General Conference

So, we got to have General Conference this weekend.  It was spectacular!!!!  I went in with a list of questions and each and every one of them was answered at least once.  We had 5 investigators attend and they were all at sessions where all the talks seemed to have been written specifically for them.  The talks that really stand out in my mind right now are the ones from the First Presidency.

 

First, President Eyring.  I missed a few minutes of his talk (around the middle) because we had an investigator come in and we needed to show her where to go, but when he spoke it felt like he was speaking directly to me.  The part that got me the most was when he was preparing to speak at the University.  I have been having a hard time because I really don't measure up to my Book of Mormon heroes, Abinadi, Ammon, and Alma, but hearing him say that he had become them I felt so much peace.  I realised that I don't need to worry about measuring up to them right now, but I must NEVER stop striving to become them.  On a similar note, when Elder Packer talked about his testimony when he was younger, and when President Uchtdorf talked about helping in the Church while in Texas, I felt a similar peace.

 

Next, President Uchtdorf's talk....와!  It was basically the answer to life the universe and everything....and QUITE a bit more literally than 42!  I have never heard the relationship between God and man explained so eloquently.  It put everything we try to convey to investigators, especially when they have a hard time keeping commitments, and ESPECIALLY when those commitments are prayer and scripture study, it put it all into perspective.  It was spectacular!  Intense, but spectacular!

 

And then President Monson.  I love our prophet!!!  First of all, he quoted the Beatles in just about the BEST way I could've imagined!  I literally laughed out loud!  I love learning and teaching about the consistency of our Heavenly Father.  It is the only way the gospel is true, and if God isn't constant and unchanging, there really is NO truth in the world.  I love that the most powerful, infinite, loving, caring person in the cosmos not only wants us to pour out our souls to Him in open and honest pray, but He commands us to do so!  And when we do, and let Him know the bad things that happen, the things we're just not good at, our worries, our joys, and our desires, everything; when we let Him know those things, He blesses us.  I have felt that SO much the past few months.  I bear my soul to God not just daily, but sometimes hourly, and usually constantly.  I never quite understood what it meant to pray always till I was always truly striving to act in a way that I would not only feel comfortable if Christ was with me but in a way that would cause my Heavenly Father to be proud of what I was doing.  To even STRIVE to live in such a way, you need to pray always and believe God is with you.  And the great thing about that, even when, because of mortal weakness, you don't feel that God is with you when you need Him, if you just believe that He is, all it takes is a simple prayer and you can feel Him there.  Through God's strength we really can do anything...even knock on the doors of strangers and with excitement share a rather peculiar (but true) message (even if your shoe is held together with a piece of string, your hair is crazy, you're dripping with sweat, and you're scared spitless)...you can do it because God and all His angels are helping you, and it's all because you asked Him for the help.  I know this is true!  I know God loves me and wants me here and now.  I know I'm doing what's right and I'm doing work that is pleasing to Him because I can feel the Spirit and God answers my prayers!....yeah, I liked President Monson's talk! ^^

 

I loved conference.  I seriously can't wait for the Conference Liahona to come out!  I wish I had the time to focus on every talk.  They were all so inspired...and they all make me feel like something BIG is coming!  There is an urgency for so many missionaries and so may strong members of the church, seemingly more so now than ever before.  Something is going to happen and it seems like it'll happen soon.  It's gonna rock!

 

On a lighter note, I passed off lesson one pass-off this week.  I'm getting ready for lesson two and mid-way pass-off and then (in hopefully a week and a half) I'll be half way to becoming a senior.  GAH!  It's soooooooo hard!  But oh well!

 

Hope you're all doing well.  I love you all!

 

~McClellan 자매

A Day in the Life :) (of a missionary)

So, it was a holiday yesterday so we're emailing today!  Can I just start by saying that I LOVE being a missionary!!!!!

 

Ok, Evan (and everyone else) here's a story...it might not be super exciting to you all, but it has a special place in my heart. 

 

One day on my mission (it was actually this past Saturday) my companion and I were having a usual Saturday where we were behind on our 전도s (contacts) and putting our trust in the Lord that if we put in the necessary effort he'd help us meet our goal.  Well, it was night time and it was kind of cold and neither of us had jackets, but it was okay, because we were walking around Korea during the night, when it's all lit up and feels super like we're in Korea, and we were talking to everyone without fear and without hesitation because the Lord was on our side!  Well, we first ran into these three 15 year old (in Korean age, 14 in American) girls who were getting 떡뽁기 (not sure on the spelling but it's this super Korean food that is way spicy and super delicious) and we started talking to them and it was great.  They responded the way Korean teenagers usually respond, by first being astounded that we spoke Korean and second, being transfixed by the size of my eyes (it's really embarrassing and I'm pretty sure that my eyes scare little kids). Well, anyway we got their phone numbers and they wanted to meet with us the next day (really weird, THEY usually never make the appointments and it's ALWAYS exciting when they do!!!)  Well, we went on our way and we met this man who kept giving us free food while we talked to him (dumplings and the sweet bean pastries which are now actually one of my favorite foods...they are amazing fresh, but still, go figure!)  I was super wanting to give him a Book of Mormon because he was so nice and seemed a little interested in it, but he was blind in one eye and couldn't rea\d very well.  I still really wanted to give it to him but I didn't know how or what to say.  I told Sister Seipel this and we decided that we'd tell him that if he called us we would come to his little cart and read the Book of Mormon to him because we thought he was awesome.  He hesitantly agreed and tried to give us more food, but we didn't let him and we went on our way.  The next day (Sunday) came and our girls came!!!!!  Well, two of them and they brought three friends.  It was so much fun.  We spent the first half hour doing English and the second teaching the first lesson.  They were all really into it and all committed to read the Book of Mormon Introduction and pray about it and they wanted to meet the next day (Monday...yesterday) so we invited them to the ward dinner that was going on on account of our new bishopric and said we'd do some English and some gospel after.  Last night at the dinner they felt a little awkward and out of place with the other young women in the ward, but the Young Women's president came to our lesson and they LOVED her!  We got to watch the Restoration DVD with them and they got super into it and then we talked about meaningful scripture study and prayer...and they all committed to daily prayer and scripture study!  We love our girls!!!!!  We're meeting them again tomorrow (because we were busy tonight...they want to meet everyday) and we're so excited!

 

So there's your story Evan!  I hope you like it.

 

We are so excited for this week.  Our zone had a special fast this Sunday for new investigators and that day we got 5...the Lord truly loves and blesses His missionaries!!!!!  We have 4 people committed to coming to Conference (which is this weekend...and I will be able to see all of the sessions and in English...our mission president likes us to go to all of it and all in our own language...it's great!)...this work is too cool!!!!!

 

I love you all and hope you are all doing well.  I am so grateful for all your love and support and prayers!  Stay awesome!

 

~Mac 자매