December 3, 2009

This is my last time emailing, it doesn't feel real that all of the sudden everything is going to change. Today we are going with our two beloved members 우은정 and 장영숙 to 강화도 It is an island that has ancient Dolmans on it, you can see north korea, etc. Its cloudy and raining today but it will be fun.

Even if it is just for a second I want to see you in Salt Lake, I can run back when I need to. We had zone conference on monday, it was amazing. a conference in the morning and in the afternoon in the burton's home we had a testimony meeting each missionary in 2 zones bore there testimony of the Savior and it was unbelivably powerful, the returning missionaries were last and I was the very last. My heart was so full of love and gratitude for the Savior that I just wept. We sang called to serve to end the meeting and I was so proud to be a representative of the Savior and of my family.

I love my mission and will love it forever, it will be forever a giant dictionary one of those 10,000 page ones that is too big to shut, this dictionary is inside my heart, when I need help for the rest of my life I will be able to draw from the things I learned as a missionary and who I became as a missionary. I am a missionary forever.

I know that part of the Lord's will for me was to come to Korea Seoul West Mission at this time, serve with who I did, where I did and meet the people I met. An eternal blessing. I love Korea, korean, koreans, korean food everything. But most of all I love my Father in Heaven, His son Jesus Christ, and I honor his priesthood. I know He lives and loves me. I came to know as a missionary the power of the atonement, the healing power and how it is infinite. I will be a student of the gospel forever. I'm so grateful for all of the trial, challenges, and learning experiences I have had. We can face every trial we encounter, we'll never be given too much.
I know the church of Jesus Christ has been Restored. That Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son, and that the fullness, the authority, organization of the true church has been restored. I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence of this. I know that the Book of Mormon can help ALL people come unto Christ, throught it we can learn more of the Savior, his mission, attritbutes, atonement and Heavenly Father's plan for us. I know that the Plan of Salvation is the Plan of Happiness. I love my family and want to live with them forever in the highest degree of Celestial Glory. I'm eternally grateful for my Savior and His Atonement for making Salvation possible. I can't wait to have a family of my own and be sealed in the temple. I'm so grateful that my family members are my best friends, I love you all. Thank you for praying for me and loving me in my weakness.
I don't want this to end but as Sister Bancroft said, "The Lord says move on" I'll follow his will for me. I can't wait to see my family, I don't if I will hug, kiss, cry, scream or what but it will be a happy moment. Be happy, healthy and safe, pray for me to make it safely and on time to the places that I need to arrive at. Don't do anything special, just come and pick me up. 무한한 사랑 Love you forever. See you next friday.

Sister Paige McDede Alsbury
Official Representative of the Lord Jesus Christ

Thanksgiving 추수 감사절

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Doesn't feel at all like thanksgiving, but thats okay. we are going to yongsan the american military base, most koreans have never eaten turkey, I saw one in a cage in Incheon one time. I'm really thankful today to be a representative of Jesus Christ proclaming to people that the truth has been restored, the authority, prophets, and with it all the Book of Mormon. The Savior lives the Atonement is real and Eternal, so is the Plan of Salvation. Briggsy study the Plan of Salvation it will give you peace.

This past week was good. If I had a 1원 (like a tenth of a cent) for everytime sometime told me they were busy I would be so rich on a worldly scale. But that doesn't matter because I am spiritually blessed and rich with a testimony of the Savior and the Restoration. I've planted a lot of seeds in this country I always pray after an investigator drops or someone rejects us that they will accept the Gospel another time. I know our message is true. We do a lot of street contacting, I heard how much missionaries in other places 전도 and I laughed. Prostyling is purification of the soul according to President Burton. Some investigators have dropped, and almost all of our appointments get canceled at the last minute but I'm not discourage, I have help from my Father in Heaven, my Savior, angels I can't see, my amazing companion, and prayers from all of you. I KNOW our message is true. its my 열정

Sunday we had korean regional conference. It was broadcast from SLC, Elder Evans--the area President talked about Koreans gathering in Zion, not in America, building the church here. Adrian Ochoa said something like "the only real failure happens when we give up stop trying" and cited qualities of those who do hard things--trust the Lord, choose the right and don't give up. Elder Holland gave an amazing talk. things like sustaining church leaders, rescuing new members, less actives etc. Then president utchtdorf talked about a time he and his wife came to Seoul and couldn't find the temple,---it really is hidden, He said "truth is there but it isn't always easy to find" He said he liked kimchi but it was so spicy, things I remember him saying were: Internalize principles of the gospel.and the berlin wall coming down, (maybe eluding to north Korea)
Well eat lots of delicious food today, or tomorrow, don't have fun without me. Drive safe and be happy. It really hasn't hit me that I'm going home, I just don't feel like my mission will ever end, and it won't but I might just be weird and need time to adjust so be nice. But I think I'm still a fun person, a happy person at least. 사랑해
알스베리 자매선교사

Straight out of the 미용실 with our new 머리 styles, and the day that we ate so much it hurt--김공애's house, natalia, and 이계임's house. ick.

November 19, 2009

안영하세요 I feel like we just emailed not that long ago. Today we went to Orange Hair, my friend 이주현 cut both of our hair, and said that I have to come back next year and get magic perm. I think I will do so. cut, straighted and deep conditioned for 2만원 less than$20. Its nice to have my hair done because-----ITS FREEZING! I'm sure its probably colder in MT but it is deathly cold. Satan has to control the wind. Monday we attempted to streetboard, but our boards blew over and nobody would talk to us. My clothes are warm its just my nose that is cold. We visited Natalia on monday the member in our ward from Russia and she freaked out that I wasn't wearing boots--actually my feet were deathly cold, we had to store our heavy streetboard stuff out our house and she said we couldn't come back till I had boots on. Thankfully I found some on the street that actually fit, they aren't cute at all but they are warm. I don't know how I made it last winter without boots. Natalia also gave us oatmeal with a hotdog on top. hehe

I can feel satan working on my the past couple of weeks. He uses doubt and fear for sure. I'm really grateful that I was able to recognize that and rely on what I know and who I am to make it through. I don't know if Mac will say the same thing or not but I don't think there has been a single day on my mission that hasn't been challenging. This is this the hardest thing I've ever done. Faced with so much opposition and disappointment everyday. Lately the weather has been frozen, being forced fed WAY too much food, our investigators don't have time to meet with us, 성영숙 was sick, getting lost in another area and ending up at Costco? societal problems, rude people, 정신없은날 feelings like I'm not a successful missionary or haven't made a difference have flooded my mind, but I haven't let them wear me down. I have learned a million things as a missionary, this has been the best opportunity for me to learn life lessons in a condensed manner. But probably the biggest thing I have learned is the power of the Atonement. That it is real and that it really is Infinite. The Savior loves us and knows the desires of our hearts, we won't be given more than we can handle. I truly know that the only way for peace and happiness is through Him. Being a missionary is tough but it is the best thing ever, 무한한 축복. We are love so much that are given the trials that we have, could it even be considered a compliment to be given difficult challenges because the Lord wants to teach us and mold us. Doing the simple things like pray, daily scripture study and keeping the commandments help us through challenges in our lives. I think of Mosiah 24 when Alma's people were in bondage and 14-16절. Basically the church is true and I'm grateful to be a member of it. I don't feel deserving of the blessings which I enjoy and will receive, where much is given much is required. I pray for all of you everyday, pray for me too. 사랑해요 I'll be working it to the bone with my korean toothpaste ㅎㅎ
love you all
알스베리 자매선교사

P.S. did you know that cavity 충치 in the chinese character root is tooth bug?
x2--don't worry about the toothpaste, I'll be fine

KIMCHI!

I made 김치. It was amazing. I love kimchi, I eat it at every meal. They don't have kimchi in Montana, 유 유 So every year in Korea in November all the women do 김장 (kim jang) Make a ton of kimchi for the winter. Kimchi can last a really long time. year old kimchi is really good. So in 양천구 yangchun-gu, the part of seoul that mokdong is in each year does this service project where they make tons and tons of kimchi and distribute it to people who need help. So our zone and another zone went on tuesday with 200+ middle-aged gals. It was so awesome, I'll probably go off on tangents later about it, but I've never seen so much cabbage in my life, the sauce (red pepper, garlic, onion, anchioves, and rotten fish) was pre-made, a big blob of sauce was poured on the tables and you wipe sauce in between each leaf. It was so messy. I think the knudsens have a lot of pictures on their blog. We did it for 3+ hours, I always laughed when they said making kimchi was so hard but my back was dead the next day. This camera crew filmed me I said "맛이 있다 짱" so they made me do it again, it was the government film crew. probably 30 ish missionaries foreigners always get so much attention, some elders are not very mature.

Also it was 빼 빼로 day yesterday 11/11 made up commerical valentines day where you give people chocolate covered biscuits.

I lost my planner the other day. I cried. it was bad. lots of potential investigators numbers in it, my last one, sort of sentimental. Trying not to be sentimental and get caught up on "the last mo mo mo"

We have this new investigator we met him when we were exercizing, he has a friend who is a member I think he's an american that works for the military and his family lives in California. I love korean english. He called and said, "if the traffic is not bump to bump, I can make it"

We have been streetboarding a bit lately lots of interesting experiences and always seeing a lot of miracles. Our 2 investigators with baptismal dates have no time to meet with us and our other really golden investigator can't come to church because she says she has to study. Time where is it? Today is 수능 which is the korean SAT. Once a year only, people get so worked up about it. the police are guarding the schools, no airplanes fly today, lots of kids get panic attacks, anxiety, basically their whole life depends on how well they do on this test today. Yikes.
My old roomate tess wrote me, gracias, and asked about the word of wisdom here. People drink tea more than they drink water. 97% of the teas just taste like dirt. its just hot water plus so herb or something. Green tea is hard because it is everywhere, and they are so into "well being" alcohol and smoking are problems for all men. The only way we can teach it effectively is testify of Joseph Smith and promise blessings 1st and explain the commandment. Most women can keep it pretty easily.
I'm in denial about the future. Hopefully it just won't hit me for real ever. Don't worry I'll work hard for eternity. Love you all, 안영히계세요 사랑해요
알스베리 자매선교사

김장

The day Korea froze and this is what we looked like studying, and the temple is amazing

Mutant 배 Korean Pear! 서린--Elder Seo our district leader at the temple.

I heart 호떡

Probably the world's most awkward email starter. Hey we had Halloween last week too, except it doesn't exist here. (p.s. korean makes me use words like exist, these days, per chance, teach me your phone number, and I don't really know what the english substitute for 안대요 is) so I think you must forgive me.--look that was another bad sentence but too prideful to erase it. We had english class and of course it rained for 7 hours that day like a 홍수 only 4 people came, and no women so had to call the assistants and get permission and got a big lecture. We put water bottles in our hair so my hair was a foot high. they all thought I paid to get it down. No trips to orange hair for me. And we watched Johnny Lingo!! the old one. I don't think anyone understood any of it so I explained the entire thing in korean before we watched it. P.S. Jill wins. I currently have a reeses in my mouth. I shouted with glee at the temple when I saw it. She also is the champion at letter writing. I didn't just get an email from Juliet--사랑해
Big Miracle, 김규민 Kim Kyu Min came to church on sunday after about a month of being too busy with school he hung out with this other 20something member I'll call Mr. Ham they hung out at the church untill 4 and then at 6 he went with us to the Knudsens for dinner and a lesson. He has such a pure heart. He now has a baptismal date for the 29th of November, he's good. Problem is time to meet with him, he's university student and works at a math 학원 he has a japanese girlfriend that he met when he was studying in the US. The family that she stayed with were members, she has a Japanese Book of Mormon. Small world. P.S. If I go to Utah I'm going to hang out with Karen's exchange student all day. Pray for him and Roselle our other investigator with a baptismal date. 김태순 has the Aaronic priesthood. So happy so sweet. still trying to get on the members about new member lessons.
Monday and tuesday were deathly cold. I busted out my ankle length coat Black head to toe. So cold not kidding. 추운 날씨 있을때 생리중에 전도 정말 힘들아요 It just hurt, its warmer now. I love heated floors.
We took our new streetboards out, it was so successful lots of interested and interesting people. it was nice to have people come up to us. There was this drunk man who would not leave me alone and said really really horrible things to me, Sister Bergeson was lucky that she didn't understand. Probably the closest I've ever come on my mission to losing my temper, the former mission me probably would have raged. but the thing that came to my mind was that I'm here sharing a message that I know it be true and I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ here representing Him, and also bearing the name of my family. Patience and love, Briggsy, study PMG chapter 6.

Today we went to the temple, I love that place, so much solace and peace it was such a stark constrast within 5 minutes of walking outside the temple. The kimchi at our house was made 1 year ago it is so delicious. I love kimchi like I love reeses, I crave it I'm dead serious. I love it but I love all of your more. Making kimchi takes a lot of work, time, its a huge process so is becoming a missionary. Maybe I was just chinese cabbage when I started my mission but I've been worn and worked soaked it red pepper and rotten fish, disappointed, tried, cried my eyes out so many times, pooped everyday all day, been so extremely happy, laughed, and gained a stronger testimony of the Savior. I know that this is an important part of Heavenly Father's plan for me, for molding me into the person I need to be. I'm so 약한 sauce but I know where I'm going and who I am. Kimchi gets better with time and so will I. xoxo kiss nose hug, ear
알스베리 자매서교사

Korea=no Halloween

Today starts a new transfer, and I'm staying in Mokdong! yeah! I know that this is were I'm supposed to be for the next 6 weeks, I'm excited for what is in store. Well the biggest thing that I wish that I could just talk to you all about for hours was our baptism on saturday. It was amazing. Sister Sung young sook and Brother Kim Tae Soon were baptized. What an amazing miracle it was for me to witness this miracle. The Lord truly prepared them to receive the message and the Holy Ghost testified of the Savior and the only thing that Sister Bergeson and I did was try and follow the promptings of the spirit.
His best friend baptized them. This friend, Kim Sung Kyu was baptized maybe 10ish years ago. He got married in the temple and his wife was in the MTC with a sister missionary named Sung Hye Young (Sung youngsook's sister) They are good friends. So they introduced her friend's sister to his friend. amazing. We were so grateful that he was able to come and perform the service. It was sat. at 1 some members couldn't come but so many came, even this inactive that we have been working with. Their daughter Kim so ee saw us when she walked in and started clapping, cutest baby in the world I'm pretty much obsessed. Two sisters gave really great talks on the holy ghost and baptism, sister bergeson sang "I feel my Savior's love" I rambled off on something and our Bishop talked about going to the temple next year and priesthood blessings.
She is just a rock and amazing the the brother is progressing so well, he is turning out to be a huge miracle. There aren't many adult males in our ward, we are wondering if he could be put in the bishopric in a couple months. Last night they took us out to real nice bulgolgi restaurant. It was just so fun and relaxed and to play with them. We talked about the new member lessons--he has an interview for the priesthood on sunday, she has visiting teachers, we shared Moroni 6:3-5 with them last night they read out loud together verse 3 I read 4 and they read 5 together, priceless. I'm not sleeping well at night because I'm just so happy for them. Briggsy, a mission is really hard, you'll see it, its been hard for me but it is the BEST thing I have ever had a chance to do, I am so happy seeing others repent and come unto Christ.

Sunday night we met our Philippino investigator Roselle and set a baptismal date for Nov. 14, which we hadn't even thought about but it felt so right in the lesson. She reads the book of mormon everyday, and we still haven't gotteen the tagalog Book of Mormon so she is reading it in english. There are a bunch if phillipinos in the english branch.
Today we are going to the traditional folk village with Sister Toronto another one of her friends committed suicide, so heartbreaking. I ran a 7.2Km this morning. We have eaten so much food this week, Koreans are so generous with food, but sometimes it hurts. Jang Youngsook--our gospel principles teacher took us to VIPs the "american food" restaurant, I died it was heaven, pineapple, fajitas, guac, and ribs, I love her. Yesterday our russian member Natalia made us oatmeal with a hot dog on top of it. so cute. Love you all so much, pray for you always,

Sister Paige McDede Alsbury

성영숙(Sung YoungSook) 자매님, 김태순(Kim TaeSoon) 형제님 김소이 (kim so-ee) she'll be 2 in February

정 배움

This saturday at 1 is 성영숙 and 김태순 's baptism. They had their interview with Elder Seo last week, this is a wonderful miracle that I have been priviledge to watch for 4 months. We are so excited the ward is excited, they are excited. I'm so happy for the people in Helena getting baptised and to meet and fellowship them soon.
This there anything you need? How can I help my family and friends? I pray for you each morning and night, I love you all. I got a letter from Juliet this week, she's a sweetheart. We went to a meeting today with PJ Rogers, he's an american who served here and basicaly speaks perfect korean and he talked to us about learning Korean and korean culture, its amazing how much I have learned in the past 16+ months. We got new streetboards so I have carried these 3 big whiteboard things across Seoul and we have 2 appointments tonight, it will be good arm exercise. My contact fell out on the subway, I need to go to the eye doctor someday in the future. love you all
알스베리 자매

Asian haircut