Small Moments - Small Miracles

Hey Everybody,

Thanks for taking the time one more week to read another email! You'll notice the title of this is quoting the wise words of Albus Dumbledore- and we've decided to do that this week because we know his words are true "Happiness can be found in even the darkest of time, if one only remembers to turn on the light" (forgive me if it's not perfect). 

I remember arriving in Korea about a year ago, and every word I understood was a miracle, ever kind act was an angel sent form God, and every delicious food was a tender mercy. I distinctly remember wating and parying to always feel that way thoughout my mission. 

As we know, time goes on and things begin to become normal. Funny thing is, even as things become more amazing they can continue to feel normal. For example, I can freely speak and understand Korean without much worry now, I meet more and more amazing people each day as I am more confident starting conversations, and the food is better than ever! Still sometimes, we take these things for granted. 

Something Sister McDonald and I have been talking about a lot this week is recognizing the small moments, the small miracles, the small happinesses that in all reality are not merely happenstance but our Heavenly Father trying so personally to tell us he loves us. 

Not all of us receive direct communication from God, but each of us have been guided buy His hand in our lives. Each of us have seen the sun when we needed it, been hugged by a friend or mom or brother, met someone who taught us something, the list goes on forever. Each of these things is sent to us by a loving Heavenly Father who knows where we are and who we are, and through Christ loves and understands us without condition. 

This week we saw a tagalog sunday school open in GrwangJu for four of the people that have or will be baptized this year. We had the chance to meet another grandma and mother of a meber here in SeJong yesterday who after a long journey has decided to join her daughter in the church and be baptized this sunday. And yet another girl who has decided to rely on God as she searches for meaning and comfort during a difficult time.

There is nothing stagnant about any day that we spend. Each day has happiness that can be found, and a blessing that can be realized. Nothing is a small miracle. 

I love you all so much, and I'm so thankful for the influence each of you have had on my life. I hope each day this week you can open your eyes to see the good that's happening all around you and remember to tell someone thank you, especially the giver of all good, our Father in Heaven. 

love,

Sister Weston

Smores and Snow Men

Hey Everybody!

Sister McDonald and I had another really awesome week in SeJong. It's starting to feel like spring her and the cherry blossom song keeps playing on the streets so we know warmness is right around the corner. 

Sometimes it's really hard to explain or even remember all the things we learn and do in one week. The thing that seems to stick out the most from this week when I think back is this, 

 

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold,as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time."  -Doctrine and Covenants 6:14

 

Sister McDonal and I were super blessed this week to meet a lot of new people who want to learn english. Because of this, a lot of appointments got moved or some people thought it was fun to be really spontaneous and not show up. This left Sister McDonald and I with our hands folded in prayer more than probably ever before in our missions. We decided that whenever something didn't go according to plan, we would ask Heavenly Father where we should go- and even if it didn't make sense we would do it. This lead us to a few places that helped me realize a lot about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The first place was to a former investigators store, They hadn't met her for about two months. When we arrived, EunJin the former investigator, sat us down and just starting crying. She told us that she had been afraid to pray but just thought over and over again that she wished someone would send her help. She had been doing this for three days and then we showed up at her store. She then proceeded to tell us that she knew God was listening to her and that He had sent us, and she knew now that she could pray to Him and He would make it okay.

The second place was on Saturday night, we were really excited about meeting a new investigator when  she told us she couldn't meet anymore. We prayed, and although we had been to this house almost weekly with nothing too amazing happening, we felt we should go visit a woman who hadn't been to church in months. We arrived at her house and she let us in. We felt we needed to sing hymns, and she recorded them on her phone. After singing two or three, she stopped and said. "I prayed that God would send you here, I was sitting here crying and praying and not knowing what to do, and then you called." We were sitting in Sunday School yesterday when she walked into church for the first time since the branch opened. 

I don't have time for the whole  story, but somethng similar happened last night, except we felt we need to walk to an apartment about 20 minutes away at 8 oclock to see if anyone needed our help (we didn't know anyone over there). We prayed about whcih appartment, which floor, which floor, again, and which floor again, and then we knocked on a door. No answer. We had time just for one more door, we knocked, a mom answered and she let us in. We were able to share with her, her daughter, and friend a message about the plan of salvation. 

We never know where we will be lead, but we can trust that if we ask and we do what we know is good, and ask again, and maybe even ask some more, we will in the end be where we need to be. We are the children of a Heavenly Father, and He knows us far more then we can even comprehend. I know that through Christ we can understand how much He truly loves us. We do what we do out here because of them. There is nothing better in the whole world.

Please pray for our friends Sister Koo and Sister Jeong! That would mean the world. Know I pray for you every single day and think of you alwayssss!

Have a great week! enjoy the beautiful whether if it's there!

love you!

love,

Sister Weston

 

 

A New Town

Hey everybody!

 

Well, it's time to start a new chapter in this journey :) We have loved the past 7 and a half months in GawngJu- but we find ourselves in a new, super new, place called SaeJong! WAHHH!!!!

 

If ever there was a place like The Giver, Paper Towns, or The City of Ember in real life, it is Saejong. The city only began to be build couple of year ago and listen to some of it features. It has the longest (not necessarily biggest but longest haha) government building in the world, the garbage works on a vacuum system so when you put it in the shoot it sucks it out of your hands and down to the center of the city, everythinggggggg works on key pads and you can call the elevator from inside your room or turn the gas off as you walk out the door, and every single toilet has bum spraying capabilities. I really don't know how I ended up here but this is a place of dreams.

 

Funny thing happened, I was originally schedule to stay in GwangJu until Sunday because of some needs in the area, but I received a call on Thursday night and was requested to come to Deajeon the next day- so basically we packed up with few goodbyes and headed out the next morning at about 5:30! I am extremely thankful that it happened that way though. I was able to say goodbye to my Korean mom and dad, share a final testimony and then come to meet the amazing new branch I'll be serving in.

 

Actually Sister McDonald, my new companion who was my co-Sister Training Leader in the MTC (so nuts!!!), and I are covering two areas, SaeJong and GongJu (which in Korean means princess;)) But because SaeJong branch was opened only a couple of months ago our focus is mostly there. And guess what, IT'S AMAZING! The Branch members are sooo excited about missionary work and growing the church in this new city and really just spreading the love and the joy of the gospel, which is the most important. We were extremely blessed to see one of the sisters investigators be baptized on Sunday, her name is JeongSuk Park. She is a mother of two sons and has the biggest heart and desire to bless her growing family. We sang the special musical number, Nearer my God to Thee, right after she gave her testimony of how she hopes for the gospel to bless her sons and there was not a dry eye in the house. It was so beautiful.

 

I wish I could right more but I'm still kind of figuring things out here! We are really close to Daejon and President and Sister Shin which is an amazing blessing! And this transfer I have the opportunity to serve with the Daejeon, Cheonan, and JeonJu zone sister as their Sister Training Leader. The sisters in these zones are INCREDIBLE! And I've had the chance to serve with many of them before in the field or the MTC so I know we are going to have a lot of fun and see so many miracles together!

 

If there's anything I've learned this week, it's that the Lord truly guides us in our lives when we need to be moving and He holds us when we need to be still. It's incredible to see everything y'all are doing at home, welcoming baby Boyer into the family and watching as life keeps getting better! I know Heavenly Father remembers you always.

 

I love this work so much. I love our Savior Jesus Christ. I love all of you!

 

Have a good week!

 

 

Perfect Brightness of Hope (2 Nephi 31:20)

Hello Everyone!

Hope you all are enjoying the super bowl and everything else happening over there :) It's the chinese new year today! We get to wear traditional Korean clothing and eat a lot a lot of awesome food. Almost everything closes but families are really welcoming to the missionaries. I think Sister Byun and I will spend today with our Philippina friends Shelby and Cherry. They make korean food better than most koreans so we are excited! 

Yesterday was possibly my last sunday here in ChungJang. I won't know for sure until tomorrow, but if I send an email from another place next week don't be surprised :) 

I have loved ChungJang and everyone I've met here more than I thought I ever could. More than anything, I learned here how to serve the Lord with full purpose of heart. I learned from the many people I've had the chance to work with how to love like the Lord loves. I learned we make our own happiness by deciding to see the good in people and situations. More than anything, I learned who Christ is. He's our savior and friend. We do this because this is what He did. 

Yesterday I had the chance to bear my testimony about the miracles Heavenly Father has done in this ward the last seven months. As soon as I stood, Sister Uhl stood up to testify next. I couldn't help but start crying. She's been with me since the day she first arrived in Korea and is such an incredible missionary and friend. I'm really proud of her. It was another one of the moments I was so thankful to the Lord for sending me so many people who would influence and ultimately change my life. 

Sorry I forgot my chord so I'm sending pictures off of Sister Byuns camera. Next week I need to send you a picture of how much of a giant I look like compared to Korean grandmas :) Gangnam Lee gave us her traditional HanBok clothes to wear fort he new year, so pretty! I promise you will see it next week!

love you all so much! happy monkey year! 

love,

Sister Weston