Saturday, September 26, 2015

DON'T TAKE SHORTCUTS- Here's Why

Learning Korean

Well .... ya. it is ridiculous...... returned missionaries especially sisters still aren't comfortable in the language. There are 11 difference forms of respect alone which makes it difficult........ and different words to show respect. R E S P E C T wanna know what it means to me? an additional 1000 hours to learn my mission language........ hahahaha jk it is great I love learning Korean. I just wish I were farther than I am.... patience was never my virtue of choice........

Learning the Hard Way....

Soooooo
This one time we were trying to heart attack a members house.  We took quite the bus ride to get there and the bus didn't even drop us off anywhere close to the members house like my companion remembered... After we heart attacked the member we were sure there  was another bus stop that wasn't a 20 min walk and we wanted to get home on time.  CAUSE OBEDIENCE brings blessing but EXACT obedience brings MIRACLES!  (SO TRUE) anyways, we then got lost in the apartment complex maze....Those that know me know how directionally challenged I am... and my companion bless her heart is worse than me hahaha ..... :/ (she just looked over and said amen haha so its true)  Anyway we finally find the bus stop but it isn't our bus!!! So we see another one that is in the direction we need to go and when we get there there is AGAIN no bus coming for us!   We at this point are pretty nervous... it is dark there aren't any people around or taxis or anything really... kinda country minus the apartment complex.... haha  Anyway.... We are officially lost and officially late and officially pleading in prayer.  I had this thought that there was a convent store not too far back so we went there and in my less than awesome Korean tried to convey the dilemma.  This lady over heard and offered to give us a ride to the bus stop.  This woman was an angel. God must have softened her heart to help to random Americans with horrible Korean who don't know the area get to the correct bus stop.  She was great.  Let's just say we got home late as a result, but as fast as we could manage and called president.  Cause if you mess up you should be accountable, and explained what happened. We also mentioned we learned not to take shortcuts.  We have a great mission president.  He laughed and said he hoped we learned our lesson and asked if he could use the story as an example in a training... haha so DON'T TAKE SHORTCUTS. :)

You might gasp at the thought haha, but Really though. Shortcuts get us no where fast.... literally.... and metaphorically.  You get out what you put in.  Same with missions and studying and horseback riding. (cause everything can be related to riding a horse - President Uchdorf has planes I have horses haha).  You also can't shortcut relationships. With my horse you really have to build a relationship in order to get the best result.  Ya you can make the horse do what you want... most of the time. but without a relationship it won't go as smoothly and it certainly won't be a blue ribbon.  To build that relationship you need to be consistent.  Not nice only once, consistent in how you work how you direct and spending time when yo uarent just asking something of them. It is the same with building member relationships. jong! :)

Possibly one of the coolest experiences on my mission happened the other day.  We were having a conversation with one of our friends, we were talking about faith and what comes from faith.  Why should we care about the gospel? what is the point of planting the seed of faith?  The Fruit of that seed was the main point of our discussion.  When we have faith and work to grow it we are blessed with the fruits of the Holy Ghost.  When we are worthy to feel the Holy Ghost we feel peace, happiness, and are able to receive guidance.  and Deen Deen which is Korean for (a powerful force strengthening you from behind).  I really like that one.  It is so true.  She then asked how do we recognize this Spirit?

That is the hardest question for anyone to answer.  The process is different for everyone.  Because we are all different people it will teach and work with us differently.  However, it always draws us closer to God and Christ.  We read a scripture together and after that I was prompted by that same Holy Spirit to ask her what she was feeling, She said peace.  We explained that peace was the Holy Ghost confirming the truth of the scripture. :)  We also helped her identify other times in her life she felt the Spirit.  Helping others draw closer to Christ is the best part of missionary work :)

Let's all listen a little more to that sweet peace that comes from the Holy Ghost in our lives.

Love,

Sister Shaver








We made banana bread!!! and blended the bananas soooooo great thansk mom!! for the blender!!!


Yup country with apparentments


9.11 Reflection

September 13, 2015

Quotes of the Week
"That sad makes me" -Sister Cameron
"Go Yoda or Go home" -Sister Cameron
"you live under a rock"- Sister Lee
"It's a big rock"-Sister Cameron


A little late but still felt like sharing

Every time 9.11 passes it still really causes me to reflect.  So many lives were lost that day.  The horror that shoook the city of New York and America.  I pray for the families that still have a hole and that are still affected everyday by what took place that day.  I was really young, only in 4th grade, but I remember that day vividly.  Getting in the van with everyone tuned into the news in terror.  I was still at the age where everything revolved around me, and since I knew my Dad has left that morning on a plane I started to panic that it was my father.  I remember gathering in a circle hands clasped with my other 4th grade friends and taking turns saying prayers.  All different faiths united in our belief that God would answer our prayers.  As we prayed for each other and for our families, our country, and those that needed help, we eventually gained the peace we desired.

As I reflected on that experience, I asked myself, "What did we learn? and what has really changed?"  Simply the location of the disaster, and wars and rumors of wars? Certainly the world is only getting more and more chaotic.  The suffering of children or of families has not ceased.  Wars still range, lives are still lost even if it isn't on our doorstep.  Surely the leaders of the world could still use the help of an all knowing God.  Yet it isn't until the harsh reality knocks on our door that we remember to pray to God for others welfare and not just our own.

In the Book of Mormon it is the minority of believers faith that prevents the nation from falling under destruction.  May we seek to be more aware of our fellow man.  Remember the Lord our God and send a prayer for someone else who night need an extra one. It is completely free and has a scriptural guarantee.

Love you!

Sister Shaver

 Cute Kids every where!


I would like to say that we were role playing . . . nope I have no idea what I was doing. The elder was "stealing" my camera. :P






Muppets vs Sesame Street

September 6, 2015

Quotes of the week.
"I keep mixing my r's and my l's when I am speaking engrish....." -me.... it is getting bad folks...

On the Menu
blueberry filled donuts.
y'all this was no ordinary donut.  this donut was better than krispy kreme *gasp*... I don't even know how this happened.... It blew my mind.... if there is a Paris Baguette near you go find one....

Muppets vs Sesame Street...

So I have a confession... I really didn't watch either of these consistently as a child... but Muppets was referred to at English class and I was like ya like big bird. To which my companion was like... those are not the same thing. and I am pretty sure my reality fractured a little....... I really just thought that Muppets where what the called the puppets on Sesame street.... anyway just in case you wanted a current embarrassing story, I lay my pride at the feet of the internet......

Learnings

So I know my last blog was about prayer... but prayer is just sooo awesome an so basic it gets two... I have been thinking a lot about prayer and the purpose of prayer and fasting.  Really all commandments are for our own benefit.  God already knows what we are thinking and what we want and how badly we want it, so why do we need to pray or fast?  First, God already has everything, the only thing he wants from us is a broken heart and contrite spirit, and those are accumulated through keeping commandments like prayer and fasting.  It is away for us to recognize that God is there.  It is how we exercise our faith, and how our faith can grow.  Through prayer and answers to prayers we recognize the source of the blessings. "Seek and ye shall find, Ask and it shall be given you, knock and it shall be opened unto you." but we have to put in the effort so we can have greater faith.
 Also, prayer helps us align our will with the Lord.  The habit of running our plan through to the Lord (especially out loud) helps us connect with the Spirit and make changes to our plans if necessary.  It gives us an added perspective that we wouldn't have otherwise.  More importantly, when we incorporate the Lord in our plans we will be prompted on how to make what we pray for come to pass.
I really liked this quote from President Eyring, "Of all the that you might choose to do to help the Lord, prayer will be at the heart of it There are apparently ordinary people who when they pray inspire others to open their eyes to see who is there. You can be such a person"
No matter who you are, missionary, wife, husband, mother father, sister, brother, friend we can be an example of faith and help others remember who is there waiting to bless them. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Sister Shaver

So these are the spiders that live behind the church... the elders sometimes catch dragon flies and feed them.. haha



Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Communication . . . it's a Thing

Quotes of the week

"Friendly competition my foot! This is war!"

"I don't want to be a doctor. well I kinda want to be a doctor, Okay I really want to be a doctor I just don't want to go to school...."- -Me (submitted by Sister Cameron)

"She just needs to know who she are..." -Me (also submitted by Sister Cameron--as you can see I am slowly digressing. Soon I will probably be speaking only gibberish that is neither Korean nor English...)

Learning

Communication. Basically the fundamental building block of society.  If that is gone a relationship is gone. It is a universal pattern that continues into every aspect of our lives.  And so often we forget that without this everything else falls apart.  There is no planning, no shared experience, no advice, no guidance, no service, gift exchange, comfort, understanding or forgiveness.  And the most fundamental form of communication is prayer.  It doesn't even have to be a whisper it can just be within our mind.  But through prayer we converse with the most powerful being in the universe, who fortunately loves us and wants our happiness. Through prayer we can plan our lives and receive the guidance we need.  I have seen this principal in my own life and I know that through prayer we can watch our faith grow, see miracles, and receive the blessings we didn't know we were going to be blessed with.  "mighty faith begins with might prayer"   :)

Scripture for the week
2 nep 32:9



The place where the last empress was assassinated.



On our way to Badmitton



Short doors




hehe




Tracting


 Converting the Royal Palace