DEAR BRAXTON...

Hey everyone it is Braxton's birthday on Saturday... so remember to wish him a happy birthday! He is
going to be 18 YEARS OLD. Like what? Where did time even go? He was only 16 when I left. Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAXTON!!!! 생일 축하합니다! (seng-ir chook-ha-hamnida!)

Okay so I don't have a lot of time today because we are going to Gangnam, but I will type my fastest and tell you what happened this week.

So first off, I want to teach you a Korean word. The word is 정 (jeong). It doesn't have a direct English translation, but it basically means the connection you feel with someone else. For instance, if you make eye contact with someone on the street and say hello, they may smile back at you. If you see them again later, they may say hi first. Then you see each other again, and you always say hi. You might not even know their name. But you know there is some connection between you. You know it is there. You probably wouldn't call it quite a friendship. But there is some connection. The Koreans have a word for it. How cool is that? Anyway, so when we did the youth activity last week (Frisbee... I think I talked about it in my last email), one of the nonmembers that came built some jeong with me. I kept talking to her during the game. She was super cute and super funny. I didn't learn her name until the end, but we had a connection. We had jeong. :) So anyway, this girl came to English class on Wednesday because she liked us so much, and I ended up being her teacher. :) Then she came to our next youth activity this last Saturday. She saw me and ran up and hugged me! :) Koreans don't hug. So this was a huge leap. Well, now she is my friend. :) And it all started with a little jeong. She isn't an investigator yet, but I feel like it is very important that I continue talking to her when she comes and stuff. Being a missionary is the best! I get to make so many friends! :) Missionary work doesn't always have to be teaching serious doctrine and lessons. Sometimes it starts with having a little fun with the youth and becoming their friend. Once you build jeong and become their friend, they trust you and will listen to you more. :) So fun! :)

Also Happy Easter! Thanks Mom for the bunny ears! :)

Okay so this last week we got to go to the temple. I LOVE THE TEMPLE. I didn't realize how much I needed it. I guess lately I have been feeling a little down, like I wasn't doing good enough. When I was in the Celestial Room, I prayed for a little help knowing what to do. I prayed for quite some time. All missionaries pray for what seems like an eternity in the temple, so it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. Anyway, once I opened my eyes, two sister missionaries were sitting next to me. They were both sisters that I had been in the mtc with. I said hi to them, and we started talking. We are all going home soonish, and had all been feeling the same way. All three of us admitted to feeling "not good enough" recently, and thinking that nobody else felt the same way. Well after talking, we all realized that actually a lot of older missionaries end up feeling that way. You get to the end, look back and what you have done, and wonder if it was enough. But we realized that it was Satan's way of trying to slow us down at the end. After talking to them for a little bit, I felt so much better. God had answered my prayers so quickly, and sent me two angels to talk to in the celestial room. I was so thankful to talk to these two sisters. :)

And then when I was studying the next day, I was asking for more answers, wondering how to completely overcome the feeling of "not being good enough." While I was studying, I ran across the word "strive" multiple times. That is when I learned an important lesson. God only asks us to strive to do our best. He knows that we are not perfect. But if we are striving to do all we can, we are doing good enough. :)

Here is our district at the Temple! The flowers are coming out now! Spring is here! :)

We took a selfie after handing out a Book of Mormon on the bridge! :)

Okay, I have to go now but I love and miss you all so much!

Love, Sister Maughan