Haley is really in Korea! 2nd email!

HI everyone!! 

I'm missing you- the work is so good here! 

I think, from the reactions I am getting, I eat more kimchee here than normal Koreans do :)

Our work is going great! We are doing a lot of heart attacking, not many investigators, and trying to get to know our ward members better. We discided to call one a night and maybe sing a hymn and check on them to see if there snything we can do to help them. We have one investigator that we're meeting with, and we won't meet next week because it's her birthday. Maybe we can do something for her.

Loving our Branch! Spoke Sacrament in broken Korean and told them how much they help me thinking aobut them when I get sad. We are here for them! 

And this week, during tracting, we ran into a woman who talked a lot about her beliefes and doubted everythign we said. My companion and her had been talking for about 15 mintutes contunually on the street. Suddently, I felt the Spirit. "Ma'm, I said "I am here because I know this Gospel is true." She turned to look at me, kind of shocked that I spoke. I know that even though she wastn' listening, the Spirit was there.

There are good people here that are searching, we are just finding them!

Because of Chusuk, the holiday, I can't email next Monday, but I'll email Tuesday! 

Lveo you!

Sister Brooksby

First Week in Area! Sun Cheon!

Hi Family and everyone!

I just want to tell you all-Korea is AWESOME!!! I've never learned so
much in just a couple days in my life!!

After spending a few days at the mission home in Daejeon (we took a
bus from Seoul, about 2 hours, with President and Sister Furniss and
Elders Warner and Campbell), the Transfer Board was unvieled and we
recieved our assignments!

Oh before that, I have to tell you, what Koreans sleep on is called a
Yo, kind of like a futon. Other than their yo, they use only a
blanket, which they fold up each morning and place at the end of the
bed. (I'll send you my SD card with pictures...later :) I want to get
more on it first!)

We also went through immigration and making us legal to be here-just
as easy as getting my fingerprints scanned and filling out a little
paperwork. The customs too were super simple. Traveling out of the
county isn't as complex as I'd first supposed :)

SO! We got assigned our areas and our trainers Thursday morning! It
was awesome and sad to see our Dongki (our MTC group) split, but we
know we are going to grow so much here.
My new companion's name is Won Min Ji! She's super nice, and she's a
native Korean, which will help me so much with the language! I can
also ask her lots of questions and she smiles and laughs with me, and
helps me understand different things (like that the water here is all
not purified, so each apartment has a purifier, and that Koreans
recycle as much as they can! We take old food or leftover food and put
it in plastic bag, then into the freezer. I'm learning so much!

Our area is called Sun Cheon ("Soon-chuhn") and it's waaaaaay down at
the bottom of our mission in Daejeon. It's really pretty here, and the
people are super nice! Our first appointment was with an investigator
name XXXX (Mom, for securtity reasons, maybe don't post her
name on the mission blog, just in case) she's 48 and lives in an
apartment all by herself. She has two sons, one serving in the Korean
army and one in the Phillipenes.
We met her on Friday for lunch at her apartment. She was very motherly
about helping me with the new food; it was actualy really funny. I was
really REALLY trying hard to use chopsticks most of the time, even
100% if I could. But she noticed that sometimes I struggled. So she
motioned to the spoon. You can use the spoon," my companion translated
for me. But I really REALLY wanted to be a Korean and use chopsticks
well, and I knew I could do that only by practicing. So I tried again.
The converstation continued, and she looked over again to see that I
was chopsticking. She motioned to the spoon. A little sheepishly, I
picked up the silver spoon and ate my rice and kimchee.
Later, Won Ja mae nim told me that it's more common for Koreans to use
a spoon with their rice, so I was trying to be...not Korean by using
chopsticks... kekeke ;) (kekeke is how they laugh! Won Ja mae nim
taught me, and we say it sometimes...kekekeke ;D )

We spent a lot of that time together teaching English...then I brought
my photo album out for her to see! I asked her about her family and
pictures, so away she went to get them. Towards the end of the
appointment, there were pictures EVERYWHERE  :D:D:D
We shared a simple message about the Book of Mormon and she committed
to read the introduction and pray to know if what we taught is true.
She has such a good heart. We are totally rooting for her!

Our other appointment got cancelled for that night, with two other
male investigators. They like to learn English, so with all our
appointments, we teach 30 minutes of English and 30 minutes of a
Gospel message. So far, we've had just the one appointment come
together with XXX XXX XXXX. It was really really great. OH! Did I
tell you? I'd mentioned sometime in the meal we ate that I loved
Kimchee and Kam Ja (potatoes; they love sweet potatoes! They put it in
their bread too--oooh sooo yummy!!!).
after the closing prayer, she got up and began loading a tupperware
full of Kimchee and a bag of potatoes. It was so much food! We left
feeling so happy.

I really chongmal love Korea and these amazing people here. I know
there will be lots of people that are not interested in our message,
and that makes me sad, but I know there one or two will be! And like
XXX XXXX (I think you could use this name on the blog, just
Sister Hong), they are willing to listen, and so kind.

I love you all and I'm praying for you! We are safe and sound here in
Korea, and the work is coming. Jundo is the best! We're going to Ka Ka
Ho Ho tonight :) (door to door)

Families can be together forever through the restored Gospel of Jesus
Christ. I know the Book of Mormon will bless us as we read it and
apply it and learn from it. I am so so SO so thankful to be a
missionary for Him. I love these people. I love my companion. We are
going to see miracles here!

PS the language is coming great! I'm learning how to get out of my
shell-I know more than I think I do :) And one of our branch members
(of the 40-45 here) said "You've only been in SunCheon 3 days? It's a
miracle!"

Final Week in the MTC!

 

This week is my final week at the MTC. There's not much change in schedule except and in-field orientation all day Friday, where we attend Working with Member workshops and other things. I'm looking forward to Monday at 3am :) On a shuttle bus and to Korea!

 

We got to have the same cute 17 year old young woman from Jeju island that we had our very first time for TRC! Our message was on Revelation through Church Attendance. I honestly was a little worried (ok, I generally am just before a lesson, but I'm gaining courage :) because I felt that there...hmmm Well, I was a little cooncerned about talking for so long about that one topic. But I didn't need to worry :)

We got to know her a little better! She had a camera and was taking pictures for her AP art class. We got to see some of her work, it was awesome. As our message progressed, we discovered that she was the Laurel President in her ward. A scripture I'd been thinking about the past day popped into my head. I thougth against it;I had a tendency to get off topic and not meet our original goal (to strengthen their testimony in the power of personal revelation through church attendance.)

But the prompting came again. So I directed her to 3 Nephi 18:24...a light unto the world, a representitive of Jesus Christ. We watched her face light up as she read. She knew and we knew that this scripture applied to her and the example she was to her fellow Laurels. My companion also testified that since coming to the MTC she's learning about her missionary purpose, to invite others to come unto Christ. Then she said how she knows our missionary purpose applies to all members of the Church. She testified of the light and faith that our young woman would be to others as she prepared and served her own mission.

We all left that meeting feeling Heavenly Father's love for each of us, and the lights that we truly can be. She even got a pitcure with us (taken by her awesome mom who we got to teach also a few weeks ago!) And on our review papers, she put "I want to be a missionary like Sister Brooksby and Sister Roueche! :)"

 

I am truly amazed that Heavenly Father called me to be a missionary, then  works through me. That He can work through me to touch the lives of HIs children is such a miracle!!

 

Before I go to the field, I was looking through my notes for what I could share with you. I discovered taht I just want to share the things that have touched me as I've been here at the MTC, and encouragement for all that will enter it in the future :) 

 

This Fast Sunday Testimony meeting:

"The most comforting words I can think of are these: 'He is risen!'"-Elder in our Branch

 

"Love the cold, love the heat, love everything!" Another elder on having a positive perspective throughout your mission. :) Through life too!

 

And one of our great Korean natives, Elder Bae (fluent in English also) got up and shared his testimony in Korean. I could understand the general idea of waht he said most of the time, but there was one phrase he slowed down in particular to say. My brain with the Spirit's help, translated it immediately. "You're not alone." Then he repeated it in English, twice. I felt the Spirit move my heart so powerfully in that moment.

I also bore my testimony on the power of Heaven and angels to be with us, and I feel so strongly it is true. D&C 84:88 One of President Monsons favorie scriptures. (PS IF you haven't seen his Birthday Celebration online, watch it for an FHE or something!! IT's AMAZING! I cried a lot! We have such a wonderful Prophet. Watching that made me wasnt to reach out so much more to others. They really need us!!)

 

These are otehrs that touched me;

""Perfect love casteth out all fear" When you are scared, study the atonemetn of Jesus Christ. The most couragous act." -A sister who served in Portugal.

I loved this one. It hit home to me :) We CAN do hard things, because He did.

 

This one is for my AWESOME brother Elder Brooksby!! "Don't fall prey to the "stereotypical missionary. There is no one 'right' way to be. You just be you." I love this one because so oft4en thoughout the day I wonder "is this right? Is this the right thing a missionary would do?" Of course we are obedient! That is critical :) We just need to be us :)

 

And finally, after we'd opened a meeting with prelude singing, all 2700 of us, Elder Perkins (our speakher) said, "I wish everyone in the world could walk into the room and feel the power as you all sing.)

 

And last advice from President Shin: "Open Your Mouth! don't stop talking, dont get quiet."

And Sister Shin "Smile, always smile." :)

 

This Sunday we will sing Arirang to our fellow new district as our good bye, take pictures and finish packing. Monday we leave for Korea.

 

I love you all! This Gospel is true! Jesus Christ loves us...A lot :)

 

Sister Brooksby