Mistakes!

Last week seems like an eternity ago. I've learned so much this week and I'm so grateful because of it. 

This week I worked on making mistakes and learning from them starting with Korean. I tried to speak only Korean for at least an hour a day. It was hard, but the more I did it the more comfortable I felt in my Korean ability. Sister Holmes was able to identify mistakes I made and help me correct them. Through this I learned how important mistakes are and how there is no way to progress unless we make them.   

I also made mistakes through talking to people. I've been working on talking to people without the help of my companion this transfer. When I talk to people I make mistakes (a lot of mistakes.) This week I evaluated myself after talking to people. I learned not just how I can be better at Korean, but how I can be better at teaching the gospel and inviting people to hear it. 

This week was amazing! In addition to what I learned our ward had a baptism this week. It was a for a ten-year-old girl who's mother is a recent convert. It was so cute. After she was baptized she went into the water and swam out of the font. It was adorable and it made me realize how important the little moments are in missionary work and in life. 

I'm so grateful to be a missionary! And I know that I wouldn't be able to do the things I'm doing and learn the things I'm learning with out the help of my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Mustain 자매

 

 

Korean and The Book of Mormon

So a lot of people have been asking me, "How's the language coming?" I have yet to answer that, so here goes nothing. Korean is not hard, it just takes a long time. 

Until last week, I felt like I couldn't say anything and all I do is make mistakes. However because of training and interviews this week, I realize I need to stop making excuses. This week as Sister Training Leaders, Sister Holmes and I had to give training in both Korean and English. This was hard because Sister Holmes and I are at different levels in our Korean ability, but we did it! It turned out fine. I was able to recognize it wasn't me who was speaking Korean, it was the Spirit. 

I also had interviews with my mission president this past week. From interviews, I learned I needed to SYL more. Which is going an hour or more only speaking Korean. As I did this this weekend, I learned I know a lot more than I think I do and sometimes it is hard to go back to English. The most important lesson I learned in all of this is that mistakes are necessary, no matter how much you hate them. So this week I'm going to be bold and make mistakes. Wish me luck!

In addition to learning Korean, I learned about the power of the Book of Mormon in missionary work. I learned the Book of Mormon is the key stone of our religion, without it we wouldn't have a religion. It made me think about my testimony of the Book of Mormon. 

I started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning again. As I've been reading it each morning and as I studied the prophet Nephi, I learned this book is full of people who learn how to rely on Christ. They aren't perfect people, they are just trying to be better. I'm so grateful for the strength the Book of Mormon gives me to know I'm not perfect, but I can be better.  I look forward to using it in all aspects of my missionary work this week!

Sister Mustain

Sharing

This week I worked really hard on talking to people. I wanted to start off the transfer as a different person than I was last transfer. 

I decided every time I traveled I had to talk to someone. Yes sometimes I got rejected, but other times we had a really good conversations and I was able to practice my Korean. I also tried to get more involved by speaking up during district meeting and in companion study. Doing this has helped me to have more confidence in myself which is something very important in being a missionary.

I'm trying to read the entire Book of Mormon this transfer (a transfer is 6 weeks.) This morning I read the story of the Tree of Life in 1 Nephi. In the story Lehi has a vision of a tree with fruit that is delicious. He sees some people trying to make their way towards the tree and others walking away from it. I've heard this story a lot, but this time reading it was different.  

I was reading 1 Nephi 8:12, and related the fruit to the gospel. It reads:

“And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.”

By changing the fruit to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it made me realize how the gospel is something we should desire to share. It made me want to refocus on why I became a missionary, and what my purpose is.

I know we can all share this gospel with the people we meet. Whether we are a missionary or not. Actually it is harder to share the gospel being a missionary because we have a very small circle of friends. I'm so bless to be a missionary because it pushes me to be better.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Sister Mustain

Change: It's Ok And Sometimes Even Necessary

This week I worked really hard on talking to people. I wanted to start off the transfer as a different person than I was last transfer. 

I decided every time I traveled I had to talk to someone. Yes sometimes I got rejected, but other times we had a really good conversations and I was able to practice my Korean. I also tried to get more involved by speaking up during district meeting and in companion study. Doing this has helped me to have more confidence in myself which is something very important in being a missionary.

I'm trying to read the entire Book of Mormon this transfer (a transfer is 6 weeks.) This morning I read the story of the Tree of Life in 1 Nephi. In the story Lehi has a vision of a tree with fruit that is delicious. He sees some people trying to make their way towards the tree and others walking away from it. I've heard this story a lot, but this time reading it was different.  

I was reading 1 Nephi 8:12, and related the fruit to the gospel. It reads:

“And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.”

By changing the fruit to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it made me realize how the gospel is something we should desire to share. It made me want to refocus on why I became a missionary, and what my purpose is.

 I know we can all share this gospel with the people we meet. Whether we are a missionary or not. Actually it is harder to share the gospel being a missionary because we have a very small circle of friends. I'm so bless to be a missionary because it pushes me to be better.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Sister Mustain

Exchanges, Zone Conference, & More

"The Lord knows what He wants to accomplish with each one of us. He knows the kind of reform He wants to achieve in our lives, and we do not have the right to counsel Him."  -Elder Rafael E. Pino

This week I learned a lot about relying on the Lord and to stop making excuses. On Friday we had a combine zone conference where we learned a lot about working with members, being clean (inside and out!), and learning Korean. I learned how important members are to missionary work. The missionaries maybe the ones who teach the lessons, but the members are the ones who help people to progress in the gospel. President Gordon B. Hinckley said every new convert needs a friend, a calling, and a way to feel the gospel. For this the missionaries aren't the answer, it’s the members. 

Zone Conference also taught me a lot about learning the language. I learned it is alright to make mistakes and Koreans actually love them. They love it when you try to talk to them whether it is good or not. I also learned it is important to speak slowly and create opportunities to speak. 

So, as part of becoming a threesome, Sister Holmes and I became Sister Training Leaders. That meant we had to go on exchanges. I went to 평택 with Sister Kwak (곽). She is Korean, so it was a little hard to communicate, but I learned a lot. I learned I don't need a Korean companion to learn Korean. I just need to try. Learning Korean is like doing a 1,000 piece puzzle. It takes a long time, but is possible. 

If I could put what I learned this week into one sentence, it would be... Never give up when life gets tough, because that is when you are able to learn the most. I know God loves each of us. I know this gospel is true. 

Mustain 자매

Wow! Did Last Week Just Happen?

I can't believe another week has come and gone. This week was crazy with getting ready for a new companion and getting a new companion. 

Last Monday we ran errands and cleaned the house in order to make room for a new companion. We had to move our sleeping mats to the kitchen in order to fit another desk in our room/study room. The next few days felt like a sleepover because we were sleeping in the kitchen! And we we're now a threesome!  

On Friday we had to clean the house of the sister who left and our new companion, Sister Schur; since there won't be sisters living in it anymore. It took us most of the day.  We had to go through everything and find out what could be sent to the mission home and what was trash.  It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. 

Besides the craziness of this week, I learned a lot. I finished reading the Book of Mormon on Tuesday. I learned two things from reading it on my mission. One, the Book of Mormon can be a little graphic and two, it is so true. From reading the Book of Mormon I've come to know we have a loving Heavenly Father who lives and loves us. We have a Savior who suffered for all our pains an afflictions. I know although the prophets at times felt inadequate, they were still able to do what God asked of them. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that the gospel was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. 

This week we were able to teach the restoration to two sisters who we started the Family English Program with. We are now teaching them on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are an English interest investigator, but when we teach the gospel they let us teach. When we taught them on Thursday you could feel the spirit in the room. It is moments like this that keep me going. Being a missionary is hard, but at the end of the day it is all worth it!

Sister Mustain

Cleaning the old house

Members and Missionary Work

Big news this week. If you didn't think my missionary life was crazy enough, it's about to get even crazier with a threesome!

One of the missionaries in my zone got really sick, and is going home.  So until the end of the transfer we get a third companion! Her name is Sister Schur. I met her before at the MTC.  I don't know what will happen, but this will be interesting. 

On Friday we met with the grandmother 윤영옥 we found while doing service the other week. I didn't understand a lot that happened in that lesson, but I could feel how much she needed the gospel in her life. It also helped me to realize how blessed I am to have it in my life. 

This week we had zone training. It was really good and we learned about the importance of members in missionary work.  I didn't realize how important members are to missionary work until becoming a missionary. 

Members are needed to fellowship, find, and teach investigators. I was reading about my purpose as a missionary and part of that purpose is to strength the church where ever I'm serving. That doesn't mean just bringing new people into the church, it means strengthening members as well. This week during weekly planning we focused on how we could get more member lessons. I realized all are investigators could benefit greatly from meeting a member. 

I was reading a talk from General Conference entitled “Yes, We Can and We Will”by Elder Soares. It explains how we need to hold firm to our testimonies when we face opposition and discouragement. It says;

"We must hold ever more tightly to our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then will our ability to defend truth and justice greatly increase. We will win the daily battles against evil, and, rather than fall on the battlefields of life, we will rally others to the Master’s standards."

I know whether we are members or missionaries we can all share the gospel. We all play a role in helping others to come unto Christ. I know members can do so much more than I can do as a missionary. I know as I fulfill my purpose as a missionary I will be able to help others come unto Christ. 

Mustain 자매