Letter - 5/25/14

Dear Family and Friends,

Well I don't really know where to start.This week I will be a third done with my mission. Have 6 months really gone by?? I don't know what it feels like back at home but time sure is flying in Korea. Isn't time and interesting thing. I have thought a lot about time while being a missionary as I want to use the Lord's time as wisely as possible and picture this life just a speck in the sky compared to the eternities we have after this life. We all have 24 hours in a day are we using it wisely? Are we allowing those 24 hours change us to be better and reach the full potential that Heavnly Father sees in us? That's another thought. Reaching our full potential. We reach our full potential with the Lord's help and by setting goals. As my mission currently has been focusing a lot on consecration I have been setting goals to become the consecrated missionary that I see in myself and God sees in me. Detailing everything to make this work the Lord's and make sure I do it His way. With reachable and challenging goals we can reach our potential as we push ourselves and achieve them. So each of us can push ourselves a little more in becoming the person we want to be and God wants us to be.  

This week was just another fabulous week in the Korea Seoul South Mission in the wonderful area of 화곡. Sister Ward and I are just working hard everyday really focusing on our members as well as our investigators. We have the best ward to be working with and I am so grateful for their love and help. Last week we had a lot of interaction with our members as they have been feeding us like crazy and this coming week once again I think we have about 4 dinner appointments. I love gonig to the members homes and getting to know them as well as being able to share a special message with them. Our messages usually are very simple but I have learned that simplicity is the best. Clear and simple is my testimony of this gospel. Clear and simple is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, have faith, be obedient, surrender to God's will and most importantly LOVE. Love is our motivation. Love paves the way. Love is God's motivation. Love is everything.

Sister Ward and I were really busy this week with different appointments but one I want to talk about imparticular. So Friday..each Friday we meet with an investigator at her home. She is super nice and is really good at English. We do the 30/30 program with her so our 30 minutes of English we actually got on the topic of rodeo so I was able to talk a lot about my rodeo life. She thought  I was crazy that I loved to ride horses so much. When it came to teach our message we followed up and asked if she has read the repentance section the pamphlet we had given her. Well comes to find out she read the Restoration pamphlet. Repentenc and Restoration sound kind of similar in Korean so I must have not extened the commitment very clearly last week BUT it ended up being the greatest lesson ever. We decided to just base the lesson of the Restoration because thats what she read and it never hurts to review. So I specifically asked  her about Joseph Smith and what she thought about him. She then went off and siad its kind of strange but I have met with so many missionaries that say they know he is a prophet and I want to know.. How can I know? I though whoa really wants to know and we can tell her how she can know. So Sister Ward explained how she came to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and while explaining the feelings she felt from the spirit she was meaning to say she felt peace in Korean but then pronounced peace a little wrong and it translated to anger disease. You should have seen our invetigators face. She was so confused but then luckily we got it all figured out and we were all just laughing. We were able to tell her that she can pray and specifically ask the question to Heavenly Father "Is Joseph Smith really a Propeht? Did he really see Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father?" We commited her to do that this week and are currently praying that she will recieve and answer to her prayer. IT was just a really neat experience as I felt that we were really able to teach to her needs because all she really wants to know is How she can know. We were both to happy after the lesson ans so was our investigator. It was such a good experience.

Another experience this week was we met with a young girl on Monday. Our new investigator whom we just love but this next time meeting with her was just different. The first time she was super open talkative and wanting to learn but this next time she was really quiet and it was just not like last time. As we strive to lighten the mood and get her back to her bubbly self we find that she  doesn't want to learn about our message because she searched the internet and although that she knows that the internet is not always right but most things said that the Book of Mormon specifically was wrong. Sister Ward and I thought well there is only one way to find out if it really is wrong and that is to read it for yourself. I invited her to read and find out for herself and testifed that she would be able to know. We both did. But it just wasn't working. The Spirit wasn't there and she just wasn't wanting to accept. It was so hard but what I learned from that experience is not only to I have to be worthy of the Spirit at all times so that it can teach but the person or investigator has to be willing to let the Spirit teach them. She had already decided that day before we met that she did not like the Book of Mormon so she stopped the Spirit and closed her heart to its teachings. It was really hard because I thought it was all me but I then realized that it takes two. Sister Ward and I must have the Spirit but the investigator has to be willing to feel the Spirit and let it teach them.

This missionary work is by far the best experience I could ever ask for. I love that I am able to be a part of this marvelous work and love that I am growing everyday. I have so many experiences that I wish I could share all of them all at once but time is up and its time to get to work. I love each of you and miss you all. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. I hope you have a wonderful week and I want you all to know that I know this church is true. I know Heavenly Father is our Father and that He loves us. I know the Jesus Christ is my Savior and only through Him can we find true joy. I love this gospel. It truly changes lives. It is changing mine everyday. I love you all Always remember to be happy and stay smiling! Life is too short to do anything but Smile!

Love,

드리스콜자매

Sister Ciarra Jean Driscoll

Letter - 5/19/14

Family and Friends,

Well there is another birthday this week!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST SISTER IN LAW IN THE WORLD MISS JO DRISCOLL! I am realizing as I have been able to wish my family members Happy Birthday that I truly can say to the best big sister because I only have one, to the best little sister  because I only have one, to the best sister-in-law because I only have one and so on! So I am being completely honest when I say these things. Anyways, Joelle Happy Birthday from Korea! Thank you for being such a wonderful example to me and my sisters. We all look up to you so much! You have brought so much joy into our family and I cannot thank you enough! I hope you enjoy your birthday gift! Love you loads!

Well now as for me, Korea, and missionary work! This week was amazing! Tuesday night we had our final lesson with 심승연(Shim Seoun-Yeon) before her baptism. It was such a special lesson as the spirit was so strong as we asked her to bear a simple testimony and say the closing prayer. It was really special and her baptism was even more amazing. Sister Ward and I arrived at the church nice and early Saturday afternoon so we could get the font filled in time but we struggled with getting the water warm! I was a little stressed because I remember my baptism and how cold the water was and I definitely did not want that for 심승연 luckily we were able to get the water heater working. When she arrived she was just her quiet self but when she changed into the white dress she was glowing. We were able to take pictures with her and the young women who all accept her so well. It was such happy time. The actual baptism was amazing. The Spirit was so strong and after she received baptism I could just tell she was happier. The members just loved on her and gave her flowers and Sister Ward and I put together a gift for her to. She was so happy. Happier then I have ever seen her. It was interesting to watch after the baptism as the baton from the missionaries to the ward members was passed. I was kind of sad, I compare it to a Father giving a way his daughter at marriage, sad but so happy as a new life begins. I am really looking forward to the recent convert lessons with her and really focusing on strengthening her in order to endure to the end. She was a whole new person after her baptism. I don't think she noticed a big difference but I sure did. I am so grateful that I was able to witness one of God's children start on the path back to Him. This work is truly amazing and the Lord does it His way and in His timing. I am so grateful to be a part of it.

This week we had Zone Conference on Wednesday! It was the best ever. My Zone all traveled to the mission home and we went hiking to a place in Songpa called 남한산성 (I think that is the spelling). But anyways it's an old historical Korean Fortress where the Koreans defended themselves from the Chinese. It was really cool and so great to be out in nature viewing Korea. I cannot express how much I loved it!  We were told we would be going on a slightly strenuous hike and yes it was quite strenuous but beautiful! Our focus of the conference was Qualifying for the Work using Preach My Gospel Chapter 1.  As we continued having trainings and hiking we were able to accept that the way to qualify for this work is through faith, hope and charity. Faith, hope, charity, with an eye single to the glory of God qualifies us for the work or in other words consecration.  Our mission has been focusing alot the past month on becoming consecrated missionaries one step at a time and laying everything on the altar of sacrifice to show that Heavenly Father can trust us with His beautiful children in Korea. Love is our Motivation, Faith is our Action, and Hope is our desire.

While hiking up this mountain and going throughout the day I was able to witness something really special about my Mission President. Although we were holding a Zone Conference it did not stop him from talking to as many people as he could about the gospel. There were multiple times where I saw him sitting at a bench talking to a person about the gospel and bearing his personal witness of the truthfulness of our message. As I saw this I just thought to myself how lucky I am to be a part of this mission under his direction. What a role model he is to all the missionaries in the Korea Seoul South Mission.

I just want to thank each of you for all your love support and prayers. I cannot believe how time is flying by I mean I have almost been out 6 months!!! It's unreal and I still have so much to learn. I am so grateful to be in the Lord's service though. He is working through me in some way and that's all I could ever ask for. Everyday I receive blessings and everyday I am just in awe with what the Lord can do. I am so happy being a missionary. II love this life that I am living because it is creating the person God needs me to be! I love my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ who assist me and help me everyday. I am nothing without them in my life. I will always and forever need and rely on them. They are where my true strength lies.

This week we will be attending the temple and I am so excited. I love the temple and it truly is the Lord's house. I hope you will all have a great week and always remember to keep smiling because life is amazing and time goes by fast so we might as well be happy while living this short life of ours! I love and miss each of you!

Love,

드리스콜자매

Sister Driscoll

Letter - 5/12/14

Dear Family and Friends,

Well this is kind of odd as I just sat down and talked with my family on the phone about 3 hours ago and now emailing everyone. It was so great to hear everyone's voices and tell them about my experiences. I don't know if my family would say the same but I feel as if it was just a normal day talking to my family like I would have done as if I were home. I felt as if I had just talked with them yesterday! Their voices are still as I remember and are still so familiar to me and I am so grateful that I was able to spend time talking with them today. It was hard but amazing as I thought about them being in Idaho and me in Korea. WHAT?! How crazy is that!!  I am in South Korea doing the best work on the planet. I want to thank each of you for taking care of my family while I am gone. I know they are always in good hands.

This week was absolutely crazy busy and amazing! Sister Ward and I are both really learning how to plan effectively and use the Lord's time as wisely as possible. I love Sister Ward and we are working so well together. We are truly an equal companionship striving to do our best and rely on the Lord. We were able to see a lot of miracles this week and we received a new investigator, a really really good potential investigator, also we were able to contact a past investigator finally meeting with her this week and will be preparing for a baptism this next week. So an exciting week! The Lord has really blessed us this week. I will never be able to thank Him enough.

We met our new investigator this past Friday. We found her through past potential records and she is just the sweetest. Her name is 김아현 (Kim Hyun-Ah). At first we thought that she decided to just not show up to our appointment because we waited where we were supposed to meet for 30 minutes but right when we were about to leave we see this student running down the sidewalk towards us apologizing. It was her and I could tell she was committed to meeting with us or she wouldn't have been running. The minute we sat down to talk we were all immediately best friends. She was interested in our 30/30 program which is when we teach English for 30 minutes and the gospel for 30 minutes.  Before we even explained anything she asked when we would be meeting again and asked what the Book of Mormon was. I was in shock and just said "Well let me tell you!". She is 17 years old and I just loved her. I am really excited to help her and serve her.

And now our potential. Well last Tuesday Sister Ward and I decided sponsor our English class a little bit more because we currently don't have a lot of students so we went to a certain subway station in our area and handed out flyers. We handed out many and the day of English class we received a text from somebody telling us that they would be attending tonight. We were really excited. The girl showed up 20 minutes early and luckily Sister Ward and I were there early setting up the classrooms. We met the girl and her name is 윤지은 ((Yun JI-eun). She is the coolest and amazing at English! We immediately once again made a really good relationship with her and learned that she is currently looking for a job and all she wants to do with her life is help and serve people. SHE IS AMAZING!! I wasn't able to attend the English class with her because I was teaching the little kid English class but Sister Ward attended with her. I came in at the end when the spiritual message was shared and 윤지은 seemed to take the message really well so hopefully this week she will attend again and we can introduce a little more about our church and invite her to learn more about it! I just loved her instantly though! Ahh the Lord is blessing us in every aspects of the work right now and I am full of gratitude towards Him.

Next our investigator whom we were finally able to contact. Since Sister Kang had left a particular investigator all of a sudden just disappeared. I contacted her a ton but never heard from her and was about to consider her dropped after we called her one last time and she rejected our phone call. I was so sad because the investigator, 김명숙 (Kim Myung-Sook) was one who has been progressing really well and believes in the Book of Mormon as well as in Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. I was so so so sad but then randomly she called us back and asked if we were still free on Tuesdays and Thursdays and asked if we could meet this week. I of course said yes and then she asked what she needed to read in order to prepare. I was just amazed when I hung up the phone. It was an answer to my prayers and so we are back on track with this investigator helping her answer her questions on how she can receive salvation! And the gospel is the way!!

Finally our sweet investigator who will be baptized this Saturday. 심승연 (Shim Seoun-Yeon) I have been meeting with her since my first week, She is 19 years old and so so so quiet but just so kind. We have continuously had to postpone her baptism from February due to different reasons and finally we were able to sit down with her and a member to discuss baptism one more time and the blessings of it and the commitment she would be making. She quietly assured us that all she wants is to follow Jesus Christ and that’s her desire so we once again asked if she was ready and wanted to be baptized and she said yes. It was so special. Now our goal, Sister Ward and I, is to help her strengthen her faith and testimony DAILY!! We are currently figuring out how we can help her daily and as we do she will continue to grow in the gospel.

Like I said this past week has been full of blessing but every week really is. I love this area, my ward and each Sunday talking with the ward members just makes me so happy. Sister Ward and I are really gaining strong relationships with them. In fact yesterday we were invited to two members homes for lunch and dinner! We ate so much food! We thought we were going to explode but we were able to help those two members and show our love to them in our limited Korean.

 I am doing so well at growing to love the people more and more each day. I am so blessed to be serving in Korea and to be learning from the amazing people here. I love this work and each day I am learning more than I could ever imagine about myself, people, the gospel, and my Savior. He is truly walking at my side everyday, every step. I am truly understanding that this work cannot be done on my own because guess what?! It is not my work. It is the Lord's and He will do it the way He wants it done. I am so grateful for the relationship I am gaining with my Father in Heaven. He is so aware of me and my needs. I just want each of you to know that our Heavenly Father loves each of us unconditionally. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to the world so that we would have someone who had perfect empathy for our feelings and so that we could return to live with Him again. I know this is true for I have partaken of Christ's love and felt it in my life more now than ever before. We are never alone.
Thank you for all of your love support and prayers. I love and miss each of you dearly! I hope you have a wonderful week and always Remember to stay smiling! Heavenly Father only wants His children to be happy and life isn't fun if you aren't happy! Smile and believe that everyday is a great day!!

Love,
드리스콜자매
Sister Ciarra Jean Driscoll

Letter - 5/5/14

Dear Family and Friends,

Many of you are probably wondering about my new companion and my first week of the new transfer. Well my new companion is amazing! Sister Ward is from Cotton Heights Utah and has been in Korea for 10 months so a missionary for a year. She is so sweet and super patient with me as I try to fill her in on the information about the area. She loves to sing and is amazing at it. Our companionship study always starts off well because of her beautiful singing voice! I love her already! We are going to have a fun transfer and I am really looking forward to it. I have so much to learn from her and so much to learn as I try to show her the area and make missionary work happen here in 화곡.

I am not going to lie I was so nervous to stay in my area and have to inform my new companion on all the information about the area, the ward and investigators. I did not think I could do it but I just turned to the Lord for comfort and that is exactly what He gave me. We have had so much fun the last few days and are continually reassured that this is the Lord's work and He is going to fulfill His purpose no matter what. I am really learning how to use the Lord's time wisely and that's exactly what I want to learn because I know this time as a missionary really is so short! I was able to go throughout the past few days without getting lost. well yeah, let’s just say we are enjoying the moment and learning our area really well and fulfilling our purpose as missionaries.

This week in my personal study I decided to have a daily favorite scripture that I found while studying and would like to share some of them with you. First D&C 122, all things that we experience are for our good. Heavenly Father has work for each of us to do and we must experience hardships and trials in order to do His work and understand His will. Then these next scriptures all kind of go together for one day D&C 11:19-20, D&C 12, D&C 6:34-37. My work is to keep the commandment of God. Through this we can cleave unto Him with all our heart and we can assist bringing His light to others. It will take patience to accomplish but as long as we do the will of the Lord He will not allow us to fail.  None of us can assist in the marvelous work unless we develop and strive to become like Christ, humble, full of charity, having faith and love. The Lord speaks to all who desire to participate in the work. If we have a desire then let’s get to work!  Build upon the rock, our Savior, and look unto Him always. He will never fail us and that is why we can build our foundation upon His teachings. But the most important of all is taking action so for the last scriptures I want to share are Jame 1:22 and Helaman 10:4-5. We must take action. This gospel requires actions. We cannot just be hearers of the work we must be doers. We must make things happen and let the Lord see us DO!! The way to make things happen is through first obtaining His word, seeking His will, declaring His work and then ACTING on whatever He gives you.

I do want to share one story with you that was really hard for me but I learned so much from it and learned to act through testifying. On Saturday we were visiting less actives and ran into two older ladies who were so sweet at first and I thought were sincerely interested in the Book of Mormon so we continued to talk with them. They took us to the nearest park where we sat down and talked. They soon transitioned quickly to telling us that our religion is wrong and that we can't speak Korean so how can we teach people or even talk to people and asked why we were here. Both Sister Ward and I did not understand everything but we just testifed to them as they just continued to talk at us. I invited them to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon so they could receive a better explanation of the book through its pages rather than my broken Korean but they did not even accept that invitation and just said it was wrong without even reading it. As they talked to us I felt terrible because I wasn't able to defend my faith very well because I can't speak a lot of Korean but now as I reflect back I realize that my testimony is all that is needed. My testimony is the strongest thing that I have and both Sister Ward and I testified to them that we know the Book of Mormon is true and that's why we are here in Korea. I realized I don't have to defend I just have to state what I know to be true and that is all that is required. I know the Book of Mormon is true and if you read it sincerely you will know too. I am glad that I had this experience where I was able to testify. Although they quickly rejected the Book of Mormon and were not open to giving it a chance they at least know about it now and somewhere a seed was planted in their hearts. I love this missionary opportunity that I have been given and for the opportunity I have to share and testify of the gospel daily. I know this church is true and that it brings true happiness to all those who live by its teachings. I am so grateful to be in the Lord's service and am cherishing the moment. I love and miss each of you! I hope you each have a wonderful week! Thank you for your prayers, love and support! Always remember to smile and that everyday is a good day if you believe it to be!! LOVE YOU and MISS each of you!

Love,
드리스콜자매
Sister Ciarra Jean Driscoll