Monday, September 8, 2014

August 18, 2014

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for all of the emails! Sounds like everyone is having fun :) I can't believe it's the last week of summer. Are you excited for school? Good luck! You will do great!

This week our investigator, 진 accepted a baptismal date! This week we taught her the Plan of Salvation, and she liked everything. She takes notes on everything we teach her. She loves it. On friday we taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ and taught her the Word of Wisdom- this time more in depth. She has an addiction to coffee so she is having a little bit of a hard time with it. She can understand why we don't drink alcohol or smoke, but she doesn't understand coffee. We told her we don't understand everything, but because we know that Joseph Smith is a prophet, we know the Word of Wisdom is true and we obey it. She believes in the Restoration and everything we have taught, so I think she believes that the Word of Wisdom is true, it's just hard to understand. Yesterday Sister Jeon and I fasted for her. She wasn't able to come to church but we talked to her on the phone and she is trying to keep the word of wisdom. She still really wants to be baptized and really wants the bishop to baptize her. She heard his testimony the first week she came to church and really likes him. We will keep praying for her to have the strength to overcome drinking coffee. She has to keep the word of wisdom for 2 weeks before she can be baptized. So in order to be baptized on the 30th, she has to keep it until her baptism. Pray for her! :)

Another miracle that happened this week happened on tuesday. We were out walking down the street heading to find a less active address when a man stopped me and asked who we were. We told him we are missionaries for the church and he recognized our church. He also asked about a book we have so we showed him the BOM. He said he was really interested and wanted to meet with the Elders. We got his number and met with him and the elders yesterday. We did some how to begin teaching and then taught him part of the first lesson. He said that he wanted to become a member right then, but we explained baptism and told him he needs to be taught everything first. He accepted a baptism date of September 20th. Elder G. and Elder M. will be teaching him and they are meeting again on thursday.
This week in my scripture study, I read Helaman 5: 12. This is one of my favorite scriptures and I have been thinking a lot about it. I also read a talk from the April 2010 conference by Elder Wilford W. Andersen. He spoke about the hard things we go through in life, but that we can get through anything as long as we have Christ as our foundation. He said, "I speak to all who suffer, to all who mourn, to all who now face or who will yet face challenges or trials in this life. My message is to all who are worried or afraid or discouraged. My message is but an echo, a reminder of the constant comforting counsel from a loving Father to His children since the world began." Then he shared Helaman 5:12. I am so thankful that as long as we build our foundation on Christ and trust and apply the Atonement in our lives, we can withstand anything that comes to us and the  Atonement will protect us. I am so so thankful for Christ's Atonement. I have seen the power of the Atonement as a missionary more than I ever have in my life. 

Random things: 
Lately I have to play the piano for the ward choir and our ward choir is the most intense choir and it's so stressful. It's like the most stressful part of my week. Trying to understand what the director is saying to me in korean while playing the piano. hahaha but it's fun too :)

The other day I was at the market and this wayyy old sweet little man came up to me and asked me where I was from. I told him I am from America and he bowed to me and said thank you. thank you. In Korean culture, old people never bow to younger people. We always bow to people older than us, especially if they are a lot older than us, so this was very unusual. He was so sweet. Koreans, especially older Koreans are so thankful for America because of the help America gave during the war.

The September Liahona or Ensign has an article about Korea! There are pictures of members of the WonDang ward (my last ward) that I love! If you look on the little square pictures on the left page, there is a picture of an old grandma  praying. She was one of the members i loved visiting in wondang! I think i sent you a picture of me with her and some of the other sisters a few months ago. At the bottom of that same page is another member holding her daughter. Remember that adorable daughter i sent pictures to you of? She is also the member who posted that pic of us on facebook before i transferred. haha anyways, i wanted to tell you who those people were in those pictures. 2 of my favorite members!

I'll write more to you all individually in a different email. love you!!
Have a happy week!

Sister Tara Anderson

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