Kenzie+Korea: The One With Interviews, MLCM, and General Conference

Hello from Jeju! I know that the American news freaked all of you out, but worry or anything because everything is fine here! Apparently, last week there was a huge typhoon here, but let me just tell y'all I slept like a baby through that thing! I slept really good for the first time in probably 14 months only to wake up to a call from President Barrow at 6:29 sharp letting us know that we were not allowed to go outside until the storm passed. We just got ready and studied like usual. The only thing that I noticed different was that there was no wind. Sister Gomez was pretty happy though because I had planned to drag us out of bed at 6:00 to go for a run, but typhoon "Shabba" destroyed that plan. But as far as we know there wasn't much major damage or anything. The only thing we saw was that a member's window got shattered from the wind, so we just went over to her house and cleaned it up instead of doing language study. Oh, our exchanges also got canceled because of the typhoon, which was kind of a bummer, but also nice because we got to stay in our area longer.

Other than that this week was pretty spiritually filling! We had MLCM (Missionary Leadership Coordination Meeting) in Busan on Friday and that was amazing! We talked alot about how to prepare ourselves and the other missionaries for Elder Bednar to come visit our mission next transfer! Everyone is so excited. We also had interviews with President this week and he gave me some really excellent council! I am so grateful for my mission president! We also did planks with Sister Barrow while we were waiting for our interview time, as per usual! But it made me so sad to think that it was my last interview/workout with President and Sister Barrow before my exit interview!! Also, President dropped a subtle "m"-bomb ("m" as in marriage) on me. I am so not ready for that. NOOOO. I am NOT coming home! Understand?

We also watched General Conference this week and we followed President Barrow's counsel to come up with a list of questions to bring to the conference. It was so amazing because we got so many answers to our questions. I feel like through conference this year I was able to learn and make a plan for how to keep up everything I've been doing and learning on my mission after my mission. I am not quite as scared to go home now! Yay! But...I'm still never getting married and I am living with Mom and Dad until I am 100!!!

But...that wasn't the only thing I learned from GC. I also learned how important members are to missionary work...oh wait, I already knew that! Duh! I'm a missionary! But I really hope all of y'all were listening real hard to that! I was reading a talk this morning by Elder Bednar that said, "Ultimately, it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach." You hear that? It is y'all's responsibility as members to be witnesses of Christ at all times and places! If you do that, you will make missionaries around the world very happy people!! I can't wait to come home from my mission and get to work in McKinney, Texas and Provo, Utah. I can't wait to find people to serve! Because if I have learned anything on my mission it is that "when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God" and "Charity is the pure love of Christ" and those who possess charity will have a place with Jesus Christ when all is said and done. You want to be happy? Then get to work!! There is so much to be done within our own families and within our friend groups and even within the line at the grocery store! Y'all have no excuses! You don't even have to try to talk to people in Korean!!! Just open your heart, hands, and mouth and God will send you people to help! I can testify to you that, as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have been the happiest I have ever been since I was a little kid because I know who I am (a child of God), why I am here (to follow Christ and learn to love as He does) and where I am going (back to my Heavenly Father if I do my best). I have found my life's purpose and so much happiness doing this work, and you can too. That is why I am telling y'all to do missionary work! It just seems completely unacceptable to me that within my very own family we have people who have not received the blessing of baptism. How selfish are we?? Share the chocolate bar, guys!! Delicious food isn't meant to be eaten alone! Neither is the gospel! It also makes me so sad that there are also less active members in our family and friend circles who are struggling with their faith that we are doing absolutely nothing about! I can promise you that y'all can do 100 times more for them than the full-time missionaries serving in their area can! Believe me! I am experiencing this exact same work here in Korea right now! Put your own pride, embarrassment, fear, whatever-it-is aside and take up the faith to help the people you love! I believe that we don't truly love anyone unless we are willing to share with them and tell them the things that no one else will tell them that they need to hear! A true friend doesn't let another friend go outside wearing jeans that make their butt look huge! Sharing the gospel is just the same! True friends who love each other don't let each other pass up the best opportunity and blessing of anyone's life: the gospel!

Get to it y'all! That's all I have to say!

Well, I hope everything at home is great! I love y'all to death and pray for y'all to be happy!

사랑해요!

"I you love!"

Sister Johns