Last Transfer

                                                                                                                                

Dearest Family-

It's official! I am serving in the Korea, Seoul South mission! so crazy. So I'll be "meeting" the new mission President soon with my Zone... Hi Uncle Marshall! I guess I should get used to President and Sister Morrise. Their missionaries are praying for them already! I am so sad to see some of our Elders go to the Seoul Mission. we will miss them! And my MTC district is all split up. oh transfers!

Last p-day we went to the Seoul Tower. It was so neat! You can see almost all of Seoul. and they do something their kind-of like the love-lock bridge in Paris. There are SO many locks signifying people's love. and 'couple benches' (i'll send a picture. so funny.) We are running out of days to cross the river so everyone is trying to see everything they want before the split.

Sister Pak (I think I talked about her last week?) brought her husband to church this week! So good. The Elders are really trying to build a relationship with him. We are just hoping and praying that we will get to teach them as a family. She is wonderful. She loves what she has seen of the gospel, just wants time to really think about it before accepting a baptismal date.

and Sunny. two hour lesson with her on Saturday. AWESOME. She has 'real intent' if I have ever seen it! She is very concerned about doing what God wants, but is worried that she won't know for sure if her answer is from God, or just her own feelings. She completely understands the importance of the Book of Mormon, which none of our investigators really do. After we talked about Joseph Smith, she said "so that's why we read the Book of Mormon. To know if he was a prophet." YES! Because if that book is true, than Joseph was a prophet and THIS is God's true church. Se is very strong in her church, so we are praying for her to feel the difference...see that we are offering her MORE LIGHT. she is great. love her.

also...reach out to less-actives! We have so many in our ward. Whether they have had their feelings hurt or have some how lost their faith, they need to be loved back to activity in the church. We had dinner with a couple in our ward this week, the husband is active but the wife is not. We were sharing favorite scriptures and when she read hers (the 13 Article of Faith) she just cried! She knows what she should be seeking, but she just isn't. We are trying to love her back to church ^^

so this week... I had cold soup. they have that lots now that it is getting so hot,. also, it has pears in it. and aloe vera? pretty sure that's in it too. I walked all the way to Seoul National University. It is FOREVER long. I saw a lady pushing a stroller...totally normal. except that there was a big, fat cat in it. true story. 

on Sunday we went on splits with 2 girls that are here on a study abroad through BYU. They are leaving next week so they spent a day with us. So fun! Sister Ellis, who I was with, as her call to Seoul and will come in September. Sister Hirst will put her papers in in August. YAY for missionaries!

A few weeks ago Garret sent me a letter that said something along the lines of "in God's eyes, we are all investigators-trying to figure out life as best we can." I have thought about that a lot. We are all on a journey to Christ. Bronte ( um...Sister Baird) told it to me like this: "as missionaries, we are just inviting people to walk the path with us. We are saying 'hey, I'm heading towards God and trying to follow the Savior. I'm not perfect, but I know they way. Come with us.' That's all." and it's true. We should be inviting people by our examples everyday. President Uchtdorf said to "find your way on this journey home and be an inspiration to fellow travelers." May we all do that a little better this week. Whether our fellow travelers are our children or family, friends or neighbors, or people we ride the subway with, we should be an inspiration.

I love you all!

Sister Bassett

One Month

Dear Family~

The weather here is almost as bi-polar as Utah! SO HOT most days, but then cold in the morning and rainy and then hot. that's why I got the new short sleeved shirt, mom :)

I knocked doors for the first time this week. No one actually opens the door, they just yell (or through the speakers that everyone has) "who is it?" and we answer. and tell a little about our message. and ask if we can leave a card. or they pretend they aren't home. or they do answer the door, and quickly shut it. so fun!

I also had a Korean snow cone! You know how much I love snow cones...they are just a little different here. it is shaved ice with this like syrup-y stuff, black/red beans (they put them in everything!), canned fruit, and this little squares of jello looking stuff that is super chewy. so yummy! and so good on hot days.

I feel like every week is so crazy, but then when I try and sit down to write about it, I have nothing to say! Last Monday we went to the King's palace. SO BEAUTIFUL! there were all these young students there having a scavenger hunt and asking to take pictures with us...foreigners! So exciting!

of all the lessons we had this week (like...3...I loved the letter you sent from Curtis that they had found 12 new investigators. We currently have like 3 or 4 investigators, and we are doing pretty good!) I just wanted to talk about Sister Pak's. if you wanna keep her and her family in your prayers, that would be great! her aunt is a member and she LOVES that family. now that she has a son, she wanted a religion for her family also. her cousin encouraged her to visit our church, and she has come for 3 weeks. She says that her aunt's family is so nice and loving, so she wants that for her son. Her husband isn't interested...yet. She is so open and loves learning about the gospel. And her son reminds me of Taven...he is crazy and always running around! 

ok...life in Korea. I don't know what to tell ya! I feel like I have just lived here forever. My apartment/villa is like as big as my room+the log cabin room with the hallway. maybe. It is great. Koreans are all about fitting as much as they can into a little spot. SO we have our shower, toilet, and washer conveniently in one room! haha so fun.

last week at the Mission Activity, there were two quotes that I keep thinking about. one was that "good things keep on coming...as long as I let them." and they do! new light and love and experiences fill in for any thing that is lost. I am trying to remember that here. When investigators drop or a recent convert isn't coming to church, it is SO HARD! and although we have to keep working with them, because we never know when they will repent and return, we've also gotta remember that good things keep coming. we will find more investigators. people will come to church. we already know what team is going to win. and Elder Holland's quote that "victory is everything! we need a voice for good. a voice for God."

sorry that this letter is so unorganized. I have a lot of thoughts in my head and never enough time to put them how I want!

I love you all and pray for you everyday! especially dad and his new job. and Ross preparing for a mission. ok... just for all of you!

Love, Sister Bassett

Big Eyes

Family!

Ross! I am so glad that you got to go through the temple! How was it? do you feel so old? I can hardly believe it! And I can't wait to go with you sometime! Still crossing my fingers to see you at the temple here in Seoul!

Speaking of Seoul...I am currently in the Seoul South mission! I am about 30 minutes south of the river. So, unless I get transferred during my 12 week training, which isn't likely, I will be in Uncle Marshall's mission. kinda crazy!

This week was so busy! I love it that way, though. It is easy to feel like a missionary when you are running up all the hills in 봉천 because you are almost late for curfew! it is so great. I expect to have some really good calves when I get home. 

Sandy is done with the 6 week program, but wants to keep meeting! We are having our first all gospel lesson tonight. and we are going to try and get her to commit to a baptismal date. so pray for us! she talked about how the chapel is like getting away from real life...her fortress. We can find that EVERY DAY! In the scriptures, prayer, church, and especially the temple. I got to go to the Seoul temple on Tuesday. and it was beautiful. they do English sessions three mornings a week, so we went to that. can I just say how much I love the temple! I always feel like a beloved daughter when I am in the celestial room. My MTC companion and I sat together in the celestial room...I was so glad to see her! There is something comforting and empowering about the temple...I am worth something. Ross (and everyone else...) go as much as you can!

We slept over with the other Sisters (Saunders and Park) in our Zone so that we wouldn't have to travel so far to the mission activity. And the mission activity was so great! We had a spiritual meeting to begin, then we went to this huge park and played games and went to the zoo. FUN! Crazy statistics from the meeting: in 2 transfers, there will be 62 missionaries available to train 58 new missionaries. I am counted in the 62 available!!! WHAT? yeah. that is real life here in Korea! it was so good to be 'out' of the city for a day. 

I know you wanted to hear about my day to day life, but I"ve just gotta tell you about Sunny. She is a new investigator we started teaching this week. At first, she didn't want to do the 6 week program because she didn't want to hear about the gospel. But she really wanted private English, so she started. We were just talking (in english...) about ourselves and she asked us how we joined our faith. Then I talked about how I left in the middle of University to come on a mission. She asked why, and I said that this gospel makes me so HAPPY and so I wanted to share it. She was so impressed with us...not getting paid, just serving. When I was talking about serving a mission, I mentioned the Book of Mormon, so we got talking about that. she was SO surprised that we believe Christ visited the Americas. She loves the Bible, so we said that they support each other. that led to a little about Joseph Smith. and then Sister Arthur wants giving a little overview of what we would be teaching in the lessons. When she got to the Plan of Salvation, Sunny looked at us and said "you really have answers to those questions?!" she goes to church and reads the Bible, but wishes that the good feeling would last longer. I just KNOW that this gospel is what she is looking for. I pray that she will open her heart and mind and see that for herself. WE HAVE THE ANSWERS! we know the most glorious truths ever. And it should make us happy! So we should be sharing it!

Sharing the gospel goes for all of you, too! I am a HUGE believer in members at lessons. they make all the difference. please read the quotes on page 12 and 13 of Preach My Gospel about missionary work... MOM, DAD, GARRET, MIKE, ALAN and ANYONE else reading this, your mission IS NOT over! every member is a missionary! So do what you can where you can. 

On Saturday night we had dinner with Scott's family...me, Sister Arthur, and our zone leaders. We have the BEST zone leaders ever. they are wonderful and great and AUNT GLENDA, I hope you tell them about this letter too ;)  It was so crazy...I felt like I was in America! The chicken divan was JUST like momma makes it! and Melody is getting so old. She will be taller than me soon!

Mom- we haven't taught the bus stop woman. Yet. also, I found some buckwheat pasta here. i'll let you know how it tastes.

ok. life in Seoul. normal missionary schedule. our area has TONS of hills. and random little tiny shops everywhere. We ride the subway and buses. Funny story about the subway, people sell things there. just walk around. I can't remember if I told you about the crazy guy yelling that I would have salvation if I bought his toothbrushes. I didn't. 

we teach English class 2 times a week. and I LOVE it. after class on wednesday, Thompson comes up to me and says "Sister Bassett... you have very big eyes. I think maybe I should envy you?" (imagine what they would say about Rachel Saunders...) haha, so funny!

I love raddish kimchi. half the time I love it, sometimes, I really don't. the food here is so good! I'm getting used to spicy.

All my love,

Sister Bassett

It’s really chewy...

Dearest Family-

On Monday we had another lesson with Sandy. An adorable RM from our ward came with us and she really helped. As we talked about church and bore testimony, I think that she could feel a difference in the room. and she accepted the invitation to come with us! She talks about the peace she feels when she comes to church, so I hope that she felt how strong it is during the sacrament. We did take her to gospel principles, though, and the teacher went off trying to teach her about all our different scriptures. I think she was a little overwhelmed... Tonight is our last lesson with her on the 6 week program, so after this if she wants to keep meeting, it is only for gospel. Pray that she wants to!

Jay and Skylah (have I told you about them? They are best friends and such beautiful girls! Jay is Christian and she goes to another church, Skylah was raised Buddhist, but she says she doesn't really have a religion) are so great. A Brother from our ward came and taught with us...the Plan of Salvation. I am a HUGE believer in getting members to lessons. So good! They said they would come to church, but didn't show. we'll see why at our lesson tomorrow! Skylah loves meeting with us though. 

ok. the language. I am almost half way through pass-off! So that's awesome. they have different things you have to pass off for each lesson...vocab and scriptures and reciting the first vision. DAD- this is the thing I was telling you about in my phone call home, that my Zone Leader is pushing so much? yeah. it takes most people months and transfers. but hopefully I will get it all done this transfer! Especially with everyone pushing me so much!

Funny thing of this week- couples wear matching things here. all the time. like "we're dating. in case you couldn't tell by us holding hands, we'll wear matching sneakers." seriously. like bright pink matching shoes...or matching purple hair...or shirts. this is a true story!

Also...people just wander out of the hospital. really! I'll see people just walking into a restaurant with an IV in their arm. or smoking. It's awesome.

BUT the big new thing I did this week was EAT OCTOPUS. yeah. we were walking home for dinner and this sweet Sister from our ward saw us. When we told her where we were going, she grabbed my hand and said she was going to take us to dinner. and she did. to Korea Octopus Food. That's the restaurant. It tastes pretty good! Really chewy. and the little suction cup things on the legs come off in your mouth and it feels so strange! It was so great.

Thank you for your love and support! I am so blessed. The letters from my other friends out on missions inspire me every week. And Ross. I am so excited for him to be a missionary! He will be the best. I loved getting an email from his ldsmail account today. With all the ups and downs, I just have to remember that THIS is exactly what I always wanted. I love the people here. And I love the gospel like I never have before. When people don't listen on the streets or won't take a card on the bus, I just want to say "this is important! this is the best thing you are going to hear about...EVER!" and it is. 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! I forgot about that until mom mentioned it :)

All my love,

Sister Bassett

Getting to know Korea

                                 Our Zone dinner with my companion, Sister Arthur! YUM!

Family! 

Sorry about the letter, or lack of it, last week. Here we go for this week!

Korea is always an adventure. especially when you are will another Sister that has been here 6 days. Yep! Exchanges! Sister Saunders and I (the one from my MTC District) here together for a whole 24 hours. It was fabulous ^^ I love her so much! We street contacted for a while in the evening but, jokes! we don't speak Korean! so the next day we set up a street board withmormon.org on it and SANG! in the middle of a busy sidewalk, we stood there and sang hymns and passed out cards. for over an hour. it was great. We talked about the FIRE we felt in the MTC and working to never loose that fire. That's what the MTC is like now! The missionaries out here didn't get to see the amazing feeling that is there now...the 19 year old Sisters coming, the floods of missionaries every Wednesday, the devotionals. So we get to bring that fire and spread it here!

I taught my first REAL lesson this week. It was so neat. Her English name is Sandy (she is on the 6 week program, 30 minutes of English, 30 minutes of the gospel). She is was asking about the Book of Mormon and saying she didn't understand it. I bore my testimony and shared a scripture that really touched me this week...Jacob 5:72, about the Lord laboring with us...I talked about the comfort that verse gave me and just started crying. She said that she wants to believe God is real. She wants someone to rely on. It was great. The next day was Katie's lesson, same program. It was our first time meeting her. After we gave her a Book of Mormon, she sat and read it before English class. So we'll see!

I had dinner in 강남! that is Gangnam (is that how you spell it?)...like in the song. So delicious! and so much food! 

**Line of the week: I was with Sister Saunders talking to this lady on the bus. She asked where I lived, and I was trying to explain that I live in 봉찬 but I was going to 노량진 to sleep at Sister Saunders house. But instead of conjugating it to say "I'm going to her house" I said "shall we go to her house?" the woman looked startled, and said " Me?" um...no. not what I meant to say ^^

**Miracle of the week: after dinner we were planning to go street contact to make our goal of 140 contacts for the week. But it was raining buckets. We said a prayer and felt good about going out, so we did. Sister Arthur even prayed for it to stop raining. We went to the subway station. And NO ONE would listen. The had umbrellas for shields. So we started to head back home. Sister Arthur asked if we could stop at the bus station and I said yes. We talked to a few people there, and then this woman came. Sis. Arthur started talking to her and she had met Elders before! When and where, no idea. But she asked when we could talk about Joseph Smith...she asked US for an appointment! She was really interested in the Church. Just before, I had felt like "oh, maybe we shouldn't have come out..." NOPE! don't doubt the Lord! He knows what He is doing. (thanks, Daddy, for that reminder)

Mom- could you email me some recipes? cookies...or anything really. 

Dad- I found a Korean Rigo Chapparro! seriously. he reminds me so much of him!

I love you all! Have a wonderful day! I know like I never have before that we can turn to the scriptures for comfort and direction. ALWAYS. God will not leave us alone.

xoxo,

바 셋 자매

We are pleased to inform you that your missionary has arrived safely to the Korea Seoul Mission happy healthy and excited to join us in God's great work!!

Thank you for sending them prepared and ready to go!

If you have questions or concerns please contact us at this address.

Korea Seoul Mission Staff

BEST Friends!!

What could be better than to be in the same building with your best friend, Sister Ali Hemming, who will be serving her mission in Poland.