The One With Easter Miracles

Hello from sunny Coomi!

Today's weather was so nice and it was such a fun day! We got to go into downtown Daegu for a zone P-day! The senior couple serving in the area made us a very, very delicious brunch that tasted like America and we went shopping a little in the big city!! The city is just where I belong...Heavenly Father, why do You keep sending me to serve in the countryside?!?!?! Hahaha...I shouldn't question God like that...oops! Anyway...

This week has been really great and yesterday was a very special Easter for me. Easter really isn't a holiday or even a thing here in Korea, but being here without the chocolate bunnies and pastel bows really helped me focus on the Savior even more than at home where there is a huge celebration. I am more than halfway done with my mission (WOW...WHAT??!?!?!!) and it is time more than ever before to get down to business!! I have realized that the last transfer or so I have been so stressed about such meaningless things and it is just time for me to get back to the basics of why I am here in Korea as a missionary. I am here because I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I want to serve Him through serving others. Satan uses so many stupid things (like titles and positions, weaknesses and inadequacies, grudges against others, the list goes on) to distract us from our simple purpose on this Earth (whether we are missionaries or not). Satan loves to over-complicate things and make us think that insignificant things are significant. But with Christ, everything is simple. Sometimes I look back and long for my days as a trainee before I knew what being good at Korean was and where my trainer protected me from mission gossip and other things that cause stress to missionaries everywhere. At that time, I felt like I was doing enough because I really, truly was giving it my all and that was enough for me back then. But now that I am an "old missionary" I feel like more is expected of me. But really, all I have to do is crash into bed exhausted from working my hardest and putting in my whole effort each day and that is enough regardless or how good my Korean is or how many baptism I have (or haven't) had. Lately I haven't been able to sleep at night because I lay on my yo and my mind reels and my heart races over not being good enough at Korean, not having any baptisms, not holding titles or positions, missing home, gaining weight, etc. and I feel sick. But I have started a new exercise to cure that problem: each night as I fall asleep I think about Jesus Christ and all that He has done for me any everyone else in the world. He put up with so much from so many people and when you think about it, He didn't see much success from His efforts until after He had accomplished His mission on Earth. And when I think about that I remind myself that the sole purpose and the only reason why I am here on this mission is for Jesus Christ. And that makes me feel peace. When I remind myself of that, there is not a single worry!! I encourage you all to do the same thing at night or any time during the day, especially when you are feeling inadequate, alone, etc.. I promise when you do, you will feel peace, happiness, and rest because Christ will take your burdens with His "easy yoke" and everything will be "made light."

On this missionary work side of things, here's my 2 Easter Miracles:

The other day I was getting ready when all of the sudden we got a call from a random number. It happened to be from the Jinhae Sisters (my first area). The had called to tell me that Kim Hyunji, my first investigator was getting baptized. Jinhae and Coomi are far away from each other, so I couldn't go, which was sad, but I was just so happy that Hyunji was getting baptized that it didn't matter! She was baptized on Easter and the Sisters sent me pictures! She looked beautiful in her white dress! I just wanted to cry happy tears! And I was so nervous that Hyunji wouldn't remember me because Jinhae was so long ago, but she remembered me and she still has the the picture of the Seoul Temple that I wrote my testimony on! I am just so happy!!

Also, on Easter we were out Jundoing and knocking doors and we were tired and hungry and we weren't having much success, but we had one more 18 story apartment building left to knock doors at and I'm not going to lie, I was so tempted to walk back home. But I decided that we should just thrust in our "sickles" for just a little longer. We only had time to do half of the doors, so we prayed about which was to go: left or right. I suppose any reasonable person would have just made a decision, but we were running low on faith so we decided to ask God where to direct us. So we chose the right (literally). We started on the 18th floor and faced rejection all the way down to floor three where we rang the bell and a teenage boy and his little brother answered. We asked if we would share a message and they said they didn't have time because they were moving in, but they would like to hear later so we got their numbers and set up a follow up appointment right then and there! That has literally never happened in my entire 8 1/2 months in Korea!!! We were so happy! Please pray that this family's heart will be open to our message and that they will be prepared for baptism!!

God knows us and loves us. He answers our prayers. It's all really simple!

Have a wonderful week!

사라해요!!

"I you love"

Sister Johns