Greetings from Korea!

I swear, as a missionary, there is never enough time. We're only two weeks into this transfer and these two weeks alone have felt like a thousand years... and a split second all at the same time. It's funny how time has the ability to do that. 

Well, yesterday was a really special day! One of our sweet investigators got baptized. Since the moment I met her she has been such an example to me of endurance and diligence. It has been an honor to have been given the opportunity to meet with her and help her make that next big step. I think one of the special things about helping other people prepare to be baptized is the opportunity we have to look back upon our own baptism day and remember the commitments we made to Heavenly Father. What's even cooler is the fact that we are given an opportunity each and every week to remember those promises as we participate in taking the sacrament. 

Speaking of the which, we were able to teach one of our investigators about the importance of the sacrament this week. (She is this adorable thirteen year old that I can't help but to love!) That really meant a lot to me because I always seem to learn the most when I am studying on behalf of other people. There's something special about the way you learn when you are studying as a means of preparation to teach someone else. But, long story short, I am so grateful for the opportunity we are given each week to partake of the sacrament. If I remember correctly, the last general conference we had actually put a lot of emphasis on the sacrament. It's something that we should look forward to doing each week. I think the best word there is to describe it is the word "renewal." It's a time to reflect upon the events of the week, whether good or bad, and to look for ways to be and do better throughout the upcoming week. I'm so grateful that I am able to "start fresh" each and every week.

We had a combined zone conference with another zone this past week. It was an awesome conference. It's always good to see old friends and to be given instruction and guidance from our leaders. This last conference was really neat. I actually got to meet the doctor who worked with me throughout the time that I was sick. He and his wife live in Japan, so when I was sick we just talked with him via phone calls. Meeting him in person was kind of a surreal thing thouugh. He came to our mission and did training in all of the zone conferences that happened this week. I didn't think I'd ever actually be able to meet him during the course of my mission. But hey, what do I know?

President Morrise shared a really cool analogy with me this week that I wanted to share with you! So I shared with him a couple of frustrations I've been having over the past couple of weeks and this was his response: 

"Sister Bagley, back at my home in America, I remember always looking at my front lawn and thinking, 'Man, why does my lawn look so bad? There are these brown spots all over.' Every time I'd go outside to examine it, all I'd see is a bunch of brown spots. One day, however, after I had crossed the street to visit a neighbor, as I turned around and proceeded to head back to my own home, I saw this green, lovely, beautiful lawn. Sure, when I got back to my yard and began to examine it closely again, I could still see the brown spots. But what I learned from that experience is that we are the ones who examine and judge ourselves from a very close perspective. What we don't realize as we're doing that, is the fact that when we see the brown spots in our own lawn, all our neighbors (who have a very different perspective) can see is a well-kept, beautiful green lawn."

As the imperfect humans that we are, we have the tendency to be harsher on ourselves in our imperfections than we are on anybody else. We see the little brown spots when others can only see the green. I think that too often we expect more of ourselves than our Heavenly Father expects of us. As a missionary, I always feel the need to be better at Korean, better at teaching, better at everything, really. We expect all of these things from ourselves and yet all that our Father in Heaven expects of us is that we do our best. So it's silly to focus on the little brown spots when there is so much more GREEN. We should recognize our imperfections, but we should recognize them as opportunities to overcome ourselves and as reasons to rely more fully upon the Savior and His atonement. Our imperfections are not what hold us back-- they what motivates us to move forward. 

A LOT has happened this week. Being a missionary is so cool. Seriously, my job is just to work hard and in return Heavenly Father shows us countless miracles each and every day. This is His work, this is His gospel, and we are His children. I've never been more sure of it. 

I hope you're smiling lots and helping others to feel His love this week. I'm happy and well, don't worry about me. 

I love you to the moon and back!

xoxo,

Sister Bagley

p.s. it's been cold, but like kind of a warmer-cold for the past couple of weeks. But yesterday it all of a sudden started snowing like crazy and now Korea looks like Christmas. IT'S AWESOME.

also, double p.s. Sister Giles and I ended up buying these grandma dress pajama things. And mine is officially my NEW favorite thing. Like, it's softer than any soft thing I've ever felt in my whole life. It's the best.

What a Week!

I think one of the coolest parts about being a missionary is simply coming to terms with the fact that you really are in way over your head but that the Lord blesses you and helps you to be enough. 

There were a couple of different moments this week in which I was overcome with this feeling of... peace. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but these little moments would come and I'd be reminded all over again that the Lord is very aware of me and of my needs. We were sitting in a lesson and just before it was my turn to introduce a principle (I was actually really nervous), a new feeling came over me. I knew instantly that I was feeling the Holy Ghost-- I just wasn't sure at that exact moment what the feeling meant. It was just an overwhelming FEELING that came accompanied with the thought, "I am with thee." 

I was still scared, still nervous, still entirely unsure of myself, but I was sure of HIM. And so it didn't matter if I stumbled over my Korean. It didn't matter that the father of the family laughed when I bore my testimony about eternal families. It didn't matter; despite all the little things that were happening at that exact moment, I had an experience that strengthened me and testified unto me that Jesus Christ lives, that He loves me, that He loves the people we are teaching, and that the plan that has been prepared for us since the very beginning is perfect. 

The more I bear my testimony the more I realize why it's so important to do so: when we testify about the things that we know to be true, we invite the Holy Ghost to testify unto us and all those we share our testimonies with that the things we believe are true. When we bear testimony, it's just as much for us as it is for the people we are teaching. 

So, the ward I am serving in officially has three members from my MTC district in it! Elder Watts and Elder Grossegebauer (who were MTC companions) are now companions again and we're all serving in the beloved Boondong ward! So this transfer will be a really fun one-- we are only a week in and so much has already happened. The ward is on fire and it truly is such an honor to be serving here. Don't even get me started on how AMAZING the ward members are. (Like, I'm almost a hundred percent positive that they are better missionaries than the actual missionaries are!) It's so humbling to know that the Lord has given me this opportunity to meet and work with such wonderful people. I'm learning so much from everyone that is around me. 

In other news, I got bombarded on the street this week by three women who were trying to convince me that if I got on YouTube and watched this random video that it would save my soul. It was actually a really funny situation because I almost missed my bus--it was a close call. But as the bus started to pull away, one of the women shouted after me, "IT'S FOR YOUR SOUL!!!" Sometimes people from other religions approach us and try to convert us just because we're wearing our name tags. But such encounters always turn into a good story.

Next week one of our investigators will get baptized. She's been meeting with missionaries on and off since 2012 but she knew about the church long before that. I guess what's cool about this is merely the fact that a lot of the work we do as missionaries here in Korea is merely "seed planting." This woman has been meeting with missionaries for a couple years. She has been taught the lessons a few different times. But up until now, she wasn't ready to make the next step. So, long story short, we can't just give up on people. 

We had such a busy week. It feels so good to be so busy. It's the answer to all the prayers that were said when I felt hopeless back at home. I couldn't be more grateful for the fact that the Lord hears and answers my prayers. The only bad thing about being so busy is the fact that time seems to pass at least a thousand times faster. It's okay, I'll get over it someday.

I'm doing well and I'm loving the work that the Lord is trusting me to do. There is nothing like missionary work and there is nothing like testifying of the Savior every single day. I am so grateful to be where I am, doing what I am doing, at the time that I am doing it. If there's anything I've learned, it's that the Lord has a plan for us and if we merely submit our will to His, everything will be okay. Besides, I bet His plan is far better than anything I could have thought up.

I love you all and I pray for you all!

Sending lots of love from Asia, 

Your Happy Sister Missionary

xoxo,

Sister CaLea Bagley

Can Anyone Else Believe It's Already 2015?

Sup? It's me again. First things first: I'm sorry I got on so late this week. We had an appointment with a new-convert family and so email time kind of became last-priority. Anyways...

I can't believe it's already time to talk about a new week. I swear I was just barely sitting here telling you all about last week... time passes too fast! I can hardly even keep track of it. (Happy New Year, by the way.)

A couple of days ago, as we were on our way the the Songnam church to meet up with a group of missionaries for lunch (in celebration of the new year), we ran into this elderly woman who was stuck at the little "check out" machine in the subway station. She had dropped her card and couldn't pick it up because she was wearing gloves. I saw her struggling with the machine so I approached her and asked if I could help. My gloves were stuffed in my pockets at this point so I easily picked up the card and handed it to her. It took absolutely no real effort at all. After she was able to check out of the subway, she immediately took both of my hands in hers and began to shower me in a plethora of kind words. We walked together for five minutes more before we had to go our separate ways. 

It was so interesting to me to see how such a small effort on my part could receive such a grand reaction. I was absolutely baffled. But then, coincidentally enough, I ended up on the other side of someone's "small act of kindness."

On Sunday night we were traveling back to our house from a dinner appointment. We had fasted all day and then consumed unheard amounts of food, so needless to say, we were ready to be home for the night. It wasn't until we'd ditched all of our winter clothing (such as our coats, gloves, scarves, etc.) and attempted to make a phone call that we realized we didn't know where our phone was. Thankfully, we live in a four-sister house so we just had the other set of sisters call our phone... and someone else answered it. Somehow, the phone had ended up left on the seat of a bus that was continuously traveling further and further away from us instead of in my companion's bag. And so here was this stranger, kind enough to answer the abandoned, ringing phone on a bus in the middle of Korea, only to discover that the people on the other end of the line were a couple of foreigners who stumble over their words as they attempt to speak Korean. Long story short, this girl got off of the bus she was on and waited at a lonely, cold little bus stop so that we could meet here there and pick up our accidentally deserted cellphone. I couldn't believe how kind she was and how willing she was to go out of her way to help us. 

Yes, these two examples vary immensely, but I guess what I am trying to say is this: don't disregard the opportunities in your day-to-day life to perform little acts of kindness. I don't know what kind of a day that sweet old woman was having, but her grateful response to my almost-effortless attempt to help made MY whole day. And I can't even begin to explain how grateful we were to that sweet girl who helped us recover our lost cellphone. We only had enough time to say, "Thank you!" before she hopped on another bus, waved, and disappeared into the flow of Sunday evening traffic. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can go a very long way.

I was reading a conference talk this past week and there was a part of it that really stood out to me: "...She wanted to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers. She wanted her grandchildren to know of their righteous heritage-- because she knew it would bless their lives.

The more connected we feel to our righteous forefathers, the more likely we are to make wise and righteous choices." 

I have this little blue book that I carry around with me everywhere I go. It's the place where I put words and feelings and experiences when I don't know where else to put them. It's been with me throughout my whole mission. As I was looking through it the other day, I found something I had written when I was a greenie that went along with the conference talk I read.

"This isn't just about me; it's about all who struggled before me and all who will travel the path that I tread. It's about forever, eternity. And we will all make it together." 

This week I was really overcome with gratitude for the plan of salvation. It's interesting to be out on a mission teaching people about the gospel because more often than not I find myself learning more about the gospel from the people we teach. But also, it's cool to just recognize the fact that we're all connected through God's plan for us. It's about all of us; it's for those who paved the way for my family and I, but it is also for those who will follow behind us. That's what's cool about forever-- it's limitless. And it's the kind of limitless we can share with everyone.

I think the extra boosts of help that come when I start to drag my feet under my burdens and hardships is help that comes from all those who have already passed on and who are cheering for me to make it. I'm grateful for the emphasis that the gospel places not only on our immediate family, but on our ENTIRE family. 

Wow. I'm all over the place with my email this week. Sorry about that. I just have had so many experiences this week that were so.... amazing.

Anyhow, we have an investigator with a baptism date. We set it with her two weeks ago but I have been hesitant to really say anything about it because even though we felt prompted to set one with her, and even though she said yes, we were both kind of concerned about whether or not she was truly prepared to be baptized. But in our lesson yesterday, when the idea of maybe changing the baptism came up, she showed a sincere commitment to not only the date that was already set, but to the concept of getting baptized. My heart was so full of so much happiness that I thought it was going to burst. It's so cool to get to see the Lord's hand working in the lives of the people we're meeting with. Seriously, we don't do ANYTHING. These people are the ones making the miracles happen and we're just the ones showing them where to go. Being a missionary is the coolest thing ever.

I'm convinced that I've never been happier in my whole entire life. 

Sure, trials come and go no matter what-- that's a given. But you know what I think? When the trials start pouring down from heaven, the miracles pour down even more. It's all about the way you choose to look at things. If you're looking for miracles, you'll see them everywhere. 

Smile and be happy this week, just for me. :) 

I love you all. 

xoxo,

Sister CaLea Bagley

Seasons Greetings, Earthlings

Hi, Humans.

This Christmas has been nothing short of miraculous. I think the older I get the more I realize that the grandest of miracles are just a compilation of lots of smaller miracles. So really, the smaller miracles, though seemingly insignificant, are just as important as the grand ones. 

For example, I was thinking a lot about prayer this week-- partly because I was thinking about the importance of communication in relationships, and partly because I had someone ask me why prayer was so important. As we go about living our lives, we have people constantly walking through and leaving little trails of footprints on our hearts. Some people come and go, others come again and again, and others just stomp around long enough to leave lasting imprints on your heart's surface. And as time moves on, seasons change-- winter comes and washes away old footprints with a fresh blanket of snow. And just like that, people who once were a very big part of your life fade into mere memories. That's why communication is important, I think. Because it keeps people from fading. 

And I think that's why prayer is important too. When we aren't putting forth the effort to continuously and diligently communicate with our Father in Heaven, we allow ourselves to forget. He is there for us always, reaching towards us with both hands, pleading for us to trust Him and to allow Him to help us; but we all know that one-way relationships just never really work. In this sense, our relationship with Heavenly Father is no different from our relationships with other people: we've got to talk  with Him. We've got to include Him in the details of our lives. We've got to make the effort to communicate with Him. If we don't, we slowly lose the ability to recognize Him and His hand in our lives. Prayer is crucial.  

On Christmas day we were incredibly busy but we had to go pick up a bag from a member's house. When we spoke with them originally, they informed us that they weren't going to be home at that time, so they just hung the bag on the outside knob of their front door. When we arrived at the apartment complex, however, we couldn't seem to find a way to get in. Usually the bigger apartment complexes will  have someone in charge of letting people into the building, but every time we tried to ring their office, it merely said, "Sorry, nobody is there." Because we were in a time crunch, Sister Tovar just started to call up to random apartments in an attempt to get someone else to open the door... but nobody would answer. And so there we were, stuck in a situation in which we didn't know what to do. It really wasn't THAT big of a deal, but in that moment, it felt like it was. We stood there for a good amount of time as we tried to come up with an alternative plan of action. And then it hit me, "Say a prayer, silly." 

And so I did.

Literally, as soon as I said "amen," one of the random apartments answered and let us into the building. I was overwhelmed with gratitude towards our Heavenly Father. He hears our prayers and He knows our needs-- no matter how big, how small, how important, or how silly they may be. I learned, in that seemingly insignificant moment, that God hears our prayers and that God answers our prayers. But you know what else I learned? Our loving Heavenly Father can't always answer prayers that aren't offered; He can't bless us FULLY if we don't first ask for that help. 

We had one experience this week that I will never, ever forget. One of the Sisters who finished her mission and returned back to America this past weekend spent her last day with us in the Bundang (pronounced "Boondong") area trying to get us in contact with old investigators/less-actives that she had been working with over a year ago. There was one woman, in particular, that she wanted to see.

This woman was this sweet little old grandma who got baptized and confirmed but then became less-active because of her family situation. Missionaries have been trying to contact her all along but have had no success because her daughter would answer the phone and scream at them. So, when we called this woman again to see if we could go visit her one last time before the Sister that found her went home, the daughter of the woman miraculously said yes. 

And there we were, Christmas day, all closely packed into a tiny apartment living room/sleeping room as this sweet old woman held our hands and told us we were beautiful; her daughter yelled at us and told us to never ever contact them again. The grandma just started to hum the tune to Nearer My God to Thee and we began to sing along, unable to hold back the tears that were streaming freely down our cheeks. The daughter looked so sad-- burdened, and she didn't want our help. She was so angry and so hurt and there was nothing we could do. Before long she began to hit our hands away from the hands of her mother and harshly tell us that we had to go immediately. So we gathered up our gloves and our purses and slowly backed our way out of the apartment, still crying, and whispering, "We love you." 

We didn't stop crying for a long time after that. I'm sure we looked silly walking around the streets of Korea with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes on Christmas day. But we couldn't help it. 

I think Heavenly Father gave me a TINY glimpse that day of what He feels every single day when his precious, beloved children reject the plan that He has created for them. That may likely be  the first and last time I will ever meet those two women-- I will never ever forget the way I felt about them in that split-second of existence. I loved them so much and the fact that they wanted nothing to do with the gospel made my heart ache so badly. There are no words adequate enough to express what I felt in that moment. But I will always remember it.

There was a man this week who told me that he didn't need or want the gospel because he is already happy. I guess hearing him say that made me think about why it's important to have the gospel in my own life. The gospel provides the sweetest and most pure form of happiness. It's not the kind of happiness that anyone or anything can take away from you-- it's a lasting happiness. It's a foundation that you can rely upon to hold you firm both within the storms of life and without. Over the course of the past couple of months, I'd find myself constantly wondering why I had to endure what I was going through. I felt like everything I wanted had been removed from my reach and that there was nothing I could do about it. But I learned at that time that true happiness is the kind of happiness that remains (and sometimes even shines brighter) during the darkest moments of life. 

Mosiah 2:41 "...consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heave, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

As we are obedient to the commandments that God has given us and as we strive to live our lives in compliance with the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can be happy. Ain't nothin' gonna bring us down. ;)

This Christmas was special because I felt closer to our Savior than I have ever felt before. I know that He lives and that He loves us more than we can possibly comprehend. I know that this gospel offers us the necessary tools to not only become happier, but to remain happier. I know that the work we do as missionaries and member missionaries is far more significant than we will ever understand in this life. I testify that we have a living prophet on the earth today. I know that families can be together forever. Because my life has been so enriched by all of these things, I am grateful for the opportunity to share it with others as well. 

I've said it a million times and I'll say it a million times more: I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! Oh, and I am happier than ever. 

I love you humans and I keep you in my prayers always. Remember how blessed you are and take a moment to recognize all the things in your life that contribute to your happiness. We only get one chance to make every new "today" the best day ever. So make it count!

Catch ya next week!

xoxo, 

Sister CaLea Bagley 

p.s. I got to see EVERYONE in the mission this week at the Christmas Conference our mission had. It was the best day ever. :) 

p.s.s. Our MTC district, district 28B was finally reunited at the Christmas Conference and NOTHING has changed. We're all sill ugly. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hello again! I can't believe another week has already come and gone... but whatever. 

So, in Korea, people always seem to like comparing the way I look to various celebrities. And it's actually really hysterical because the people they always feel the need to compare me to are the people I'd never actually get compared to in America. I have started to keep track of it just because I find it so humorous... this week I was told I look like Emma Watson and Kristen Stewart. At the ward Christmas party I was told by a small group of people that I should seriously consider becoming a movie star when I go back to America... So there's that. 

It's interesting to me to be in a set of circumstances where I am nine months into my mission and yet just a week and a half ago I was sitting at home in Utah with my family. I feel like all the personal experiences I share during lessons begin with, "When I had to go home..." and end with, "God wants to help us achieve the things we want." Every time I share little bits and pieces of that experience, I end up thinking about just how incredible this has all been. Yes, going home was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Yes, my heart ached and hurt and I really disliked having to deal with that. But you know what? I wouldn't change it for the world. 

God created a plan of happiness for all of us-- but more specifically, He created a plan of happiness for each of us. I'm constantly baffled and confused by the unexpected twists and turns that show up in my own path of life, but eventually I come to understand how it influenced my life for the better and why it needed to happen. Yes, of course, there are things that happen that I don't understand... but when that happens, I am just reminded that we don't have to have a complete understanding of all that is occurring, we merely need to have faith and trust that God is aligning the pieces of our lives and preparing the way to our best chance at happiness. 

This week was full of little miracles. We woke up one morning and realized that one of our ward members signed up to allow us to go to her home and teach her a twenty minute practice lesson. But the problem was, when we checked the list to figure out where we needed to go, we couldn't seem to locate her member record. We were frantic! The only thing we knew was that she lived in a specific part of our area that would require us to travel by bus for over an hour. We had no means of contacting her because all we had was a name-- and no one seemed to know who she was. We had no idea what to do. So, in the end, we just decided to travel out to that area and hope that we'd somehow manage to find our way there. After a long series of events, a couple of phone calls, and a whole bunch of buses/running, we found ourselves sitting on the living room floor of the sweetest old woman who had prepared the sweetest little (okay, it was actually really big) lunch for us. She and I are best friends now, FYI. (She tells everyone that I'm "so skinny" because I'm a soccer player and really good at staying active. haha.) I'm not entirely sure if I can even accurately relay the order of events that happened before we were sitting in her living room, but I can honestly say that it was an absolute miracle that we found our way there. And spending time with that darling woman was a real pleasure. 

Another fun fact: I'm also best friends with the six-year-old daughter of a professional basketball player here in Korea. Their family is a miracle in and of itself! So... they went on a two-week trip to Hawaii and ended up getting baptized there before returning to Korea and becoming the newest members of our ward! (Both of the parents as well as the twelve-year old daughter got baptized. The daughter and the mother got confirmed on Sunday!) So   we are now putting a lot of focus on teaching them all of the new-member lessons and working with their family to ensure that their transition into the ward goes as smoothly as possible. This ward is really, really, exceptionally awesome though. It is an honor to be serving here. 

Well, with Christmas this week, I just wanted to take a moment to share my testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know that He loves us. And I know that His greatest desire is for us to be happy. He knows what it takes to obtain the purest form of happiness and so He has prepared a way for us, has directed us, and continues to direct us through revelation and through modern-day prophets. I know that He suffered not just for mankind, but for you and I, each of us, personally. He knows my burdens and He carries them with me while offering a hope for better things to come. Everything that I am and everything I hope to become I owe to Him and all that He has done for me. So, this beautiful, wonderful Christmas season, the gift I want to give back to Him is a willing heart and a promise to always strive to become better through loving and supporting others. 

I know that this gospel is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and I'll sing it from the rooftops of Korea if I have to! WE are the message. As we come to know our Savior, His light and love will shine through our eyes and touch the hearts of others who are looking for the truth. 

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" Ephesians 5:8

I'm grateful for my own little Christmas miracle. I'm grateful to spend a Christmas in Korea doing exactly what the Savior spent His life doing. Missionary work the the greatest thing ever.

I wish all of you lovelies a very Merry Christmas! Don't forget how loved you are by a little sister missionary all the way over in Korea!

Love, love, love,

(The happiest) Sister CaLea Bagley

"Welcome HOME Sister Bagley."

I've always been the kind of missionary who wakes up each morning thinking, "I can't believe I am in Korea." It's one of those things that I will probably never ever get used to. But now, after spending three months at home longing to be back in Korea, it's also something that I will never again take for granted. I'll be honest and say that I was a little nervous about returning to Korea because I was scared that I'd be dealing with a lot of feelings and circumstances that I never before had to deal with as a missionary. So maybe the plane ride felt extra long because of that... BUT, the moment I stepped off the plane, gathered up all my luggage, and walked out to see my sweet mission president and his wife waiting for me and holding up a sign that read, "Welcome Home Sister Bagley!" I knew that everything was going to be okay. 

I've never been much of a crier, but I sobbed. I dropped all my stuff and just cried as I hugged Sister Morrise. I don't think any collection of words will ever be sufficient enough to capture that moment-- but I'll keep it in my heart forever. 

The first day here (Thursday) felt a little strange but by Friday, we were running around all over Boondong (my new area) going from appointment to appointment. I think I am grateful for this trial.  Mostly because I thought I was happy as a missionary BEFORE I had to come home... but now I've reached new levels of happiness. I'm so overwhelmed by it. I doubt I'll ever have a bad day ever again. Why? Because I am a missionary in KOREA! I am the luckiest person in the whole entire world. 

Everyone keeps asking me about my Korean so I guess I'll just go ahead and answer that so it's out of the way already-- There are a lot of little things I forgot but just being back in Korea has jogged my memory. Yesterday I had to speak in church to introduce myself because I'm the new missionary in the ward. Afterwards, all the members came up and told me that I speak very well... but all you have to say to people in Korea is "Hi," before they start swooning over the fact that you speak Korean. I think they were just being nice. But it meant a lot to me nonetheless!

Before I left America for the second time, in a conversation I had with Mom and Dad, Dad said, "Home is where the heart is." I have heard that phrase so many times throughout the course of my life but it never really hit me as hard as when I heard Dad say it that night. It's true-- home is where the heart is. It was really interesting for me to be home for three months. I was so grateful to be with all my loved ones but yet I still felt a little out of place. I think I now understand that I felt that way only because I didn't feel at "home" yet. I left my heart in Korea. When we started to talk about "home" during the time that I was sick, I was determined to not get on a plane back to America. I think I was determined to stay in Korea because there was something inside my heart that kept telling me that my work here in Korea wasn't supposed to be over yet. President Morrise helped me to sort through all my thoughts and feelings during that time and together we made the decision for me to go home. But thanks to President, (truly, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be back in Korea) I was able to go home and receive the treatment I needed in order to come back to Korea and finish what I'm supposed to do here. 

I feel home. I truly feel like I am at home. I'm doing what God intended for me to do and somehow, during the course of the last couple of months, I now am even more in love with missionary work. Seriously, I don't think there's such a thing as a "bad day" in Korea. Nothing can get me down!

Anyways, I'm happy. And we're really feeling the Christmas spirit over here in Asia. Everyone also keeps asking if I'm sad that I don't get to spend Christmas with my family... and yes, of course! But I am also just really really grateful to experience Christmas a different way. My feelings are so tender right now and I have a feeling this will be the best Christmas yet. 

Being in Korea is my Christmas miracle!

I love you all. 

And I'm happier than ever,

xoxo,

Sister CaLea Bagley 

p.s. Elder Grossegebauer (I can't spell his name....) is in my district/ward and so is Elder Hastriter (my last district leader.) And did I mention that I'm living in the same house as Sister Giles? (My last companion.)

WEIRD.