Announcements
1. Transfer calls came today. I'm not leaving! Hooray! Sister M..... and I won't be one transfer companions! The unfortunate news is that our district got split and now we're a district of four. Just us and the elders. Either we'll become really close and love it or we'll kill each other. I'll let you know how it goes.
2. I've decided when to come home! Actually I decided a long time ago, I just never said anything about it. Sorry. Anyway, I prayed and I prayed and I wondered and I waited. Logically, December 18th is the better choice. I could be home for Christmas, I could go to winter semester, I could finally eat a hamburger again, but the answer kept coming back January 29th. So I'm going to go with that and hope all will be well. But I am officially declaring February 7th as Christmas 2.0. So family, don't take down the Christmas decorations. And be ready to watch movies and celebrate Christmas all over again. Just in February.
Miracles
We were 전도ing this week and we saw this lady walking just behind us, so we slowed down our pace a little so she could catch up to us and we could talk to her without being awkward. Well, as awkward. (Sidenote: 전도ing takes so much skill. It's all about timing mixed with a little bit of stalking). Anyway we started talking and it turns out she was a devout member of the Hallelujah! Church (spelled just like that, with the exclamation point and everything), so of course we were a little apprehensive because usually these people turn out to be the Bible-bashers who quote Revelations 22:18 at us and flail their arms about in anger. But she didn't do that! She was actually way nice and we had a great conversation about God and doctrine and religion and then she asked us if we had eaten dinner (in Korea, that's the same as asking "How are you?" It's just the question you always ask). We had, so we said so, but she told us that we had eaten way too early and that we needed to eat dinner again. So she invited us to come with her because she was going to meet friends for dinner anyway and what the heck why don't the Mormon missionaries come along too?
So we did.
(Plus there's no refusing Korean 아주마s. You do what they tell you and you like it.)
So we walked with her to this beautiful, little Japanese restaurant and met all her friends (also devout members of various churches; we were slightly concerned). Since there was no room and we were the unexpected extras, they made us sit at a different table, but we were still close enough to hear them talking about us. Awkward. They weren't mean though. One lady even said, "Oh, I've seen those Mormon missionaries before! The elders are always very handsome." Sister M..... and I giggled quietly into our miso soup. After our random second dinner was over (which was delicious by the way, the best Japanese food I've ever eaten including that one time I lived in Japan) we tried to get our new friend's phone number/give her ours so we could see her again. But she wouldn't! She said she just wanted to buy us a nice second dinner and then send us on our merry way. Unfortunately, in this country, that's pretty common. Really, really kind, but really uninterested in the gospel. We left a little defeated and incredibly full.
But then comes the miracle part of the story. While we were walking home, we suddenly crossed paths with one of the other ladies from dinner! What are the odds! We stopped and chatted for a little and then, out of nowhere, she looked right at us and said, "My mother-in-law just moved in with me and my husband and life has been really hard lately. At church, they always tell you that in times like these, you should pray and rely on God more, but I don't feel like praying at all. Why is that? Why don't I want to pray?" Well, I wish I could say that I just whipped out 2 Nephi 32:8-9, (8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.
9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.)but I didn't because I couldn't remember it. But we did promise her right then and there that God understood all of her trials and troubles and that His Son, Jesus Christ had suffered and died for them. And then we gave her a Book of Mormon and marked 2 Nephi 9:21( 21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.)and she promised to read it.
I just love missionary miracles like that! So many plot twists.
Salutations
I hope you all have beautiful weeks! Enjoy your fall leaves and I'll enjoy mine.
Together and apart!
Love,
Sister Arvanitas
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| We were just wandering around, looking for less actives one day and we stumbled upon this. little america. We both felt like we'd stepped into an episode of the twilight zone. |
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Accidentally matching outfits. Not a whole lot of options in a sister missionary's wardrobe.
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We were practicing our musical number for the elder's baptism yesterday (which was so good by the way!) and a member walked in with a puppy! It was so tiny and cute. We made it sing with us. ^^
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