Sunday, May 25, 2014

GANGAM STYLE

Well, I'm officially not a greenie and I am officially transferring to the one and only area of Gangnam. (Yes, as in, the famous song.) It's one of the wealthiest areas in our mission, and I'm not going to lie, I'm excited to live in such a famous place. Also-- as you already guessed, my lovely trainer and I will no longer be serving together... it breaks my heart! But I know that the Lord calls us to where He needs us and I'm happy to be on the Lord's errand. (When we texted one of the less-active members we visit each week and told her that I'm moving she sent back a picture with the most hysterical looking person screaming, "NO!" I died, it was soooo funny.)

I'll be serving with Sister Giles who came to Korea just six weeks prior to when I came... needless to say, she's on her 4th transfer in country and I'm in my 3rd. President made sure to inform us that we will be the youngest companionship in the entire mission. Yikes! Wish us luck in our endeavors, it's going to be a big learning experience and I couldn't be more excited about it! (All these big changes will happen this Wednesday.)


This week, in honor of our final week as a district before everyone goes their separate ways, we decided to put a little twist on our district proselyting activity. We ended up on two corners at a giant intersection with signs that read, "Free Hugs, Free Pictures"... and I'm sure you can guess how that went. I was hugging old ladies like crazy! It was seriously so much fun. I think the best part was the fact that we had our district leader, Elder Barry, (who is from Utah) holding the sign and advertising us by saying, "Free hug from a foreigner!" in Korean repeatedly and passing Koreans. It was wayyy too funny. But way awesome. And we made a bunch of people really happy. 

We got to visit the temple again this week! Every time we go I am reminded of how much I love that place. Seriously-- it's my favorite. And even though I'm so far from home, being within the walls of that sacred place makes me FEEL so at home. I will forever love the temple. 

We had two big meetings this week-- one with our entire mission and another one with the Seoul mission and all the members here in Korea. Sister Linda K. Burton, the General Relief Society president came and spoke to us and it was so awesome. Plus I just loved getting to see all my dear friends all at once. (Sister Sloan refers to big mission conferences as "the second coming" because it's a huge gathering of loved ones.) 

I don't know if I mentioned this-- but Elder Thomas from our stake has been in my district for the last transfer! It's been way fun serving with someone I knew from elementary school. Also, Elder Meeks is coming to 만수! So he will be serving in my greenie area for the next transfer. I thought that was kind of fun. Also-- I met Jill's cousin, Elder Sanderson this week as well! But he goes home this next transfer, so I was lucky to see him. 

Don't worry! Even though I'm moving to a new area I will still get to come back for our sweet investigator's baptism! She's so sweet and was so sad when I told her I was moving. But I pinky promised I'd come back, just for her. So that will be fun! I'm really glad that President Morrise allows missionaries to do that. (Because her baptism date is so soon.) 

Anyways, I just want to tell you all how much I love you. And from a missionary to all you stalwart members of the church: you have no idea how much we, as missionaries, need your help. Seriously, were it not for the incredible members in our ward, we would not be seeing the miracles that we see each and every day. We need members! We rely so heavily upon their help and their support. Missionaries will come and go-- but the members of wards will stay. And that's where the real missionary work happens. We find people and we teach people and then we pass the baton to the ward members and trust that they will love and spiritually nourish the people that the Lord has lead us to find. So I guess my challenge to everyone this week is this: call up the missionaries of your ward and ask them how you can help. Do a member lesson, do member splits (it's so much fun and you get twice as much missionary work done), invite them into your home to do a practice lesson. Any help is a LOT of help. And we really appreciate it. 

We're all children of God, and as brothers and sisters it is our sacred responsibility to lift up and strengthen each other. And so, we're all missionaries. And we all share the same goal. 

So, as the Koreans say, 화이팅! (Go get 'em!) 

All my love, 

Sister CaLea Bagley
xoxo

No comments:

Post a Comment