I am so thankful for the wonderful miracles God gives me every day............

Oh my goodness!!!!! I just love your e-mails mom and the pictures are so great. I cant believe Samantha is going to be in Jr. High and that bubba will be a senior. SO CRAZY!!!!!! Ha ha and grandma with the peppers in her bag!!!!! AGH crazy! I love it. And I am so glad to hear that dad is doing things with the the elders in our wards:) My ward mission leader was a GEM this week! So he is a farmer and when it rains it is vacation time for him. So the only 2 days so far this summer that he has gotten a break were Friday and Saturday because it rained non stop!!!!!!! So guess what he did with his free time... he drove us to all of our appointments and came with us to them. he knows we spend SO much time on buses that he helped us and the Elders to all of our appointments so that we could schedule a lot of appointments that day. We went to a Less Actives house and spent time with her and her family. The less actives, Sister Beatric, her husband committed suicide 10 years ago and so she is trying to raise her children on her own and it is hard to manage house problems too. So when the ward missionary leader was with us, he checked out her house and helped her fix some problems. It was so special. And THEN, being the amazing man he is, he set up an appointment for us sisters at a members house who said they wanted to refer someone to us to teach the gospel. The ward mission leader did tat all on his own. he didn't' tell us until that night that we were going to meet this family but it was amazing. He is an amazing man. If I cant have dad as my ward missionary leader, I 'll take him. Brother Wang. i love him!!!!!! An amazing man with a love for missionary work. A ward missionary makes all the difference!!!! Love it. I know the elders probably LOVE dad!!!!!!! Agh.... Dad would be the greatest American ward mission leader!!!!!

 

So lets talk miracles for a second..... HOLY MIRACLES!!!!! Miracle Mokopo baby!!!!!! So lets start by saying Sister Youoo is still excited for her baptism on September 8th! We met her this week and wanted to review the Restoration and really focus on prophets. We wanted her to be prepared for the baptismal interview question  - Do you believe God restored the gospel through Joseph Smith? do you Believe Thomas S. Monson is Gods living prophet today? So we spent time on that and we talked about Joseph smiths experience/ first vision. Greatest moment on my mission!!!!!!! I look into her eyes and I say the first vision. As I am speaking her eyes start to fill with water. I finish and it is silent. she is crying and is looking from me to sister Wadsworth screaming "what in the world is this feeling". After a LONG silence I asked her "do you believe it?". She was still silent and then started laughing and said "will you read it again so I can feel that feeling again". Ha ha I laughed and read it again, this time she laughed with joy and said "I believe it".... umm okay greatest moment of my LIFE!!!!!! I was seriously sitting there in SHOCK! Never have I had an investigator that moved by the first vision! It was amazing. We asked her plain and simple the 2 baptismal questions and said "yes, I believe". Like is this really happening? Miracles.... WOW..... So That was amazing.

 

Then the other miracle was yesterday we went to church and I felt impressed to send a text to an investigator we have not been able to contact forever. So I texted him the time and place that church would be and start. And after sacrament he comes strolling in with his 17 year old daughter. He says to me,  "We need this right? My daughter also needs this right?"....when I was woken up from my dream I said,  "umm yes".... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. What in the world?  Like yes sir, you and your daughter need this. So now Ginny, his daughter is our new investigator! Love it!!!!

 

Miracle Wednesday: We were JAM packed with appointments. We met 2 new investigators and Sister Youoo and A Less active. The first new investigator is James; JAMES!!!!!!! He said he wants to study the bible together. He wants to be more educated with the bible. He said he wants to read it in English to better understand. Umm..... yes James, we can TOTALLY help you with that. We also told him that when we cant understand the principles in the bible or we need them better explained we have this other set of scripture that helps us understand and I think that scriptures name is... the... BOOK OF MORMON. ha ha ha. Ya,  so we were pretty excited to meet him! Then we met the less active. She has not liked the elders because they just want to get her to Church. I told her we had the same plans but we also wanted to be her friend. She totally opened up. She told us honestly that she does not like keeping all the "rules"/ commandments.... She gave me a skirt and said " I actually like mini skirts better... you have this one" I told her she would need this one for church but she laughed and put it in a bag for me to take. It's really cute. But we became really good friends. She warmed up to us. She wants us to visit weekly:) Ya baby!!!!! She is so nice. We actually had an appointment on a different island and didn't know how to get there and so she offered to drive us. So nice. So our less active was helping us do missionary work. Ha ha. Good stuff. We will help her. I feel good about her:) THEN there is the new investigator, Sister Pock-gyung-hee. AAAGGGHHH I love this woman. We dug her out of the dirt with all the questions we asked and she totally opened up. She said she is not happy with her husband and wants a better life. She said she wants us to teach her kids English so they have better confidence. We explained that through our gospel and our message, she can receive that happy life and she and her family can find FULL confidence in life. She was so cute and really interested. The best part is that she does not have English interest. We asked her that after we finish teaching our message if she will be baptized:) She said  "YES". AGH miracles. So this coming week we will give her a date to work for:) Miracle Mokopo!!!!

 

Okay along with all these miracles, God is truly helping me and my companion with the language! It is incredible. We teach simply and understandably and to their needs and it is only because God is helping us. All the time people don't' believe me that I have only been in Korea for 8 months. And I tell them it is because God needs me to share this message in Korean and he is helping me. My sweet companion is like my best friend. We have the spirit in our home and I love her. I am so thankful to have her as my companion. I am so thankful to serve in Mokopo. Not only for missionary reasons but it is so beautiful here. I live right by the ocean. Today we are going to take a cable car to the top of a mountain that looks over the ocean and all the different islands by Mokopo. Should be fun. But most of all, I love working for the lord. My companion was so smart and pointed out that this is not our mission, it is not my mission, it is the lords mission and I am here to represent him and help him. What a great calling. I love it. I love being a missionary. I am so thankful for the wonderful miracles God gives me every day. Me and My comp decided we are going to write a book and name it "Miracle Mokopo".  ha ha ha. I seriously love it though. I love missionary work. I love my investigators and members! I love you mom! I love you dad. I love you Sammy. I love you Bubba. I love you shmee. To the moon and back.

 

Sister Cole Ensign

 

ps. YES mom I got your package.... the twix bars and resons were HEAVEN SENT . Thank you so much. I love you to the moon and back. thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you !!!!!!!!!!

We call it "Miracle Mokopo" and let me tell you why.

Agh...... I just want to give a shout out to Kenna and Trevor:) congrats you two love birds:) Agh,  I just cried my eyes out looking at all those pictures. I think I miss it more than I thought I would. I love you Kenna, so much. I am so proud of you and for marrying in the temple. We spend our whole childhood and life preparing to go the temple and you made it!!!!!! And Kenna I know Chelsea couldn't be more happy and excited for you! I love you. Chelsea loves you too. I know it.

 

Mom it sounds like your week was crazy but good:) I am so thankful you put my name it the temple. I am feeling better and heaven knows I need it. Me and my comp were laying on the floor after planning, letting the fans blow on us and my comp said "I didn't think it would be this hard but,  I really miss going to the temple. "I totally agree. You just miss it. All I know is I will not do anything to make it so I cant go to the temple because not being able to go is.... to say the least.... difficult. It's at the temple where you feel at home. Luckily me and my companion are the 2 most blessed sisters in Korea and we live right by the ocean. so my "temple" is every morning while exercising, I get to go out and stand on the edge of the bridge and look at the rising sun I catch a glimpse of the temple. Gods Glory. It's amazing.  I see his hand everywhere. How could you not! So ya,  I get to run by the ocean every morning and I am NOT complaining. Yes it is hot, but there is a breeze and Jeonju was hotter. ha ha. Mokopo is amazing. We call it "Miracle Mokopo" and let me tell you why.

 

Miracles;

1 (out of 5billion). Before sisters were transferred to Mokopo, the elders were going shopping for food on p-day when a woman frantically ran up to them and asked for a book of mormon and their information. The elders got her number but when they gave it to us they warned us that she might be a little crazy. they thought she was drunk or on drugs when they first met her. So we called her and set up an appointment. She wanted to meet in her house so we went to this little apartment and walked into a MESS. pretty sure she could be on Korean Horders. We sit down with her and she says she is sorry that she stinks because she has been out walking all day. And then she goes on to tell us about her life..... by the end of her stories we were all in tears because she has NOT a good life. My heart just hurt for her.  Her house and life are a mess because her body is sick. She says she cant eat and no on e will hire her because she has to go to the Dr. a lot. But she then talked about God and her faith in him. SHE HAS SO MUCH FAITH!!!!! I cant even believe it. Agh. We told her that her life can become better through this message that we have for her and that through Christ's atonement and healing power, she can be completely healed and  through this gospel she can find her life again. her husband divorced her and took the 2 kids and wont allow her to see them. She is just so SAD!!!!! Well thats when we shared our HAPPY message!!!!!!!! She accepted to be baptized and yesterday when she came to church she was a hole new person. Happy and SO cute. She is 35 years old and her name is sister Yuoo and she came to church yesterday and was all excited to be there and was happy to be baptized. All of the members just kept saying "She is amazing. she is so prepared...etc." It was truly amazing. I cant believe it still and I am still waiting for something bad to happen because there is no way things could be this perfect. I need more faith but she is just so prepared. I think she does have a drinking problem and a smoking problem but we can fix that. I am just so excited~!!!!!! Please pray for her. her baptismal date is September 8th:) She is so excited!!!!!! Love it.

 

2  So after church with sister Yuoo we took a bus together home. ha ha ha. She was so on fire that we got on the bus and this cute little boy with his mom said "hi" in English and that was all Sister Yuoo needed to start.... she then told this son and mom that they needed to meet me. she got their number for me and the rest was history. So not my investigator is doing missionary work for me. ha ha haha.Ya insane!!!!! Agh,...... miracles happen!!!! God lives.

 

3  Another great English class with our investigators. I made a really fun English game that everyone really loved and so it is getting our investigators to think more about us and what we are about. the harder you work at serving someone, the more they feel your love. As much as I hate being an English teacher, when you really serve (by teaching English) people take notice and wonder what you are all about and start to ask questions and they also introduce you to their friends.

 

4   So we visited a member with cancer at her photo shop. Sister Kim. We shared a message about the restoration and then asked her to share her testimony in a book of mormon so that we could give it to someone. (really good inspiration I had from God to get the members to think about missionary work. When I meet a member I have them write their testimony in a BOM and then when I give the BOM out I call the member and tell them about that person.) Well,  we asked her to do the same and she gets up and comes back with2 BOM's already filled with her testimony!!  I just started to cry because here is this faithful mother with cancer who in her free time was thinking of sharing a book of mormon with someone and took the time to write her testimony in it. It was so amazing.

 

Well there is my amazing week,  filled with miracles and happiness. My sweet companion has been such a help. She is fire ball that wants to work hard and that is all I could ask for. Good times, happy times and blessed times.

 

And just like Nephi says in 3nephi 5:13 "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of god. I have been called of him to declare his words among his people, that they might have ever lasting life". I love you to the moon and back.

 

Love Sister Cole Ensign

I was born to serve my mission in Korea, nowhere else........

Don't worry mom.  But, I have been really sick the last few days.   I was too sick to call in to the mission conference call that we do every week ( every missionary calls president shin on a mission conference call every Monday) and he wanted to talk to me personally, which never happens, because he wanted to tell me I was doing good work so when I wasn't there he announced to the whole mission that I needed a blessing and that everyone should pray for me to get better… ah ha ha ha ha awkward…  

 

Dad I wish you were here!!!! The mission pres. on the conference call told the elders to give me a blessing…. so they called when I was awake and told me what the mission pres. requested… and I reluctantly said okay, and I told the elders I would be thankful for a blessing,  but sometimes when you want a blessing, all you want is your dad.  But I was reminded by the spirit that it is the same priesthood.  I will try to rest today.


Another great week in the most beautiful place in the Daejeon Mission. MOKOPO!!! I love it here! Oh my goodness!!!!!!! I am so blessed to be serving here. Not only is it beautiful, but the members here are amazing and the people are nice and our investigators are the cutest things in the world. This week we were able to make a family of 4 our investigators and they are amazing! they are English interest but they are the cutest family in the world. I love them!!! AGH seriously!!!! I love this family!!!!!! The mom has a LOT of potential. She listens and really thinks about God. The husband said he believes in science but there have been 2 times in his life where he was desperate and he prayed to God and felt peace. And the 2 kids are TO DIE FOR!!!!!! AGH I am so excited to work with them. They came to English class on Saturday and we had a blast. the Kids are REALLY shy but we played an English game using Uno and we had a blast:)So great things are happening in Mokop!!!!! We also have been eating with members and it is amazing to get to know these amazing members. They have So much faith. The one member we ate with has only been a member for about 8 years and it was when his daughter was born that he prayed and asked God how he could be the best he could be just for his daughter and he was then introduced to the gospel. The Church is definitely a family thing!!! The gospel blesses families! So ya, I am really excited to get to know these members and do good missionary work:)

 

Speaking of missionary work…. yesterday at church we got a visit from the stake president….. ya lets just say he is EXTREME about missionary work…. Its the greatest thing in the world. He gave a talk in church and after his talk members came up to us and gave us referrals and told us to have our investigators to their house for FHE and all of these amazing blessings. Also last night after church the entire stake got together and had a missionary fireside. So remember the family from my greenie area that I cried my eyes out with I had to say goodbye…. well they were there…. So even though I was throwing up me and that sister were just in eachothers arms crying we were so excited to see each other. She told me she has thought about me every day and that she prayed I would come back to this area. Her prayers were answered. She said her husband had some friends in Mokopo that they want to introduce us to.  They are so cute. It was such a tender mercy to see them again. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, not knowing if I would ever see them again. So ya, I just love this mission because you meet people you love and you realize just why you got called to the place you got called. I was born to serve my mission in Korea. Nowhere else. I needed the people here and the people here needed me. The sister I was hugging looked at me and said “This is so weird but I feel Like I have known you forever…. you are my daughter. Why do we feel like this?”. It was a tender mercy to see her again and we cried again when we had to say goodbye. Her son looked at us and said “Why are you crying again”. ha ha ha ha. She hit him and said “You don't understand”.  I just love them~!!!!!!! I am so thankful to be serving here again in my greenie stake:) miracles happen and dreams come true.

Speaking of dreams come true I want to tell you of my favorite Mokopo member. her name is Kim Joo. She is a convert to the church and she is literally PERFECT. I want to be just like her. She is the most Christlike person I know. Like I wouldn't be surprised if she got translated. She is amazing. She came to our English class on Saturday and she is just amazing. AGH I love her. But she is so humble and kind and sweet and AGH. I just love her. When We saw her at the English class and our investigators were there she said in perfect English and in the sweetest princess voice “God answers prayers and dreams come true”. She is amazing!! She is 34 years old and not married and at first when I hear that I was sad because she is not married. But no one deserves her.  She is too amazing! When we were waiting after English class for the bus, she shared her conversion story and told me “Sister Ensign you remind me so much of the missionaries that taught me. Through your energy and sweet spirit you will help many people”. It was so kind of her to say that because as you know I do a good job at beating my self up but I have amazing people all around me to lift me up. I’m on cloud nine right now and don’t plan on coming down until I am forced to leave Mokopo. ha ha ha. 

Miracles are happening. we don’t have an investigator with a baptismal date yet, but I can feel like its coming. This are is ready. 

 

This week in personal study I found a great scripture in Romans and I also ran across dad’s favorite scripture. And they all gave me a lot of strength. Dads scripture,  where Paul is teaching and he says “For I am not ashamed of the gospel”...... I love that!   As a missionary I am not ashamed and I never will be because I know who gave me this gospel. Christ. And also,  in Romans chapter 8,  “For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?…. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, Who can be against us?”. God is with me. I see him everywhere. I know he is there and not only is he helping me with this missionary work, but he is giving me tender mercies of happiness and times that I will never forget  and people I will remember forever. I love my mission. I wish every one would serve.

 

I love you to the moon and back.

 

Love Sister Cole Ensign

p.s. mom I got the letter with the money this week. Thank you so much It was needed!!!!!! Truly a miracle that you sent me money!!!! Thank you!!!!! Love you

I don't think I will ever have the heart or physical strength to leave Mokopo.......

MOM!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I don't even know where to start. Okay I
> will start by saying how hard it was to leave Jeonju. I Said goodbye
> to my friends and investigators and just cried with my comp. I will
> really miss jeonju. BUT the sun is shining!!!!!

 Lets start with> Thursday;
 The day I picked up Sister Wadsworth at the mission home was
> a great day. President Shin pulled me aside and told me I could do it.
> The miracles are there and Mokopo is ready to Pop! President Shin said
> he is expecting a lot from this area. So we left for mokopo and as
> soon as we got there... WE WERE IN LOVE. Talk about beautiful. My
> whole mission I have thought how ugly Korea is.... NOT MOKOPO!!!!!!! I
> am surrounded by ocean and some of our members live on separate
> islands that we have to go to. IT IS BEAUTIFUL HERE!!!!!! So right as
> we get into our apt I freak out... our members got us a MANSION!!!!!!
> Like it's the nicest house any missionary has in Korea and it is in
> such a nice are and I feel like a queen. Ya we still don't have a stove
> or oven or heated water but that will come. ha ha.
   Adventures! So my companion and I were just in heaven.
 The Elders came over and gave us food and they gave us their beds to sleep on. They
> are so nice.

Friday; we met with our elders and we talked about our
> area!!!!!!!! So here I have been in Korea thinking the members hated
> missionary work... NOT IN MOKOPO!!!!!! Our members are so excited for
> missionary work and they are so excited that  sisters are here now!  We are the first sisters
in this are.> I love it. We also spent Friday buying everything for our house...
> that was also an adventure.... we looked like \crazy Americans... but
> what's new... haha.

 Sat; We decided to do missionary work. Forget the
> house and get to work. and that's what we did. We heard that there
> was a festival going on on Sat so we got with the elders and did some
> proselyting and surveys and gave away some Book of Mormons!!!!!!! We
> got SO many people who wanted to meet with us. and... we had a
> miracle!!!! Of course because I live in miracle Mokopo!! So my  comp
and I were talking , for me to teach her some Korean , and we look up and
> there is a man at out table. We talk to him and he says that he is
> friends with one of our members. so of course I talk to him. Come to
> find out he lived in Provo UT for a while and finds the Mormons a
> great group of people. I felt impressed to invite him to church for
> the next day and he said yes.

Sunday; Me and my comp are welcomed by
> the ward like queens!!!!! Amazing! There was even a member who got up
> to give her testimony and said that us sisters reminded her of the
> missionaries that baptized her and now she wants to have us teach her
> parents the message. THEN,  the man we met on Saturday CAME TO CHURCH
> and don't worry we had a lesson with the bishop and he wants to be
> baptized. umm okay... since when does that happen.... MIRACLES!!!!!
> Then at church it was the most spiritual sacrament meeting I have ever
> been to in Korea. Every young man got up and bore his testimony and in
> relief society it was spiritual and I was just in heaven. Not going to
> lie, sometimes I am nervous to bring investigators to relief society
> because they sometimes just talk... about nothing..... we even had an
> investigator one time ask "what is this time for"..."Its a time to
> learn about the gospel".....the sisters were talking about problems
> with their kids for all for all of relief society and the investigator
> turned to me and said "shouldn't this be a time where we talk about
> Christ"..... ya that was a slap in the face. But she is right. But
> here in Mokopo they know whats right. They are members who don't need
> lifting, they lift others. It is amazing.

 I am so blessed to serve
> here. We already have 5 appointments set this week for investigators
> and I am just so excited to serve here. Ya it's a little overwhelming
> training and opening this area , but it is also a time where I get to see miracle
> after miracle. It is amazing. I am so blessed! I don't think I will
> ever have the heart or physical strength to leave Mokopo. Sorry mom
> and dad, you may be coming to Korea to rip me from the Mokopo area;)
> But I love it. I love this mission and I am seeing god just take over
> and feel I am his tool. It is a miracle. I wish I could explain all
> the miracles but I have to go.

 Love you to
> the moon and back!!!!!
>
> Love collie Ann:)
>
>
> p.s.. I am so glad to hear everything is going well with the family.
> Tell Kenna I love her and Trevor and that they are in my prayers. I hope
> everything goes well with his dad. I will pray. Love you
>