April 21st -
Family Dear!
Zo sent me that pic of all of you in the kitchen. You guys are so cute. Even though not all of you write me (boys!) I know that you are thinking of me and especially that you are praying for me. Thank you for your prayers. I was writing Elder Layton, serving in Italy, and we were talking about prayers. Well we were talking about a lot of things, how missionary work is HARD. But some how we make it one more day, even when we don't think we can. I know that your prayers are helping me tons, so keep 'em comin ;) seriously. Pray. :)
Saturday was so amazing, I wish I had time to send pics this week but the computers weren't working for a while and we have to keep on schedule. So hopefully next week! I am doing super good. I love pdays because I get to see sister taylor. She saves me. Our friendship makes all the hard days worth being here.
Last week at this blossom festival a bunch of missionaries gathered and it was like one huge family reunion and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. I love my mission family, they are a great support to have over here.
...... ...... ...... In Whitley's email she talked about teaching the gospel & english to an investigator and the challenges this can present. I know I mentioned this is in the past but it has been a long time - Whit asked that I not include details of her teachings and the investigators in the blog. You are welcome to email me (Zoey) and I'd be happy to forward you the specific email from Whit. zopetersen@gmail.com ..... ..... .....
The other day we did exchanges and lucy (sis taylor) and i switched spots. It was fun being her for a day. BUT one night me and Sister Reidhead (love that girl, she is the best) anyway we are walking home right, and this girl hands us a flyer of something we say thanks and keep walking. she chases us down and asks us if we believe in jesus christ. we say yes and after about 15 mins she gets kinda angry because we have different views of the Atonement. What she was saying didn't even make sense and she contradicted herself a couple times. It made me sad, and it made sister reidhead frustrated when we walked away because the lady told us we didn't believe in Jesus Christ. It was interesting. All that lady wanted to do was argue, and I immediately felt the spirit leave as she was trying to prove her point. That's no way to preach any gospel, by raising your voice and throwing accusations at people. I'm grateful for my testimony of the Atonement. I'm grateful to belong to the only true church on the face of the earth. I know without a doubt that God is real. I know he answers our prayers. I know that he is watching over me, and carrying me through this mission. It's incredible that the more I turn to him, the more he proves himself to me. I love this knowledge. I love all those who are fighting for this righteous cause, because their faith and testimonies strengthen me.
I love all of you.
Thank you for your examples throughout my life.
xo
whit
oh ps next week I get to go to the temple! So my pday won't be on Monday (your sunday) it will be on Tuesday (your monday) same time...I think. anyway i love you!!! xoxoxoxoxo
This is the picture Whit is talking about. I never want her to fill left out of our family gathers so I always make sure I include her the best way I know how. - so of us are not so photogenic if you hadn't noticed... hahah!! But we sure LOVE 'em all!!
April 29st -
Hi family!!!
So remember last week I told you that I wouldn't be emailing today...oops. I didn't know that I would email today, so I'm sorry. Today isn't pday but we get to email because tomorrow we go to the temple EARLY in the morning and we have to travel about 40 minutes, they let us email today so we have time to write our families. Isn't that sweet?! I know right.
Mom, I finally got all your letters. 
I took a pic, I got a ton of letter all at one. Made me one happy girl. I LOVE LETTERS! Wow. I'm such a missionary :P haha.
I hope all of you know that I am happy. I am doing fine. Of course I have bad days, just like all of you back home have bad days. The reason I tell you the 'bad things' is because I want you to know how I'm really doing. I don't tell you so you can worry about me. All of you know how much I wanted to serve a mission. And now that I'm here of course I'm happy, but I don't want you to think this is just some big vacation for me. This is hard. I'm working hard. I'm doing things I've never done before so of course I'm going to struggle. BUT HEAVENLY FATHER IS PROVIDING FOR ME. None of you need to fret about not being able to comfort me because of the amazing gift, the Atonement. Through the atonement everything is better. Through the atonement I am enabled to do this task of being a missionary. Through the atonement ALL THINGS are made possible, and better. I'm not saying you can't be sad, and I'm not saying you can't miss me. I'm just saying you don't have to worry. All we need to do is trust Heavenly Father. I trust him, if I didn't, I wouldn't be here.
So with that being said..lets talk about how my week was! :) I brought my calendar with me (the one that I write all the happy things on) so you all can see what little things happen throughout my day that make me happy.
By the way, I've been in Korea for two months, and on my mission for almost 5!! isn't that crazy?!? I know.
okay so last pday i went to this buffet and ate a ton of meat with sister taylor and her comp and my comp. Pdays are the best with her. I love it. Then after pday ended (6pm) we went to the military base again to visit a member. I love the military base!!! I've told you this before, I know, but I just need you to fully grasp how much I love it.
Tuesday, is english class!! Every tuesday night at 7 we teach our free english class. This is our weekly service and it is so much fun. Sometimes its just awkward, and that makes it more fun :) so sister lee and i got done teaching one of our investigators and we decided we'd have pizza for dinner (ps korean pizza is SO DIFFERENT from american pizza, but it's still so good. I don't understand.) anyway we get a pizza and go to the church before english starts and start eating. Then the office elders come and for some reason we just didn't want them to know we were there. I think because it was our 'dinner time' and we didn't want to be disturbed haha. So we end up turning off the light in the classroom that we are in, our faces are shoved full of pizza (i think we were afraid they would want some, and we didn't want to share so we just shoved it all in our mouths) and we hide under the window and door and we're trying to be quiet and not pee our pants because it is so funny. Now that I'm typing this I'm realizing how funny it's not....haha but it was so funny at the time. Anyway point it....I love that I can still be silly and do silly things as a missionary and find joy in it.
oh and this is the day i got all the letters!!! i got some from mom and sky, aunt nancy, elder anderson (my bff I met in the mtc serving in taiwan), and elder foster!
Wednesday, we got teach an investigator and we teach her children english. I usually teach the little girl, but this day she wanted me to teach the boy, who is probably 5. he doesn't understand much english so i just say words and point to the picture and he repeats me. Well, he fell asleep! In the middle of me teaching him. I don't know how to wake someone up in korean! haha so I just sat there, oh so very awkwardly and laughed. IT WAS SOOOO FUNNY! Poor kid. Koreans are crazy about education.
Thursday, I had my first interview with my mission president. Well i had one when i first got to country but he does interviews every six months and mine was this day and i loved it. I love my mission president so much and his wife. It's a huge treat when we get to see them. I really feel like they are my mission mom and dad. I know that if I ever need anything they are here to listen and comfort and guide me, just like mom and dad at home!
Friday, we just had a good bonding time sister lee and I. This week was kind of rough, almost all of our appointments cancelled on us, every day. It was so annoying and frustrating!!! But I'm learning from it, so it's all good.
Saturday, was the best! Oh man! So we are starting english class on saturdays too so that was whatever, fine. Then we had Ward FHE, just a few families in the ward that don't have time to do it monday, or who are part member families, or who are just a mom and child...we invite them to have fhe with us missionaries at the church. it was so much fun. We played this game called bunny bunny. I CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY THIS GAME WITH YOU GUYS WHEN I COME HOME. I was laughing so hard I cried, and kind of almost peed my pants, oops ;) haha. and my favorite little guy 김태형 came. He reminds me of Brett John actually when he was little. Anyway this little boy as we are playing games (he's like 6 or 7) as we are playing this game passing a coin back and forth, my hands we freezing because it's so cold in the church and so while we are playing he just holds my hand like he's my boyfriend and then holds my fingers to warm up my hands. Ugh it just melted my heart! It's hard because I can't communicate with words much, but that little action he did let me know that he loves me and I was so grateful. Then this cutest little baby in the whole world!!! She comes up to me, not even 2 years old okay and she is trying to take off my name tag and i kind of speak english to her because it's weird to not talk to babies, even though they don't know what you're saying. So I hid my name tag from her and she looks at me and just stares, and then with her CUTE CHUBBY little finger slowly points at me and then starts playing with my eye lashes. haha it was the cutest thing. and her dad told her to give me a kiss and so she does and I MELTED, again. Ugh, i love kids.
Then sunday there was a family from america who visited our ward. they are two brothers who served their missions here 5 and 7 years ago. cool huh? and they just brought their little families back to visit. so i got to talk to their mom for awhile and one of the wives and play with their kids and it was just the greatest thing. I was so happy.
So as you can see I do have good weeks. Of course they are filled with not so fun things too. But I'm surviving and learning and growing and I am so grateful for this opportunity. I know that this mission is changing me. I know that I am becoming a better person and I know that in the future I'll be a better person too. A better wife and a better mother.
Elder Fund, from my mtc district emailed me this week and I told him I was struggling with the language, of course just like every american here. and he said, "Don't underestimate the power of a silent example." :) I loved that. I know that it's hard, but I know that each day I grow, even if it's just a baby bit.
I love you all and I hope you are finding happiness!
I get to call you in a few weeks!!!! Eeeeek :) I'm so pumped!
I love love love you!!
xo
Whitley Jean
This is E. Leavitt from my MTC District :)
Me by the famous Han River
Me and the best friend sister taylor on a huge swing :)
Hey guys!! I have so much important and exciting news to tell you.
First things first, I'll be calling home next week :) eek!!! Exciting, I know.
So I'll be calling MY MONDAY MORNING MAY 13 at 8am and it will be YOUR SUNDAY NIGHT MAY 12 at 5pm, I think? I can't remember how many hours you are behind me. I think it's 5. Maybe it'll be 6pm? I don't know. BUT KNOW THAT I will be calling MY TIME: 8am monday morning.
Second thing, I'm done training!!!! :)
Which leads to my third thing, I'm being transferred :D
I'M OPENING UP A NEW AREA!!!
The area is called 원주(Won Ju) and its far far far far FAR East :) they say is the country part of the mission. I don't think it's very country though. But it's as country as The Seoul Mission gets, so I AM PUMPED!
My companion is actually one of my roommates from the MTC, Sister Gu. I sent a pic home of her awhile ago, so you may not remember her. But anyway her and I are the same age (mission wise) well I guess technically I'm 6 or 8 weeks older than her. BUT ANYWAY she is amazing. I am so excited to work with her. She is a great person and an outstanding missionary.
Since I'm opening up this new area, I have no investigators, no referrals or anything. Just starting fresh from scratch. It's really rare to have such young missionaries open up an area like this. Especially in the East (where they don't send sisters). When I was in the MTC I let everyone know that I would be serving in the East. Even my branch president in the MTC told me I wouldn't be serving there because they just don't send sisters out there.
From day one of arriving here in Korea, I let my Mission President know that I wanted to serve in the East. I reminded him MULTIPLE times (you all know how I am ;) If I want something, I'm going to let you know...and I'm also going to get it! Haha). Anyway every just told me I wouldn't serve in the East, and I am so excited that I'm actually going!!!
Other than those few things, nothing too exciting happened this week. I teach english class here twice a week in Shin Dong, and one of the ladies that comes every week bought me and my comp a pair of socks. ha I know that's not really a big deal, but something little like that makes me so happy. She loves us, and she's not even a member, or our investigator for that matter.
On Sunday I bore my testimony and said bye to Shin Dong Ward. I was really sad. I cried as I hugged my favorite lady Sister 양. She's the lady that is coming to visit October '14, and I told her she had to come to our house. I have pictures, but....I forgot my cord. Oops! So maybe next week.
I want you all to know that I am happy.
I'm doing so good here in Korea.
Thank you for your prayers, and examples.
Thank you for being strong, your strength strengthens me.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
Can't wait to talk to you next week :) Eeeek!
Loads of love,
xo
whit!
May 12th - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
Family!!!! Ugh :) I LOVE YOU. I HAVE TO WRITE THIS IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE THIS IS HOW HAPPY I AM. I AM SO GRATEFUL I GOT TO TALK TO ALL OF YOU TODAY ON THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha, can you feel my excitement?
Anyway, hi. I love that we got to talk today, even though it was shorter than ever, it was the best because everything feels the same. You know? I mean even though I'm not home with you, I felt I was there, just sitting at the bar talking with all of you! I can't wait for when I get to see you all. which by the way, if you look at your calendar is just 12 short months and 2 weeks away! Ah! Can you believe it? I can't.
So I don't know what to update you on because we talked and well I talked a lot so I can't keep track of what I have said.
but there is always so much I have to say, you know me ;)
Lets start with WonJu. So my area, it's amazing and beautiful. Full of trees, and people with warm hearts. I'm so grateful to be serving here. I had no idea what it took to open a new area. Records are what we're dealing with right now. Kind of a beast. But records are so important. And I realized that the missionary who I am today, not only effects the people I'm with today, but it effects all the missionaries who will be serving after me, and in turn all the people they will serve, or wont serve, because of me.
We truly are all connected. We are all touched by others, which in turn makes us effect someone else's life. I can't believe that I'm just now realizing how important it is to ALWAYS be your best self. Who you are today, what you do today, does matter. It's a big deal what you do with your life. Even though to us, it may seem so minor, in the long run it can change someone's life.
I wish all of you could be here in korea with me. I wish you could see the work I'm doing. I wish you could meet the people I'm meeting. I wish you could feel the way I'm feeling. Being a missionary is the best thing in the world. This calling is so sacred and dear to my heart. I love that I can be here, serving koreans and most importantly serving Heavenly Father and being strengthened through it all.
I love all of you so much. Thank you for being examples to me. I have learn/still learning from all of you.
Mom, happy happy mothers day! You are the sweetest thing. The best mom I could have. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for being strong. I feel strong when you are strong, and weak when you are weak. Thank you for loving me, and always showing your love for me.
Dad, it was so good to hear your voice. I've missed you loads! Haha get it, loads? Wow, I'm so cheesy. Ew, sorry. Anyway, thank you for always loving me. Even though I don't get to hear from you as often, I still love you more and more. Thank you for setting an example for me.
Zo & Bj thank you for always helping me in everything that I need. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for supporting me here on my mission.
Braid & Mark, THANK YOU for supporting me. Thank you for loving me, and thank you for writing me, even though life is busy.
Sky, Thank you for being strong. Thank you for writing me when you can. I MISS YOU so much. But I need to be here in korea. You need to be where you are. Magnify your calling. Do everything you can to lift the hands that hang low around you. You don't have to wear a name tag that says, Elder Hunsaker, in order to be a missionary. You've always been a missionary sky, I've watched you my whole life. You love people. You know how to serve people. Because of your example, I'm doing that for the people in korea. You need to do that for the people in brigham, or where ever you are. Cut your hair, shave your face, and get a girlfriend ;)
Dad, where is the pic of the beard? I need it by the end of may...if you can last that long ;)
I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
I feel close to heaven as a missionary. I know angels are watching over us.
With all my love,
Whit <3
I have to say, talking to Whit was great!!!!!!! We easily picked up where we left off. If you know our family we are so random and blunt with all of our topics of conversations and this call was no exception. :) She had some challenges getting the call to come thru and when she finally did she was crying, She was so frustrated, so relieved and so happy to have finally got thru to us. As a family, we needed to hear that Whitley was doing well and her voice said it all! She truly loves her mission, her companion, the people of Korean and the Gospel. BJ told her to make sure she brings home some recipes to try.
- - *NOTE: When I tried to download the pictures attached to this email I must have deleted them. I didn't get to see them but by the description I am assuming one of the pictures was the little girl she talked about in a letter above, one was of another missionary & the 3rd one was her and her companion, Sister Gu on their way to Won Ju and I think one more was an anchovy, which she says she likes to eat - YUCK!!! I will see if we can get these uploaded to Facebook so if you are friends with her watch for those. - -
May 19th - Oh My Darlin'
FAMILY! :)
Hey!
So I'm very happy, let me tell you why...
Today, isn't technically my pday.
Tomorrow is.
But we get to email today because I get to go to the Temple tomorrow.
That's not the whole reason why I am happy though.
So my new area out here in the "country" in this beautiful city of Wonju, it's pretty far away from Seoul. It's about 1.5 hours from the City and then we have to travel on the Subway to get to the Temple. So because that takes so long, we get to go into Seoul tonight and.....SLEEPOVER AT THE TEMPLE!!! :) :) :) :)
I feel like I'm that cute 5 year old kid that is SUPER PUMPED about his very first sleep over, but I don't even care. Do you know how cool that is, that I get to sleep in the Temple? I think it's some what odd they even have a place there available to sleep in. But it makes sense for the members who live over 4 hours way- one way travel.
So anyway, I found this out last wednesday while we were having zone meeting and I've been counting down the days that I got to write you and tell ya'll this!
Hmmm. What else has happened this week, let me think.
It's kind of difficult to remember a whole week worth of information. Oh! So we have 3 investigators! They are so kind. And they love me because I'm American. They are so kind to me. So we're finally starting to contact people on the street and we're starting to teach lessons this week instead of being inside trying to put together our record books. We still aren't done with the record books, so we'll still work on them whenever we have extra time. I'm starting to feel the work slowly pick up here in Wonju.
On Friday we had a Branch district activity day. It was Buddha's birthday on the 17th and it's like a holiday here, people have work off and the streets are decorated and everything. So we got together and played soccer, dodge ball, and had other relay events. Ok so Korean dodge ball is a little different than how we play it in America, and I think I like the Korean way better. At first I didn't like it but then it got more intense and it was fun :) All the koreans were afraid to play with me because they think I throw the ball too hard. And I won the game for our team (I got everyone on the other team out) and you'd think I won the Olympics! Haha, they were all so excited for me. It was great.
Sunday we had Branch Conference and my mission pres and his wife came to speak. It's always so good seeing them. Pres Christensen is such a hard worker. Anything that can distract you as a missionary, he hates. And he is just so dedicated to make this the best he can. He has taught me that I need to work as hard as I can, so at the end of my mission I don't have any regrets and I can truly say that I gave it my all. Sister Christensen it so great to have around. I love that I have her, she showed me pics of her new grandson that was born a few weeks ago. She hasn't met him yet, and she misses him so much, even though she's never seen him. I can't imagine how much she wants to go home and see him. I love them both so much, and I'm grateful to be serving in their mission.
Seoul Mission and Seoul South Mission split in July. So I have to finish this transfer, and do one more 6 week transfer, and then the next one is when the mission splits. Right now I'm in the Seoul Mission boundaries (which is where pres Christensen is and then Seoul South mission is the new mission pres).
I'm loving Wonju. I love the area. As far as the Branch goes, it's really weak. There are a lot of less active, and inactive members. I know that we need to help strengthen this branch, but I don't know how...but I know the answers will come through prayer.
Guys, I can't express to you the way I feel. I wish I had the words. My heart is so full. I feel so loved. I know that I am super blessed, but I don't know why. I can feel Heavenly Fathers love for all his children and it's remarkable. I hope none of you ever feel like you aren't loved, or that you are forgotten. Let me be the first to tell you that Heavenly Father loves ALL of his children. He is more aware of you than we'll ever know. He is anxiously awaiting our prayers. Please don't neglect him. Let him in your life, and I promise as you do, you will feel his love. You will receive more blessings than you can even imagine. This gospel is the only way we can follow Jesus Christ, because this is his gospel. We need the church to grow in the gospel. I am so thankful to be part of God's army. I'm so grateful to be a missionary serving in Korea.
I'm always praying for you.
With all my love,
Sister Whitley Jean Hunsaker
<3
May 26th -
GUYS! HI :)
So this week was LONG. I feel like there is so much that happened but I don't have enough time to write about all of it.
Every single time I sign on to write, I get nervous. I think I told you that in the MTC, and I want you to know it's still happening. Haha!
So let me see if I can explain what I've been up to.
First, mom- I've been writing you and I can't remember how far back I've sent stuff, but you asked if I would email our ward. I actually sent a letter....like almost 2 weeks ago. So you should be getting it soon. It's for the ward/bishop.
So this week in Wonju, there were 14 members at church!! Yay! (sarcasm :P) haha. 3 investigators, and us 2 missionaries. GUYS, It's a huge struggle for me to come to church and only see 14 people. there are no young woman, or young men. And the two kids that I've seen weren't there. Feeling part of a ward is SO important. I can't believe how much I've learned just these short 3 weeks here in Wonju. There is so much that needs to be improved, and I feel so overwhelmed because I don't know where to start.
I've been praying really hard lately about how I can help Wonju Branch. How can I help these people that I'm serving. How can I be a missionary even though I can't fully speak Korean.
Through these struggles I have found peace and comfort. I love feeling the pain and sorrows from trials, because the comfort I feel from Heaven is amazing. I'm feeling more and more like a missionary. I love it.
Through my trials of feeling inadequate, I turned to Heavenly Father. I know I'm never alone. I know that I am his vessel. I need to be as worthy as possible, so that he can work through me. Me and my comp have been working so hard with records and trying to get a map and figure out where members live and how to ride the buses and which stops go where, ect. All that good stuff, we felt like we weren't doing missionary work. But we know that the work we were doing will help ALL of those who will serve behind us. As we were striving to be EXACTLY obedient, the blessings came.
Sleeping over at the Temple was the best! And we get to do it again this week because we have an activity day on thursday! The first thing I said to my comp when we got to our rooms at the temple was, "my family would love this!" I love that all of you are my best friends. I love that when I see something so cool or experience something so neat, that you guys are the first people I want to share it with. Thank you for being my best friends.
Another answer to my prayer was my investigators. A lot of people think that people need missionaries. They need to be taught by missionaries or whatever they may think. But honestly, I think I need my investigators just as much, if not more than they need me. I learn so much from my investigators. Before I came on my mission I thought, I'm going to change a lot of people's lives. But, in reality, they are changing my life. I'm so grateful to be experiencing this.
I am so blessed here in Wonju. As I think about all my blessings, I'm literally in Aw. I don't know why I am so blessed. I don't know why I have this amazing opportunity to be here in Korea, in Wonju. I don't know why I get to teach all the amazing investigators that I have. I don't know why I have the BEST SUPPORT back at home. I don't know....I just don't. But I do know that I AM SO SO SO GRATEFUL for the opportunity.
I want you all to know that The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ONLY TRUE gospel upon the face of the earth. I know that President Monson is called by God. I know that I was called to be a missionary by divine revelation. And that is through the power of the priesthood. I'm so grateful to be a member of this church. I'm so grateful I get to teach people about our Loving Heavenly Father, and His Amazing Son, Jesus Christ. I love teaching people how they can find happiness, and how they can live with their families forever.
I am so grateful to be a missionary<3
With all my love,
whit jean hunsaker 자매
Traditional Korean Dance, haha coolest thing ever. It made me so happy!!
Temple Day with Sister Reidhead! (sister taylors comp)
If you look closely you can see an ox...plowing the field. When was the last time you seen that in real life? Oh, I know! Never! Haha. I was shocked when I seen this. I love being out here in the East. Where I live it's still kind of city...but if I can attempt to describe it, it's like a mix between the older part of Ogden City, mixed with Park City. There are TONS AND TONS of mountains here, I love it.
June 2nd
FAMILY!!
I almost forgot to write a letter to you guys. Because Dad, Mom, and Zo were the only one's who wrote me this week, and I already replied to them. But then I felt like something was missing- oh yeah the rest of my family who are bums and don't write me ;) haha! HEY! I STILL LOVE YOU GUYS even though you don't write, I know you're praying for me, and that doesn't go unnoticed.
So this week was SUPER EVENTFUL! And stressful and WONDERFUL!
We had our first baptism here in Wonju.
The Wonju Branch hasn't had a baptism in over a year!! Crazy huh. I know.
..... info about the investigator and the picture have not been included in the email .....
Now it's nothing that me or my companion did, it was all the Lord.
This other picture is just my calendar (yes I'm still writing all the highlights of my day). Guys! I come home exactly a year from now! WHOA :)
The third pic is of me and Elder Kim. There's a lot of Kim's here in Korea. But he used to be my district leader in my first area. We were walking around at the zoo!
I've had my testimony grow immensely this past week. Miracles are happening for us here in Wonju. I'm grateful that I'm serving here. I'm grateful for the people in my life here in Korea. I've realized my love for people grows more and more with each passing day.
I'm sorry this is so short, but know that I'm safe and happy!
Love you all so much!!!
Continue praying, God is always listening.
With all my love,
Whit Jean Hun 자매
