are hopeful about them.

Anyway, time is short, but I love when we really get to see the inward feelings of people's hearts and how quick they are to reveal them when the spirit is present. It is rewarding.

Wish me luck with the next transfer. We'll see what happens!

Mom and Dad-- welcome to Korea! Enjoy it. Even though people drive crazy, as you remember, the Korean people are gracious and kind. I'm jealous that you get to go the temple. It will be fun for you to meet with other mission presidents and exchange ideas and experiences. I look forward to hearing about it.

Nick and Megan-- sounds like you are busy as always. Thanks for the letter, Nick! I hope the Tahoe holds up and that the calls from LDS Family Services are promising. I'm praying for you!

Charlotte and Matt-- Chucky Sue, you owe me. Happy Birthday! Hope it was great. I want to hear about Calgary a little bit more. Highs and lows. Highlight reel would be fine too. Ha. Love you.

Laura and Bob-- even though I didn't hear from you this week, I somehow managed to not print out your letter from last week, so reading it kind of felt like hearing from you this week. I hope you had a good one! Minnie sounds like she was the real life of the Halloween parties. Oh well, I guess on Halloween the objective really isn't to be the "life" of the party, now is it. Wah Wah wah....lame joke? Check. Time to go once those start flowing from the keyboard.

Kacie Barnson!! You leave soon. Send me your address. Missionary work is the best! Love you.

Love you,

Julia

a week of losing and finding

Hello to my dear family.

 

You would think I could come up with a new way to address you, but it's all that ever comes to mind, I suppose, because it's what you are. Thank you for your letters! I will not have time to read them right away, but I printed them out for later. It is always inspiring to hear from you, no matter how little or much you have to say. Thank you for your support!

 

I will admit, with Halloween coming and going I really craved a Reese's peanut butter cup. I hope all of you were able to eat one for me. Peanut butter is in short supply around here. Ha.

 

This week was pretty good, although there was an inordinate amount of time losing and trying to find necessary items. Somehow we managed to lose our keys on the bus, Sister Ee Ga Hee's wallet on the bus, and Sister Ee Ga Hee broke her shoes so we had to buy new shoes, and she also strained her neck on the bus as we traveled back from our P-Day activity last week.

 

It was a little bit frustrating and put a damper on our plans, but bless those honest Koreans, we found the wallet at the lost and found at the bus terminal with everything in it. We never found the keys but were able to get into our house and get a new copy relatively inexpensively. She also acquired some lovely (in jest) grandma shoes that while comfortable, are quite the eye sore. I tried to convince her not to get them, but she really doesn't care. She is funny. She also was insisting that she had sprained her neck. She had done this before and wanted permission to go get acupuncture at the hospital. A side note about Koreans and the hospital--Since they have public health care they go to the hospital for everything from a slight cold to a heart attack because the co-pay is around $10. People wear the hospital clothes and drag their IVs everywhere out on the street. At night It kind of turns Korea into quite the haunted house. People will even bike dragging their IV along. Anyway, Sister Lee Called Sister Gilbert and asked if she could get acupuncture. An adamant no resounded from the other side of the phone. Sister Gilbert's suggestion was a warm bag or sock of rice on the hurt spot and some IB Proufen. Sister Lee was appalled. Warm rice??! I told Sister Lee that this is American medicine. We never go to the doctor.  Anyway, we tried it and it helped a bit.

 

The next morning she was reheating it and left it in a little too long. I noticed it started to smell like burned popcorn...Sister Lee had forgotten and left it in the microwave for too long. When she opened the microwave tons of smoke came pouring out..her face was priceless. "Oma!" When I stopped laughing and finally came over, her sock and the rice were charred and black and the sock had virtually melted into the rice. The black rice seemed to be growing at an exponential rate, filling the microwave in a very repulsive way. It truly was a scene out of a scary movie. It made for a good laugh, in any case. The good news is Sister Lee's neck is feeling better and we can do better and more missionary work.

 

As far as missionary work goes, we again had 7 investigators at church--6 of whom are under the age where they can independently decide to be baptized and one who is over 80 years old. Regardless, we were quite pleased and are hopeful about this week.

 

The two girls who had a baptisimal date for this coming Sunday,Bo Hee and Hae Bin, are not so sure anymore. There desire has weakened because they haven't learned how to receive or care to receive personal revelation quite yet. This is my fear with younger girls who see missionaries as someone fun to hang out with, but not necessarily as a way to spiritual enlightenment. I was afraid their testimony of us was growing much more than their testimony of Christ. Sometimes though, I think that a testimony of a good person precedes a testimony of Christ. This week we will try to teach them how to read the Book of Mormon effectively and pray and receive answers to their prayers. Hopefully they will have renewed desire for the right reason.

 

In good news, two of the girls we are teaching, Eu Hae En and Lee Yeon Jeong, committed to be baptized on November 19th. They seem to have real desire. They loved the plan of salvation. When we got to the end they both let out a sort of audible sigh of awe. We are hopeful that they will continue to progress. This afternoon we will meet Sister Lee Yeon Jeong's parents and tommorrow we will meet Eu Hae En's parents. That is what may be the real test. I will admit that I am nervous that if they are baptized and I am here with another inexperienced American it might be difficult to retain them, but God is over all, right? I am grateful for that knowledge. We hope their parents are receptive to the idea.

 

We were also able to teach Bak Jin Yeong this week. Sister Lee met Sister Bak Jin Yeong's mother on the bus a few weeks ago. Jin Yeong is 16 years old and is currently refusing to go to school because she had trouble with friends. We met with her and got to know her a little bit. She is sweet, but a little bit shy. We taught her the first few principles of the first lesson and I felt like I should teach her how to pray. Afterward we asked if she would offer a prayer. She did so willingly and well. It is really incredible to be part of someone's first time talking to God. Even though these are simple prayers, they are heartfelt. Most of the trouble in our lives seems to stem from forgetting that we can talk to God and that He is our loving Heavenly Father. We are looking forward to teaching her more this week and hopefully teaching her parents as well.

 

Just two more weeks of this transfer. It is likely there will be another change. I am admittedly nervous, but there is great peace in presence in the present. So that's what I'll do. That's all Heavenly Father asks us to do.

 

I am enjoying teaching in spite of my weakness. Things are good. It is incredible when we are receptive to the spirit how quickly we learn this is not about us at all...it is something much bigger. I am grateful for that lesson every time I learn it.

 

Love you all! Sorry no personal notes this time!

 

Love,

Julia

Happy Halloween!

Hello to all! Happy Halloween.

 

First things first. Rest assured I have secured a new bath towel and it is still intact. In spite of language differences, life is fun when I let it be.

 

It was a good week. We were able to go to Wang En Ha's baptism on the 28th. She is an 8 year old whose Grandpa is a church member, but the rest of her family is not. We taught her all four lessons so it was fun to see her on her big day. She is so cute. She has short hair and lots of Spiderman stickers to go around, but I think she is forced to wear girly clothing every now and then. Ha. She reminds me of me except that she has a huge heart. I love her because even though we hardly have much to say to one another she gives me huge hugs every time I see her. She did great at her baptism. It was sweet.

 

Two of our investigators, Hong Bo Hee and Jo Hae Bin, were able to come to the baptism as well. They are 15-years old and very sweet girls. I'm not sure how much their faith is growing, but day by day we are getting there. Sundays and Saturdays are gold for us, but many of the weekdays we do not have teaching appointments because people are so busy. Anyway, these two girls love Americans and always mention how high the bridge of my nose is and how blue my eyes are. They also love to tell me that I have red cheeks and dark circles under my eyes. Yes, correct you are. Ha. Koreans are quite frank about appearance, but it's fun. We have taught Hong Bo Hee and Jo Hae Bin the first three lessons and they have come to church two weeks in a row. They actually committed to baptism on November 13 (happy bday Chucky), but we need to talk to their parents and work on their faith a bit. It is exciting and the ward is really focusing on helping them.

 

This week we had just three investigators at church, but we are hopeful. I can't believe transfers are in 3 weeks...I have a feeling Sister Lee will leave since she has been here for nearly 5 months. I'm trying not to think that far ahead, but it's a challenge. Life is no fun without challenges, right?

 

All the missionaries in the zone threw a Halloween party in Masan. There were probably 100-125 people there. It was quite a bit of work, but it was fun. They don't know much about Halloween here. When I was constructing a Jack'o lantern on the back wall of the activity room, one of the Korean elders asked why I was making its eyes like THAT (upside-down triangles). Those are not eyes, he defiantly proclaimed. Oh but they are. It took some explaining, and a lot of laughing. We had a spook alley, face painting, mummy toilet paper toss, and all the missionaries did some skits. All the sister missionaries wore traditional Korean Hangboks (long dresses worn on special occasions). I am not of the Korean build, so it looked like I was wearing a tent that was somehow one or two sizes too small. All the Korean grandmas and moms spent a good deal of time trying to fix me up every few seconds--it must have looked like it didn't fit. Ha. I may or may not have played electric guitar while wearing one of these dresses. It was quite the juxtaposition, but I think everyone had fun. Quite a few people who are interested in the church came and enjoyed themselves.

 

Well, as of yesterday I have been in Korea for 2 months. Hard to believe. I'm grateful for these little bench marks that help me refocus and set goals on how I can be better and see where I've come from. More than that, I'm grateful to learn how to love people more, as difficult as it sometimes is. There is so much to be learned from giving up your will. I am still learning every single day. I have taken comfort in the scripture in 1 Nep. 21 where Christ says "they walls are continually before me." I like to imagine Him, in all his power and glory, pushing the walls of my heart outward so there is more room for people and understanding...so there is more room for a whole population of people to love. I know He can do it if I let Him. It's amazing to see it work.

 

Mom and Dad-- sounds like things continue to go well. Isn't it crazy how quickly things change? I can't believe you've sent so many missionaries home and have not received as many. I hope they see the increased productivity of your mission and reward it soon. Thank you always for your support and love. I love you both so much. Every day I am here and see people who do not have that kind of support I become more and more grateful for you and your faith.

 

Nick and Megan-- chili cook offs left and right! Sometimes I dream of delicious American food, but Korean food is tasting better every day. I read chili and my mouth started to water. Didn't even know I missed it...have a good Halloween. I'm sad to hear that Nick will not be Lil' John this year. What a disappointment. Megan, good luck with the flapper idea. I have a Hangbok you can borrow...

 

Charlotte and Matt--thanks for the letter in spite of being busy. Happy birthday soon! Be on the lookout for a small something. Ranger is from Cardston. Did you know that? Oh Lincoln. What a little menace. Ha. It is a lot more fun to hear the stories than to be the one that has to run after him, I'm sure. Ha. Tell Wynne hello!

 

Ladi and Bob-- thank you for your letter! I hope Halloween panned out and costumes came together. So glad you have found new friends. It is amazing how much a new friend can change your perspective about life, even just through simple conversations or time spent together. Thank you for keeping me updated.

 

Grandma-- always nice to hear from you! Somehow you manage to keep yourself so busy. I love it. I have always admired how much time you spend helping other people and I'm sure they appreciate it too.

 

Oh, yoraboon, the work goes forward. Thank you for your prayers and letters. They mean a lot to me. I know Heavenly Father is blessing me and the Korean people because of your prayers. We are off to a chrysanthumum festival in Masan with our zone. It's a beautiful sunny day, maybe around 55 degrees farenheit (sp?). It will be fun.

 

Love,

Julia

a real novel this time

Family!!

 

I love you. Thank you for your letters, as always. In my opinion, they are the highlight of p-day. I appreciate your stories and wisdom. I need them, in a lot of ways, so thank you again.

 

This week has been a pretty good one. We (I, especially) am working on getting back on the fired up finding boat. When I let my insecurity bind me I really am hurt by the pain of regret much more deeply than the pain of rejection or hard work. So, every morning is kind of like the bus ride to a basketball game, except this time I'm listening to hymns and praying really hard and trying to remember new Korean phrases that might spark interest in the gospel message. This week I have vowed to not sit down on the bus so I can walk around and talk to everyone. I find that when I sit down, it's over. Maybe I can talk to that one person, but it seems I never get around to anyone else if that conversation dies. Unfortunately, as sister missionaries, in our mission we are no longer allowed to contact men because it gets so complicated to meet with them again. In some ways it is really hard to be restricted like that, but in some ways it shows me exactly who I need to talk to.

 

Anyway, we were able to teach some lessons this week. Most of them went pretty well. I pitch in my simple sentences every now and then, along with my simple testimony. I am working to bring more convincing power to those words, no matter how simple they may be. The spirit is the real teacher. The sincerity and piercing affects of it really bring people around (including me) quickly. When I'm worried about stumbling, I absolutely stumble. When I am worried about other people I have seen much more success. I love the verse in Alma 34 that says that as soon as we repent, whether it be of selfishness, or negative thoughts, the plan of redemption immediately comes into effect. I have felt that over and over.

 

This week we had seven investigators at church. It was really great! Many of them seemed to like church more than they expected to. There were four 14 year old girls there, a 15 year old girl whose friend is a church member, and two 18 year old boys. With all these young people we doubled the youth Sunday School class. Sister Lee is a master multi-tasker and kept everyone comfortable and happy. As I've mentioned before, everyone in Korea is very very busy. Students go to school all day, then they have Hagweon just an hour or two after school and then they study more. They get home around 10 or so and probably study a little more. Most adults work 12 hour days. Koreans value their families very much, but with the way the culture is, they really don't get to spend too much time together. Sundays and Saturdays are usually the only two days people can meet, so we are very busy on those days. The hardest thing with the youth is obtaining their parents' permission to be baptized. We will see.

 

Speaking of culture, the other day as we were saying hello to everyone we pass, I began saying hello to this grandpa. I got as far as "Anyeonghasay--" Oh. Right as I said, "oh," I realized he was just urinating right there on the street. I guess that's as good a place as any. It broke the routine, anyway. It has also been raining here quite a bit. People will still ride their bikes in the rain, but they also carry an umbrella in one hand. This makes for some pretty precarious situations and hydroplaning. Koreans hate the sun, so they carry parasoles. Koreans also hate the rain because they think the acid rain will make you go bald. So, if I come back bald because I played the part of a skeptical American, please love me anyway.

 

We have a baptisimal service on Friday. It is the baptism of the grandaughter of a member of our ward. Her mom is not a member, but she is a sweet little tomboy girl who reminds me of myself a little bit. We have one more lesson to teach her this week. She is so smart and sweet. We're hoping some of our investigators will come.

 

One of the 14 year old girls, Bo Hee, is obsessed with Waygookeens (foreigners). We really can't have much of a conversation, but she just stares at me and says how pretty I am. I guess just being different than the norm is enough to deem you pretty around here. Other girls in the ward said I look like Emma Smith from the Joseph Smith movie. Thank you. I have also been told I look like Hermione, from Harry Potter. I wish. Ha.

 

Anyway, yesterday after church we talked with Bo Hee and her friend Yae Bin about baptism. We have only taught them the first lesson and only briefly talked about baptism. We showed them the picture of Christ being baptized by John the Baptist. We also showed her the baptisimal font. Bo Hee said she wants to be baptized. When we asked why, she said she wants to say sorry to Christ and Heavenly Father. I asked her why she was sorry and she said just that she has made a lot of mistakes.

 

It is interesting how innocent and pure many of the Korean youth are. I feel like none of my 14 year old peers thought the sweet, child like way that so many of those I have met think. Maybe they are too busy to get into much trouble. I am impressed, anyway.

 

I have realized that my lack of language is extremely limiting to how effectively I can help people. So, this week, I am rededicating myself to language study and prayers for the gift of tongues. It's not just going to come. I have to put in the labor. I'm looking forward to it. The other night I spent the better part of the night swatting at a mosquito who thought it might be fun to drink deeply from every pore in my face. This is a nightly occurance, by the way. I thought about all that time I racked up focusing on something that really wasn't all that important and how it caused me to lose an entire night of sleep. I really don't want my mission to be that way--whether it's my own weaknesses/fears, a companion I don't quite understand, lack of language ability--if I spend my time, my conversations, my energy focusing on those things I will never be the missionary Heavenly Father needs me to be.

 

I have been comforted by a Neil A Maxwell quote:

 

"God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability. And if we then prove our dependability He will increase our capability."

 

So here's to showing Heavenly Father I believe His promises through being dependable. It will be a good week!

 

Mom and Dad-- Wow! Work in Micronesia sounds incredible. I am so happy to be united in this great work with you and love hearing how fired up you are about it. We have to be. I am learning much from your examples of faith. Go break those records!

 

Nick- Thank you for your letter! I loved hearing your stories. Glad business as usual (parties, Mac stories, and ESPN) press forward. Thanks for your insight. Glad I won't miss an NBA season. Ha.

 

Megan-- Hope work and fresh baked french bread are still happening. I have made a conscious effort to put my rain coat where it belongs in people's houses after your story...ha

 

Charlotte-- thank you for the updates. I hope hosting goes well. You always were a party animal and never let anything stop you. If there's a will there's a way, and it seems that with you, there is always a will.

 

Matt-- Hope you are still the new sherriff in town. Keep at it.

 

Laura-- Minnie must be keeping you busy. I hope she is being good. Remember your nightly duty of endearing her to me. Hope HTML is not working you over too much. Missed you this week!

 

Robert-- Hope school/work are still going okay. Can't wait to see what you've done with the house. Ha.

 

Grandma-- Thank you for your letter last week. I have included you on the email list. I love hearing from you. You have a wonderful way of commentating the present and the past all at the same time. I love you and Grandpa!

 

Ah. At the end of the day I know who I am. I know I am a daughter of God and that He loves me and He loves all His children. I am happy to be in Korea, in spite of my weakness. It is good to be weak. It keeps me humble. Very very humble. Ha. This is God's work. I know it.

 

Love,

Julia

Jin Hae/Pung Ho is a beauty

Hello to you, family!

 

I love hearing from you. Thank you!

 

Well, as mentioned, I was transfered last week. We actuallyl cover two wards: Jin Hae and Pung Ho. It is kind of a challenge because we go to the respective wards every other week. Sister Lee is a really good missionary and I am learning a lot from her. As for the why and how of the transfer: I think Sister Brady was having a hard time in her situation and that President thought her personality might work better with Sister Oaks. I'm hoping it's been as good of a change for her as it has been for me.

 

Sister Lee actually speaks English quite well. She is virtually a Korean/English dictionary. The other day she came up with "paprika" from her memory bank of vocabulary. She is a convert of three years and a very genuinely happy person. She has the unique ability to make anyone feel comfortable, regardless of language barrier or anything else. She said she is happy when people can feel of her love. She is so good at helping people feel her love that it's no wonder she is always happy. I am learning a lot from her about Korean, keeping things simple, loving people, being optimistic, thinking of others first, and sincere prayer. Last transfer kind of shook her a little bit so we are working to get to a place of renewed energy and faith. We are working at working in unity. She gives me a lot of opportunities to say things, but I don't always say it quite right or explain it enough. I can imagine that it is difficult to not want to do all the work when you are a native speaker of a language, but Sister Lee patiently helps me and I am very appreciative. She has really gained the trust of the members. She has been here for 4 transfers and will likely leave next transfer, leaving me and another very young missionary (maybe even another foreigner like me) to be in this area. If I think about that too much I get overwhelmed, but I know that Heavenly Father will help me know how to do whatever He needs me to do.

 

We still do have an occasionaly misunderstanding, like this morning while we were cleaning she asked if I had a towel we could use to scrub the floor with. I suggested we use mine since I was going to wash it later anyway. She said "are you sure?" and I wondered why it was such a big deal and agreed it would be fine. The next thing I know she is cutting my towel into small sections...okay, so my towel is now a rag, or several rags, rather. There are things like this, but they make me laugh.

 

This week we got to teach lessons! This is new for me. We teach an 88 year old lady named Jang Jeong Ae. She is the mother of a member. She is very sweet and funny although she has a hard time remembering very much. Sister Lee was massaging Sister Jang Jeong Ae's feet and asked her "Why are your feet so small, Sister Jang Jeong Ae?" and Sister Jang Jeong Ae replied, "Because I am so small." Touche. Anyway, when we talked to her about baptism and asked her why she wants to be baptized she said "Because I'm God's daughter and I want to follow Him." That kind of response was a break through for her. We will see.

 

We are also working with some junior high students. We taught them the first lesson on Saturday and then all four of the girls came to church on Sunday. Two of them were really bored, so they left early, but the other two are interested and want to learn. We asked them how they know God exists and they said through their feelings. It is a challenge to work with young people because so many of their parents forbid them from getting baptized, but we are hopeful about at least two of the girls.

 

Another girl we're working with who did not come to church this week is a 16 year old girl. She is very stressed because of school, but has some gospel interest. We are working on helping the youth befriend her. 

 

Yesterday we read The Book of Mormon with a recent convert named Brother Darshana, who is here for work. He is from Sri Lanka and is maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. Because of work he is not always able to go to church. Anyway, it was pretty much my job, because he speaks English (sort of), and less Korean than I do. After reading part of Alma 32 in Sri Lankan, English, Korean, and following along to our respective languages he offered the closing prayer. He said a very humble prayer about how he was grateful that Heavenly Father had sent someone to help him understand The Book of Mormon, because he was worried that after last transfer there wouldn't be anyone to help him. It was one of the first times on my mission where I really fet like I was able to do something, really. It is easy to get bogged down, but I was grateful for this man's humble prayer. It made me feel  needed and I really needed some sort of affirmation.

 

I am learning and teaching and happy. Slow and steady wins the race. Anyway, that's all for now. Love you all!

 

Love,

Julia

The winds of change & Jin Hae -- a little town in the mountains

Hello to all of you lovely people,

 

I think of you often and appreciate your encouragement, prayers and letters. I am currently at the Daegu train station because....I am being transferred already! Sister Brady (MTC companion) are actually just switching places. She will be in Daegu (Sangin) with Sister Oaks and I will go to Jinhae/Pungho with Sister Lee Ga Hee. Here in Korea you have to use all three of their names because there are so many Sister Lees or Sister Kims. Sister Brady and I, although we have different personalities, have similar ideals as far as obedience and hard work go. I think both of us had an idea of how we wanted a mission to be and it is a challenge to help change the perspective of some who have been here for some time while attempting to learn Korean and really how to do this missionary work thing.

 

It will be good to have a Korean companion, but I know I will be out of the loop more than I ever have been. That said, I'm looking forward to the challenge to get better at the language and learn all I can from another companion. I am also looking forward to a fresh start. I have gotten in some habits that I am ready to break, and while I have that opportunity every day, every hour, every moment through the power of repentance, there is something quite exciting about a new geographical location where no one knows me. I can be who I need to be for Heavenly Father.

 

So my big bag was two centimeters too tall to be shipped through Taek Bae at the post office. I'm hauling it around. It's a real doozy. Lots of staring eyes. Oh well. It's a good proselyting opportunity.

 

As I was saying goodbye to many of the members this week I was surprised to find my emotions close to the surface. Even though they don't really understand me and I don't really understand them, I can feel of their good hearts. In some ways I was sad I didn't serve them as well as I would have liked. It really has been a wake up call to me to put everything I am into this mission. I don't want to come home with anything left, as Elder Holland suggests.

 

We got to watch conference yesterday and Saturday. Luckily there is a military branch in our ward, so I got to watch it in English. It was quite the relief.

 

This may be short, but I might get another opportunity to write later after transfers. We'll see.

 

In any case, here is my snail mail address:

 

Sister Julia Elizabeth Mecham

Korea Busan Mission

Dongnae PO Box 73

Busan-si

Busan-gwangyeoksi 607-600

South Korea

 

Mom and Dad, will you send yours as well? The office sister was asking about it, and of course I would like to send you a letter sometime too.

 

Megan and Nick--I hope the home study went well. I have been praying for and thinking about you a lot. Thanks for the note, Meg! Love you both

 

Charlotte and Matt- Hope things continue to go well! You should think about writing me later if you have time.

 

Laura and Robert-  Sounds like you're both very busy. Hope you're finding time for Alberto's every now and then. Write if you have time!

 

Love you!

Julia

 

..........

 

Well, I made it to Jin Hae. We are at Home Plus emailing on the computers they have for sale. They have to love that, I'm sure. I brought my giant suitcase, backpack, and an old guitar a missionary gave me before I left Daegu--inside the store. We asked if it was okay to have all that stuff in here and they gave us the once over and then put a sticker on my bottle of water that essentially says I bought it somewhere else. They weren't too worried about the amount of merchandise I might be able to steal. Thank goodness for a society who trusts one another. This would never happen in the US.

 

Sister Lee Ga Hee is a really loving person. I think I will learn a lot from her. A lot of Koreans are really physically affectionate and she is no exception. As some of you know, I am not, but apparently I will be learning. Ha. I think it's sweet, regardless of how unatural it is for me to hold on to someone's arm while we walk down the street. I think she is kind of recovering from what felt like a rough transfer for her. I am learning that the work is nothing without unity and so I will be trying to both follow her, trust her, and if need be, make any suggestions in the most loving way possible. She joined the church 3 years ago in the Seoul mission area. She emphasizes building relationships of trust a lot because that is how she felt God's love through the missionaries. She wants to recreate that experience for other people too. She will do anything for me. I can already tell that. I am already impressed with how quickly that attribute endears.  

 

Jin Hae, from what I've seen, is a beautiful mountain town off the ocean. It's not at all like the busier Daegu. Daegu is very flat in the valley and the mountains aren't quite so close. Jin Hae feels just like the "city that is set on the hill," or at least how I imagine it. It doesn't have a subway and seems generally quieter. It will be fun to get to know the area and the people here. I have a feeling my language skills will have the opportunity to grow exponentially here.

 

Many things to learn...even more to teach. 

 

I have been rereading a miracle of Christ in the New Testament every morning with the hope it will refine my perspective. The other morning I read about a leper who was healed by Christ in Matthew chapter 8..."and immediately his leprosy was cleansed." It seems simple, but as I read about lepers/leprosy in the Bible Dictionary, it became apparent that this may not have been simple at all.  Lepers were not to enter the city walls, and if a stranger came upon them a leper had to shout "unclean!" as an audible warning.  In this scriptrue it seems that we only see the immediacy of the miracle and forget about what may have been a very long walk of shame.  This leper, despised of everyone, walked with faith because he knew the source of healing and that was his absolute focus. I thought of Lehi's vision of The Tree of Life in 1 Nep. 8 and how those who come unto Christ with full purpose of heart proceeded faithfully toward the tree heeded not the voices of those who mocked them because they knew something bigger. Anyway, my hope is that I will be willing to put my pride on the line for Christ.

 

Anyway, high hopes for Jin Hae and my new companionship.

 

Love to love you all,

 

Julia

 

the work moves forward

Yoraboon, can you believe it's been a week?

 

Thank you for the abundance of emails this week and the two handwritten letters (you know who you are). It is really nice to have such inspiring people as family and friends. I am so grateful for your advice, stories, updates and musings.

 

It is amazing to me how quickly and yet how slowly time seems to go by here. This week, in a moment of hesitation to talk to someone, I coined a phrase: "The longer you wait the less time you have." Just call me Yogi Berra. But really, it's true. When I really consider who people are, see them as people, I am much more apt to talk to them and invite them to learn more about our message. Today, whomever I sat by, I imagined someone I love around their age--whether it be Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, Laura, Nick, Charlotte, Robert, Megan, Matt...and how much the message of the restored gospel has blessed their lives. This exercise has actually proven to be the most inspiring as far as getting me to say something to someone. I am still struggling to do this, but we're getting there.

 

The urgency to share the gospel initially turned me into a crazy person--if I wasn't talking to someone I was guilty, and if I was talking to someone I was pretty forward. I have laxed up a bit, but I really know that I shouldn't. The habits I make now will stay with me my entire mission. This mission is undergoing major revamping right now. Prior to President and Sister Gilbert's arrival, my companion confessed that most companionships were lucky if they even talked to ten people per day outside of regular activities. Although Sister Oaks and I didn't have the week we envisioned and were a little disappointed with ourselves, we have grown together in our commitment to share the gospel. In Preach My Gospel it says that our success is primarily measured and defined by our commitment to invite others to come unto Christ. We are taking that to heart and really trying to find people to teach now.

 

We weren't able to meet with Kim Su Eon this week (the guy we met at the subway station who asked us about life callings). Apparently he is busy with tests at school until the beginning of October. We will be calling him. I think he will be surprised to hear from us again, but Sister Oaks and I feel like he really is ready to hear the gospel.

 

Last Sunday we went to dinner at a member's house. She has two teenage girls and...a guitar! I got to play it and sang one of my more religiously based songs. One of the daughters said I have a "husky" voice. Thank you! Their English vocabulary is so impressive and entertaining here. Of course I thought of the time that Mac said he liked the "Husky" pants. Oh boy.

 

I also went on exchanges with Sister Ee early last week. She is serving in Ulsan. She actually came to my area, Sang In in Daegu. She is really inspiring. She went to school in Seoul for nursing, but is from Busan. She wrote that in big letters in her mission papers, but....she got called to the Busan mission anyway. So Laura, although California was an initial disappointment, I think Sister Ee has you beat. Her Dad is the stake president in Busan so she can't serve there. She basically has the possibility of two or three areas to serve in. Anyway, her English is very good and she described how she likes how Joseph Smith described his experience in the first vision by saying "The light descended gradually until it fell upon me." She emphasized that we need to be patient with ourselves and others and expect that we will come to an understanding of how to be the best missionary we can, but that it will likely happen gradually, as my testimony has. She is really outgoing and good at contacting, so it was a nice change of pace for me. I hope someday I get to serve with her. We'll see. When we went back on the bus to Ulsan (about an hour and 45 minute ride), I was able to see the familiar Tae Wah river etc. It was kind of fun.

 

Yesterday after church we did a "service project" way out in the country with the ward where we harvested chestnuts. I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do. It was the most unusual Sunday afternoon I have spent here. Just smack those trees and look out below. When the bishop was hitting a tree one came down on my arm. Luckily I was wearing a sweater so the spikes didn't penetrate the skin, but this morning I looked at my arm and thought I might have poison ivy or something....no, just left over from the collision. Never a dull moment.

 

Everyone on the street is quick to compliment your Korean even if you only say "An yeong ha say o." It is very sweet. The culture is very much like that. I was thinking about how rude we can be as Americans when people are trying to speak English. Generally, a lot of people just say "I can't understand you" or "you should be better at English if you're going to live here." I hope I can be more complimentary about it when I return. I think I could get in a lot of trouble though, as the USA is a little bit more of a melting pot than Korea. There are lots of people to offend by complimenting their English skills if they have lived there their whole lives....ha.

 

I have loved the hymns more than ever. "Come Come Ye Saints" has been particulary influential. The line "no toil or labor fear, grace shall be as your day," has resounded. Grace will always outdo any obstacle to God's work if we are willing. Pray for me to be better and to exercise faith. I can feel your prayers, and I know that it is because of them that I have been able to do any needful thing up to this point.

 

M and D-- Thank you for your letters and thoughts! lots of traveling, as per usual, it seems. It sounds like Guam is full of many kind warm people like Korea is. Glad you were able to make some connections to the Chuukese government. Maybe a future career in store? I love that you are pushing the missionaries. It is absolutely what we need.

 

Nick-- Thank you for your thoughful letter. I love hearing about your mission and the ways the spirit led you. It is always motivating. It's nice to hear you are doing well and are happy. Glad I'm not missing an NBA season. Ha.

 

Meg-- Thank you for your note! You are a gem. I love to hear your thoughts and funny tid bits. They keep me going, always. Tell Mac attack hello from me.

 

Char-- thanks for the past letter, pictures, and new letter. I love hearing from you. I am glad you know about Asia, especially Korea, and that you have good ideas for contacting. I really need and appreciate them. Sometimes I wish we were companions so we could tear it up. Ha. Glad you and the boyz are doing ok.

 

Matt-- glad to hear the job in Calgary is better. You run those board meetings like they've never been run before. I'm pretty sure you'll be USA president by the time I return.

 

Laura-- thank you for the update on you and yours. Minnie! What a little babe. Can't wait to meet her someday. I'm glad you're doing well and finding a little more purpose in work/motherhood balance. Thank you for your advice, always.

 

Robert-- sounds like you really nailed the blessing. Wish I could have been there to hear it. Hope school is going well.

 

Love you all! Till next time.

 

Julia