Family and Friends,

Okay so this week a few things happened.

First, Thursday we went out to street board, literally we have a board we put up on a street and then give out English class fliers or pamphlets etc. Well we didn't not find anyone that way but someone did find us. This very sweet sister from Mongolia is living in Korea because well this is where her husband in from. She is a member and has been looking for a church building for a long time but hasn't been able to find one and then she saw us and the street board and she came up to us and was so happy :). Well, it turns out she also wanted a blessing because she is pregnant and apparently there are some complications or she is just really nervous. Her husband is not a member so she requested for an elder to do that and thankfully she was able to get her blessing :). And she will start coming to church next week. :) Miracles, so grateful for them. That whole day Sister Van Weezep had prayed that He would put people in our path that were ready.... that whole day people we coming up to us and we got a phone number, and it was just perfect. Her prayer was definitely answered :).

We were taken out to eat by two members this past week. One of the grandmas in the ward, I love her! She was so sweet and so kind. I found out a lot about her too. Her husband past away a couple of years ago. She is such an awesome lady. Then we were also taken out to a cool garden restaurant (it has a garden with lights) by a family. So much fun. So grateful for members and their kindness towards us and their willingness to help. We were able to have a member lesson this week and it made such a difference, I really do wish everyone of our lessons could have a member there. Members are really key just like all the general authorities have been saying, I'm so grateful for them.

Transfer calls are next Saturday... I'll let you know what happens Monday :). 

Lastly, (saving the best for last) Elder Cook and Sister Cook visited Korea and it was awesome! I learned so much! Something that I want to try to apply. In Chapter 6 of PMG are the Christlike Attributes for each attribute Sister Cook went through the hymn book and made lists of which hymns would go with each attribute. I love it! i'm am doing that. I think it's a great idea because it is another source of help. For example, currently I am working on having more positive and uplifting thoughts. The way I am trying to do this is to replace every negative thought with a thought of gratitude (Elder Uchtdorf's GC talk), and then after hearing Sister Cook I want to also people to sing a hymn that will remind me to be grateful whenever any negative thought comes into my head. Negative being- unkind, inpatient, stubborn, prideful, or demeaning, just anything negative. 

I learned so much more and I would love to share it all but it's too much to include in this email. 

Thank you all so much for you emails, for your example, for your love, for your prayers, for everything! I am so blessed to have you in my life and to be able to call you friend. I am so grateful to have the companions I have right now, the Lord truly knows who and what we need. I am grateful for His love and teaching and guidance. I am grateful for learning and growing, it is really hard but I know it's more than worth it.

Love Always,

Sister Tovar

May 25, 2014

Dear family and friends,

This week has been pretty low key but still really amazing. 

So this week the main points. Yesterday a drunken man tried to break int​o our house. It's really not as bad as it seems, he was so drunk he was out of it. So he was trying to get in but before he could Sister Fudge grabbed the door handle and locked it. So he could get in. We called the Elders right away and they came running-all four of them :). I think they like us lol We have very kind elders in our ward. I promise we are safe and our apartment is safe!

We were able to go the temple!!! So much fun!! Loved it! Sister Van Weezep got to go for the first time in country! So exciting! After the temple we went out to ice cream and pretty much just celebrated Sister Van Weezep's birthday (which is not for another month :))

This week... has been really awesome for the most part. I think the hard parts have all come from within. Whenever you are trying to really be better or striving to try to be a Christlike person that is when the adversary comes stronger, but that is also when Heavenly Father gives us the opportunities to choose and to do what we have set out to do. It's easy to say I will be more patient when nothing is requiring patience, but when something comes up that tries your patience that is when you get to grow and learn because you make a choice. Most every choice we make leads us closer to Christ or farther away from Him. All we can do is keep trying, and praying. 

Thank you all for being so awesome! I love getting your emails and reading about your lives! I pray for all of you.

Love Always,

Sister Tovar

P.S. The pictures will give you more details about my week then my email sorry :). 

Our awesome high school English class!!! I love every single one of the students. They are hilarious and total sweethearts! Even the boys :)

Yen our investigator and 함대식 her husband, then the elders, Yen's brother and girlfriend (practically wife) from Singapore, and well us! 

We went for a barbecue at a campsite it was soooo cool!!!! Koreans have projectors when they camp, talk about camping in the technology era :)

Seoul Temple

May 18, 2014

So this past week....

The week started off great because I was able to skype with my family! It was so great to see them live. After skyping we went to a members house where her dog, although, tiny proceeded to attack all of us lol. We finally asked her if she could put him away and she did.

Tuesday- We went to a meat buffet with a few of our English students. It was so much fun! After eating what had to be like 6 steaks we went back to her house to do some Karoake. Sister Fudge with her great voice sang a duet with one of our students while she, the student, also played the piano :). 

Wednesday- So much fun and such a work out! We had Zone Conference on a mountain :) Actually a wall... a historical wall that we hiked up to. It was so much fun! We would stop along the way and receive awesome training! We learned about love & Charity, faith, and hope. It was tons of fun! Sorry I can't say that enough. Now I too have the typical mission hiking pictures :). After the hike I went on a exchange to a different area. That was a lot of fun but also very tiring. But it was great! I was able to talk to tons of people and be able to see a couple of them have interest. 

Thursday-During my exchange we went to do service at an elderly community center. I LOVED it! I love being around the elderly they are super cute and super nice. Our service consisted of delivering food to their apartments. It was fun. 

Friday- We went out for brunch with an American! It was so much fun and we learned a lot about world news lol. That was interesting. Then we went to our weekly English class at the high school!

Saturday- We did a cute role play in our advanced English class of a grocery store. We brought groceries from home to use and then made fake money and cards to make it more realistic. So cute!

Sunday- We had an awesome lesson with Yen! And we extended the Baptismal commitment to her. After having an awesome lesson about why everyone should come to church. And How Christ came for everyone not just those that are righteous. She had an awesome insight that those who aren't on the right path should want to come to church because they need Him, we all need Him and His atonement.

It was a great week, long but great. A lot of lessons still to apply but hopefully someday I'll be able to do apply them. Love you all so much, hope you are all doing well! 

Love,

Sister Tovar

Transfers once again

Family and friends,

I am cheating this week and sending my companions letter... I'm sorry her's are much better than mine and you will only get it this week. But I love you all thank you!

So we are back after another 6 weeks of crazy times in Gimpo! (김포)!

So yet again in the normal life of a missionary the anticipated, exciting, dreaded phone call comes. Telling the missionaries where and who they will be with for the next 6 weeks. 

Because of the many activities happening on Saturday they had to do a out of the blue transfer calls on Friday. 

Sister Tovar and Sister Fudge had to cancel the exchange they were going to be on so that they could be together for the exciting time. 

What is going to happen to 김포 and the awesome district??? Who is leaving and who is coming in??? We will find out after this quick message. 

Sisters Burton and Oscarson were in Korea! 

They have come to talk to the missionaries and the members in Korea. What a great opportunity it was for the Seoul South Missionaries to have a training with Sister Burton and the missionaries of both Seoul and Seoul South with the members to have a fireside with Sister and Brother Oscarson, Sister and Brother Burton and President Ringwood (Area President for Korea missions). 

It was the first time ever that Woman general auxiliary leaders have gone to foreign countries to speak to missionaries! What a ground breaking and spiritual experience! 

For the missionaries in both missions to be able to see each other again was awesome! Also for investigators and members to hear the wonderful words of God chosen leaders is a lifetime memory for the people of Korea! 

And We are back....isn't that just an awesome experience for the missionaries and members in Korea? Sister Burton was so inspired and her and her husband sang a Korean folk song so beautifully.

The call comes to Sisters Tovar and Fudge...Elder Kim AP calls and says

"You will be staying together...(pause)....and will be in a tripanionship...."

Elder Kim---"it will be a new missionary." 

Sister Tovar---"who is training?"

Elder Kim---"Sister Fudge, and Sister Tovar will help out."

So there we go folks. A tripanionship with a new missionary!! Crazy isn't it!???

The next question is what happened to the Elders?????

That question will be answered after this quick break.

What do missionaries do to celebrate Easter in a foreign country? 

They have an easter egg hunt in their ward building and decorate them like monsters...

At least that is what the missionaries in Gimpo do! Thanks to the mother of Sister Fudge and her kind heart in sending candy and egg dye kit to make the missionaries Easter special.

Sisters Tovar and Fudge hid the eggs in all the appropriate areas of the church in very hard places for the Elders to find...

This is all done before Elder Woodford's last district meeting....They are let in and they go to town! 

Elder Woodford finds the most and can't find is candy box even though it is in plain sight.

After they find all the eggs they eat 떡복이 courtesy of Elder Robinson and decorate eggs to look like Monsters....then they have district meeting....Fun times still being had in Korea!

And we are back....wow the Gimpo missionaries are really fun aren't they???? :)

The Elders........Elder McLean will be moving to 수치 (SuJi) with Elder Smith and 이정환 장로님 (Elder Lee) is coming to be the new district leader in Gimpo with Elder Robinson. Elder Hegewald will continue his training with Elder Chow. Elder Woodford is finishing his mission with honor!! 

And there you go everyone! The adventures of missionary like in Korea still goes on!!!

Remember this Thursday May 1st to start reading Preach My Gospel from the beginning and do the personal studies...it will end Oct 24th when Sister Fudge ends my mission! Please send Sister Fudge your thoughts and insights if you want to...Sister Fudge will send some of hers as time goes on.....

Until the next 6 weeks! Have a safe time and keep warm and healthy!! 

LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU!!!!!!!

I will send pictures in another email!

Sister Fudge

Korea Seoul South Mission

Peace Observatory

Family and Friends,

This week has been kind of slow because well I finally caught Sister Fudge's cold. So we have had to stay in most of the week. However, we did have one great adventure on Monday. 

Monday we went to the Peace Observatory on the island in our area. It is about 1.5 miles from North Korea. So cool!! No worries I am safe and we are all safe. The Peace Observatory was incredible. It really helped me gain more of an appreciation for the people of Korea. My heart breaks to know 

that the people of North Korea are suffering because of the decisions of a few people. My hope and the hope of many of the Korean people is that one day there will be one Korea instead of two. I'm so grateful for the freedoms we are blessed to have. I'm so grateful for the gospel, and for prayer. I was also able to take some pictures of North Korea.

Lastly, I of course want to mention the boat accident. It is devastating, I suppose it is all over the news there too. We do an English class at a local high school in our area and so were able to find out that high school students in their Junior year go on a trip to Jeju Island. Our students went the week before and flew into the island. It is really sad what happened. Most of the people on the boat were high school juniors. They do this trip that year because the next year all the seniors are too busy studying for the college entrance exam. We were actually in an office cutesy supply store called Artbox and the lady working there was upset because of the boating accident. My companion caught her looking at it and having tears in her eyes. She left a plan of salvation pamphlet. I'm grateful to know I can be with my family forever. 

I hope you are all doing well and I hope you are enjoying the sunshine outside :).

Love,

Sister Tovar