Monday, September 23, 2013

Week two in Korea!

There are butterflies EVERYWHERE in Korea. Lets start with that happy
thought. I honestly see atleast 15 a day. They make me smile.

This week has been hard, I wont lie.
I have never expereince such interesting food in my whole life as i have in
this country. We has choosok holiday at a members house at the food was so
bad i almost couldnt eat it. i felt so discouraged as we were walking home
and i was talking to my companion and our korean sisters about how angry i
was that i couldnt eat kimchi and tofu as easily as all the other
missionaries. i was almost in tears when we passed by a store and outside
the door was a cage of PRAIRIE DOGS. (or something along the lines of that.
we werent really sure what they were honestly) we dies laughing because it
was SO random. pretty sure heavenly fahter tknew he could cure my
discouragement with a good laugh)
We had 3 BIG meeting for Choosok week and basically the entire time our
mission president just talked about how we havent been baptizing anyone. I
really really struggled with his mindset because I feel that my purpose is
different than his. SO many of the other missionaries felt the same way.
As we were leaving the meeting we stopped by an inactive family members
house for dinner. All 4 of us sisters were feeling so discouraged. We were
confused and exhausted and starving but we went to this families house with
a smile on our faces and kept on.
After literally the most DELICIOUS meal I think Ive ever eaten, we had a
good converation with them about why they werent attending church anymore.
the sister explained that it was hard for them to attend when she felt that
LDS people portaryed a sense of fals happiness, and that others were
judgemental and hypociritacl towards her and her husband.
My heart broke when I heard this. I realize that in the Mormon culture this
can be quite a problem, and unfortunately we see so many cases similar to
this family, that people leave the church because they feel inadequate in
the shadows of other members.
Through help with translation from my sweet Korean Sister Choi, I told them
a little bit about the meeting this morning, and how frustrated and sad I
was that o much of the meeting was fouces merely on stats and baptisms. I
told her that before my mission I thought that all missioanries thought the
same way. That since you all had the same purpose you would all work in the
same wya. But the truth is that you dont. And ALL member of the church have
to deal with simliar frustrations, even missionaries. sometimes there are
people who think differently than you, or who interpret gospel priniciples
contrary to your own, but THATS OK. Religion is about connecting with a
higher being and accessing the divine love that God can and DOES offer to
us, purely and unconditionally. There is a vastness in realizing and
partaking of that love.
It was in that moment, sitting on a balcony in Gwanju, with a small gray
dog asleep on my lap, that I realized why I was on my mission- To remind
not only others, but myself that the beauty of human connection in real and
that through being a missionary or sister or mother or friend to the people
around us, we can endure even the darkest of days with the the Lord by our
sides.

And that, in and of itself is a MIRACLE.

Until the next,
Sister Pappa.



This is what happens during morning studies.

My three favorite girls.
This happened when a member told us that we were going on a hike but she
ended up taking us to a Buddhist temple. BEST DAY EVER.
[image: Inline image 4]
xo sista papppppppa.
Im half blinking and i look like a hobo in this picture but I just need
everyone to experience the prairie dogs/chipmunks. am i the only one who
think this is HILARIOUS?!





xoxo sista papppppppa.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

한국의 주 두


We gave the Joseph Smith Lesson to these sweet little 12 year olds. We
taught them a little English too. It honestly sounded terrible and I was
trying really hard not to laugh but they were SO CUTE. (also, my foot looks
sooooo weird in this picture. its freaking 
me out.)


Chamdeon Ward Missionaries. SO MANY! We have so much work to do!*




Our church building. Which looks like a TEMPLE. Its really
incredible.

Also, no one mention the fact the I havent figured out how
to tame my hair in this country. 
Its a disaster.
 Me, Sista Spencer and Sista Abbott*


Love you all

Sista Pappa

Welcome to Korea


Remember in the MTC when I thought I could speak Korean? If there ever was a prideful person on this earth it would be me. I SPEAK NO KOREAN. Literally nothing. These people might as well be trying to get a squirrel to understand them. 
It's that bad.
Aside from that,
THIS COUNTRY IS MY FAVORITE.
I wish you could see the smile I've had on my face this week. I am still in shock from how much I love it.

In the first two days of being here I-
Handed out my first Book of Mormon
Went to a Bath House with the Sisters (Theres nothing like beign completely naked for 2 hours with 5 missionaries and 15 old Korean ladies to get you really close REALLLY fast)
Had an old Korean guy hold my hand while casually walking down the street. NOT. OK.
And this one which literally happened within 2 minutes of each other- 
A random guy on the street walked up to me and without one word, handed ME a Book of Mormon. Super random. 20 seconds later this (basically) homeless woman walks up to me and pulls out this  bag that looked like was pulled from a Burger King dumpster and pulled out a handful of Rice Cakes and shoved them in my hand. She acted like she just met Justin Bieber or something. She was practically munping up at down at the sight of a short little white girl walking the streets of Daejeon. So cute.

I am in a ward in Chamdeon which is in Gwanju (South of Daejeon, South of Seoul) My trainer is Sister Spencer from California and she is incredible. 
She turned to me the yesterday and said "Sister Pappa, I would so date you if I was a guy."
Basically we're in love with each other. Instant best friends! I have been SO lucky with companions.
The ward in Chamdeon is INCREDIBLE.
 Its like a missionarys dream ward. All of our investigators are member referrals and even the PRIAMRY kids get us referrals. There are TEN missionaries in our ward and they want to make our ward into a stake. Chamdeon is on fire and our mission president is super excited about it.
Even the less active member give us referrals which is so great. This area is amazing.

There is so much I want to say and tell you all about but i am running low on time.
i miss and love you all!

coalbee- WHERE ARE YOU. 
dayne- i got your email and i loved it so much. i dont have time to reply to all of it. maybe i will write you and cort a letter! i miss you so much, and the babies tooo. everyone who looks through my picture book is so impressed when they see you in your white lab coat. and then they ask if youre a doctor and i just say yes because thats basically the only thing i know how to say in this language. i miss you and love you guys very much.
jessie- what is your address? AH YOURE IN ITALLLLY. i have a monster letter to send you. be excited.
mona bee- i ordered that coat in XS. (i know, so delayed) I NEVER GOT A LETTER FROM YOU. wahsdfhlaksdfjbalskdfhliauwehr. so mad. i miss your herby smell. give kaden a hug for me.
p1 and p2- p3 speaking here. i hope your laundry talks ARE TERRIBLE without me. i am here and i am safe and i miss you both. preisler- take care of ahlberg for my district. be patient with that one kid in your one district. (we all know who were talking about here.) i cant believe how much i miss some people in our zone who i never thought i would miss. partridge- i am sending you a rather large hug. remember i love you. BE QUITELY DIGNIFIED. (can you hear me scoffing? knew it.) miss you both.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Leaving the MTC finally!

I dont have much time to write this, this day has been SO BUSY! Why you may ask? BECAUSE ON MONDAY I AM GOING TO KOREA!!!!!! (Insert applause here)
The time has flown by but I cannot wait to get out into the wide world again; There is so much of it that I have missed.
I have learned SO much here- about myself, the gospel, my Savior Jesus Christ and what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.
I feel so blessed to have been able to be in this place and to learn all that I have.

Not much has happened, we survived 9 1/2 torturous hours of in field orientation, started packing, (thanks for the luggage mom and dad! 5 countries later and i must retire my polka dotted ones to the free bin. thank you thank you thank you for my beautiful new black ones. they are so pretty, and i love you both so much.) recieved our BEAUTIFUL Korean Tags, and spent our last Tuesday night devotional singing the prettiest arrangement of "Sweet Hour of Prayer". 
I have loved every minute of this week and am going to miss this place, I'll admit.
I'll miss the birds that hop around from place to place, eating crumbs of Clif Bars.
I'll miss the way the Elder Betty made a Rice Krispies milkshake every Wednesday.
I'll miss the Elders in my zone playing "Lets see how many tater tots we can throw in Pappas soup" 
I'll miss playing four square.
And reading the Book of Mormon with my companion.
And the list that the Elders in my District gifted me this week of "Pappa Moments" with 121 Tally marks written neatly in pencil; that they have accumulated over the last nine weeks.
I will miss my companion and her sweet disposition, and her incredible patience that she has unconditionally offered me, in every single moment of being with me.

I will miss it all, but am SO excited to get to Korea and use what I have learned here.

I love you all to the moon and back.
XO, Sister Pappa