Sept. 19

Hi family!!!

I'm actually going to send a quick email to you all because I'm going to have P-day on Monday, so in like 4 days. And not much has been happening for me in the past couple of days. Just teaching a couple people, going to institute with our investigators, getting fed there, going to FHE, and loving the YSA ward!!

Working with people my age is a little weird still, but it's so much fun! And they make the missionary work so much easier. I love that they do their own missionary work and then refer their friends to us. It's such a blessing to be here in Berkeley! And I love this campus and school! It's really tempting to consider transferring or something after my mission haha. 

But the people are so nice!! We also had stake conference this past Sunday and it was awesome. And!! We went to the temple this morning! AH! So good! The new movie is phenomenal. The church really knows what they're doing :)

Anyway, I gotta run, but I'll tell you more stuff on Monday!! Love you so much family! Hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

--Sister Kim

      --Yunberg

PS What is mom's church calling again? And just curious, have you sold my car?

Last week's email:

Sorry i'm behind!! Hopefully I will be able to keep up with them.... Here is Sister Kim's email from LAST week.  She won't be emailing today but will email on Thursday.  I will post her email some time on Thursday night.

Hello again family~

So. I've received a transfer call! I'm leaving San Leandro tomorrow and I will be serving in.....

BERKELEY YOUNG SINGLE ADULTS. 

I'm officially going to be serving amongst my fellow college-aged members of the church. As well as my companion is my MTC companion, Sister Miller. She's been there the past two transfers and so she is the senior companion (though younger than me, oh well). I hope that it'll all work out. 

Everyone has been saying that Berkeley YSA is perfect for me and my personality and that I'm going to do a super good job there. I hope that's true. It's weird going to be serving with YSA but I've been told it's super fun! So I'm excited for what lies ahead. 

The funny thing though is that I've been meeting Korean people in San Leandro almost every day this past week or so. There's a less-active in our ward who's Korean, I met a Korean guy on the street while tracking down a less-active. I met a couple from Korea on temple grounds, and I just had a Korean lady help me at the post office. So much Korean being used here and now I have to leave! 

But I've realized something. Man, when I was told I was getting transferred I almost started to cry because I wouldn't see my investigators anymore! And I won't be with this ward either! :( And then it hit me just how much I've come to love San Leandro and the people here. And then I thought: If it hurts this much to leave an area I love, imagine what it'll feel like when I have to leave the mission and come home! :O I'm beginning to understand and see why missionaries miss their mission soooooo much when they get home. 

Time is going by so quickly! I can't believe it. It's going by faster each transfer and I can't believe just how lazy I was at home! I can't sit around and do nothing out here before I begin getting anxious. You can be so productive in a day! There's another thing I've learned on the mission! 

Anyway, yes, my investigators and the ward found out I was leaving yesterday at church and it was a sad moment. But I'm going to always remember everyone here! I'm excited to go to Berkeley. Funny thing, everyone seems to already know I'm coming to Berkeley! Yesterday at the Visitors' Center and at a fireside all the missionaries were like "Sister Kim! I hear you're going to Berkeley!" or "Sister Kim! How do you feel about going to Berkeley?" and I'm just like "How do you even know this already?!" Word spreads fast in the church haha

The investigators here are doing so awesome! The mom and daughter are progressing so much! Especially the mom, who hasn't been smoking for about a week now! :D She's doing so great and she tells us all the time just how much easier the gospel has helped her quit smoking. I can't wait for them to get baptized next month!

Our other investigator is still at 1 a day -_- but we have faith that he can finish it off soon! He really does have a strong testimony of the gospel and loves it a ton, but he is also really prone to procrastinating...a lot. Guh. I told him yesterday at church that I'm going to check up on him through the sisters to make sure he's reading and praying everyday! 

Hmm...other than that, I think that's about it this week. Nothing too exciting has happened. I keep finding opportunities to play the piano though! That's been nice :) And I was reading my patriarchal blessing yesterday morning and it talks a lot about how if I use my talents for good that I can help bring the spirit to the lives of others and such. Just like I did when I first got my patriarchal blessing, I felt the same spirit and reassurance that I was supposed to serve a mission and that everything I've gone through and done was to help others come unto Christ while on a mission. I feel so blessed to have the spirit tell me these things!

I also was told by the spirit over the past couple of days how much I need to change myself for the better. I'm such a stubborn person!! I think my biggest challenge on the mission is changing my own self to have more charity and humility, as well as to always remember that it doesn't always have to be my way! Gah. I'm so sorry, family, for how stubborn I've been these past years! And even when I am aware of all of this, it's still so hard for me to change! I've been grateful for the Atonement and the many chances it gives me to keep trying everyday. Hopefully by the end of my mission I will be changed! 

Anyhow, life is good. I'm getting so excited for Christmas-time at the visitors' center! My chances of being there during that time is good for now! We shall see what happens. 

I'm excited to report about my new area next week! And we get to attend the temple next week as well! I'll finally be able to see the new endowment movie that everyone is raving about. :)

I love you so much family. You guys are the best. Dad sent me a BUNCH of pictures of you guys and Auden and I show them to everyone. Everyone always comments about how adorable and precious and cute Auden is and then how pretty and beautiful mom and sister are. Sorry dad and Nelson! But in the end everyone always says that we look like such a happy family.

There is one particular picture dad sent me of Auden laughing; it's a GREAT kodak moment because he has this HUGE smile on his face. And I've been talking to people about that picture and how it perfectly shows why we need to be as a child: humble, meek, submissive, innocent, and trusting in others. Auden's laugh and face is just so pure and full of the spirit. As I look at that picture I think "That is how Heavenly Father sees me!" I love it.

Thank you all for being such great examples to me. I miss you guys so much each and every day. Keep being yourselves and showing the light of Christ. Moroni 7:45-47! 

--Sister Kim

     --Yunberg

            --ddong

                   --the cooler sister

Another email

Hey family!!

The visitors' center (VC) is a lot harder than I expected! Not only do we learn about conducting tours and such, we also have to do online proselyting, which is doing the mormon.org chatting as well as phone calls. Conveying the spirit to people over chat or phone is really hard! But it's so awesome to be part of a missionary work where (literally) the world is your area. It's really tough, but I love being a VC missionary. Everyone is always saying VC sisters just stand there pretty or don't really have a true call, but being a part of it now makes me see that everyone doesn't know what they're talking about haha.
Yesterday, we had volunteers come in so we could practice talking to them as VC sisters, and it was really great. My companion and I had a girl come in who said she and her friends were doing a bunch of "churchy" stuff to get spiritual again and to support their friend who was inactive but is now going on a mission. She said they come to the MTC and volunteer every so often and she's just been ok with it, nothing too special. I asked her how often she reads her scriptures and she then went off on a long response on how she's been reading a lot lot more than she's ever had and she's trying to find that fiery passion of how she knows the Book or Mormon is true and all. When she finished she was like, "Sorry for the long response to your question; I don't even know if I answered it." Well, she definitely did. And it was so so amazing to see that that was her testimony! She had showed her faith and brought in the spirit so strongly and she didn't even know it! We saw the light of Christ in her so much and it was amazing. My companion and I told her just that and encouraged her to keep going strong, because we could see so much potential in her! We shared relatable stuff as well and we all became teary-eyed actually. In the end she told us that she felt like we were the answer to her prayer, that she felt like she needed some acknowledgement from Heavenly Father to help her keep going strong. We felt so special and we all just felt the Spirit more. I hope that she'll continue going strong and that she can feel Christ's love for her. It was an amazing experience, and that feeling that you get is just amazing. I can't wait to help others come unto Christ as well, especially in the VC where there are some people who are willing to talk to missionaries there than in their homes.

Life is going pretty well! I leave the MTC in 5 days! Time has flown by fast, and now that I'm comfortable here (and still in Utah), it now feels surreal that I'm leaving. I'm actually going to be out and in the field in 5 days! I'm super excited for all the stories and adventures I'll gain.

Happy father's day Nelson and Dad!!! You two are so great. I love you guys so much.

Here are some pictures for you all! Make sure to show Auden my face!! I'll be sending multiple emails because they limit 4 pictures per email. 

-the temple on our first Sunday temple walk here

-my companion, Sister Miller, and I on our first Sunday here

First email

Hi family!

The computer I'm using right now doesn't let me change the keyboard language so I'll try and send you another email sometime later today in Korean.

Thank you so much for the email, Dad. It's been really hard seeing everyone else in my district getting mail everyday and not getting anything for myself. It's been really tough here, but I know that Heavenly Father loves me and my family loves me too.

The MTC is really hard. Mom and dad will be reading one of my letters that I sent. I really wanted to come home a few days ago. I didn't want to cry in front of my roommates or district so I didn't cry until I started praying to Heavenly Father that night. I don't think I've ever cried while praying to Heavenly Father. I really felt alone and I didn't know what to do. I asked him to help me feel loved and to have peace. Heavenly Father truly answers prayers. As I finished my prayer and laid down to sleep, I felt this peace within me and a reassurance that I'm never alone! I needed to practice what I preach -- that I'm truly never alone and Jesus Christ has already suffered my grievances and trials and knows what I was feeling right then. I cried some more but the peace helped me fall asleep very easily.

That next day was this past Sunday. Everyone says that if you can make it through Sunday, you can make it through the MTC. I think those are wise words because Sunday was full of uplifting words and testimonies. I bore my testimony in Sacrament, and I listened very carefully to mission conference and devotionals. I also got the opportunity to make new friends! I love seeing all the missionaries going to Korea, and I always at least say Hi to them when I see them. However, when we were in line for the Sunday night devotional I saw two elders studying Korean. I asked them which mission they're going to (Busan) and we started talking. I answered a few Korean questions for them (grammar) and we exchanged emails to keep in contact. The cool thing was they were from England and Australia!

I wish I was going to Korea sometimes. Because then I could have a chance at talking to our family about the Gospel. But I know that I'm needed in California; who knows why, but that's where I'm going and that's where I'll be. And I'm sure these missionaries going to Korea will do a good job. If it weren't for missionaries, mom and dad wouldn't have joined the church and you guys wouldn't be able to raise us in this wonderful Gospel. It's thanks to the missionaries that our family is here where we are now. Those missionaries who taught you two, mom and dad, that started a whole generation of a family who will love and grow in the Gospel!!

My companion is two years younger than me and she's from Ohio. She was a cheerleader in high school, and she has a very very strong personality of taking over control too much. You guys should know I'm not that type of person to let people do that to me, so it's been tough. I've definitely been practicing patience. Every single girl I've met also has a boyfriend. What's up with that?! So every night my roommates talk about their boyfriends and blah blah blah...bleh. 

I'm definitely practicing patience here. And I need to keep having a positive mindset because talking about things negatively only bring me down.

I've also been crying a lot whenever I talk about you guys. The importance of family has grown soooo much more as I've been missing you guys more than ever. Yesterday when we were meeting our investigator from the TRC I was relating to her about family and talked about you guys. I said that our family has learned to be really close because our extended family all live in Korea. It was really tough as I tried not to cry a lot in front of them. I love our family!!! I wouldn't trade our family for anything. We truly are a blessed family. Especially now with Auden! Man, I miss that sweet little boy. Just thinking about him saying "immo? immo?" puts a smile on my face. It touches my heart a lot.

I have some pictures to send to you guys! Except I don't have my camera right now, woops. I'll try and send them later today as well. My P-days are on Tuesdays; I'm in the laundry room right now and just emailing the few people who have contacted me.

Sister, is it possible if you could maybe get some addresses for me so I can write them? Or tell people to send me letters or use "DearElder"? I would love getting some letters. It really is hard seeing everyone else get letters. Emails aren't near as great. I see why missionaries love letters now.

What else to say...I think I'm improving as a missionary. It's so hard work. A set schedule that's mainly studying is difficult. Going all day, from 7:15-9:30, is tough work. I've never been more drained in my life. I miss music, dancing, sports, the piano! But my companion and I got called to be the music organizers in our zone. So pretty much we just pick what hymns are being sung in church and finding musical numbers. We also find people who can play the piano and lead as well. Even though it's not much, for me it means a ton. Music can bring in the Spirit and set the tone so easily. Music is so much to me and at least being able to be involved with it some way or another is all that I need.

I don't know what I'll be doing for P-day yet. Usually I'd be sleeping right now if I were at home haha. But I'm just glad I can be in normal clothes and be able to take this chance to rejuvenate. 

I love you family. I miss you more than anything right now. I wish I spent more time with you guys, not just before the mission but in general. I hope that you can feel the love I have for you guys. My teacher taught us that our first investigators to worry about is our family. And so everyday I pray to Heavenly Father, thanking him for your love and for you guys and ask him to bless you guys more than anything and to let you guys know that I love you. 

We've done one week! Now only 78 more to go. Actually, I was told that missions for girls are actually 17 months because of how transfers go. So only 74 weeks to go! I think... you may have to check my math out, but that's about the right number.

Please keep me updated on everything! Send me pictures, letters, "DearElder"s, emails, all through the week! The more I have to read on P-day and throughout the week, the better.

I love you family. I can't wait to bring you blessings for this work I'm part of.

--Sister Yunnie Kim (aka Yun-berg) (aka Ddong)

PS I don't have Nelson's email unnie. Send it to me maybe?

To Contact Sister Kim.....

(please click the image to enlarge)

Check out Sister Kim's talent! 

She did this all herself! If you need to get a hold of her, please use the information above. 

Day 1: Here We Go

Welcome to those who are here to know about Sister Yunnie Kim's mission adventures!

Ginnie, here.  Her older, wiser, awesome sister ;) who will be documenting her life for the next 18 months.  What a treat!! 

Today was the day: Yunnie entered the MTC and will be leaving for Oakland/San Francisco in about three weeks.  She has been/is super excited to serve the Lord.  I wonder now what she's doing....

Today has been a weird day for everyone for my family, and I think it's safe to say that it was weird/exciting for Sister Kim as well.  On one hand, eagerness and happiness.  What a great deed she's doing! The other, loneliness.  There have been so many times today where I've wanted to call my sister up and talk... and then I realized I couldn't.  It was a really sad feeling.  I have never been in this situation.  I am so proud of my sister, but boy oh boy, I am missing her.  I will miss her every day for the next year and a half.  

Please stay tuned for her future letters!  I am sure they will be full of epic tales. :)