What a fast week! I feel like I was just emailing yesterday, and it has already been a whole week! I feel like time is just going so fast and I can't keep up!
I had such a fun week this week. Most of our investigators couldn't meet with us this week because of school breaks that are going on, so my companion and I had more time on our hands than we are used to and we decided to do some searching for more people to teach. My companion kept talking about going through the old area book in our house, so one night after dinner we started going through old records and calling people. We found records from back in 2004, 2006 and even some before. I thought for sure these people wouldn't remember the missionaries, or that they would have moved or changed their number by then, but we tried to call them anyway. I was shocked that within one hour, we had set up three appointments with people that hadn't met with missionaries in the last 6-8 years. It seemed like an absolute miracle!
On Saturday afternoon, we met with one of these woman. She had met with sister missionaries back in 2006 and when I told her the missionaries' names, she was so excited to meet with us again. She went off about these two sisters that had taught her and how much she loved them and how much she missed them. I was shocked that these two sisters had made such an impression on her and it made me realize that some of these people that we are teaching and building relationships right now will always remember us and what we taught them. WOW so cool! We were able to re-teach her about the restoration of the gospel and Joseph Smith. The spirit was so strong in the room, probably the strongest I have felt it while teaching here on my mission. I know that she needed to hear that message again. She explained to us that she believed in Joseph Smith and his experience, but that she was serving in the kitchen at her church which makes it hard for her to be able to switch religions. That is a really hard concept here in Korean...switching religions or having a different religion than others in the home where you live. I hope that we will be able to meet with her again and teach her more. I am just so thankful for such diligent missionaries that kept up on detailed records and loved this woman enough to lift her and be her friend even after their missions. What good examples!
We met with 정 자매님 (Sister Jeong) on Wednesday and Friday this week and she is doing very well. I have grown to love her so much and view her as one of my most reliable friends. She explained to us that she feels different around us than other missionaries that come to her door. She watched the Restoration video and asked us if Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ really appeared to Joseph Smith. I love how open she is to learning and how intrigued she is to find answers from her Heavenly Father. She is so pure and I love to see the way her countenance changes when we teach her something new.
On Wednesday, we met a woman from Bethlehem in a shopping mall in the subway station. She knows very little Korean, but agreed to meet with us. When went to her home yesterday and she showed us pictures of her home in Bethlehem and we asked her why she wanted to meet with us. She said that when we handed her a pamphlet of Jesus Christ holding the lamb, that she knew she wanted to learn about this man. She said that she tries to pray to God but doesn't know how. We taught her from the Bible about how we are all of God's children and that we can pray to Him. We taught her how to pray and prayed with her. What a sweet moment. Her enthusiasm about learning and her willingness to try and understand inspires me. I am so grateful for such wonderful people that we are meeting and have the opportunity to teach.
We heard from 박 자매님 (Sister Park) this week. We had asked her to quit drinking coffee and alcohol for a week to live the Word of Wisdom. She texted us every time she was struggling and we would send her a scripture from the Book of Mormon and encouraging words to help her keep going. We were shocked when she texted us on Friday to tell us that she had given it all up completely and because of our prayers she was given strength to be over her addiction. She was able to go from drinking 3 cups of coffee a day to nothing overnight. And it is all because of her testimony of this gospel that gave her the strength to put her trust in God to overcome and quit. I am grateful for her example and I am blown away with how much our Heavenly Father loves His children to answer prayers and help us with any need.
I know this gospel is true. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, His children, each individually. I know that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to perform the Atonement so that we could all have peace and joy in this life, and return to live with Him again! I am so grateful for this knowledge and that I have the opportunity everyday to share that with others around me. I am always in awe that He knows exactly where we need to be in order to find His children that are searching for His gospel. Twice this week we were approached by people who were sitting or standing around us that wanted to know what feeling they felt around us. This is the Lord's work. He loves His children. I am grateful for His plan for me individually and for His love for all of us.
I love you all! I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember that you are loved!
사랑합니다!
커시 자매
Sister Kersey
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