Korea is the Coolest.

Well, another week has come and passed in the crazy cool country of Korea! (I was originally aiming for a life-changing alliteration right there.. and it kind of worked... but it ended up being slightly more anti-climatic than I'd hoped.) Anyways, people keep asking me what it's like to be a missionary in Korea... so uh, here's a short (and most-likely lathered-in-sarcasm) summary of a typical day in 만수:

6:30-- The alarm pierces the silence and I hear my companion say, "...already...??" as we roll out of bed (which isn't that hard because we sleep on the floor) scramble around in the dark looking for our tennis shoes.

7:00-- breakfast and shower time! Whooo-hoo! Fun fact about the shower in our apartment... it's merely a shower-head connected to sink. So long story short, when I shower, the entire bathroom showers with me. fun, fun!!

8:00-- personal study. It's the best.

9:00-- companion study. It's also the best.

10:00-- 12 week study. (greenie life)

11:00-- language study. Korean is hard. But not at hard as I'm working! I will conquer!

12:00-- LUNCH. We eat rice and 김 (dried seaweed with salt and oil on it.. and I'm quite obsessed with it, actually.) for...every meal. We're real exciting. (But mostly just poor.)

.... and then we go out and do work. Which usually includes: member visits, more member visits, talking to people on buses/the street/subways, trying to find a less-active member's house... and running from one appointment to the next (literally RUNNING) because there is never enough time in the day, I swear! Sometimes we even forget to schedule meals. We're the worst. But we're working hard and that's what matters. 

So anyways, I have this super huge book that I brought with me to Korea from the MTC (that probably took up about a fifth of the weight of my suitcase on the flight over here) that I've been studying to help my Korean and on the front page it has one of my FAVORITE quotes about learning a language for the mission:

"...you can learn Korean. You can speak well if you wish. The Lord has called you to do just that and He will never fail you if you are diligent in your efforts and desires. I promise you that if you will study diligently, practice tirelessly, bear ridicule and embarrassment good-naturedly, and seek the Lord constantly, you will receive the gift of the ability to speak Korean. Your understanding will open and your tongue will be loosed. It will not be easy-- no, it may be the hardest thing you ever did, but, then, the Lord does not bestow gifts easily." 

So yeah. I don't really have time to talk about how AWESOME I think that is. But I did want to go ahead and share it. Anyways...

This week has been awesome! Our work here is really starting to pay off! Opening an area is definitely not the easiest thing in the world but it IS a lot of fun. We've officially started teaching our first investigator and we have a few potential investigators that we're hoping to meet with this next week! I can't even begin how cool it is to have the opportunity to start applying all the things I have been studying so hard for the past few months. But the coolest part about teaching is the power of the spirit that comes with the message we share. It's such a powerful experience. 

We're told to use our talents in order to help us spread the gospel and this past week I got to do just that... after English class this week a bunch of men (and young men too) went out to the dirt field across the street from the church to play a match of soccer. I've been dying to get out on a soccer field for sooo long and so Sister Sloan and I managed to talk ourselves into getting to play along with everyone else! Typically they don't let girls play... but long story short, near the beginning of the game, no one would really pass the ball to me. But by the end of the game I had people passing to me like crazy and coming up to me and giving me high fives. At the end of the game they deemed me the "MVP" and at church yesterday everyone kept saying, "Wooow. You scored three goals!" and telling me that I'm going to be professional. I definitely feel the love here in Korea. Looks like I'll be playing soccer a whole lot more. (all those years of practice are paying off! It's helping me spread the gospel!) Soccer in Korea is way too fun.

Again-- I'm happy. So happy. I know I say that every week but I mean it with all my heart. There is nothing like being a missionary. And there is NOTHING like being a missionary in Korea. I have been so blessed. And it's such a cool feeling to know that we're not out here on our own. We've got the power of heaven on our side and I definitely feel the help every step of the way.

"We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord's service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up. And He always keeps His word." -President Henry B. Eyring

Anyways, time is running out! But I love you all and I'm grateful for the prayers and love you've been sending my way. I can definitely feel it all the way over here in Korea. I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to be serving. Miracles are real, I see them in my life each and every day. 

Take some time to feel God's love this week. 

To really sit back and feel it. Life has a tendency to get busy and it's important to slow down long enough to notice all the blessings that we've been given. 

Smile at a bunch of strangers this week. 

All my love,

xoxo,

Sister Bagley

p.s. Challenge of the week: so this upcoming Sunday is fast Sunday, right? I read Alma 45:1 and thought it was a really cool scripture. From what I read I kind of understood that they not only PRAYED in gratitude towards the Lord, but fasted in gratitude as well. That being said, this upcoming Sunday I'm going to fast for all the things I'm grateful for. I thought that was such a cool thing! I'd never thought to do that before.