The air is getting in my eyes!

Let's start by explaining the subject line. Living in a big city is pretty amazing. However, on occassion, there are days where the air quality is slightly lacking. Like today for example, when we want to say something is in your eye, but in reality it is just the not-so-clean air. Or how I am looking out the window and can barely see the mountain which is several hundred yards away. It's definitely a new experience, and we just laugh. Because it really is funny how many times we say "Is there something in your eye?" and the totally serious response is "No, it's just the air." Other than that, this place is amazing. I love Korea so much and everyday is a new adventure. 

This week has been really busy with lessons, and many of them are with less actives and recent converts. We were able to meet with Han Mi Hyang at the temple, and talked about doing baptisms for the dead. Then we went to the family history center and the nice worker explained how to use the website. Which is awesome! They have made a lot of updates and we were all fascinated. Another amazing thing about Korea, is that every family has a book of their family history that traces back for thousands of years! He showed us one with her family and it literally had her family line traced back until forever. This is such a blessing. If members decide they want to do temple work for their family, it is pretty much just indexing because the records are all there. They could prepare hundreds of names with very little effort. We are ridiculously excited about finding this out, and are trying to help everyone realize what a blessing this is!

Shin Heh Ryun was sick all week, so we only met briefly when we brought her some 'Get Well Soon' cookies. We will hopefully be able to meet this week. We did meet an awesome new lady named Kim Joo Chook. She came to English class because her coworker told her about it. After wards, she pulled us aside and said she felt a hole in her life. She wanted to know what made missionaries so happy, and knew it was because of God but didn't know how to have that happiness. We gave her a Book of Mormon which she read all night. The next day we met, and have met once after that as well. She is very curious and said she had a very good feeling entering our church. She isn't ready to rush into anything, but has a very sincere desire and wants to learn. We are ridiculously excited to continue meeting and she is amazing. 

This week we had a tender mercy. We were talking to people on the street for several hours but it wasn't going well. People weren't really responding well, and we were getting a little discouraged. Then we went to a stop light and saw two foreign girls. We started to talk and they are here for school, but they are from Australia. We were able to have a really good talk on the street about religion, their beliefs, and the Book of Mormon. They have seen missionaries at home before, but had never talked to any. So we gave them a Book of Mormon and encouraged them to read and pray about it. It was their first night here and they have a lot of settling in to do. But we told them we are here for another year so they are welcome to call anytime. It was awesome, and very needed. It's so interesting how hours of frustration are washed away by one conversation about Christ. We went home that night happy and grateful for this amazing message we share. 

Last night, we went to the English branch with two of the elders for a 'Question and Answer' with the youth. It was fun seeing some of the youth that we have had meals with in the past weeks. We were with a few of their leaders, and they had presubmitted questions for us to answer. Some were awesome, others were "How old were Alma the Elder and Mosiah when they died?" but we had so much fun. The leaders commented afterwards that they have never seen the youth so quiet. The spirit was strong and I hope it helped them. Afterwards a sweet young woman came over to talk to us. She had a few questions that weren't fully answered, so we talked for about 15 minutes. She wants someone she cares about to live the standards because their actions are effecting her ability to feel the spirit. I was able to share my experience from high school, when I had conversations with several coaches asking them to stop swearing because it made practice miserable. By the end of our conversation, she was in tears and gave us a hug, thanking us for being there that night. It was a very special experience, and we were very grateful to be the Lord's hands for her.

I am so grateful to be here in Korea. There is no greater blessing than missionary work, and I know that we are serving in our different areas right now. Missionary work doesn't have to include wearing a badge. Member missionary work (being good examples, raising children, living good lives) is invaluable in the progress of this work. I am, however, more grateful than words can express to be spreading this gospel full-time at this time. It is going by way too fast, but everyday is a blessing and another opportunity to touch the life of someone new. This gospel is true. I know it with ALL my heart. Thank you for all of you, I love you so much! Have a wonderful week!

-Sister Seegmiller

Jamba Juice is the universal language.

Here is my new companion, the Jaquez family, our map that had a few issues that we have now resolved, and the happy missionary who found Jamba Juice!

 These face masks were made with "real snail excretion extract"! So of course we had to try them out.

They're speaking Korean!

This week has been so good, I don't really know where to start. We have a lot of appointments during the week which is wonderful! Our most progressing investigator is Shin Heh Ryun. She really wants to understand, and loves what she is learning. She needs a lot of time to let everything soak in because as you can imagine, knowing nothing and then having the gospel suddenly appear in your life changes the way you live and think. But she is wonderful and is working hard and we LOVE her. We have a wonderful ward member named Choi Kum Cha who has been coming with us to lessons sometimes. And it's so great! She helps clarify our teaching, and also lets us know when we think we understand but really don't have a clue what our investigator is saying. Member present lessons are priceless! We met with one lady who has gospel interest and was disappointed we could only meet for an hour. However, we learned that she also wanted us to stay longer so she could introduce her unmarried son to these "beautiful girls". Our member played the role of protective mom very well, and explained how missionary work works. It was an expected twist, but the lesson still went very well. We are meeting with Han Mi Hyang, a woman who was baptized a few weeks ago. She is great and super committed to living the gospel, so now we are going back to review all the basics. We talked about the Book of Mormon again, and it was a very powerful lesson. It's amazing how much power there is when we open the scriptures. There are lots of lessons too, but those are the most noteworthy for now. 

I love my new companion. She is so much fun and always wants to work hard. We have also started getting up a little earlier to work out at the church, which has been great. She reminds me a lot of Sister Jayme Pickett. REALLY alot. They are very similar in the way they work and speak, and it's great. We get a long really well and days are just fun. We were able to meet with the Henley family again this week. They invited us over for dinner, and we were able to follow up on the Book of Mormon that we gave them a few weeks ago. It was a very nice dinner and they are a great member family so we are thankful for them. Mom's birthday was the busiest, best day that we have had yet. We woke up about 6:20 and literally didn't stop going to appointments the rest of the day. It was exhausting in the very best way. We are hoping to get every day filled like that one. For Valentine's day, we got together with the two sisters we live with and had a nice dinner together at 똑볶이 town. There really isn't a good translation, but we will try teokpokki town. It's a very popular place and the food is awesome. 

Sometimes while we are here, we get a little down on our speaking abilities. But then things happen that make us realize how much we really have progressed. Such as this: We got on the subway and saw a lady we wanted to talk to. There was a row of foreign men all sitting down wearing headphones, and she was standing near them. As we began to talk to her, they all leaned forward and took our their headphones. A few seconds later, they looked at eachother in shock and whispered "They are speaking Korean!! That's Korean!" They continued to listen and we had to hold back laughter many times, as the expression of shock on their face was priceless. The amazement continued as we talked to a few more people. When we got off our stop the laughter came and had a few minutes of trying to gain composure. It was cool to remember that just a few months ago, we were that lost foreigner, and now we are holding actual conversations. Sometimes it's the little blessings that keep us going. 

We also had a miracle phonecall this week. We received a referral from some other missionaries. We called the woman and she said to call in a few days. So we called again and she said to call again later. This happens often so our hopes weren't the highest. Then we got a call from her husband. They had heard about the program that we do with families- teaching 30 min of English and then 30 min of gospel. They live near one of our churches, and the husband, wife, and two sons are all very interested in doing it together. They will be out of town until March, but we will meet them March 8. We are SOOO excited to start teaching a family, SOOO excited. So they will continue to be in our prayers until, during, and after we meet. 

This work is so wonderful. I love being a missionary and I love Korea. The work is going forth in so many ways. I LOVE IT!!! Oh man this week has been awesome, and this church is so true. The Lord asks so little and gives so much, and when people realize that he loves them it changes everything. It is changing hearts and lives all over the world. I am so very grateful to take part in that here in Korea. And I am so grateful for all of you for the wonderful work you are doing at home. I love you, have a great week!

-Sister Seegmiller

Happy February!

This week has been so good, and I cannot believe we are into the second week of February already! Monday night we were able to have a family home evening with the Jaquez family, and gave each of them a Book of Mormon to give away. They are wonderful member missionaries and we are SO grateful for them. We were able to meet with Hwang Choon Cha this week. She is doing well, but still has a lot to learn. While doing street contacting, we accidentally found a Jamba Juice, which we made us very happy and made our dinner more tasty as well! Tuesday night at English class, we were teaching the advanced class and we had a really cool experience. We were talking about work, and two women said they were homemakers instead of working outside the home. I talked about how much I respected them in their choice of profession and then moved on. Towards the end of class, one man asked me about what I wanted to do for work. I told them my ultimate goal was to be a wife and mother. This turned into a discussion on the church and our emphasis on families. He is a devout Christian and has been coming to English class for years. But he said that our conversation really intrigued him, and that he would like to learn more about the church. I told the elders and hopefully something will come from it. It was really cool. We also shared a spiritual message at the end of class about obedience. Afterwards he came over and told us the message really touched his heart. It was awesome! Thursday was transfers! I am really excited for this transfer. My companion, Sister Thomas, is great. And since we already know eachother really well, we have been able to avoid the awkward getting to know you stuff and just get to work. This transfer means that I have inherited A LOT of new investigators and will be teaching far more than I ever have yet. Which is super exciting. The other sisters are both Korean and will be able to teach my old investigators well. We celebrated our first day as companions at California Pizza Kitchen, which was delicious and really fun. On Friday we met with an investigator named Kim Mee Song, who has gospel interest and we also teach english to her kids. We are going to start reading The Living Christ with her so we are excited. That night our phone service stopped working, as well as about half of the missionaries in our mission. This presents a problem since we have no way to contact investigators or make appointments, but President Christensen is working on getting that fixed. Until then, we are living a technology-free lifestyle. Yesterday we had dinner with the Bean family, who live on the American base. They are really sweet and we had a great time. Since our phones are down, we have been doing a lot of street contacting. Our focus has really been on the Book of Mormon, and it's been so cool! We have met some awesome people who want to meet again, so as soon as our phones work we will make that happen! One day we were talking to a lady at a stoplight. It was snowing pretty hard, and we told her that her umbrella was cute. (They all use umbrellas in the snow here. It's actually very nice and keeps you dry and warm!) She immediately handed it to us, insisting we keep it, just because she wanted to do something nice. People here are amazing.

 

That pretty much sums up our week for now. I love it here in Korea. I am REALLY excited to start teaching more frequently, and continue to seek out those who the Lord is preparing. They are out there, we just need to be willing to open our mouths and find them. I am so grateful that the Lord trusted me enough to call me on a mission. This is absolutely the best experience of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything! I love you all, thank you for all you are doing. Have a wonderful week.!

 

-Sister Seegmiller

 

P.S. I forgot my camera today, so I will send pictures next week. And here is a cool story, which we will relate back to following the promptings of the spirit and being the Lord's hands on earth!

 

The Atheist Professor

Two things they teach Marines are to keep their priorities in order and to know when to act without hesitation.

A college professor, an avowed atheist, was teaching his class. Trying to shock the students, he stated that he could prove that there was no God.

Addressing the ceiling he shouted, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes."

The room fell silent. Ten minutes went by. Again, the professor taunted God, saying, "Here I am, God. I'm still waiting."

His countdown got down to the last couple of minutes when a Marine - just released from active duty and newly registered in the class - walked up to the professor and hit him squarely in the jaw - sending him tumbling off the platform.

The professor was out cold. The young Marine calmly took a seat in the front row and sat silently. The stunned class also fell silent...waiting.

Eventually, the professor woke up and hazily looked at the young Marine in the front row. Finally, he asked, "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

"God was busy. He sent me."

 

Let's get out there and do the work the Lord has sent us here to do. I love you!

Cleaning is no fun...even on a mission

6 months of being a missionary!

Well this week has been awesome, and also a little different. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were 설날 or the Lunar Year celebration days. The city basically shuts down. All the stores are closed and everyone goes to visit their parents. So there is literally no one out in the streets, and trying to do visits is impossible unless you were invited. (It would be like missionaries from another church inviting themselves to your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration) So we had a mission conference on Thursday which was awesome. They talked about Hastening the Work, and pointed out that it has been "hastened" many times in the past. When they announced that EVERY worthy young man SHOULD serve, and other times when talking about member missionary work, for example. The Lord doesn't think we have been lazy in the past, but he wants his work to speed up; to move even faster than it ever has. Hence the reason mission ages have been lowered and THOUSANDS of missionaries have responded. I think they said the mission force is over 85,000 now, but I don't remember the exact number. It's so amazing what the Lord is doing here on earth, and we are all a part of it in every part of the world! (Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Korea, and soon to be FINLAND!)

 

Our investigators are doing well. However, with the holidays we weren't able to meet with many of them. The oh-so-very-good news is that Hwang Choon Cha isn't moving anymore! Something happened with her work so she will be staying! We are so happy! Our relief society president had a lunch on Wednesday for the missionaries, and any investigators we wanted to bring. Hwang Choon Cha came, which really suprised us but it was awesome! She loves the missionaries and really enjoyed talking to some of the members who were there. We were able to have a short lesson afterwards. She told us she is 66 years old, and is as vibrant as ever! We love her and are so happy she will stay. We met another woman this week, 김진희 or Kim Jean Hee. She invited her friend 김새롬 or Kim Seh Roam. We met them at a cafe, and they bought us coffee to be nice. So our conversation started with the Word of Wisdom. She is an incredible woman. She met the other sisters on a subway one day. She saw the Book of Mormon, and asked about it. She had seen some cartoons about it that were really inappropriate (I think it was South Park) and wanted to know what it really was. After they talked, she realized she had gotten on the wrong subway. They pointed out it wasn't coincidence she had gotten on the wrong subway that day. They referred her to us, and we LOVE her. She started by telling us that she had heard a lot about our church that was negative, and wanted to know the truth, so she came to the missionaries. After answering those questions, she said she had a lot of quesitons that no one else had been able to answer, so she wanted to see what we thought. She asked question after question, things like "where were we before this life?" "where will we go after?" "If Christ suffered for us, why is there still sin and trials?" "How can I make sure my life is happy and worthwhile?" and pretty much everything else a missionary wants to hear! Every answer we gave, they wanted to be backed up by scriptures in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. So on the spot I was searching the Korean scriptures for her. Because I was struggling answering everything clearly in Korean, she told me to speak English when needed. I knew she wouldn't understand very well if I did that, but she seemed to care more that we had the answers rather than what they were at the time. We bore our testimonies about why we were missionaries, and they sat there silent for awhile. Then they asked if they could each have a Book of Mormon, and if we could meet again. She wants to write down all her questions, and then we will go through them and answer them one at a time with her. We were there almost 1 1/2 hours in the cafe, and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. We cannot wait to meet her again, and help answer the questions of her soul. We also had dinner with a family in the English branch that we really love, the Jaquez family! They invited a nonmember family to come, and we had a really nice dinner and FHE with all of them. They have talked about the church with them before, and were able to talk more after we left. They aren't ready to meet with missionaries yet, but hopefully one day. We are so grateful for the member missionaries in this area!

 

As you were informed, we were able to have dinner with Barry Perkin and two of his kids. Unfortunately, Trisha wasn't able to come because their baby was sick, but they said that means we need to do it again so she can come. It was so great to see a familiar face in Korea, and it just shows how small this world is, especially when you have the church. We went to a buffet for dinner, and Barry introduced me to his friend. The first thing the man said was "You are a missionary right? I saw you getting food and said, 'She just looks like a missionary' but your tag is gone". (we aren't allowed to wear our nametags on base, because that is considered proselyting which is prohibited, unless in the home of a member) I said that I was indeed a missionary, and he got really excited, shook my hand, thanked me for the work we were doing, and ran to tell his family that missionaries were there. It was awesome. I used to be so excited to see missionaries at home, but actually being the missionary feels different. It's just cool that we are those missionaries now that are helping others get excited about this work. It was a really nice dinner, their family is doing really well and the kids are adorable.

 

Well Jan. 31 marked exactly 6 months since I entered the MTC. That is so crazy, I cannot believe it's been that long. Time has FLOWN by and it just keeps going. The time to serve the Lord full-time is short enough, and I only have a year left. NOO!! This has been the best 6 months of my life and I am so grateful for this opportunity the Lord has given me. Also, this week was transfer calls! Starting Thursday, my new companion will be Sister Thomas. Its a really interesting transfer. We have 4 sisters in our home, and Sister Thomas is one of them. So basically I am switching bedrooms, telephone numbers, and investigators, but my current companion will still be living in our home. It was super unexpected, but I am so happy to be staying in this area and am excited to serve with Sister Thomas. She has been here 9 weeks longer than I have so it should be really fun. Also, Sister Pickett sent me a "Nashville's tribute to missionaries" cd. We got President's permission to listen to it, and we have really enjoyed it. The church that I sang at for their Christmas party also sent me a flashdrive full of music to say thank you, which was really sweet. I think that just about sums up life for now. I love you all so much. I am sooo proud of you all and all that you are doing at home. Thank you, you are always in my prayers, and you are great. This gospel is true!

 

-Sister Seegmiller

 

A few quotes for your enjoyment!

 

If we were meant to “Pop out of Bed”, we’d all sleep in toasters!

Life has no remote.
Get up and change it yourself!

Holding a grudge is like letting someone live rent-free in your head.

Home is where the brownies are.

I would give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter!
       ... and finally...

Take The Napkinometer Test (as seen at the Gwanghwamun Burger King)

0 napkins                      A Confident Eater
1-5 napkins                   A Just In Caser
6-9 napkins                   A Big Spiller
10+ napkins                  A Thief