Week 80

Hey there family!!

We had another good and busy week!! This week was filled with quite a few surprises...

First of all, turns out that Korea is FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It snowed literally everyday this week. But we still just bundled up and went to work. Luckily we had a lot of appointments on most days so we could be inside and avoid the cold and snow.

Second of all, Hayree was supposed to get baptized yesterday, but she actually didn't end up getting baptized :( We finished the interview and everything was all set last sunday, but she contacted us again on tuesday night saying that she wanted to meet with us and her dad and aunt to talk about baptism again. Her grandmother is a hard core buddhist and she talked to Hayree about her baptism in a way that made her start to doubt whether she was really ready or not to be baptized yet. So She told us that she wanted some more time to prepare to be baptized. I don't think anyone will quite understand what Sister Ha and I felt that night when we got home...we were pretty sad. But we still have faith that she will be baptized in her right time and she will be even more prepared and willing to make that covenant when she does. It will be a happy day when she really comes to know this is true for herself. She is still planning to come to church and meet with the missionaries, so her baptismal date has been delayed for now. That was definitely unexpected this week, but usually when something likek that happens in missionary work, it means that another miracle is on its way...so that's how we decided to look at it.

The next day, on Wednesday we were able to meet with Sister Bae (investigator) who we haven't been able to meet in a really long time. But we met her with a member in the ward and it ended up being such an awesome experience!! We were sharing a message with her about the temple because she has expressed interest in going to the temple. She wants to be able to have a place to really worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ...when she told us that, we immediately thought of the temple and how we needed to not only help her to prepare for baptism, but to prepare to go to the temple. So we were sharing a message about how covenants prepare us to go to the temple. We taught about the baptismal covenant and how it is the first step toward going to the temple. It was really good. Then the member looked at me and mouthed the word 침례 (which means baptism) to me while my companion was talking. So then when I started talking I asked her "in order to prepare to go to the temple will you be baptized?" And she said yes!!! We were all so happy!! She is such a wonderful woman...feels like family whenever we visit her. (she is 64 years old). She doesn't have a baptismal date yet, but we have a goal to prepare for baptism together. I'm really excited for her. Then the really fun part was after we left the appointment and were walking to the bus stop with the member we all talked about how we were connected by the spirit to know what to say...we call ourselves a threesome because this member helps us out  A TON!!! she is amazing. SO thankful for Sister Kim. There is no happiness that quite compares with the joy you feel when you participate in the work of the Lord. It's the best.

Yesterday I bore my testimony at church because it was my last fast sunday...you could say some tears were shed. I actually haven't thought that much about the fact that I'm going home...it hasn't really hit me yet. I feel like I'm just going to keep doing this forever so I think it's going to be a bit of a shock when this ends all of the sudden. I'm excited to see you all, but I'm also pretty devestated about having to leave. Luckily I have this last week to give it my all.

I love this gospel and our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that they love us too. I am so thankful!!!

Love you all!!

Sister Livingston  

Week 79

Hey there family!!

Happy Thanksgiving last week! Sounds like you all had a great time. I had a good day...didn't eat any turkey, but I sure felt the spirit of gratitude...and I at some other delicious korean food instead :)

We had another great week here in Korea^^

On Sunday the people that got baptized last week received the gift of the Holy Ghost, so they are official members of the church now...yay for them! And our investigator Hayree had her baptismal interview and is all set to be baptized on Sunday! I am excited for her! This will probably be the last baptism that I attend as a missionary, so I think it will be an especially tender experience.

This past week we were busy meeting with investigators and we spent a lot of time with members as well. This is the season in Korea where everyone makes enough kimchee to last them for the whole year...it's a lot of kimchee ^^ This event is called kimjang. So we were invited over to one Sister's house for kimjang and she fed us the traditional food you eat with fresh kimchee. It was DELICIOUS!! They eat it with boiled pork meat and it is oh, so good. Also this week on Saturday a family invited us over for lunch and we at some more really delicious food then as well. I will definitely be missing all of the yummy food here in Korea.

On Saturday night we had a really fun ward activity...it was a Fall Musical Festival. Koreans are all musically talented and they all love to sing!! So it was awesome. All of the missionaries serving in our ward did a little musical skit that the members loved (we won first place, but none of us were there to receive it because the activity went past 9:00 haha) One elder serving with me is really good at the drums, so he played the drums in our skit and it was the best thing. He was loving life haha. Lots of investigators and members participated so it ended up being a really great activity.

Last week one of our investigators was really starting to progress, so we are really excited for her. Her name is Sister Chang and we are teaching her, while the Elders are teaching her husband. The lived in America for a while and now moved back to Korea, but they wanted to keep practicing English so that's why they first started meeting with us. She didn't really have any gospel interest at first, but this past week when we met she told us that she now really likes learning about God and has interest!!!! We were so excited!! When I met her for the first time I felt like she was already a member of our church. I would call her my Korean mother right now...she is wonderful. We've been reading the Book of Mormon together and she is reading it herself as well. She especially has a lot of questions about the Plan of Salvation, like why are we here in this life and what is our purpose...I think she is starting to find some answers in the Book of Mormon, which is so exciting!! One of our goals is to set a baptismal date with her before I leave...we'll see how she keeps progressing. We are hoping that she will come to the baptismal service on Sunday. You can keep Sister Chang and her husband Brother Park in your prayers :)

ALSO, I received some other really exciting news this week...Do you all remember the artist investigator in my last area that I would always talk about? Sister Jo?? GUESS WHAT?!?!? She is getting baptized TODAY!!!!!! She and her daughter finally made the commitment and decision to be baptized. I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is someone that I would meet  almost every week for the 9 months that I was in gwangju. She definitely has a tender spot in my heart. She is probably one of the people that I have prayed the most for on my mission...one of those people I came to Korea to meet. So I am so happy for her and know that there are a lot of blessing waiting for her as she makes that covenant with the Lord.

Everyone keeps saying that there will be lots of miracles before I go home...and it is true!!! There are lots of miracles that I wasn't expecting, but I am so glad that I could witness and be a part of. This gospel is true and I love it!!

I love all of you!!

Love

Sister Livingston