Letter - 11/23/14

Dear Family and Friends,

Well this week was a great last week to spend in my good old area of 금천. Yes that is correct we received transfer calls Sunday morning and I got news that I would be transferred to a new area called 곡반정. They closed one of the sister areas in this area due to the lack of sisters coming so Sister Hoffman my roommate and Sister Stout will becoming new companions and take over both wards. I am so sad to leave and feel that I wasn't here for very long but in the amount of time I was here the love I grew for the members and the people of Korea just sky rocketed. I really learned to serve and love the members quicker then ever before. It has been an honor to serve here and I kind of expressed this in one of my prior letters but it is what I learned while serving here in 금천. While serving here we haven't been booming with investigators so my focus was my members and what a difference that made in my daily life and missionary work. As I learned to work with members, love them, serve them and build relationships with them I began feeling more effective and successful. I realized that the members are my focus and they are the ones that I needed in my life to progress and become better. I was only here for 4 months but in those 4 months I made everlasting friendships that I will never forget.

As I talked of this last week being great let me tell you why. With the new change of the mission of focusing on lessons Sister Stout and I the last few weeks had just barely fallen short of our goal but this week we succesfullly made it and each of our lessons were meaningful and guided by the spirit. One happened Sunday night as we met with a member and talked about the prayer of faith. Sister Stout and I have been studying a lot about prayer of faith and really just wanted to learn not only from the Spirit but our member. It was a really special experience as we were talking things were brought to my rememberance and there was no fear inside me to speak Korean. Everything just flowed and it was a miracle. One thing she said that touched me was something my dad had just emailed me last week. She said "We are miracles. I am a miracle. Sister Stout is a miracle. Sister Driscoll is a miracle. Us meeting right now is a miracle." It is so true. As we look around in life we begin to realize that everything truly is a miracle from God and what joy that brings me. It manifests His love to us His children. Knowing that fills me with so much gratitude toward my Heavenly Father and His mercy towards each of His children especially me.

Another great event that happened is the 8 year old boy we were teaching the lessons to had his baptism on Wednesday. Monday we finished the lessons with him by doing Family Home Evening with his family and it was so great. It was the family I spent my birthday with. I love that family so much and am so grateful for all the sacrifice, love and service they have showed me. It filled me with so much joy to watch him make those covenants with our Heavenly Father and light up as he entered the waters of baptism and later recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am grateful that his mother asked Sister Stout and I to teach him and be apart of his conversion process. It was so neat to be a part of that special time with him even though while teaching him it was like pulling teeth because his attention span is very short haha but it was great for us to learn how to teach simply, clearly, effectively and adjust to his needs as an 8 year old.  I love this gospel so much and so grateful that like this little boy that I was able to learn it at a young age and see how it has blessed and changed my life. I never realized how lucky I was to have the gospel my entire life until I came on my mission and listened to so many conversion stories. This gospel is truly amazing and I love it. I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to preach it to God's children and invite all people to come unto Christ.

Due to me leaving all the Relief Society Sisters are super worried about the dance for the Christmas party but luckily Sister Stout has been amazing and knows the dance better then I do. She will be continuing the teaching and will perform with them at the Christmas party but this Tuesday we will have our last practice with me where we will learn the finale and have a big party. I am grateful that I get to say goodbye to everyone that night instead of earlier. I just love this ward so much and they have helped me grow so much by teaching me dedication, obedience, sacrifice, and love. Each of the members bent over backwars to fulfill their callings and be obedient to the Lord's commands. They sacrificed so much time for Sister Stout and I so we could do practice lessons with them and learn from them. They also just unconditionally loved me and filled me with joy the more time I spent with them. I am so grateful for each one of them and I am grateful that my last Sunday was the Primary Program so I was able to hear the kids sing and bear their testimonies of the Plan of Salvation that our Heavenly Father has given to us.

Thursday was then temple day and what joy and peace the temple brings into my heart. I am so blessed to be able to go every transfer and communicate with my Heavenly Father directly with no distractions inside. The temple truly is the HOuse of the Lord and the blessings of the temple are numerous. I am grateful everytime I walk through the city of Seoul and can see Angel Moroni gleaming in the sunlight. What a blessing that is and I am grateful for the hope it fills my soul. After that temple day Sister Stout and I spent the whole day (P-day) with 황미주, our member, my best friend. It was the best day ever and I just love her so much. We went to an ancient Korean palace and saw the beautiful fall leaves. We had so much fun together and it is a day that I will forever remember. 황미주 has truly been an answer to my prayers and has become my eternal friend. We always say that in heaven we are going to live right next to each other but in order to do that we have to work hard here on earth so that we can meet there. Once again so grateful for the relationships I have made and the person I have become while serving in the wonderful ward.

 I love being a missionary so much and thank my Father in Heaven everyday for guiding me to this point in my life. Each day I feel His guidance and each day I am grateful. I read in 2 Nephi 8 verse 16 the other day and just love the line that said "And I have put my words in thy mouth and have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand." As I thought about that I realized that we are in Christ's shadow. That is where we started and we can always remain there as we follow Him. In order to stay inside a shadow you must follow it which means we must follow our Savior Jesus Christ and as we do so perfectly we will be led back to where we belong. Christ is truly the way and we must follow him so we can remain in His shadow and become like Him. we are always safe walking in His path. I know that as we rely on the Savior we will always be comforted and safe. He is our Savior and I love Him. Thank you for your prayers in my behalf. Everything good that happens in my life is due to the prayers offered by each of you. Your prayers are being answered I can testify that to you. I love you and miss each of you! Have a wonderful week and remember that "You truly are a miracle!"

Love
SIster Ciarra Jean Driscoll