Letter - 1/16/14

Hello Family and Friends,

Wow it truly feels like yesterday that I was writing my email from last week, but here I am another week has gone by, and I'm getting closer and closer to being shipped off to Korea. 2 1/2 weeks!!! I can't even comprehend that! The MTC has been so good to me! It is truly its own little world here and I love it! The group of missionaries that I came in with are now the oldest in the Korean branch! What?! It is so crazy to be the oldest group! All the missionaries who have not been here as long think we know so much but in all reality I hardly know anything, but compared to day 1 it is a huge improvement.

This week so many fun, hard, special things happened.

Two funny stories first. So one of the Elders in my district received a package with some ridiculous things one being a whoopy cushion. In class the Elder's thought it would be funny if we got our teacher, Brother Gunnel with it. Well Brother Gunnel is not really one who has a huge sense of humor so they decided it would be best to have one of the Elders sit on the whoopy cushion when he came in. So Brother Gunnel comes in and one of the Elders sit on it. Brother Gunnel jumped so high! It was hilarious. He was trying so hard not to laugh but he could not hold it in. His face was priceless. We could not stop laughing. Then Tuesday Sister Anderson got stuck in her skirt. Her zipper split so she could not pull it down to her feet or pull it over her head so she looked at me all mangled trying to get her skirt off and said, "Uh Sister Driscoll, will you please help me." I looked over at her and could not help but laugh. As I pulled her skirt over her head I thought we were going to rip it to pieces but we did not thankfully. I just love the face Sister Anderson gave me when she asked for help. It was priceless.

Friday we had TRC, which I think I have explained, but I will again. It is where my companions and I teach Korean native members and help them come closer to Christ. The sister we taught this week we had taught before. Her name is Sister Son (I think, I can barely catch their names when they introduce themselves, the joys of Korean). She was the sweet sister who has been a member for almost two years now and feels like she is lacking faith. That lesson we asked her if she was praying for increased faith, we asked her if she was doing what we encouraged her to do the last time we met with her. She said no. It hurt my heart. I have so much love for this sister and I don't even know her that well. My companions and I tried to reassure to her that God loves her and He wants her to communicate with Him. I have prayed for her since the first time we taught her, hoping she will put more trust in God. She is such a sweetheart and I want to be able to help her all I can. The spirit was so special during that teaching experience. I have come to realize as a missionary not everyone will keep their commitments, and when they don't it hurts your heart because you know how much joy the gospel will bring into one's life. But continual love and support will pave the way and the people will be able to recognize the need for the gospel in their lives. God is all knowing and filled with unconditional love for each one of His children. That is why He has brought His work forth and is sharing it unto all the end of the earth. I am so grateful to be a part of it.

Sunday was a wonderful day. I had the opportunity to attend all the meetings that the Sister Training Leaders attend with Sister Bagley who is the other Sister Training Leader. She is the one who put on the Salt Lake Temple Sister Missionary Meet. She is amazing! I love her and am so glad I am able to work with her. Most of Sunday during the free time I was able to do interviews with the Sisters who left this week to the Daejon and Busan missions. It was such a neat experience. Each interview went so well and I could feel the Spirit directing me in what to say to comfort each sister. I am so grateful I am able to get to know the sisters and help them all that I can. After interviews my companions and I did our weekly walk up to the temple. The Provo Temple is so amazing. It is such a blessing to have it so close. While we walked up there though there were two protesters with big old crosses at the gates of the temple. As all the missionaries walked through the gates they bashed the church and us as missionaries. It was so hard. The things they said made me sick. I don't understand how someone's heart could be so hard. I couldn't do anything besides pray and hope their hearts will be softened.

Sunday night's devotional was amazing. The speaker Richard I. Heaton spoke on the Lord Gathering His Sheep and Hastening His work. I have come to notice that missionaries aren't the first to an investigator because God has been working in their hearts to prepare them for the missionaries. God is gathering His children. God is in this work and He deserves all the credit. My role as a missionary is to help! God is gathering, I am helping. I am so privileged to be a servant of the Lord and assist God in His great work.

Tuesday was a day full of many emotions. We learned another new Korean concept and it was truly the first one I did not fully understand. It made me extremely stressed because it did not make sense. My companions were feeling the same way also. The entire class I probably could have broken down into tears at any moment because I was so lost. It felt like I was failing which is not true, but wow, it was hard. So after learning it,  my companions and I were still frustrated so we decided to take a big break from Korean and do a companionship study for us. We began our study with a prayer for guidance to help us know what to study so that we could be comforted. We decided on the Christ-like Attribute of Patience. Preach My Gospel says Patience is the capacity to endure daily trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will and accept His timing. We must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled. In Mosiah 23:21 it talks about the Lord chastening us to try our faith and patience. God believes in tough love to help us learn grow and be strengthened. While continuing our study we read Alma 26 about the Sons of Mosiah and all the hardships they went through. They were patient with the Lord and took courage to do the will of the Lord so He could make them instruments in His hands. They put all their trust in the Lord and put their whole heart into His work. What great examples they are to each of us. As my companions and I studied from the Book of Mormon our Spirits were immediately lifted. God lifted the burden of Korean off of our shoulder and comforted us through His words in the Book of Mormon. Mosiah 24:13-15 says "I will also ease the burden which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs. I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." I had a personal witness of the Lord taking my burden off my shoulders. The Lord is willing to take all of the weight our burdens and trial put on our shoulders. We must learn to rely on Him to strengthen us. It was an amazing transformation that occurred within my companionship. We immediately thanked God for lifting our spirits and comforting us through His words in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has all the answers. I have never cherished it so much until now. I honestly turn to it daily because its teachings are for me and for us. They will apply to each one of us as we take time to study it. If one can't make time to read the Book of Mormon or God's word then we are busier than God ever intended us to be. The Book of Mormon is true. God gave it to us to help us get through this life. I have never been more grateful for the scriptures than this year as I have prepared for a mission and am on a mission. I encourage everyone to begin to read the Book of Mormon daily with a prayer in your heart that you can receive personal guidance from it. I know it gives personal guidance to everyone, but you must seek for it.

Tuesday night devotional was amazing! David A. Bednar came and spoke again! On Christmas he received more than 1,000 questions from us missionaries so he decided to address a few more. Two of the questions he addressed were "Why does God allow good people go through hard trials?" and "How can I receive a spiritual miracle?" To address the first question: God allows good people to go through hard trials because He trusts they will learn the lesson from that trial. He trusts them. That is what it all boils down to. The second question: If you are seeking for a miracle the less likely it is going to happen. We cannot force a miracle. We have to pray for ears to hear and eyes to see the little miracles that happen everyday. we must pray for the faith to witness and recognize miracles. As a missionary I have become so much more aware of the Lord's hand in my life. He is truly leading me along--step by step, day by day. I cannot do this alone and must ask for the Lord's help. I must learn how to wait on the Lord's timing and fully trust in Him. I am so grateful to be drawing nearer to my Savior everyday. I am continually being converted unto the Lord. I love being a missionary and I love this work. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.

Wednesday we had 33 new missionaries join the Korean Branch! Yes we are now the largest branch at the MTC. 11 of the missionaries are sisters so as sister training leaders Sister Bagely and I were able to do a mini MTC orientation for them. It was so fun. We had the opportunity to bear our testimonies in Korean to them and the Spirit was so powerful. The best part was Sister Bagely and I matched head to toe. Yes we are weird Sister Training Leaders but it was so great. I am so excited to get to know these new missionaries and help them in anyway that I can. The Korean branch is the best and I am so blessed to be a part of it. I love being here at the MTC and learning. I can't wait til the real hard work begins. Being a missionary is the best and I have loved every moment of it thus far. I love this gospel. I love my Savior. I love serving Him.

I want to thank you all for your love support and prayers. They help me get through the days and I could not do this without each and everyone of you! I hope you have a great week! Remember to keep smiling because Life is amazing!

Love
Sister Ciarra Jean Driscoll