Helllllo from Taebek!! Can you hear me?? I am a million miles away in the wilderness! Haha okay. So that's what I thought it would be like out here, but I was wrong. I thought I'd be going to a tiny ancient village with no running water. But it turns out Taebek is a normal town, with normal stores, houses, and people. Maybe the ancient village would've been more exciting. ;) well that being said, it is SO different than Seoul. It really is like a tiny village in comparison to the big booming Sinchon.
The first few days I was super cold here! It was rainy so I had to unpack my sweaters again! But it warmed up and now the weather is perfect! Its in the 70's and there's not any humidity or mosquitoes! So weather wise, I scored big time! As far as people goes... Just like the mosquitoes, there aren't any of those out here. Haha just kidding, but there really aren't many people. Jundoing is a completely different experience. We have to talk to EVERY single person we see, or we can't meet our goals. If you don't talk to every person, you may not see another one for a long time. So that's been a bit of an adjustment for me. Being here has made me realize how picky I was in Sinchon. If I didn't feel like talking to someone there was another person that came along in 2 seconds. There were 20 people at each cross walk. Well now I'm in a place where there aren't stop lights or cross walks! Serves me right ha! Oh man. Its been a bit awkward stopping people when they walk past me... trying to casually start up a conversation without them noticing that I'm now following them! Its been great. People in Taebek are a lot nicer than people in Seoul though! There aren't many who have interest in our message.. but that's the same as everywhere. Our job is to invite everyone so we can find the one that is prepared!!
Missionary work is a little different here in Taebek. We still talk to everyone, Jundo, knock doors (A TON), but there is a bigger focus on strengthening the members out here. We have a branch! Made up of about 20 people. This has probably been the biggest change for me. Sunday was so different. I am used to being in a chapel crammed full of people. Well our church building here could fit inside the chapel in Sinchon haha! And actually Sinchon's chapel wasn't even that big. That give you an idea of how small it is. Half the ward is missionaries. There are 6 of us missionaries, Elder Moon (zone leader) and Elder Mumford, Elder Jarrett and Elder Garff (district leader, who served with me my whole 4 transfers in Sinchon), and me and Sister Lykins. Church is only 2 hours long, because there aren't enough people to have a relief society and elders quorum! So it is SO different. But I can't explain how much I love it. The members here are truly amazing. All of them are people that have truly inspiring stories, and have been recently reactivated in the church within the past 10 years or so. It feels like a family. They were all so warm and loving to me my first Sunday. I truly feel so blessed to be serving here. It will be such a different experience, but such an amazing one. I can't wait.
We actually have a good amount of investigators! The problem is is that they are all super buddhist. I've only met 2 of them,Jiny and Dorthy. We're doing the family english program with them. They're these 2 middle aged women who are the most loving, fun people I've ever met. They LOVE me already haha. This week we had a lesson with them and read the Family Proclamation the the World with them, and they loved it. They have really good feelings towards our church, and our beliefs, but they have no intentions of changing their religion or anything.. so teaching them is a bit of a hard situation. They are both such amazing women who are trying to live their lives in the best way that they know how. How do we help them to see that what we have to offer them will only add to their happiness, and their truths and principles that they value with their faith? Ahh so hard. Yokshi, this is missionary work!
So guess what?? I ran a 5k on Saturday!!! And I got a free t-shirt! and I won some tupperware!! Haha it was so fun. Our whole district got permission from president to run this 5k the town had on Saturday. Man I'm out of shape haha but it was a good time! It was actually more like a 10k because we had to walk back too. So I was dead after that. But it was way fun!
Oh Sister Lykins, where can I even start with this one. She is such a hoot. I am having a great time serving with her so far! She is in every way different than Sister Lee, that is for sure. She's from Salt Lake, she's 26 years old (I have had such grandmas for companions). The adjustment has been kind of hard. But she is so amazing. She wants to make me as happy as possible here in Taebek. This will be her 4th transfer in this area, and she truly loves it so much. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve with her!
Miracle!! Today on the way to email we met the cutest student!! She seems to have english AND gospel interest!! She was so nice. We met her on the way to grab lunch and we parted our ways and went into a bakery. 2 minutes later she comes into the bakery with juice she had just bought for us.. What a sweetheart right? We're meeting her on Thursday, I'm so excited! I love little tender mercies like this.
This week I was reading my favorite talk about gratitude by Pres. Uchtdorf (sorry I literally talk about this talk in every email but I love it so much). He talks about how learning to truly have a grateful heart no matter what our circumstances are can help us overcome any kind of trial, sadness or heartbreak. He says that it can bloom just as beautiful in the icy landscape of winter, just as it does in the warmth of summer. I can be just as happy in the mountains of Taebek as I was in the crazy city of Sinchon.
Things are different. But things are so good. :) Until next week!!!
Sister Holmes
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Last P-Day in Sinchon!! Trick art/ice museum!!! Golden, right?
Me and the Lykins Sista haha
Taebek!
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