I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! And happy new year! I'll be
turning 21 in korean age this week haha! Koreans count the year you were
born as your age. Weird right? So if you were born on december 31, you
would be 2 years old on your second day of life! Not super logical but hey!
Koreans do what they want. No arguments haha.
Oh man... it was such a loooooonnng crazy week.. My companion has been sick
and with christmas and everything we didn't have to many lessons because
everyone was too busy! But slowly each day I am adjusting to living in this
crazy place.. This week I think I finally became okay with and accepting of
the fact that I just can't understand anyone.. and that's okay! People talk
to me and I just nod my head. "Smile and wave boys, smile and wave" is
seriously my motto haha. Its all good. My trainer said one of the first
steps in learning Korean is to acknowledge that you don't understand
anyone, and to accept it! So I've accepted it! Soo.. gift of tongues can
hit me any second now..
Exciting news!! We have a baptism on Sunday!! Our investigator 김덩희 (Kim
Dong Hee) is getting baptized! She is the greatest. She's in her late
thirties. She has 2 kids. She's currently separated from her kids and
husband because she wanted to join the church and they don't. Kind of
sad actually. But she's awesome. Yesterday we had a lesson with her
and committed her to live all of the commandments! Even though I
couldn't contribute much to the lesson.. I bore my testimony about how
keeping the commandments brings happiness and blessings.. (I can't
wait til I can actually teach a lesson dangit!) She's set for baptism.
I am so SO excited. Also for some reason I got volunteered to sing at
the baptism! So yeah, I'll be singing "When I am baptized"... In
Korean.. pray for me.
This week I overcame my fear of 잔도 (pronounced jundo-
prosiliting/street contacting)! We talked to 150 people this week. I
had no idea that I would be doing so much of this in my mission.. but
it is really a good chunck of what Korean missionaries do! I actually
really love it! Although I can't say much, and over half the time the
people are rude and don't want to talk to you.. but its worth it,
because yesterday a miracle happened! I had been praying that we would
be able to find a new investigator on the street yesterday. I talked
to a girl for literally 1 minute, gave her our card with our number on
it, and she had to run to catch the bus! Later that night we got a
text from some number saying "Are these the missionaries I met today?
Where can I meet with you again? I want to learn about this whole
mormon thing!" That never happens.. no one actually calls us! Sis.
Lawrence and I did a victory dance for a few minutes haha. It was such
an awesome feeling.. So worth being in the cold and getting rejected
by tons of people. I know God answers prayers.
I need to remember moments like this when I am having hard times..
which unfortunately come a lot right now.. Like I've said a million
times before.. The mission for me is just such a roller coaster! I'll
be doing great one day (or even hour) and then the next second I feel
so crappy and homesick, wondering what in the world I'm doing on the
other side of the world in a strange country that smells bad and
speaks the craziest language that I feel I can never learn. But these
negative feelings are coming less and less as I remember the good. The
fact that I finally got an investigator from street contact. The fact
that we have a baptism on saturday. The fact that I serve in such a
wonderful ward.. the fact that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me
and is aware of me. I have so many things to be grateful for!
This morning I read "Look Ahead and Believe" given by Elder Edward
Dube of the seventy at this last general conference. It was exactly
what I needed to hear. He says that God doesn't look at us by what
we've done or where we've been but more by where we're willing to go.
Its easy to get down on myself and feel discouraged when I think about
things I shoud've and shouldn't have done in the past.. But I know
that I have a savior who died for me. And because of this I can push
foward with faith, knowing that "by small and simple things are great
things brought to pass!" D&C 64:33
I love being a missionary! Even though its the hardest thing ever! I
love Korea! Even if it smells like dead animals! I love Koreans! Even
though I don't understand them!
And I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. Even though nothing. I just love it.
I love you all so much and thank the Lord every day for the emense
love and support I feel from home. Happy New years everyone! Have a
wonderful week!
Holmes 자매
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