START OF A NEW TRANSFER

Well me and my companion are keeping busy. We picked up five new investigators this week. One we are super excited to teach because her brother is also meeting with the missionaries. Her brother is 25 yrs. old and she is 22 yrs. old. His been talking about the church and Book of Mormon at home so she was curious and wanted to come to church. For Sunday school class we went to the marriage preparation class. Which was so fun. The teacher is really good and makes it fun, not akward for people. I was a little worried taking investigators to that class, but it turned out really well and she made friends with our Ward Mission Leader's daughter. Yes!

Even though we have had many miracles these past couple weeks, this past week we had a very sad experience. Our little 안태현's mother said "no" to letting him to get baptized. It's really frustrating because her and her husband are MEMBERS! They are inactive, but his two older sisters are active. The reason why is because the Dad's parents are Catholic. I don't understand this about Korean Culture, but children, even when they are 40 years old still base off their decisions on what their parents say. Its so frustrating to me. And the worse part is they are moving soon and she told us once they move they are not going to let their kids attend church anymore. It's a horrible, depressing situation. I still pray something will change, I love that little boy.

So Monday was a bit Korean Holiday 추석{JooSok}. It's basically American Thanksgiving, but way more intense. They go up to their ancestors gravesite to pay respects and prepare food for them that they set at a table. It's alot of food preparation and no women likes it. Because men don't help with cooking or cleaning! How horrible. And they have to deal with their husband's family. Its all very stressful for women apparently.

But we had a member invite us over to eat a JooSok lunch. It was diclious. We only stayed for an hour then traveled to Seoul to meet up with some sister's and go to the Place. For this P-Day we had the entire day. 11am-9pm. It was awesome. The Palace is huge! And so beautiful. And since it was a holiday it was free and they had speacial events happening all week. We got to see a Korean drumming show. Some how me and Sister Nelson managed to sneak up to the front. It was perfect. I got awesome video of it. But because we watched the show we only saw a tenth of the Palace. It's like the Smithsoian in Washington DC. It would takes days to see everything there. It was so much fun.

THE MOVE IS OVER

Well Me and my Companion Sister Jeung has finished moving. Even though we didn't have much to move its still stressful. We got a new apartment and our Mission President had furniture delievered to us.

Unfortuanltley he forgot some essentials, like cups!

Monday did not feel like a P-day, after email and eating lunch we had to clean our new apartment. It tooks us an hour, but we had to go home, get cleaning supplies and come back, which took an hour and a half. I miss having a car.

Then Tuesday, Suji Elders came to our house to help move our stuff onto the truck. We got that done in 20 minutes. Then President drove us to our new place and ther our Zone leaders and two other Elders in our district joined us. So we had six Elders moving our stuff. It was nice. And they put together our desks. Also, our Bishops wife came over and helped us clean. She is awesome. She even took us out to lunch, we had 고기 (meat: really expensive in Korea). Then she bought us some basic cooking and cleaning things we needed and then helped us clean our apartment more. That took up the whole day.

Then wednesday and friday we crazy and we didn't get much missionary work done. Our numbers for this week are so low, 43/140 for contacts.

Wednesday the new BoonDang Elders came and we had a two hour meeting updating them on the area and thier investigators. Then Friday was planning day, so we don't leave till 3pm. But that was interrupted a couple times by the APs. They came and delievered us shelfs and a kitchen table. Then a couple hours later they came back with a oven, which was abosultely disgusting. You know when the microwave or parts of the stove get greasy? Well, it looked like that, all over the oven.

Baked on grease. And it looked like this oven hadn't been used or cleaned in years. We started cleaning it that day, but this morning we finally finished. Yes...it was that bad.

But even though our schedule has been crazy and our numbers extermely low, we have seen severval miracles this week. So Wednesday, we only had 10 minutes to do some contacting and then we had to go to an appointment. Within that time we got a number from a girl who seemed genuily interested.

Then the next day we were dong some contacting while we waited for the subway. While talking to a woman, this little old man came over and was listening. I look over at him and he says "Joseph Smith." I say "yes" and we start talking. Apparently 50 years ago he joined the church. Right then our subway came and for some reason we got on different carts. While in the train, I was like we got to go find him.

So as the train was moving we moved up to the next cart. We didn't see him, but as we kept on walking, there he was sitting down. The train stopped again and he got up and moved to a place with several seats that just opened up. He pats his hand on the seat next him. We got sit with him and start talking some more. I asked if he had a Book of Mormon and he said not anymore. So we gave him a copy and then he gave us his number. He told us to call him and that he'd come to church.

Then on Friday we were waiting for a bus for over 15 minutes. The buses in Korea are good about coming ever 5-8 minutes. While we were sitting there waiting, this man walks up to us. He explains how he went to church once in Japan and ask if he can have a copy of the Book of Mormon. He also gives us his number for us to call him later. After we got his number our bus came! Coiencidene that our bus was late, I think not. I love being on a mission and seeing the Lord leading us to people or people to us, and you don't even realize it till after it happens. If our bus was on time we would not have met this man. Its so amazing to me and strengthens my testimony that there is a God and he knows us and helps us in our lives everyday.

I think this new transfer will be full of miracles and great experiences. Oh we had transfers this last week and my and Sister Jeung are both staying. This will be our third transfer together. I really love her, she is awesome!

I NEVER WILL ESCAPE

All my life I have been moving. I have lived in 10 different states and two different countries. I have moved eleven times with my family. So when I got my mission call to report to the MTC on March 23rd, I was exteremly excited. Because that June my family would be moving again and this time I got to miss it. To not have to move heavy metal shelving or spend weeks unloading and loading the same boxes sounded refreshing. But unfortuanltey this past wednesday I heard some disturbing news from my companion at Zone Conference, "We are moving next Tuesday!"

Some background information. Within the past several weeks we have been meeting so many men. Men with geniune interest in learning about the gospel. The man in the wheelchair, the guy we contacted during Door Knocking and two other men we met within this past week. Tuesday, we had just left our house and hopped on the bus. Sister Jeung went and sat in the back, I saw a seat and headed towards the back as well. Before I sat down an older gentleman said "Hi" to me in English. We start talking and I explain to him that I am a missionary. The man was sitting right across form Sister Jeung, so all three of us started talking about the Book of Mormon. Before we got to Yatap station (5-8 mintues), he asked for a copy and we exchanged numbers. Then in church yesterday we had a member refferal, from another ward, come to church. He is a couple years older then me. Super nice and the Bishop wife said "He's cute." Which he is, but I am a missionary. Anyways, he came to sacrament and we introduced the Book of Mormon to him after church. He says next week he will come to all three hours.

So, as you can see we've been meeting a lot of prepared men in our area. And before Zone Conference I told Sister Jeun, "I wonder if we BoonDang is going to change to Elders." Because we've been meeting so many men, but they are really hard to meet with for us, because we have to find another woman to come. So at Zone Conference, wednesday, President Lee told Sister Jeung that Elders are moving to our Apartment in Yatap and we are moving to Migeum. Migeum is still the same area, so BoonDany area will have Sisters and Elders. It's all very exciting except we have to move into a new apartment.

So yesterday night and this morning we have been packing. It is alot easier than moving with my family, but I just thought for at least a short time, I would have escaped the trials of moving.