....my eyes have been opened to the Christ like examples around me....

So.... At the beginning of my mission President Furniss said that all the missionaries keep their passports at the mission home because after our one year mark we have to have our passport to renew our visas. well my one year mark is tomorrow (one year in Korea) so I was suppose to have my passport sent to me...well I waited... waited... and waited.... (they keep them at the mission home so that missionaries don't loose them during all the transfers)... funny that the mission home lost mine. ha ha ha. Anyways I waited and finally called the mission home asking where it was... they got super stressed and said they sent it like... 3 weeks ago... usually letters within Korea take 1-2 days to arrive.... not 3 weeks.  We contacted all the post offices and no one could find it... so guess who took a trip to Seoul?   And the highlight was that I got to call you mom :) I know it was so short but it was still SO good!!!! Oh I was so happy!!!!! So so so Happy:)

 

 

Well... Seoul... was interesting... lets just say, I really missed Mokpo the whole time I was there. But don't worry they,  I figured out everything with my passport and its all taken care of:) funny story though... so  we headed to the mission home on Thanksgiving/ Thursday and lets just say Thursday as a STRESSFUL day for us.. ha ha ha. For some reason everything was going wrong and we had to get to Daejoen on a bus by 6 and we were 2 hours form home and it was 5..... So we were freaking out and then said a prayer and decided to not freak out. We got home at 6. WE made a DELICIOUS home make apple pie@!@!!!!!! Oh my goodness. And we took the pie on our way. So thanks giving dinner this year was an apple pie. So we get to the train station and they tell us that the train is leaving right now. So unlike America where they would just tell you that you missed it... the Koreans hurried and printed our tickets and told us to run. ha ha ha. One of the workers ran in front of us and stopped, shook his head, said, "no time" and took us around the corner. He looked at me and yelled "GO". The train was leaving and he was suggesting we  JUMP THE TRAIN TRACKS and get on the train. So what do we do.... we go. Totally not missionary or human smart but we did it.... ha ha ha. But it was just adding to the adventure... and stress. ha ha. We got to the mission home, and told president and he said, "Good thing you didn't die". ha ha ha. And he laughed. I love president.  He has taught me that you are serious and logical, smart, follow the spirit. But when things are done and out of your hands, you learn from your mistakes and maybe take a few minutes to laugh. Love him. I love him so much.

So lets talk about the miracles for a minute.... so my entire mission, getting investigators to come to church is... difficult... well we set the goal of 2 investigators coming to church. Dave and Honey. Our two really progressing investigators. Well......WE HAD 3 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH AND 107 MEMBERS (usually we have 74 members). Us and the elders and have been working really hard to get less actives to church. Well!!!!!!!! WE had Dave and Honey and then bishop brought a co-worker!!!!! I was so overwhelmed with Joy. (the word my sweet Ensign the younger talked about in her e-mail... JOY). Joy filled the church and hearts of all who came to ward conference. It was amazing!!!!!!!! Dave and Honey really liked the sacrament meeting but Honey thought the other meetings were... too... long... ha ha ha. But for someone who has never been to church before, I can understand who 3 hours would be long. But it was so good. the Bishops referral had to leave early but she also LOVED the sacrament meeting. Oh it was such a miracle!!!! Dave will be with us in  the interview with NEW YORK TIMES on Friday (by the way.. news is out... you and tell others about NYT). Oh I am so nervous yet, I feel like this will be good. I am so thankful I have sister Scott to be with. My best friend in the mission to experience New York Times interview and Christmas together. We are thrilled. Transfers are this week and we are both staying. THANK THE HEAVENS. 

 

This week I really was overwhelmed with he spirit that this is the lords work. It truly is his work and HIS WILL BE DONE.  We spend a lot of time traveling. The most in the mission because or members live so far away, and so do our investigators. Usually we spend in one day, 3-4hours on a bus... crazy right?..... but everyone lives so far away. We try to do many visits in our area as to not waste time. But we HAVE to follow the spirit. WE can not waste the lords time and so really putting away our desires our ways and relying on the lord is SO crucial in this work. I really felt it this week as I was praying to find my passport and just prayed that the Lords way would be done. I just was overcome with the spirit that the Lords way should ALWAYS be done. In missionary work and in my life. He knows best, He knows what's best for me. I just have to give it to him. Dee is SUCH  a good example to me of that. Her mission of truly giving herself has truly helped me. And my prayers have become so sincere because of her sweet example. No wonder God gave her to me. I love you Dee. And Mom, Dad, Bubba, Sam and  Sister Gelder, if you all only knew how your lives and examples have helped not only my mission, but my life, you would be amazed... I am amazed every day. On my mission I have really studied Christ's life. His example. His ways. And I have been able to have my eyes opened to the Christ like examples around me. I am surrounded by Christ like people. You all are Christ like. Thank you for helping me and showing me how to be more like Christ. Everyone has a bit of Christ like in them. Those are the gifts you talked about mom. everyone has them. Even our investigators have them. I love pointing out to our investigators that they are like Christ. Like last night our sweet investigator and her son learned about the restoration. At the end, Sister Scott asked the 14 year old son to pray... he offered on of the most precious prayers I have ever heard. She raised him on her own. But the reason he is such a good kid is because she takes him to church every week. (not our church, a different church)   He prayed like he was literally talking to a friend. I praised the mom for being like Christ and raising her son to be who he is. I walked out of that lesson thinking "wow, even if they don't convert to the gospel, they have found God and he is truly helping them. And God helped them find us.". 

 

 

 

God loves us all. Merry Christmas. What a wonderful time to remember our Savior and our God. I love you all to the moon and back.

Love Sister Cole Ensign