Thursday, May 27, 2010

Part 2

Well, "hiking was fun. It was kinda weird really....I discovered that my investigator isn't exactly all there upstairs (who is?). We're just following her along and she took us through these people's gardens and then flat into the jungle...yes, I went through the jungle in Asia. I expected her to break out a machete at any moment. It was quite adventuresome. I especially liked when she said "This is my mountain" in English and then took out her little shrub snippers and started cutting down bushes...We weren't exactly sure what to do...so we didn't do anything....we just watched. I love my life. I never REALLY know what's going on :).

Well, that's about it for now. I had to pay for this computer and every 10 minutes costs more....lame.

Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!!

~R~

Life is not as long as you think it is‏

Life is kinda slowing down for me a bit now. It's a relief.

Robert's ship has sailed. He actually ended up leaving earlier then scheduled, so he missed our last appointment with him. I'm pretty sure his boat got commanded to go somewhere as soon as they proved that North Korea sunk that ship with a torpedo. Who knows where he's taken off to...probably not wherever they originally planned...at least he's got the Book of Mormon, prayer and a reason to be different. He'll be just fine. He's a good kid. The best part was that before he disappeared I was praying and studying about what we needed to teach him before he took off and I just had this overwhelming feeling that we had accomplished what we were called to do for him in this leg....so we just planned to have dinner him and us and the Elders, to say goodbye. He got what he needed and then he left. His spiritual journey will continue elsewhere.

I've had a nasty cough, so I haven't gotten a ton done. I, as usual, push myself too hard when I'm sick and then I don't get over it as fast. My companion made me go to bed early last night....it seemed to have helped a lot. I'm sure the yellow dust doesn't help this whole situation. Oh well....this too shall pass.

Park Sung Hee, my last companion and my housemate, is heading home today. She was the first sister I met in Korea---she was there my greenie day. I just love her and it was really hard to say goodbye this morning. She's such an excellent missionary and has always been such a wonderful example to me. Hermana Park is headed home to make more tacos :).

That's all the time I have for now....we're going hiking with an investigator...I don't want to be late. If we have time later I'll send more!!

Love to all!!

~R~

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Still haven't gotten the hang of Thursdays

Kudos to those who get the reference. There should be about 42 of you :).

Things are going really well.

The question was posed as to whether I still have my camera. The answer is yes, and at the moment it is working perfectly, though I will admit that for a good transfer there it suddenly stopped working with the memory card that it had worked with all along. Finally solved that problem by backing up some pictures Scott sent me onto a flash drive and using his card. His card has been working fine (my spasdic camera luck) and I've since taken (and backed up) lots of pictures. I thought about actually trying to email some today (computers in Korean aren't quite as scary as they were about a year ago), but the battery was dead....so it's at home charging. Maybe next week. My point is, picutres will be on their way soon.

I came down with a nasty cold around Monday so this week has been slow. I had the opportunity to split back to my greenie area, Kimhae and Gupo. It's too bad it was nasty and rainy--and I had a cold and could barely speak and the sister I split with is a greenie. It wasn' the most pleasant split ever, but that's not anyone's fault...just life. It was really nice to see some of the wonderful members in that area and actually be able to understand them when they speak to me, though. It was a nice little trip down memory lane.

Meeting with Robert (the sailor) has been going well. I'm quite amused that the problem he had with the Word of Wisdom was...DUN DUN DUN....TEA!!! He's changed so much already. I can't even place what exactly is different....but he's changed. For one thing...he's completely given up drinking. That's it...he just decided to stop. He refuses to admit it to us, but he's really made some big changes--beyond the obvious little ones. I'm really proud of him and really sad that he's taking off this weekend. I'm grateful we were able to help him this far, though it'd be selfish and prideful of me to say that I did much at all....God has been pointing and directing him for who knows how long. Pray for him to continue progressing and learning, particularly that he'll be able to grow a strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He reads and prays...that will get him really far.

Right after I emailed last week we headed off to see the battleship from the Korean war that is now part of a museum. It was AWESOME!!!! It was so cool to see it. There's so much coordination and thinking and engineering and planning that goes into one project like that. It would seem an impossible task except they broke it down and did it a little at a time...step by step...and then man was able to accomplish something beyond their normal capacity....and shipbuilders are doing it everyday!!! And on top of that there are so many people actually living on such boats out there! It's just crazy. There's so much going on in the world---so many little things that I'm not aware of. I'm astounded by the way the human race pulls together to accomplish things. Any given product has so many kinds of manufacturing and transportation and therefore more manufacturing and more invention behind it. Everyone just does their own little (and possibly boring) part...and somehow we manage a system where we can get just about anything we can want, need, think of or imagine without much of a thought of its original origin (redundant?) nor the journey it took to get to you. There's so much to learn about the world. So little time. So little time. It's a good thing that I'm a child of God and as such have inherited an infinite capacity to learn. I want to know all of it...a little at a time!

On that note...I just love missionary work. My year in country mark came and went. I noticed as a young missionary that when Sisters hit their year-in-country mark you blink and they're "dead". It's a good think I can move faster than the speed of light and get lots of really good things done in the time being. I love this work. It truly brings a joy that can't be compared to anything else in the world.

Please keep praying for my language ability and my planning and organization....I find that I keep leaving projects half done...I'm spinning too many plates. Prayers that my head remains attached would be very much appreciated.

Don't do anything I wouldn't do! (you should have seen the looks on those sailors' faces the day I said that to them last week...priceless...).

Love to all!

~R~

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Off to a Battleship!

I get to go on a tour of an old Korean battleship today...I'm pretty excited. I like my little town on the coast. Jinhae is a magical land where miracles pop out of the woodwork everyday.

I think Matt should buy Chalene's house, too! I know I would if I had the money...but I just don't.

Story about miracles in magical Jinhae: Do you remember the sailor last week who hugged me when he first saw me? Well, I found him again. And he is basically one of the most prepared people I've met my whole mission. I saw him from afar off and I said "Hey...I know you!" and he practically ran towards us and I asked him what brought him into to town (he lives on a boat--in the merchant marines). He said "Actually, I just FOUND what I was looking for!" Which at first was a little awkward for me because I was scared he was looking for ME not the MISSIONARIES. But, when I asked why, he said "Well, I had an interesting experience last night and afterwards I just felt like I needed to find you too afterward." So...I invited him to the Church nearby, called the Elders and let him spill his guts. Long story short---with not much better to do he had gotten into this vicious drinking cycle and it seemed like a decent way to run away from some very serious family issues, so he kept up with it. Well, naturally that made him very depressed and he decided he needed to talk to his Grandma (a member who works for LDS Family Services) about it. YEARS ago his Mom left the Church as a youth and eventually his Dad was so against it that the grandpa agreed not to talk aobut the Church with the grandkids....but this time Robert went to HIM for help...so he basically taught the first lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon just in time for him to take off to sea again. He left the Book at home. So we got him a new one. Anyway...he had a rough night with drinking and when he woke up and remembered what he couldn't remember....his first thought was "I have to find those missionaries!" and so...not having any other way to find us...he just wandered to town. The crazy thing is that I had planned on spending most of the day in the opposite end of town...but I accidentaly left my list of addresses for those people at the house....so I went to the other ward instead because there were things I knew I could do there. He said he hadn't even been looking for 5 minutes before he found us. He's just dying to have a reason not to act like everyone else on the ship does. He's dying for a reason and a way to change. He's had so many little tiny miracles leading him to us and the best part is that he flat out recognizes them. He even sat through 3 hours of Korean Church, which isn't even easy for MISSIONARIES to do. Unfortunately his ship leaves May 23 which is not quite enough time to meet the 2 sacrament meetings and 1 more after for confirmation requirements. We've already gotten in contact with the missionaries in the next area his ship is going (around the coast to an area in the Daejeon mission). He flat out said last time we met "I'm pretty sure this is the Church for me." This is a change...my investigator, rather than myself, is getting "transferred" just before baptism.

That's about it for now...It was nice to talk to everyone on Monday (Sunday). You all sound wonderful. I continuously pray for you all. Be safe and and say your prayers!!

~R~

Thursday, May 6, 2010

No Subject

Hello All,

I'm very saddened that Chalene and Company are moving away. I must say that I like the whole family always being in one spot. I'm sure things will be great there.

Today is Sisters conference and so all 18 sisters have 4 computers to use. Therefore this has to be short, But I get to call in a few days anyway.

Jinhae is just a wonderful place to be. I'm loving it. We've found a few potential investigators this week....one of whom had read from the beginning of the Book of Mormon through a good chunk of Mosiah....she didn't even let Isaiah stop her. The hardest thing for her will be that the Church is a whole block from her house where her current Church is across the street. A whole block for greater truth...

I got hugged by an American sailor the other day. The guy said "WE FOUND THE MORMONS IN KOREA!!!" and threw his arms around me. Awkward. He was fascinated with the Book of Mormon in Korean. I let him have it....maybe now he'll learn Korean...and his Grandpa who's a member will have another opportunity to share his testimony with him. I should stay away from sailors...they always try to kiss and hug me...why does President Jennings keep posting me on the coast??? Those ones are just no good...

Anyway, times up...I love you all. Say your prayers, read you scriptures and go to Church!!!

~R~