Dear Future Missionaries…

Dear future missionaries… This is my personal list (slightly leaning toward the Sisters, but you can edit) of what to bring on your mission. There was so much to think of in those months before leaving, but all those RM’s really helped. What I would suggest is watching or reading pages about how to pack for ____(your designated Service area) but then take a lot more from a RM’s point of view.

I went to Korea. Korea has similar weather to that of DC. A pretty solid four seasons with freezing winters and blazing summers. Adjust this list accordingly. Maybe you need a heavier wardrobe. Anyway, that stuff you already know. I will tell you now, of my packing mistakes.

# I begged my mom to buy me a $50 “missionary” bag from Deseret Book before I left. I used it for about two weeks in the field. It was larger and a bit heavier than I wanted. So I suggest bringing something you like for a week or two, and if money permits, buy what you need WHEN YOU’RE IN THE FIELD! Use what ever you want in the MTC, you don’t actually use your bag there because it’s all left in the classroom anyway, and they don’t allow you to bring your bag to devotionals. So your 2nd or 3rd week in the field, go and buy something that is perfect for what you need and want, because NOW YOU KNOW!

#2 Don’t buy something you wont use!!! I brought 3 pairs of dressy ‘walking’ flats. DUMB They weren’t my style, nor were they cheap. Yes they were comfortable and they fit well, but I just never wanted to wear them! I dreaded going outside with the grandma shoes, embarrassed. If you’re lucky, you can find cheap shoes out in your area that you will use, but chances are they wont last your whole mission like those grandma shoes. But in my opinion, I’d rather spend $60 or $80 on 3 or 4 pairs that I wore and loved than $50 to $60 on those grandma ones… its your call. The point is, STICK TO YOUR STYLE! Don’t give up your style for ‘comfortable-missionary’ style. You wont be happy or comfortable in what isn’t “Yours”

#3

Bags and Suitcases

• -Backpack/Shoulder bag ——**you will get a better feel for what you really want once you’re out there, so don’t spend too much.
• -2 suitcases
• -1 carry-on suitcase
• -Camera case
• -Toiletry bags
• -Scripture case

Underclothes

• -10 sets of garments ——**if you’re going to a hot/humid place, use drilux! NOT carinessa!!!
• -2 running sports bras
• -3 white/nude bras
• -6 underwear (for TOM)

Feet

• -4 comfortable ——**seriously get what you WILL wear. I picked shoes thet were not my style, ad hardly wore two pairs. Get two good black pair that IS your style and you will be grateful
• -Winter boots
• -Casual slip-ons for P-day
• -Tennis shoes (Workout & Service)
• -10 pairs of ped socks (6 nude/4 black)
• -5 pairs of running socks

Workout Clothes

• -3 short sleeved running shirts ——**just get stuff you’ll be fine sweating in
• -Basketball shorts
• -sweats

Service & Sleep time clothes

• -PJ sweats are workout sweats
• -2 PJ t-shirts
• -Pair of jeans (Service & Pday) ——**pday shirts are/can be the same as your everyday shirts

Outer wear

• -Hoodie ——** something warm/comfortable to wear arounf the house
• -Red coat ——**if you’re going somewhere that rains a lot or get chilly in spring/fall, bring jackets to wear with your missionary attire. Say, 2 or 3 peacoats
• -Down coat (shipped to you in time for winter)

Everyday Wash and Wear

• -2 dresses
• -7 skirts
• -shirts
• -Earrings, necklaces and a watch

Bathroom Supplies

• -2  bath towels
• -4 wash cloths
• -Face wash
• -Moisturizer
• -Mascara
• -Base and powder
• -Makeup brush
• -Eyebrow brush
• -Eyeliner
• -Chap sticks ——**Korean chapstick is EXPENSIVE
• -Razor plus refills
• -Tweazers
• -Nail clippers
• -2 deodorants
• -Body lotion
• -Toothbrush
• -Toothpaste
• -Mouthwash
• -Floss
• -Q-tips
• -Shower comb
• -Hair brush
• -Hair ties
• -Bobby pins
• -Shampoo
• -Conditioner
• -Tampons & pad

Bedding

• -Twin sheets ——**depends on where you go. NOT IN MTC  not needed in korea
• Your apartments should already have blankets and left over bedding from other missionaries and pillows. Maybe you buy a pillow. No big deal.

Other items

• -Tide TO GO!!!!!!!! ——**So many times I wish I’d had it
• -Small photo album
• -Stamps ——**you can buy them there
• -Envelopes
• -iPod with CHURCH MUSIC
• -iDoc
• -Glasses (case and cloth to clean glasses)
• -Contacts and solution
• -Sewing Kit ——**you can buy in MTC or many houses have already
• -Laundry Bag
• -garment bag
• -Scissors to cut hair
• -Hair accessories

Church studying

• -My Scriptures
• -2 journals
• -Notebook
• -Pens, pencils, highlighters ——**you’ll buy SO MUCH of this crap in the MTC!!! EVERYthiNG IS AVAiLAbLE! Take into account how many weeks you are there
• -Copy of Patriarchal Blessing
• -Copy of call letter
• -Missionary four book-set
• MTC will give you PMG, Bible, BoM, and various grammar and vocabulary books in your language.

Medical Items

• -Vitamin C ——**just makes you feel like you’re being healthier ^^
• -Cold and Allergy medication
• -Anti-diarrhea meds!!
• -Tums
• -Pain reliever (naproxen)

Items to not leave home without!

• -Temple recommend
• -ID
• -Immunization Records
• -DMV Driving Record ONLY IF YOUR MissiON HAS DRIVING AREAS
• -Debit Card
• -Give parents a copy of all cards/items taking in my wallet (front and back)
• -$200 dollars for travelling expensive

Home At Last…

So yes the feeling is strange. I’m home now and life is different…  let me tell you a hit about the weirdness.

I finished my mission with 10 elders. So i was the inly sister. Which was in and of its self strange. I could go wherever I wanted, wherever I wanted^^ strange right?

As I drove toward my house, my first thought was that everything here is flat. My sister thought it quite strange, but as I have been living in a country where even the tiniest most country-style cities have 20 or more tall apartments in sight, it was quite flat! Nothing here being about two levels or three maybe…

Now I sit here and I try to unpack and the feeling is weird. Like a dream that I just can’t  grasp. But I have to try. I must dive head first into this new stage of life! A job and making new friends in particular ^^ I pray that I can make this transition well and avoid as much awkwardness as possible.

My Stake President told me that I need to DO what I taught my investigators. Read in order to understand God’s plan more and to gain much more knowledge. And I must pray in order to increase my spiritually  and strengthen my relationship with the Holy ghost. And then I must show my desire and truly progress  by attending church.

I am excited, nervous, and a bit scared about this new stage of my life. But I know that God will help me enter it and He will give me strength and comfort.

Thank to all those who supported me on my mission.  I can’t believe it’s already come to an end!  But I know it was where God needed me to be. And I always want to remember this experience and user it as a tool to improve and learn from.

Have a good day every one!!! I love you do much♡♡

Top Member Lesson^^

So today was a bit of a whirlwind… I went to the Bath house for the LAST TIME on my mission!!! (I’ll come back later, of course) and while there I got a head ache and a stomach ache and so we went home early. Then I felt GREAT! so we left to email and not I feel sick again. But its fine because what really matters is the spiritual energy that we have! So this week was pretty good^^

This week we met with Sreymom alone. So no Cambodian translation… but it was great! We talked about what she remembered from the restoration lesson and we asked her to re-build the cups (there is a cup parable or visual) and she ended up teaching us the WHOLE LESSON. Very cutely with her broken English I might add….  She wants to know everything!

We planned to meet again on Saturday, but plans fell through. We talked again at church on Sunday. There was another baptism this week! Brother Lee. So before that started, I talked with Sreymom and we talked about baptism and about a date. She asked me “Do you think I can” and I told her “you have a good heart. You know God, and you have desire, you want to” and she literally shouted for joy and hugged me and kissed my cheek and was SOOO happy!!

We met again that night and started the Plan of Salvation. Near the end, she bore her testimony about how she is like Joseph Smith, searching for the true church and show she knows that she has found it and wants to join. We set the baptismal date for the 31st. Pray for us to be able to teach her all that she needs and to help her feel confident in this decision. Her husband Patro will baptize her and give her the holy ghost in Cambodian!!

As for Sister Hwang, we taught her on Wednesday with a member and it was really great. We talked about feeling the Holy Ghost. Then again on Saturday with Sister Bringhurst.

– Can I just comment that she is one of the TOP members that I would pick to do a member lesson with. She listens well, even though it’s not her language. She follows. She wants to know everything they say and everything we say. She shares her part when needed and everything she testifies of is by the spirit. –

When Sister Bringhurst bore her testimony of this Church and the Book of Mormon and how Sister Hwang has been God’s daughter from the beginning, it was the most beautiful thing ever. And we took that chance to tell Sister Hwang that this feeling, this warmth, was the Holy Ghost and we invited her to remember this and pray for the ability to feel it more. When Sister Hwang prayed to close that lesson, she prayed for that feeling she *felt that day.

She is just progressing so well and though she doesn’t know for SURE if she can become a member well, I know. She is gaining new knowledge and she accepts it easily. All she needs now is the confidence to believe that she can and turn that belief into a knowledge. I love her! and all the women and members and missionaries in my life.

I had a good day and I hope you did too! Be safe! And have the confidence to ask God for help. He is waiting for you to ask. He is waiting to help you

– Sister Jenson 젠슨자매  (jen-seun ja-mae)

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Baptisms Up the Wall

I skyped with my family just 5 hours ago, for the record. So this is just an update for those of you who I didn’t skype 😛

Our investigators are doing great! Sister Hwang came to church yesterday! We have an appointment on Wednesday. We will talk about baptism and just recheck with her about that and how she feels about it. She was able to see Sister Song’s baptism on Sunday! So I hope that made some sort of impression on her. It was a very spiritual baptism ^^

As for Sister Sreymom, she is just as cute as ever. We taught the Restoration lesson and she completely accepted EVERYTHING. She is truely open to everything.She believes that God has only one true church on this earth. She hasn’t joined any official chuch but she has prayed to God and to ansectors before. Next time we meet we are going to talk about her recieving baptism on the 31 of May. That day another 8 year old american girl, Suzy, will be baptised also, so it is a great day to have Sreymom’s baptism and it can be an all English service. It will be great for the English Branch members.

No too much else this week. It was pretty slow. I got a sunburn! That turned into a tan… all the Koreans told me to put on my sunscreen… But I want to tan…. 😦

All of you have a good week. I’m exhausted, but it’s a good tired. Stay healthy and dont forget to talk to God about your troubles. He loves you. He will help you. I love you!

4/4 was Brother Hwang’s baptism
4/26 was Sister Jo’s baptism
5/10 was Sister Song’s baptism
5/17 will be Brother Lee’s baptism (Elder’s investigator)
5/24 (52%) will be Brother Lee Saint (his name in korean means Saint haha) (other Elder’s investigator) AND Sister Hwang! (68%)
5/31 Suzie (member’s daughter) and Sreymom
6/7 is fast sunday… maybe there will be a baptism haha See you then!

– Sister Jenson 젠슨자매 (jen-seun ja-mae)

I’m Learning Cambodian

Hello Everyone!!! Well its the 2nd P-day of the transfer and I’m sitting in a PC Room with loud games sounding all around me and the floor above us doing construction… sounds fun right? haha but its worth it because this PC room is only 60 cents per hour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last Monday Sister Park an I went shopping in the Eun-Haeng Underground Mall… I think it’s become a tradition~ It’s great though because Sister Park and I share ALL of our clothes! So her new clothes are mine, and because I’m going home soon I try not to buy… but all of my clothes will be hers. She’s happy 😛

Do any of you remember Sister YuMi Lee?? We visited her again this week. When I was with Sister Oh last transfer she said that she can maybe meet in April… but not April is ending and she is still busy… ㅠㅠ She now said she can meet in June… I told her I will be gone then! So we are having a big dinner with her whole family next next week! Pray for her to be able to meet the missionaries later! I love her and she is so accepting that I KNOW she would LOVE the gospel in her life! ❤

This week started out a bit slow. We weren’t able to meet with Sister Hwang or Brother Hwang this week (siblings) So that was sad. This week was also Zone Conference… my last… I have soo much consecration to work on in 4 weeks! I cant handle it! But It is VERY nice and rewarding to look back and see the changes I have made in my personality and behaviour ^^ President Shin told me a transfer ago that I have really matured a lot and become one of the most valuable missionaries as of recently. It made me so happy. I fell like this mission was MADE for me!!! But just a minute… we’ll save that for the last email ㅎㅎ

At Zone conference we talked an amazing amount about consecration. I feel the urgency more that ever before. How consecrated can I become in the next four weeks? Also, how well can I prepare my little greenie companion so that she can take over the area and our investigators? My biggest consecration that I need in proselyting. Open my mouth so much that I can say “I worked my butt off my last transfer” I want to say that^^  I’ll share with you just EXACTLY what consecration is in a month ^^ It will change your world.

Sister Jo Young-Ju is keeping the commandments really well!! She works long hours at a waffle cafe now, but she is keeping away from coffee and alcohol very well despite being the one serving it to customers each day^^

I bet you’re quite confused about my title… In our ward is a Mexican man named Patro. He can speak about 30 languages just for the record… He lived in Cambodia recently. He fell in love with a Cambodian woman named Sreymom. He later came to Korea, I don’t know why, but got a place to stay and got a job and worked for a while. He went back to Cambodia at the beginning of April. On the 6th (yes planned) they were married in Cambodia! She is 25, Patro is 26 and she cannot speak Korean and she can only speak a little of English. She is outgoing and BEAUTIFUL and we started meeting her this week! With Patro’s help we are going to baptise her!!!! She is teaching my Cambodian…. It looks like a picture!^^ (see attachment) that’s the alphabet… I’m learning to read it!!! It’s so exciting!! That makes Russian, Chinese, and Cambodian that I learned how to read on my mission…

Well that’s me week!! I hope you all have a great one too! LOVE YOU!

– Sister Jenson 젠슨자매  (jen-seun ja-mae)

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