This week was super busy and we had a lot of adventures and we received lots of blessings. I am so excited to tackle this next transfer! My Korean is still so Elementary and I still have no idea what anyone is saying, but the language has improved so much over the last 6 weeks. I feel so blessed and I just keep waiting for something really awful to happen because I have had such a charmed mission so far! I have the world's best trainer, the most wonderful area and ward, the missionaries I have had the opportunity to serve with are so wonderful, and the language is finally beginning to click just the tiniest bit. The only thing we're missing are investigators, but we had a few miracles this week that may turn in to investigators.
Okay, so where do I begin?
I'll start with English class last Wednesday. Sister Kim Yeji and I have been working really hard to find. And this transfer especially we are trying so many new things because we know that if we show Heavenly Father that we are willing to do anything to find, we will find people who are waiting for us. Anyway, two new non-members showed up to English class. One is a member's friend and she is really cute. The other is the sweetest girl that the Elders met who works at the Post-Office and helped them when they were sending a package so they invited her to English class. She is my favorite! And her name is Yeji (means intelligence) like my companion! She is the cutest, has the cutest clothes, and she is really good at English. She comes to my class because I teach advanced level. After class, I noticed that she was looking in the Hymn book and we started talking about how our different churches sing a lot of the same hymns. I had the best feeling about her. Even if she just wants to learn English and that's the only way I can serve her, I am so glad to do it. When members of other churches are friends with members of our church it makes me so happy. We all just need to love and respect each other and be excited that we have common beliefs. Especially because people in Korea have really weird ideas about our church. Usually, in Korea if people have heard of our religion before, they hate it and hate you because of that. It's really sad. It's not like it is in the states where people *generally* (there are still hateful people there for sure!! I have experienced them on so many occasions) are accepting of lots of different beliefs. The hatred is just different in Korea. I can't describe it. Anyway, I have been praying for her because I can tell that she is a very special person.
Later in the week we taught our "investigator" lady who wants to learn English but doesn't really have much gospel interest. In the past other missionaries have really hated her because of this, but I must be insane because I really love her for some reason. I just can't ever forget the fact that, just like me, she is God's daughter. And if the only way I can share His love for her is through teaching her English, so be it! During Christ's ministry, he took on the role of servant. So I will do my best to do the same thing. If lonely old ladies want me to come over and listen to them talk about Revelations for hours and other people want me to teach them English, that is what I will do. President Barrow always quotes Christ in the New Testament and reminds us "by this shall men know ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another." If we simply love others, they will see what our purpose as missionaries is and they will know we are Christ's representatives.
I has a really cool experience the other day when we were on the way to an appointment. I was thinking about the part in PMG where it talks about being a blessing and not a burden to the bishop of your ward and it made me think a little broader. Am I a blessing or a burden to my companion? Am I a blessing or a burden to my mission president? Am I a blessing or a burden to the Lord? I was thinking about this and how I need to be better about opening my mouth when a voice came into my mind (this has never happened to me ever before!) and said "So do it." I realized that thinking about being an effective missionary wasn't going to make me one. I need to act. So I just started talking to the lady next to me on the bus. It was a really simple conversation and I just gave her a Because He Lives card and I'm pretty sure she didn't understand a word I said, but I showed Heavenly Father that I will work and I will act. From then on have been trying to talk to everyone at every chance I get. And I saw a blessing come from that! After I chose to show Heavenly Father that I was willing to work hard by acting, the Elders called us and said that they found a FAMILY for us to teach! We will meet them this week! I am so excited! We will see how that goes. I will be praying so hard.
On Thursday night we had transfer calls. It was super funny. Sister Kim Yeji and I were doing planning when all of the sudden the phone rang. And the phone never rings on the night of transfer calls unless you're getting transferred...and trainers and trainees usually never get split up. So we were freaking out and screaming and finally I went to answer the call. Usually if it's the Korean AP on the phone, the Korean companion is getting transferred and visa versa with the foreign AP. But the call was from President Barrow...and that only happens if something big like a call for training, STL/ZL/DL, is being extended to you. So we were freaking out. Sister Kim answered it and President Barrow just laughed and said that he meant to call the Elders, but he called us on accident. We just about pooped our pants of fear. Haha. But we knew before the Elders did that Elder Trentman would be whitewash training on Jeju, so that was fun to know. I'm gonna miss that kid. I told him he has permission to marry Aubrey. Lol. (Sorry Aubs, but I tell that to every Elder who I am pals with so you'll have like 50 husband options soon).
Well, that's really all I have to say about this week. I have learned so much in one transfer. And I am so excited to learn more and work even harder this transfer. I know there are people in Jinhe who are prepared and waiting to hear the message of Christ's Gospel. We just have to find them. That's the hardest part. But I will walk in the rain and humidity and heat until there are holes in my shoes and my feet are bleeding and talk to strangers in Korean until my voice is gone and serve the members and less-active members until all of the love in my heart has been squeezed out. I know people who are waiting for us exist in Korea, even if it is hard to believe when you receive rejection after rejection after rejection. But I have faith. And faith and action on that faith are all you need.
I love you all! Don't have too much fun without me! Aubrey: don't grow up too much. Kayleigh: don't get married (or I will die), Mom: don't worry about me, Dad: don't kill yourself from working to hard! I am so thankful for my friends and family. I am so thankful for this mission. I hate thinking about the day I have to go home. Yesterday at transfer meeting one of the returning sisters got up to share her testimony and she was just crying and crying and one of the Elders asked why/if she was okay and through broken/muffled tears she said "because I have to go home!" She sounded like a tired/whiny toddler (in the best way...lol). I have a feeling that will be me in 15 months. I love this place. I love these people. I have never prayed harder for anyone in my life than I have for the people of Korea and Jinhe especially. I never knew it was possible to love so much. Yes, this is hard. And I'm fatter, more tired, more stressed, and more busy than I have ever been in my entire life, but I have never been happier. I love this mission. I am so grateful for this experience I am having. To anyone out there debating whether or not to serve a mission, if you get the answer from God to go, do it. I promise you will never be happier anywhere else, doing anything else. God is so great. He has changed me so much in just 6 weeks. The longer I am here, the more inadequate and small I feel because every good thing I do does not come from me. It comes from God. Gosh, I just can't put how much I love my Heavenly Father into eloquent words!
Okay! I love you all! Congrats to all of the new married couples, engaged folks, etc. Love y'all!!! Write me letters and emails and I will love you forever!
사랑해요!!!
I you love!!!
잔스 자매
(Sister Johns)
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| Playing in Sister Mortensen's Hanboks at Zone Pday |
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| Hi, I'm Kenzie and I'm acutally Korean |
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| zombies |
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| My first district (Don't mind the BOM we used to prop up the cameras) |
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| One of the American members from the military base gave the Elders real deal taco ingredients, so they made tacos for us! Q-T's! |
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| My comp's very first taco ever! |
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| Our cute apartment! |
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| The bishop's wife makes the most delicious and beautiful food for us. |
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| Stinkin cute! |
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| The whole ward all together before all of the young people left for BYU and before transfers! We are getting 3 new Elders because one Elder will be white wash training in Jinhe! Way exciting! |
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| Reunited with my MTC pals at Transfer Meeting!!! I love these humans all so much! |
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