May 24, 2015 - Bird Poop

Have you ever had a bird poop on your head?

 

Yeah. Me neither.

 

But my companion has. Heh.

This week was too good.

 

We had a few days in a row jam packed with miracle after miracle. It's like watching Dad after a trip to Costco thinking there's no way he could fit that last bag of dried mangos in and he does it again! Heavenly Father just kept the miracles coming where we thought there was for sure no more room. Not only was a prayer answered and two former investigators returned from their sudden departure to the land of the Mongolians, but we found two long lost less actives, Mina accepted her baptismal date and brought her friend along to meet us, and we found two new investigators! Both are university students and both (I bet you can guess) are foreigners! Sister Wang is from China and we've gotta start from step one with her, but she's great. Then there's Ehneh from Mongolia who has a little religious background and speaks very little Korean, but yes, is great.

 

But yes, bird poop did fall from the sky and Sunday was like the blue to the rest of the week's orange. We had several appointments cancel and potential investigators drop as well as some pretty hard rejections on the street. You know that feeling you get when you rip off an old bandaid and it leaves a little shock and stinging tears in your eyes? Yeah. That's kinda what that feels like.

 

Thankfully I'm so lucky to have two of the best this nation's got to offer by my side to keep the sun shining. (Speaking of weather, it's beautiful these days). We're working everyday to be better missionaries and learn how to work better together. And even though a bird pooped on my companion's head, and maybe we got rejected once or twice on the street, we are learning to just love every moment, give the best we have, and rely on the Lord to do the rest. Missionary work is hard, but in the words of that one girl in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, it's surprisingly... Upbeat! (jen better get that reference).

 

Also I may as well just print out the emails I got this week and send them to D.C. to be glass boxed and propped next to the Declaration so everyone can feel the same love I felt reading them.

 

... And then I'll pull a Nicholas Cage and steal em all back and keep them all for myself. Wahah. Love you guys!

 

Love,

Sister Meck.

 

P.S. If you guys haven't seen "The True Story of Todd Sylvester" I would recommend you drop everything (except the computer that's on your lap... or the Ander that's on your lap... those are pretty irreplacable) and go watch it.

P.P.S. Selfie.

 

 

 

 

 

May 17, 2015 - I'll take two, please!

So funny story. I bought some socks last week, the small kind you wear with flats, and the first day I wore a new pair, a big hole was rubbed in the bottom. I let it go happily singing, "there's a hole there's a hole there's a hole in the bottom of my sock". It took me three days and three more pairs of socks to notice that there was not only a hole in the bottom of every sock in the same place, but a big black spot on the bottom of my hole. It was then that I realized that my plan to sue, or whatever they do in Korea, the sock manufacturer would not be justified as it was not the manufacturer's flaw, but there was, in fact a hole...

.. in the bottom of my shoe.

Heh.

Oh missionary work.

That's what I get for spending my childhood barefoot, hm?

Thankfully that's the only hole I've discovered lately and there's no need to worry. In fact the hole Sister Jeon left me with after finishing her mission this week ㅜㅜ was quickly filled by not one, but two companions. Both of which call this beautiful land home. Koreans! Yes, your assumption of my loss of english speaking ability is correct. And no, I don't want to play scrabble.

It's been one heck of a week that's felt more like a few months, but I can already tell this transfer is gonna be a blast. We're adjusting pretty quick to the whole threesome thing, as it is for all of us a first, and make quite the team. I seriously love them both so so much and am learning so much from them everyday. It often takes a while to figure out why you are put together with certain companions, but I can already see why I was put with these two. And I thanks Heavenly Father for sending them my way everyday.

This is not to say it has been a San Diego oceanside breeze Helping Sister Ju adjust to being a new STL and Sister Lee to being a new missionary, along with supporting the two zones of missionaries, and taking over a zone where the sisters closed, but it's helped me to understand the importance of relying on the Lord for our daily bread. I honestly don't think any of us would be able to do this without him.

In other fun news, Sister Jeon and I spent our last pday together at one of my favorite spots in Seoul and had the fondest of farewells. I love her and learned SO much from her and couldn't be happier we got to be companions for the short time we were together. Last transfer flew. And then all the missionaries got to go to a BYU symphony show traveling through Korea which was great.

And last, but certainly not least, our investigators! We met with Yang Yang (Chinese) and had the best lesson about prayer and God. We taught her to pray and shared testimony and experiences and it was so powerful with the three of us there backing each other's words up. And Mina in doing great and working toward being baptized next month on the 14th!

Love,

Sheester Meck.

P.S. Mom, don't stress. I've got another pair of shoes. :)

P.P.S. The new comps and I at the symphony and the district on pday! Love you!

May 10, 2015 -ㅋㅋㅋ

We all knew the response to Dad's "Guess what I made for dinner!" now didn't we. It's been over a year, but... some things just don't change now do they. :)

I might as well place my order now cause you're probably pretty backed up, huh Dad? I'll take a Mac and Cheese (made with only the most raw unprocessed of velveeta cheeses, of course) and two pigs in a blanket. I'll even pay you in advance... do you take won? :)

Thanks for all the laughs, guys. I love my family. I could have practically opened our window and shouted it at all the little people on the street. But they just wouldn't get it. So I suppose I'll spare my vocal chords and just use this little keyboard to try and convey to you how very much I love you.

I LOVE YOU.

There were so many moments while we were talking where I didn't even know what to say when you guys were talking. All these little Korean phrases kept jumping in my head in response to what you were saying, but I had to stop myself and think really hard about what an alternative would be in english, and sometimes there just wasn't one. 어쩔수없어요. :)

So you heard the news, but for anyone else who cares I will be staying in Dongdaemun and my new companion is 주혜연 (Sister Jue, yes, Korean!) and we are sister training leaders over two zones now. Woo! And as if that won't keep us busy enough... We're getting a greenie. Yup. We're training together! It's gonna be wild. But I'm so excited. Like I said, I was hoping for a Korean companion or to train.. Was that prayer answered or what?

In other news I just literally got off the phone with Mina who we will be meeting here in a bit and she is bringing her other Mongolian friend! She is so great. And when we gave her a tour of the church and explained all the meetings, she was glowing when we showed her the baptismal font. She's so excited to be baptized and it's the cutest thing.

We had another Zone Training this week and we trained the zone on Keeping the Sabbath day holy. I realized more than I ever have what a huge blessing the Sabbath is. Heavenly Father literally commands us, "thou shalt rest". (see somewhere in Exodus). Is that not the best commandment or what? You know full well how much I love missionary work, so I don't need to mention that. But one of the coolest things about it is the opportunity to set aside worldly worries and cares and just focus on strengthening ours and others relationships with God and Jesus Christ. And when I got to thinking about it, we have that same opportunity every seven days! We don't know what the next seven days will bring, but we know it will bring the Sabbath. What a cool thing.

Another cool thing? We found two new Chinese new investigators this week! I forgot to mention that, but we met one (Yang Yang) on the street and set up a return appointment with her and she ended up bringing her friend (Sooee). Both are super cool and have so much potential and curiosity about how to find God.

So, yeah, I'm having a ball here. Like one of those one's in Pride and Prejudice. Or maybe more like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...?

Wouldn't that be somethin.

Have a great week, okay? And don't worry. I'll teach you guys how to say I love you when I get back. :)

But for know you're just gonna have to learn on your own!

사랑해요!! :)

Love,

Sister McCloskey

P.S. Here's a sunday school sketch and my cute companion at a palace we explored on P-day. Love you! Muuuuuuuuuuuah!

Sunday School sketch

My companion at a palace on P-day

Yes, that is cotton candy and spicy octopus on a stick

Yes, that is an old lady flashing me a heart.
Yes... This is Korea.

May 4, 2015 - 포스가 너와 함게 하도록 하길

You know those warhead candies Brandon had the brilliant idea for us to eat that one time at Nickel City that made our faces twist into all sorts of fun shapes? The initial shock is what gotya, but really they are quite sweet if you just let it sit.

Well I thought then that I understood the meaning of the word, "Bittersweet" when I ate that, but it has taken on a whole new meaning. Thursday morning, as I was attending to the tedious task of coating my eyelashes in that gooey black stuff (pretty wierd that we do that if you think about it) and the thought came into my mind to use the waterproof mascara I've had in my bag my whole mission and haven't thought to use til that day. Heavenly Father was looking out from me from the beginning. 

It wasn't until later that morning when the unexpected phone call from President informing me of Grandma's passing, that I realized I that following that prompting coulda saved me 5 cents worth of mascara. It's interesting how God works, isn't it? Sister Jeon and I knelt in prayer after the phone call and as she prayed for the family and Grandma, that's when the tears came. But I know Heavenly Father was looking out for me that day, opening my scriptures to D&C 100. :)  

And the day turned out to be a pretty wonderful day full of more laughter than tears. That day we even got to do service at an elderly care center. The laughter came when one of the old ladies pointed out the "fur" on one of the Elder's arms and he proceeded to show a portion of the forest on his leg. Her reaction, I'd say, was something like that of mom's after Felice so lovingly put her claws in her bottom. It was filled with shock, horror and a little jump. I'd pay good money to watch that again.

But what I would rather watch again is the lessons we have had with Mina this week. GUYS MINA. You want to know what she said to us as we were reading the Book of Mormon together? She stopped us and said, "I've been to other churches, but this church has something other churches don't. This church has the Spirit." I've never met someone who is so pure and is as receptive to the Spirit as her. I wish I could tell you everything, but I'm running out of time. Just keep her in your prayers cause she's the most prepared person for this gospel I've met my whole mission and we couldn't be happier for her. We couldn't be happier because of her either. :)

So, yes. All is well. Sister Jeon and I are happy as can be, though not looking forward to her return home in a week and a half. :( I'm glad to hear that all went well with the funeral and looking forward to hearing your familiar voices this week.

All my love as always,

Sister Me

P.S. I can't find my connecter thing so no pics this week. But don't worry I just taught a lesson on repentance, so I'll get right on it!

P.P.S. If you thought I forgot today was STAR WARS DAY ask a Korean what that subject says and you'll think twice. :)

P.P.P.S. Really, love you guys.

P.P.P.P.S. My mission forwarded some pictures from our mission conference and Jon Schmidt concert, so it looks like I do have some to share after all.