Hello you beautiful people around the world :)
This week I'm a bit short on time. Today we are going to the DMZ, and I am super pumped!!! So I'm sorry I'll just briefly cover what happened this week.
In Sokcho I've made A LOT of friends. We went sight seeing a lot this past week (I'll send pics). And what I realized is that the people I'm friends with don't really have any interest in the gospel. They all know that I suck at Korean, and because I feel so comfortable with all my friends here, I'm going to ask them if I can just practice teaching them the lessons~ that way we are providing an opportunity for them to feel the spirit, I'm practicing Korean, and they don't feel pressure! :) Excellent idea, huh? In the Bible~ Book of Matthew I think it is, God tells us to be harmless as doves and wise as serpents!
Our investigator family is progressing. We tried to get a baptism date, the little girl chose Christmas Day! Then another little holiday 11-11 (they have candy here that everyone eats on 11-11, kind of like back home we have 7-11 day..same thing). So we said okay! And then the talk of transfers came up (which is this week) and they said they would choose a date after transfers. I don't know why they want to wait after, they don't really either. But we plan to get a date for them this week. Oh I have so many funny stories about this family. I don't have time to tell them ,but I love this family so much. I know I am in Sokcho for them. I know that I am in Korea for them.
I'm falling more and more in love with my mission with every passing day. Today, I have just 7 months left, and I really hate that.
K this next bit of information might cheer you up. This week we knocked doors and we met a lot of interesting people. THE OTHER DAY.....so this is two separate individuals I'm talking about okay? We are just trying to share a happy message about Jesus and Eternal Families...and they both answer to their door naked. BUTT NAKED!
I was shocked to say the least. WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES MISTER?!? WHEN YOU ANSWER THE DOOR YOU HAVE TO WEAR CLOTHES!!!! Ugh, I simply cannot understand. I mean yeah it's comfortable not having to wear pants, I like being naked too, BUT YOU HAVE TO WEAR CLOTHES IN PUBLIC AND YOU HAVE TO WEAR CLOTHES WHEN YOU ANSWER YOUR DOOR!!!!!
If that story didn't cheer you up...maybe my testimony will.
This week I was studying ch.3 in preach my gospel. It says, "The lessons...contain the essential doctrines, principles, and commandments that you are to study, BELIEVE, LOVE, live, and teach." To study, live, and teach the doctrine, that makes perfect sense to me. But I love that they included believing and loving. Of course we need to believe what we teach...otherwise, why would we teach it? And to love it. All of you know how I feel about love. Love changes hearts. Love it the most powerful tool we have. My favorite scripture is John 3:16 and from that, we can see that the whole reason for life in general is because of Love. I love this gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I love my Father in Heaven who watches over and protects me danger. I love my mission, and all the people I have had the opportunity meeting. I love my family and friends who strengthen and support me. I love the gift of the Holy Ghost who brings comfort when I am scared. I love love.
Love,
Whit
헌새커 자매
Hunsaker Jamae
The first pic is a Farmer Office building....this statue/building is huge!!
Then we went to another buddhist Temple last Pday, and just lots of
sight seeing.
11.10.2014 Because He Trusts You
This week has been insane. Transfer calls came and I got transferred :( I absolutely hate saying goodbyes. BUT I know their are greater treasures that lay ahead!
So the moment we've all been waiting for: the damage of transfer calls. I've been called to 태백 (Taebaek). I've heard it's the highest altitude in all of Korea. It's completely surrounded by mountains and the snow there is ridiculous. Cool. I might die. There's a cook ski resort, but guess who can't ski, every single missionary, that's who!
My new greenie and I are opening Taebaek, Sisters haven't been here in over 15 years. This will be my 3/5 Sister area's that I've opened out here in the "Country Side". It's a great and stressful experience opening new area's. I know that God really trusts me. I was very nervous to be training, but at trainers training my mission president said something that just calmed my troubled heart, "Trust God, because He trusts you."
Not only am I training and opening, but I've also been called to be Sister Training Leader. Guess it's true what they say, "when it rains, it pours." So I'm always needing to remind myself to trust God. Like Hermana Eishelle Whitney wrote in her email last week, "God doesn't send us somewhere to fail'. I know that's true. I know I can't do His work without Him.
I'm grateful for this unique and challenging opportunity to serve Heavenly Father and His children here in Korea.
My "baby's" name is Sister Emily Hazel Ellis. I absolutely LOVE HER! She studied Korean Language at BYU Provo for 2 years before her mission. Her Father is Elder Ellis in the Quorum of the Seventy. I actually heard about her before my mission. Oddly enough. And at the meeting I told Sister Song (my old companion) that Sister Ellis was going to be my companion...and lucky me, she is! It actually has nothing to do with luck though, I know she is my blessing from Heavenly Father. Also, I kind of felt intimidated knowing her background with schooling and family. But turns out she's a normal human just like the rest of us. We've only been together for a few days but we get along great and I know these next two transfers together (hopefully) are going to be amazing!
This week I've been humbled. And kind of in the compelling sort of way, I'm sorry to admit. But I've always known that I need my Father in Heaven to do His work. I feel a great sense of urgency, and love in my heart (if this experience is anything like motherhood......Kudos to all of you mothers! You are the bee's knees!). I have gained a true testimony that we are faced with things in life because God trusts us. I know that God knows everyone of His children, and he wants to help us, we must seek Him first.
This is all I have for this week.
I love you.
Please pray for me.
xxo
whit
Hunsaker 자매
11.17.2013
<------ This is one of the Assistant's to the President (AP).
This week we had an early christmas present (at least that's what I'm going to call it)
We had combined mission conference (seoul and seoul south)! :)
So I got to see a lot of old friends.
I'll be sending a lot of pictures from that day :)
#1~~~~Hii this is me and my MTC companion Sister Watkins, remember her?! :)
#2~~~~Elder Jenson from the MTC
#3~~~~Our MTC District :) missing Elder Fund, Hamilton, Smurthwait, and Peck
Elder Mills
Elder Chow
Sister Taylor
Okay listen I think this is lame when people do this, but how can I not? So I just want you to see my trainer and my trainee. It's just fun to see how we are all connected, I guess.
The family picture: Sister Lee (my trainer/mom), me, and Sister Ellis (my trainee/baby)
Me and Sister Gu~ remember I served with her in Wonju (the 1/3 area's I opened), and we shared a room in the MTC.
11.17.2013 Because I Felt Gods Love
I love that I'm serving in the "country side" but it's so hard being so far out here! This week we had a lot of meetings to attend. We went to Seoul twice and to another area~ and actually we are just barley getting the time to go to our real area this week. We've been living with some other sisters in another area for this week while they are finishing our brand spankin' new apartment. So me and poor sister Ellis have been living out of our suit cases and it's been quite annoying to say the least! SO TODAY IS THE DAY, after emailing we are going to pack our bags and head to Taebaek!
I send a lot of pictures this week, so I think my email will be a short one. And the only thing I really want to talk about is what happened yesterday. This week was our "Stake Conference" however, due to the lack of members we aren't a Stake yet. So we had District Conference on Saturday night and Sunday morning. We have five area's that have branches: Wonju, Sokcho, 강릉 (I don't even know how to spell that in English), Donghae, and Taebaek. Now if you can all remember I've served/opened Wonju, and Sokcho, and this week I've been in Donghae. So at this Conference, I knew A LOT of members. I felt an immeasurable about of love coming from all the members in the branches of where I served.
During the Conference, on Sunday, all of us missionaries serving in these areas (28 of us) got up to sing Sisters in Zion and Armies of Helamen song (in Korean of course!) And it's such a beautiful song, and it was so powerful coming from us. Looking into the eyes of every member I've served or who has served me, was an amazing gift from Heavenly Father. When the Elders started singing their part, my eyes filled with tears. I tried to pull it together, we start singing our parts together and I couldn't. I just cried. The spirit was so strong (but apparently I was the only one who cried). So afterwards my Branch President asked me why I was crying. I looked at him like he was an idiot (oops, I repented), and then I said, "왜냐하면 제가 하나님의 사랑을 느꼈어요" Translated: "Because I felt God's love."
At our combined mission conference I was able to see so many people I hadn't seen in a very long time. It was so good to see them. And although all of our experiences are uniquely tailored to us, we can all relate to one another. Not just because we are missionaries, but because we are all God's children. Feeling God's love is an incredible gift I've been able to experience throughout my entire mission experience. And because I feel his love, I want others to be able to feel what I'm feeling. This is why I am a missionary. I know I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing. May we ever seek God's love.
xxo
With all my love,
Whit Jean Hunsaker 자매 (Jamae)
11.24.2013 Grateful for the Trails
Happy week of Thanksgiving :) Since it's not a holiday here in Korea, our Mission President put some extra money in our accounts so we could go out and buy ourselves a nice meal...sound familiar mom and dad? :) I love my mission president and his wife, they really are like our mom and dad on the mission.
We had our first real week here in Taebaek, and it was fun. We had to do a lot of work getting moved in but it was a lot of fun. We met all the members almost, and they are all so excited to have Sisters in the area again (Sisters haven't been here since like the 80's). We have a new investigator, she was given to us from the Elders. And we are excited to start teaching her! Then we were invited by a less active member to come to his house and meet his family. We invited him to invite his family to be baptized and he is ready to start coming to church. He was a miracle~ anyway I don't have time to share his story, maybe next week!
So this morning during personal study I read this quote from Bruce R. McConkie, "The greatest trials in life are reserved for the saints."
It wasn't intentional to read that quote, I just came across it while I was studying the New Testament. Anyway, the purpose of me sharing it with you is because it comforted my troubled heart. I told mom a little bit already, but I'll share with all of you.
(Side note for Zoey, for obvious reasons, don't post this story on the blog): As you can see Whit asked that I not share the details of a personal trail one of her dear friends and members is facing - but here are a few non-threatening details so you can understand the email. - One of the Elders called Whit to tell her of a medical emergency one of her members from one of her previous areas was dealing with. At the time of the email Whitley did not know the extent of the members injuries but she did know he would no be the same person he was before the medical emergency accrued.
(back to Whit's letter)
Anyway, my heart is aching for his man and his family. And I just can't imagine how they are feeling, or how my friend is doing.
I don't know why particular obstacles are placed in our lives, but I do know there is a divine purpose in our trials. I know each and every trail we are faced with are tailored made for us. They are NEVER meant to tear us down, they are only meant to strengthen us closer to God. I know everyone reading this email had been faced with hard times, and I just hope that you will be able to see that the hard things in life are for our benefit. Like my best friend Hermana Eishelle Whitney says, "... to have a heart like his." I know that if we will just trust God, he can lead our lives a whole lot better than we ever could.
Just to end, I want to share some of my favorite quotes:
"Disciples, like diamonds, are developed in a process of time and heavy pressures, and both the disciple and the diamonds reflect and magnify the light that comes through them." -Neal A. Maxwell
"How can you and I really expect to glide naively though life as if to say. "Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy!"
-Neal A. Maxwell
I love you all so much!
With all my love,
Whit 헌새커 자매
Hunsaker Jamae
Our little Taebaek City
And this is us during 가가호호 (kaw kaw ho ho, or in America you call it knocking doors).
this is our new house............….
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