When I said goodbye, she kept saying how sad she was and she even cried! I really hope I will be able to come back for her baptism!

So It's official. I spent six months in Gokbanjeong. And now I'm going to THE BIGGEST CITY. GANGNAM. Yeah never thought that was going to happen... Going from the start of my mission from the most country to the city! I hope it's not a huge shock..

We got the call Sunday morning and I didn't want to come to terms with the fact that I was leaving the best ward ever! I got really sad, and I seriously have no idea what Gangnam will be like.. It'll for sure be an adventure! I spoke in church on Sunday for my "last talk" and all I could feel was love. I had so much love for these people. I got to know them really well and I really felt like a part of the ward.

 It's sad thinking that I'll leave them, but I know they'll still be an amazing ward without me! Everyone kept telling me that Gangnam was awesome and that I'll eat a lot of really yummy food. So I'm excited for that! I'm always down for food! The members here are awesome though and I felt so much love from them! I really have learned so much being here.

Saying goodbye wasn't easy. Especially to our one investigator that is progressing super fast! When I said goodbye, she kept saying how sad she was and she even cried! I really hope I will be able to come back for her baptism! Another young woman told me not to leave, I said I didn't want to and she said, "Then don't go!" Haha I only wish.. The Elder's investigator even wrote me a note. I want to share it cause it applies to my entire mission! SO MUCH SARANG! [love]

Goodbye is not forever.

Goodbye is not the end.

It simply means I'll miss you

Until we meet again.

Anyway, enough sadness about leaving this area! This week was still amazing! We gave our little girl investigators little chap-sticks that said "Choose Happiness." The little girl put it on her lips and said "행복해졌어요!" (I became HAPPY!) It was adorable..

We also learned how to make gimbab (california roll type things) and jabchae! (vegetable noodle things) If you have ever eaten Korean food with my parents, you know what I'm talking about! Super super fun!

I had so many other things I wanted to write.. But my mind is going crazy. We have 11 appointments with members and investigators in three days and we still have to ship my luggage and stuff! AHH. NO PDAY. Okay have a great week! Love you all!!! 

Sister April Johnson

Our little investigator played the violin in Sacrament for us while the district sang "I am a Child of God" and it was really amazing because she had MEMORIZED the song on the violin! She's 7 years old! I just love her(:

I caught a nasty cold this week so I had to rest a lot, but we STILL managed to get our ten lessons! I don't know how we did it! We are seeing a lot of progress in our one investigator. I don't know if I ever told the story about her, but when Sister Driscoll was in 금천 a member gave her a referral that was her sister. Long story short, Sister Driscoll basically sent herself a referral from her old are to her new one! And that's who this investigator is. We met with her once a few months ago and she wasn't really interested in learning about the church. She was actually really awkward when she met with is, but she wanted to come to our worship service cause she said her son has a bad personality and she was told that going to church would fix it... 

She wants her sons to grow up to have the same standards and focus as us missionaries! So for the next four weeks she came to church, but we couldn't grab an appointment with her! So she was coming to church but she wasn't even an investigator yet! We worked really hard trying to set up an appointment, and one week she finally said yes. From then on, she was such a different person! I think those weeks of coming to church she really came to trust us. We started meeting with us and she literally keeps ALL of her commitments. She knows a lot about the church already and she is seriously the golden investigator! She says she wants to take everything slow, but she's our most progressing investigator! 

Her sons also LOVE church and are excited every Sunday to come! I think it's awesome that she's coming to church for her family! She's great!

This week we also went and got MEXICAN FOOD! In Korea! It was the best almost real fake Mexican food I have ever eaten... I really miss not Korean food sometimes..

In our lessons we've also received a lot of interesting reactions to our teachings this week. Like learning that Jesus went to the Americas and how before this life we lived with Heavenly Father in the Pre-earth life.. I had no idea that these were really strange... Not strange, but different. Probably because I grew up learning these things! It's a good thing I know that they're true(:

Also Sunday was the best day ever! Our little investigator played the violin in Sacrament for us while the district sang "I am a Child of God" and it was really amazing because she had MEMORIZED the song on the violin! She's 7 years old! I just love her(: 

We also helped a recent convert with his talk this week and he gave it in Sacrament meeting and he rocked it! I was like a proud mother(:

I also recently got a letter/talk that I fell in love with! Danny Q Humphrey sent this letter to a missionary in the MTC just preparing him for the mission field. And it is GOLD. Here's a little part I want to share:

"CS Lewis said, 'We can say we believe in Christ as we believe in the sin at noon day, not that we can see it, by that by it, we can see everything else.' The things you will witness on your mission, is what makes you a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as I write this, I am looking out my kitchen window, I see the trees swaying, I see the grass and flowers, but I don't see the sun. However, it is the light of the sun that allows me to see what I see, and that is how I know the sun exists. The existence of the Son of God has that same value to us, as CS Lewis put it so well, it is because we can see at all that we know Christ lives."

It is so true. Christ is our LIGHT and through Him we can see everything. Through Him, I have seen the truth and that is why I am serving a mission. I am so glad to have this opportunity to truly testify of Him.

Have a great week and DON'T GET SICK!  

 Sister April Johnson

He asked Sister Driscoll "You're American right? Isn't it a custom to kiss people on the cheeks when you greet goodbye?

So first off, I just want to say how awesome it is serving in Korea. Not only in Korea, but in the mission my parents served in. Not only that, but also being able to serve in the same zone where they first met. Suwon. Being in Suwon has been amazing. I have met sooo many people that knew my parents and many of those people have looked up to them. I'm not saying this to brag, but as I hear about my parents' mission days and how hard they worked, it makes me want to work even HARDER to be even close to what my parents were. At least weekly I run into people who knew my parents. It's been so cool to be able to work with these people that worked with my parents.

This week I bought a primary children's songbook for our investigator's daughter. She's been learning the violin and I thought it would be good to get some good solid church music for her to play! I bought it and I'm going to put my testimony in the front cover so that when she gets older, she'll be able to remember the missionaries and understand more about the gospel. She's too young to really understand now, and honestly at this rate, I don't think her family is going to convert, but I just wanted to do that little thing for her! I hope it means something to her in the future.

We went to the temple this week and on the way home, we started talking to this guy. He seemed really nice, talking with us and stuff, but it turns out he was just really drunk and he wanted to get our phone numbers so we just lied and said we didn't have a phone cause we were missionaries... haha the conversation lasted a good fifteen minutes until it was our subway stop. 

He asked Sister Driscoll "You're American right? Isn't it a custom to kiss people on the cheeks when you greet goodbye?" haha I hurried and said "No that's Europe!!!" and ran off the subway just in time! haha nice timing. We also had a lesson and Sister Driscoll was trying to say something like "Did you pray  about Joseph Smith?" And our investigator got a really worried look on her face. She thought Sister Driscoll had said "Did you pray TO Joseph Smith?" haha Korean...

We also had another lesson with an investigator that is strictly friend interest. She has no gospel interest and so it's been hard bringing up the gospel with her. But the day before we met with her, she texted us apologizing because she was probably going to be in a bad mood. I was prepared for the worst. We met and she poured out her soul. She knew she had all these trials and she just wanted a way to overcome them. I was actually able to connect with her really well through my experiences and I took that as an opportunity to bear my testimony and tell her that Heavenly Father knows us and he is always with us no matter what. I told her of my hard experiences in life and told her that Heavenly Father wouldn't give her anything she couldn't handle. We asked her to pray and she said that she would. 

It was really sad to see her at a time of struggle, but honestly, Sister Driscoll and I were thankful for it, because it gave us a chance to share our testimonies and help her through this hard time. Sister Driscoll and I also listen to this particular song every morning and I just wanted to share it. 

"There's a God above who's full of love

Who knows your name and wants to give you freedom.

He's not ashamed of who you are, where you've been or just how far you've run.

The Lord hears your prayers if you'll let Him.

God knows your name, He is your kind friend."

Anyway, have a great week everyone! We've been so busy that we don't even get a full P-day today! Too many appointments... WHAT?? Haha I don't know how it's happening...

LOVE YOU! 사랑해요!

Sister Johnson 존슨 자매 ^^