#foreignmissionaryproblems

So sometimes we don't entirely understand what people are telling us in Korean. We think we do, but we then find out that we didn't understand, or that we did understand but then second guessed ourselves and actually changed what they had said to what we had thought they had said. Anyway... One of the elders in our district of 4 missionaries is Korean. He had called us the other night to tell us when Branch Mission Council Meeting was. I was in the shower, so my companion answered the phone. When I got out, she told me that we had Branch Mission Council Meeting on Saturday at 8:30am. I thought, "Why Saturday? That's kind of weird." But I just brushed off the thought and added it into my planner. Anyway, Saturday rolls around and we walk to the church in the freezing cold morning air. We get there, and no one is there. We wait, and no one comes. Eventually the thought reoccured to me that it might not be on Saturday, but on Sunday. I looked at my companion and asked, "Are you sure that it is today on not tomorrow?" Her eyes widened for a moment. I asked, "Was it Elder Lee or Elder Shulz on the phone?" She replied that it was Elder Lee. I asked her if he told her when it was in Korean or English. She said that it was in Korean. We both looked at each other and burst out laughing. We texted the elders and asked what time the meeting was. They replied that it was Sunday. When we sticker boarded with the elders that night, we eventually told them that we had walked all the way to the church on Saturday morning. They both face palmed and started laughing with us. Sometimes you just gotta laugh at the fact we clearly  do not speak Korean. #foreignmissionaryproblems

On Tuesday night we met with the young womens president of our ward. I had been thinking about working more with the young women since I got here, and we finally were able to make an appointment with her. When we met with her, I asked her how we could help the young women of the branch. I told her that we wanted to help in any way that we could, and that we would be willing to attend young women acitivities. She thought for a second and then looked at us and told us that we were an answer to her prayers. She told us that her councilors were both going through trials of their own, and were struggling with their own testimonies. They hadn't been able to faithfully help the young women because they were struggling themselves. She had felt like she had to do it all by herself. She was doing the lesson every week and it was wearing on her. Anyway, she ended up asking us to help teach young womens. We will be switching off teaching the lesson every Sunday. We will be teaching in Korean of course which is always a challenge, but nothing worth learning from is ever easy. And I have learned that as long as you make sure that you understand those you are teaching, and that they feel your love, every thing works out. :) I have a true testimony of following the spirit. I kept thinking of the young women, and I didn't realize that we would become an answer to someone's prayers.

Also, I am so thankful that I spent all those years learning to play the piano. This branch has already used me multiple times because of that ablility. I am now the primay pianist, and I played for sacrament meeting yesterday when the original pianist didn't show up. I wish I could play the piano more. I miss it, and I feel a bit rusty. But I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have. :)

I have learned that being postive is so important as a missionary. And I have also learned that sometimes, you just gotta laugh. You gotta be goofy sometimes. Not in public of course, but on days where you have 6 hours of nothing but proselyting time scheduled, before you leave and after you come back to the house, you gotta turn on that EFY music and sing! Or crack jokes or do whatever it takes to make you and your companion laugh. Missions aren't meant to be depressing or sad. They are meant to be fun and full of the spirit. That is my goal. I want to be fun, have fun, and do fun things while being full of the spirit. You can be an effective missionary and have fun while doing it. Sometimes we forget that.

Well, somehow it happened again. It is the Chinese New Year! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Last year at this time I was a greenie.... so weird. Time literally flies.

새해복 많이 받으세요!

Love you all and miss you! :) Have a great week!

Love, Sister Maughan

Our kitchen/the rest of the house. Literally this is it.

Panorama of our room, with the beds folded up.

our bathroom.

with the beds down (and the heater that a member gave us).