As a missionary, that is one of my favorite things....

MOM HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! I HOPE YOU LIKE YOUR PRESENT AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!! Love YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!!!!

Mom, What an exciting week!!!!!!! I am so glad they were able to come down from Boston and yes I heard from one of our Elders about the Boston Marathon. How sad. I am glad our family was not hurt! So, Elder Tran is amazing and I am so proud of him. All of us at one time or another have to decide for our selves what WE know, what WE remember and WHAT WE LOVE!!!!!! I am so glad he relied on what God told him and what he felt. HE will be an amazing missionary!!!! I am so excited for him!

 

Yes mom I got your package and It made my LIFE!!!!!! I loved your letter and the picture of Christ!!!! Thank you and I have already used 2 of the packages of oatmeal you sent me!!!!! Thank you!!!!!! ha ha. Love you!!!!! Tell Samantha that something special is coming for her soon:) And tell her thank you too for her letter!!!!

 

DIONDRA'S GOING TO AUSTRALIA!!!!! Finally!!!!!!!! I sent her birthday present like FOREVER AGO and so I was hoping she would be able to open it on her birthday. Its pretty much everything she will need as a missionary!!!!!! But I also feel bad for her because it is hard to leave a people you love!!!!! But now she is needed in Australia!!!!!

 

I am glad you and dad are feeling better! So so so so glad that you both were safe!!!!! Answer to many of my prayers!!!!!!!

 

So lets just say that this week was AMAZING!!!!!!! So with sister Soe transferring now I am just with sister Song. She was my companion last transfer too and I love her SO SO SO SO So much!!!!! WE are very happy!!!!) we decided as a companionship that the best way to get over sadness is to forget ourselves and go to work. And oh boy have we hit it HARD this week!!!!!!!!! Like hard!!!!! The past 3 days we have skipped meals to just go out and work and BOY I have never loved my mission more! We have talked to everyone, shared so many lessons, AND!!!!!!!!!!! On Saturday we had our lesson with Pak-un-yang (18 year old girl) and Pak- Ja- Toon (17 year old boy) and they have both accepted baptism for May 19th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only is that the amazing part but they are both SO excited. Like seriously, what teenager is excited to get baptized?!?!?!?! But they are. They LOVE the lessons. Ya I think they love us but BOY do they love the lessons. They eat it up and it is just amazing!!!!! Sister Pak does not like coming to church because of reasons she will not tell us ( I don't think the YW in the ward are accepting her) but she still comes to church and is just amazing. She is having a hard time and fights with her Brother, Pak -ja- Toon, But she accepted to be baptized. I explained to her that I don't know all the reasons why God asks us to be baptized but I do know that God wants us to follow the example of Jesus Christ because when we follow the example of our brother, our life finds meaning and we enjoy true happiness. So next transfer/ next month 3 people will receive baptism!!!!!!! I love it. I couldn't be happier!!!!!!! 3 people I love are going to take that step to coming closer to Christ!!!!!

 

Then!!!!! To add to my happiness, on the way home I talked to 4 different people about the Book of Mormon. 3 of them were, at first, interested, but then said they only want the bible. Then the last man said he was interested but he was running late and couldn't carry the BOM.... lame excuse.... I bet if I would have handed him a stack of $100.00 bills he would have been able to carry it.... and the Book of Mormon is Worth even more.... but anyways, I gave him a pamphlet and our number and he said he would call. I hope he does. The reason it was a miracle is because I love doing missionary work and I can't believe I can do it in Korean. Like what in the world... how can I speak Korean????... I have no idea other than the knowledge that God needs me to speak and so when I open my mouth, he gives me words. Man I love this work!!!!

 

The last miracle was something that touched my heart because I really felt the spirit. Right before Sister Seo transferred her and Sister Song were really mad at each other and didn't want to go outside and work... well that's not okay with Sister Ensign. So after a lot of loving them and serving them I got them out of the house. I became Senior and we worked. WE worked hard. The miracle was that as I sat down on the bus to talk to someone, she got up to leave, my heart was a little down because of the contention of my companions but I wanted to work. Right as the woman sitting next to me got up a girl of about 24 years old sat next to me... ya guess what her major is... ENGLISH!!!! So of course I talked to her. She asked why I was here... my favorite question because then I can proudly say " I am a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints"!!!!!! We talked some more. I then felt prompted to ask her " have you ever thought why people go to church"... after a long pause she replied " Maybe they go to have something to lean on"... umm okay that was the most spiritual answer of my LIFE!!!!!! About in tears I told her that the reason I go to church is because I need the support and love of my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I lean on them. She then asked what book I was carrying in my hands... umm YA BABY KEEP THE GOOD QUESTIONS COMING!!!!!!! So I shared the story of the book of Mormon. I gave her the Book and she took the book and had the look in her eyes that I just gave her the greates gift I could have possibly given her. I told her if she liked what she read, to call us. She said she would. We have not gotten a call yet, and I don't know if we ever will, but I loved that moment. In a time where I was down because of contention, I felt the Love of God as I shared the greatest message with one of Gods Children. What a good moment on my mission!!!! I am so thankful God is blessing me with the ability to teach his children in Korean. I am not worthy of it but he is still helping me because all he's got to work with is weak, doubtful, natural man Nicolle. But I am finding that with the little faith I do have, and the determination I have to be like Christ, he is helping my weak things become strong. I couldn't be happier and I know now more than ever that God is Merciful. So merciful!!!!!!! Yes, we are natural men, but God works with what he's got and he thinks that what he's got is pretty special... Its amazing.

 

So today I have thought a lot about Chelsea today and I read a talk in the OCT 2012 Gen conference by Elder Bowen. I loved his words. He said "I testify that this life is not he end. The spirit world is real. The teachings of the prophets regarding life after death are true. This life is but a transitory step forward on our journey back to our Heavenly Father. I testify that the veil is thing. The same feelings of loyalty , love, and family unity don't end as our loved ones pass to the other side; instead, those feelings are intensified. Sometimes people will ask, ' how long did it take you to get over it?' The truth is, you will never completely get over it until you are together once again.... Remember as you attended the funeral of your loved one the feelings in your heart as you drove away from the cemetery and looked back to see that solitary casket - wondering if your heart would break. I testify that because of Him, even our Savior, Jesus Christ, those feelings of sorrow, loneliness, and despair will one day be swallowed up in a fullness of joy. I testify that we can depend on Him and when He said; 'I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you'.....Because He lives, they and we shall live also....." Oh I just loved this talk. My favorite part of the talk is when he said, "the veil is thin". I can attest to that as I have had the help of my Angel, Chelsea, helping me and also EVERY time I testify to investigators that in the spirit world we have missionaries, my heart is filled with warmth knowing that one of those faithful, amazing missionaries is Chelsea. Man I love her and I miss her like crazy but how amazing will the day be when we can get together in heaven and make up a dance and a cheer to welcome our other loved ones home:) As a missionary that is one of my favorite things. I get to tell people that one day they will return with their loved ones and live happily with God Forever. Not only do I have a testimony about that but I depend on that testimony. I NEED that to be true! I need to know that I will see her again. I need it. That is why I love the truth that I have. I love it because I NEED it! All of us do. All of us NEED this happiness that comes from being a disciple of Christ.

 

Well mom, I love you. I hope your birthday is amazing!!!!! Mothers day is coming up and I can't wait to talk to you and the family!!!! I love you to the moon and back!!!!!!!!

 

 

Love Sister Nicolle Ensign

What are you doing here if you don't give it all you've got

How are you??!?!?!?!?! I hope you are doing well considering yours and dad's lives were in danger this week!!!!!! Agh I am so thankful you are doing alright! But I will continue to pray for you!!!! Agh, I am so thankful you were safe!!!! And as for your car.... RIP. ha ha.

 

 

Funny story... not really funny....so my companions don't get along.... . . The drama used to be sad but now it is funny because they are trying to be nice to each other but then to me they will look like they are going to kill each other. . Man its sad but president told me to not get down and to just work and so this week we have really just worked and I couldn't be happier. I love this work. My comps have wanted to stay inside and cry and so one of the day's I became senior and I took the phone, and told my comps that we were going out to teach people about christ. So that's what we did. The best way to get over sorrow or frustration is to go forget yourself. That's been my motto this week. ha ha. yes, my weeks' been good. President called and wants us to have an emergency transfer. He got me on the phone and said "I'm so sorry Sister Ensign. Your companions are dramatic and you are the american that doesn't understand them when the fight.... THank you for being patient". So we will be having an emergency transfer, but I am happy because they both love me. I have tried to help them but they both don't want to change. They just want the other person to change.... so ya..... But I am happy.

 

Today we will go with our district to the zoo!!!!!!!! So fun. Actually its awesome because in Korea they are really relaxed with you touching the animals so we will be playing with goats and zebras today. so fun!!!!!

 

I'm glad bubba had a good birthday! You are so cute to try to make it so special for him. I bet bubba had a great day!!!!

 

So this week was SO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! It started out so fun when we met with our investigator sister Sin. We taught her a lesson and invited her to be baptized. She has been meeting with us for 2-3 months now and so we really want her to make steps to baptism. She was very honest and said " I love being with you missionaries and I do love some things you teach but I also love my church. I just think I will need some more time". That is okay. Sometimes the lost ones take a while to find their way, but she has hands helping her and she likes the helping hands. So it was a good lesson but SO cute was after the lesson she said " I have a surprise for you". So drove us to a park and then all the sudden the park turned into a Zoo... haha. So ya. I don't think we are allowed to go to the zoo on a working day but our investigator took us. I talked to the zone leader about it after and he said it was okay. but it was so special to get with her on a personal level and just love her. Her daughter works in Seoul and so she feels a little alone sometimes so she said she was thankful to have some girl time:) So cute. Love her. Yes I wish she would receive baptism now but her conversion is on her time table and the Lords. She is sweet woman though. I love her.

 

The other cool thing was that on Thursday we randomly got a call from a member and she said " I would like to introduce you to one of our non member friends who I met at school". WE said YES of course. But then she began to explain that she would like us all to eat dinner together, we said YES. Then she said that the dinner was a wedding dinner... ah ha we said... lets call the Zone leader to see if its okay... ha ha. We got permission and off we went to a traditional Korean wedding!!!!!!!!!! OH MY AMAZING!!!!!! The wedding was only 20 minutes and then we ate dinner but the fist cool part was that the wedding was in an old Korean town. It is famous in Korea because it is true ASIA!! and so I felt like I was stepping into a different country when I went and it was so fun! The wedding was beautiful and I was just so thankful to see some Korean culture and traditions!!!!!!! And then our referral was amazing. So it was pretty much the best day ever!!!!! ha ha.

 

Yesterday was AMAZING!!!! WE got a referral from a woman in our ward who just moved from Seoul. Both of her children are not members and so yesterday we taught them the first lesson!!!!! OH MY AMAZING!!!!! I can't even begin to explain the spirit that was there. The boy is 17 years old and I thought for sure he would shrug it off but NO!!! I was eating every word we were saying. It was amazing!!!!!! He said he would pray and read the BOM!!!!!! Mom, he looks like he has been living for this truth his entire 17 years of life. He is so cute!!!!!!!!! Agh I 'm in love with his tender spirit. He actually reminds me a lot of bubba. I think that's why I love him so much!!!!! Agh I love it. But we shared the Josephs smith experience when he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and the spirit was a think as silk!!!! I was a beautiful moment on my mission!!!!! I love sharing this message. And God really helped me with the language!!!! It was amazing!!!!

 

I love missionary work!!!!

I love you mom!!!! Thank you for your love and support!!!! Your in my prayers. I hope you are still okay. THere is something my mission president told us and I think it also applies to us in our lives, not just missionary work. he said "What are you doing here if you don't give it all you've got". I love that. Lets give it all we've got and we will be so happy. I love you mom!!!!!

 

 

Love Sister Collie Ann

God is with us, I promise

So of course this week was amazing because it was conference!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! I had 3 really important questions I needed answered and mom, straight up, plain and simple, they were answered. The lord really does work through his servants!!!! And it was sooooooo good for our investigators and members to hear and be lifted by the servants of the lord!!!!!! I can't wait for the 'ensign' to come out!!!! What a blessing to have a prophet who speaks to us today! The church is true!!!
 

So....mom..... I can imagine you are a bit freaking out by what is going on in North Korea. As a mission and as missionaries we are WELL aware of the situation. The Mission president has taken action and made sure all of us missionaries know plans to take IF anything happens. Mom I have no fear. The only thing that makes me cry is that if anything happens then I will have to leave korea. Mom, I am not leaving Korea. I am needed here and I need korea. Yes, if the lord needs us to leave we will leave but only if that. The Korean people are not afarid of what NK is doing. They say this happens all the time and our president said there is nothing to worry about the only thing we need to worry about is if we are taken out of korea, because if we are taken out, the poor Korean people who should have received the gospel will not. That is scary and heart breaking. But we are not leaving and there is nothing to worry about! Yes I can imagine you are freaking out, just like the other missionaires parents but I promise you mom, we are in good hands! President Furness is smart and he has taught us where to go and if anything happens we are on a plane ride to america in a heart beat. Don't worry though!!!!!! The Korean People say that NK is all talk and they will be distroyed by everyone if they do anything. NK is all talk and no action!

 

So our investigators are the same. This week we were not able to meet with a lot of them because they were busy... but the work is still pressing on! Genertal Conference, AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Alma 12:29 says- There fore he sent angels to converse with them who caused men to behold of his glory." Our angels are the prophets. I shared this scripture with my comps and said, we too can be peoples angels. I told them my mom is an angel. I told them that we need to strive to keep the spirit with us and work with the sipirit so we can be someone's angel!

 

I am doing so good. Last week my companions were going to kill eachother but we have worked things out and now we are a happy house that is focused on missionary work. :)

My comp sister Seo is amazing. She is a convert of about 3 years and mom, she is a working horse missioanry. We get a lot done and we work with the spirit. WE are two peas in a pod and we just have become best friends. I love both of my companions and I am so thankful to work in a 3 some! Such a good experience and my korean is rapidly becoming better. ha ha. Also my english is becoming CRAZY!!! Mom, Shmee would be dying if she heard me speak english. In order to communicate with my comps I have to speak "korean english".... oh its the worst and I make no sense to americans but the koreans understand. ha ha. It is the worst.  so funny!!!!

 

 

Mom, I love you!!!! Like I said before you are my angel. Literally. You have been an insturment in the lords hands for me, so thank you for helping me, loving me, and teaching me the way!  I'm glad you got the package. It's noting big, just something from Korea. I LOVE your present. I use it a lot and LOVE it!!!!! Hope you like it!!!

 

I want you to know as I listned to conference I was focusing on Elder Eyrings talk first session of sat morning ! I love and hate agency sometimes. I wish I could take it from my investigators and just give them this gospel and gods love and have them love it like I do.   Presidnet Eyring said "When you serve you may not receive every blessing you want for yourself and for your family, but I promise he will abide with you". God is with us. He is abiding with us. My favorite hymn is "Abide with me tis even tide". Life is tough and we may not get what we want, but God will always be there for us. He is that comfort in times where we are angry, frustrated, heartbroken, and lonely. God is with you I promise. Keep the faith and keep up your hard work and blessings WILL come!!!!!! A great part about being a missionary is that we can promise blessings. I PROMISE God is with us. I promise that even though he may seem silent, he is there!!!!!!!!!!! I promise. Sometimes I wonder why God is Silent but then I remember that somethimes when I am frustrated or sad, I just want someone to sit with me while I cry. That is what God does for us. He abides with us while we complain and are frustrated and then after we are through, he talks, he blesses and he guides. It is okay to complain to him. I do it a lot. I complain, he listenes (he listens a lot., ha ha ha) and then after I complain, I search for answers and they are always there. God truly loves us!

 

Love you!!!!!!

Sister Collie Ann!!!!!!!

Remember

Well hello dearest mother.

 

Oh I just loved your e-mail. Thank you so much for every week sending e-mails!!!!!!!!! Mom I love you so much,  I am so thankful you are my mother. We have not seen conference yet but your excitement made me excited too:) I just love conference!!!!!! It is like Christmas as a missionary.
 

Things here are going well. Last night we ate with the bishop and his family and it was an answer to our prayers. For weeks we have been praying about how to do missionary work with the wards we are over and last night with the bishop he have us some really inspired ideas that we are so excited to try. And all of them have to do with love and service. As missionaries in Korea a HUGE part of our work is taking care of our members. When we help our members, we receive blessings, they are strengthened and with the members trust us, they trust us to teach their friends! So it was such a blessing to get advice and guidance from the bishop in how we can do effective missionary work.
 

 

Also this week we met two new investigators through a new family in our ward. They are high school students and their step mom is a member and they are just more interested in the ways of LDS saints:) It is amazing to teach people who want to meet me for the gospel. Not going to lie, I get a little frustrated when I meet investigators and all they want it for me to teach them English.... ha ha. I am wanting to be a missionary not a English teach. BUT at the same time, we have seen miracles of people who have English interest and then when they hear our message, they change to gospel interest. This truly is the gospel of Jesus Christ! Oh I love this work.
 

Also we have really tried to pull together as a companionship and try to forget ourselves and go to work. I am learning Korean quickly. Some days are better than others but that's the joy of learning Korean. I am blessed to see the hand of the lord in this work every day.
 

This week we met with Sister Lee (struggled with polygamy) and she said she wants to be baptized on May 24th:) Happiness:) Oh my goodness I am just so excited for her! She still has a lot of questions every time we meet but it is just a greater testimony to us and to her that she REALLY is doing this because she believes. There are many things for us to doubt but when we feel that spirit we can say as Joseph Smith said "I knew it and God knew it and I could not deny it". The only problem we have as natural men is REMEMBERING. But we are so blessed to have this gospel and to share it with others. WE just need to REMEMBER what the lord has done for us and REMEMBER what the spirit has taught us!!!!!!

Yes mom I am getting Dees e-mails and I can't believe she is going to Washington. It looks like the Lord needs her for a short time in Washington. She will bless the lives of the Washington people that is for sure. I about cried when I saw the picture of her and Sister Gelder and Dee wearing her name tag. AGH, that is the most rewarding picture to see of Her!!!!!! I couldn’t be happier for her. I am so excited for her yet my heart goes out for her because I can't imagine not having my visa. Thatwould be a little heart breaking, but God needs here where she is. I have learned that in a very real way.
 

Right now we have become really close with a divorced woman in our ward. Mom she reminds me a lot of you. She is so humble and really just takes care of us missionaries. It is such a tender mercy to have angels build me up and take care of me everywhere I go.

 

I am so thankful! I love this work mom. In five days you will get to count down to when I get home... one year left..... That will be happy for you, but wow, I am crying at the thought of how soon that is. I love this work and I don't know if I will ever want to be released. I love this name badge, I love the full time work, I love being amissionary. Don't get me wrong, I miss you like crazy and I will be happy to be home but this time in my life I will miss forever. I am living each day knowing this is the greatest time I will have as a 22 year old daughter of God. Mom, I love you. Angles are watching over me and God is with me. More than ever I know that God is always with us. I love you to the moon and back.

 

Mom I love you. Thank you for supporting me. Tell Bubba good Job on the ACT. Tell Sam I love her and that I think about her a lot and tell dad I love him too and sorry that his e=mail was short. I will be writing you all letters instead because today's e-mails were a little crazy.

 

Love,

Sister Ensign/ Collie Ann

I love my 2 companions

Well hello beautiful Mother:) Happy Easter:) I love the resurection! What glorious news it is! 

So let me just tell you how much I love my 2 companions. Sister Soe is the hardest working missionary I know and also the happiest missionary I know. I have never worked harder on my mission and I have also never been happier. WE ARE SO BUSY and we are falling in love with everyone we meet!!!!!!!! Seriously! This week has been such a blessing from the Lord! We have met so many new people that we will hopefully be teaching this coming week. One girl we met was a referral from another investigator and she is my age and in Korea that is a big deal. If you are the same age you are automatically best friends. I love it. So we are best friends. She does oil painting and so we will be going to her shop to do a lesson and look at her paintings. I am so excited! Oh I love this work!!

So Dee is still at the MTC? When will her visa come?  I thought she was there so I already sent all her letters and package to Australia so I am really hoping she will make it  there soon. Ha ha. Also have you gotten yours and Bubba's birthday presents? Let me know when that comes. Love you.

I am glad you and Samantha had a lot of fun at YW conference! It truly is amazing experience to stand and support our Heavenly Fathers servant, the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I truly love him and look up to him for being the man that he is, having the faith that he has and the love he has for us. He feels gods Love for us and that is why he serves us! I love it.

Sister Ume got the gift of the Holy Ghost and also we had an investigator and her daughter come to church! Miracles every day! WE had another lesson with Ume and she was having a really hard time with school. She broke into tears because school is just really hard right now. WE all shared our testimony that with the gift of the holy ghost, she can find comfort, peace, love and rest. Life is hard, but through doing what the spirit guides us to do (read scriptures, pray, follow Christ, go to church, etc)we can find rest from our troubles!!!!!! She has such a tender heart! I love her!

I have had many miracles this week where I have been able to speak the language. My companions are REALLY helping me and loving me.  We not only work, we have fun doing the work. We always freak out after lessons where the spirit was as thick as thick and we just get so excited and so happy that our investigators can feel the spirit. Sadly this week has been hard for our investigators. Though we are working really hard, so is satan...... and WE can see it. But this is the Lords work and we are seeing more miracles than doubts so it is truly a blessing.

Sorry this weeks e-mail was a little short but I want you to know I love you and that I am so happy. I am so thankful to be working this hard. Mom, we are seriously working our butts off and we are seeing miracles because of it. Not only are we working hard, but we are being so so obedient. We have testimonies that if we are obedient and work hard, God will trust us to teach more of his amazing children!!!!!!!! And it is true, he has been putting more of his children in our path. I am so thankful!

I love you to the moon and back.

Love Collie Ann