30 DAY CHALLENGE!‏

Dear Family!

This week was amazing!! Just going to hit on the important parts.

So Wednesday we had zone training! It was in 강릉 cong-neng which is just like and hour and a half bus ride away. The two zone leaders and 1 sister training leader did the training and it was awesome!! Our months focus is on the Book of Mormon. Thus the "30 day challenge" part... So. They said that they had a kind of tough commitment for us but that they know we can do it. It's to read the Book of Mormon in 30 days.... what what!! Actually, I'm so stoked. I always read it so slowly, you taking forever to think and mark parts, but now I'm really going for the storyline. I'm so excited! We started it Thursday and we're already in 2nd Nephi. It's only been a couple days and it's been so cool! Honestly my testimony grows about it everyday. So that was their challenge!

After I actually didn't go back to sok-cho, I went to 원주! Won-ju. And real quick it was so cool!!!! We totally drove through this crazy blizzard!!! Everything around us was just pure white. We could only see like 30-40 feet in front of us. So ya, took forever for us to get to the area. Sis Anderson (our Sister training leader) went to Sok-cho with my companion to do an exchange and so I went with Sis. Udall! She's only in her 3rd transfer (I'm only in my 5th though...) so it was so interesting working with someone that's been in Korean less than me! Actually, right now our mission pretty much only has older sister missionaries. Not very many young ones because so few are coming in (just maybe 2 or 3 a transfer). She's awesome! She's from Eager, Az and actually was born in Holbrook! How cool is that, Mom?! She lived there until she was 11ish. She says it will always be her favorite city. Haha a little different from how you describe it ;) just kidding. Anyways, I was excited and slightly nervous because we are both super young so the whole language thing was a little daunting but we managed I guess!

We got back to her area at around 7 and went straight to a dinner at the house of someone in her branch. Just the three of us, super fun! The woman is amazing. Has a son in the 4th month of his mission in Canada. Says she didn't know days could go so slowly until her sons left on missions. Ah! So sad! We don't want to hear that! Lesson was really good though.

Thursday morning was awesome!!!! So being compaions with a Korean is such a blessing for so many reasons. The only itsy bitsy hard part is that they don't like to exercise. It's fine, there's always stuff we can do in our apartment... but that's the thing. It's an apartment so there's only so much we can do! Any jumping stuff and the people below us can hear. So because I was with Sis. Udall we got up early and went running! It was the best!!! And there are a ton of hills right around her. Ah, seriously so nice.

Anyways, that afternoon we ate lunch with her whole district and a recent convert in a tiny restaurant. Oh ya! So Elder Yetter (Justin Yetter) is in her district so that was cool. We got to talk a bit. (I see him a lot now since we're in the same zone)

After we just contacted people on the street and it was crazy!!! I felt like I was back in Seoul!!! So many people! Seriously, in Sokcho we can be outside for hours and only talk to like 10 people. And that's on a really, really good day. So that was fun! Then we got my stuff and got on the bus to go to Sokcho! That was a solid 2 1/2 hour bus ride. Whohoo!

Friday was kind of sad.. 김현정 Kim-heon-jeong (pretty much our only investigator at this point), texted us and said she is too busy now so she can't meet. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ (those are crying faces). But! She said she wants to meet when she has more time. She's so awesome! So that happened. And then remember that super cute girl we met one time? ya, she's never answered our calls/texts since. And then our other appointment with an investigator cancelled... (the one that's from Japan) So ya! Just working hard to find people.

We spent the whole afternoon looking for this house of an old woman we met on a bus. Finally found it! Then that night visited a less active.

So time is runnig out but Saturday was the same, English class, family night, oh! and also White Day! Happy White Day :) So here on Valentine's Day all of the girls buy stuff for the guys, then the next month (March 14th) all of the guys buy candy (specifically supposed to be candy, not chocolate or anything), and then the next month (April 14th) is "black day" haha. it's where everyone that doesn't have a bf/gf/husband/wife buys themselves a fish or something. Ya, how sad?

Sunday was amazing!!!!!!!!! So church (my companion talked in sacrament), and then had meetings. So, a couple weeks ago we were going door-to-door and went inside an old woman's apartment. (Remember, she's the one that had a lot of trash?) So we visited her. We walk in and I see the BofM sitting, opened up on her bed. SHE'S BEEN READING. Long story short, she's in Mosiah 12. Ok.... have you every heard of anything more amazing?!?!! She's read over 200 pages!! (in the Korean BofM there's more pages) She's amazing and has a lot of questions. Super sad, she has terrible eyesight so she has to hold the book like an inch from her face to see it. We also helped her memorize what buttons to push on her phone to text and stuff because she can't see the screen :/ Anyways!! That lesson was the biggest miracle I've seen in Sokcho!! maybe, not totally sure I've seen a lot. So we're meeting her again tomorrow!!! I'm so excited!!

I love you all and hope you have a good week!! Especially Mom & Dad. ENJOY PUERTO RICO AND YOUR CRUZ!!! I'd be jealous, but I'm in Korea. hahaha :)

 

Sis. Evans