Letter #55

HELLO!!!!

Yes, I said hello, because I am actually at President and Sister Gilbert's house using their computer waiting for a ride to the airport....yes, the airport....I have been called to transfer to the island. Jeju Island!!!! I can't believe it! It was a complete shock to me to receive the call. My companion who had been in our area was  planning on moving to another area because that is where she had been trained, but Heavenly Father must have other plans! And let me tell you, it was not what I or anyone else was expecting! On Jeju Island, there is only 6 missionaries.....wow, this is going to be a brand new adventure! I am so excited! And I am so excited for my new companion....another Korean that just finished training. Haha....I have realized that that must be my calling in this mission, to follow up train all of the Korean sisters! What a special blessing! I learn so much from everyone of them! :) 

This last week in Gimhae was a complete blast! Because Gimhae is being opened up to Elders and Sisters now, my companion and I had to move all weekend long to the new Sister's apartment. It was fun to get our apartment ready for the new Elders and get our new apartment ready with new furniture and appliances! Because of the tons of missionaries coming in, there is a lot of changes in Elders and Sisters areas, and a lot more houses being bought! SO FUN! More and more missionaries are coming!

I have to say that this last week would definitely be one to remember!!! So many miracles! All started last Monday, on our P-day, we met with one of our investigators that hadn't had time to meet with us for weeks, and only had time on Monday during our P-day. My first reaction was to think that it would just be a waste of time, because she had not been progressing and I had so many important things to do on P-day like renewing my alien card so that I could stay in the country. But, my companion and I decided to meet with her instead. And it was a great decision! We taught her about repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to be cleansed from sin. My companion had drawn pictures of a lamb for each member of the family and asked us all to draw symbols on our lamb of sins and mistakes that we have made in our lives that make us feel bad or shameful. As we drew the symbols, we were to think about these mistakes and how they made us feel. After drawing on our clean lambs, we looked at our pictures. We talked about our feelings about our lambs and our mistakes. Then, we asked each member of the family to say an individual prayer to Heavenly Father and tell Him our feelings and that we were sorry and to forgive us. The room was completely silent, as everyone's head was bowed in prayer. After the prayers were finished, we each shredded our lambs, because all of those mistakes and sins could be remembered no more! The mom was so moved by this activity, and her whole countenance had changed just from this one activity. She finally was able to see how through Christ's atonement we really can and are cleansed from all of our sins and mistakes, and through talking with our Heavenly Father, we can forget, just as He forgets, and have a clean slaight once again! This was the mom's very first prayer, and at the end of the lesson, she once again opened up and prayed for us. What a special feeling and experience to see this woman's life completely change!

We also met with our Grandma in the hospital. She is doing great, and we were able to get permission to have her be baptized once she lives the Word of Wisdom, and if she attends church just one time. Because she is a grandmother and has a hard time remembering the lesson, we would continue having to meet with her often to review the principles that we believe in. But she is still full of love and willing to learn, and preparing herself to receive the ordinances of baptism! What a faithful woman!

On Saturday night, we also saw a huge miracle! We called the man that came to our church the week before looking for the missionaries to invite him to church the next day. As we were talking with him, he asked us what we had done that day. We told him that we had met with a family that was a new member of our church. He asked how they became a new member of the church, and we explained that they were baptized. He asked us how he could be baptized and become a new member of our church! We were shocked! We told him to come to church on Sunday and that we would explain everything there! At church, we taught him the doctrine of christ and especially the special ordinance of baptism. We asked him if he still had interest in being baptized and becoming a member of our church. He said YES!!! We set up a date for March 9th! I wish that I could go to that baptism!!!! But I will be able to see the pictures! 

At church, because it was my last Sunday, we had so many of our investigators come! We had three investigators come for Sacrament meeting, and two more come after the meeting to see me! I can't believe how close I became with all of these people, and especially the branch members in just six weeks! WOW! I feel like I have known them for months! Everyone in the branch seemed just as sad as I was that I would be leaving! It is amazing how much love you can have as a missionary. It seems like everyone that you meet you just love them with your whole heart! And I definitely felt love from these members too. I know that I will miss them all so much! Especially because they were always with us doing missionary work and teaching lessons with us! What great examples of how I want to serve even after my mission! I love them and will miss them so much!

Something that I learned more than anything this week was how the spirit works, and especially how I can teach how the spirit works to others. I was able to teach our Sirlankin investigators, our members' non-member husband, and also a branch member family this concept yesterday. I asked them how they would feel if they saw a man walking down the street with warn clothes and could tell that it was obvious that he had no job and no money. I asked them, if they gave this man some bread and milk, and this man started to cry and tell them that his family had nothing, how they would feel. They each gave different responses. Some said that they would feel proud because they did something good, others said that they would feel happy, others said that they would want to cry for this man because they loved him so much, others said that they would give thanks for the things that they were so abundantly blessed with. I told them that that was exactly how the spirit feels. That those feelings that we have as we help and love and serve others is how the spirit speaks and feels to each one of us individually. It is a different feeling for each person, just as the spirit is a different feeling for each individual person! We made a list of the feelings that were good and feelings that were bad, and were able to see that all the things that we do that make us feel these good feelings are from God, and all the opposite feelings are from Satan. That is how we can tell when something is of truth and of God, and when the Spirit is speaking to each one of us individually! Wow! It is so simple! All good is from God, and bad from Satan. 

I know that this is true, and especially that we each feel the spirit of God each and everyday of our lives. As we make good choices, and serve and love others, we are able to follow God's way for us and recognize His hand in each of our lives! 

I love this gospel and my testimony. I love this opportunity to serve for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as His representative! I am so excited to go to another area, and love and give to more of God's precious children!

I love each one of you and am thankful for your prayers and love for me!

Sister Kersey

Letter #54

안녕하세요!

 

First of all, I just want to give the Roper family my love at this time of their loss. I am thinking and praying for all of you.

 

What a great week here in 김해! This week started off with a call from our branch president in a panic because his son had left the house after a fight with his dad and hadn't returned the next day. We dropped everything and went to the family's aid. We cleaned their house and got permission to watch their kids while the parents were our looking for their son. When the mom returned from the police station, we kneeled in prayer with her and comforted her and then left for another appointment. Just a few hours later, they found their son! What a huge miracle and answer to prayer! God truly does know all of our needs.

 

This week we were busy with lots of lessons. Our investigators finally have time to meet, and we were so excited to see them again, and for me to meet some of them for the first time! We met with our grandma investigator at the hospital and taught her about the word of wisdom. She has been drinking coffee her whole life...80+ years, but promised us that after her box of coffee is gone, she will not drink anymore! What a powerful, faithful woman! We also met with a less-active mom and her non-member daughter for the first time this week. Her daughter asked us right away about baptism, and wants us to help her prepare to be baptized! This is not only going to bless her life, but hopefully get her mom back in the church! Her mom was so happy, and we are going to start teaching her the lessons soon! I also found an old investigator in our area book last week and called him and invited him to come to church, and he came yesterday, along with two other investigators! We were definitely busy! One Sir lankin investigator, one Vietnamese investigator, one Korean investigator, and at the end of church, during the last hour, suddenly a man walked in the church looking for the missionaries. So a new investigator!!!! We were crazy busy, and it was fun trying to remember to switch back and forth from speaking Korean to English to meet all of the investigator's needs! Our branch members were so great and helped us go on splits to teach all of the investigators that came! These memebers are probably the most giving and service oriented people I know! We are so blessed!

 

One of our branch members was moving this week, and we were able to help her pack up her kitchen, which gave us a great way to talk with her non-member husband about the church. He sat down with us and we talked about our exeriences at our baptisms and how powerful repentance is in changing our lives.

 

Also, this week, we went out and visited our less-actives to deliver Valentine's day letters from us and branch members and cookies that we had made. What a success! We were able to meet with so many of them...some that we had been trying to meet with for weeks with no success! It seemed like almost all of our visits ended in some sort of success!

 

I love missionary work! There is seriously nothing more special and rewarding! Even just walking with people on the street, carrying their groceries, or walking up and complimenting someone at a bus stop. On Valentine's Day, the first person I talked to was at a bus stop waiting for our bus. She was a college student with no religion. We were taking the same bus and she sat with me. We discussed a little about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration, but especially about Jesus Christ and His love for us. She was so intriqued and kept telling me that us meeting was destiny! She was so cute! Just being able to bear my testimony to someone that I meet on a bus, or on the street, fills my spirit with such joy and there is no doubt that this church is Christ's true church on the Earth, and that He loves and knows each and every one of us.

 

Just like the man that showed up at our church yesterday. He lived up in the Deajeon mission area and had met with missionaries to learn English. The missionaries lost contact with him, but one missionary went back and decided to call people that he knew from his first area as a missionary. He called this man, and this man told him that he had moved to 김해 for work. He helped him find the church over the phone and made sure that he was able to meet us. This missionary ended up being in my same group at the MTC!!!! What a small world! I know that Heavenly Father knows all of His children, and I do not think it was coincidence that this Elder felt like calling all of his former investigators. Now, this man is not only interested in learning a little bit of English, but wants to learn about our church and why we have chosen to give up this time in our lives to serving God.

 

WOW! God loves us! He loves each and every one of us. He has a special individual plan for each one of us, with the same goal to one day return and live with Him and His son, Jesus Christ again! I know that through this gospel, we can learn of each of our individual purpose and receive a relationship with God that will lead us back to Him. This is truly a plan of happiness!

 

I am thankful for you all! I love you all!

 

사랑합니다!

커시 자매

 

Sister Kersey

Letter #53

안녕하세요!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!! Oh I love Valentine's Day!!! For Valentine's day, we are planning of visiting our less-active members with cards from the branch members and home-made cookies! So fun!

So this week flew by! It was a great week. Very productive and so much fun! We did not have a lot of lessons this week because of the Luner New Year all weekend long. At church, we had one family and two other members from our branch, one investigator, and three families from other areas that were visiting for the New Year. It definitely felt like the Holidays. On Saturday, we were instructed to clean our house ALL day long....I am sure that a lot of the houses really needed that! So, my companion and I had a blast cleaning every inch, even with our toothbrushes, from 11am to 6pm straight...with one break to order food! :) It was a blast and our house is probably the cleanest it has been since missionaries first moved in! haha! I love it! My companion and I love our home now and had a blast together!

For the New Year, we went to a less-active member's home after church, and had delicious food. For the holiday, it is tradition to just eat, watch TV and sleep all weekend long. All we could really do as missionaries was just eat a lot of delicious food! It was so kind of our less-active to have us and we had a blast at her home! This week, we were on the streets and on the light-rail most of the time just procelyting and trying to find people to teach in between visits with less-actives and members. It was fun to just give all of our attention to finding people, and my companion and I made it fun along with hard work!

One member we visited this week has a husband from Idonesia area and we were able to go meet him at his restaurant with her. And it was my first time to try Indonesian food....and let me tell you....it was DELICIOUS!!! I will go back anytime! So fun to try our a different culture and taste!

Probably my favorite part of this week was being able to reach out in service for all the people around me. Right now in our mission, we are reaching out in service to all we can every single day. Our zone leader has been sending us individual scriptures that they have thought of for each one of us with a card that says to help someone in need and give them this card to give to someone else that they help and so forth. It is amazing to see the many people that we can reach out and help and lift each and everyday! From seeing a grandma walking with heavy groceries, to open a door for a man with his hands full, to lifting a companion or friend who is having a hard time. We can reach out in service and love, just as Christ did for everyone that He met. He loved all people, and we can do the same. And oh the special feeling that comes from love and service. Every time that I reach out to someone else, I just feel even more love for those around me, more of Heavenly Father's love for me, and receive even greater energy, strenght, and ultimate joy!

This week, I feel like I have been able to really notice and understand the promptings of the spirit more than ever before in my life. I have really learned the difference between good and evil, and that there really is a real good and truth and also a real evil around us. I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost in my life that as always guided me in the way of truth and protected me and warned me against danger. I feel at this time in my mission, I am able to really see who I am and who I am to my Heavenly Father and know who I need to become! It is through the Holy Ghost and God's spirit that we can know all things, especially know who we are to God. We are so special to Him, and each has a special purpose here in this life! He loves us! We are His children. I feel so blessed for this knowledge, and especially for my firm testimony in this gospel that guides and directs every aspect of my life. I am thankful for all of you and your prayers for me! I literally feel them and they give me all strength, especially when I am weak! I love you all!

 

사랑합니다!

커시 자매

Sister Kersey

Letter #52

안녕하세요!

Wow what a week! This I had the opportunity to really get involved with the Branch here in 김해! We had projects with the Relief Society and the young men and young women, which let me really get to know everyone and start forming relationships with them. This branch is so full of love and are just so willing to help and they absolutely LOVE missionary work! I am so blessed and I feel privileged to be in this area at such a special time!

Our investigators are doing well and progressing slowly. Little-by-little!!! :) They are all so wonderful and I love them all so much! Because how many investigators have dropped us and lost interest in meeting, my companion and I have had a lot of time on our hands. We spent one day proselyting, and received so many miracles! We got 7 contacts in just one day! The Lord is so good to us, and little-by-little we are finding people and planting seeds! I am so grateful for these little miracles that make me feel like I am doing something good! What a blessing!

The mission field is such a special place. It really is a place the more than just missionary work happens. It is a place that changes lives. I can truly say that I feel like a completely different person than when I first started my mission. I still have the same sense of humor and have a loud laugh, and have the same beliefs, but my thoughts of who I am and what I truly know have deepened and strengthened. I know that it is only through Jesus Christ that we are able to really come to know who we are and our individual self-worth. He truly knows us and will help us come to know ourselves, if we just give ourselves to Him and have faith in God's plan. I know that God's plan is a plan of happiness. It makes complete sense to me and is such a blessing of comfort in my life. As I was teaching our Vietnamese investigator on Sunday about the Plan of Salvation, through the spirit, we were both able to just understand the plan on a more special and sacred level, an eternal level. What a special experience of deepening faith and testimony. I know that God loves each and everyone of us individually. He is our Father. He truly wants to talk with each of us and wants us to live with Him happily, forever, again! I know that through Christ's atonement we can and will live with Him again! How grateful I am for this knowledge and understanding!

I love you all so much and am thankful for your many prayers at this time! I hope you all have a great week, and reach out in service to someone in need! Bring a light into someone else's world this week! I promise it will bring an even greater light into your life! I love you all! I feel so blessed for each one of you!

사랑합니다!

커시 자매