"We ate them deliciously the next morning"

Transfer week! 

We just got transfer calls.......I'm staying here, am still sister training leader, AND i'm getting a greenie! I'm training and pretty nervous about it! My companion, Sister Park, is also staying in the ward and another Korean missionary will be her new companion. There will now be four of us living together and serving in our ward. We're pretty nervous, but excited! I'm sad to have only been companions with Sister Park for one transfer, but excited for all of the miracles that I know the Lord has prepared here. 

This week we had a funny experience. We got done with our last appointment for the day and had some time before it was time to go home, so we proselyted on the street. My favorite places to go are bus stops because people can't run away :)

We went to the nearest bus stop and I said hi to a lady waiting for a bus. She looked at me a little bit angrily and asked why I am in Korea. I explained that I'm a missionary here and she said a little bit under her breath about how people have other religions and started reaching into her bag...we thought she was going to pull out a pamphlet from her church or something...when she pulled out.....two huge bananas! and gave them to us-HA! Her bus came shortly after and Sister Park and I laughed really hard. :) We ate them deliciously the next morning! 

This week a lot of our new members had a hard week, but there were lots of miracles too! One of our recent converts, 김연주 moved to Busan for work and we call her frequently. One night we felt like we should call her, so we did. Turns out that that day she went our to eat with her coworkers and they started drinking alcohol...etc...she told them she didn't drink because of her church and they asked which church she attended. She told them she was Mormon and they immediately got a little bit upset and started saying bad things about our church, but 김연주 just told them that she knows our church is good and explained what she knows. She said she wants to read more of the Book of Mormon and learn more about the church so that she can do a better job explaining next time. We were so proud of her! She wasn't shaken by it and has her own personal testimony. My companion and I were so happy to hear how well she's doing!

We met with one of our investigators, 임다미 who is progressing a lot and starting to pray and read the Book of Mormon by herself. We had a powerful lesson with one of our members about the Savior and His gospel and we can see her beginning to gain faith in the Savior. It's super cool. 

One of our investigators has been an investigator for a long time--her husband is a member, but she has no interest. Recently, she's been coming to church with her kids! It's super great to see them all together at church! 

I can't believe how fast time is going! I only have 1 transfer (about 6 weeks) left! I need to work harder than ever and have urgency in my work! I feel so grateful everyday to be a part of the Lord's work and to be His servant. I know that next transfer will be busy and difficult, but I know that the Lord is with me and won't leave my side. Through Him I can do all things! 

I love the Lord. He is my best friend. I know He loves these wonderful Korean people and loves me enough to give me the opportunity to serve them. 

I love you all! Have an amazing week!

Sister Naatjes :)

Facing reality and cockroaches

What a great week! There were countless miracles!!

One kind of funny, but sad thing is that our house now has cockroaches!! gross!! In the house that my companion lived in before there were cockroaches and we think that they followed her in her luggage! haha...

This week we were able to meet with a lot of great people! 

One of our new investigators who has English interest for her kids met us for the second time this week. The first time she really didn't seem to have any interest in the gospel, but when we met her again she had tons of questions about the Plan of Salvation and it was so good!! We're excited to meet her again this week!

신동현 had foot surgery last week and we visited her in the hospital. Turns out we were beat by 3 ward members who had already visited her! Yay! She was so happy and we were happy that members are taking care of our new member :) 

She was in the hospital with her older sister who isn't a member and didn't really have interest in the gospel when one of the members of the relief society called and asked if she needed anything. shin doung hyun hung up the phone and her sister asked about the church and what relief society was...etc...after it was explained to her she said, "I want to go to the Mormon church" Woooo!! We were so grateful for that faithful relief society member! The little things we do can make a huge difference! It was quite a miracle!

One of our new converts was having a super hard time this week. We called her one night and crying, she told us she feels like her world is falling apart. We cried with her and talked for a long time. We shared our testimonies and it turned into a really spiritual experience for all of us. My companion and I put the phone on speaker and as I was answering one of her questions/concerns, I saw my companion quietly praying next to me. She got done praying and then tearfully shared one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard. It was such a powerful experience. She came to church yesterday and said her heart felt better. One of the things that our convert said that really made me think was about how she wanted to meet with us and pray and go to church..etc...but she needs to face reality. I've been thinking a lot about what reality is. 

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 it says:

7 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The biggest reality is in that which is not seen--in God. He is reality, but sometimes we lose sight of that in our busy, pain-filled world. When things are difficult, we need to remember reality--God, His love for us, and His eternal plan of happiness. He has a plan for each of us. The trials will pass and that affliction "worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

I'm so grateful for the gospel and all the blessings I receive from it. God loves each of you and knows you perfectly. I'm grateful to be the Lord's missionary. I don't have much time left, so I need to enjoy each and every moment.

I love you all!! Have a great week! 

Sister Naatjes :)

Stand tall

We saw so many amazing miracles again this week! I love my companion and every moment I get to spend with members, investigators, or even just proselyting on the street. I only have two months left and know I need to enjoy each moment, even the cold or difficult ones. I love being a missionary!

This week we met with one of our less-active members who was baptized in 2013. She is from the Philipines, but her husband is Korean, so she moved here about 3 years ago. She has had a pretty hard time because her husband works in Seoul and she lives with her baby son and parents-in-law with whom she can't communicate well because of the language barrier. When we first started visiting her she had little hope. She feels pretty lonely. Since I came to this area we have continually visited her once a week and for the first time this week we saw hope in her. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and about eternal families, which we had talked about before, but she really wanted it this time and it was super cool to see. I sure love her and am so glad to see her begin to receive joy from the gospel again.

Our new members all seem to be having a hard time and I'm pretty worried about them. 조은정 called us early this week and told us that she really needed us to pray for her, so we asked her if she would like to fast with us also. She said yes and we fasted together--it was her first time! We called her the following day and she said when she ended she felt, "different." She felt happy. When we saw her the following day her face was bright. It was a cool experience. When we fast and pray, God hears our prayers and gives us strength beyond our own. 

신동현 Shin deong hyun is getting surgery this week and her grandma had surgery last week, so she's had a hard time, but continually sends us scripture verses through text and has such amazing faith. I'm always amazed by her.

Kim min sun, our other new member is really progressing tons! She said her first public prayer at church this week and also at family home evening! We're so proud of her! She's Kendall's age :) and super cute!!

We taught a new investigator this week named 이수현 (lee su hyun) and she is super amazing! A member referred her to us and she has tons of interest and listens super well. She told us that we seem like angels. She was excited to receive a Book of Mormon and is going to read and pray about it! She has 3 cute kids and we're really excited about her and her family!

I know that this is the Lord's work and I'm so grateful to be a part of it. I love sharing this happy message with all that I meet. This morning we met with a less-active high school student who is having a hard time with her family situation and studies and work...We talked about God's plan for her and read "You're Wonderful Journey Home" by President Uchtdorf and the spirit was so strong. 

"Heavenly Father's interest in you does not depend on how rich or beautiful or healthy or smart you are. He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child." 

"Stand tall, because you are a daughter of God and He stands with you!" 

I know that this is true. God loves each one of us. We are sons and daughters God. We are worth more than we think and more than we can imagine. 

I know that this is true and love the Lord with all of my heart! 

Have an amazing week! Love you all!

Sister Naatjes

"The snow really came a lot yesterday"

새해 복 많이 받으세요!! Happy New Year!! I can't believe it's already 2015! Time is flying!!

I'm loving every minute of my mission. I feel so blessed to be able to share what I know with people everyday!

I have felt especially blessed recently. I love this country and I love these people. I now even have come to love this language...although I still make mistakes all the time (when I speak Korean AND English!) Since my companion is Korean I don't speak English much. Every time I speak with Chloe, and American teaching English here who is in our ward, I realize how strange my English is. I told her "The snow really came a lot yesterday," and she laughed. :)

This week we saw tons of miracles! 

We made a goal to give away at least one Book of Mormon on the street everyday this transfer and one night we were walking home after our last appointment, had very little time, and nobody had accepted a Book of Mormon yet that day...So we tried talking to everyone in our path, but everyone waved us away. We were almost home when we saw two people waiting at a bus stop and decided to talk one of them...she got a phone call, so we talked to the man standing next to her and it turns out he has been looking for a church. We were able to give him a BoM and get his phone number--it was super cool!! This is truly God's work! When we make a goal and really strive to accomplish it, the Lord helps us and blesses us with miracles.

We met with our recent convert, 곽지원 and her little sister, 곽예원 on Friday night after our weekly English class and her little sister said she wanted to get baptized! Their goal is to be an example to their parents, so that they can get baptized and then all go to the temple together. They have such pure, simple faith! 

Last night one of our members invited that family to Family Home Evening at their house and 곽지원 and her mom came! Miracle!

I know that this is the Lord's work! I love being a missionary!! I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior and feel their influence, love, and strength everyday.

I love you all! Have an incredible week!

Sister Naatjes :)