When It Rains It Pours!!

Hello Everyone!

This week was by far the hottest week we've seen here in GwangJu- which made it all the more memorable. There one story in particular that I'd like to share with you. 

So we met this woman outside the church one day who had known missionaries a longgg  time ago and came back to church looking for them. We set up an appointment to meet her back at the church the next day. 

That following day, the seriously craziest hottest sunniest day of ever, we started to head toward the church after lunch. About half way there, it all the sudden got dark and then no joke...MONSOON! Sister Oh and I started to run to find some cover and there was a store near a bus stop where a woman was sitting just inside, and she invited us in. 

She gave us stools to sit on and we talked for a while and when it looked like the rain was letting up a little bit we told her about an appointment we had to get to. She kind of got this smile on here face, and reached under a table and grabbed two small black bags. She put them on our heads like hats and just started laughing, hahhaa. We said it was perfect and that we were ready to go! but she insisted that we also wear big blue garbage bags that she cuts holes in for our heads. How could we resist? 

So there was Sister Oh and I, running to the church through the rain wearing black and blue garbage bags. It was quite a sight to see. I'll attach some pictures :)

This week Sister Oh and I have seriously seen so many miracles I can't even begin to write them. Lately we've been growing especially fond of going to parks and just teaching people where we find them. It's always amazing to see who the Lord puts in our path. I don't have much time to write any more but I wanted to throw in the rain story just to let y'all know that as many times as miracles happen crazy things happen too. There is always fun to be had!

I love y'all so much and I hope you're enjoying your last few weeks of summer :) You are all amazing and I'm praying for you always! 

With love,

Sister Weston

P.S. Koreans believe if you eat more protein you feel less hot. So we eat lots of chicken, and it's sooo yummy.

 

새상이 좁다 (it's a small world)

 

Hello everybody!

Looks like you all had a wonderful week this week and are enjoying summer :) I'm happy to hear that! It's still hotter than ever here but we got another fan in our house so we are grateful, haha. 

There is really just one person I want to tell y'all about this week, and if I have time maybe a story or two. 

It was my second or third day here in Gwangju when we were coming home from dinner. There was a foreigner at the bus stop and when I saw her I had to say hello- well turns out this foreigner happened to be from France!! Her name is Marine, and we only talked for a couple minutes, I gave her our phone number and then she had to go. I was super happy to meet her but honestly didn't much expect to see her again (that kind of thing happens all the time).

But a couple days later she tested us in the morning to say that it was really nice to meet us and she loved how happy and kind we were to her, and that if i wanted to practice my French more we could call her anytime. UHM YA! We kept in touch with her periodically throughout the week and tried to set up a time to meet but nothing was really working out, UNTIL, on Tuesday one of our appointments fell through and we gave Marine a call. She said she had other plans for that night but she could meet tomorrow in the morning. 

Turn out her other plans happened to be with her French friend that attends our sister ward in Gwangju and the sister missionaries there! So when we met the next morning, she couldn't stop talking about what a small world it is and how lucky she felt to meet us. 

As we talked more, she told us she always wanted to learn about God but while she lived in France never really had the chance. She even wanted to go with her friends to Sunday school and still remembers some of the things her friends taught her about what they learned there. She believes God has a plan for everyone and that in this life God wants us to learn and grow and He gives us experiences to help teach us things. Sometimes she even talks to "whoever is there" before she goes to sleep and she wanted to know how to really pray. When we taught her how, she asked, "when I pray... can I get answers?" She wanted to know if God really hears us and if He gives us what we ask for. It was an amazing experience for me to be able to give her the hope and knowledge that He does. At the end of our time together, she told us she thinks God lead us to each other here in Korea and it was part of His plan for us to be able to meet. I couldn't agree with her more. 

I know god puts people in our lives for a reason, and puts us exactly where we are for a reason. He hears all of our prayers whenever we want to talk with Him and He answers them too. It was a miracle to me that we met her, that she texted us, that we had a French Book of Mormon to give her (which she was so so thankful for- she said "wow, it's my first religious book!" she's so cute!!) 

I just love it here and I'm grateful for everyone I'm able to meet and talk to and share this experience with. I love you all so much and I pray for you always! Enjoy your summer and do fun things! 

Love, 

Sister Weston

P.S. We were on our way to the park on day and saw this woman with a super cute dress so we told her her dress was cute, and she invited us to come eat with her and her friends outside this little shack that overlooked part of the city! We at fresh peaches and corn and talked and it was just a really cool moment I'd thought I'd through in. You never know when you're going to get invited to eat with kind Korean strangers. 

Gwanju

Hola familia!!!!!

Ah man y'all, this has been just the best week. Monday through Wednesday I got to visit all of my favorite Onyang members (meaning all of the members hehe) and then on thusday went to Daejeon, and then got on a bus for Gwangju!

My new companions name is Sister Oh, She's origionally from Jeju Do which is an island in the southern most land part of Korea. She's literally an angel and an amazing missionary. Basically, she's the dream companion. President told us that he has a great feeling about us being together and the work we can do. He also kind of gave us a special mission assignment to help our district and ward become more united. I guess he had prayed a lot about where he should specifiaclly send me and this is the place. I know there are so many reasons why I'm here and I'm soooooo excited to see what happens this transfer and to learn so many new things. 

The area I'm in right now is specfically called Choongjang (I might change the spelling every time because I don't know how it's spelled in english, sorry!). We aren't actively teaching anyone right now which is a challenge but as we continue to talk to people and get in contact with potential people to teach we know we will have miracles happen soon. We are also going to start up an english program here. The last Sisters who served here were both Korean so they didn't have a program going. Now that there are some foreigners in the house we can get it moving!!! 

Gwangju is so beatiful, guys. The people are so kind and there is so much to do. I get hugged on the street by atleast one stranger everyday as we share our testimonies with them. It's pretty nuts. I wish I could write it all. But for now I'll just tell you I'm super excited and I trust that God can work through us to make great things happen here!

 

I love you all more than you know! Have a great week :))))) Always praying for you.

love,

Sister Weston

Choongjang

Hey everybody!

This week was crazy busy and amazing! It was also my last week in Onyang! I'm pretty sad to be leaving the be leaving the people who first accepted me as family in Korea,  but I know that great things lay ahead as well. And almost everybody thing I will be sent back to Onyang before I go home so we aren't too worried!

Our little friend Amanda, who we went hiking with, is set to get baptized on July 26th! We are so excited for her and all the little kids in our branch are excited for her too!! Hopefully I'll be able to come back to see her get baptized and send y'all some pictures. 

This P-day there's lots and lots to do! So I want to spend most of my email time sending y'all some good pictures from my time in Onyang #TheBestOfOnyang 

If I've learned anything this week, it's that we don't have to wait for something big to happen to change ourselves or our situation. Any moment can be a new start and the kind of person we want to be in the future starts with who we decide to be right now.

I love all of you so much. I'm so thankful, again, just to be in Korea and serve the people and learn so much from them. I know that if we are humble and willing, Christ will guide us in the will of our Heavenly Father. 

I love all of you soooooooo much it's unreal. And It looks like the summer fun is in high gear! Keep sending pictures! I'm always praying for you!

Love,

Sister Weston