The Biggest Miracle

Dear friends, 

I could never have imagined the great plans the Lord had for me when this journey started. 

This time in the Daejeon mission has been, and continues to go by faster and faster. There are so many things I have learned and experienced that I cannot, and may not ever be able to, put into words. 

I had the special opportunity to speak to my mom this past week over skype, with my mission president and my companion. This conversation lead to what is now being refered to as "the biggest miracle the Daejeon Mission has ever seen" : my moms baptism here in Korea on June 16th. 

I know that it is because of the countless prayers, fasts, and testimonies of so many missionaries, missionary moms, members in all places of America and Korea, that the Lord has made this possible for her. 

If there is anymore that I could say, it is simply that the Lord lives. He knows and loves us. We have one more week here to do His work and it will be done. I love my mom. I love my family. I love everyone who has ever helped me get here. 

Be well, and remember the Lord is always with you.

Your friend,

Sister Weston

Go Home Empty Handed

HEY EVERYBODY!

So excited to hear form y'all today! It sounds like everyone is doing awesome things and get prepared for even more awesome things! Can't wait to really hear about it all soon!! 

This week, y'all it was just incredible. We had Zone Conference, out last one, and I must say the best one I've been to. 

Sister Shin talked to us about going home empty handed. We leave out house everyday with Book of Mormon and things to share with people, and I'll be honest there are days that you come home with them still in hand. But we promised the Lord that would no longer be the case. Sister Uhl and I were on a split yesterday and were able to give out 6 copies throughout the day- definitely a result of focusing our faith on a specific goal. Plus, it was really fun. 

I gave my final training on the atonement. Specifically focusing on how when we follow the saviors example of prayer, obedience, along with selfless service and sacrifice we can bring people unto Him as He brings people unto the father. The best way for me to describe the way it all happened is by telling you to imagine a firecracker in a tin garbage can. It all started calm, then we read Matthew 26:36-44. We spoke of the saviors example and how we can do what He did in a missionary capacity. Then we pondered the question "during your time as a missionary, when have you felt closest to the Savior?" as we read John 19:1-3, 16-19. One by one, a missionary would start to cry as they read a verse, and then another, and soon you could feel the explosion of the spirit in the room. I could hardly spit out my final testimony. Sharing Acts 5:41, I told them how extremely thankful I am to be a missionary. Even on the days I thought I might not survive it, I was blessed with companions to testify to me of the road the savior walked. This is a road each missionary must chose to walk each day. As we do this, we come to know Him. We gain the love He feels for us. And we are willing to die for Him, and the people we serve, just as He was willing. 

My Zone leaders had to tell us to take a break when we finished the lesson, and we all took a moment to write down what we were feeling. There was one thing that a Zone leader said, Elder Foster, that I thought was wonderful. When we feel the spirit, it the closest the we have to God reaching out and touching us. He wants to, but He can't- and so he sends His best. And That's what the spirit is. It is my prayer that anyone who has ever felt this never forgets what it's like, including myself, and each of you.

This Sunday, all the less actives and recent converts we were working with, including two of our favorite moms Sister ChunMi Lee and Sister EunJeong Park, with came to church. It was absolutely incredible- and the love that filled sacrament meeting was unlike anything I've ever felt during my mission. I attribute this absolutely to the renewing of the spirit these wonderful moms have felt praying and reading the scriptures.   

That sotry I need to share with you about Sister SunYoung is this, whe's a wonderful companion. And she has learned on her mission, even though she hasn;t been out long, to walk the road Christ ahs walked. Ever since that discussion I told you about a couple weeks ago, "not fearing men more than God." We've had to go on a few splits. On one of those said splits she was in a situation where 6 missionaries were all on the same bus, and none of them were talking to anyone. She told me that she heard the words I told her come back to her, and that Sister Weston with all the other apostles throughout history and God would not be okay that situation. So she, all on her own, started sharing the gospel! I just think she is so amazing! And so brave! I really love her so much and I'm so happy she is my final companion :)

Thank you for staying with me through these past 17 months. We don't have a lot of time left but we're going to make the best of it! Please keep praying for Sister JuNam Park. We are always praying for you! love you!

Sister Weston

It's Not About You

Hey Everybody,

As you all know, my time out here is coming to and end rather quickly. And although I could never possibly express to you all the things that I have learned, there is one thing that has stuck out in my mind specifically this week that I wanted to share with you- 

I have been blessed throughout my mission with companions that are gracious and loving to express to me what they have learned from our time together, I have been blessed to learn from them and build upon my weaknesses, I've been blessed to see miracles, to be part of successful teams, to speak Korean and eat the best food in the world-- but wow-- it's not about me. 

What it is about, is woman who was baptized and stood to bear testimony in her first sacrament talk less than a month later,  the man who received the priesthood and was able to pass the sacrament to ward in need of hope, and all the people who come unto Christ during our time, and after our time if we simply remember not to get in the Lord's way. 

"There is one responsibility which no man can evade; that responsibility is his personal influence...the silent, subtle radiation of personality--the effect of his words and his actions on others. This radiation is tremendous.

Every moment of life man is changing, to a degree, the life of the whole world....He cannot escape for one moment from this radiation of his character, this constant weakening or strengthening of others...[but] man can select the qualities that he would permit to be radiated. He can cultivate sweetness, calmness, trust, generosity, truth, justice, loyalty, nobility, and make them vitally active in his character. And by these qualities he will constantly affect the world." -David O McKay

When I realized this, much later than I wish I would have, everything because so much more... simple, faithful, love driven, and amazing. At the end of our journey our character is changed, our influence hopefully becomes that of the words President McKay described, and that it all because it's not really us, it's the Lord being unrestricted by our pride or personal desires and it's the reflection of those we love. It is only through this that our small efforts change the course of someones eternity. 

Everything we do makes a difference, but it's not about us. And that's a pretty great thing. 

If you could please continue to pray for Sister Kang, Sister Par, and Leslie whenever the thought crosses your mind, that would meant he world to us out here. They need a miracle! :) 

This week will be our last Zone Conference and all I can think about is bearing testimony of the Savior for the last time in that setting, please pray that I may be able to make it through the words hahaha. We'll tell you how it goes next week and also about that story from Sister SunYoung! 

love you all so much, praying for you always! 

P.S. The picture is of our Philippine investigator Leslie and a little girl in our ward :) 

Don't just have a mission, Have a blast....

Hello everyone!

It sounds like everyone is having a really great week and a great mothers day! It was so so good to be able to talk with you and now see pictures of all the summer happenings that are going on! Y'all are awesome!

This week was really eventful, it starts with the road to district meeting, then Childrens day, goes through our last MLC, and into Mothers day :)

So we will start with Tuesday, the road to district meeting. In order for us to get there we have to take a bus and a subway which takes about an hour. We were on our way, and while riding the bus I could feel and see that everyone was having trouble opening their mouths and talking to people. And when you've got 4 people called of God on the same bus that's just not right, so I suggested to Sister SunYoung that I go talk to a woman to my right and she talk to the woman on her left and we get things started. She said "no" --- and I responded by saying "Don't fear man more than God, 극복하세요" that last part in Korean means, overcome, but it also kind of has the tone of "get over it" hahaha needless to say that didn't really help in the moment, so I encouraged Sister Uhl to start the conversation and she did and her and Sister SunYoung were able to teach that woman the entire restoration! It was amazing :) I'll finish the second part of this story next week, it ends pretty cool!

Fast forward to later that day when Sister SunYoung and I were prayng about where to go, and we felt we needed to go to a less actives store to invite her to the Chidlren day activity. We went, she was there, we got to talking and she said she would come! So the next day we all met up in DaeJeon and she brought one of her friends who's in high school. They are both superrrr good at sports and caught the attention of everyone in the stake during the kickball tournament.  a member of the stake presidency asked for the high schoolers member record to see if he could get her on his team next time, funny thing is she's not a member! haha :) They both have sports tournaments the next two weeks but they said they would come to church after that and we are so excited!

Now it's friday, and we all met up for what was the last MLC for many of us (me and 14 other missonaries). Every time I step in that room, I get the same feeling of never wanting to leave. The same feeling of never wanting to stop being a missionary. There were two things that I especially took away from this last meeting, and I hope to apply them to the rest of my life.

The first is, how extrememly precious and irreplacable a testimony is. The Senior couple, Elder and Sister Bringhurst who have been working in the office the past year and a half, head home this week. So we took time on friday to hear their testimonies. It was at this time that I realized that our individual testimony, our toughts and feelings, are an irreplacable part of who we are, who we become, and there is perhaps nothing that could be more rpecious to us personally.

I will always remember Elder Bringhursts words walking about how when we feel insufficient it is the Lord preparing us to recognize that "this battle when it's won, it will not be your victory it will be mine" That has been witnessed to me countless times these past 17 months.

And Sister Bringhurst, sharing her testimony of the Savior saying "There was a day when

(fill in the blank with your own time of desperation that you turned to rely on the Lord) and from that day until today that burden has not been mine"  I know that this is true for each of us when we turn our minds again to that day, and to where we see ourselves now.

While recognizing this, I began to think of the purpose I hold as a missionary and what that is in the eyes of God. This is the second things I learned. The Lords pupose is stated in Moses 1:39: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. My purpose as a missonary is to help people to come unto Christ, to eternal life. My purpose and Gods are inseparable. And do I take this lightly? Do we as a misson, missonaries, people, families, friends realize who we are and what we are doing in the eyes of God? Do we realize how great this work is?

Each of us have said at one point, "THIS is why I came on my mission" talking with my family yesterday, God was merciful to help me remember my THIS. My person THIS is my family. I love you. I have no greater hope than for each of you to be happy, to be hopeful, to see the good and feel your burden be light. I know there is no greater thing than this. I pray for each of you each and every day. And although I haven't seen you everyday these past 17 months, I know that everday God has heard my prayers.

While praying about this yesterday, and asking the Lord what I could do more to bless each of you at home, I was blessed by words of a dear friend Sister MacKay through Helaman 10:4-5. I know the Lord is blessing you and watching over you, because this is my greatest hope. I love each of you dearly. Don't forget to pray. And please continue to pray for us over here, we need it now more than ever!

love,

Sister Weston

p.s. this is not a good picture but the good pictures are one Sister Byuns camera and I'll send them next week :)

If You Choose Christ

Hey everybody!

There is so much going on this week, so much good stuff going on this week, I'm afraid I don;t have a lot of time to write!

But I do have to tell you about what was probably the happiest day of my entire mission, April 30th. 

HyunJi, our best elementary school age friend was baptized. She envited her whole family (her mom who is also and investigator and her dad whom we have never met). 

They all had anaamzing time and it was incredible to see her whole family there. Her aunt and cousin who were baptized last month sat behind her, and their friends from Seoul who orginionally introduced them to the missionaries came to give a special musical number. 

The spirit was so strong, and the best part was that her father looked at her with such proud eyes. After talking with the members and spending some more of the day with them even after the service he seems to think about the gospel very highly and we are hopeful that we will see them one day in the temple being sealed to become an eternal family. 

When we asked her how HyunJi felt afterwards she said "It was awesome" and I think that was the perfect way to explain it :)

Although I wasn't able to see Sabrina be baptized this weekend, the Lord blessed me to feel close to her in heart. Whenever I think about any of the people we love going to the temple with us, or standing by our side as our friend when we meet Christ - I get speechless. The Lord knows us, He loves us. Not because of anything that we've ever done, but because of who he is and through what eyes he sees us. He's our best friend, and while we are going through life I'm thankful he's given me so many friends to remind me who he is. 

I love you all so much! I'm sorry time is short but I am just so happy I can;t even tell you! Praying for you always!

love, Sister Weston

Teaching Miracles

Hey Everybody!

This week has been absolutely amazing and full of miracles! 

If there's anything I learned, it's that the Lord knows how to love and care for people far better than we ever could. 

We've been teaching our Kayagum teacher about the gospel for the last couple of weeks, and through small acts of kindness from all the sisters she has been amazed at what faith can do to bless and change lives. She acts us so many questions about what she can do to get faith, and receive answers to prayers. 

Each time we teach her we share with her our personal experiences. And this past monday I was able to tell her a little bit about Sabrina, and when she saw me crying she started crying too. It's amazing how the Lord allows us to feel just a little bit of the love that He has for his children. Each time I feel that it amazes me even more how much I cant understand the fullness of it.

Keep praying for HyunJi and her mother as they prepare to be baptized :) HyunJi sang in the choir at stake conference this week, and it was amazing. She is only a 5th grader, and I can;t imagine the courage it takes to follow the Lord and be an example to your family at such a young age, she's my hero! 

I love you all so much! And I never forget you in my prayers! 

love you so much,

Sister Weston

Good Times

Hey Everybody!

I hope you've been having a wonderful week :) Sister SunYoung and I have had a week full of good times and surprises :) I realizes that I haven't really told you much what we do on the reg, and so that's what I wanted to do this week :)

Mondays: Preparation day. Clean. Have leadership conference call. Learn Kayagum (a Korean instrument) from 1-3 and then go adventuring in our area. Today we will go to a place of 1,000 Buddhas. 

Tuesday: District meeting. Eat lunch with the sisters (we are the only district in the mission with more sisters than elders 6:4) 

Wednesday/ Thursday: Meet with HyunJi the little girl we teach who is preparing to be baptized on April 30th :)

Friday: English class where we hear people say "pairy" instead of "fairy" and "yarning" instead of "yawning"

Saturday: teach teach teach!

Sunday: Church until noon, eat with the members, teach, then eat again and pray about where the Lord would have us go and then go there from 5-9! This last week we were able to meet an awesome new family and another potential investigator during that time.

Y'all. I love this time. I love the things the Lord puts in our path, especially the friends we make. I'm so thankful for all you friend at home. I'm thankful for your examples. I'm thankful for your open hearts to the gospel. I'm thankful for your prayers. I've seen more miracles being away from home than I think I ever did when I was there and I know it's because the Lord is with you. 

Y'all I just love you. so so so much.

love,

Sister Weston