Daeshin Branch

Dad is great with all languages! 

A sister missionary shared was about loving your companion enough to eat squishy food! It made me think of the many times Dad eats the gross food placed by my plate (some soup of some kind was given to us after stake conference when we were eating with the leaders of the stake). Another sister missionary said when she was being trained she thought her companion was trying to kill her. Her trainer was one of the few people in her life who she has ever been scared of. After one difficult day of dealing with many problems her trainer had had it and shut done, not speaking anymore. This sister realized she needed Heavenly Fathers help and felt inspired to express her love for her companion telling her she was the most important person to her. Love is the answer for changing peoples lives.

Tomorrow we have training meetings with our new missionaries after their first transfer in the country, along with their trainers. Next week we will have training the trainers meeting. With both groups of missionaries we discuss the relationship between the trainer and the trainee. At first we chuckle about a missionary feeling like their trainer is trying to kill them, but really, how would you feel if your companion actually felt that way about you? Many times I hear the feelings of our missionaries and think to myself that I hope nobody feels that way of me. I think it goes back to our ability to love as the Savior loves, to give even when we have had it and cannot give any more. I asked an elder who was going home how many companions he had and he told me saying he loved every one of them, AND he has never had an argument with any of them! I think he could make that second statement BECAUSE he loved every one of his companions. 

A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning after Dad spoke with the assistants on the phone he decided we should attend the Daeshin branch for church that day. The Daeshin branch is so small that we sat up on the stand with the branch president (who is actually a member of another ward in that stake assigned to serve and a attend church there) and the counselor in the stake presidency who was visiting. That was it on the stand. Our two elders administered the Sacrament. One blessed and one passed the Sacrament. No one in the branch is musical and knows how to play the piano (we have visited the branch before when a previous elder serving there played the piano so Dad thinks of the talents of the missionaries when considering who should be assigned where). Looking out at the congregation there were six other women spread out across the chapel thats it! 

This transfer period was different and more difficult to work around as we had a few missionaries going home early trying to get back before the school semester started. One of our elders left his mission five weeks early because his parents planned an elaborate vacation traveling to Japan with him before going back to America. He was such a funny elder always making me laugh. It was fun visiting with his parents when they came up to the mission office to pick him up, hearing some of his personal stories that I wouldn’t normally hear. This elder told us that women traveling on the same subway as him would not sit next to him because of the way he smelled (No wonder as later in the conversation he told us that he doesnt even bother using deodorant all winter long!). He told us about the time when a member gave him and his companion a huge box of apples so they decided to make apple juice with only their socks to strain the pulpy mashed up fruit  EWWWW! 

Then another group of three missionaries left three weeks early in the transfer in order to get home before school starts. After we ate a nice dinner with them we had our testimony meeting and time when Dad shows a few video clips (from the new program helping missionaries transition before going home) and teaches interspersed with testimonies shared. One elder shared of his struggle to be selfish and start thinking about himself with college planning, etc. But he realizes we are still accountable to the Lord, even after we return home form our missions. We need to continue the spiritual growth that we had on our missions by studying of Him.  Another elder noticed the contrast of the world telling us to know something while the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. The gospel is something you have to experience its not just something you know. The gospel is not just in my mind but is also in my heart.