아침 자녁 매일같이... in other words, "We Are Sowing"‏

Dearest Family-

We all have hard times. Everybody. During our difficult days, sometimes we need comfort. and other times we need a swift kick in the pants... I needed a swift kick in the pants. so thanks for that, Dad! Because, ya know, being a missionary is thee greatest thing that ever happened to me. And no matter what, we need the Savior. and He is ALWAYS there. I know that.

 We were singing in church on Sunday and God gave a heavenly message just for me during the opening hymn:

 "We are sowing, daily sowing, countless seeds of good and ill, scattered on the level lowland, cast upon the windy hill. Seeds that sink in rich brown furrows soft with heaven's gracious rain. Seeds that rest upon the surface of the dry, unyeilding plane...seeds by faithful souls remembered sown in tears of love and prayer...seeds that live and grow and flourish when the sowers hand is cold. By a whisper sow we blessings, by a breath we scatter strife. In our words and thoughts and actions lie the seeds of death and life. Thou who knowest all our weakness leave us not to sow alone, bid Thine angels guard the furrows where the precious grain is sown till the fields are crowed with glory filled with mellow ripened ears filled with fruit of life eternal from the seeds we sowed in tears."

Each of us are planting seeds everyday. And that is why I am here. To INVITE others to come unto Christ. Sometimes our seeds, no matter our effort, fall on "unyeilding" ground. But others will be nurtured by our love and prayers and someday bloom after we are gone. We don't always get the witness the fruit. We have such an influence on those around us. And those who are ready will respond. BUT, through it all, our Savior will never leave us. He is the light in our hearts and in our lives that can never go out. He will help us overcome our weaknesses and run to our aid throughout this life. And someday, we will see those seeds that were watched over and then "flourish" after our hands are cold. I feel like I am often, quite literally, sowing my seeds in tears. Angels are guarding the furrows...they are preparing the hearts of many and are round about us bearing us up. No amount of tears or sowing is ever wasted. 

(mom... here is a note for you!)

this week, after Mom's comment in her last email that my heart should be "filled with gratitude...no, overflowing with gratitude for the love dad and I have for you." And I am! so I finished the Book of Mormon again last week and was left with Mormon's letter to his son, Moroni. He says in Moroni 8:3 that he is "mindful always" and praying over Moroni. I feel that from you! I am so blessed and thankful. there is power in family prayers.

This week. We taught Sister Kim again. This time, we had to meet her at the different ward building, so just us to missionaries again. no member! But it went really well. She is reading the Book of Mormon and promised to pray about it this week. She doesn't know that it is God's word yet, but she wants to. and I know she can!

Korean side note... I am convinced that if you could read Korean alphabet, you could probably understand about half of the signs/billboards outside! ie: my shampoo and hairspray both say things like 설파이트 free. sound it out...sul-pa-ie-tuh. sulfate. Konglish! all the time!

and they are listening to Jackson 5 right now.

I love you all!

xoxo, Sister Bassett

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Dearest family---

Happy birthday to the most wonderful mom in the world! I cannot believe it. I feel like we were just barely all together...singing songs and having your birthday party. I hope it is a fantastic day! And, just for your birthday, here is all of your questions! what a novel!

1-Tell about something wonderful/inspiring you learned during your scripture study this week.

 A- Sister Goines and I had this goal to finish the Book of Mormon in one transfer. Did I tell you about that? The transfer ended about a week and a half ago...and I just finished Ether today...so I was a little late on that. But it has been so good! 

2-Do you ever talk with children? Do they love you? What is something interesting that children say or do in your country that they don’t do here?

A- YES! of course I talk to the kids! there are two little girls in my ward that I just LOVE... Sung-ah and Hae-rim...I am sending you pictures of them in your birthday card. I think they love us...I hope so! And there is this little boy in our English ward that sits with us every time we go to that sacrament meeting. He loves me to run my finger under the words as we sing and he tries to sing along. I can't think of anything they really do very different from in America, kids are just still kids! I love it when the little girls say 오빠 to all the boys in church. It means older brother. Every one that is older then them is older brother or sister. But that is the same for all people! like in restaurants. I say "언니" when I want their attention (older sister)

3-Tell me the names of anyone you have taught over the past month and how you felt as you were teaching them the Gospel…or even speaking briefly of the Gospel.

A- Sister Oh. She is so sweet. I wonder if our words are ever getting through to her, though. She is VERY interested in learning English and LOVES us...these two sweet american girls. When we read the Book of Mormon together, we can feel the Spirit, so I KNOW it is present, but she just ignores it. It is so hard to see, because I KNOW how the gospel can bless and change her life, but all we can do is offer it. Sister Kim. She is our current investigator who just loves to discuss the Bible with our member. She is very smart and very academic. then there is Sister Lee. she is so sweet. her mom met with missionaries when she was like 11 or 12, so when I called them from our former investigators list, I talked to the daughter, Sister Lee! She is so wonderful and already has the light of Christ in her so strongly. she can see that the gospel is something good, that we are different. It is awesome. There are so many others, as we talk on the subway or bus or one the phone, I can't name them all! This gospel is TRUE. that's how it feels. I have learned things here that I never knew before and could never have learned otherwise. 

4-Tell me about a specific attribute you’ve had grow over the past month or so. What has happened to make it grow? 

A- Maybe patience? The nature of missionary work makes it grow! allowing yourself and others to make mistakes, realizing what it means for people to have agency...all those things!

5-How has your heart been softened on your mission?

A-i'll think more about this one...Maybe the biggest way is just seeing HOW MUCH every person needs the gospel and HOW BLESSED I am to have it.

6-Take photos of you and the people who you meet in your country and send them to me soon! 

I will!

OK! so. this week...

You know you are a missionary when the highlight of your week is that a 17 year old inactive boy is home. There is this mom and son in our ward who just disappeared about a year or so ago. They were converts, STRONG converts, and then suddenly stopped coming. They wouldn't answer their phones, no one in the ward knows what happened, and no one ever saw them. just fell off the earth. the missionaries have been visiting the house nearly every week for who knows how long and never found them...it was always dark, nobody home. They even left notes that said asking whoever lived there to call if it wasn't the Sister we were looking for. THEN! about two weeks ago, a member SAW HER! on the street! she said hello and then hurried away. ahhh! so on Tuesday, Sister Goines and I went to deliver an invitation for our Valentine's day party. And low and behold! the DOOR WAS OPEN! we were so surprised. The son (a senior in high school) was just leaving the house. in fact, he has JUST GOTTEN HOME and was about to leave again. So we finally met him. It was so exciting! He seemed really happy that we had come, told us that maybe they would come to the party and that he would see us next time. But we met him! and it was so awesome. 

and the party turned out really well. The elders made a photo booth out of stuff from the church, Sister Goines and I made props for it and decorations, members brought snacks. The photo booth was awesome! we got hilarious pictures ^^ it is always so good for investigators/English class attenders to see our members as normal people...to do something fun together and feel the love for others that our gospel is intended to cultivate. We made s'mores and had a cake walk and lots of good conversations. I'll just send pictures, I can't tell about it!

Yesterday was real rough...we met with our investigator, Sister Kim, for another deep discussion. I can only understand about half of what is going on between her and our member. I tried my best to keep bringing it back to the Restoration, but that didn't work out so well. Sister Goines was on a split with a member upstairs because (good news!) Sister Lee came to church! We also gave her a Book of Mormon and she will try to read, starting in 1 Nephi. So she is awesome. It is just very difficult sometimes to work things out with members and everyone else when I can't always understand them. They expected something every different from the sister missionaries, but I'm not sure what they want me to do! we'll try and figure that out more this week.

another good news...do you remember Noble? the African guy that we referred to another area? they texted us this morning saying that he has a baptismal date for next month! wow!

up and down and all over the place this week. At the end of the day, the Church is still true. Christ is still our Savior. and all things will work together for our good.

사랑해요!

Sister Bassett

happy 설날! and I'm 23!‏

Dear Family--

I hope that everyone had a great week...and happy birthday! in Korea, everyone born in the same year is the same age. So, I'm 23! same as everyone born in 1992. I will never really tell anyone that I am 21, because by the time I come home, I'll be almost 22. crazy.

Highlights of the week-

New Year's conference! It is always amazing to see all the missionaries and feel their power and spirit and remember that I am a part of it! It astonishes me. I feel this great need to learn better Korean this transfer. Sure, I can talk to people and teach ok, but I want to SPEAK! and be able to communicate the feelings that God puts in my hearts. There has also been a lot of discussion lately in our mission about being happy, but not satisfied, in our work. I'll write more about that next week when I figure it out more!

(plus I got to wear my hanbok...)

Teaching a new investigator! her name is Sister Kim. have I talked about her? She just walked into our Humphry's branch (she is Korean) and now we are teaching her. She just wondered about this church building that only Americans ever attend. When she came, she sat in Primary for about 30 minutes...even though she couldn't understand the words, she was so surprised how HAPPY the kids were. Her questions are very difficult and sometimes I feel like she is about to start Bible bashing us. but she never does! It is so fun to teach her. We talked yesterday about everything from the restoration to the fall of Adam and why three kingdoms of glory to Book of Mormon and the Jaredites. It was so cool. So many questions and so much talking and testifying. I love that feeling...telling others what we know is true gives the Spirit a chance to reconfirm that truth in our own hearts. That also leads me to my next highlight---

Korean. Maybe this is a highlight, and lowpoint, every week. But I love it! learning it has taught me WAY MORE than just a foreign language. I was on exchanges this week with a 'greenie' and after I got done talking to this woman on the bus, she said "does it ever amaze you that you are actually speaking Korean?" and I thought YES! it does! and it should, right? I tell people on the street all the time that it is a blessing from Heavenly Father. And it is.

I had really yummy american food. it tasted like mom's chicken pot pie.

The REVOLUTION in our zone. it is going really well! One of the big focuses (maybe I've already told you) is setting up return appointments on the street. and this week we got TWO! that is kinda a big deal for me. Especially when we leave the house, praying and working for a street lesson, and God gives us one. We have met some really wonderful people this week. We are so excited. As the work continues to move forward and we see the hand of the Lord in our lives, I cannot help but feel so very grateful for the privilege to serve. Here. In Korea. I love this land and this people so much.

little girls in sacrament. They are adorable. I will try and send a picture next week of them in their hanboks. I love them! I can't understand them all the time, but they laugh and giggle and hug my legs just like kids back home.

I got Ally's package and pictures. Thanks! Elsie and Zola are so beautiful...I cannot believe how big they are!

ALSO>>>don't worry. I just got back. from eating something so crazy. guess what it was? dog. yep. I just ate it. Oh the things I have had here! and, actually, it wasn't bad!

I love you all. I am so happy to be here. Have a wonderful week! share the gospel! 

xoxo, Sister Bassett

I’m actually writing a letter!

Dear Family-

have you missed reading my very exciting letters about life in Korea? I feel like I haven't written in so long and I have so much to say that I don't know where to start!

not much has changed around here ^^ it is cold. I wear leggings everyday. and sometimes two skirts. so many sweaters. and still my grandma boots. (literally...we saw a grandma on the street and i was like "hey! grandma! we have matching boots on!" she wasn't that impressed...) We still have our one investigator! she is awesome and she really loves us, but maybe not so into the whole church thing... She doesn't want to come. She said she will be baptized for us, but that's all. Not quite how it works. so we are working with her.

Our ZONE! ah. it has been really awesome lately and just keeps getting better. This zone has been struggling for a while, so we started the "Revolution" being lead by our wonderful Zone Leaders. We are talking to MORE people (conversations), getting MORE numbers, and STREET LESSONS. and street lesson means that we get a return appointment from a street contact (time, place to meet). Street lessons are hard to get, but awesome! a bummer when they don't show up though. We have met so many lovely people. Whether they are interested in the gospel or not, it is a great feeling to just talk to a really nice person.

OH! how could I have forgotten! we also have an investigator in our English Branch. He is AWESOME. and from Nigeria. Sister Goines found him on the subway while I was away on exchanges. He grew up next the a Mormon church, but everyone thought it was so strange because it was always locked up. He has been to church for the past 3 weeks...leaving his house at 7:30 to make 9:00 church. so awesome! When we are at church, he looks up every reference and reads all the scriptures and told us yesterday that he loves coming to worship with us. and his comments in gospel principles are inspired. Sadly, he is moving into another area this week. So we called the Elders that we will have to refer him too...and guess what! A Nigerian man had moved into their ward the same day! God's timing is perfect.

but I am not. So far from it. It is a blessing and a privilege to get to serve! all God has to work with are imperfect people. and He (miraculously) is ok with that! Sister Goines and I have this goal to read the whole Book of Mormon this transfer, and I was reading in Alma 24 the other day. I love in verse 14 when it says that God loves our SOULS. not what we look like. not how rich we are. NOT where we have been or the mistakes of the past. He loves my SOUL...what I am made of. and what I can become with His help. I know that God can work miracles in our own lives and in the lives of those we love. 

have a wonderful week! love you all.

Sister Bassett

Be a Champion…why not?

Dear Family-

Oh how I love you! It was so good to see your faces and know that nothing has really changed. And the babies are adorable as ever. 

Sorry...I have spent my email time writing essays. so.

This week was wonderful! We had a mission conference on Christmas Eve. It is always amazing to feel the power from other missionaries. I am so blessed to be serving here and with the people I am serving with. SO GOOD. We also got to hear from 한인상. He was actually President Morrise's mission president! The title of this email is his advice...be a champion. Why not? he talked about being ourselves, not pretending. Just be you and start from there. He such a motivation for me to be a better missionary...to give a full, not partial, sacrifice...to BECOME like our Savior, not just teach about Him. Because there is NO WAY to become more Christlike without also bettering every other aspect of our lives.

We spend Christmas day with two WONDERFUL families from our Camp Humphry's branch (mom...I gave angels to both of them ^^). one family for breakfast and one for dinner, with a nap in between. We sure are spoiled! I will try and tell more about them next week?

I am grateful to be a missionary. To be here, in Korea, serving. It means so much to me...I hope you know that. and I hope you know how grateful I am to each of you that helped me get here. 

xoxo, Sister Bassett

Merry Christmas…again!

my lovely family!

so. we are emailing today. because I will be talking to you so soon, I don't have much to say!

Korea is wonderful as ever. It is so wonderful/strange to also be serving in our 2 English branches with the base. I LOVE those members though. and I can understand them! even the kids! it is awesome. Our 평택 ward is also fabulous. The members...love them. We had 2 investigators at the ward Christmas party and they just loved them. One of them had to go early, but the other one was invited to church and the ward camp out and offered rides to everything. it was great. we have had NO investigators or anything, and the all of the sudden, in like the last week and a half, we are so busy. yesterday a sister just came to church...She isn’t sure if she has faith, so she has been attending a lot of churches. to she came to ours and wants to learn! We sat with her through sacrament, but then had to leave to a member's house for the english branch. but our wonderful members took such good care of her! 

I love this thought from the December Liahona from Elder Bruce D. Porter-

"We are all captive...and we all have need to be set free. Whatever binds us- sins, circumstances, or past events- the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Immanuel, came to set us free."

He lives. He is our Redeemer and our Friend. He is the Christ.

all my love, Sister Bassett

- that big tree was outside of our subway station in Pyeongtaek. we loved it. and sister g and i rockin the coats we wore everyday of the winter!

oh come let us adore Him

this week I ate new Korean food. cow stomach...it tastes a lot like corn? The Koreans love it. It is kind of expensive here, but we had it at an all-you-can-eat meat place. Picture like Rodizio's, but you cook your own meat. There is just this huge table of frozen meat, you pick what you want, and there is a little grill in the middle of your table. So you just cook it yourself! Cool, huh? Also, I tried duck intestine? I think? Mom, that picture that you saw of me? From Sister Pak? yeah, that was that night. We went out for duck, which I love! So yummy! You fry the duck meat (again, the grill is just in the middle of your table) and then eat it with rice or wrap it in lettuce. Yum! duck intestine? maybe not so yum. But I always want to try everything once.

 

It is real cold here. Remember that fat black coat I brought? I wear it everyday! it is awesome. We are getting really good at layering. I bought some boots here...little fur-lined things that make me look like a grandma and I love them. Plus some thick socks (thanks for those, mom!) leggings or two pairs of tights, a dress, cardigan, sweater, coat. plus hat and gloves. it is awesome. Everyone wears puffy jackets! When we sit on the subway close together or everyone is packed in there, it is like a great big pillow. and they sweep the snow here! since the sidewalks are  like paverstones. it doesn't snow a ton, just super icey.

 

We had a cookie exchange with our Humphry's branch on Saturday. So awesome! I love love those sisters so much. It was like being back at home...it smelled like Christmas and cookies. and even lemon bars! they take such good care of us. and we love them for it. We will probably be going there for Christmas breakfast and dinner!

 

Our Korean ward also had a 가정의밤 (friendship night? kinda?) on Sunday. We watched the Christmas devotional. Our bishop is awesome. and his wife...love them! He served a misison for the deaf here in Korea, so I learned a few more signs! I can say "my grandparents are deaf, so I know ASL. But I don't know Korean sign." and "I am a missionary." and "goodbye!" (literally translates to "stay in peace"). We had three recent converts there and a bunch of ward members.

 

also...We found an investigator! actually, she is a former investigator. we have been calling through the area books, and we started meeting with her this week. She is just lovely. and her son and crazy and adorable. we love them! She really wants to learn English, but also has questions about our gospel. And she is planning to come to the ward Christmas party on Saturday. yes! We also had a miracle yesterday...we had this goal to have three investigators at Sacrament meeting. We called so many people and invited and did everything we could. But no one came. SO God sent a miracle! Three high school girls came to church. One has been an investigator in the past, but her mom won't let her get baptized. So she brought her two friends yesterday. It was awesome. They will also come next week, and hopefully meet this week!

 

We set goals for next transfer today. HUGE goals. but we feel good about it. And we KNOW that when we call down the powers of heaven, miracles happen. This week at the temple, that was impressed on my heart again. I just cried and cried. plus there is this Elder Dewey that looks so much like Ross and I say he is my little brother and I just pictured Rossy in the temple and on his mission. So many tears. MIRACLES! it is real!

 

I am so grateful for Christmas. oh, come, let us adore Him. Him who gives purpose to our lives and peace to our hearts, Him who came to set us free, to release us from death and cut the cords of sin that bind us. Let us adore and worship Him, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I believe in Christ. I love Him and I know that He lives. I know it like never before. Jesus Christ was born in a manger, He preached the Gospel and established this Church. He died and was resurrected. And He did indeed appear to Joseph Smith in a grove now called sacred. I testify of Him. and what a blessing that is. oh, come, let us adore Him...during this Christmas season and in every season of our lives.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

all my love, Sister Bassett