Hi hi from...not Andong.....Not Busan....Not Ulsan...but my new area a city called Changwon!!! My new companion is named Sister *** and she is SO CUTE! She studied at BYU-Hawaii for 3 years so speaks really good English, but I told her we have to speak mostly Korean haha
I am SSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about it. It was SUPER SUPER hard to leave Andong and all the wonderful people there (more on that later) but I am excited for a new area where I know I can grow to new levels due to the wonderful Atonement of Christ!!!
So last week was good!
Monday we Skyped of course. Then English Class that night!
Tuesday we jundoed for English Class, then our members daughter who was visiting with her 3 kids from America were leaving on Wednesday so we went and visited them and then went to the oldest daughter's Korean guitar-type-thing class to see her which was super fun. She loved me (even called me from the airport before they got on the plane back to California) so we decided we will be pen-pals haha
Wednesday was district meeting, then we had to come back and deep clean our house before transfers. Super exciting!
Thursday, we had lunch with the Indonesian woman that used to come to our English class every week but can't anymore, so that was really fun to see her again. Then we weekly planned, went and visited one of our members who has her mission call to Seoul then had a chicken party with our Young Single Adults before transfer calls. Guess what I ate. Wait for it. Wait for it. CHICKEN FEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes you did not read that wrong. The actual taste was kind of a bbq taste, but SUPER SUPER SPICY so wasn't too bad, but you had to like eat the toes of the chicken and chew them all up to and you basically just suck the skin off the bone, so I wasn't too big of a fan. I'll send pics of me eating them that are pretty funny. Then we got transfer calls and I am in Changwon follow up training sister ***!! Sister *** (who I was in a 3-some with last August in Shinjeong) is going to follow up train Sister ***!
Friday, we went and visited *** for the last time. We were talking about Moroni 7, which they had read the week before together, and *** had a question about how we can judge good from evil without really judging people. This was a really hard question and I wasn't sure exactly how to answer it (and don't think I totally did) but talked about the Plan of Salvation and how Christ will judge us all and how we just need to differentiate between good and evil so that we can make it back to live with God someday. I kept trying to get her to explain it in Korean so that Sister *** could help teach, but she just kept going back to English which was really quite funny now that I think about it now, but was a little stressful at the time! At the end I bore my testimony about how she can truly know for herself by prayer and reading the scriptures. I am counting on her baptism before my mission ends!!! *** is doing great and has already read half Jesus the Christ and the gospel principles book, and is continually studying the standard works each day. They went to church in an English branch in Seoul on Sunday so it was the last time I saw them which was really sad.
Then I had to pack all my stuff to send. I sent two big boxes home by boat this week, so wait for those in a few months haha.
Saturday, Sister *** and I celebrated our last lunch together by eating Sushi (haha my new favorite food) and then went and had English class. Then we had a Young Women's activity that the members planned making cake, which one of our investigators came to which was good! (there is one YW and then the girl that has her mission call who came) Then we went and had dinner with two of the members who got baptized last summer (an older couple who I love so much). They were really sweet and gave me a present of a traditional Andong mask!
Sunday was the last day at church which was really good. Haha on the way to church this lady who I had talked to on the road a while ago recognized me on the bus and started talking to me first. She said she doesn't have a specific religion, but her kids go to a different church. I got her number and told the sisters to teach her!!! We had 42 people again yesterday which was awesome!!!! One of the less active sisters brought her 2 sons which was great!!! It was really hard to say goodbye to everyone who I have such good relationships with there. The investigators, members, and just other people there have taught me so much and I have learned so much from them, especially about love. I said in my talk in sacrament meeting that when I first got called to Andong, I was talking with Sister Gilbert and she said "Andong is Love." It is so true! There is such a special spirit of love and service between all the people there.
Today was Transfer Meeting which was good. My trainer Sister *** goes home today so it was sad to say bye to her!! She wants us to go visit Gangnam (yes like the song. That's where she's from) when you come!
I am so excited for the new adventures that Changwon will bring!!! Yesterday at church, they had 79 people, and the elders or sisters have had a baptism for the past 3 weeks!!!! The building is beautiful too--I will send you a pic! I don't know much about it yet but I am so excited to learn!
I am so excited for this chance to serve here, and to push myself even further to keep Christ at the center of my heart so I can be more obedient, more grateful, and show more love to the people I serve. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!
P.S. I loved what you said about having the power to bind Satan. In the Book of Mormon it says that Satan will have no power in the last day (Ether 8:26) because of the righteousness of the people. Not because he will be bound by some high mighty force, but because we will love Heavenly Father and Christ so much that thoughts of disobedience will have not place in our hearts, and Satan will have NO POWER!!! What a day to look forward to!
I LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Emily Maridell Burgoyne
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