Week 51- Shinjeong

Hello to the BEST Family members and Friends!

I hope this email finds you happy and well. So, this week was transfer week! I didn’t leave. Sister Stewart left and is going to the mainland. I have a new companion and guess what she is korean but what is even more crazy is she was part of the korean group that we left with for korea! Super fun! I thought I was going to get someone younger for my last companion but no! I got my own group! She does leave a few transfers after though. Because she is korean she only needed to be in the MTC for 2 weeks. So, she will stay in korea longer. We are super excited! Also, an Elder that I served in Deashin/Keojong for 2 transfers is coming as well! He is so fun and we work well together. The Jeju part of Jeju are all SUPER old missionaries. There are two parts of Jeju. The Jeju side and also Seokwipo. There are only 8 missionaries on the island. We are a zone and a district. When I was in Shinjeong they were a part of the same zone but it has changed. That change was made a while ago too.

Going to Busan!

Kim Dok Nam (member)

I love serving on Jeju and I am excited to spend my last transfer with one of my great friends. Her name is Choi Yeu Jin. She was also Sister Benbrook’s last companion as well, which is fun.

Well, I guess you are all curious as to why I am late with emailing. If not, that is okay. But I will tell you anyway. Since, it is my last transfer I get to choose where I want to for one of the transfers. But since we are on Jeju is it a little hard. Since we have a transfer meeting where almost all of the missionaries come together, we were able to go. At this meeting, those who are leaving the next day give a small testimony, and then they do a special musical number for everyone. I love transfer meetings. I have not missed one at all! I am so grateful. Monday during transfer meeting it hit me really hard how short time is. I am amazed by how fast time flies. It hit me hard because I knew that I was next and was going to give a testimony to all of the missionaries on my last day. I cannot believe it at all. In 6 more weeks I will be doing what those missionaries did. I cannot believe it, but that doesn’t mean I will stop now. I won’t stop until I am released and even then I can always continue to be a missionary. Just because I don’t have a badge doesn’t mean I am not a missionary. I love being a missionary. It is the best thing in the whole world!!!

 Kim Jong He (member)

Lee Jin Rei (member)

So, on to Shinjeong. We were able to meet about 7 people  there which is a great blessing. I am so grateful to be able to see these people. The first 3 were members that I could meet, the next two were my investigators from when I served there and they are still meeting the missionaries. They are the Mother and Son that we dropped when I was serving there and I was so sad to see them go but we met with them again and started teaching them again. I love them. Then the next one was my recent convert from Shinjeong (She was my first baptism with Sister Benbrook) I am sooooooooo HAPPY to report that she is doing amazing and is coming to church too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo happy. I hadn’t seen her since she got baptized. She got super busy planning a wedding. She is happily married and is pregnant!!! She is so cute, happy and beautiful. I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. I was able to figure out time to meet with her and He helped make it happen. Also, she is doing well and going to church. I was so sad when she got super busy because she wasn’t coming to church. I thought she wouldn’t come back for a while and I was sad. I think Heavenly Father knew I needed to see her. I never wanted to be that missionary that baptized someone and then they went less active the next week. (not that that is the missionaries fault but still) I am so happy to see her and will be attaching pictures of all the people we met. I felt so much JOY going back to my first area. The members I met were so shocked by my korean and were happy that I progressed.

Hwang Teh Sook and Jordan (Jang Da Min) (investigator)

Landing in Jeju!

 

I love Korea so much! I have never been happier then when I have been serving and giving my all to these people. There is no greater joy than helping the work of the Lord. I love missionary work and I know who I am! ( we say these two things everyday before we go to work. sister gilbert! don’t worry i always remember who i am! everyone i have served with now says it because of me. i am still keeping it alive.) My heart is so full and swollen because it is filled with the love I have for Korea, the people I serve, the people I know, the people I serve with and the people who love me back. I so grateful for the gospel and I know that it is true. I am so happy to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. He wants us all to be happy and to live with him again. I know this gospel is true with all of my heart. I am excited to see what is in store for me these next 6 weeks. I am excited and know the Lord has a lot waiting for me. President Barrow kept telling me to figure out why I have received someone from my own group as my companion. I will figure it out. Heavenly Father knows best!

Please be the BEST missionary you can be! It doesn’t matter if you have a badge or not, continue to help the Lord bring in his children. They need your help and there are some people who only you can help. One of my MTC teachers told that if I imagined everyone in white and some of those people told me that I promised them that I would find and help them get back to the Lord, I will realize how important missionary work is. I know for sure that there are people who you promised to bring back. I know you can do it. They are counting on you and so is the Lord. With the Lord nothing is impossible. I know that to be true. I have lived those moments and I know that nothing will be more special than to help bring back Heavenly Father’s lost sheep. It is a sacred and most powerful duty on earth. Do ALL that you can to serve the Lord TODAY. He doesn’t want you tomorrow. HE WANTS YOU TODAY.

Love you tons!!!!!!!

Love, Sister Orme

Week 46- True Happiness

Hello Dear wonderful Family and Friends!

Hello from the Island of Jeju. Wow, I still can’t believe I am here! It is so amazing. One fun fact that I just found out about. Most of my family members and some friends will think this is fun, for the rest of you, maybe it will be fun. ^^ But my new companion, Sister Stewart, her older brother served with Jeremy Dance! (my cousin for those who don’t know) Super fun connection and they are both doing BYU Men’s Choir as well together. Fun tidbit that I learned just a few minutes ago.

Also, a lot of people commented on what I said about me being a Jeju missionary. I forgot to tell you all but the AP when he called told me why I was getting shipped of to Jeju because Jeju needs my light, happiness, positivity and brightness. I guess that might mean what a Jeju missionary is. I feel like a lot of the missionaries here are exactly what Jeju needs. I am grateful to know some of the reasons why I am here.

Sister Stewart and I!

So pretty! It is a horse lighthouse!

I wanted to share a huge miracle of  this week. Her name is Lee Hei Jin ( I don’t know how to romanize it, but it’s a try). She is one of our investigators and she is only 18 years old. She is super amazing! This last week we met with her about 3 times. She has so much light and is a wonderful person! This week we asked what her thoughts were about baptism. She said she knew it would be a great thing but she was nervous and had concerns about it. She was super honest with us and told us what she thought. She asked her if she would pray about and ask Heavenly Father if it was the right thing to do. She said she would. We felt the spirit so strong and she was so happy. She said she always feels good when she prays and reads the Book of Mormon, and when she comes to church. The next time we saw her she told us that she had prayed and wants to get baptized soooooooo bad! She said she prayed the night before and was just crying because she knew it was right and felt sooo happy. She said it was so weird because she was so happy but crying. I told her that is okay and that I do the same thing. She had a few more questions and we were able to smooth that over. She was worried about her family. I mentioned to her about some of the experiences of one of my companions and an elder I served with. The Elder’s family don’t really support him but they still love him. He is doing wonderful, got baptized at her age and is doing super well! She loved the stories I told and felt a lot better about it. We told her that everything will work out alright and that since this is the right decision everything will work out. She was so happy and said she was coming to church the next day. So, we see her at church and she was so happy. You can just see her happiness beaming out of her whole body. She loves coming to church and everything about the gospel. She knows it is right and she feels it. She is going to ask for permission from her parents if she can be baptized. She wants to get baptized on the 29th of this month! We are so happy for her and we were able to both share our testimonies with her about the gospel and Book of Mormon. It was so powerful and the feeling in the room was tangible. It was filled with happiness, love and peace.

The Elders and Us. love the ocean!

I love being a missionary and I know this is where true happiness lies. It is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have even noticed the change in our investigator only over the past few days and it is astounding. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve with Sister Stewart and see this miracle. Sister Stewart is amazing!!!!! She is such a good missionary and works soooo hard! I am so privileged to be with her. We have become fast friends and laugh so much with each other. We work hard but still have fun while doing it. I love talking to people on the street. It is so fun sharing the gospel and showing who we truly are, which is Jesus Christ’s disciples. Yesterday, I was talking to this lady on the bus and she just decided to give me a whole big bag of little oranges! She was so fun and so kind. We talked about the restoration and I gave a pamphlet. We didn’t have time to get a number but at least I spoke with her. I love sharing the gospel with others. It makes me feel like I am being a true disciple of Christ when I open my mouth and share the gospel. We are seeing so many miracles here in Jeju. I am being incredibly blessed. I love the Lord and I love serving him. I love being a missionary. There is no greater calling. I know that.

I love the gospel. I know it is true. The best way to keep ourselves firm in faith is being firm in Christ. Pray, read, ponder, listen to the spirit, go to church, follow the commandments. Do ALL that you can do to build up your faith in Christ. I know this gospel is true with all of my heart. It is the best thing in the whole world.

I love the Lord, and I LOVE YOU ALL!

I am so grateful for you and for all the support, love, and prayers.

Love, Sister Orme

P.s Today we went to the beach and it was so beautiful!

Week 45- Transfers and Jesus Christ

Hello Dearest Family and Friends-

You would not guess where I have been transferred! It is called the Hawaii of Korea. Yep, I have been sent to JEJU Island! So fun! I am follow up training Sister Stewart! She is so great. She is from Spokane, Washington! So fun. We have talked about Washington and our love for that state. Jeju was my trainer’s, Ashley Benbrook, first area! So, it is fun to have it be my last area. I am so excited and grateful and I know this is where I am supposed to be. Everyone kept telling me that I was going to serve on Jeju and that I was a Jeju missionary. I still am not sure what the means but I have become a JEJU missionary. I am excited to see what this new transfer will unfold. Jeju will be my last area! So, that is really fun! I have only ever heard of good things about Jeju. So, I am happy.

On the plane to Jeju! It only takes 30 minutes!

Jeju!

Sorry, we don’t have much time but I wanted to share the article from this months Liahona/Ensign. It is called “Encircled in His Gentle Arms” By President Uchtdorf. Read it! So good! We have been really focusing a lot on Christ, well we always talk about Christ but we are expounding even more so, and so this message is perfect. Christ can heal us and help us through anything. He is the one that has suffered all and knows all! I like this part: “Though none of us will ever have to experience the depth of what our Lord suffered, we each will have our own dark and bitter hours-times when our sorrow and grief may appear to be greater that we can bear. There will be times when the weight and remorse of our sins will press mercilessly upon us. Even so, if we will lift our hearts to the Lord during those times, surely He will know and understand. He who suffered so selflessly for us in the garden and on the cross will not leave us comfortless now. He will strengthen, encourage, and bless us. He will encircle us in His gentle arms. He will be more than an angel. He will bring us blessed comfort, healing and forgiveness. For he is our Redeemer. Our deliverer. Our merciful Savior and blessed God”. I want you all to think about what the Lord, our Savior, has done for you. He has done it all. Please embrace him in your life and you will be embraced back and feel the love, mercy, and warmth that radiates from him.

He knows how we feel and what we go through. I am so grateful for him and love him. I LOVE HIM and he Loves each of us.

Love You all!

Love, Sister Orme (From Jeju!)