.March 11, 2013.

HELLO FROM KOREA!!!

Thank you for all the e-mails!!! :) :) I spent most of my e-mail time responding to them, but I love it!:) 

This week was crazy busy, we are teaching lots and finding even more! We spend a lot of time just talking to people on the streets and knocking on doors. My last companion didn't like to knock doors so I've  done it more this past week that I have my entire mission! It's hard tho, nobody want to talk to us really, and in Korea the people don't open their doors very often. And if they do its just like a little crack so you can barely see their face. 

Even though we can't speak the language we are seeing miracles! We have a baptism for the 24th and have found a lot of people on the streets who are interested in our message. Hahah I love talking to everyone, so finding people to teach isn't the hard part... its the actual teaching and speaking Korean that is hard. But I know God needs me here right now for a reason despite all my weaknesses. 

This week I've been reading Jesus the Christ and its SOOO good! I really am starting to understand the important of sacrifice. Before my mission I really was only responsible for myself and accountable to God. Thats it. Here there is a lot more people and things to worry about that cause extra stress and humble me each day. I love it more and more each day tho. It's amazing how challenges and trials can teach you more and allow you to stretch and change in ways that nothing else can do. I'm learning more about my Savior and the sacrifices he made for all of us. It makes my challenges seem so small and insignificant that's for sure.  

I feel closer to my Savior here on the mission that I ever have in my entire life. I still don't understand everything- But I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. This is where I'm supposed to be. 

I love you all so much!! Thank you for the prayers and support! 

You are the best family in the whole world! 

Love always, 

Sister Sulz 

March 3, 2013

WHAT A CRAZY WEEK!!!

Oh my goodness I don't even know where to start! So I'm in my new area and it is AMAZING! so beautiful, my apartment is huge, there are tons of hills and trees :) :) The church is close, there are tons of members, and the best part(depending on how you look at at) - my companion doesn't speak Korean either!!! hahahah oh man I wish I could express how crazy this week was, It was by far the best week of my whole mission so far! Where to start? 

I've worked harder, been more tired each day, laughed more than I even have and developed such a strong relationship with my companion ( and we've only been together for less than a week!) We see miracles every day and are continually learning to rely on the Lord for guidance and support. My companion is named Sister Marcy, she is my angel. She is true blue American from Arizona, and is possibly one of the sweetest people I know. She's willing to admit she has challenges and just keeps doing everything that she can each day. She cares so much about these people and has the ability to love those people that no body else loves... hahah that being said, we attract some CRAZY investigators. To say the least, this Sunday was probably the most interesting/ crazy/ horrifying/ awkward/embarrassing/ spiritual sacrament meeting of my life!! I wish I could send details, but I don't want to post them online haha so if you e-mail or write me individually I'll send out out some of my crazy experiences. 

Needless to say, we laugh ALOT That is really all you can do when you are in a chaotic situation like this one. Our first night together got a phone call from an unknown number and literally had NO IDEA what they person on the other end was saying. We think they said they wanted to come to church, but then couldn't figure out the rest. They were laughing at us, and we were laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. The next day one of our investigators( we call him jack sparrow because he looks like a pirate) over the phone, in a deep preacher man voice invoked/ bestowed a blessing on me from the holy God of Israel. It  caught be completely off guard and I was trying to contain my silent laughter so badly that I started to cry and couldn't stop. That is just one of the many many many things that happen every day in my new area. 

Although we are so extremely inadequate for this calling,  We continue to see miracles! We have an investigator who came to us on Sunday and wants to get baptized! Shes super prepared and is willing to be patient with our inabilities to speak the language- in addition the ward is stepping up and helping in every way they can to get members out to our lessons. ( It's mostly because they don't trust our speaking ability to teach properly) BUT even if that's the only reason, I think its a huge blessing that because of our situation the members are becoming more involved with missionary work. We have another investigator that is not progressing as quickly, but I feel like she is asking all the right questions, and truly seeking to find out for herself. Sometimes I think its those who really have to work at gaining a testimony that are the strongest so I am grateful for her questions and concerns. We extended the soft baptismal commitment to her and she accepted so hopefully we will help her resolve her concerns and continue to build her relationship with God 

THIS week was mission conference!!! Bishop Davis and his wife spoke to us! Also Elder Yamashida and his wife! Super amazing! We are so blessed to be able to hear from them as a group of missionaries and with the Korean people. ( we were able to go to both sessions) He gave us some incredible promises and advice! Super good. Hahah sorry for the lack of details it's hard to go deep into a story and then have enough time to talk about everything that happened in a week. 

Korea is an incredible place. Missions are more amazing that what people say and they are WAY harder!!! But the miracles and blessings are far better than you could ever imagine. I've found the secret is Laughter & Prayer. Having fun despite your weaknesses, and learning to rely on the Lord for everything makes the hard days into the best days, and the little miracles and daily experiences into the greatest lessons life can teach!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here in Korea, I'm so grateful for my weaknesses, and words can't express how much I can feel my Saviors love for me each and everyday. I know that this is Gods work, there is no way I could find so much happiness each day that I do here if it wasn't. In the conference this week Sister Davis said

" True happiness comes from spiritual growth that comes out of tribulation" - I have come to know the truthfulness of that statement more real than I ever imagined I would. Without the opposition of challenges, or facing our weaknesses straight on, we wouldn't be able to achieve the happiness that we do in life.

I know that as I keep putting God first, as I rely on him to take my weaknesses and inadequacy's and make me capable for this work I will be able to accomplish anything he asks.  My challenge to each of you this week is to search the scriptures daily, not just to read them or check them off your list of things to do. But really search them inorder to learn more of our Savior, who he is, and how you can find incomprehensible joy through following the plan he has for you. 

" If you continue to seek him, he will continue to grant you sacred experiences" - president uchtdorf

I know thats true! I love all of you so much, and pray that you are happy and loving every minute of each day! <3 

Keep smiling :) Life is full of reasons to smile. 

<3 Sister Sulz 

 Solal

 

Sisters Exchange

February 25, 2013

TRANSFERS ARE THIS WEEEK!!!
Transfer calls were Saturday night at 9:45!!! We were super excited! I'm being transferred and my Sister Pak is training again!! I'll have another sister!! :)
I'm leaving 부평 and going to 화곡 and Sister Marcy is going to be my new companion!!! I'm super excited, but sad to be leaving my greeny area! It's weird how attached you get to places and the people you serve, but I'm excited to see all the miracles that happen in my new area!! I had to speak in church on Sunday and cried of coarse haha. It is so weird to give a talk in Korea because you can't really say anything other than what is written down in your notes lol. So When you feel the spirit or something you can't just say something else, you just end us crying at super weird parts of your talk. Either way it went well and I didn't make too many mistakes.

Yesterday is 15 days after 설날 so its tradition in Korea to eat this meal with rice beans and different veggies. My sweet companion made me the rice and soup for breakfast and then this little old lady that lives 2 doors down from us knocked on our door last night unexpected and was holding this tray of food!!!!! She is the sweetest and brought us the entire traditional Korean mean because she was worried we wouldn't have it since we are away from home. ( I'll attach pictures) We Heart attacked her door after to say thank you :).  The moon is supposed to be the biggest of the year last night, but the picture you can't really tell.

Here are some photos of my last day at church with some of the members!!

I don't know if anyone really read this Blog, and since I can't really post too many of my experiences teaching investigators, so if you wan't to e-mail me personally you can do that and I'll try to respond individually to a few people each week. That way I can share more personal experiences!

Love you all so much!

<3 Sister Sulz

Korea from a giraffes eye view:

THANK YOU FOR THE VALENTINE!! You are the best!
Fun facts:
1) When people move they hire a moving company ( see photo)
2) Sometimes you find random teddy bears in the church parking lot... weird.
3) Miracle Wall!! Every night we add 2-5 miracles from each day, you should start! It's amazing to see the blessings God gives us!

February 17, 2013

Hello Family :)

I was studying the new manual on teachings of president Lorenzo Snow and found this quote I fell in love with && I wanted to share it with you!! 

" Do not expect to become perfect all at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you are today. The temptations that perhaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far tomorrow. Thus continue to be a little better day by day and do not let your life wear away without accomplishing good to others as well as to ourselves. 

Each last day or each last week should be the best hat we have ever experienced, that is we should advance ourselves a little every day ,in knowledge and wisdom, and in the ability to accomplish good. As we grow older we should live nearer the lord each following day." 

I love that quote by Lorenzo Snow, Even though I am faced with challenging times of difficult days - Each challenge I'm faced with makes me stronger and allows me to more fully embrace God's love in my life. I've found that it's often during the hardest times that make you into the person your supposed to be. This week went by SUPER FAST! It had it's ups and downs - but thinking back there were so many times Heavenly Father poured out his blessings upon me. It really isn't fair how much we are blessed for the things that we do. 

Someone asked me what the hardest part of missionary work is… I've been thinking a lot about it, and besides having to carry around my huge scriptures everywhere the hardest thing is how clearly I am beginning to understand God's love for his children. That sounds kind of silly that its the hardest thing for me, but the more I learn about my Savior and Gods plan for us, the more I realized the importance of it, and the stronger my desire to share it with others is. Which makes it even harder when people reject our message. Each day I am built up spiritually and then I realize how blessed I am, but everyone has their agency and can chose whatever they want to believe in. I'd say its hard to know and to see the miracles in my life, and trying earnestly each day for others to see even a glimpse of God's love for them, and they can't. Or they simply refuse to and hate us for trying to simply give them the opportunity to let God bless their lives and bless them and their families. But everyone has their agency, and I'm not called to force anyone to believe what I believe, I'm called to love, serve, and help them… But it still makes it a harder pill to swallow when they simply don't care at all. 

Were reading Alma right now for our mission tour that is coming up in March and in Chapter 28:8 it states that this is an account of Ammon and his brethern's sufferings, sorrows, afflications…. and incomprehensible joy. That seemed to stick out to me, they experienced all these hard difficult experiences but in the end had Incomprehensible Joy. Seems backwards logically, but that really is how missionary life works. The challenges I'm experience allow me to more fully understand my Savior and allow me to exercise faith and see how much power is available to us when we stop relying on our own abilities and let God take over our life. 

I love the scripture Alma 26:12 - " Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." 

Weekly Recap: 

Like I said this week just flew by! On Wednesday we had district meeting where Elder Moon asked me Tuesday night to give a talk on Faith. I have been studying it for the past week or so, but didn't feel like I fully understood it- nevertheless I was grateful for the opportunity to talk about it, there is so many blessings teachers are given to have the opportunity to search study and pray before teaching. Often I think the teachers learn more than the ones being taught. Either way it was a blessing to be able to help out with some of the training, even though it was me who learnt the most from it! 

Thursday was Valentines Day! We had a party at the church in the evening where we made cards, watched Charlie Browns Valentines day and played "a minute to win it". It was a lot of fun! Our 3 potential investigators we planned it for didn't show up last minute tho :(, Luckily God was looking out for us and this random guy walked into the church to use the bathroom and we invited him to join us. He said thanks but then left… a little while later she came back and brought 2 friends with him!! They stayed the whole time and had a lot of fun. Miracle :) 

Yesterday after church we rand into these preachers from the " I love Jesus" church, normally they aren't very nice to missionaries but I took their flyer and gave them a pass along card! They were super nice and friendly and encouraged us to work hard, I thanked them and told them the same with a big smile. Then they gave us popcorn!!! haha awesome! :) Nothing makes me happier than people being nice to each other. Those two old guys made up for all the people who yell at us. 

It's often the little miracles that make the biggest difference in my life. <3 

Well I love all of you so much! Keep watching out for those little miracles in your life and let me know about them! 

Love always, 

Sister Sulz 

이설지 자매 

Korea From a Giraffes eye view: 

The sun was shining and it was beautiful today I thought about you and hope whenever the Sunshine's on you, you remember that I love you and so do these crazy Korean people!! Do yourself a favor and go out to great Korean food this week! ( It wont be as good, but Kimchi always makes people happy!) I love you girl! Stay strong. 

February 12, 2013

Happy 설날!!!!

Hello Family! :) :) 

This week was full of miracles and amazing experiences. Life as a missionary is really so great haha ( Maybe I'm just weird) But really I love being a missionary far more than traveling or teaching english in China or Ukraine. There is just something special about having this ability to love others so much and want to do everything in you power to help them and to see a change for good in their lives. Missions are hard of coarse, but life is hard- and let me tell you the challenges I face on a mission are way less difficult to overcome because I am able to see the blessings and miracles God is giving me each day. God wants to bless us so much, we just need to let him! 

This morning was amazing! We woke up early and headed to the temple. The missionarys who are returning home were giving their farwell testimonys, and it was so good! One of the Sisters said something that I loved! Our goal every week is to talk to 140 on the street or knocking doors or whatever it may be, but 140 is the goal. And sometimes we look at it like "ughhh, I have to make 68 more contacts… or I have to talk to 84 more people who don't want to listen to me" and she said that she looks at it like " I have the opportunity to bear my testimony 140 times this week!" - I just thought that was such a good reminder to me that each person we talk to truely is a child of God, and we really should be putting our whole heart into trying to help them realize the love their Heavenly Father has for them. I am guilty that sometimes the people I talk to are more Korean practice that me bearing my testimony, but today that was a good reminder that each person should be an opportunity to share the happiness I have in my life. 

Exchanges were this week tooo!! So much fun, haha I always have fun and learn on much on Exchanges. I was with Sister Washburn, she goes home this next transfer and is just the sweetest sister I've ever met! We had a lot of fun laughing about silly things in Korea like the crazy traffic, or on the bus we sat down next to this guy holding a blow torch haha. Just randomly. haha, yep I love Korea. Conference was super funny! We had P.J. Rogers speak to us about Korean Culture and is was really good! I learnt alot, and got a bunch of tips on how I can learn the language. Rachael just sent me Adrians Blog post from last week and it reminded me that the time for missions all changes because of the MTC training time changing. So everyones mission is being cut down 2 weeks :( Super sad, that means I will be hitting my 1 year mark in 2 weeks. I can't believe how fast time goes by, I feel like I just got here. 

Because of the holiday we weren't able to meet with as many people because everyone goes out of town for the hoildays. I had one of the most amazing expereinces earlier this week with one of my investigators being in the hospital and being able to arrange for our Zone leaders to give him a blessing. I won't go into details but it was probably one of the most amazing experiences I've had so far on the mission! Faith is incredible thing. Speaking of faith Ive been studying faith this week and sacrifice. Its amazing what miracles you see when you put the two together. I think too often I think I'm lacking faith, when really I've jusy stopped exercising my faith. We can't forget that faith is an action word!!!! Your not going to see the miracles or the power that comes through faith if you don't do something! It takes work and sacrifices- but the blessings and happiness that comes through such a small effort out weighs the sacrifice 100 times. 

Thanks everyone for the letters and love! 

( Random… Adrians Aunt Terri… I can't find your address anywhere for some reason, If you could give it to my sister Rachal Robertson that would be awesome! haha I have a letter waiting here to be sent but no address :( ) Jenny && Sarah Your babies are SSOOO cute! they are getting so big its insane!!! :) :) But man I have the cutest niece and nefew ever! ( If you want there are SO many cute toddler clothes here… let me know if you need some shopping to be done on one of my p-days :P) 

Korea from a Graiffes Eye View: 

I can't even express how good it is to hear from you!!!! I got 2 letters from you this week at conference and made all the missionays in our MTC group super jealous! I love you so much and think about you as much as time allows. Keep being strong girl, You are where you are for a reason! Don't even stop looking for ways you can bless others lives. And just remember that to me, you will always be Sister Gelder. :) 

Love Always, 

Sister Sulz

 

 If you look closely you can see the red crosses lit up on all of the churches outside her window.

 

February 4, 2013

Its 설날 This week!!!!!!! :) ( Which means that I need to go into Seoul to buy a Traditional Korean Dress.... which means I don't have time again to e-mail :( Sorry!!! )

This week I am amazed at the amount of Miracles God puts in my life! As I continually try to Aline my will with Gods I am seeing how in control of this work he is! Gah! I wish I could just record all my of experiences and show all of you!  The Book of Mormon is true! I believe (in) Christ and all the promises he's given us if only we exercise out faith!!! 

This week was SO good! The work is progressing rapidly and we are seeing so many miracles and working hard! 

Also I FINALLY passed off lesson #1 in Korean haha and Memorized the first vision! It's been taking forever but I finally did it! haha :) Yay! 

Each day keeps getting better and better! Being a missionary you have the ability to love others and see them as God does! It's awesome but some people think were weird cuz we really are so excited for these people whenever anything good happens to them! haha 

My companion is amazing! She's SO funny I love her.

 

This week was CRAZY WEATHER!!!! It POURED rain earlier this week then was really HOT! I couldn't wear my winter jacket. Then this morning we woke up and had over a foot of snow!!! haha on our way to e-mail I walked under a tree and a huge pile of snow fell on me :P haha too funny. 

We'll I love you and I hope you are doing your best where ever you are with whatever your doing ! I learn this cool Korean Phrase this week:  최설 다하자 it means- Let's do our best! Whatever you do do your best, and I'll do mine :) 

LOVE  YOU!! 

Korean From a Giraffes Eye View: 

I LOVE YOU! <3

January 28, 2013

I LOVE KIMCHI!!!!!!!!!!! <3 hahaha I just have to make the official announcement. This week, when my companion was sleeping I was hungry, and without even realizing what I was doing I opened the fridge and was like "hmmm... what should I eat." and grabbed the container of kimchi and sat down and ate that with some seaweed wraps and rice. ( I think that means I qualify for an official Korean!!) The day has finally come!!!

One more thing! I want to give a shout out to my Fort Mcmurray Family!!!! I got your pictures this week!!!!!!!!! You seriously made me so happy! haha ( thanks franny for putting that all together) Here's a picture of me with it before study this morning haha so just ignore my morning clothes :P. BUT seriously! I love you guys so much!! <3 <3 Thank you for all your constant support!

Okay now for the missionary stuff! Last night we had a dinner appointment with one of our investigators and we ate SO much so even now I feel like I'm about to burst. haha It was super good tho. I should get Rachael to just start a separate blog to tell about all the food I eat here and post pictures of it. Seriously I don't think I ever am going to want to eat american food again.

Like I mentioned I am studying the Christ like attributes in the back of chaper 6 of PMG. Today the attribute I studied was #2 "I feel confident that God loves me" - (1 Nephi 11:17- And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things.) I thought that was perfect for the lesson I learnt this week!  If I am sure of anything in my life it is that God really does love me. Entirely, my whole imperfect self, on my good days and especially on my bad days. Sometimes I don't understand how He can continue to love us when we continually let him down and fall short - but like Nephi - I don't know the meaning of all things... I just know his love is perfect, I can't comprehend it exactly but I feel it. More than I am sure of anything else in my entire life I know that God loves all of us perfectly. Each day I spend learning of my Savior through this service I am slowly starting to understand what his love must be like. I feel his love for each person I see on the street, my investigators, the members, but especially the other missionaries I work with each day. I know what these missionaries are going through each day and have experienced first hand how challenging the mission can be sometimes. When I see others struggle or having a hard time my heart just goes out to them, I feel for them a portion of the love that God has for each one of us. We aren't perfect- but when I look at these other missionaries trying their best each day, and continually falling short, but then picking themselves up the next day and trying again I see a perfect missionary. Too often we get down on our selves because of our weaknesses and forget about our strengths. It breaks my heart when others don't see themselves the way I see them, they can't see the strong amazing example they are to all those around them because they are so focused on their inadequacy's. ( and I'm SO guilty of this). I am only starting to really understand that God sees us perfectly. He doesn't expect us to be perfect, he knows that we aren't capable to perfection right now. He's not asking perfection, hes simply just asking us to keep going, to strive everyday to be better, to lift those around you and to be happy for goodness sake!!! :D  Life is full of so many opportunities and tender mercies, God wants us to be happy. I think too often it's easy to forget that.

Sometimes people look at Missionary's like we are crazy haha. I had the experience this week where a man I was teaching just couldn't wrap his head around why in the world I would give up 1 1/2 years of my life to just live this boring redundant life day after day. I told him a little bit about what I did before the mission, and my love for traveling and experiencing life- and he was just completely shocked that I would give up all that. He asked how much personal time we get on the mission, and I said" we'll we have 6 hours on p-day, but that is usually spent doing weekly e-mails, letters and shopping". He looked at me like a was crazy. I bore my testimony to him, but he just laughed at me like I was insane and kept saying" I don't believe you", " I know how much you love life, you don't want to be here". The more we talked the less convinced he seemed but the stronger my testimony grew for my desire to be here on a mission. It's a funny thing, and isn't really logical- but I really would give up any chance I've ever had to travel or experience everything I had to serve. There is something indescribable about the blessings and joy that comes through feelings God's love so strong for you the way I feel as a missionary. I feel him working through me to touch the lives of those around me. Each day is hard, I'm changing more and more than is comfortable hahah. But I think thats the point- This mission is supposed to change us. It's supposed to re Aline our desires and show us what really is important in life.

In our Zone Conference this week the Ap's talked about Hamsters that really applied to this experience I had earlier in the week lol. They explained the life of a Hamster, how all they do is eat, sleep, and run on their wheel. Day after day they keep eating, sleeping and running. Why? He does the same thing every day until he dies. He then explained the life of a missionary- We get up at 6:30 every day, Go to be at 10:30. Study every morning, and proselyte every day until 9pm. Some times it feels like the life of a Hamster. Knocking on another door, or walking up and down the same streets, being rejected by another person.
Then he asked, Why? are you a hamster? (I don't know why but this silly example just hit home for me) He then said" YOUR NOT A HAMSTER!  YOUR A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.  You have a desire. Your have a purpose. If you ever feel like a hamster remember the feeling you had when you decided to serve a mission. Ask yourselves- Why are you here? Whats driving you? What is your desire?"
There are so many reasons I am serving a mission, like usually I don't have adequate time to write them all out. But I know that Gods loves each and every one of us. I see these people everyday on the streets and feel a love and desire to share with them the happiness and indescribable joy and peace that simple knowledge has brought into my life and I want to share it with them.
My challenge for everyone this week is to ask yourself - What is your desire? What is driving you? What is your purpose? I promise you that those hard days where you are tried of doing the same thing over and over again, or fulfilling your calling and working the the same challenges of the week before, or challenges of parenting or family relationships. Step back for a moment and remember why your doing what your doing? I promise you that if you can find that desire deep down- you found the joy. You found the key.
I testify that God lives and he loves you!
( I love you too ^^ <3 )
LOVE YOUR MISSIONARY,
이설지