Happy Thanksgiving!!!

FAMILY~~~ (In Korea the squiggly line means it's dragged out, kind of like Familyyyy)

 

Woah. Have I got stuff to tell you. So, last week I found out the story to how Gupo ward got such a strong group of Young Men in the ward. Turns out, one of the Bishop's sons invited a friend. And then that friend invited a friend. And that friend invited his friend. And so on until around FIFTEEN were baptized. Yeah! It's one of those stories! Those stories that you only hear about! But I'm here in a ward that actually had that happen! It still blows my mind! The miracles that can happen from member missionary work are manifest right here in this area.

 

So I hear that Mountain Home got Sister missionaries! That is super awesome. If I were to give any advice in how to help them--USE THEM. Really, we as missionaries are here to help the members, rather than the other way around. And it's a huge opportunity for the Sisters to have Sister missionaries that can teach the your friends! And if they are white-washing, they would absolutely love anyone who called to ask how they could help. Even if you don't have someone the missionaries in your ward can teach, call them up and ask if they have anyone you could fellowship! If an investigator is able to have a friend in the ward, it's a huge step forward.

 

And everyone should wish my daddy a Happy Birthday! He's gon' be sooo young. :D

 

Also, Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Two more interesting things that happened:

1. We went on yet another hike on Saturday, this time with the Young Women in our ward. That was pretty fun, though very very exhausting. I even gave one of the girls a piggy-back ride, which was a pretty intense 20 seconds.

2. Today for P-day we played games with our district, and it was kind of a farewell party for two of our missionaries who are going home next week. One of them is Elder Hays, who was my first district leader and is one of the Gupo Elders right now. And he is so awesome! I'm going to miss him a ton. I absolutely love working with the people in this mission. We really do come to be like family!

 

Alrighty, gotta go! Love you all <3 <3

 

Sister Segovia

 

Interesting Fact:

There is Konglish everywhere. In fact, most of the business names are in Konglish. If it's not actually written in English, it's the English word with Korean pronunciation. Though that sometimes is a trip to figure out what they are saying. I guess it's hard to describe unless you can hear it, so I'll leave it at that and remind me to explain more when I get home in a little over a year! :]

 

"Do your best, your very, very best."  - Gordon B. Hinckley

Yep. Enough said. This is the thing that I struggle with most, and the thing that I have to remember always. I imagine I'm not the only one?

The Little Things

Here I am, ready to tell you about another week of awesomeness!

 

Wow, so much news from home! Tell Shelby congratulations for me and say hello to the baby! Also say hello to Caom, Krystle, Cami, and Liam! And get them to send pictures!! I'm dying without a picture of my family :)

One thing that I found out is that there is an Elder in my zone, Elder Baldwin, that is from American Fork and was in marching band with Davis! Super cool! So he sends a hello.

 

So actually, this week was incredibly slow as far as teaching lessons go. But the lessons we did teach were perfect! we had an amazing miracle with a less-active that we have been teaching. This week we taught her about the importance of church and sacrament, and she immediately decided (before we even invited her to) that she would go to church. And she came! Even though it was farther away due to it being stake conference. But I super hope that she felt the spirit of church again, especially because we were able to see a broadcast to all Korean stakes, and TWO of the 12 Apostles spoke: Elder Cook and Elder Hales. That was amazing to here their words, directed specifically for this culture and this lifestyle.

 

There's really not much else to say except that I am learning how to really enjoy the small little moments throughout the day. Little things are all that's needed, as long as we let God take control and make those little things blossom into huge trees. With God all things are possible!

 

Interesting Fact: When Koreans talk on the phone, they don't have a set "Goodbye" to end the call. They get to the point and then once it's accomplished they hang up. This actually can be a little frustrating because I'm super slow at speaking, and have to pause so I can figure out what to say next, but they think I'm done and hang up. So I've got to master how to keep talking! haha

 

I love you all and wish you the best week ever!

 

Sister Segovia

 

"He that doeth truth cometh to the light." - John 3:21

No matter how much we study about the gospel or try to learn academically about truth, it won't do us any good unless we act on what we learn. We must DO truth in order to come closer to God. And as we come closer, we learn even more truth that we must also act on. It's a continual process of growth.

From across the ocean...

Hello my beloved family and friends across the ocean!

 

So guess where I just came from? Yet another hike! This time it was wayyy less steep, but also took about twice the time. Anyway, my legs and lungs are indeed learning to come alive again, that's for sure. One thing I can tell you, Korea is beautiful! Hiking is awesome, because we get to experience the quiet side of Korea too. Dad, you are right, Gupo is a good mixture of city and countryside. We are a part of Busan, but kind of on the outskirts so it's retty similar to Jinju, but with a subway.

 

As for missionary work, this past week was kind of rough. We lost two of our investigators, and haven't been able to meet wth the other two for the past two weeks. It's a little hard to come from Jinju where we had sooo many appointments, and now we really don't have any. BUT, I'm convinced that losing our investigators is all in God's plan to free up our time for people who are truly ready for His gospel. :)

 

Speaking of such, those miracles may already be starting! Yesterday, a girl who lives close to our church came, just because she felt that she should go. .... 8O  :D

We were able to teach her the Restoration (as if we had planned to teach it, even though it was last-minute; the Spirit really can help us!), and hope that she comes back. She is a middle schooler, and very shy, but I think she was paying attention much more than she wanted to appear. :). But yeah! Amazing right?

 

Something that Sister Freseman and I were talking about: the wave of missionaries that have been leaving. It's like a tsunami; before the wave actually comes in, all the water gets pulled out. So everyone is paying attention to where the water is going.. but forget that it will be coming BACK. So right now, everyone is excited about how many missionaries are going OUT, but what about when we return?? That's right, it's going to be a tidal wave of prepared mothers and fathers, members who know how to be Visiting and Home teachers, and people who know how to help God's work move forward! Are you ecstatic yet? I hope so! The true way that God's work is hastening isn't from how many missionaries there will be, but how many RETURNED missionaries there will be. ^-^

 

Alrighty, here's the interesting fact of the week. I have been keeping record of TONS. When I come back from my mission, I plan to start a blog of all the things I have written down! So, today is an awesome day: Pepero Day! If you don't know what this snack is, go find them! They are pretty much my favorite thing right now. And in Korea, this day is actually a big deal; all the stores start selling big Pepero gift packages to send to friends. I've been eating these every day for the past week. I suggest that this holiday be made a big deal in the US too. :)

 

Okay that's all for now! Ta ta

 

Sister Segovia

 

"Why sleep ye? Rise and Pray." - Luke 22:46

I notice that sometimes my spirit tends to fall asleep, which prevents the Holy Ghost from being able to communuicate with me. The way that I have found to know if this is happening is to look at my prayers. Are they fervent, or just going through the motions? If it's the latter, I must listen to this command to rise from my spiritual stupor and ask God where He needs me to go.

Hello my wonderful parents and family and friends!

Wow. This week certainly feels like it's been a lifetime, and yet it's gone by so fast!

 

Gupo is a pretty awesome area. The youth is half of the active members! It's awesome. And our Branch President really encourages us to work with the youth and have lots of activities with them, so it's way fun! I already love this ward, and am excited to help this area ass much as I can!

 

So my companion, Sister Freeman, is just as awesome as I thought she would be! We have really been able to work well together, and we both have little quircks that make the work super fun. :D

 

Man, Halloween was this past week! I definitely missed it, even though Halloween wasn ever my favorite holiday. In our Enligh class, which was SUPER fun this past week, we talked about Holidays, and taught about a lot of the American holidays, and learned what some of the Korean holidays are and what they do for it. Sadly, they don't really have too much, and they don't really decorate for them. But korea does have a lot of festivals like the Light one inJjinju, so that makes up for it!

 

I will say one thing about Gupo: it has made it so I will never again complain of the hill at BYU. This place is ALL hill. And coming from Jinju, where all we did was ride buses and eat ice-cream (yes mom, I know I should be better :P) I have been dying! So yeah, it's given me an appreciation for flat ground.

 

Alrighty, I've got to go have fun with P-day! This morning we went on a hike (more hills!) with some of the other Elders in our district. Oh, that's another thing. We have six missionaries in Gupo, and 14 in our district. And the zone leaders are a Korean companionship serving with us in Gupo. They are AWESOME. Super powerful teachers, great at talking with the youth, and just all around top missionaries. It's so cool to be able to work with them!

 

Interesting Fact: They use toilet paper for everything. Where America has napkins, paper towels, tissues... In korea theres just toilet paper. I still get phased a little when I see toilet paper at the dinner table, but then I remember. It's a pretty funny time.

 

Love you all!

 

Sister Segovia

 

Start afresh!

 

 

 

So, Here are a couple pictures of the beloved ward that I left, and the baptism we had. She is cute right? :)

 

Now as for my new area, and my new companion! My companion's name is Sister Freeman, and she is awesome! Turns out we are both pretty into fantasy stuff, like all those cool creatures :) And actually, she REALLY reminds me of Sister Mariah Johnson. I'm sure they would get along fantastically! She is from South Carolina, and lived on a farm. :) She's even got a little southern accent that I am starting to pick up on :O I love her already, and we work really well together.

 

This past week I got to meet a couple of the investigators, less actives, and members. It was so fun! The ward here is amazing! They are all very supportive and actually want to help with missionary work. And the youth! Holy moly! There are a ton of them, and they are willing to do anything. There are two (maybe three) Young Women who are preparing to serve missions, and I already love them to death. :)

 

Every Saturday all of the youth come to the church and just hang out there. And this past Saturday we had a little surprise party for one of the Korean Elders in our area. his birthday was on Friday, so we made him brownies and cake :D Which we are actually working with FOUR Elders and us sisters. Two are Korean, two American. The American companionship just came in with me, so there's lots of newness, and meeting the Ward Mission Leader and Branch President and such. It's been crazy! I can tell I'm going to love it here though.

 

Interesting fact of the week: So there's this church. It's been explained to me a few times, but this past week a guy who was a member stopped me and started preaching their views. It's called 하나님의교회, or God's church. Honestly, I was going to write about what they believe, but it just felt wrong to write it. So I'll let you look it up if you want. It's really interesting, and sad to think about how corrupted the world is becoming. it shows how important it is to keep sacred things guarded in our hearts.

 

Okay, that's all for this week! I love you all! Congratulations to the new baby in the family! And I was definitely surprised, but glad to hear that mom got a newer car with air conditioning! Say hi to the family for me--all of them. <3

 

"Bring forth fruit with patience." - Luke 8:15

I love this verse, because sometimes I tend to be impatient. I just want to receive the blessings of my work right away. I want the tree before I've had the sprout. But I need to trust in God, and just keep moving forward. Eventually I will see the fruits of it, but not in my timing. God knows what He is doing, certainly more than I do!

New area-Gupo!

Wow, it feels like a lifetime since the last time I wrote you! There's so much to tell you about! First, I'll start off by saying that I am writing this email in my NEW AREA, Gupo! Surprised? Yeah I was too. We got transfer calls this past Thursday, and this was my first actual transfer where one of us would be moving. Trainer and trainee are usually with each other for two transfers (12 weeks) and then they part ways. So the first transfer you know you are both staying. And the second transfer you know one of you is leaving. We were predicting that I would stay in Jinju and Sister Choi Hanna would be the one to transfer out. But... as you can see, that wasn't the case!

So I had to say goodbye to the beloved area that I was raised in, and all the people that I have grown to love. And I had to say goodbye to my amazing trainer! I really think of my first area as my mission hometown, and my trainer raised me to be able to survive on my own and become the missionary that God intends for me to be. So now I'm in my new area with a purpose to fulfill here!

One thing that I must tell you about (and I really promise that I will eventually send you pictures. I mean to but time is limited and now I have to figure out how here) is the baptism that took place yesterday! It was amazing! The Spirit was very strong, and Gladys, the Phillipina who was baptized, has such strong faith in God's plan for her. Her husband bore his testimony in the service, and he said it wasn't a coincidence that Gladys couldn't come to Korea until the exact month that the Sister missionaries came to Jinju. God really does have a plan for every one of His children. He is guiding us and putting every opportunity in front of that He can. But we have to reach out our hand and grab it! He gives us the chance, but we have the agency to take it or leave it. 

This is the biggest thing that I learned in my first area. And honestly I think it's one of the best things to have learned, because now every are that I go to, I will know that there is something I am supposed to do there. Here, in my brand new area, I know I am here for a reason, and I want to fulfill it! That's my job. 

I love you all, and am excited to be able to tell you about the people here next week!

Interesting Fact:

Koreans really don't know much about South America. Sadly, this means that they don't know where Bolivia is when I say my dad is from there, but I still love to tell them anyway! I just have to say it's next to Brazil. :)

"Give light to them that sit in darkness." - Luke 1:79

If you picture it in you head, who would willingly choose to leave their friends in a cave without light, while they held the matches in their pocket? Because that really is how it is. We hold the key to happiness, and who are we to keep it from others?

ahhh...

I have like no time! why are p-days so busyyyyy??

Okay, so I want to send a thank-you shout-out to two people. The first
is the Mountain Home 4th Ward, who has sent me many an awesome ward
letter, which are always very fun to receive! Tell Sister Pat Eagley
thanks for me :) The second person is Taylor Elwood; hopefully he will
read this. Thank you for the post card!! It was awesome, and I would
write back but you are having fun as a traveler!

Alright, as for the amazing miracles of the week...There were many,
but I'll mention two: We got three new investigators!! And there was
General Conference!!

So yeah, we met with quite a few new people this past week, so we will
see where they lead! I'm excited about the increase that is continuing
to happen in our two areas. And the investigator I told you about last
time, who came and told us she wanted to be baptized? She, along with
her two sons, now have a baptisimal date! They are they best little
family ever, and I can't wait to get to know them better!

As for General Conference.... I have never had such a spiritually
uplifting and learning Conference in my life. Honestly, (mom you would
second this) I don't think I've actually stayed awake for all 8 hours
before. Pretty bad, I know. But this past weekend was amazing. I was
alert and learning the entire time, even though I was sick and had
been fighting to stay awake both mornings! If you took my challenge to
find a talk that resonates with you, I know challenge you to find a
talk that can help a nonmenber you know!

Ah no time! I love you all, sorry I didn't do my weekly fact and scripture!

Sister Segovia