Dear family and friends,
The first thing I want to say is Happy Birthday Roxy.:) I love you and can't wait to see you and your cute kids, Blake and Ethen. I love all of you so much and also Happy Birthday to all of those who I have missed while on my mission.
Just want you to know my health is great, and my eye has never had any problems while on my mission, (thanks to the blessing I received from President Sandstrom), but my ring worm…….not so good. I have an appointment tomorrow. Many people here let me know how many months I have left, and I'm scared out of my mind!!!! My friend that I go home with said the other day, " We have 18 weeks left." I can't describe to you the love I have for this country and for these amazing Korean people. I'M NOT READY TO GO HOME YET!!!
It's getting colder at night but pretty good during the day. I wear a sweater, sometimes, but it's beautiful here. I've gotten so used to bowing that I will probably do it a lot for awhile when I get home, so get ready for that.:) The Koreans ALWAYS bow to others and they AlWAYS bow to me. It's just the respectful thing to do here, and it's part of their culture. The LOWER the bow the more respect it shows, and especially to older people you bow lower.
I have to tell all of you that we received news that a sister missionary in our mission found out that her mother unexpectedly died this morning. She only had 6 weeks left of her mission, and she will be going home this week early. She is my very good friend, Sister Holt, and I just saw her yesterday happy and smiling, and when I found out, I couldn't hold back the tears. I don't know how she died but I just can't imagine her pain, and I would be heart broken if that happened to me. I love you mother and am so thankful for you!
A few days ago our stake had a huge Halloween party for all the young adult members. If we had an investigator that age then we were to go. My comp and I went with ours, and it was perfect for her. You would never believe who I ran into, Austin Skinner from our ward in Gilbert, who I have never met. He saw my picture and recognized me. He was on his mission in Korea and had been home a month and came back to visit his mission to do some internship here of some kind. He and his friends decided to go to Seoul to this Halloween party and he walked up to me and introduced himself. Apparently he had seen one of my music videos. He knew Justin, and he had served as a missionary in my companions home ward in Korea. What a small world.
Well we are cleaning and getting ready for next transfer for P day today. Yesterday was our last day for proselyting in the city of Incheon for the Family History activity this coming weekend. We have a lot of people coming and hopefully investigators will come from it, even though none will be in my area.
This week was filled with a lot of walking and more miracles. We had district meeting on the mountain, and I was on exchanges so it wasn't my district, but it was one of the most spiritual district meetings I have ever experienced. My testimony grew so much, and I was just filled with the spirit. Afterwards we had a big dinner appointment that night with a member, and our investigator said she could come. She is 18 years old and she felt so welcomed, and everyone there was so nice to her. She was just laughing the whole night and it was so fun. Her heart is FINALLY softening toward our message. We met two days later at a cafe and we taught her the WHOLE PLAN OF SALVATION………and she loved it. It made sense to her. She is Buddhist and really wants to know if God is really there. We have been trying to help her, but now it's all up to her to pray and find out for herself. We asked her to be baptized when she knows this is true and she said YES!!! Whoo hoo!! We have a lot of work to do to help her but I know that it's possible.
Our other investigator said that she WILL BE BAPTIZED on November 22nd. We are so excited for her to take this big step. She has been meeting with the missionaries for one year now. Her family is Buddhist and it was really hard for her to accept baptism because she wanted to respect her parents and not go against them. Even though she did not practice Buddhism she wanted to respect them. After a year of praying and fasting for her, and teaching and teaching and teaching her, she finally said yes and she feels she is READY. She is so excited and we are also so excited for her. Her best friend is a member and she was the one who referred her to us. Her friend has played a big part in helping her, and also choose to be baptized.
Last night as we were walking home, this foreigner waved to us as he was passing by and said, "Hey sisters how's the work going?" I asked him if he was a member of the church, and he paused and said, "I used to be a member, and used to be a missionary serving here in Korea." I was shocked as I began to talk to him, and was too curious to not ask, "What made you leave the church? What happened?" He said, "Well don't be offended when I tell you this, but before my mission I KNEW THE CHURCH WAS TRUE, and then on my mission I was CONVINCED it wasn't. I hated my mission president and the assistants to the President, and they were all evil people. I never once received inspiration or revelation and so that told me right there that no one on this earth can receive inspiration or revelation. The HOLY GHOST is NOT REAL and I don't believe in GOD anymore." I was shocked as I was listening and didn't know what to say. He said that he baptized so many people and he served in the area that my companion will go to next transfer. All he wants is to see the people again in that ward but is too afraid they will judge him for quitting. I listened to him and remembered I happened to have a name card of the ward where he used to serve. I only had one, and it was so strange that I even had their name card. I gave him our number and the other wards missionaries number and said to please call. He said to me, "That wouldn't be a bad idea but I just don't want to go back to church." I said that it's ok and just call and then you can meet your friends in that ward, and they won't judge you. He smiled and thanked us and walked away. I thought about what he said again and again and again…………..First, Satan is real and he never wants you to be happy. Second, I KNOW THAT GOD DOES LIVE AND JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SAVIOR. I know that the Holy Ghost is also part of the Godhead and is REAL. He can speak to you and guide you. Third, you CAN receive revelation and inspiration. God loves all of His children and He wants us to be happy. I also thought a lot about why he never felt the spirit, especially as a missionary, and it all leads back to is disobedience. If you disobey and never repent the spirit will leave you eventually. The Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples. "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." When we obey we receive the spirit and are able to then receive revelation. We are entitled to that gift and blessing and I know, because I have received it in my life. No one or ANYTHING CAN TAKE MY KNOWLEDGE away that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live!!! They in fact love us and want us to return to them. That's why they provided us a beautiful plan and restored gospel. Oh how this has blessed my life more then anyone could imagine, and this is surely the Lord's true church on the earth today!!!
Yesterday was transfer calls and my companion will be moving to the ward next to ours. She will still be in the same stake and the same house as me, but just different study rooms.:) My new companion was in her same district at the MTC, and her name is Sister Daley. She's from Utah and seems really nice and will be coming on Wednesday.:)
To answer some questions about the food here. My three favorite foods now are rice soup, bim mim gap, and kimchi soup. Eating here in Korea is very different than in America. Koreans always share their food. At first I wasn't used to it, and really wanted my own food, and my own plate. That's not how it works in Korea. haha! I am totally fine with it now.
I have only been once to the bath houses and I don't know if I can ever get myself to do it again. I think they are great but I'm not that kind of person. Haha I would love to go to these Karaoke places here for fun on P day but we are not allowed to.
Well I have got to go, but I love you all so much and I will see you very soon.:)
LOTS OF LOVE, Michelle
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