Letter #2

An nyong hah seh yo!

This past week was pretty discouraging for me. The Korean language seems to be getting harder and harder. With so much information to retain, I feel like there is not ever enough time to fully keep up. I guess that is why the Lord only expects so much from us and promises to do the rest.

I have loved that in this past week we have learned more about the gospel and not just the language. We have been able to have more time to practive senarios on one another as fist being the investigator and then being the missionary. I have learned so much from this experience and it has been a blessing to see how the gospel works from an investigator´s perspective. It helps me to understand their needs more and explain to them the gospel in terms that are simple.

I have been extremely blessed to have a wonderful district. There are nine of us (six Elders and three Sisters) in my district and it is wonderful to see that we already feel like a family. I am so impressed with the Elders in my district. For being 19 year old boys, they are spiritually on a higher level. I am so blown away with their selfless determination to do what is right and to put their heart and soul into the work. It is harder for my two companions to see their potential, but I am blessed to be able to and to have that open relationship with them. I know that they can trust me as an older sister and I view them as Colin and Dallin and so it is easy for me to love them and be patient with them. I just wish my companions had more patience toward them and their points of view. There is so much to learn from them if we just listen and let them express themselves. I look up to the Elders so much for I know it must be much harder for them to be doing this work than the sisters. They need the support and the uplifting words and I am glad that I can do that for them.

I also am so blessed with my branch presidency. President and Sister Shin are both from South Korea and converts to the church. They are so kind to us and I know that Sister Shin loves me because she always comes and squeezes my arm whenever I see her. She thinks that i am so beautiful because of my hair and complextion. Ha ha. President Shin is constantly smiling and he always stresses that if you just smile, you will be that much more effective everyday of your life. It will change your attitude and it will draw people to you. He always laughs at me because I can never get a smile off my face. Everyone thinks I am crazy because I am always happy even when things are hard. I´ve never noticed, but I am blessed to have that. Brother and Sister Jennings, the old mission presidents from Busan are the counselors in the presidency and I love talking with them about Busan and all of the weird, crazy, and fun things there! They talk A LOT (which I LOVE) so I know much about Busan already! Everytime I am able to talk to them, I become more and more excited!

On Sunday morning during Relief Society, Rosemary M. Wixom from the general primary board came to speak to us Sisters. It was exactly what I needed to hear, especially after struggling all week with the language and just feeling discouraged about myself. She is such a powerful woman and speaking with her after the meeing, she hugged me and her eyes just glowed! She taught us women that whenever we felt discouraged, to sing a primary song, because it teaches us what we already know about ourselves and what we believe. She reminded us of the millions of children around the world that are praying for us everyday! I am so grateful for those children! And mom, you are so lucky to be working in the primary right now! To help build these children´s testimonies ! She went on to explain that if you ever feel inadequate about being a missionary, or a wife, or a mother, to just remember that the Holy Ghost is your talent and beauty, and with His help you will ALWAYS succeed! Her testimony inspired me and was exactly what I needed to hear!

Later duting the MTC fireside, Clayton Christensen, a past member of the quorum of the seventy gave us a talk about being missionaries our whole lives. Back when he was a seventy, he and the other men in the quorum got together and went throught the Doctrine and Covenants and recorded all of the blessings that Heavenly Father gives to his missionaries (both set apart and member missionaries). The list was huge and very powerful! Some of the blessings that stood out to me were power and strength than no other man, your enemies will have no power over you, gates of hell will not prevail against you, your tongue will be loosed, your words shall be the Lord´s words and as scripture, you will never be weary or hungry, your joy will be great, and angels will be around about you to bear you up! We can ALL be missionaries and be able to have these blessings in our lives!

Well my time is short and I just once again wanted to express my love and gratitude to each one of you! Thank you for writing me and thinking of me! I love you and miss you all!

Sister Kersey