"What is this feeling? So sudden and new" That is the phrase/lyrics from Wicked that has been running around in my brain all week! I’m just trying to soak everything in but it’s not soaking! I just feel like I want to jump out of my skin! I have these spurts of stress energy that make me go wild and crazy because I don’t know what to do with myself. Ha-ha you can ask Sister Mineer about all the craziness that’s happened. I wonder what she thinks about me... Anyways, last week was a blast and today was filled with a good study this morning with a Christ statue! We got permission to study on a mountain for my last p day and it was so amazing. It was bittersweet to look out at the city, seeing what I’m leaving behind, but I had Christ right there with me to see it with me. He's always there!

For our last meeting with the bishopric, wait for it...... we ate...  보신탕 (dog soup).  It was tasty! It tasted like beef but a slightly different tinge to the taste. Interesting. The counselor said that after you eat it you'll be able to communicate to the dogs on the streets for three days... he's horrible!  

We made one meal at the house this week. Let’s just say that we were either super busy travelling and couldn’t eat, or we were at a meal appointment and almost dying with all the food! We were happy on the days we were travelling :) I’ve eaten more food in my life! But hey I’m grateful because all the food has been delicious! We ate jellyfish too! 

This email is all over the place but I just wanted to share something that I learned while I was on the mountain this morning with Sister Mineer and the Savior. We all know that we have the potential to become like Christ and Heavenly Father. 3nephi 27:27. Well to those members or missionaries or people preparing for a mission who don’t feel like they have a strong testimony or don’t know what to look for, seek to become like Christ and The Father. Know that you want to be "even as He is" If That is your goal, That is a powerful testimony because it signifies that you believe in Christ and have a testimony of Him, that you are willing to follow Him, , desire to be A Christ like missionary or member. You will obey Him, You will follow Him, You will Love him, and you will know Him. I think those who desire to be a Christ like Person have a strong testimony. 

I know we can become like Him because He lives!

Sister Wright

I feel like I’ve never been happier

Where to begin? 

This week seemed to be the busiest, craziest, most interesting week I think I’ve had my whole mission!  I’ve never been busier, I’ve never been more persecuted for my beliefs, I’ve never met so many investigators, and I’ve never been so happy! How could this be? It must be the Lords work!

Miracle # 1: We received 2 new investigators on our p-day! Tuesday I cooked meat for breakfast because I just wanted to cook!!!!  Breakfast time is the only time we have time or no appointments... so we had kimchi and meat! I was tired of cereal or eggs and yogurt. Thursday was the busiest day of our lives!!! So many appointments and activities and travelling. It’s the travelling that gets us super tired. But it was AWESOME! I felt sooo good. 

Saturday was an interesting day. We met with a referral from another missionary set that told us she was very interested in what we teach and really wanted to meet. We were so excited! We tried to prepare for her lesson as well as we could, but a curve ball was thrown at us as we met. She actually wanted us to convert to her religion. I don’t think I’ve heard the word heresy more in my life! Interesting experience. The meeting was not filled with good feelings and I just felt like I was being verbally abused for being Mormon. She told us that she was doing missionary work for her church, but honestly, I don’t believe servants of God would act in that manner. We respected her beliefs, but she seemed to not have a filter. We felt so sad after the meeting. And we cancelled our lunch time to meet with her!  It has been frustrating meeting with people who try to convert us because they feel like we are a cult and are in the wrong and cannot be saved. But I feel like I’ve never been happier because of this gospel! We follow the principles of the gospel so closely that I cannot feel like I could be condemned for the kind acts of service we have performed! ~ Anyways, I just know that those types of experiences can only help me because I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I cannot deny it. I do not know everything, I cannot answer everybody's questions, but I know Heavenly Father can and I know He speaks through the spirit. I did an activity in the PMG today and it had me write my testimony of the first vision. I think if anyone hasn’t written down their testimony of the first vision on paper yet, that would be a great thing to do right now! 

I gave my farewell talk in church yesterday because ward conference is next week! We were told to give it 10 min before sacrament meeting... yikes! No time to stress about it so... miracle!

Be happy!!!

Sister Wright

I can’t even describe this week. Numerous amounts of failures, and miracles. How can this be? Well there is opposition in all things right? Yikes was the #1 most used word this transfer... ha-ha 

The sink, bathroom and wallpaper all had some serious problems, but happy to say Miracle! It was finally fixed!

WE went to an art park on Monday for p day that ended up being closed till April... but Miracle! We found cheap hiking chairs for whenever we go camping... ha-ha and light weight!

Tuesday we met with a lady that seemed super interested in the missionaries. Found out she just wanted to convert us to her religion... But... Miracle, we starting to learn more and more about the book of Revelations that they love talking to us about!

On Wednesday our appointment cancelled but we were able to dust the church bushes and sweep the patio of the church for president’s interviews!

Had an exchange on Thursday and learned during personal study about how to make goals (which I’m not very good and executing) and what the techniques of life are! Do you know the techniques of life??? If you want to know, search the PMG!

Our lesson on Sunday was a big fail, but it was a blessing because it humbled us to the very dust... I won’t expand any further!

But Hey, I can’t look at the negatives! The HUGE miracles of this week was we were able to go to stake conference in my second area Sanbon! The members remembered me and the excitement on their faces melted me to the core. The whole bishopric told the mission president of how much they want me to come to a baptism next week. Ahh I was filled with so much joy! That was one of the highlights of the mission. The bishop drove us home after the meeting, which was an amazing sign of love. Their acts of love was so simple, but so rewarding, especially after all the work we did in that area. That Sunday as well, our couple investigator came to church! Miracle!! As missionaries, we sang our mission hymn during the meeting and it was so powerful. I felt back at home and it was amazing to spend it with the people I love!

Brownie comforted me this week! He’s my new pet! Shhh dont tell anyone!

Sister Wright

The rats nest started but it's gone now

Hi family! This week I have been the most tired than ever before!! We have been working nonstop. Walking, bus riding, subway taking. This area I’m in right now for me has some of the most complicated bus systems! It’s convenient... when you know which bus to take! Sister Mineer and I have also had some of the strangest experiences at teaching appointments which leave us in the elevator after the appointment dazed, then we look at each other and ask, "What just happened..." We have some of the most amazing/craziest investigators!!! There's never a dull moment.

This week I made a goal to be more organized, I was a disaster last week, both physically and mentally! Sorry dad, the rats nest started, but it’s gone now and everything is better. I was so scattered with the area and making sure everything was under control, that I couldn’t keep organized with everything else! But that’s no excuse and now as my desk and clothes are organized, my mind will too! It probably didn’t help that our sink broke again and we couldn’t do dishes often. Yikes

On P-day we went to bupyeoung! (부평) my last area and visited some of my favorite people before vacation time was up! It was so great to see them and so great that Sister Mineer was so willing to go with me on her P-day.

Jackson is progressing and he has been sitting still while we pray and teach a lesson with a present! Inside were brownies but he had to have faith and do certain tasks to receive faith/receive the present. He did jumping jacks and had to jump a certain height and eventually we gave it to him(we taught him about health and the word of wisdom last week so that’s why we had him do exercises). He’s one of my favorites!

This week during my personal study, I related the plan of salvation to a board game, like monopoly. I think Jackson and his lessons are getting to me... ha-ha but it was really interesting. Baptism is what gets us on the Starting space, now we are on the path. Every time we progress and "pass Go" we receive blessings of 200$. But we need to look and see where we are. Are we stuck in "jail"? If so, we aren’t progressing and we are just dormant, going with the flow of things. We need to constantly be trying to keep moving forward. Are we trying to only build up our empire and get the best best best? If so we may lose all of our blessings/money and lose all that we have. I call this, the Plan of Salvation!    (I might be going insane... sorry if this analogy sounds strange)

I love this gospel, and I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know it’s true because as I’ve applied the teachings contained in it, and as I’ve done that, I have felt the spirit. Because of that spirit I know that revelation continues today and forever.

Sister Wright

 

Sink fell off, faucet fell off, Good Times

Wednesday Transfers!! I sent some pictures of what our transfers look like, all the missionaries gather at a central building and we find our companions and say buy to our friends and head back to our areas! It was so fun and I used my selfie stick to get some good angles!

Sister Mineer is 180 centimeters, or in other words, 5 '11, and a blondie! She was super charitable this week and gave a sister a piggy back ride because she had a hurt ankle on the way down from a hike we had for a zone activity!

Thursday for 설날 (lunar new year) we met together as a zone and played group games, ate French toast and eggs for lunch, went on a hike, and then came back, watched Meet the Mormons and ate pizza! Everyone is gone on this day with family so the area was empty and no one was able to meet. We had training on the mountain about charity and committed us to be more giving, selfless, loving, caring, forgiving, and everything else that charity consists of. They had asked us to study charity that morning and I will share with you some of the things that I had learned about Christ and charity. 

So, Charity is the pure love of Christ. His love is everlasting. We know it is eternal because the ultimate act of Charity that He performed is the Atonement, which is an eternal sacrifice. If we choose not to have charity toward others, then we can’t receive Christ’s charity, which is forgiveness of sins, the Holy Ghost, blessings, etc.

We had a miracle this week! Last week we went to an appointment who, when we came to her door, she told us she couldn’t meet with us. We were a bit confused and disappointed because we had walked about 2 miles to her house... we started walking back and halfway home we realized that we needed to visit some less active members that were in that same location we just visited. We contemplated if we should take a bus or walk all the way back again... we decided to walk and on our way back we met a vivacious lady that knew who we were and offered to have us at her home and eat dinner and meet her family and do our family English program. When we met with her, she told us she had made a goal last year to meet and have a foreign friend, and now she and her family will meet with us. They are all really Christian, I think the husband relayed the whole bible to us last night... ha-ha and interested in seeing what our church is like. I see a lot of good things coming from meeting with them, and it’s a family!!! The daughter is 18 and the son is 16. I’m a bit excited to not have to teach some little boys right now, it’s a breath of fresh air! Jackson was crazy this week... :)

The day after 설날 (Friday) the district had an activity because things were still closed and families were all out of town. So we chose to have a morning sunrise hike and go to the bathhouse and get clean. We wanted to hike to a Christ statue that we had heard about and saw through the trees, but took the wrong path, got to the summit went back down before the sunrise, and never found the Christ statue\... disappointment in all its forms! But we are going back another time. We planned to heart attack the whole ward and prepped the hearts while watching Ephraim’s rescue! 

Sorry, this is a lot of email for one day, but I hope you liked it!

Fun stuff: I got stuck across the street without my companion and the district because I dropped my pen and they all ran and I missed the light...

Our kitchen sink fell off! The faucet fell off after I turned on the water. Now we have to boil our water in order to drink it. Good times!

Sister Wright

Transfer Calls! I’m always so nervous when they come! Drumroll please... For my last transfer I will be with Sister Mineer! She is from Parowan Utah. She actually was companions with Sister Nebeker and Sister Holmes in the MTC. I talked to Sister Mineer last night and she reminded me that ill have been with all three of them for only one transfer each! How interesting. Besides that, she clogs! I really enjoyed the transfer I had with sister Nebeker. It was a challenge at times, but I learned a lot about myself and about her all at once. We worked things out together, not that there were any big problems, just some little ruts in the road that made things a little bit more rocky than maybe other roads I’ve travelled on, but it was a fun one! I definitely was crazy with her, more so than with others. I think we may have had a real sister relationship bond at times! I’m grateful for my companion! She is so sweet and loves so many people!

This week we did a practice lesson with a member to help us do missionary work and involve them in missionary work as well. After the lesson we'd usually invite them to think of a friend that was similar with the investigator that they role played as and help them be a better member missionary. Well when we met with this member, she wanted to play a person she wanted to play, not the investigator we were practicing for. This took us through a loop, but we accepted and went along with it. After the lesson, she told us that who she was playing was herself and the questions/concerns/challenges she may have included were her own. Wow. We were actually role playing a lesson for her personally! It was a real interesting experience and great learning opportunity, and a way to help a member of the church strengthen her weaknesses.

This week the church kitchen flooded (on the second floor) yikes! It was a big mess so we helped clean it up with a spring water ladle, snow shovels, and mops. It was a sight to behold!

Taught Jackson! He stayed silent the whole time during the prayer, no fighting against it at all. It was amazing, it may have helped that he was a little bit sick....

The talk How to Be a Preach My Gospel Missionary by Elder Bednar saved my life this week. I recommend you to read it!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!!!! Happy New Year!!!(On the lunar calendar!) It’s a big holiday here. We will have two conferences on Thurs and Friday because Korea will be a ghost town and no one to talk to on those days! LET’S EAT SOME 떡국!!!(dok gook) traditional rice cake soup.

Love you!

Sister Wright

Plan of Salvation, Mario style!!

So you know about Jackson, the 8 year old boy we teach?? He actually
listened and didn’t yell or run away from us! Do you know how we did it?? Plan of Salvation, Mario style!! (See pics) He was so interested in how to play the game and we told him in order to start the game, you needed a body! So once the world was unlocked, you could start the game. If you overcome the mushrooms and obstacles, you can travel to the next level! When you win the game you get to go to the Celestial Kingdom!! I didn’t draw the pictures, it was form a previous missionary who used their talents in the most miraculous way. Sarah, his mom was very impressed that he actually sat down and listened to what we told him. It had a little bit more of depth to it but that’s the gist! Miracles! We also made a Dino-Quest board game for him! The prize was a cool dinosaur puzzle inside an egg we found at a shop by our house. We taught family history through that game and each turn you had to pick a card and fill out an interesting fact about your family. So he actually did family history! Cool stuff. Yesterday, we brought lunch with us at church because we wanted to go out right after instead of go back home and waste that time. we started making ramen in a rice cooker and all these people came up and saw what we had and asked for some, and we offered some, so we sacrificed our lunch yesterday. It was pretty funny. The elders are teaching a guy who started living on his own at 17 and invests in stocks and made a wrap about the book of Mormon... and he’s a protégé at piano and guitar... what! He is insane! 

This week, a lady we teach asked me if I accomplished my goal as a missionary, if I felt I was successful in what I came out here to do. It took me by surprise and I thought a bit and answered proudly, "yes, I’ve served others, brought people closer to Christ, taught and preached the gospel and loved. I taught people of the plan they can follow to return back to their Heavenly Father and live eternally" When I replied, I felt the Holy Ghost testify to me that what I had replied was true and confirmed my response. This week, I noticed during my personal study that the most successful, honored missionary on this earth, Jesus Christ, hadn’t baptized anyone. His goal wasn’t baptisms, it was helping, serving, teaching, preaching, uplifting and bringing people unto repentance so they can return back to their Heavenly Father. Our goal isn’t baptisms, it is bringing people unto Him to learn from Him himself. I know that that is true!

I end in the words of a struggling mother, wife, and member of the church that we met last night who lived in Paraguay for 21 years 

" Life isn’t easy, but vale la pena"(its worth it!!!:))

Sister Wright