Monday, June 27, 2016

염색 trauma!!!

Hiii You will not believe last week's trauma. I know I am 100% dramatic...but probably top 10 most stressful moments of my life. I don't have time to tell the whole story, but I'll share the best parts - which I know probably 90% of them you had to be there...but try to imagine. There were 3 rounds....(hair dye) I was really hesitant at first, because I know that regardless of whether our investigator could do my hair or not, she would say that she could. Buttt... ROUND 1: Orange! ROUND 2: Dark grey (literal grey), with orange/blondish streaks = zebra  ROUND 3: dark dark dark greyish/ brown. 1) She is working on round one, washing it and saying "oh so beautiful, like Elsa (Frozen)...then pulls me in front of the mirror.. it is literally orange (Regret: In my moment of peak stress, I couldn't take pictures...ㅜㅜ) 2.) Once we can finally explain to each other what I wanted (language barrier extra big in stress), she keeps saying I can fix!! We will go back to "grey-brown," what she calls my natural color - She starts highlighting the blonde and coloring everywhere else "natural color"...Oh no.....I had to wait for dye to set in, but every time I asked what if it doesn't work they interrupt me with "I can do!" "Trust me!" "I will fix it!"...so then finally I just yell "할수없다면다면다면!!, 다면!!!” (Picture me just "but if doesn't work"...If, IF, IF!!! so stressed and emphasizing the if)...not Christlike moment.  3.) The zebra stage - At this point she starts calling my hair "study" and "science" hahah. Oh no. Anywayyyy end result: not blonde, but I wake up a new color every day. First day, dark dark grey/purple (my STL said I looked like I can go to Hogwards - woo!!), second day: silver/greenish (mix all colors of paint together), today: brownish/blonde. GOOD NEWS: Before when I would speak Korean, sometimes they would see my blonde hair and immediately look to my companion and say "what words is this?", and she would proceed to say the exact same thing!! But now...they trust my Korean!! Wow. Adventure!

I loved this week studying in Alma. I read in Alma 29 where Alma wishes to be an angel, knowing that as he teaches repentance and the plan of salvation "there will not be more sorrow upon the whole face of the earth" (29:2). This doesn't mean there will be no hard times, or not trials....but there will not be sorrow. How? Because even in the most darkest times, we can have hope in the Savior's Atonement and through that find peace. Over 1000 of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's family, husbands, and friends died in their battle - they "mourned for their loss...YET they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord" that they will return to our Heavenly Father and find "never-ending happiness" (28:12). Everyone has their own trials, suffering - life is really hard sometimes...but I know that the more we come to learn and understand the Savior's Atonement, we can find happiness no matter what trials we go through. I am so grateful to share this hope every day. Missions are hard sometimes too, (yes, I realize I am writing this immediately following my traumatic hair story - I promise I am not including that experience with "trials"), but I am the luckiest and so grateful to help people find that comfort and hope every single day. Everyone needs to know of our Savior!!

PS. SO country and so embarrassed to admit that I am SO excited to spend pday today going to the "huge" grocery story 30 min. away - Oh my. Who am I?

HAVE A GOOD WEEK!!!!

Sister Davis

하효미!!!!

Our investigator made me socks!!! - So funny when she tries to put them
on me and realizes my feet are 10X bigger than Korean's feet!!!

Last week with Taebaek district!

Our cute investigator’s mom! She tells me to call her my Korean mommy <3

2016 June 26th - yes, we are in coats in Taebaek.

Hiiii...From Sister Davis

Sunday - June 19, 2106

Hi, I am so sorry!! I have no time this week to email, but here are some pictures and highlights from the week. PS Happy Father's day yesterday!!!!! Also everyone look at my brother's instagram - woo braces off and sending me the most amazing pictures from Thailand right now (ps. no one ever let him grow his hair out super long again!!!)

Highlights:
---Went to Seoul for mission tour - Elder Yamoshita from the 70 came with his wife to speak to all the missionaries in the Seoul mission (of course - guess who was the lucky missionary to say the prayer - always!!!) 
---saw my favorite 수연 and 성희 and ate amazing Seoul food! Also final goodbyes to Seong Hee before she goes to America next month and starts at BYU in the fall!!! 
---first 15 min. talk in sacrament meeting - ahhhhh.

My favorite scripture this week is 2 Ne. 8:11

“Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away”.

Love you!!!!

Sister Davis

SO lucky it rained this week - Heavenly Father knows I can't handle the heat and humidity of Seoul Korea

Look out BYU!!! My best friend is coming for you 성희 학생!! (the final goodbye ㅜㅜㅜ)

Su-Yeoun my love!!!

She say "So korean pose"... 

사진

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Summer Fun in Taebaek

Hiiii~ This week was really fun because we had hiking with our branch President's family and then this weekend a combined sports day with the 5 other branches in 강원도 - soccer, dodgeball (So scary!), limbo, running relay races (shout out to my favorite Sister Willcox for our matching Arizona shirts) So fun! Also, I realized this week that I've progressed (not sure what to call it) to the point where I can no longer speak either language. Seriously! I can't express myself with proper grammar in English anymore (and realized when I speak English, I cut out half of the words in my broken sentences), but...I can't speak Korean either. So really lost and confused state. 어떻게!!

OH MY Funny story! This week our investigator had a cultural/music event in the park/pond area by our church that she has been preparing for the past couple weeks. As we are walking by, we see 2 harmeonies (grandmas) dancing: one being a harmeony we are teaching and the other, probablyyy 80 years old dancing all out like she is in her 20s (SO funny!). I go to dance with our investigator, which was fun...until I realized it was kinda a loose competition. Slowly backing out....they called me back up to give me a present, which I awkwardly take and shout "아싸" (Assssahhhhh! - YES! Hooray!) to my crowd of grandparents...and then introduce myself. Aftermath: free socks! And many grandparents wanting to talk and meet us! I love Korea!! :)

These past few months, I have really grown to love the word "rejoice." I'm not even sure how to define it. In Korean it translates as "to do joy." To me it represents the peak of happiness - so filled with joy, you just want to jump, shout and share it with everyone so we can rejoice and celebrate together! I have been making a list of all the scriptures that use the word "rejoice," but this week I thought it was interesting how the scriptures define it: "joy; praise; shout; sing; thank." In 2. Nephi 9: 52 it says, "remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice." I love that it says "let," an implied promise that we WILL rejoice as we have grateful hearts and express our thanks to God, recognizing everything we have comes from him.

Marina is the greatest example of this. She experienced a miracle this past week, finding out in her new restaurant she will have Saturday AND Sundays off (what! Weekends off? Does not happen - miracle!) and will be able to go to church every week. She calls me and the first thing she says is, "I am so grateful. You know how hard I prayed for this!" Whenever she receives a blessing, she immediately treasures it and thanks God and her happiness (rejoicing) is a direct reflection of that. Ahh I love her!! One of my first weeks in Taebaek, Sister Koo committed me to begin my prayers every night with only gratitude for the first 5 min. I 100% have a testimony that no matter how hard, stressful, discouraging life seems at times, as we express gratitude we will recognize our blessings, see God's hand in our lives and feel his love, and be happy. Happy people are grateful people. As we are grateful we will rejoice, and we will want to share our joy with others so we can all rejoice and celebrate together!!!

Have a good week!!

Sister Davis


Sports Day!!  Happy Birthday Sister Kang!
Our two cute investigators! Left (정승경 who planned event) and Right (정호성)
Free socks!!!  Unintentionally won the dance competition.  Woo!

Is this real?!  The flowers are so beautiful in Korea.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

번데기 - Silk Worm Larvae

Hello!!! I love Korea! This week ended with a miracle - our investigator came to church! I love her SO much, but every week she has said, "I want to come, but I can't promise," and either doesn't show up or comes for the last 4 min. and leaves. This week we really focused on the importance of the sacrament, shared our personal testimonies and experiences, called her every day, prayed as a district, then sent her a strong text in the morning "Do not be late!!!! ps. we love you"...She came on time, took the sacrament, and listened to all the powerful testimonies yesterday, focused on the sacrament and our Savior. Ahhh miracle! It is so amazing how the sacrament has taken an entirely new meaning to me as a missionary. I was the worst and am so guilty of always coming late to church and being the one on my phone...now realizing how much I missed out on before my mission.

I remember my 4th week in Korea...after I had been listening to the sacrament prayers in Korean for 3 months, I decided to read the sacrament prayers and translate them. That week I had been focusing on daily repentance and reliance on Christ. When I took the sacrament that Sunday and really considered what it meant for me, It was an entirely new feeling I had never experienced before...a feeling of personal love, acceptance and renewed power through Christ. I love the words of the Savior, "Behold, this is for you to do in remembrance of my body, for as oft as ye do this ye will remember this hour that I was with you." This is the most important part of our week, and as we humble and prayerfully take the sacrament each week, I promise we can feel God's love and reassurance personally as well as receive renewed strength for the upcoming week. 

Another reason I love this investigator: she texts me this week, "Hi, I have English question. Please explain...what does it mean to ‘set fire to the rain?’" Also in Korean, the word for appointment and promise are the same, "약속" - so whenever she has an appointment she always says, "I have an important promise!" So cute!

This week:
----Tried 번데기 with Sister Sonksen (Pictures included) = silk worm larva. Never again (Korean kids eat it like popcorn!!)
----Learned 단소 this week, which is the bamboo flute/pipe. I am sooo terrible, but mine came with the cheater pipe. To do it well/correctly, you have to sit up straight and pull this half smile kinda thing = the elders look so creepy and scary!
----Also tried my new favorite Korean food "꼬기냉면" = life changing. I will send a picture next week, as I already decided we will go weekly (hmmmm maybe today)
----Our investigator said I look like dog again - so blunt Koreans!! We came in after service project and she says, "how! yesterday you look Miss America, today you look like dog. So ugly" ㅜㅜ
----Also hiking with our branch this week....unless it rains!! (praying diligently as a branch for good weather!!) 

Love you all! 

Park Dobby sister

번데기  Silk worm larvae!!!

Feeding the worms to Sister Sonksen!!!

Peer pressure… 

단소  Bamboo flutes!!!