but yes, korea.: New and Old come together

안녕 from 충장 (it's a rhyme, I promise)! Actually, to be more specific 안녕 from 풍향! This area is the most confusing thing of my life. I'll try to explain, but you'll probably get bored so you can just go on ahead and skip to the next paragraph. So once upon a time there was Poonghyang, Choongjang, Nongseong, and Songjeung (I hate myself for romanizing them, but it's for the greater good). The were four separate wards with four separate church buildings. But then the Church decided to build a massive, wait no, MASSIVE, stake center right in the middle for all four wards to meet in and got rid of all the old buildings. Then they combined Poonghyang (my area) and Choongjang into one ward and Nongseong and Songjeung into another ward. And if that weren't confusing enough, both wards meet in the giant stake at the same time Sunday morning, except my ward has sacrament meeting first and the other ward has sacrament meeting last. Does that make sense? Let's just say yes and move on.

But hey, I'm back with 이예진 again! It's nice because we didn't have to go through the whole "New Companion Awkward Stage." It was just like, "Hey can I borrow your clothes?" "Yep. You know which ones you like." It's so easy. Since our companionship ended so lamely before with me being really, really sick, I'm kind of glad we get another chance to end things happily. We already worked well together before so here's hoping we can do it again!

Leaving 정읍 was really sad though. I love 정읍 so much. I think it'll probably be my favorite area and it was hard to say goodbye to all the members and the missionaries there, but I only cried three times! A new record! My favorite memories from 정읍 will be four-person district meetings, games with the youth, maple leaves, 신권 모임 (priesthood meeting), Sister M....., and 준호 of course, the little seven-year old boy who I love more than anyone. We ate dinner with his family the night before I left and then he called me and Sister M..... later that night and told us he loved us. It was cutest thing that's ever happened to me. We hung up the phone and burst into tears.

But this area will be good too! It's different in pretty much every way. I've taken the bus more these last few days than I ever have before. I'm definitely not a city girl, but I like it here all the same. Our house is cute and the members are nice, even if there are like two hundred of them...

I just want to share one scripture before I go! It's one of my favorites and it's the one I shared in my "Introduce Yourself to the Ward" talk yesterday.

Thessalonians 5:16

"Rejoice evermore."

This has been how I have tried to serve my mission these past fifteen (?) months. With joy! This is such a happy message and it deserves to be shared with joy! I'm so thankful to be a missionary and to have this gospel in my life because it has made me so happy and I have seen firsthand how it makes other people happy as well. I love this message and the opportunity I have to share it. Missionary work is hard but it is so happy. I know that if we serve the Lord with joy, then we receive in return His promised blessings and surely those blessings give us every reason to "rejoice evermore."

I love you evermore!

Sister Sydney

Sydney forgot her camera cord, so she couldn't send pictures of the last week, so she sent more pictures from her pday excursion to see the fall leaves with Sister M..... and the two elders in her district.