In the News . . .

Quote of the Week
"You and the horse share the same soul" -Sister 이윤희

On the Menu.
So Korean watermelon is somehow ... dare I say it? superior to American watermelon.  Korean watermelons are just soooo sweet!!! om nom nom!
chicken soup. so when it rains Koreans eat chicken soup or dog soup. havent had the chance to try dog soup yet. haha
Paris Baguette!! I bet there are some in America. go find one. they are amazing... not very Korean... but really delicous haha :) When I find a good Korean food chain that is in America I will let you know.

In the News
So there is some political tension over here...  but Koreans are awesome. It is just business as usual over here. :)  I feel totally safe :)  It has given me the opportunity to think a lot about how prepared we are to meet God in a deeper way than I have thought about it in a while.  How spiritually confident are we?

My sister sent me this email that I thought really went with my thoughts,

In Brad Wilcox talk "His Grace is Sufficient" he states that he has been told,
 “You Mormons are trying to earn your way to heaven.”
He says, “No, we are not earning heaven. We are learning heaven. We are preparing for it (see D&C 78:7). We are practicing for it.”

This life is made to practice to learn to " hope for a better world" ( Ether 12:4) How can we learn heaven? It is by grace, so how can we be saved by Grace? By letting His Grace change us. I want to learn heaven I testify  that is by doing what the Savior has asked and told us to do, have Faith , Repent or change your heart to aline your will with His, to follow not only His example but His perfect example of being baptized, receiving His peace, the Holy Ghost and to Endure, Always. My prayer is that we can all do this with Christ by our side, let Him be "yoked" with you. Let Him in!"

Exactly! When we let in Christ we become qualified through Christ and through His atonement we can prepare ourselves for heaven.  It has been a really sweet experience to watch people draw closer to Christ.  Truly through Him we can overcome the trials and imperfections of this moral experience and prepare for the next life.

 I'm a little tea pot....

 The family resemblance is striking. right!?

 Palace P-day!

                                                                 Daw Companions!

Badminton . . . it's a Thing!

On the menu

So I don't know if I mentioned but I lost my wallet. so my companion have been living on a prayer... well lots of prayers and mana (rice and milk)... which was pretty much all that was in the fridge for a few days haha, but we were blessed with some awesome member meals. They even sent us home with some food so we had some variety until we were able to get money from the office. :)  The Lord will always provide. :)

P-day adventures

So.... badminton.... this one time we played badminton, which in my defense I have never played in my life... haha  but it was really really fun! After awhile I sort of got the hang of it... I may not have been super great, but I certainly had fun!!!  This one time, this birdy was coming straight down at me and I went to hit it and missed... aaaaaaand then it hit me in the face..... everyone was rather amused. I would like to say this happened only once... but that would be a lie.. haha  birdy's really like hitting my face haha. but really I had so much fun!!! I hope to play again soon!! :)

Ward Picnic!!!

We had soooo much fun at the ward picnic!!!  We watched meet the Mormons, which is a super awesome documentary that interviews Mormons from all over the world.  It does a good job of explaining what we are all about :)

We also had amazing food!!! I love Korean food. Can't say it enough :) The kids also got to play hit the elders with a water balloon. It was a very amusing game and the kids loved it haha. Haven't asked the elders about it yet . haha
There was also this Korean game that I don't know how to spell in English. choko is my best guess. Basically it is a cross of volleyball, soccer and tennis net.  No hands the ball can bounce 2 but has to get over on the third kick like volley ball.  It is a really popular game and looks like a lot of fun! I would have played but alas I was in a skirt...

Learn Korean or Lose

But after the brothren and elders were done playing the kids invited Sister Cameron and I to play.  It was the cutest thing ever.  They gave us permission to use our hands and spoke ot us in rapid fire Korean doing their best to explain to us how to play better and how the game worked.  After they took down the net they wanted us to play soccor.  These kids were sooo good! it was amazing!   They also explain to us how soccor worked in rapid fire Korean. I think I learn Korean better from playing with kids than reading the grammar book haha.

 P-days

 Trying to keep the map from falling down. ;)

Be Happy

I just have to brag about how awesome my Grandpa is.  He is wonderful. He gave me my first saddle and he even made it.  and he gave me my first cowboy hat and boots.  He is such a sweet heart and I couldn't ask for a better Grandap :)  LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! Go call your grandparents and tell them you love them :) Here he is at 89 years old still riding. Do see why we are connected. :D

Quote of the Week

"This is pretty good!  What am I eating?"(found something in the cupboard of my new apartment still not sure what it is but it is pretty good)
"Sister Shaver is my Amazon Warrior"

On the menu

So my new comp and I weren't really sure what  was in the fridge, but whatever it was it was good. Whole new meaning to living on a prayer ;)  (Just to be clear we were fairly positive we would be fine)
Amazing kim chi from the members!!!
Korean feast for a missionary farewell party! All of the food was sooo delicious!
Korean food is delicious.

Miracles/Learning things

So My new companion and I are on the most amazing adventure.  We are both American and have only been out 3 and 4 months.  Our Korean skill may not be super great, but it has been amazing to see how the Lord has blessed us in communicating with members and investigators.  Truly there are miracles cause I feel like a week ago I wouldn't have been able to do what I am doing now.

Example:

I had a feeling that we needed to turn the phone off silent super randomly, and when my companion went to do it, she was like, How did you know? and I was like.... "know what?" apparently the phone was ringing and it was a super important phone call.

I lost 50 dollars and someone gave it to me just in time for me to pay for my visa.  It was a miracle!

Also, I feel like every conversation I have in Korean is a miracle... really!  It is.  I look forward to continuing to see the Lord's hand in this work. :)  It is amazing. He is amazing!

The best miracle is watching people come closer to Christ through His gospel.  The greatest miracle is the change that happens within our own heart as we turn our will over to the Lord.  It is beautiful.

How is it done?  The atonement of Jesus Christ.  He showed us the perfect way.  As we seek to have Hope and then follow it up with Faith in Jesus Christ we understand who we are.  When we realize we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who wants our happiness it is easy to love others because we see them as we are.  Loving is way better than judging or comparing.  As we turn our heart outwards we realize that the only measurement that matters is our dedication to Christ and following the spirit.  "for the Holy Ghost will tell you all things that ye should do" 2 Nephi 32:3-5.
The worldly result is irrelevant to our happiness. Sure, hardships will come but that does not need to effect our happiness.  I have met so many people, who despite overwhelmingly difficult circumstances have committed themselves to a life of joy in Christ.  I hope I can be more like these people.  Selfless and truly putting others before myself.

It's kinda like Lion King. "Remember who you are". You are the child of a King. Overcome your fears. Beat the devil. Take your place serving others. yup, just like Lion King.

So go punch the Devil in the face today.  Be happy, and make someone else happy. :)

-Sister Shaver

I am Being Transferred!

Quotes of the week

"Just because you stick a sombrero on it doesn't make it Mexican." -me
(there is this Mexican chicken chain here that whenever I see it I get really excited and then remember it isn't Mexican food... and then I am temporarily saddened...)

Out on the ranch!

We were helping one of the ward members harvest their pepper farm.  it was really fun!!! I miss being outside and working :)  We picked a lot of peppers!!! And we rode in this really um creative looking tractor. It was really cool!! :D

Feeling sooo loved.

I feel soooo loved by the people here.  Even though we have quite the language barrier, I feel really close to them. I am going to miss all the people here sooo much, but I know the Lord has good things ahead for me and them as well.  So grateful to have met the people in this wonderful area :)  Some of the YW even gave me my favorite chocolate as a goodbye gift! I was soooo shocked by the gift I almost cried.  So sweet!

We had a good bye night filled with great music by all the missionaries , meet the Mormons, a great talk by Elder Fulthorp who is headed back home, and awesome food! Because you can't have a proper Mormon function without food. ;) jk  So grateful for everyone that came out to that and made it such a wonderful night :)

Cool story

I first started talking to this woman who didn't really want to talk with me.  but as I asked her what she believed she opened up and pulled out a bible. and we talked about Christ and how we came to believe in Christ. I shared my favorite scripture about the atonement in the book of Mormon with her and she said it was good word and I testified about the book of Mormon and Christ's atoning power. when we parted ways she said she loved me. It was an amazing experience.

Being on the farm made me feel right at home. :) Loved it!

 

photo bomber (me)

Love these sisters! Daughters of a King!

One of the best Zone Leaders ever! Elder Taylor

Music practice! Elder Hong

English class I am going to miss these kids soooooo much!!!!!

Goodbye night

Learning July 26

Teaching English quotes

So I was teaching the kids about bless you because bless you isn't in Korea culture, and when I hiccuped they both said bless you... haha it was adorable.

On the menu
Beans on Ice: so there is this dessert that is literally beans, milk and ice flakes. It is surprisingly really delicious. :)

Learning

So this week I learned and studied Mary and Martha.  It is common for lessons to be held using this talk about how we need to distinguish between what is better and best, but there was an insight from the June Ensign I found very insightful.  That Jesus didn't rebuke Martha until after she spoke judgingly of another's decision.  Christ was content to let her serve however she wished, but her self importance in criticizing Mary led to the rebuke.   It just emphasizes that we really need to be focused outward rather than inward.  There can be multiple best things(although not in this case but in life) but how we do those actions determines where our heart is.

Miracles!

The miracle of the week, well there were a couple but especially my knee, which has had previous injuries was re-injured this last week.  It was so painful I continually woke up throughout the night and limped everywhere for about a day.  The next morning I said a prayer pleading with the Lord to heal it in accordance to the setting apart blessing I had received that I would not have serious injury or illness.  The pain left shortly after and it hasn't bothered me since.  It was amazing and just evidence that sometimes all we need to do is ask.

Enjoy the Journey!

Sister Shaver

We got completely drenched in the unexpected rain storm haha good times. :)

Schooled at School 7/19/15

Quotes of the week

"Whales don't use makeup. Whales are naturally beautiful like you! No matter what people think I will always love you!" -Shaleen Shaver (in a note) hahaha
"I'm going to try something I saw someone do once, hopefully it works"-Elder Taylor

On the menu

Pickles.
I hate pickles. I have never liked pickles. ever. ever. ever.
But the Lord has blessed me here. because I like Korean pickles...  Julia probably just died laughing because she knows how much I can't stand them. but it is true. I like Korean Pickles.  It is a Christmas miracle and more miraculous cause it isnt even Christmas!

I Speak Good England

before I start this section, my Korean is way worse than any of the English mistakes I talk about but they are just too funny not to share and they make me smile.

This shirt I found the other day "Impossible is Nothing" this isn't Korean grammar either which makes it that much funnier.

Have you ever thought about how the attitude you have while doing something completely changes what you are doing?  That is what I thought about this week.  How our focus even while doing simple tasks can have an impact on how we feel.  As we do our best out of love for Heavenly Father and his children the result will work itself out.  The root of discouragement and all other negativity is pride.  Don't take rejection personally, and don't take judgement personally even if it is meant to be personal (in missionary work, in dating, relationships, projects).  I don't mean ignore the experience, we can learn a lot from rejection, but letting that become something positive leaves us happier once we figure out how to do it. Remember how I was talking about the gift of hands?  I have had some miracles where I was able to play the piano when asked and sight read stuff I didn't know, well.... there were other times I was worried about how I would do, and how I would be perceived and I didn't do a good job at tickling the ivory... I think I broke my hand against the ivory haha.  Afterwards, I was definitely embarrassed but I realized I was playing the piano for me and not for the people singing and that is why I failed. but even when playing the piano for a meeting not getting attached to how we did is part of doing it for Christ.  If we allow our performance to give us feelings of self worth we are dependent on doing well.  and we become a waving roller coaster of emotions.  But if we do our best for Christ and just do as he would have us do; we can be confident in who we are and maintain a high self worth, because we are Sons and Daughters of the Almighty God and joint heirs with Christ.  That is something to have confidence in.  He won't let us fail as long as we are striving to follow him.

The miracle of the week.  I was talking to this woman on the bus and i felt prompted to ask what her daughter is studying.  which I usually don't do cause I still don't really know that many names of subjects, but this time I did. She studying Bio-medical engineering! the same thing as me!!! Miracle!

Schooled at School

Okay we weren't at school, but we were teaching English and after the class the kids were showing me this game that is a lot like jacks.  there are 5 oddly shaped drum box looking things and then you through one up and grab one then throw one up and grab another and repeat, he threw them all back down and took one threw it grabbed 2, then threw one grabbed the remaining two, then repeated the game and grabbed three then one, and then finally all 4. He proceeded to do several other tricks.  I was like... I and sort of coordinated. at least as coordinated as a 6 year old. JOKES.

I was quite miserable at this game. lol I sat there trying to figure out how to grab the second one while holding on to one of the blocks. The kids would get really excited when I got three of them one by one.   They were so nice and wanted me to succeed as much as I did haha.  I love them so much! Then one ran away excitedly and came back with a gift. She gave me my own so I could practice at home. haha I didn't know I would get homework as a teacher ;)  Seriously though, they are the sweetest :)

I was also talking with this 8 year old at a members house, and she taught me a bunch of cute tricks you can do with rubber bands, and then we played Cat's Cradled the Korean way which I found out is slightly different from the American version.  She was so adorable!

Everyone has something to teach us :)

In conclusion we can learn from everyone.  They were so humble and teachable and really know how to teach me with patience and love.  while we were with a member one of their kids was showing me how to do tricks with a rubber band. She was very patient with my awkward big hands and helped me accomplish it.  I hope I can be more patient while I am teaching and just like she did use simple words to explain, then lead by example so I could follow her.  :)  Kids are the best.

Enjoy the Journey!

Sister Shaver

BEST ZONE EVER!!!!

New place that just opened by our house so Delicious!

If you cant read it it say, "Have a nice days" it just fills me with joy. lol

Sorry I keep taking pics in teh bathroom... haha #3 "treat your bathroom as yours"

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