June 21, 2015 - Take me out to the ballgame

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks... Cause I don't care if I ever go back. GUYS I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THIS COUNTRY.  

Really. Nine innings never was enough, was it?

This week was amazing. 

Tuesday: Temple day. Beautiful day. P-day. Art gallery hopping with the comps. Sister Kim. Accepted baptismal date. Couldn't be more excited.

Let's just say this fourth of July is gonna be the best one yet. :)

Wednesday: New investigator! Elizabeth (english name). Super nice. Really great lesson. EXCHANGES. Sister Wijetunge and I reunited. Never let go of each other's hands. Man on the train gave us a huge box of chicken. We gave him a Book of Mormon. Visit with Imma and all my favorite english class members.  So happy. 

Thursday: Paratas. Miracles. Lunch with Tanya (the Russian member). Visit Chad (the less-active) and Ji Hye and their newly born twin babies. Talked with the nicest people on the street, taxi and train. Book of Mormons. Return appointments. SRI LANKANS. The happiest visit in the countryside with our recent converts, Uditha and Sisera, and five other of the Sri Lankan investigators. Ice cream by the lake. Sri Lankan rice and curry with our fingers. So much food. So many laughs. A beautiful lesson about coming to Christ. The best part about it was getting to see Sisera and Uditha and the change that has occurred in them since that first time we met them on the street. That change... is a modern day miracle. A man on the way home who had met missionaries. Wants to meet them again but hasn't been able to find them since he got back to Seoul. Exchanged numbers. Miracle. 

Friday: Goodbye Conference for President and Sister Christensen. Bittersweet. Interview with President. Maybe a tear or two. Bittersweet. Weekly planning. Lesson. Exchanges with Sister Bryan!

Saturday: Thunder storm. Caught in the rain. Lesson with a Christian and her Buddhist son at a cafe. He asked so many questions. Answered them with the message of the restoration.  

"Do you believe man can find perfect happiness?" 

"Yes" 

"Well, how?"

Almost instinctively I opened to 2 Nephi 31:20-21, which I had shared just that morning with Sister Bryan. 

"This is how. Jesus Christ is the way." 

I don't know if he felt the Spirit as I bore my testimony, but I sure did. 

"Yeah, okay. So what do I do?" 

"Just keep reading" 

His eyes paused on 2 Nephi 32:3. 

"Oh." 

Long pause. 

"Can I have this book?"

"No. It's mine."

Hah. Just kidding. Yes, we gave it to him and planned to meet the next week. I love missionary work.  

Reunited with Sister Lee and Sister Ju. Finally home. Transfer calls. Stayin together. SO relieved. Can't wait for this next transfer. And couldn't be happier to be here one more. 

Sunday: Stake Conference. Sister Kim came to church with us, sang in the choir with us, and went to an adult meeting with President and Sister Christensen. She's awesome. We were exhausted. 

끝! 

LOVE you guys and I root root root for the home team everyday :)

Love,

Sister McCloskey

P.S. Here's two from P-day! The three some and an art gallery. :)

On exchanges with Sister Wijethunge- reunited.

 

 

My last photo with the lovely Sister Christensen

June 14, 2015 - No subject

Hey kids. You know when you walk in to a bathroom just after someone showered and as soon as you open the door a wall of steam smacks you in the face?

Well that's kinda what it's like walking out the door everyday. So much for showering, right? Might as well pull a Chris Kreuzberger and "Save Water Shower Together". 

Hah. 

Okay not really. 

This week was wierd, kinda like the wall of steam, but only in the best way. We had exchanges again which kept us busy and we've met some really cool people on the street and engaged in some really really cool street lessons. It's been hard to meet with Mina because of her crazy work schedule, but we met this week and she still has this huge desire and love for the gospel. And Shinee and Ganaa came to church yesterday! Which was so great. One of our mongolian members, who is the nicest, translated for them through sacrament and gospel principles so it was really cool to watch.

We also had the biggest miracle of all, a new investigator who has taken the lessons in Australia and just moved here for a few months. Sister Kim! She's twenty and the coolest ever and not only came to church with us yesterday, but loved it. We're planning on giving her a date this week so we're pretty pumped. 

Pumped. Haven't said that in while.

We had a pretty exciting episode that began late Thursday night when we had to take Sister Lee to the hospital. She was having stomach problems and collapsed/ threw up several times. Long story short, she recovered and we were all SO grateful to have been in a threesome. I was able to talk in english with President to figure out what to do and Sister Ju was able to figure out everything at the hospital. Seriously if there had only been two of us... 

Yeah, we don't want to think about that. :)

So much to be grateful for this week and so many little laughs and miracles. I've been reading "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" lately too which is a great read. Seriously I'd put it up there with The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Screwtape Letters, Kite Runner and my 8th grade Algebra textbook. Okay I didn't like math THAT much, but you get the idea. 

I love you all and feel your love every week through your emails. 

You are all my heroes.

Love,

Sister McCloskey

 P.S. Here's a sunset and blurry rainy Seoul. Love you guys.

June 7, 2015 - Nuts

Sister Sieverts and her family

So I left my planner (SINNER, I know. I'll repent.) at the apartment so this'll be short. But maybe that's just Heavenly Father telling me it's time to stop putting it off and just sign up for my classes already... Sigh. Fine, I'll do it.

But first. :)

This week was nuts. Almonds, pistachios, pecans... gang's all here! We had MLC on Tuesday again where we got training from President and the APs which was super great. I had a mini exchange with Sister's Bell and Olsen (both so awesome) and then Zone Training on Wednesday! We are STLs over two zones so we had to split and I gave the training in another zone. It turned out to be really cool bearing my testimony in front of a bunch of missionaries I had served with in the MTC and other areas. Needless to say we were totally wiped out, but the week kept moving. 

This week we picked up the coolest thirty something year old Mongolian couple this side of the Mississippi (Geography was never my forte, but if I remember right there's quite a substantial amount of earth between the Mississippi and Korea... so that's saying something) as investigators! Shinee (such a beautiful smile) and Ganaa (looks like a Mongolian version of the bad guy in Italian Job... in a really good way, of course!). They have been to church several times and love it. They are very busy with work and Ganaa is struggling to overcome a long smoking addiction, but we're so excited to be meeting with them.

You know who else I was excited to meet this week? Yeah, I think you do. SISTER SIEVERTS and family popped on over to Korea and we went to dinner and just had the best time with them. That day was one of those days I wish I was famous and had the paparazzi there to catch every moment.

(This is one of those times when common sense comes in whispers, "careful what you wish for, rach")

I take that back, I don't want to be famous... but you get the idea. 

After our tummies and hearts were full we bid adieu and boarded the subway. I wanted to share that same love I felt from Sister Sieverts with every single person on that subway and it was then we saw a miracle. The very last person, a high school student, I talked to with only a few stops left, had talked to missionaries before and I was able to get her number right before hopping off at our stop. That night I flipped through our area book and happened upon a very familiar name.. Turns out she was a former investigator who's name and information had gotten lost... and we found her. :) How cool is that?

Okay, and last but not least. Remember Uditha and Sisera (our Sri Lankan investigators)? Well, not only did they stop smoking, share the gospel with their family and friends... But they got baptized on Sunday. :)

Now, how. cool. is. that. 

Love you all so so much.

Love,

Sister McCloskey

P.S. Moonlight and the package. Thank you so much!

I wasn't able to go to the baptism (as it was on Sunday), but here's a pic. :) WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Easton on his mission in Paris using the chalk that you gave him.

May 31, 2015 - Let me tell you a tale

Let me tell you a tale 

like those of old 

that begins at the beginning

and needs to be told.

It began at dawn

a break from the mundane

as we arrived a bit early

and boarded the train.

The train was quite empty 

not a person in view

so we pulled out our scriptures

and began to review.

An lady approached

looking old and quite tired

and of the books in our hands

whence they came she inquired.

"It's God's word" we replied

and began to explain

and the Spirit, it seemed, 

just could not refrain. 

We set up an appointment

to meet her the next week

whereby we could share with her

the great knowledge she did seek.

You'd think this little lady 

is the hero of this story

but in fact she's not!

I'll get there, don't worry.

So we met her and her friend

in a new little town

new people to find

new streets to walk down.

To make this long story short

and to keep my little audience awake

I'll spare you the details 

and less time I will take.

It turned out that neither

the old lady nor her friend

were interested in our message

or in the words we did send.

But because of those two 

and their invitation to talk

we found ourselves on a road

never before did we walk.

And it was on that road

that we happened upon four men

Sri Lankans, you know,

are greeted by Ahayoobowan.

We met them again

and the gospel we did teach

and now four months later

eternal life is within reach.

Two of those men are in fact

the heroes of this tale

and for others to follow

they are forging a new trail.

Yes, you got it, my friends,

they are taking the first of many steps

to come unto Christ 

and be lifted from the depths. 

Because of these two, 

six more have been found in this land

and more in their hometown

have begun to seek for God's hand. 

I, too, can't help but feel 

that He is here and He knows

each one of His children

and in their hearts seeds He sows.

Heavenly Father is there

and guess what, His plan's true

so take a look around 

and you'll find He's right beside you.

There she goes again. This is when I get to spit out all the English I have bottled up inside me during the week, so I apologize. :) But pretty darn cool story, eh? We really see so many cool little miracles everyday and are keeping very, very busy. And are very, very happy. Mina came to church yesterday which was the answer to many a prayer and fast. We have a new Sri Lankan investigator! And are still meeting with our other Mongolians and Chinese. It's really hot. I was given a "Jesus Fish" necklace by a lady I talked to on the street. We had a combined Seoul and Seoul South mission conference where I got to see some old friends. Sister Ju and Sister Lee keep me laughing everyday. It's really hot. Wait, did I mention that already? Yes, but did I mention the fact that I'm really quite happy? Ah, yes, it appears I've done that too. Guess that's my cue.

Love you!

Signed... sealed... delivered,

Stevie Wonder

Did I say Stevie Wonder? Oh, I'm sorry... Sister McCloskey :)

P.S. Us at mission conference and a whole lot of peace signs (with Ehneh our mongolian investigator featured on the right!)

Tschau tschau!

Mission conference

A cool view from our church