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Monday, January 27, 2014

Week 15

DEAREST FAMILY....

What a week. First of all, I think I've finally got this Korean thing down.. because I actually love kimchi now. I crave it! It doesn't even taste spicy anymore! Its a miracle haha!! When I first came here the elders in my district told me that if I eat 3 bites of kimchi every time it is available I would start to like it. And lo and behold, it has actually happened I can't believe it! Its sooo good! Be ready ready to meet the new and improved Sister Garlic-breath in 15 months! Whoot whoot!

Really though this week was a great one. I guess I'll start with the highlight... Jong Da Young's baptism on saturday. One of the best days of my life! This girl has changed my life. The night before the baptism we got together with her and watched "finding faith in christ" with her. After we watched it, we asked her how she felt. She said that she loves Jesus Christ and is so so grateful for the atonement. She shared with us that her dad is an alcoholic and is very abusive, and that how through the atonement everything can be made right. It was one of the most tender experiences I've ever had. Here is this young girl who has found the truth and is seeking to do God's will, despite her hard circumstances in life. She is so deserving of this gospel. Ahhh I am just so grateful to have met her. Saturday was the perfect day. We have such a wonderful and supportive ward from whom Jong Da Yong felt so much love an acceptance from. I'm pretty sure she has a dinner with different members every night of the week this week haha! Our ward is seriously amazing. Everyone did their part to make it a perfect day for her. After the service, we had a little party with food, Sis. Lawrence and I made a cake and sang "happy baptism to you" haha. It was so great. Afterwards I asked her what her favorite part of the day was. She told me it was the moment she came out of the water. She felt so pure and happy. I pretty much started crying on the spot (my mission has turned me into the biggest baby its so bad). She kept saying "blessed day" in english. It was indeed a very blessed day. I hope she remembers it forever, because I sure will!

Everything is going super well with all of our investigators... In fact we're kinda baptizing them all. Haha which is great, but Sis. Lawrence is gonna leave next week and then they'll all be baptized.. so I gotta go find some new investies haha! Anyways, Kim Tae Hee is doing awesome. We told her that in order to be ready for baptism on feb. 8th we needed to meet with her lots, so we have been meeting a lot! She has been accepting everything so great. We thought we would have some issues when it came to word of wisdom and law of chastity, but she commited to living them! She has so much faith! She is incredible. 
We also had an amazing lesson with Shin Song Hee yesterday. She has been in Singapore for the past few weeks... We haven't been able to teach her very much, but she has been to church several times and has told us how much she loves the spirit she feels here. She has such a desire to learn. She speaks English very well! So when we teach her we teach in both english and korean which is great haha. Anways, yesterday we taught her the plan of salvation, in the temple waiting room. She has had such a hard life.. she's divorced and lost her only child one day after it was born. Through her trials she feels like God has abandoned her, and she doesn't understand why God lets bad things happen to people. She thinks that it would've almost been better if we didn't have agency! I didn't know how to explain all of what I wanted to say.. so I just told her that sometimes we don't understand the things we have to go through in this life.. so we just have to trust God. He is all knowing. He loves each of us personally and is aware of each of us. Through the atonement of his son Jesus Christ, everything that is unfair about life will be made right. We told her that through God's plan, she would be with her baby again! She cried and cried... Along with me ans Sister Lawrence haha. The spirit was so so strong in that lesson.. I know I say this about every lesson with every investigator haha.. but this was something special. Her heart was really touched. I know that she will get baptized soon :) She is so amazing.

With all of these amazing experiences I've been having I have realized how truly blessed I am to have grown up with the knowledge of the gospel in my life. I have taken it for granted. Being a missionary, I am learning more each day how truly dependent upon the savior I am. I am so blessed to be going through all of these amazing experiences. I never knew that the mission would change my life like it has. 

Well, transfer calls are this saturday! I get a new trainer on the 6th of February... Not gonna lie I am freaking out haha. My trainer will most likely be a very young missionary who doesn't know much more than I do and that freaks me out a bit... So I'm going to be expected to know a lot more.. I guess that is good.. but I hate being pushed out of my comfort zone dangit. Right when I finally get it down.. God says nope! Time to work harder. That's just this whole mission thing though I guess.. :) 

Gotta jet!! Ahhh theres always so much to say and so little time to say it. Oh well. I love you all so much! Talk to you next week!

Holmes 자매  ^^ (how koreans do smiley faces haha)

ice skating last p-day!!!

Sister Haynie and I aren't we cute

this is what happens when you're a missionary and you don't get out much

me eating one of my favorite meals, kimchi bokumbop! :)

jong da young's baptism!!!!





2 comments:

  1. I swear these letters make my week every time! I am so proud of my little Hannah Banana and so happy that she is having this amazing experience!

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  2. What an incredible letter this week, well they all are actually. I can really tell in each letter the growth Hannah has made. I look forward to reading her letters each week.

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