And just like that I blink and the transfer is over. I hit my halfway mark this wednesday. Next monday I turn 20. I'm basically on my death bed. What is happening? I literally feel like I just got to Taebaek last week.
Oh man we had a busy week! Zone traning, companion exchanges, lots of good meetings with people. We hardly had any time to street contact! But we talked to people every chance that we could get! Gotta find that prepared person.. They're waiting for us!
We met with Leann this week a couple times. She is such a wonderful person. She expressed some concerns about meeting with us upfront, but she is willing to do everything that we ask of her. This last week we had a really good lesson about prayer and how it can help us. She recognized that in hard times she has, in a sense, prayed in her heart before. We told her that praying to Heavenly Father can help her to receive the help she needs, whenever or whatever it may be. She said "So.. God already knows me?? But I don't really know him!" We told her, well that is our purpose as missionaries! To help you to come to know Him. We challenged her to pray that night and thank God for all of the things in her life, and to ask Him for whatever it may be that she needs help with. She said that she would! She then prayed at the end of the lesson and gave such a sweet prayer! She may be a little skeptical but she is acting on her faith. I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach her, she is such a wonderful person. Also, she referred her friend to us, Selina. We met her yesterday for the first time. Kind of the same situation as Leann, she and her family are buddhist. She pretty much told us in the beginning that she doesn't want to change or go to our church, but she understands our purpose and respects it. To be honest, after our meeting with her yesterday I hit a wall of discouragement. I was feeling so down because I feel like I lack faith with our investigators. They are all buddhist, and have told us in numerous ways that they don't want to change. I want so badly to find someone who wants to hear this message. I want to be able to share with them and affect them with this gospel. I want to see people's lives change. Then we went to Dorthy's house (we will be teaching her with her kids now) and had a great short little lesson with them.. and I realized that even though I feel like I'm not making a difference right now, we are. These people need our love. And with time and patience, they may come to accept our message, even if we don't get to see it. It was a miracle and a tender mercy for me. Sometimes I just face these moments where I feel hopeless.. but then God helps me see that I am just doing what I can, and I am needed where I am.
Zone training this week was awesome. I learned so much! We have such great zone leaders, who really helped me see what I am already doing right and what I need to improve. We also had an awesome training from our sister training leaders about obedience and faith! Both things I needed to hear! It was just an enforcer and a good reminder of why we do the things we do as missionaries.. exact obedience is the only way that we can see miracles! I know that from experience. Also in order to see miracles we need to have faith. When we pray in faith, ask in faith and through our actions of obedience show our faith, we are 'entitled', in a sense, to see miracles. Even if they're not the miracles we expect!
This past week we went to visit one of our members, Kim Gye Sook. She is like the mom of all of us missionaries out here, I love her so much. We talked for her for a long time about some less actives, and she also told us the story of how she joined the church.. It was a faith building experience for me for a few reasons. firstly, because her story is inspiring and gives me hope and secondly because I understood every single thing that came out of her mouth. It was the first time I have understood something that completely and perfectly. Usually I get the story because I understand most of what's being said.. but this was like 100%. It was so cool... God helps us when we ask for things, that's all I'm gonna say!
A couple of fun things this week.. we 'hiked' a mountain for our missionary coordination meeting. It was the prettiest sight I've seen in a long time.. I felt like I was in Canada! I am so blessed to be hear in Taebaek (seriously as far as weather goes.. I am the most blessed missionary in our misison). Also I ate chong-yang-go-chu pepper at Kim Ji Hae's house(our member). A spicy green pepper. I might as well have swallowed a torch that was lit. It was the most painful experience I've ever had. I cried for 10 minutes straight and drank about a gallon of milk. But you know what, no regrets! Never again. But no regrets.
This week should be great! Tonight for our FHE we're having MUSIC NIGHT!! It should be a blast! A lot of people are coming! I'm playing Maple Leaf Rag on the piano and singing "Mountains to Climb" with Elder Garff and Elder Mumford haha! Can't wait. Then transfer calls is on saturday night.. we'll see what happens! Sister Lykins has been here for the past 4 transfers.. so I could get a new companion, but she could also stay with me for one more.. or heck I could be leaving! Doesn't seem likely and I would be SO mad.. but President has done crazier things..
Well, I love you all! I love this work! I just love everything! Except that dang pepper that almost killed me. No regrets, but I still hate it.
Until next week!!
Sister Holmes
홈스 자매
English class buddies!! :)
Exchanges with Sister Ness! Good times
This is Kim SooJung! She is in our ward and she leaves to her mission in Hong Kong this week!!! Sunday was her farewell. And we're matching. How perfect. :)
We love Kim SooJung!
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