Pictures!!!!

Mongolian Surprise!

April 29th, 2012

안녕하세요! it literally feels like five minutes since i emailed but now that i think about it so much has happened there is no way it has only been a week!

First of all the weather has been incredible. Spring in Korea is probably what the celestial kingdom is. The whole country turned into a flower garden. Every other day something else blossomed. Because of the nice weather peoples moods are pretty nice as well. We have seen so many miracles this week. The other day we were heading to an appointment and stopped by the church randomly to get some water or something when I saw a kid on a bike staring up at the church. He saw us a started to ride away and then the next thing i knew i was chasing him down asking what he was doing here. Turns out he is from Mongolia and used to meet with the missionaries a few years ago. He said that he remembers feeling a lot of happiness when he met with the missionaries.  His mom is really sick- maybe cancer and he has been really struggling being so far from her. That day he was riding his bike and saw the name of our church and felt like he should come in. We talked for a while and invited him to English class (so he could meet the elders). He showed up and that night the elders set a baptismal date with him. I love how as a missionary I think I'm in control of everything but i am reminded often of how very much the Lord leads and guides His missionaries. I just thought i needed a drink but the lord has a better bigger plan for us.

We got a call from a member the other day wanting to give us a referral. Her friend is about 44, single, wealthy, beautiful, and alone. She recently quit/lost her job (not exactly sure) her crazy neighbors are suing her and her dog died. yeah.

SO we went and met with her. In the standards of the world this woman has it all. Her apartment is unbelievable. I think her Picasso was an original... and yet there she sad in tears unable to be consoled. I sat in terror for a moment wondering what in the world i would say to this woman and then i realized oh yeah... dork... you have EXACTLY what she needs. THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

So often i find in Korea people who don't need God or just don't know where to find Him. They seek joy and happiness in beauty or wealth status or education. But in the end their hunger persists. They still need more.

 And then i compare that to my bishops family. He has six children under the age of 11 which is unheard of in Korea. They live in a two room apartment- in worldly standards they have nothing and yet when i think of them the word that comes to mind is JOY. They are the happiest people I have ever met. What it the difference? Its perspective and a life filled with everything the gospel teaches. Service, love, devotion, family centered life. 

I don't mean to say you cant be happy and affluent but any worldly success cannot compensate for spiritual neglect.

anyways. guess what else? I've been praying my heart out for 김경선 (my less active recent convert) and making the missionaries down there go after her. I wrote her a letter with a picture of us at her baptism- reminding her of the best day of our lives! and the lord answers prayers- she came to church for the first time in two months on Sunday! I am so grateful for those missionaries- that no matter what i know that there with be two elders in 그경선's ward looking after her. I hate that I'm so far away from her. 

AH! I have so much to tell you! I have no time. I'll tell you everything someday. 

But what you should know now is that I have a testimony. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that with the gospel nothing in your life can never permanently be wrong. Without is nothing can ever permanently be right. I love being a missionary. I love Korea! 

lovey dovey all the time 

Hey Your Dads in Seoul!!!

April 23rd, 2012

I got a call from like 800 people this week telling me my parents were in Seoul and asking if i wanted to hide in their car on the way to convention.

I said no...

Hey thanks for not even TRYING to see me! I heard lots about your trip from everyone. I even got a phone call from the convention from a member who put dad on speaker while he was talking.

The good news is that i got a call from the mission office telling me that my parents were in Seoul and that there was a very special package that a very persistent Korean man insisting that he hand deliver. I knew it had to be one of two things. Moms sugar cookies or dad in a box. I couldn't decide which i wanted more.

Thank you for the package! It was so fun. Mom I've lost my mind. Either my feet have grown or i asked for the wrong size. they were all small except for the tan ones which i love. IM SO SORRY ITS MY FAULT! 

This week has been pretty grand. We have been really busy and that's a good feeling. Our baptismal date is killing me and we are postponing... indefinitely. We met with her on Sunday after church because she wouldn't actually come to church, or read, or pray and talked about why its important to come to church and how she needs to keep praying and reading the book of Mormon to get an answer. But then i got really frustrated and realized none of that mattered unless she had a desire to know. I told her that I cant and wont make her do anything. We are here to give you the most incredible gift God has given his children but it is entirely up to you if you want it or not. I told her that I loved her but that we couldn't meet with her until she started doing the things that would help her gain a testimony. I'm pretty sure my companion wanted to kill me afterward but 아름 called us a few days later and asked what it would feel like if she got an answer. We talked for a while about the ways God answers prayers and she said she was going to start searching. Pray for her.  

The other day we were in a training meeting talking about missionary work discussing for the 100th time about how to find new investigators... working with members... retaining... and all of a sudden i felt overwhelmed with the task that is layed before missionaries. We have so much to do and not near enough capacity to do it. So then i thought about why I do it. What is it that keeps me getting up at 6:30 every morning? And i realized in the end it is my love for the Savior. I am often overwhelmed with my inadequacies but then i remembered who it was that called me. I am given so much strength by His confidence in me that I can do hard things. And it IS worth it. Even when we don't see it, our actions and efforts are noted. I believe so strongly that one day we are going to look back at all of this and realize that every experience this life offers, every heartbreak, and every disappointment have all been gently pointing our course towards the Savior and life beyond our current circumstances. 

I know that He lives. I know that He loves us. What an incredible thing that is!

I love you.

Sister Lund     

Popcorn Popping!!

April 15th, 2012

The Cherry blossoms came out this week and it is so incredible. Through the center of the city a big river runs and giant cherry blossom trees line the river. It is maybe the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. There was a big festival for the blossoms and we went to go proselyte and found out that they were doing a march down the river to welcome spring so we marched with them for a while and taught them about the gospel. It was so fun! We found a lot of new investigators through it. I love spring people are in such a good mood.

One of our new investigators is from China. She sort of speaks Korean and sort of speaks English. Its sort of an adventure teaching her. We gave her a book of Mormon and she read the first book of Nephi in the first week- this is coming from someone who had never heard of Jesus Christ. I feel like we are going to see miracles with her. I cant wait.

All of the young single adults in the Taejon region met at our stake center for an activity and I got to see some of my favorite people from Kwangju. I found out though that one of my converts in Kwangju is less active. It broke my heart into a billion pieces. She was golden. Had such a strong testimony, and an amazing support group. She told me all the time how she wanted to be a missionary. but not she says that church isn't fun. Im about to hop a train to Kwangju and... i dont even know. Yell at her? cry? beg? that's no good. Its now up to her.  

I hate agency.

Ive been thinking a lot about how important it is to be constantly strengthening your testimony. read your scriptures every day. Pray. Every day. Go to the temple. Serve. Share your testimony. It is the most precious thing we have. You cannot afford to be passively living the Gospel. like everything else worth having in life it requires effort.

Im so frustrated with the less actives in Korea. I just want to shake their guts and tell them how badly they need the Gospel! Sometimes i do. K i don't actually accost them.

So. im depressed. 

We sang a special musical number in sacrament meeting with the elders. Come thou fount. in Korean. It was horrible haha. I don't know why the members always assume the missionaries can sing. Maybe they learned their lesson. Maybe we shouldn't have picked such a hard song... 

 Time is slipping through my fingers. Sometimes it is exciting. Sometimes I hate it with the fiery passion of 1000 suns. 

I just feel like im just now getting it! I love these people. I love sharing the gospel with them. 

I love being someones missionary. I love being separate from the world and spending all my time thinking about Koreans and their troubles, heartache, desires.

I am so grateful for my testimony. Im grateful for those times that i question and doubt- I am able to re-examine my heart and realize how very much I believe. How very much I know. 

I cant believe Kendis is leaving! Im so proud of her. She's about to start the grandest adventure. I love that we are all doing it together a million miles apart.

Love you

Sister Lund.    

One Time on My Mission I Got Hit By A CAR!!!!

April 8th, 2012

Once upon a time it was raining the storms of Noah outside and the wind was blowing so hard I almost flew away. We had to go to district meeting so I grabbed my green umbrella with green hearts on it and lacy rims that was never actually intended to be rained on. We went outside and it promptly broke due to the gale force winds so i was getting drenched and running with my umbrella pointed in front of me to block the wind. The problem is that it also blocked my vision and so I kind of sort of didn't see the car that hit me/I ran into full force. Head on collision. Man vs. vehicle. Guess who won? Before I could say kimchi there i was on the hood of an Asian lady's car with an even more broken umbrella and an even more severely damaged pride. I slid off the hood of her car and tried to act like it wasn't a big deal but IT WAS. I GOT HIT BY A CAR! but really maybe i just ran into a slowly moving car running as fast as i could. Can you imagine what the lady in the car was thinking? She's just doing her thing driving down the street when out of nowhere a giant American with a broken green umbrella comes charging at you and just doesn't stop and ends up on the hood of your car. The best part was that she just shook her head and drove away. I would have been freaking out if i hit a korean lady! All the missionaries saw. and that is all i will ever be remembered for in the Korea Daejeon mission. I am ok btw. But i probably need lots of care packages.

In english class last week we were playing 20 questions and the word was Jesus. The lady asked if the person was alive or dead. One of the elders responded that he died but he is alive again so naturally she guessed Michael Jackson.

We are still working with Jack sparrows family and they are the loves of my life. They are really progressing and they pinky promised to come to church this week. I will die of happiness if they really come. its been like 11 years. Their kids are out of control and it is battle royale every time we go over. Elvis their son (yeah, his name is Elvis) Suprise attacked me while i was hiding in a fort with a bag of open glitter. NOT COOL. Ive been sneezing glitter for like a week which might sound kind of magical but its really not. it is currently elections in Korea and they do the craziest stuff here. Like these huge trucks that drive around with loud speakers blaring crazy Korean pop songs and pictures of hopeful senators doing a hand stand. At the giant intersection downtown at every corner crosswalk stood 6-8 korean ladies holding posters with a politicians face and doing an absurd choreographed dance to crazy polke techno music. I want to do that for Mitt when I get home.

Our apartment is near a huge catholic church and every Sunday morning at 6 they play this insanely loud heaven angel music goes off and every sunday morning I wake up delirious- sure that its the second coming going on outside. 

General conference was amazing. I LOVED it. I laughed so hard when that guy made the super chauvinist joke about unrighteous dominion but no one else did because im pretty sure "im your husband and i have the priesthood" is a legitimate argument in korea. I love them. I am always left wanting to do and be so much better after conference. I felt tlike ever talk was written for one of my investigators. Im going to make them all watch conference.

I love spring in korea. It is breathtaking. The blossoms are out and everything smells amazing... when you arent smelling gas fumes.

I love this gospel i know that it is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet- i know that because every time I talk about him and what happened in that grove of trees in any language I feel an unmistakable assurance from the Lord that it truly did happen. 

I love you. Thank you for your love and support. I am blissfully happy. There is nowhere else in the world i'd rather be.

Happy Easter! i love cadbury eggs

Sister Lund  

 

Greenie Fire!

April 1st, 2012

I AM IN LOVE!

My greenie is ridiculously cool. Everyone is in love with her especially me. She is so fun and just HAPPY. Its the most refreshing thing in the world. She is so full of life. I dont think ive stopped smiling since thursday. We also haven't sat down since Thursday. SO BUSY.

Her name is 서나리 seo nadi and is from Pusan. She lived in Australia for a year and speaks the funniest english ive ever heard. She is sort miniature...like maybe she is five feet tall. 

I thought yesterday was Easter and i was super upset because there was no sign of it at church so I made everyone sing Easter songs and planned a huge Easter snickerdoodle cookie party at the church for the youth and our investigators and shared a big easter message and then I found out it was actually NOT Easter.

There is a new special 12 week training for new missionaries that requires us to be inside all morning. Im going crazy we have to take breaks like every 20 minutes. Plus we watch these videos about missionary work and i just get really mad because its made for missionaries in America and I feel like missionary work is so COMPLETELY different in Asia. bleh.

anyways one of the things we were supposed to do her first week is extend a baptismal commitment in the first three days. I was really worried because i couldn't think of anyone that would even maybe say yes and i  so badly didn't want to pop her bubble. But we prepared for a lesson with an investigator who i love but has been progressing SO SLOWLY. She has been meeting with the missionaries for like 7 months and came out to church for the first time last week. Anyways we sat and started to teaching and the spirit completely filled the room. She kept asking us why we were so happy all the time- and i told her the truth. My life isnt perfect. I am not perfect. I do stupid things every 45 seconds. But my testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ makes everything ok. Nothing could happen that isnt made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ- and that is something to rejoice about. We asked her how she felt about the book of Mormon and she said she loves the way she feels when she reads it and that she felt that maybe it was true. We explained that if the book of mormon was true then Joseph smith was a prophet and our church was the true church. She sat and thought about that and then i realized HEY! She is ready to be baptized! I said in English SUPER fast "ask her to get baptized". 서나리 did a beautiful job explaining and asked her to be baptized on the 15th (the real easter)  and she said YES!!!! MIRACLE! I am loving serving with a greenie- they still have that unstoppable optimism and we are seeing miracle after miracle. I hope i get to stay with her until I die.

Ive been studying the Resurrection and the atonement a lot this week because i thought it was easter and feeling in a way i haven't before an overwhelming love for the savior. I love being a missionary and putting on my name tag every morning. It is such a privilege to bear his name- I feel like im suiting up for a team where the quarterback throws nothing but touchdown and because im on his team I know we'll go undefeated no matter how inadequate i am.

The only problem is our uniforms are really lame and no one has any idea how cool we are and mostly just tell us we are a cult and run away. Their loss.

Love you madly,

sister lund

Expecting!!!

March 25th, 2012

Guess who's getting a little baby missionary? I just hung up with president and im training. Kinda want to die/ excited-ish!!

I cant believe how fast this transfer flew. I feel like i just got here! This week was kinda lame. It rained all week and because of the rain every single person cancelled. so that meant we were out in the rain ALL DAY LONG. But we had some really great things happen. We are working with the most amazing family. The parents were baptized a little over four months ago and we are teaching their beautiful  22 year old daughter who is my favorite person in the world. Her dad is a retired fire fighter and their house is filled with awards from his days of saving people. They are the coolest family. The thing is that firefighters and policemen are known for drinking themselves to death and the dad is no acception. I think he is dads age but he looks maybe 95 and has lung cancer from smoking and his liver is failing. He's been going through chemo but he started refusing treatments this week. He hasn't eaten anything solid in 30 days. We try to visit often and every time he is considerably worse. He really could die any day. we went over to their house one sunday because none of them came to church (he cant even really get up off the floor). We had fun talking and hearing stories about him telling about our families. After we shared a message and were about to leave the dad started to tell us about his health and thien i thought he was telling us about the time he got abducted by aliens but then I realized he was telling us about his chemo treatments. Then he asked us to slap his chest and rub his belly and pinch his legs to help with his circulation. His daughter was really embarassed and was like "no dad stop thats weird just let me do it" but then he said she couldnt because she didnt go to church hahah. so... i did it. slapped his chest rubbed his belly and pinched his little bony legs. Its funny to realize there is literally nothing i wouldnt do for people as a missionary. I had my one year anniversary as a missionary. It was great. 

Im nervous to be a momma. I feel like i dont know anything about anything. pray for me.

I cant believe Ryans gonna be an Oxford boy.... I have no idea how im gonna one up that.

Oh i know. I ate kimchi for 18 months. WIN. 

Well I dont have anything else to say. I CANT BELIEVE IM TRAINING! AH!

love you madly

Sister Lund