This week was literally the best week ever! Okay, so it had its pros and cons, but we will focus mostly on the pros because... well.. why focus on the negative right? I guess you could say this week was the funnest missionary week ever. Sister Zippro and I make fun goals every week during weekly planning to keep the work moving along full of smiles and laughs as well as the spirit. Our fun goal this week was somewhat of a kickback to the 90s. If you are a 90s kid, you know what this is. Our goal was to make the biggest balloon possible during lunch break.
Okay so I don't actually remember the name of this.. but we found it in a store last week. You put the goo on the end of the straw and blow it into a balloon. I just remember never being able to actually get it into a balloon as a kid. It must have been so frustrating to not get it to work. But I can do it now (even though I am like 20 years old now... haha no need to grow up right?) Yes, even missionaries need a silly moment here and there. I don't know why I look so serious in this picture. haha. Focusing.
Anyway Sister Zippro won. She made a huge one. But it was fun. :)
So Saturday we had a super fun activity. A few weeks ago, Sister Zippro and I were talking about how we could help the young women actually enjoy church activities. We were trying to brain storm ideas right when the elders called us, asking us what we thought about a combined activity with the young men and young women. Well, I think I can say that it was the spirit talking to both companionships, the elders and us. The next district meeting we brainstormed activities, and we called up the young women and young men leaders. We set up a game of ultimate frisbee at a local park. We had to teach the Koreans how to play, but I think they found a favorite game. They loved it, and so did we. We reserved two hours that day, and I have never seen the Korean youth more full of excitement, energy, and smiles. (Koreans don't really smile in pictures, but they were full of smiles during the game).
When you take into account that only 5 of the people in the picture besides the missionaries are members, you can see the success of this missionary activity. When working with the youth, you have to do the things that they like to do. We got a total of 4 phone numbers from this activity, and the elders got 1. And one of the young women who generally hates young women activities told her mom, "That was the first fun church activity I have been to. When can we do it again?" Her mom thanked us at church. We are already planning next Saturday's activity. This will become a weekly thing. We just got a zone training on working with the youth, and we feel like this activity was truly revelation from God. :) Who would have known that ultimate Frisbee would become such an amazing opportunity to unite the youth with the missionaries, and provide a missionary activity for us to meet nonmembers?
Okay, and then there was today. We farmed! We went out into the middle of no where, out into the country country part of Korea. and farmed with a member in our branch. We pulled up old plants and gardening poles, raked, battled some HUGE spiders (Sister Zippro and I only screamed once), pet some cows, and pulled weeds all while the smell of cow poop floated in the air. I felt like I was back in good old Wellsville, Utah.
Can you believe this picture was taken in Korea? Though it may look like it, I am not home yet. Don't let the picture deceive you.
Anyway, we had a lot of miracles this week to go along with the fun times. Yes missionary work is super fun, but we also have our serious moments too. This last week we met with a potential investigator, and it went really well. :) We met her with a member. Her husband was baptized a few weeks ago, and she has 2 children. She is only 1 year older than me. And no, she is not Korean. She is Vietnamese, but she married a Korean. She agreed to take the lessons, and study Korean with us and a member each week. Since her husband was just baptized, she has a lot of potential to be baptized as well. We have been praying to be able to meet with her, and we finally did! :) We will be meeting with her again tomorrow. :)
So Easter isn't really a big thing here, but we still did our best to remember it. In Korean, Easter is 부활절 (bu-hwar-jeor) which directly translates to "Resurrection Day." In Korea, Easter seems to be a bit more of a sacred holiday than a holiday symbolized by a giant bunny that brings candy and eggs to everyone (which I never understood because bunnies don't lay eggs but anyway...). In fact I don't even think Koreans know what Easter eggs or the Easter Bunny is. But, what they do know, is that Easter is the day we remember Christ's resurrection. And so that is what we tried to do yesterday. I never understood why the resurrection was such an important thing. But after being a missionary and teaching about it, I understand. It is so important that we will all get the chance to receive our bodies again. Here on earth, we have pictures of our loved ones, we remember what they look like, what they smell like, the glow in their eyes. We remember the way they laugh, smile, breathe. Can you imagine what it would be like to never get to see them the same way again? Jesus Christ was resurrected so that we can all be perfected in Him, and get our bodies back in perfect condition again. After this life, I will look like me, and you will look like you. Isn't it beautiful that God loved us so much that He provided a way for this to be possible? We all get to see each other again later, and we will be able to recognize each other! :) I never understood how important that was until now. I think of what it what be like to see my family at the airport in a few months, but not recognize them. It would be horrible! But I will recognize them, and so after we all pass away I will recognize them in heaven too. God's plan truly is beautiful, and the Lord truly sacrificed for us so that we could be happy.
Well Happy Easter everyone! I love and miss you all! :) Have a great week! :)
Love always,
만 자매 (Maughan ja-meh)