Taxi driver saw our Book of Mormon and asked about it

Wowzers... ha-ha this week... where to begin? You’ll just have to read my whole schedule to see how it all went!!

Monday: we had a sister conference about cleaning, exercise, budgeting and get to know you game and a clothing exchange (thrift shopping type feel) let me just say there were some interesting things in there! Ha-ha I loved getting together and meeting all my previous companions. They are soooo fun. 

Tuesday: Culture conference. We learned how to work with the Korean culture with missionary work. It was very interesting and I am trying to implement the new things we learned, such as how to become your investigators best friend and calling people by "aunt " or "grandma" on the street and how Koreans love music, that’s why there’s so many karaoke places! A member in Korea taught us and it was really fun. President Morrise told us to be extra cheerful and to " shoot yourself up with some more cheerful! “That was pretty funny comment. 

Wednesday: District meeting about love. Elder Gamble taught "If we are mean or rude or not loving, we are breaking one of the greatest commandments!" I made brownies for the meeting, thanks mom!

Thursday: Exchange! I went to another area and we saw miracles! We got out of a lesson, and while waiting at the bus stop for 10 min no bus came. We were debating on whether to take a taxi but finally a bus came. We weren’t able to text the member that we were already late to because the other sister who exchanged to this area brought it with her so we were phoneless for a day...But we get off the bus because we thought it wasn’t going the right way and we try to take a taxi but then there were no taxis coming for another 5 minutes. We finally got a taxi and the taxi driver saw our Book of Mormon and asked about it and we left him with one. We got to the members house about 30 minutes late, but when we got to the door, she got there 2 seconds after us and said oh I’ve been worrying because I didn’t have my phone and I didn’t know how to tell you that I was going to be late! Complete miracle. 

Friday: had a member meal, I’ll tell that story later.

Saturday: Taught Jackson and Sarah. I painted an earth for his lesson and we cut it up and made it into a big puzzle. We ate shabu shabu with Sister Kim who just got baptized. It was super packed! A good mom and pop Korean restaurant. (Soup with vegetables and meat and after you eat the vegetables and meat, you put noodles in and eat. super simple but super good!)

Sunday: Went to church, a lot of people the elders are teaching came to church. The gospel principles topic veered off to the millennium... which wasn’t the best situation, but it’s all ok... Then we went to bupyeoung! We got to attend the baptism of Sister Jung and another man the elders had taught the gospel to. (He is a miracle too! He had said he saw us on the street several times in an area where we taught a family, but never talked to us and we had never seen him. The elders found him and he came to church the last week I was in that ward and he got baptized yesterday! The family we taught in that area isn’t meeting regularly anymore, but maybe that was just the Lord putting people in our path in order for the Elders to find this man.) The baptism was great and it was amazing to see familiar faces! It was a blessing to be able to go there. I think it rejuvenated me and now I’m back to work in this area!

I hope you enjoyed! Talk to you next week!!!!

Sister Wright

He screams when we pray

Hellooooo!  We are teaching a new 8 year old boy and his mom. They are both practically fluent in English and the boy doesn’t believe in God and screams when we pray... ha-ha we love him though! We ask him to pray and he goes off on how he doesn’t believe in God. We gave him a page to color and colored all the people orange because he wanted them to die...its pretty interesting. We teach him English/ have conversations while playing English jenga or fishing for paper fish with English questions on them. Our creative teaching senses are almost burnt out! Every time we come with a new game, he loves it and goes crazy and controlling him is the funniest part. He makes us laugh and brings back great memories of babysitting. The time we played basketball Pictionary was great... ha-ha. The mom asks us questions about the church that she had since she lived in America and knew a little about the church. The only hindering thing with teaching the lessons is that the boy (Jackson) runs away and locks himself in his room. At least he doesn’t bite us( another missionary had an 8 year old boy bite him several times while teaching them... oh poor missionary!) 

Anyways, besides that, we are helping a new member (Lilia) of the church stay strong and not get too stressed out with all the things that a new member encounters. I think one thing that I’ve noticed while being here is how quickly people fall away from the church if they don’t have the guidance they need in order to overcome the new world they entered. Callings, giving talks in church, learning, teaching. It can bring a lot of stress and it’s hitting Lilia. She is a young member and the members expect her to already know everything. One skill that every member needs is the knowledge of helping a new member get acquainted into the church. The first few months can be some of the most challenging.

Paraphrasing the PMGpg214 of a woman who felt the pressures of being a new member: "at first the trip was exciting, our mistakes amusing, then it becomes frustrating and eventually the frustration turns to anger. And it’s at these stages of frustration and anger that we leave. We go back to the world form which we came, where we knew who we were, where we contributed, and where we could speak the language."

I feel it’s the little things that make a difference. Teachers who teach simply, leaders who train them in their callings, set things at a basic level to have a good secure foundation to build off of. It not, it’s so easy to fall. I imagine a rock that is big and top heavy but has a small thin base. 

Those are some of the things that happened this week. I wish I could share all but there’s not enough time!

We had a conference this Tuesday with the doctor of the Asia area missions and he was so great! He said no double dipping! But that is so hard when everyone shares food and side dishes... what are we going to do!??

My letter to the mission president:

At the conference this past week, I really enjoyed the importance of our calling by talking about being entrusted in the work. We are His stewards and we have so much to do! I like the word entrusted because it has the word trust in it. If we trust in God, he is able to trust us and entrust us in the work. I believe that this work revolves around our trust and His trust. It is a cycle. The opposite of trust is fear and if we fear, we can’t do the work he needs us to do. If we fear, he cannot trust us. This is something I’ve pondered about during my mission and am grateful we could be trained on this topic.

Sister Wright

Fun Fact, we ate blood soup. Not my favorite

my new comp! see my soccer shoes??;)

Transfers!! Well to be honest, leaving this area was one of the hardest moves!! You can ask Sister Moyer, everything made me cry ha-ha. We cried on the street, at home, everywhere. I love all the members and the people we teach and have fellowshipped so much. And the night before I left, we met with a new investigator that was exposed to the gospel in America. She felt the spirit in the home she stayed in, she was set a good example by the parents, and was introduced to the gospel. She said that those moments were very special because she really felt to Love of God in that home and by the family members she lived with. She said she did scripture study and prayer with the family, went to seminary on Wednesdays, went to church and met with the missionaries. She came back to Korea, found us and we contacted her and met! She has so graciously and happily accepted the date of January 25 to be baptized! She is amazing. She asked the question, "What do I have to do to be baptized?" I am so grateful for that family in America that introduced the gospel to a foreign girl, who didn’t know perfect English, but shared the gospel in their own home. The Kim sisters plan to be baptized on that date as well, along with 2 of the elder’s investigators. Miracles are happening. 

So these events made it very difficult for me to leave, but I can only be soooo happy for them and their step towards their Heavenly Father. I love them so much. My new area is different and there is a different feel. It’s a huge area and lots of members to work with which is great! It’s still a bit fresh right now so I’ll let you know of this area next week!

Fun fact, we ate blood soup with a recently baptized new member! She looks like she is 12 and so adorable; she is going to be a Mary Kay consultant.  She’s 20 and super cute and going to BYU Hawaii next fall! The blood tasted like fluffy liver and is in a broth. Fluffy cloud clumps of blood. Interesting, not my favorite. 

We had 2 investigators come to church and they are so cute, we ate some lunch at their house with their mom who is a devout catholic. They all know the book of Mormon is true but the mom doesn’t want to change her ways... so that’s a struggle. We ate flower roots and soup with them. :) 

Starting my New Year in a different area is definitely a time to think about what I can improve on and excel more than I did last year!!! I’m excited to serve!! 

Sorry this week has been a roller coaster, but I just wanted to bare my testimony that I know that if we want to recognize the spirit more, Heavenly Father will help us. As I’ve started off my new year, I’ve prayed more fervently, sought more spiritual opportunities, and listened with my heart. Heavenly Father knows our desires and if we are sincere and calmly listening and seeking those opportunities, not trying too hard, we will be blessed. I don’t like being in those situations where people say they felt the spirit so strongly and I didn’t feel anything. That is a disappointment to myself because that means I wasn’t listening, trying to seek those opportunities or doing my part. I have felt the spirit more and more as I’ve changed myself and it has been so worth it. I know these things are true!

Sister Wright

the 4 man house sisters!!

sister jung who is getting baptized!

Our house

Our house

Lunch with Elders

screen golfing with the elders!

It’s very bittersweet

Happy New Year!! It’s wild to think that I spent my whole 2014 in Korea! I love it, and I got to spend Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year with Sister Moyer! It’s been a blast and we were busy the whole two transfers singing, teaching, planning ward activities and spiritual music nights and serving our investigators. Well, we got transfer calls Sunday morning and... I got the news that I will be leaving this area and go to my 4th area right next to 산본 (Sanbon)!  It’s very bittersweet because I’ve been here for half a year and connected with the people so well over here, but I have to go and serve the Lord in another area where he needs me. I cried a bit, especially over all the people we have been teaching and how I won’t be able to see them. One of them in English said over the phone "I love you" in the most heart breaking way!! I can’t handle this "leaving" business!!! But now I will be able to be close to those that I love as well in my last area that are about ready to be baptized. I have three more months and I made a New Year’s Resolution to be the best that I can be. I will be serving in 안양(Anyang) in Kyonkido area with sister Nebeker. She is from America as well. I’m excited and ready to shine in my new area!

We sang for Alzheimer’s patients and made snowflakes together! They’re so cute!

We got cancelled on a lot this week so we had a great English advertizing activity where we did a survey of which part of English is most difficult: vocab, pronunciation, grammar, conversation. Its super fun and we got a lot of people to put stickers on and we gave them candy and a flyer and got a lot of people to teach. We did it in the subway but got kicked out... so we did it right outside of the subway entrance. Good times in Incheon and I’m glad to have spent it well! There are some pictures of my favorite family in the ward. The ward mission leader and his crazy family! I think I will miss him the most out of the ward. He helped us so much and in return, we made him American brownies!! (His favorite and what he made for people when he was on the mission). He is a great example to me of enjoying the work and be happy while serving and make it fun!

Love sister Wright