Merry Chirstmas

So plans to email at the library failed. So this email will be a
little bit on the short side again. Sorry!

Things are going great here! We're still teaching the sisters. The
younger one, Sunny, came to church on Sunday. We've also started
teaching some other really great investigators this week. I feel
really good about them. I wish I could tell you more details, but
there's not enough time. I'll try and write a snail mail today.

The members here are fantastic. They tell me that I look like a
celebrity. (which is always really nice to hear) We've gotten a few
dinner appointments. I just LOVE Korean food. I can't get over how
much I love it. I've only tried one thing that was really disgusting.
My companion and I were in a store buying some grocercies and I
spotted this cheesy sausagey looking thing. So naturally I decided to
try it. Much to my dismay, IT WAS NOT CHEESE. Nor did it taste good. I
had to eat three oranges just to get the taste out of my mouth. It was
sick.

Before I left the MTC, Elder Christofferson spoke to us. He promised
that our afflictions would be swallowed up in the joy of Jesus Christ.
When he promised us this, I felt the truth of what he spoke, but I
wasn't quite sure how this could be accomplished. Now that I'm in
Korea, I understand a little bit better what he meant. Besides the
cold, my hip can sometimes hurt. I think that before my mission, I
easily would have given up walking most places because of the pain.
But somehow, it just doesn't seem to matter. When you think about
things from an eternal perspective, the pain lessens. There are so
many people here yearning to hear the gospel, and they don't even know
it! How can I just stop walking and talking with people? (actually, my
Korean stops me more than my leg does)

So, just something to think about during the Christmas season. Things
always get stressful and hard. But whatever afflictions we face WILL
be swallowed up in the joy of Jesus Christ if we allow ourselves to do
so.

Wellp. I better get going
사렁해요!!!!
우ㅐ 스트럽 자매

Greeting from Suwon

So, I don't have much time to write. We're using a computer at a bank,
and I think they want us to leave soon.

I feel like a life time has passed since my last email. I flew
Singapore air into Korea. It was probably the best international
flight of my life. They gave me a warm towel for my face before take
off, and socks for my feet.
When I got off the plane, no one was there! But I kept my cool and
Sister Furniss showed up a few mins later. We arrived in Daejeon
around 10 that night. I met Sister Bush. She is awesome! (All of the
Elders say she's the best missionary in the mission, and I'm inclined
to believe them) I spent the next day training with President and the
APs. We had lunch, and then we were off on a train to Suwon.
Here's the really cool part about Suwon: It's the golden area of the
mission right now. The Elders have been really successful here, and
the stake has just been pleading for sisters. So, Sister Bush and I
are opening the area for sisters. I think it might have been a little
stressful for Sister Bush to open a new area, and be training a
greenie. But it's all be fun stress, if that makes any sense. We
alreay have investigators! It's amazing. We taught on Saturday, and
committed these two sisters to be baptized, and they said yes! They
are the Koo sisters. Pray for them!
We're over two wards. The members are so welcoming. We had two dinner
appointments last night! It was crazy!
I LOVE Korean food! It's so incredibly good! I'm always hungry!!!!

I don't really have a ton of time to write, so that has to be about it
for this week, but I promise I'll send pictures next week. anywho. love you all! miss
you!!!

Westrup chaemae

Happy Thnksgiving

Dear Family!

This has been an incredible week! I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in this email!

So last Tuesday, after my new companion and I, Sister Bauer, wrote our emails, we trudged our way over the Health Clinic. Perhaps both of our favorite places in the MTC. (I hope you note the sarcastic tone in that last sentence)

The Doctor ended up telling Sister Bauer that she should go home. It was a pretty devastating day. We were all sad to see Sister Bauer leave. But luckily, she's lives just in Orem. And she just happened to be at the temple this morning during our session! It was such a coincidence! I know she'll be back out in the field in no time!

Last Tuesday night, Elder Christofferson came and spoke. One thing that he said in particular stuck out to me. He promished all the missionaries in attendance (remember, this is an apostolic promise from one of the Lord's most humble servants) that any afflication we experience on our mission would be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Later that night, Sister Bauer got more and more sick. I did my best to try and serve her. I hope I did. It was hard that day with my leg. We do a lot of walking on P-days. So my leg gets pretty tired by the end of the night. But as I tried to serve Sister Bauer, I realized something. Yes, my leg and hip were still hurting, but somehow I didn't notice as much. And it really didn't matter as much. My afflication was swallowed up in the joy of Christ, it was swallowed up in the joy of serving someone else; just as the Savior would have done. The next morning I was searching for a scripture that might help Sister Bauer, and I came across Alma 31:38. It was heaven sent.

...

I will always remember the Thanksgiving I spent in the MTC as the best of my entire life. In the morning, Elder Nelson came to speak. His wife also spoke. They were beautiful talks. Elder Nelson spoke of praising God, and shouting Hallejuah, and what that truly means. After the morning devotional, we went to lunch. I espeically enjoyed the cranberry sauce, as I do every year. mmmm. it was good. Following lunch, we had a program about the Humanitarian program of the church. I wish I had all the statistics on hand of everything the church does to help those in need around the world, but unfortunately, I don't. Afterward, we made first aid injury kits that will be sent to the Sudan.

 

That night we got to watch 17 Miracles; the movie about the Willie and Martin hand cart companies. It was amazing! Cheesy in parts yes, but it absolutely strengthened my testimony of why I'm here, what I'm doing, and how I should be more diligent. So many pioneers of great faith, literally gave their lives for just the chance to attend the temple once, and be sealed to their families forever. I get to go to the temple once a week. I sit at the feet of prophets of God on a regular basis. How much more need do I have to be diligent when considering all that they would give up just to be in my place?

 

Since Sister Bauer left, I've been in class by myself. I wasn't sure originally how this was going to work out. Both of my normal teachers were out of town for Thanksgiving. That means I was alone with teachers I had barely met before. One of the teachers who subbed for me this last week was Brother Ball. He's from New Zealand AND HE IS AWESOME. He really taught me how to make the Great Apostasy more personal when teaching. I think missionaries glaze over that bit of the lesson too much. Without the darkness of the Great Apostasy, how can we teach of the miracle of the Restoration. We also talked about Lord of the Rings.... Naturally. Haha! I'm sad he'll only have taught me for that one week. Another teacher that subbed for a bit was Sister Judd. She's subbed for my district before. She served in Daejeon, and she is one of the most lovely people I've ever met. That is the only way I can really think to describe her. Love oozes from her pores. She has this instantly calming presence. I've learned much from her. I'm so glad I got to spend some time one on one with her.

 

Brother Tanner and Brother Kang (a native Korean, yikes!) will teach me the rest of the time I'm here.

 

I have another appointment with Dr. Jackson on Thursday. He'll give me permission or not to leave next Monday. Even though me leg and hip still hurt. I think he'll give the go- ahead.

 

But like I said earlier, it doesn't matter if my leg hurts every day for the rest of my mission. I know that any pain I experience will be lessened when I take the time to look outside myself and serve others...

 

I'd also like to add a special shout out to sister hurt's mom: thanks for reading my blog!!!! You're so sweet! I promise I haven't always been so grateful for this surgery and subsequent stay in the MTC as I came across in my letters. But I really am now! In being here, I've had these amazing experiences that I would have missed out on otherwise. But thank you for thinking so highly of me!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

I have only a minute left. I love you all! Hopefully the next time you hear from me will be at the airport. And my next email from Korea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

-Westrup cha-mae