Letter 3/3/2014

The primary had an activity this week. They made a flea market. It conflicted with our English class so we had to end early but a ton of kids came to English class! And a big group of Young Wowmen came which was super happy! Being in the Young Women's presidency is really fun. At first we frustrated because it felt like they were running away from us and it takes time away from proselyting and such, but it's been really fun and rewarding. The Young Women have been slowly coming to church and activities more. We've been putting together graduation presents for them (yes, we're a little late...), just a file (for school), a card, Young Women-related fun, candy, and a General Conference. talk. It's been really happy and effective. We accidentally made one and gave it to a Young Woman who wasn't graduating but we hope she'll look past our mistakes and feel the love we wanted to convey. There was a Stake Young Women's activity a couple of  weeks ago and each ward (we have five wards) did a little presentation and doing that with them also helped to build good relationships with them. We're also involved a lot in primary (because we teach the kids an English class and we help with primary activities, especially if our investigators attend) and a little bit in the Relief Society so we have our toes in every auxiliary but the priesthood auxiliaries.

Sister Choi Geum-Ja received the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday! I was a little worried because we weren't able to visit her this last week but everything seems good! She attends the gospel doctrines class with us.

We did exchanges again this week and Kim Yoon-Ha Jamae-nim came to Ansan with me. It was a pretty crazy day but it was fun!

Our sudden boom of investigators is already dwindling but we're really excited for the people who are interested.

One lady just wanted to meet with us for English but just told us that she actually wanted to meet with us because she felt like she could be open with us and share her feelings. We finished teaching her the first lesson but since then we've been teaching her whatever we felt like she needed to hear, based on what she talks to us about. The last time we met I was having a nice conversation with her, thinking we were on the same page while we discussed God and following Him and being good people and such when she said, "No, I don't think you understand; I don't want to be a good person." I had no idea what to say. The idea had never crossed my mind. She used to be a devout Christian, feeling like she received her salvation (born-again salvation) but she decided that she didn't want to do it anymore. She felt like it was too hard and she was tired. It is conversations such as these that guide us to what we should teach her.

I had over 30 friends in the MTC go to Daejeon so I wanted to see if any of them are in your ward. I knew an Elder 조 (Jo) but not Cho.

Guess who came to visit me this week? Brother Murakami! (A friend from our Japanese branch/ward) He's in Korea for business (he works for the church). He brought some Japanese oyastu (snacks) for me, and other brothers in the church office were going to send it to my mission office, but then they looked through my letters posted on Facebook, saw I was in Ansan, and came to bring it to me personally! It was so so so so nice of them! The okashi (candy) took me back to my childhood and I enjoyed speaking Japanese again. I'm sure I didn't express my appreciation well but it really made me happy! I wanted to get a picture but I forgot...

Has spring come? Spring is starting to come for us! It's still cold but it smells like spring and the sun is a spring sun.