So at the beginning of the week I wasn't feeling so great about my Korean. The language is a constant battle and one moment I will feel super great about it, the next moment I feel like I have hit a wall and can't speak anything. The beginning of the week, I felt like I had hit a wall. I was trying to speak Korean. I was pressing the pedal in the car, but it wasn't moving. It was a struggle.
But then, on Sunday everything changed! :) We had been asked to teach gospel doctrine class. I was freaking out because I didn't feel prepared and the topic was super hard. We were teaching about the Abrahamic Covenant. First of all, I didn't even know exactly what that was. I knew that Abraham was promised lots of kids and stuff, but I didn't know much more than that. Since I didn't really understand it in English, I had no idea how to explain it in Korean. We spent a lot of Saturday preparing for the lesson, translating it and trying to figure out what to say and what questions to ask. In our gospel doctrine class, we have about 4 investigators who regularly attend, and a few recent converts. I was SO nervous. I was planning to go over the lesson again during relief society, but then I got asked to translate for an American sister who was visiting. (Fun fact- the American was from MANTUA. Yes, that one town we pass on the way to Wellsville...) That made me freak out even more because I don't have the language skills to translate everything. I warned her that I wouldn't be able to translate everything, but she was super nice and appreciative anyway. I wasn't able to translate word for word or anything, but I could summarize what the sisters were talking about and at least help her understand the topic and discussion. It was a surprise to myself. :)
Then we taught Gospel Doctrine. We focused specifically on covenants and what they are and what covenants we make at baptism. When we were getting close to the end of our lesson, Sister Sweetnam and I looked at our watches. We had 20 minutes left. I was panicking inside because I knew that meant we had to improvise for 20 minutes. So we improvised. We completely relied on the spirit for not only what to say, but how to say it in Korean. I was about to ask the question, "Why do we need covenants?" right as my companion asked the very same question. It opened up a discussion that led to bearing testimonies from a lot of the members in the classroom. I was able to bear my testimony about the covenant we make in the temple to become eternal families. It was so good and the spirit was so strong.
After we finished our lesson, our ward mission leader got up and asked both me and Sister Sweetnam how long we had been in Korea. I said 8 months, she said 4 months. He told us that in the entire lesson that we taught, we didn't say anything wrong or awkward or that they couldn't understand. He basically told us our Korean was perfect. I can promise you, that our Korean was not perfect. I pretty much translated the whole lesson since I have been her longer, but I can promise you that it was not perfect. There were mistakes. But Koreans never tell us that our Korean is perfect. The elders (who have all been here longer than me) came up to us afterwards and kept telling us what an honor it was to have gotten complimented that way.
Our Korean wasn't perfect though. The spirit just carried the message perfectly to those who were hearing. I have a true testimony that the Lord will always provide a way for us to carry out His work, no matter how hard it may seem. Korean is a struggle, but when we rely completely on the spirit for what to say, we can't make mistakes. Because the spirit will carry God's perfect message to those who are ready to hear.
Well its my birthday so I am off to celebrate! :) The other sisters are blindfolding me and taking me somewhere. They planned it all out. It should be fun... though the fact that they are blindfolding me makes me a little nervous haha.
Love you all and miss you always! Happy Founders Day to you Wellsvillians!
Love, Sister Maughan Sister Maughan and her companion Sister Sweetnam on Daysha's bday!
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