Dearest family--
This week has been really magnificent. I can't explain the feelings that are going on in my heart...these little miracles that we are seeing and this overwhelming, filling me up, hastening the work feeling. I know this is the Lord's work. He has something beautiful in mind for Korea and for our Dapdong area. I am so blessed to be a part of it.
We started off Monday with some service. SCORE! We always ask the members if there is anything we can do to help them, and they pretty much 100% of the time say no. Then we write down our phone number again and tell them to call if they ever need anything. They rarely do. And even more rarely ask for help about themsevles. But this week! This precious mother of 6 in our ward called and asked if we could come help her clean. Raising families with lots of kids is different in Korea. They don't just send them to the backyard to play for an hour or two. They are sent to day-care classes and after school academy from the time they are old enough to talk. So this mom, Sister Gwan, has a house full of messes and nobody there to help. We sorted through books and photo albums and toys, dusting off selves and just talking for 2 hours. It was so good. An hour or so after we arrived, she just started crying...as she told us about her lack of faith and how she feels she is failing as a mother, my eyes welled up with tears for this good sister. Then she told us that just a few hours earlier, she had prayed that someone could come and help her that day. She felt like she should call us. As you know, Monday is our p-day so we were out and about, getting ready to leave for Seoul that night. When she called, I regretably told her we couldn't make it, but let us know next time. As soon as I hung up, I told Sister Nebeker and she said we need to go. I felt that way too. We were with the Kajeong ward sisters, so I asked them to come with us too. I called Sister Gwan right back and said we were on our way. As she tearfully told me about her prayer that morning, it was a testimony builder for her and for us. God was watching out for His daughters that day, as He always is. We were able to bear testimony of the love Heavenly Father has for us. He is in the details of our lives and He is taking care of us.
And on Tuesday...we went hiking. in the mountains. all day. for the best zone conference ever. It was wonderful. We hiked and stopped along the way, training on Faith, Hope, and Charity. I don't know how to explain. I just learn things from the scriptures and our mission leaders like I never knew I could. I feel like I don't have enough time left out here to fix all I need too! i'll still have a long list when I come home. Our mission scripture is 1 Nephi 13:37... "and blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost, and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be" (typed that from memory. good job!) and it was just a neat experience to have all those missionaries, literally upon the mountains, learning and testifying together. We have the best missionaries here.
Wednesday we did a finding activity with our whole zone in Kajeong area. and they got 52 numbers! WOWZERS! so, this is how it went. They made a big poster that said the lyrics to the begining of "Let it Go" and several others saying things like "come challege your friends!" (they sounded a lot cooler in Korean...) Basically they just read the lyrics in English, we gave them a choco-pie, and then they wrote their number down so we could contact them about english class. BUT! the story doesn't end there! on Saturday we were coming home from Seoul and on the way home, we have to transfer subways and buses several times. At one station, I didn't pay attention and took us down the side going the opposite way. Just as we got down there, I saw that we were in the wrong place right as our subway pulled up on the other side. bummer. so we had to walk back around and wait for our subway. then at the bus stop, we took bus 77 when we usually take but 7. This all leads somewhere, I promise! about half way home, this cute girl gets on the bus. I look at Sister Nebeker and say "that girl came and did the english competition on Wednesday!" and guess what? she comes and sits my us! I lean over and say hello, and ask if she is a student. THEN! she recognizes me! we talk for a bit. she asks why I came to Korea. well...let me just tell you :) In the end, she attends church and gave us her number so that we could get together and talk about church and God and what we are doing as missionaries. Simple little things...missing a train and catching a different bus...lead up to beautiful miracles. I am so happy. and I can't wait to see where the story ends.
We did lots of less-active finding again this week. The most eventful was on Thursday. We haven't found any of the less-actives (yet), but we did talk to a cousin on the phone! anyway. Thursday. We are just searching and searching for this house...8-403 in case you were wondering...and cannot find it. But in the proccess, we keep seeing this boy. We aren't allowed to talk to him, but finally he comes up and askes who we are and what we are doing. We took the chance to introduce ourselves, the church, and a little about our English class. He wouldn't give us his number, but we gave a pass along card and that was that. We keep searching. Then I ask this old smoking grandpa for directions. He decides to join our search. So here we are following him through this little cement path connecting all the houses. (I'll try and send pictures) He decides to ask directions for us. So he knocks on this door and another smoking grandpa joins the search party. yay! nobody knows here. nobody can find the house. But we talked to some great people! on our way out, we see that boy again! he says he has a question. He asks why our church is different, how it started, what about other churches...PERFECT. We taught the whole restoration and the Book of Mormon, bore testimony about how it has changes our lives and given us the knowledge we have of the Savior. awesome moment. He still wouldn't take a Book of Mormon or give his number, but hopefully the story doesn't end there! planting seeds :)
so many other things I wish I had time to write about...singing in sacrament meeting, getting 4 referrals from other missionaries this week, lunch with the cutest Sister Lee and her mom, a cute lady I had a conversation with on the bus, getting kicked out of the museum, ward lunch together, the primary girls in our ward, and a million testimony building experiences that I get everyweek. everyday. I am the most blessed girl in the world. I love being a a missionary. I love testifying of the Savior. I know He lives. I know His atonement is real. We have a wonderful blessing and precious knowledge!
I love you all!
xoxo, Sister Bassett
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