June 29, 2015

wow! this week was very busy it went by so fast!! monday we just had a relaxing day and got random stuff done. on tuesday we went on exchanges and i had to stay in my area and lead the other sister to our appointment adn to the church and home so i was really stressed and worried that we were going to get lost but i was abkle to do it!! YAY we didnt get lost or get ont he wrong bus so i was really happy abotu that! we had a really good lesson with a lessactive sister she is really great adn wants to feel the spirt but she hasnt made the effort to feel it so she hasnt felt the feeling s she wants so its hard to continue to teach her. after meeting with her we came back to the church adn had english class that is always fun! we had two new peopel some so thats good! i wish that i new more Korean so that i could actually help them more. but its all good it will come with time! Then the next day we had district meeting in my srea so i was able to find our way to the church adn we switched back to our mormal companions that was actually really nice beacue then i didnt have as much pressure. district meeting was really good! i always learn so much from it! its good becasue i get to practice listening to koeran and being able to learn more about the gospel this week we talked about testimonies adn the importance of sharign it often adn that its okay if its just a simple testimony in korean because that will be powerful to them. so that was really good! we also ate lluch together. that food was actually good too! it slowly getting better! After that we had a lesson that we had to hurry to so we went to that adn it was good this sister is super interested in the premortal life and has tons of questions about it so its kinf of hard to teahc her. but it was good. then we went and had ice cream with the sister that came to english class adn then became a really awesoem investigator (siter Kim SurGee) she is really awesome she is the one that just started to believe in god and now she wants to leasrn more about him. so yeah she is really great we were able to have icecream with her and a member thats her age adn they became really good friends we werent able to share a message but ti was okay becasue we go tto know her more adn tell her more about what we do as missionaries. she is super awesome i will talkd more about her later. thursday we had service. that was kind of hard becasue i had to serve the lettuce stuff adn the lady in charge wanted me to give more but then the people would tell me less so i had to find an in the middle place but it was hjard becasue i couldn tunderstand them very well. but it was good. we were abel to eat there as well so thats nice it was good food. i dont remeber what it was but it was good! haha then we had dinner with a member at a relly nice restraunt! we ahd some really good food that was vietnamese or somthing and it wa like rice paper that you put in water and then filled it with meat and vegatables then wraped it up adn ate it! that was really good!  then we went and did some 전더 or steet prosiliting. that is fun btu wit was kind of hard to talk to people because it was raining pretty good adn they all had their umbrellas and didnt want to talk to us! but  it was still good! Friday we had study adn then we had a lesson withthe same sister that is really interested in the pre earth life. (sister park) that was good then we met with sister Kim again the one from earlier. this time we talked to her abotu the book of mormon and were able to introduce here to that adn tell her that jospeh smith had a similar experience to her. she was really touched by it adn said that she felt really hppey hearing this so we were able to talk about the spirit. it was a realy good lesson! she didnt understand at first that the BOM we had was for her so she was like i need to go buy one of these books! so super awesome! saturday we had study adn english that is so fun i dont even rember what happened though! haha it wa a good day! sunday was also good church is hard though because i cont understand very much so its hard to focus but i did feel the spirti adn learn some new things! then we had dinner at a members house with the elders. this meber is so sweet! Sister Lee she fed us a really different dinner!! it was a wholw small chicen to ourself!!! so there was just a chicken in my own personal bowl and i was supposed to eat it all!! that was very different! haha but it was really good! so i was glad! we shared a message with her but int he middle her son came in and started to cry on her lap so apparently she was talking about how she fel that she was a bad mother and all of the stress of hsaving so many kids(she has like 6 boys mostlly adopted) but she satred to cry and then at the end the elders ased if we could pray fo rher family adn asked who she wanted to say the prayer and sh chose me adn i had no idea waht the pobelm was but i just said a vey simple prayer but it i know that she will be given strength. she is amazing becasue as i was sitting there not understandign i though to myself what an amazing mother she was just becasue of the way she was helping her son. It was a very touchign situation. I really had a good week! Im still loving korea and everting about missionary work even though its hard at times! this week with be very busy as well! im learnign so much everyday!

 

Sister Thornley!

oh quick story when on exchanges we were on the bus and a motorcyle cut the bus off like three times so the bus driver yelled at him in korean telling him to pull over then when they met uo they just went off on each other about it i honestly thought that the bus driver was going to get out of the bus adn start a fight! haha it was just funny!

once again sorry for all the spelling mistakes! there isnt autocorrect for english here so i cant see the mistakes very easy! ha

We are so busy!!! (June 22, 2015)

wow we are so busy here in korea!! There are so many pople that we are teaching and working with! We have a full schedule every week!! I have really learned alot form the time ive been here! I am starting to adjust to the difference in culture but it will still take time!! I have had to eat some pretty weird things. yeaterday at the branch dinner we had raw fish.... yeah that was not my favortite thing ever!! it was also really hard ot eat it because there was a lot of lettuce that felt wierd in my mouth it was srachy!! ha but to add to that it was really spicy!!! but i tried my best to eat it.. but they were good aboout understanding that i wasnt used to the food so they didnt make me eat it all. i was very thankfull.. Im going to have to get a bigger stomach to be able to fit all the food they give us! but that doesnt man that im going to get fat!! haha that wont happen!!

So last tuesday we had a lesson with a less active. she was great!! I really like meeting iwth her partly becasue she speaks english so i can understand it all!! haha btut she isnt making very much progress so its sad.. :( hopefully when we meet her this week she will progress so we can keep meeting her! them we had english class. that is always fun! we had a new sister there that day adn she is really awesome!! her name is kim surgee. i will talkd more about her later!  Wedensday we had districh meeting and that was really good. I learned a lot from that. we have a lot of really good people that we can learn from. Then we came hone and didi some studding and went and visited a previous investigatior that we havent seen in a while. Thurday we had sudy adn service actuvity! That is so much fun we serve food to the old people that come there. I go tto clear the dirty plates and help them get food if they needed it. That was kind of hard becasuse i cant understnd them all the way so i cant really tell what they want. i had to try Squid after service that was actually pretty good. it was in a sauce that made it tsster better. so that was one way that it seems that the food is getting better! YAY! haha then we went and visited a less active again that lived really far away!! That was an interesting visit! she is mongolian and her husband is Korean. She has astogn testimony but she doesnt like soming to church so thats hard. she is actully taking a trip to new york to see the temple there adn to see america and canada. After our visit she drove uis to the bus stop but as she was backing up she bumped into a parked car!! so yeah i ave been in an accident on my mission. haha she was funny about it because she was like its just a scratch adn drove away!! then after we go to the buss stop we got on the wrong buss it was going the opposite way from where we live so we had ot get off in the middle of nowhere and get a taxi home! yeah that was kind of crazy! we talked to the drover aboout the BOM and gave him one he was in interesting person so it would be cool if he looked at the book of mormon and became in investigatior! Friday we had sudy and then we went to lunch at a menbers house and shared a message with them. The food there was really good as well so that is another sign that im being blessed with that! YAY! Then we had an appointment with a sister that is really good about keeping our commitments and is really interested in the pre earth life she is very good i like her alot! Saturday we had a really good lesson with a member present we taugh one of the callege students that has a lot of questions. she is still doing really well we had her read alma 32 about faith and the seed adn she was able to read and understand it really well she explainded it back to us really good so that it really awesome! She said that she has planetd the seed in her heart and that is is startign to grow!! YAY!! we asked if she would come to church but she said maybe next month so hopfully we can get her there soon!! then we had english class agian!! That was awesome the sister that came on tuesday came again! she is SO AWESOME!!! She recently started to believe in god because she said she had a dream where she talked to him! so she believes in God and wants to know more about him adn how he can help her life. she really is prepared to hear our message. we invited her to the dinner on sunday and she actyually came!!!! she was welcomed by the members and we told her about the BOM and set up a paln to meet with her and to 30 mintutes od enlish practice and 30 min of a lesson so that will be aweosme!! She is very prepared adn im excited ot meet her more! I love here already. I lready talekd baout sunday so yep thats my week I really like it here in Korea im learning so much everyday!! Its starting to get really hot here!! so thats always fun! We are very busy and are doign really well. Oh this week we are having exchanges adn i am staying here in my area and having to lead the STL so that will be crazy but i can do it! Missionary work is awesome! Thats all this week!!

Sister Thornley!!!

ps sorry for the miss spelt words!!

Second Week in Korea!! (June 15, 2015)

Wow this week was crazy! I have really been learnign alot in such a short time here. I have really flelt the struggle of the language and not being able to talk to people very good. but it will come! we have had some pretty cool things happen last night we wre teaching a lesson with a sister that lives pretty far away from where we live and the bus ride there took about an hour and it was pretty late when we were done so we were worried that the busses wouldnt be there and we had to be home in like 30 minutes so we were worried that we were going to be late but atfer about 10-15 mintues of waithing for the bus or taxi sister hurley said that we needed to say a prayer so that we would be able to tmake it home on time and that a taxi woudl come adn as soom as we ended the prayer a taxi came! adm we wre able to make it home on time becasue the taxi is a lot faster then the bus! so that was really cool!

I have really loved gwetting to knwo my investigators better but its hard because i dont understasnd korean very good so i cant fully understand their needs but its all good im learning!

we are teaching two collage age students and they ask a lot of quesions! and they are awesome they are really interested and we might try and get them to church next week. so sorry this letter is short i didnt have a lot of time this week. im doing good its very busy being a misionary but ii really like it!

   Sister Thornley!

First week in Korea!!!

WOW!!! krorea is awesome! I really love it here! The plane ride over
was very long but it was good they gave us some food not the best but
what can you expect! haha It was a lot better than waht i was
expecting but i was really happy top land in korea. We go tto talk to
a lot of people but that was hard becasue we dont know that much
conversation words! haha but it was good. The plane form seoul to
busan was good it was a very short ride! I was sad because on all of
the plane rides we went on my seat was in the middle and the peole at
the windows were sleeping!!! errrrg!! but i did get to look out a
little and see as we were flyin gover Korea! it it so pretty here!!
There are TONS of buildings and hills and trees. It is really green
here! I love being here and being aaround the peole! SO when we landed
in Busan we got out bags and then we went and saw our mission
president and his wife and some of the missionaries the work with the
president and in the office. Then we went to thir house and had our
first Korean Meal!! That was actually reall good! I can remeber what
we ate but it was good! We stayed at the mission presidents house for
the first two days that was really fun! we had a lot of classes and
orientaion stuff the first day and then later that day we got to met
the trainers!!! There was three sisters that could have been my
companion and i would have been fine with any of them becasue they
were all amazing! Then we go to do a proselyting activity on the
streets of korea!! That was so muych fun! it was hard of course but it
was good! I was able to work with each on eof the sisters fo a time
anf then we go to go eat dinner with the president and his wife that
was raelly good food as well and i was happy because i could actually
use the chopsticks!! yay! I was happy about that! we sat on the floor
to eat an every thing so that was cool! I have really enjoyed being
here! Then we went back to the mission office and slept. Then the next
moring we got our trainers!!! My trainers name is sister Hurley! she
is from utah and is super awesome!! I love her already. I have been
able to learn so much from her. Then we can to our area its awesome I
really like it its so pretty Its a city with really big buildings and
is very green. its an area called 신장 (sheen jang) I really like it
here! after we rode the bus to our area we had to walk all of my bags
to our apartment!! That was a really long walk and was really hard
because we had all of my heavy bags but we made it and was able to
drop them off and then we gathered up our stuff and went to
Taekwondo!!! sweet right!! One of our investigaiors has a studio where
her and her husband teach it so we go tto go and do Tarjwondo with
them and the elders in our area! (the elders are awesome both are
Krorean and have really good english!) then we shared a message with
this sister. The message sisnt go as good as planned but thats okay!
we meet with her a lot!
Next day we had two lessons one with the sister that teaches Taekwondo
adn then one with a less active they were okay lessons for both we had
a member come and she really likes to talk! so it was hard to share
the message that we wanted to share because she was talking so much!
haha but it was okay we were able to help a little. The lessactive
knows english really wel so that lesson was in english so i was able
ot undersand it! haha
after our lessons we went out to the street and did some proselyting
that was good we did that with the elders in our area. Oh it was
raining all day this day but it was sod anyways!
saturday we got to teach a lesson with two collage age sisters that
are realy interested in the gospel they asked a lot of really good
questions and are progressing good! then we taught english class that
was really fun i was abel to help them with english adn them help me
with Krean! haha that was nice!
sunday was awesome as well we went to a meeting to talk aout it we
needed any helpthen we cleaned out side of the church. Then we went to
sacrament meeting and was able to listen to that. we have aweosme
members they will be good to get to know more! I had to give a little
talk about myself that was good then i shared my testimony and then
listened to the rest of the meeting. and the rest of the sunday stuff.
so that was good! we actuallly had a lessactive come to church so that
was great!
today! to day has bee good we went o get my forigner card adn
everything went good with that Then we were able to go shopping and
see a little bit more of Korea and the area! we also go to eat some
food!( best part!! hahaha) and later tonight we are going to a members
house to do FHE so that will be good im exctied! I reallly like it
here and really like being with sister Hurley she is great!! she is
very helpful with korean and understasnding that im still learning! I
love it here! oh and it is VERY HOT!! Its crazy how hot it feels! haha
well this is all i have time for today so have a great week Ilove you
all and hope you all are good!

Sister Thornley!!

 me and sister Hurley

 Taekwondo!!

picture of korea!

3 days left!!!!!!

ahhhh i only have 3 days left here in the mtc! my travel plans are 

monday june 1st leave the mtc at 3:35 in the morning go to SLC. my flight is at 8:30 to Seattle WA arrive at 9:29 there time. I have a layover there until 12:06 so i will probably call then. probably at like 10;30 get on the plane again at 12;06 to Seoul Korea fly to KOrea and arrive there at 3;25pm korea time. then get another flight to busan at 5;15 until 6;20 then my mission president will pick us up and be with them for two days! yay Im so excited!  okay to when i call it will probably be at like 10:30 nin Seattle time os im not sure what time that will be here. so hopefully you can figure all of that out. I love you all! I have started to pack and am almost ready to go! I am so excited and ready to go! It will be very different from the MTC but it will be good im positive and ready to be there. I am still nervous about the food so prayers would be nice I'm praying for myself as well. 

alright so this week was awesome! sunday i was released from my calling and that was really nice there was a lot so stuff that i was asked to do that is nice because i don't have to anymore. I also had to give a talk in sacrament meeting!!! ahhh that was scary! I was prepared a little but not as good as i should have been but i think it was good. Im excited to see the difference from that talk to the ones i will give towards the end of my mission. sundays are amazing at the Mtc they are full of the spirit always! i love being able to go to the devotionals and learn from the speakers. someday was good nothing too exciting but tuesday was AMAZING!!! they Devotional that was the best ever! We had ELDER JEFFREY R HOLLAND come! the is such a powerful speaker! I learned so much from him and was able see the importance of opening my mouth and sharing what i know about the gospel! I really sis get to the mtc at the best time ever! He is amazing! the devotional was broadcast to the other mtcs around the world it was so cool! I also sang in the choir and was able to grow from that. we sang more holiness give me. that is an amazing song the original title was my prayer and that just helps the song be awesome. GO read the lyrics and think about if that was our prayer to God. yep it was awesome. 

 Korean is coming slowly but good. I have learned so much from the MTC and being able to practice every day. it will be crazy to be surrounded by it all the time in a few days! I need to practice more so that i will be able to use it when i can. I need to not be afraid of making mistakes because they is how we learn. I still have along way to go with it! 

This is my last Pday here in america!! thats a crazy thought! 

I Love My mission and being able to learn everyday. 

  Sister Thornley  

these are two of the korean elders that are here with me. 

both are going to california   the other two sisters are the new district 

10 DAYS!!!

What an amazing week! I have learned so much this week! There has been so many things that i have been able to grow in. I really feel a lot better about understanding the language when they talk slow and simple! we are almost done with learning the grammar forms!!! We are so close to being done in the MTC! I am so excited to get to Korea but also ve5ry nervous! we also might be getting our travel plans today!!! YAY! it will be so crazy to have the plans because then its real! I got a letter from my mission president  and he said he was looking forward to meeting us on June 02 so thats awesome! we will be spending two days with them! Im excited! 

I am so ready to ger5t to korea! I'm nervous as well! hahha Oh this week my companion go t a package from home! IT was full of different kinds of chocolate! they are all really good chocolate! haha she is so funny about it! She wouldn't let anyone have any until she let our teacher try all of the kinds! haha I love my companions so much they are great people! 

I love the mtc i love going to choir and singing even though im no the best its still fun! this week we sang nearer my god to thee. I love that song so much more now! the director told us the story that was behind it! It was amazing! It made me want to study the background more! Im going to miss the mtc its been great! I will have one more p day before i leave for korea!!! 

this week we taught our first Skype TRC lesson!! that was so much fun! The bother that we taught was from busan korea he was a convert to the church and his english was very good! he asked us questions that he had when he was an investigator! that was so cool that we were able to answer the question. That was amazing he wrote down our names and said that he would watch for us in korea! :) I love my mission and learning about the gospel! I cant believe that i leave so soon!! I hope all of you have a good week! 

     Sister Thornley!