Letter #74

안녕하세요!

Wow....I guess this is it. The very last letter. What an overwhelming
feeling I have right now sitting here at the computer in a quite
library in 신제주 with the windows open and fans going in the heat of a
beautiful summer day. How I completely love this place! How I
completely love these beautiful Korean people and this most miraculous
work of the Lord that I have had the pleasure and opportunity to serve
for the last year and a half of my life.

As I ponder on the last year and a half, I am completely blown away
and humbled at what I see. I see hard, long hours of work in heat,
humidity, rain, snow, fierce wind, and absolute cold. I see struggling
to learn a different culture, not understanding why people act the way
they do, feeling completely alone, learning a crazy new language that
felt like it would never come, and being discouraged beyond belief. I
see a small seed of faith that grew with each day walking out that
door once again and choosing to open my mouth in a different tongue to
tell these people that I didn't know, about something that has bought me
more happiness than anything else in the world. I see determination to
be the best that God could make me be, to love as Christ did, to heal
with every look of the eye and sound of the tongue. I see obedience,
even hidden strength of courage, when those around me had no desire at
all to be doing the work. I see persistence and joy beyond
comprehension. I see miracles that could never be said in words enough
to bring back the reality to a God given gift that turned a life
upside down. I see compassion and kindness, patience and growth. But
out of all the things that I see when looking back on my mission, the
thing that sticks out the most above all else, is the blessings that I
have received from doing the most simple and easiest and beautiful
work on the Earth...by choosing to be a representative of the Lord,
and my Savior Jesus Christ.

When upon entering the MTC and the mission field at the start of my
mission, I made a commitment and promise to Heavenly Father and to
myself to give of myself to this work in complete love and obedience.
I remember feeling so grateful for the opportunity that I was given to
be trusted enough from the Lord to bring about His work as if He were
here at this time. I remember wanting so badly to keep that trust no
matter how hard, how difficult, how discouraged I was. I wanted to
give my heart to my Savior and Redeemer who knew me personally and did
ALL for me . What a small sacrifice for what He had done so freely and
selflessly for me.

While reading the Book of Mormon one day, I came across a scripture
that stood out to me so strongly, and became a motto for my mission.
Alma 29: 9-10. It reads, " I know that which the Lord hath commanded
me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that
which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that
perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul
to repentance; and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my
brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my
soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for
me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his
merciful arm which he extended towards me." Then it goes on in verse
16, "Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is
carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were,
so great is my joy."

I truly have found the most beautiful joy and peace from giving of
myself in this small amount of time for the people of South Korean,
and to my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that there could be nothing more
sacred and special than this precious time. What a blessing and
privilege that I was able to do this. This time was no sacrifice for
me compared to the blessings that I was so easily given from a loving
Heavenly Father, and seeing of the mighty miracles given to me. But
through the lives that I saw touched and changed, the biggest miracle
of all was how my life changed. I will forever be changed from this
experience. I will forever be indebted to my Father in Heaven for
shaping and molding me into this person that I have become. Even if I
did no other good in this time, I know that one life was forever
changed....and that was my own. I am so humbled for this experience,
and so extremely blessed to have had such supportive and loving family
members and friends that lifted me and sustained me all along the way.
I love you all and am so grateful for each one of you!

Until we meet again....very soon!
With all my love,

사랑합니다!
커시 자매

Sister Kersey

(Sister Kersey's homecoming talk will be on August 11th at 1:00, for anyone that would like to attend.)