Week 23 (Week 14 In-Field)

It's been a great week :) Very busy with choir practices, district meeting, exchanges, and a fireside... Along will all the usual missionary work. Oh also the first snow has come to Korea!

The red box I'm holding is full of Kimchi :)

This past week I went on exchanges with Sister 안지민. I was her companion for a few days before I came to my new area because both of our companions died and the transfer was a bit funky. She was a huge help as we went through the members in my new ward. She served here for 6 transfers and knows the area pretty well. She absolutely hilarious and is also a huge help with language since she is a native Korean.

Sister Shumway and I also celebrated Thanksgiving this week by serving for the entire day. We were pretty busy with 4 appointments and then came home to have dinner. We got the closest thing we could to turkey.... fried chicken! It was really yummy with the sauces that they gave us. We had a great time talking about the things that we are grateful for over our wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. 

Yesterday we had a stake wide missionary fireside. All of the missionaries in our stake got together and did two musical numbers. There were lots of wonderful musical numbers, slideshow pictures, missionary videos, and talks given by missionaries, recent converts, and our mission president. 

The 인천 Stake missionaries after choir practice

I wish I could send you a recording of the song that we sang because the spirit was definitely there as we sang. I love all the missionaries in my stake so much. They each bring such a wonderful spirit to the group.

Our investigators are doing great. We got to meet with two of them a couple times this week, but the third was in Hong Kong for buisness so we'll be meeting with her sometime this week.

Here are some random pictures that my companion took on the way to emailing today:)

Left to Right: Sister Shumway, Sister Rindlisbacher, Sister Sannar, and Sister Ambrose

Sister Shumway and Sister Rindlisbacher

It was hard to keep our eyes open because it's been so cold lately.

I KNOW that this gospel is true! I know that the Lord has a specific plan for each of His children that is perfect. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ lives and is always there for each of us. I love you all and hope that you have a great week! 

-Sister Rindlisbacher

P.S. I really liked what my President sent this week in his email so I wanted to share it will you all.

"Many years ago, I remember hearing a talk in conference where the church leader said that parents who are casual in their keeping of the commandments or following the counsel of church leaders should not be surprised when their children were even more casual in their obedience or keeping of church standards. That has always stuck with me. The counsel means that if I am casual in my church attendance or reading the scriptures or having family prayer, when my children become parents they will be even less likely to be diligent in church attendance, scripture study or personal and family prayer. In looking in the dictionary, “Casual infers seeming or tending to be indifferent”.

As I observe missionaries in some of their behaviors I wonder if they realize how they are “casual” in their obedience to missionary rules or guidelines. They may be 15 minutes late for personal study, or leave the house 30 minutes late to begin their working day, or they may stay at a member’s house  10 minutes later than they are supposed to. If this missionary is the trainer or a senior companion or district or zone leader, they may not realize the impact that will have on their companion’s future consideration of how they should perform as a missionary.

In the same dictionary, “Strict implies great exactness”. When we encourage ‘strict obedience’, it is the desire and hope that you will truly be exact in all you do with the Lord’s commandments. Many of you know how I like to talk about “life lessons” that can be learned while serving as a missionary. This is one more for you. If you cultivate a mindset of strictness when considering the Lord’s will for you while serving a mission, it will continue with you throughout your life. Be strict with your prayer and gospel study time. Be strict with your avoidance of movies and other media that create inappropriate thoughts or images in your mind. Be strict in your honesty and obedience to all commandments."

I can testify of the difference that being "strict" in our lives makes. Everyday as a missionary we are trying to practice and perfect it. I am so grateful for the things that I have been able to learn from it and how it has blessed my life. I hope that you guys will apply this principle if your life this week and that you will see the difference that it makes. Have a great week!