Oh my goodness I loved all the pictures and the email was wonderful. Thank you somuch. I am so thankful for you for sharing your missionary experiences. Mom I wish everyone had the faith that you do !!!!!! I am so thankful to have you as my mother. Actually my work sounds A LOT like yours and dads work. We spend a lot of time with less actives because more than half of the Korean members are less active. I hear ALL the time from members exactly what you heard. that the non members just want a friend they are sick of people pushing them to come to church. As a missionary it's hard not to push because you literally just want to kick people when they just dont get it but, the savior showed us the greatest example. He didn't kick people into the gospel, he showed them his example, taught his gospel, and LOVED them!!!!!!!! I am reading the bible during meal times right now and I am so astonished at the patience Christ had with the pharacies and preists.... agh.... I want to punch them, really!!!!!! In a loving, sister missionary kid of a way. Agh.... they just frustrate me. Christ had SO much patience. I am jealious because when I encounter people like that all I want to do is ignore them and walk away, but christ took the time to continue to teach. He was constantly teaching.
So if last week was miracle week, I'm already in heaven this week. Lets talk MIRACLES!!!!!!!! We found andmet and have fallen in loev with 4 new investigators. Which is a record \!!!!!! 4 new investigators in a week! This is truly Gods work!!!!!!!! And the greatest miracle is taht my companion is making progress. She is still so tired, but she has decieded to get out and work!!!!!!!! Miracles happen!!!!!!! One of our new investigators is a police officer and she is AMAZING!!!!!!! She reminds me so so so so so so so much of Aunt Karin. She is a tough cookie with a HUGE heart. Agh I'm crying thinking about her. When we met her she took us out to eat and on the car ride she expressed her desires to learn of God and to find out her purpose... umm okay Plan of Salvation!!!!! Seriously INSANE!!!!!! I love her!!!! Her name is Jun Sae He!!!!!!. She has a little boy who came to the police station to say hi and he brought their dalmation puppy... ya I was in pure heaven! Ha ha. New investigator and a puppy.... counldnt be happier. So amazing. WE will meet her again either next week or sunday. she has to check her schedule.
Then the other new investigator is a Grandma who LOVES to talk!!!!!!!!!!! I think we got the words "Heavenly father loves you" in and that was it. She is not really religious but is willing to listen. Wel will spark something in her I know it. She is very humble and lives int eh country area... funny story..... So me and my companion don't like bugs. But my sweek companion cried the other day when she saw a rollie pollie..... ya.... well here we are walking in the country area with our new investigator and we see this HUGE beatle!!!!!! Even I was shocked. Well as my companion is about to throw up she is so scared, our investigator leans down (she is a grandma) and picks up the beatle with her bare hands. The beatle even had pinchers... pretty sure it's related to the scorpean family...... and she picks it up and calls it her pet... aparentally she loves those beatles and makes them her pets... she feeds them strawberry jelly..... I don't think my companion will want to meet her again. My poor companion. ha ha. I sure hope she has a cage for the beatle and it just doesnt just roam around the house. We will see.... .
Then the last two investigators were a mom and son.... no gospel intrest but they have met the missionaries before and like us.....WE will try to spark some interest!!!!!! I'm just excited to finally have more people to teach. I was happy teaching and meeting with memebers but now I'm ready to baptize! ha ha.
Speaking of baptism.... amazing experience!!!!!!!! So yesterday some elders in our zone had a baptism. 2 weeks ago they baptized 2 sisters (actual sisters). and this week their older sister was baptized.... umm amazing. They were glowing and like, hello spirit!!!!!!!! Wow. I was brought to tears as these young sisters met in the batheroom after the baptism adn the younger sister asks her older sister "do youfeel that"..."doesnt taht feel amazing"....etc. The spirt is real!!!! It really is.
This brings me to the las thing I want to talk about. I had a touching experience that I will remember forever. So this las thursday we met our investigator Sister Kwon, from China.....We have been meeting FOREVER!!!!! But she is slowly making TRUE progression. She is reading the book of mormon and feels liek it is the same sprit as the bible. Well right before the lesson I prayed SO hard to have the spirit with me as I taught. Well during the lesson our lesson plan changed.... and we talked about the Book of Mormonadn the spirit. She attends her different church and loves it.l We asked if she has felt the spirit before. She said she feels the spirit when she goes to chruch but she cant feel it when she comes home...... hello, gift of the holy ghost!!!!!!!! Then I followed the spirit and slowly and with a lot of silent pauses, bore my testimony that the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is Christs church and it is true. The spirit BURNED in me. Like FIRE. It was the strongest one single moment I have ever felt the spirit. I then asked her ifshe will pray about our church if it is ture and she said with a sincere desire, "YES".
The chruch is true. PLain and simple, this is Christs Church and I know it it true. And everything we learn and teach is also true. It's ALL true. Every bit of it. I know it. I love you so much. Thank you for all your love and support. Thanks for helping me along the path to know that this church is true. Love you to the moon and back.
Sister Cole Ensign