Happy Easter Pt. 2

Happy Easter Sunday to everyone in America!! Because of the time change we celebrated last night with an American family in the ward. They invited all the current and returned missionaries over for homemade Mexican Food (7 layer dip!!! - I cried.) and egg painting. Easter is completely different in Korea...actually if you say happy Easter to someone on the street, they usually reply "I'm not religious" or just don't know what it is. On Friday, our zone planned a huge Easter activity to meet people on the streets and talk about Easter and Christ. Sister Lee and I were in charge of a street board that said, "If today was your last day on earth, who would you spend it with?" Then people would write their family, friends, boyfriend...and it would lead into a discussion of the importance of families, Christ and the resurrection, which allows us to live with our loved ones forever - also cute side note: the Koreans count the days rather than months they have been dating...So whenever we ask couples, they say smile and quickly reply, "Oh, 136 days." So cute. Also, along with eternal families..such an amazing week with Marina (I love her). She is getting ready to go to the temple and we went to the family history center to find her family names this week. She told us that her priorities have entirely changed since she became a member. She didn't think she would get married before and now she wants an eternal family and someday in her 50s go on a mission with her husband. So incredible!! Also I may or may not have cried this week at our two 9 year old girls baptism when the primary all sang the "when I am baptized" song in Korean and when the Relief Society sang "As sister's in Zion" in Korean at ward conference. This gospel is true! You can just feel the hope and happiness of our message as we share it. 

I found a quote I really loved this week. It says, "Although the Lord's understanding of my humanity, my failures, my pride, and my fear is thorough and perfect, so is His love and His optimism for my potential." I love how the Savior see's us as who we can become rather than who we are. He understands our struggles, our efforts and our potential, and is the only one who knows exactly what we specifically need to get there...how much pushing, how many tests of faith, how much refining and discomfort. He also has a perfect knowledge of our capabilities and will not give us anything that isn't necessary for our growth and that He knows we aren't strong enough to handle. (Amazing to think that anything we are going through..Jesus Christ has perfect trust in us that we are capable of overcoming it). These experiences are to stretch us, shape us, and help us come to know Him as our Savior. In 1 Peter it talks about our trial of faith being more precious to us than gold. Gold perishes with fire, but when our faith is tested and lasts, we come to know on a personal level who are Savior is and feel His atonement strengthening us into who we are meant to become.

Funny stories this week! 

---What sound does a tiger make?? In Korea they have different sounds for all the animals and for a tiger it is "어흥" (which literally sounds like "Oh-heung." So funny they think it is the scariest thing ever and when we say "rawr" they say "no. not scary."

---I feel like I know maybe 30% of the hymn book...I remember in Arizona, we sang the same songs over and over and when they switched it up I always thought "ahh. Why are they being adventurous. No one knows this song!!" Well in Korea, they sing all the songs I don't know. I have been asked to lead the music lately at meetings and it's funny/awkward when I'm trying to read the words, find the tune, lead the music. So stressful!!!!

---We met a girl at the street board who says she lives by Everland (which is Korea's Disneyland) I meant to say "Oh! I've never been there!!" And I so quickly without even realizing it said totally smiling "Oh! I don't ever want to go there!!" I just laughed but she got really offended...So many Korean mistakes dailyyy

---We met a new investigator yesterday who is so nice and really really loves Foreigners. She ended up leaving with a couple of my family pictures because Jackson's hair is so beautiful and she wanted to remember the family! 

Sister Davis ^^

With Sister Yoon (recent convert) and Sister Lee

Street boarding for Easter…

<3 Seoul!

Friend from BYU – Seoul South Mission

Seoul food!

Happy Easter!!

Good morning!!! The highlight of this week was going to the Seoul Temple on Tuesday. I walk by the temple almost every day and still feel like I will never get over how beautiful it is and the amazing feeling I get when I'm nearby. I feel so lucky to have a temple so close to me...especially when I see people from Russia, Phillipines, and all across Korea traveling to come to Seoul. Also didn't mind that all the sister missionaries went to get MEXICAN food after the temple. The best, the best!

I have loved the past few weeks really focusing on Christ and what He means to me as my Savior. Lately I have been thinking about how to really represent Christ here in Seoul, Korea. Every day I meet people who are going through trials, challenges, stress...many times people who have never heard of Jesus Christ or God. They are enduring everything on their own and don't know about the strength and love they can receive if they turn to their Savior. I love in John 10, Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who knows His sheep. This week I have been feeling like I can't do my part here to represent Christ because I can't fully empathize with everyone I am meeting. A lot of times on the street people look at me and immediately assume I am just some blonde, 20 year old from America who has never experienced hard times. I kept questioning how can I truly represent Christ when I've never experienced sickness, death...how can I help them when I can't truly "know my sheep." But I realized what I can do is always testify of someone who perfectly does. I may not be able to understand the extent of their trials on a personal level, but I know through my own experiences that our Savior is the only one who does understand. 100%. This is the best message I could share, Jesus Christ loves us so much that He experienced our sorrow, sicknesses, weaknesses, worries, temptations, and doubts so that He would be able to walk with us at all times. I found my new favorite scripture this week in Romans 8. It talks about the different hardships and challenges we may face in life and then in vs. 37 & 39 it says, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us...Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ our Lord." 

This week we started teaching an amazing family who has never heard of God before. We teach the mom and her 12-year old son (who is so cute and always writes these journal entries in English with the date and weather "partly cloudy"). On Monday we taught them how to pray and I watched both of them give the most humble, sincere prayers for the first time in their lives. Then look at each other and feel so much love in the room for them. It is amazing to every day teach about a God who loves us and our Savior who suffered for all of us so we don't ever have to face anything alone. I love being a missionary!!!! Happy Easter this Sunday!!

Sister Davis 

Batting cages with Gustavo and Marina!

Vietnamese food with Felix and Sister Lee!

I thought this was so funny. Korean decorations/stickers/notebooks always try to do cute sayings in English…

하나님의사업!!!

Hi, hello! This week started with Marina's birthday party! So fun but very clear that Sister Lee and I are not party planners/decorators...We all went together to eat that night at our relief society President's house and it was hilarious when her husband who is in the bishopric came out wearing a tshirt saying "Parental Discretion Advised." After we all laughed and explained what that means on the back of movies/games in America he was shocked and said he just ordered it off line from America because it was best seller...not knowing what it meant. Also awkward Korean mistake this week...we met a guy and his friend as we were crossing the street one day. He looks at me and asks if Sis. Lee is my roommate and I said "Well actually she's my companion!!" His face immediately said "oh, awkward...I understand..." and I was like wait no! Not like that..annnd we couldn't save it after that.  

I never have time to read talks but this week I really quickly skimmed an amazing one that I specifically needed this week. It is called "Successfully failing: Pursuing our Quest for Perfection" by President Worthen. He talks about how the best way for us is by faith, study and experience...which often involves failing and falling short. He talked about when Nephi went to get the plates from Laban. Although their first two attempts failed, as Nephi went up the third time he relied on the Spirit to tell him where to go and what to do. "Nephi's life was forever changed in a positive way because he failed twice."

This week I learned a lot about a mission and relying on the Lord to do His work. My first 6 weeks in Korea were SO incredible: it seemed like we always were meeting amazing people, had lessons lined up every day, investigators coming to church, saw miracles like Marina...and eventually those experiences set my expectations. Sooo..last week was really stressful and discouraging when it seemed like a lot was falling apart and every night we were falling short of what God expects of us. Our first Sunday, the families we were planning on meeting didn't show up at church. Throughout the week several lessons fell through last minute, two investigators dropped us, people we met in the street gave us wrong numbers (So fired up after a good conversation in Korean^^ then finding out two days later..ㅠㅠ), or just rejecting us on the street (My Korean has improved to the point where I can now understand when people are speaking rudely - ah so naive)  For the first time on my mission, we had to put a two hour block in our planners for "전도" one day...which is go outside and street contact because we had no lessons. But the good news is, these experiences led me to realize that Sis. Lee and I can't continue by our own efforts. We literally cannot do this work without relying on God to tell us where to go and what to say...which led to our miracle yesterday. 

We originally had 5 lessons planned for before and after church and needed to have a member come so we could do splits and meet them all. We called our friend who could come but has to travel about 40 min. to come to the church. Slowly throughout the day one by one every. single. one canceled on us. By the time church got out...our member had traveled to get here and we had no one to teach. Sister Lee was about to start calling people and I just thought no way is this happening. But then we both went in to the bathroom, said a prayer and said we are going to go outside right now and find someone in 15 to come back to the church with us. We told the member "We're going to find a miracle. 15 minutes!! WATCH THE CLOCK!" The first person gave us her wrong number, the next 4 rejected us and finally we had 2 minutes left and knew we could only talk to one more person. There were three people walking on the street and as I'm praying I thought, no it's that girl. We talked to her and found out she was a really cute student from Japan who comes here every Sunday to study. We invited her to the church and she came without even hesitating and wants to meet next Sunday. We found our miracle!!!!

I don't have any time and sorry that was a novel...but this is God's work and I know that as we rely on Him we can see miracles. Have a good week!!!

Sis. Davis

Kim Min Su and her cute mom

Fail... 

Marina’s Birthday Party!!!

FC Seoul and Goodbyes to Sis. Willcox :/

Hello!!! I cannot believe I have been here for 6 weeks and am on my second transfer. This week we said goodbye to Sister Willcox...NEVER want to have a dying companion again. We had to walk her suitcases down to the curb, watch her get in the taxi and drive away...leaving Sister Lee, 윤성희 (our third amigo) and I crying on the side of the road. So sad!!! Also can't believe she is with my family currently as I speak. I miss you all!! Good news is: we had the best Pday ever on her last day in Seoul. We went to World Cup Stadium in our area and got to be a part of FC Seoul for a day (football club Seoul). They played Japan's team and won 4-1. The fans go ALL OUT to support their soccer team - Jerseys, scarfs (or two), hats, signs, flags, blankets (and the best part: Seoul is Gryffindor colors - I'm a true fan). They jump, wave flags, and sing songs with individual dance moves for each player throughout the entire game. As soon as the game ends...the entire stadium runs to the outside and has the after party = HUGE crowd of people jumping and singing the songs again! 아싸!! Also congrats to my best friend Mackenzie for getting engaged!!! So so happy for you and Ryan. And happy birthday to Jax, Sloshy and Jujee!!!! I LOVE YOU!!! <3

So we are teaching some amazing people right now annnnd they are almost all foreigners! So crazy I had to come to Korea to meet our friends from Mexico, Thailand, Costa Rica, Congo (Speaking French), Vietnam, and a couple from China (also met someone from Finland this week mom and told her you served there!!...wasn't interested though. Ahh :/ ). Every week we ask for a Book of Mormon in a new language and are constantly teaching in English! A lot of them came to Korea either to study, work, or just following a desire to move to a foreign country. It's amazing how Heavenly Father is in the details of all of our lives. Everything happens for a reason and for some people it takes coming all the way to Korea to be open to Christ and the gospel.

This week I learned a lot about becoming a representative of Christ. The past few weeks I have really been focusing on how to teach better with the Spirit, how to learn the lessons perfectly, how to set expectations and be committed, how to speak Korean....etc. We had a lesson with one of our foreign friends who said she originally had no interest in our message. She had heard it all before: from having three different religions among her siblings all saying "We are the true church..." or being in a youth group in her 20s saying the same, or people here in Korea telling her "join our church." She said she can't be open to religion right now because she doesn't know which is true. But then she told us," the only reason I am interested is because of the way you live your lives. She said she has noticed a lot of people follow strict rules, read the bible, avoid certain things...but that it doesn't represent how Christ would live. I realized that more important than what we say is who we are. Jesus is our greatest example and we should always be striving to become more like Him. I have so much to work on and feel like I find something new every day, but as we work a little at it daily and rely on the Atonement, we can overcome our weaknesses and become a better representative of Christ. You don't just have to be a missionary to live like the Savior :)

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sister Davis

You're not a real fan unless you have your hardcore FC Seoul scarf - (gryffindor scarf ^^)

Photobombing by Gustavo!!!

Hard core fans – FC SEOUL

Seoul World Cup Stadium – Celebrating victory!!

Go OSMAR!!!

French Fry Spaghetti!!!