Letter - 3/9/15

Dear Family and Friends,

Well sorry that I am emailing a little late today! This week we will be going to the temple so our P-day is actually switched to Thursday so we had an appointment after studies today which caused us to email late but we are emailing now so that's what matters! How is everyone? I love hearing updates from my family about all of you! (Jordan & Emily Congratulations, Houston so cool you are going to Tacoma and Permann boys you rock!)   Just want you to know how much I love you and appreciate all that you have done for me! I wouldn't be the person I am today without each of your influences so thank you and I thank my Heavenly Father for putting you into my life.

This week was just another great week! I think it was a big week of learning and change. The mission so far has been struggling a little with finding and baptizing since the new year started and in Zone training we got the whip cracked on us a bit but it was great! I took it as the greatest opportunity to turn to the Lord, repent and change to be better. That is what I love most about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it invites change and through the Savior and His atonement we can change.

 Now is the time to change and become better. Just do it! That is Sister Matamata and I's new motto! JUST DO IT! Throughout my mission I have found myself questioning my thoughts or feelings wondering if it was me or the Spirit but I learned as it says in Moroni 10 that if it invites to do good it is of Christ and if it is of Christ then it is not going to hurt anything. So my commitment to myself is to not only trust the Lord but trust myself and JUST DO IT even if nothing comes out of it immediately! I love this new outlook and it has already changed the missionary work I am doing here in Korea. I was reading in my Preach My Gospel the section on successful missionary and D&C 117:13 was written next to the passage. I turned to it and found this "...for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase..." That line hit me so hard and I realized that the Lord sees each and every one of our sacrifices that we put forth and He treasures them so we have to just do it so that we can treasure those sacrifices and see us putting our effort in for Him.

Our appointments were great this week! One specific one was with our investigator named 정주영. She was a member referral from 곡반정 ward and she is just the cutest ever. We meet with her each week at a member’s house and it's been so fun. We always have such a party. She is warming up to the gospel but we are trying to figure out how to get her to want to learn and act. That always seems to be the trick in missionary work but the relationship we have built with her is great. We walked to the bus stop with her and I was just linking arms with her singing away! She taught me Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Korean and then she sang "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket and never let it fade away" with me! It was a fun memory and I am just so grateful for her love and for the opportunity the Lord is giving me to love her.

We also met with 장미정 this week. We retaught the restoration and invited her to be baptized but found out that her husband really doesn't like the fact that she is coming to church each week so that's a curve ball that was thrown at us. She is thinking smart though and just says to continue meeting and changing then as time goes on her husband will see the change that is taking place in his family and will desire to learn so our focus now can be just getting her really converted by living the commandments and noticing the blessings that the gospel brings through actually living it. She didn't come to church this week though and just a little worried because she hasn't answered our calls our texts but all we can do is continue to show her love. She is still the biggest miracle of my mission.

I went on exchange with the Sister Training Leader this week and what a party that was. Sister Shin is also from New Zealand and we came to Korea together. We actually were friends on Facebook before the mission too so yeah I just love her. But while out proselyting on Saturday we stopped at a park and played tag with 4 little girls for at least an hour! It was the best ever and a great time to just have fun! The Korean children are just so adorable. They made us promise that we would go back next week and play so hopefully they will be there because I am going back.

Sister Matamata is improving and we are just having fun here in the land of 곡반정. I learned alot about her and I just want to tell you how amazing she truly is. Since being on my mission I have truly come to understand that everyone comes from different backgrounds but yet we are all here united in purpose showing our love to the Lord and experiencing our own journey of conversion. That's what I love about my mission is that it is MINE. No one in the whole world has served my mission and what a blessing it is to say that I am serving a mission representing my Savior Jesus Christ in Korea. I was reading in D&C this morning and found some verses that I loved that stressed how great this experience really is. In D&C 42:11 its says "Again I say unto you, that it shall not be given to anyone to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church..." This opportunity isn't given to everyone and I am just realizing that which then leads me to D&C 36:5 "...embrace this calling and commandment..." I am here as a missionary in Korea embracing and cherishing each moment because as time goes by I am realizing that it isn't going to last forever no matter how bad I want it to. I love being a missionary and I am so grateful to the Lord each and everyday for giving me the calling to represent Him as His servant in Korea.

I hope you all had a wonderful week and continue to have a wonderful week! I love each of you and miss each of you dearly but I know that this is exactly where I am meant to be as I learn and grow each day valuable experiences that are preparing me for the rest of my life. I love being a missionary. I love this gospel. I love my Savior. I love my Heavenly Father. I love Korea. I love you all! Remember to just do it and that your sacrifice is what is sacred to the Lord!

Love,
드리스콜자매
Sister Ciarra Jean Driscoll