Last DongDaeMun district picture at the temple. Temple P day right before transfer day made for a crazy schedule, but it was a good way to end the transfer.

Up close: Sister Choi, Sister Chun, and the Elders (the Mama will try to find out their names...).

Love this girl! Sister Choi was a little sad about transfers, but she's doing good in her trio companionship in DongDaeMun.

First day with Sister Calda!

This picture is only special because there are no buildings. And there are mountains!

So. Hot. But not as bad as Seoul, we heard, so that's good. ㅎㅎ

At the beach with our investigator Anna and her son 도영 (DoYoung).

DoYoung wanted to take a picture, so he just pointed it at the nearest model... ;)

We got to enjoy this band's music for a few minutes before we left.
That Korean man has a beautiful voice.

·         Leanne Noelle Chun <leanne.chun@myldsmail.net>

·        Jul 23 at 6:41 PM

Wow. DongHae. Here's the thing about DongHae: DongHae is gigantic. Coming from DongDaeMun, an area that we could probably walk side-to-side or top-to-bottom in a couple of hours, to riding almost an hour bus just to visit a member... But that's okay! I have five more weeks to learn this area like the back of my hand, since this is Sister Calda's last transfer.

Don't worry, I'm not freaking out at all. Not at all. Hehe...

The branch is pretty small. One of the things that impressed me when I first came is how close everyone is, even with the missionaries. I'm always trying to compare missionary work in the States (just from what I saw from those fantastic examples who served in my home ward) and missionary work in the Koreas, and, man, it seems pretty different. Of course, there are things that are always the same, but as far as interacting with the members goes, it seems a lot more close-knit here in Korea. Of the Elders in our District--Elder Hipps, Elder Lowe, and Elder Huillet, from my MTC district--one is the District Leader, and one is 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency.

The 장로님 are awesome.

The members are SO much fun! I have yet to really get to know them, and for them to get to know me, but I've already hit it off with a couple of them, and they are really great. After hearing about them from Sister Calda and meeting them on Sunday, it's becoming more and more apparent to me how much more missionary work is than just talking to people on the streets and setting up appointments to teach the discussions. Yes, that is absolutely a HUGE part of missionary work, and arguably the most important part (at least, it's the first thing I think of when I hear the word "missionary"), but you know another really important, really big part of being a missionary? Working with the members, strengthening their faith and helping them keep their covenants. But you know what else is cool? They already help each other with that, just as part of being a member. We as full-time missionaries just sort of find the people who need a little more care and attention and pull the focus of the ward's love and attention to them.

I really love my mission, 여러분. I know I have a long way to go, a lot to learn and experience, but the more I study, learn, live, and experience the more sure I become that this is going to be the best thing that I will do in my life up to this point.

Before I go I'd like to share a verse that I read during personal study. We have some transfer focuses as a mission (topics that studies and training will be focused on to help us be better missionaries), and this transfer one of those is the Holy Ghost, which means you'll probably be getting a lot of scriptures about Him.

"And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thrash the nations by the power of his Spirit." (D&C 133:59) Weak things = missionaries. :)

I'm so grateful for the power of God in our lives. Not only do we literally have His power, manifest in His priesthood, but we can have it even more individually in our lives through His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. I'm still learning how to listen and follow His voice, but I'm so grateful that I have a chance to. I hope you all at least try to find that voice. I can promise you that your life will be better for it, even if it's ways you didn't ever think of before.

I hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Sister Chun