the work is hastening!

Hey peeps!!!

 

I wanted to send this email before I read the rest because we have one computer to now five missionaries!! This week we will be doing computer 전도 aka while we are going around proselyting we will be looking for a new place to email.

 

So you ask, why five missionaries? Well this week, I got a text from President Gilbert on Friday at about 9:40 at night to call him. So we finish calling our contacts and give him a call. Well, he asked what we would be doing the next day around 3:30. Well, long story short my very first trainer Sister Kim 김소라 has returned to the Korea Busan mission and is my companion again. It is very different adjusting to the dynamic of being with my first trainer and my first trainee but it is alright. So I am still the trainer and the senior of the area but Sister Kim is my support. It is really funny trying to fit all of us in our little apartment. The new bed is a king size so when we all roll out our beds we are all overlapping each other and every night looks like a giant slumber party. It is so fun having Sister Kim back and catching up, but also hard adjusting to another huge change in the dynamics. But I know as I rely on the Lord that all will be okay.

 

This week was 주석 or Korea's version of Thanksgiving. We were all able to get together as a zone and have an activity that day. We played games and shared thoughts about gratitude and ate lots of delicious American food! The senior couple organized all the food. They are the best! He was in the Air Force, so they can get on the military base, and they made little bags for all of us with things you can't buy in Korea. Including Mac and Cheese and root beer!!! so heavenly!!! It was the greatest thing!! 

Also sorry no pictures this week. I took out my camera to take some pics, and then one of the elders took it to take some epic selfies, and it got left at the church. But the sisters from the area have it for me, and I just need to wait until I see them again to get it back. So who knows when that will be. We are supposed to go on exchanges with them this week so I hope I can get it back fast. 

Amazing miracle: a less active who is very not interested in the church called on our way to the activity and wanted to have us over for lunch but since we were already out of the area she said she still wanted to bring us food. So she took a taxi all the way to 수성 to bring us some food. We met quickly with her and her two kids and hope to meet with her again this week.

 

Last night we took a two hour bus ride to the boonies of 상인. We have a member (the Filipino who speaks English and we teach Korean to) who just moved out there so we went to meet her and introduce her to the sister missionaries in that area. It was so much fun! She bonded really well with the new sisters, and it was so much fun being back with the sisters who I lived in the four-man house with. 

 

The work is hastening so quick. We have so much work to do. It is such a blessing but also a struggle. I am so grateful for this opportunity. I feel so privileged to be counted as a missionary out serving now along with Tanner. I am so excited for you T-Money!! You will love it! I promise time flies by faster than you think. Keep calm and carry on :)

 

Thank you so much everyone for all your prayers and thoughts and letters. Please continue to keep me and my stress in your prayers :) This is a time that I am really learning to fully 100% rely on the Lord. I can not do this with out him. Even with His help, it is incredibly hard. I am working on putting all my pride aside and truly putting everything in His hands. It is much safer there and that is the only way I will be able to survive.

 

I love you all so much!! I know with out the slightest doubt that this Church is true! Spread the gospel and refer a friend to the missionaries! :) This work is so much easier with your help!!

 

Love you all!!!

 

Sister Cheney

new trainee and baptism dates!

Hello from the newest trainer in the Korea Busan mission!!!

Well this week is 추석 aka Korea's version of Thanksgiving. Which means that we can't set up appointments with members on that day, and also that their will be NO ONE on the street to talk to. But we got permission to do an activity as a zone so that should be good. And then that night, our ward mission leader invited all of the missionaries over to his house for MCM and dinner. He will be alone that night, so I am glad we can help keep him company.

So Dad, I told Sister Gilbert (the President's wife) about your prediction about me being mission president by the end of my mission, and she starts laughing and goes wait! You leave after us right?! Hahaha, it was so funny! So now she thinks it will happen too! 

So my new companion is Sister Lee. She is a Korean that is also amazing at English!! She went to UVU for a year and than BYUI. She is really cute but also super shy. This transfer will definitely try and test my patience, but I know the Lord will bless me. You know you are going to need extra blessings when after you are assigned your new companion and you are about to leave, the mission president says he wants to talk to you and tells you to take things slow and to keep him updated on how everything goes. Sister Gilbert told my companion to call her every night, and President Gilbert pretty much told me that it is going to be a hard couple of transfers. But that is okay. My companion is really sweet just a little different  We have a lot to learn as we make our companionship work. Also President Gilbert let me in on a secret that Sister Kim - my very first trainer who had to go home sick will/should hopefully be back this transfer!! She emailed me today and said she is coming to Busan this week. I don't know for how long, but I hope it is to finish her mission! Also President Gilbert said that since she will be a midtransfer transfer, he is probably going to send her to be my companion. Which would be super awesome! But also hard because I will be trying to train still and help transition her into missionary work again, and I am sure I will still be super concerned about her health and everything that happened my first few weeks. So we shall see. I will keep you all updated!

So miracles!!! Who committed two people to baptism this week for the first Sunday in October?!?! Woot woot!~! Go the Spirit!! It is a couple who is incredibly prepared! The lady who approached us on the street and wanted to attend our church and her husband. I am so excited!! And our bishop is ecstatic!! Like imagine a little kid at Christmas!! Who just ate a lot of sugar!! He is so antsy and ready to help! He has now given us the task of teaching and baptizing their two daughters at the same time, which might be a little hard considering one lives in Seoul :) But one step at a time! :)

So funny moments for the week!

Sister Yum to me: "You're Jesus!!".... huh? "No, genius, genius!" I was literally rolling on the floor!

Me to my temporary companion Sister Choi- "This yogurt expired over a month ago! Do I need to wash out the container or can I just throw it away?" (stupid Korea trash system!) She opens the yogurt. "It looks good - how about you try it?" Me: "No! You first!" So she licks the lid. "Tastes fine!" I do the same. And yes then we proceeded to eat all the over a month expired yogurt! Haha. We were joking about what Sister Gilbert would say if she found out.... :) We are epic people I know! And this is who they choose to train? ^^ hehe

So going to find out our new companions after sleeping in Busan, we were going with the elders - Elder Mitchell who is the old AP and Elder Lamb who went to east and was my district leader last transfer. Well they stop so we can get breakfast- we didn't have time. And while Sister Choi and I are grabbing our breakfast, Elder Mitchell grabs my blue girly bag and starts carrying it. I told him I could carry it, but he just told me to eat and there he went walking down the street, proud with a girl's bag in tow. Oh man, I love Busan's awesome elders!

Love you all so much!!!

사랑,

치니 자매!!! ^^

{Editor's note: there were two photos this week, but they didn't transfer through. Sorry! Note to Whitney: based on your descriptions, they were photos of you and your temporary companion, Sister Choi in Masan the morning you were going to meet your new companions for the first time and one of you with your new little trainee Sister Lee.}

i'm a trainer!

Hi!!

 

So this week. Honestly, I feel like my brain can not think of anything that happened before Thursday night. Transfer calls night. If you train, President Gilbert usually calls. So 9:15 roles around, and the AP calls. Tells us Sister Freeman is leaving to go back to Busan. The little bum wont tell me who my companion is. Well 9:45 roles around, and he calls again. Tells us who Sister Freeman's new companion is, and then says, "Sister Cheney you are training." Huh?! Lets try that again! I think you just said that a foreigner who is horrible at the language and is just finishing her 3rd transfer will be training. In the area where she herself finished her training. I tried to tell him it was a joke and that they were pulling my leg but he just laughed and said he was serious. So as of right now, my new companion is still in Utah sleeping at the MTC for her last night. I am one of only 2 sisters training this transfer. I have to be honest and say that I feel so inadequate and under qualified, but I know the Lord will bless me as I turn to him in prayer and faith. "Doubt not, fear not." But all the extra prayers you have would be greatly appreciated.

 

So I am with a temporary companion for the next few days, the only other training sister. We are traveling between our two areas to prep our apartments and do cleaning, shopping everything like that. Today after transfer meeting, we had a training meeting and lunch aka, lots of Korean and me sitting in a room filled with missionaries who have all been out for a year or more. Wednesday we do an activity with the new missionaries were we go out and do contacting and have dinner. That night we sleep in Busan, and the next day they give us our new companions. Then we have practice lunch and head off to our areas.

 

We had many miracles this week but no time to write. Please pray for my new trainee and me. I need lots of help and blessings. 

Funny - today an elder was saying how a bunch of missionaries were proud because they were going to be co-senior companions, and then they heard I was training, and it floored them! Haha. The first one from my MTC group!

 

I will no longer be sister training leader thankfully. After talking with Sister Gilbert, I feel so much better not trying to juggle that as well. I am still in the same area which means I will probably be here until the beginning of December. Here we go baby!

 

Love you all!

 

Love Sister Cheney

six months :: testimony

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and staying cool and happy. This life is the best and is meant to be enjoyed! Don't forget that!

 

So I could email you all and tell you about how I got dropped by my first investigator this week who was scheduled to be baptized in three weeks, how I dropped my toilet brush in the toilet and had to boil it at 10:27 one night, how I took an hour and a half bus ride to 안동 for an exchange, and than to 구미 where we found out a train had blown up so we had no way of exchanging back and  my companion wasn't picking up the phone so I had to figure it out alone and was on the phone with the mission president and his wife trying to figure it all out, how I have been on exchanged with all the first transfer trainees who are all foreigners, how our less active who speaks English just moved back to Utah, or how our member who speaks English just moved to a new area.

 

Or I could tell you about the Buddhist lady on the subway who gave us her contact before we even could talk about the church, and gave us four leaf clovers and wants to feed us this week, or about the time the lady I casually talked to on the bus invited us up to her apartment right there to feed us dinner, or when the two cutest little boys who are three and two and haven't been to church in the last three weeks came yesterday and ran up to me and showed me all their Poweranger cards and toys, and even tried to give me their watch and played with me all Sunday, and kept running up to me during sacrament to say hi, or that I meant the coolest lady on the subway who is a dancer from China and had to sickest outfit.

 

I could say all this things but my mind is in a different place right now. This week is my six month mark. I can not believe how fast the time has flown. As I reflect back on all the things I have done and learned, I am so grateful for this amazing experience! The Lord knows just how to push me to help me grow and how to be able to help the people of Korea. Yes my Korean is still far from perfect, I am so tired and exhausted all the time, I feel so much pressure from being sister training leader, I sweat all the time and eat some questionable things. But these past months have been the best time of my life.

 

I have never known so many struggles and weaknesses, but also seen so many miracles and grown so much. The mission is the last thing I would have ever picked out for myself a year ago. Even six months ago, had I known what I was going to go through my first six weeks, I would have not come. I would have stayed in the comfort of home with English and familiarities. But the Lord knows me so much better than I do, and He knew I needed to grow and become something greater than I was.

 

My heart is filled with so much gratitude for this opportunity. The chance to be rejected, to cry, pray with all the strength I have, to climb an apartment building and knock ever door with no luck. To not be albe to communicate, to eat weird food, wake up tired after a good 8 hours of sleep, to sweat out every fluid in my body. To get lost countless times. To catch the slightest glimpse of what our Savior Jesus Christ did for all of us.

 

This mission is something I would have never planned or expected, but I know that I would be so lost without it. That I would be missing so much of who I am and what I am capable of doing, and truly what our Father in Heaven is capable of doing with us if we just allow him to do so.

 

May we all take time this week and express deep gratitude for all the blessings we have in our life. For the love God has for everyone of us. For our struggles and our triumphs. This Church is true and I will never be able to deny it.

 

I love you all and pray that you might all find happiness and those moments to smile and feel deep gratitude for all we have.

 

Love,

Sister Cheney

 

P.S. My last exchange this week with Sister Wadsworth. (Photo above.) Her older sister was my MTC teacher. 

moving and exchanges

Hello my peeps!! I hope everyone is doing well. I am good. This week has been completely exhausting but good.

We have a new investigator we met with this week. She is a contact I made last week. She is kind of a crazy old lady who ended up teaching me Korean in our lesson, but hey, I will take it. Later that day we had a member lesson, and the member tells us we are going to eat hamburger so we are like okay that's cool. Well turns out she had ordered McDonald's for us! Hahaha in Korea you can get McDonald's delivered 24/7 pretty funny. The elders were super jealous when we told them.

This week was filled with a lot of packing, moving, and not so much unpacking. I have spent literally hours on the phone with the APs and the office elders. We had to coordinate our move then the APs came to move us, which went pretty smooth because they brought the mission van. Except the AP that I served with in my first area (Elder Mitchell) told me that morning that I had a 6 lb limit on things I carried. He was pretty adamant about me keeping that because he served with me he knows how I am and that I hate being treated like a dainty girl. But we got all moved. They then took us to Homeplus to buy some kitchen supplies and spices. When they picked us up, they said they had some news. Hahah, that's not usually good... :) The Korean AP was so afraid to say it, and Elder Mitchell was just laughing because he knows me. Well the Korean AP is like, "You don't have a fridge..." So I just started laughing, and said it was okay, and then he got even more nervous and said that we don't have beds....or blankets...hahaha. We were going to have to sleep on the floor, and he was so afraid to tell us and of what our reaction would be. I just started laughing and said that was fine. He was pretty shocked by how calm I was. Haha. 

When we got there the next morning, we had to call Elder Mitchell again because our shower wouldn't train and the toilet was leaking. He had me try to fix it, which was a joke because I had no tools, so the next day they called the super and had him send someone to fix it. Well while having a meeting with our elders, the office elders call and Elder Jung who I served with in my first area asks if we are with our elders. I told him we were, and asked me to give the phone to Elder Park. I proceeded to make fun of him telling him that my Korean has improved, but I still passed the phone. When they were done we had to go to our apartment again because the man was there and the elders had to take us because the office elders didn't think it was safe for just us to go. Bless their little hearts :) On our way over there with the elders it was raining and as we were crossing the street my shoes came off twice! So finally I just picked them up and ran across the street barefoot. Elder Park was dying laughing and I am sure all the cars were so confused and concerned for their country having this weird barefoot foreigner running around.

So many stories to tell! This week we did exchanges again, and I got put with a sister on her first transfer who hasn't even been here for a month. I am not sure what Sister Gilbert wants me to teach or learn but she has paired me with a new trainee again for today's transfers. I will be going to 안덩 the farthest north area in our mission, where it is pretty much fields. So that should be fun. Everyone keeps telling me about how far away it is. Elder Mitchell told me to pay attention to the elders too because they don't get out there very often to check on them. So I feel like a spy now :) 

Oh! Also, our new home's name is Happy Town! Hahaha. It is written in Korean, but when you read it it literally reads Happy Town. So funny!

There is so much I wish I had more time to tell you it all! Just know that I love you all so much!

Love you,

Sister Cheney

a new house and splits

The four sisters I live with when we went on splits.

I hope you are all having a good week! I don't have much time this week, but let's be honest do I ever really? :) 

Okay, so this week...

Well after our English class this past Saturday, we got a call from the APs. I picked up and he said, "So what have you heard about your new house?" I said, "Well this is the first I have heard of it! Do we have a new house....?" So we do, and this Thursday, the APs are making the trek from Busan to come up and move our elders to a new apartment and then us. So that has messed with our planning especially because we are trying to get our exchanges all coordinated. But it should be good. I am excited but also so sad to be leaving the 4-man house. I have grown to love the girls I live with so much! I am just so glad I get to see them every week at district meeting and on Sundays because we have zone singing practice, prepping for a stake singing performance we are doing the first Sunday in September. 

So other highlights of the week. We sat next to a cute old grandma on the subway who was so nice! At one point the security police came on to do their random checks and she starts making fun of them! Like pretending to be handcuffed and everything! And this lady was OLD! So hilarious! I died!

We did exchanges with 경산 this week. It was so much fun! In the first two hours together, I got two solo contacts. It was pretty epic! We had a blast and learned a lot. I love getting to know the sisters I serve with more.

This past week was Korea's Independence Day. They don't do much, but they hang up flags all up and down the street, and it was so cool! Man, I love Korea!

So in keeping with my streak of always having to pray...last week when I had to pray at district meeting, I choose the song, Sisters in Zion to sing as the closing. Hehehehe. When the elders opened their hymn books at the end they died! So this week when I had to pray again, I chose Elders of Israel to be even. 

I got pulled out of Sunday School by another teacher who wanted me to explain the importance of marriage and family in the older class - in English thankfully! So when I was doing it, I said I had seven brothers and sisters and everyone gasped! Hahaha. It was so funny! And when I went on to explain how big the fam really is they were all dying! So funny!

Also at ward council this week it was so hot, and I was so tired trying to not fall asleep and take notes. Well, at the end I looked at my notes and I had written.... 

teach with members

cereal

friendship night? 

Don't ask about the cereal I have no idea! But I swear they had written that on the board in Korean.... Oh man bless my little heart. Sundays are a killer!!

Well love you all so much!

Love,

Sister Cheney

This is the cutest Korean ever!!
She hardly speaks any English at all, and it is all slang that she does speak!
Love Sister Yum!

baptismal dates!

So this week was super awesome!!

We have two investigators with baptismal dates!! One is the girl who doesn't have parental permission so it isn't until December, and the other is Molly, a girl we have been teaching English to. When we asked her, she agreed right away. It is scheduled for the twenty-second so we hope all goes well with that. 

I got a CT scan on my arm and all looks okay according to the limited details I could understand at the hospital.

Last p-day we went to Costco! Love that place! I have been eating real cheese this week and it is glorious! :) 

We had interviews with President this past week. I love it because he always tells me so many funny things, and it's pretty much my way of staying up to date on the whole mission because I never have much to say. :) President said, "So, you have fifteen months left right?" I said, "No just like a year." Well he proceeded to have a mini freak out! Hahaha. I was like ya welcome to my club! He asked when I would go home, and I said I was not sure, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life after the mission. He proceedrf to say that it is okay because I have time, but than goes on to tell me I have to tell him by November what my plans are. Ah!!! My mission president has now given me a deadline! 

Also a really cool stat we learned last week at missionary leader meeting: 48% of the mission has come out in the last six months. So cool!! I am pumped man!!! We are working so  hard to get a temple in Busan!! Its gonna happen soon!!! Please pray for it!! :) We are working so hard for it!

And now for that funny/awkward moment when: The automatic door of the restaurant closes on you while everyone in your district watches, and your district president tells you that it is the greatest thing he has ever seen! I wish I could say it was the first time it had happened to me.... 

Well the mission is so awesome! I continue to learn and grow and love it even more. It also continues to come up with more challenges, but it is great! Thank you for all your love and prayers! It means so much and blesses me greatly!!

Love you all so much!!

training leaders

After getting soaked!

Thank you for all your prayers and love! I love it and need it so thank you!

So this past week I got a call from President Gilbert. What did he say you ask? Well he made Sister Freeman (my companion) and I sister training leaders, which is the equivalent of zone leaders but for girls. So pretty intense but also awesome! It means we have training meetings in Busan like we did this past week, and we go on splits and help the other sisters with how to improve their areas. I am excited but also feel extra pressure to do all I can.

This past week I was teaching English class, and this lady was talking about not wanting pressure from the church, and I explained that we did not want to give any we were just doing a service. Well the other guy in our class asked about the church, and needless to say I spent the next 1 1/2 hours talking about the church and giving a solo lesson while my companion taught the other class. I explained about how the Book of Mormon came about and about Nephi and Lehi and Christ appearing the the Americas, and at the end the crazy no religion lady asked for the Book of Mormon so she could read it. It was so amazing! Such a miracle!

Eating nasty silkworms!

another camera bites the dust + some great news!

Okay this will be short but sweet! Sorry! :)

So nothing has changed in my companionship or area, which is good. I think we still have things to learn from each other and ways to help each other.

Yes, I did tell Sister Gilbert about my arm. Because she said it sounded like I had broken it. Well when I was talking to her on the phone she said that if it was it would most likely send me home...I was about to freak out! No way I am leaving! So the next day I got an x-ray, and luckily it is not broken. It is still swollen and I have a bruise that takes up most of my arm. Sorry pics will be next week. I forgot my chip. After Sister Gilbert saw my arm in person for the first time today, she is sending me back to the doctor tomorrow. Let's just say it hurts like the dickens and I have no feeling in a part of my arm.

Our cute investigator couldn't get permission to be baptized so that didn't happen. Welcome to the week that blew up in our face and really tried us. She filled up my water bottle and didn't put the lid on all the way and put it in my bag. Lets just say that my camera was swimming for a good chunk of time. After sitting in rice for a day (bless Korea) it still won't work. I about cried! Okay lets be real, I did! And I am so frustrated and upset! I know there is nothing I could do about it but really?

But huge news!!! So my investigator from my first transfer who has the special needs son that I completely love!! She is getting baptized!!!!!!!!!!! I am so beyond excited!!!! I was talking about it to Sister Gilbert and since the baptism is in Busan (a two hour train ride away), I shouldn't be allowed to go, but she said she would talk to president and get it approved. I am so so happy!! When I found out I cried!!! She was my first lesson, my first investigator, everything and is so so amazing!!! I am so stoked!

Much love!

Sister Cheney

eworld

Hello! We went to eworld today. AKA a theme park. Lamer than lagoon, like a 1/6 of the size maybe and only has 3 roller coasters and other rides. But let me tell you, to a missionary it was the best thing ever!!! We went with some peeps from the zone. But there is this epic awesome ride that we rode twice and at the end of the day, yeah it trashed my arm.... lets just say I have a baseball growing off the side of my arm.... 

Rocking eworld! The girl on the right is Sister Laban.
She's from New Zealand, and we talked on FB before I left.

Also, coolest story! At eworld this girl comes up to us and asked if we were missionaries? For the Church of Jesus Christ?..... of Latter Day Saints? And we are like, yes!!! Well turns out she is from Peru! She is in Korea off a scholarship she got at school. She is with another religion and the whole time they have been trying to convert her and telling her how bad her religion is. She even tried to Google for a church and couldn't find one. It was such a cool experience to lift her up and give her encouragement! This is her in the blue shirt.

So this week was awesome!!! I love the mission and I love my area. This Thursday is transfer calls though so we shall see how things change. Who knows, maybe we will both stay. This is also the last week of the transfer. Which means the last week of me being a trainer. Insane!! Man time flies by way too quickly!

I was looking at the pics taken of the family across from the MTC right before I entered, and I think of who I was then compared to who I am now, and I have changed so so much!! Like I think back to who I was and who I wanted to be, and I am so grateful for my mission and everything I am already learning about myself and life. It's so amazing the way my eyes are being opened!

Hearts from Mama!

friendship night

Getting to see Sister Scott and Sister Burgoyne (from the MTC) 

at training day this past week at training day in Busan.

I hope you are all doing well! From the letters and emails I have received it sounds like it has been adventurous and good! 

So I just wanted to start out by telling you all that I am so happy!! Like genuinely happy!!! My first transfer was the hardest time of my life, and I admit that I almost quit multiple times. But because of all of that, I have learned so much about myself and the Savior's love for each and everyone of us. Life is still hard and there are many unknowns but I am so happy!!! This gospel is amazing and I get to bring this message to the people of Korea 24/7. How awesome!! Also thank you so much for all your letters!! I love each and everyone of you and miss you like crazy!!! I am so sad all the things I am missing out on but I am so grateful to hear about all of them and still feel in the loop! :) So thank you!

Okay so big news!! Kim chi is starting to grow on me! :) This past week I had a craving for kim chi chi gae. It is pretty much kim chi cooked in water and other things to make like a soup. I am still not the biggest fan of plain kim chi but man kim chi chi gae is so so so good!!! Just wait until I get home and stink up the whole house!! :) You're welcome!! I apologize now for the way I will smell and the way that I will make the house smell, but it's gonna happen!! :)

This week we had a ward activity called Friendship Night. It was a huge success!!! We had so many youth there and their friends!!! It was a lot of work together and all my previous party planning slash Pinteresting went into use :) So there you go, it wasn't a complete useless suck of my time! :) It was so much fun and everyone really got into it! At one point our bishop was sprawled out on the floor so he could win a game! So hilarious!!

We went to a baptism yesterday in another area and took our investigator. It was a really good experience and after she asked me if this is how it would feel to be baptized and I couldn't stop smiling!! The Spirit was so strong. Also President and Sister Gilbert were there and Sister Gilbert came up and told me to introduce her to our investigator. So it might have been rough, but I did it!!! I translated between a Korean with pretty much no American and an American with very very little Korean. So cool!!! I felt so accomplished after! Even in all its horrible rough Korean! So awesome!!

So you know your a missionary in Korea when....

+ you get on the subway and there is a man with 2 birds on his hat!

+ you get on the subway in your area and it is sunny and hot and you get off at home and it is horrible down pour and you have no umbrella so you run home soaking wet!!! Like literally soaking!! Nothing dry on me!!! So  funny!!!! Man I love being a missionary!!!

Love you all so so much!!! Thank you for all your love and prayers!! I feel your prayers and am blessed greatly by them!!! Thank you!!!

Love,

Sister Cheney

The epic Hawaiian display in the mall!

happy fourth!

So my week. Last p-day (Monday) we went to 반월당, a huge shopping area. I got two epic five dollar skirts that are so light weight and heavenly. :) And we took these epic sticker pictures. Its a huge thing in Korea.

Tuesday our whole day pretty much fell to pot and felt wasted. I hope that something happened that was beneficial on that day...

Wednesday was the marathon day. We ran full force after our bus for like a half mile, like straight up sprinting and missed it by literally ten seconds but they dont stop for anyone. Not even two crazy Americans running after it. Our investigator 추지민 was helping us find our member's house so we could drop off a message card for her less active daughter and we saw many miracles. Aside from wandering lost for an hour and a half in the hottest weather and sweating to the point that I couldnt sweat anymore because there was no more water left in me, it was amazing! We got two new contacts who are very interested. Right there when we were talking to them our investigator started being the best missionary ever and telling them to meet with us and learn more about Christ and to come to church and that she would even pick them up and take them. It was so humbling! We have had many fears about if she was really ready for baptism or not and that really helped settle my fears. That day was seriously the most exhausting of my life!!! I got back home and collasped on the floor! We also had to full force run to meet with a member and seriously the Lord was carrying me there because I didn't even have the strength to walk. So many blessings! When we got there she was like "Oh you're all wet!" Why thank you. Yes that would be my sweat.... Hahahahah!!

Thursday we all dressed up for the 4th of July. Even Sister Choi Han-na dressed up with us. It was pretty funny because everyone ended up wearing at least one item of my clothing. 

In the morning we had an appointment, and we had some time before so we were walking through the park in the rain. Well this man runs up to us and stops us and proceeds to sing songs in English for the next twenty minutes. In the POURING rain!!! I was trying so hard not to die of laughter!!! He was not the best singer, and only knew one verse if that and kept singing it over and over again. And then we were going to be late to our appointment because he wouldn't stop, so we had to book it to her house so we showed up with dirt splashed on our legs and soggy feet. :) hehe Gotta love being a missionary!! The investigator again asked what type of man I like....Bless her heart!! She needs to just let it go!!! 

That night be had corn dogs for dinner. But you see in Korea they roll them in sugar and put ketchup on them. We also had McDonald's fries and red, white, and blue ice cream. We were trying to be as American as possible. The cute sisters we live with also bought a cake and sparking juice. The cute Korean sister, Sister Choi also bought us all party hats that were white with blue stars on them. We had ice cream the next morning - hey it was still the Fourth in the States! :)

Friday we went to a Hawaiian restaurant with Pearl our less active from Guam. Not too bad. They even had Loco Moco! Mind you it was all fancy and Koreanized. :) 

Saturday my English class starting talking about their favorite alcoholic beverages....bless their hearts! But I had an awesome opportunity to explain our beliefs on the matter and even talk about polygamy and the church's position with it all. Really cool. That night we went to a less actives baby's 100 day birthday. It is huge here!! You go to a really really nice restaurant  and they pay for everything and have a whole production. It was really cool to be a part of it. That night we ended up getting home late. Like past the 9:30 late mark. Which apparently means it is reported to the area 70.... awesome.... No idea what that means. I guess I could be kicked out of the mission soon. ;) Hahahaha no just kidding!!! I don't think anything will even be said. It was just our first time. Okay well it might have happened my first transfer, but I can't remember.... :S Hahaha.

On Sunday, our cute investigator sat by me at church and wrote me the cutest note in Korean saying that she loves meeting with us and that she prays a lot and really tries to be good. It was so cute and tender! We had dinner that night with members and our elders. It was so much fun! The sister is an amazing cook!!! I was dying it was so good!!!

Okay well that is the general low down on my week. I love you all so much!! Thank you for all your emails and love. I can't even try to express how much it means to me! I love you all so much and miss you like crazy all the time! The mission is so awesome and I love it! I pray for you all and can't wait until we are all back together. Keep the faith and stay strong. Even the rain is beautiful. Trust me I would know! Thank you for the amazing people you all are!!! 

From the bottom of my heart and with all my love!

Sister Cheney :):) ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ :):):)

Me and giant Picachu!

Popping Soup - the best on hot days!!

 For p-day we went with our whole district to 해인사. It is Korea's biggest Buddhist temple.

chasing the postman

So for comedy. This past week we were trying to find the house of an investigator who had just moved. So the Korean address system sucks!!! Like even Koreans don't know what the general address is of the house two blocks away. So we stopped to ask this lady, and she is trying to help us, and then here comes the postman on his scooter. She stops and asks him and he says, "That is not where you live." So she explains that she is trying to help us. 

Well he looks at us and gets concerned. He asks if we speak Korean and we say a little. So he looks at the lady and tells her to tell us to follow him. Which we understood but anyways... :) Haha! So off he goes driving and not slow. So down the street goes the postman with one oh wait there goes another two foreigner girls running after him. Like straight up booking it!!! This little old lady stopped and was hysterically laughing on the side of the road watching us. Good news - we made it and even had five minutes to spare. :) Hahaha. And then at that lesson it was super awkward because the lady kept trying to pretty much set me up with her son (I found out from my companion after). During the lesson she asked me in English, "What kind of man do you like?" I was like what!! Did that really just happen!!! Her son is 28 and was really nice but the whole thing was so weird!!!

Last night we were able to watch the worldwide missionary training conference. So good!!! I loved it!!! I really hope the ward members in our areas listened and help the work along. We need all the help we can get. It can be really hard. I also encourage you all to do everything you can to help the work along. It really is so much harder without the help of the members and there is so much we can all do. As far as technology being used more in the mission. We will be receiving information on that at our zone meetings in a week and half. So it will be interesting to see how it is implemented in our mission. I will let you know when we find out more.

Other than that the work is moving along great!! Time is flying by so quick!!! I can't even believe it!!! I think I mentioned that our mission president is planning on sending my transfer of sisters home early in August for school, which super freaks me out because that is barely a year away!! So insane!!!

Well I love you all so much!! I pray for you all often!!

Love you much!!!

Sister Cheney

bearing burdens with ease!

So the train ride to my new area was so gorgeous! We have to go into the boo this transfer in a couple of weeks and I am so excited to take that train again! :)

So this past week we had an awesome miracle! We didn't know what to do one day so I suggested knocking doors, which we like never do because it never brings like any success. But I suggested we pray about which direction to go. Then we went in this apartment building and climbed all five flights of stairs to knock doors, and this one lady happened to be at her door and we waved and got her attention. Okay let's be real, we bowed not waved, but she came and opened the door, listened to our whole message, took a Book of Mormon and gave us her info. She was so interested! I am so excited to follow up with her!

So we live in another area than our own with another pair of sisters and the best part is that we will live closer to their church than the elders that serve in our ward live to ours. Its pretty hilarious! But also convenient because there is no room in our apartment so we store our luggage at their chuch. :) Haha. And their bishop is taking us all and the elders to a Buddhist temple next week for pday! It is either the world's oldest or Korea's oldest Buddhist temple so I am pretty stoked!! 

So in my area we have the most amazing people!! We teach a lady named Ly Plaza. She is from the Philippines  She is amazing! She works in a textile factory and lives off of practically nothing so she can send money home to support her family. She has three daughters and hasn't seen them in awhile. We teach her 30 minutes about gospel doctrine and than 30 minutes we teach her Korean because she wants to be able to participate more in church. She is amazing! And so humble! She lives in the smallest little room and lives so humbly! She works all night and gets one hour of sleep and than comes to church! Faithfully!! She is amazing! After meeting her I almost cried! Why do I complain about such little petty things? What I had to go through last transfer is so small compared to what she has to deal with on a daily basis. She is amazing!

So our baptism. So the girl's name is 추지민. Well she said she got her parents' permission but the next day she wanted to push back her date to October. Well after talking to her she decided that she is just going to push it back to July 28. The last Sunday of the transfer. I think it is a blessing because it gives us more time to teach her, but I am also afraid that she doesn't have her parents' permission and will keep coming up with excuses. I am also afraid that she isn't fully converted to the gospel. I don't want her to fall inactive in a few months as new missionaries come in. We aren't here just to get baptisms. We are here to get people to the celestial kingdom.

In the scriptures I was reading the end of Mosiah and the start of Alma this week. So good! But I love in Mosiah 24:12-16, especially 15 and 16. I love these scriptures because it doesn't say he removed their burdens or made life perfect but He made it possible for them to bear up their burdens and not only that but it says "with ease." The Lord doesn't take away trials or change or life all the time. Sometimes he gives us the great privilege to grow and helps us to be able to manage the burdens "with ease." What a blessing it is that the Lord loves us that much!

These pictures are my old ward. 

Except for Elder Mitchell is missing and another random 

elder on the far left is added. The only American elder in 

the picture is Elder Sanders who got transferred to my new district. 

 The Zone 추진민

The sisters in my house: Sister Choi from Korea,
 then my companion,
 then Sister Campbell, who is from my MTC group, 
and me :)