Transfers???.... Transfer!!!

When he initially wrote he left us all hanging... him included!  He finally sent the news at about 10:30 last night!  Enjoy!  Oh, by the way... "White Washing" means to open an area!!!!

Recieved 8:30 PM
So I am still waiting on my transfer call.....i am super nervous!!! :) haha i should be getting it any minute....everyone else in the district has gotten calls or figured out what they are doing except me....:( haha so I am a bit nervous. But I know I am leaving Cheonan. I said by to all the members yesterday and most of our investigators. ANd President gave me permission to come back for 김일환s baptism!!! Which is next sunday!!!!:) I am so excited for him!!!!!He has such a strong testimony and has changed so much it is going to be awesome!!!!:) Oh and it seems like 청마 still hasn't ended (the rainy season) haha it has been raining like crazy all week! I just hope it isn't raining on transfer day...:) haha anyways things here are going super well. the zone is getting split and elder hansen's new companion is going to be Elder Smith who was in the same room as me at the MTC! So he now has had 3 people from my 동이(MTC Group? im not sure how to translate that exactly it is more of a feeling :)haha) Anyways it has definitely been a week full of miracles and a great chance to be able to look back and see how much the lord has blessed me these last few months while i have been serving here. It has been super difficult to say good bye but I know I am on to share this wonderful gospel with more people and I cant wait! :) Anyways I hope all is going well! Ill let you all know more as soon as I find out...Im kinda having a hard time focusing cuz I just am nervous waiting for transfer calls :) hahaha


Received 10:30 PM:
Hey just got transfer calls!!!! HOLY CRAZINESS!!!!! I am going senior, trainer, and white washing an area! Holy cow!!! I am definitely gonna need all the prayers i can get!!! so i will have one of the new missionaries from the MTC and I find out who it is on thursday when I meet him!!! and my new area is called 정앙 in 전주 (Cheongang in Junju)!!!!:) Love ya all!!!
Love Elder Bigler

July 21- how I study

Here's his last update, enjoy!

holy cow another week has flown by!!!!:) crazy! Anyways it has been another amaazing week out here in korea! But now that 창마 (monsoon season) is coming to an end it is SUPER hummid! :) haha and I here it just gets worse! It is definitley making me lose weight like crazy....but hey I am not complaining! :) haha anyways in the next few weeks typhoon season starts and then I hear it just gets hotter and more hummid! :) But life here is fantastic! :) I am learning so much every day and growing like crazy! I have definitely been blessed to be getting so much out of my studies and honestly that has grown to be one of my favorite times of the day! :) Grammy was wondering how it is that I do my studies now since I learned from that old brilliantly wise man :) The answer is well kinda complicated to explain merely over email or letter but basically I have this big book that I got(all blank) and use it as my study journal. I started off by going through PMG and all the Christlike Attributes and designating one page to each attribute. Then I would take notes I had from previous lessons of devotionals and add to them. Then I started going through the book of mormon and looking at all the different prophets and making a page for each starting with Lehi, Nephi and so on....then as I was doing this I would think about Christlike attributes they exemplifed and how and would go back and add to the notes I had on the Christlike attributes. Then I would think of ways I could apply the attributes or try to act in such a ways as Lehi or Nephi to improve those attributes in my life and then go back and add more thoughts and feelings I had from the experiences I gained. The idea is to keep looking for ways to pull from all our resources, link everything to Christ and then apply it into our lives. Living in the world we live in is often times dark, confusing, and overwhelming. But one thing I have come to notice is that despite how dismal things may be there is always a deep rooted light that we can find! I admit it gets to be very hard at times but the times we go the deepest to find those roots, the deeper we find ourselves rooted into the joy and light of this gospel. I think the best process which I have seen work even before coming on my mission is study, learn, apply, review.....and always going back and seeking to find ways to pull everything we have learned all together. And i have no doubt that the center of all joy and happiness is our Savior Jesus Christ! :) So that is kinda how I have been doing my studies and it has been amazing. I try to pull from as many resources as I can and when ever I find something new I go back and add it :) It has been great! :)

Anyways details about the area :) Things are going super well! :) 김일환 (Kim, Il Whan) is still preparing for baptism! :) He is doing so great! :) He gets to meet with president this week sometime to finalize everything and then he will be right there getting baptized with his kids! :) He is so full of the love of Christ and so eager to get baptized! He has been expressing his love and testimony so strongly and has been a great support to the members! :) he is awesome! As for the boys I had to say my goodbyes to  이효빈 (Ei, yong Bin) he is going to soul for the next two weeks for vacation and I will almost certainly be transfered next week because I have been here so long. But he promised to read the book of mormon every night while he is gone and to pray 2 times every day! :) He is loving the gospel and the happines it is bring him every day! :) I am so happy for him and can't wait to stay in contact and see how he is doing! :) I am already starting to realize how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to everyone. I have made so many eternal friendships and it is hard to have to say by! I have truly givin my all for this ward and have grown so closely with all of them ! They have been such a huge blessing to me and have helped me so much! :) I can't wait to see them and be with them again! Anyways I hope you all have an amazing week! :) You are all in my prayers and I hope you all do well! :) Thanks for everything!!!!
LOVE

Elder Bigler

Week of miracles - eye update!

Here is Tyler's email... I've left it unedited :) (i did underline a particular point of interest. :) I want to thank all those who have been praying for his eye, and for success in his labors, they have definitely been heard and answered! Enjoy!!!

Holy Week of miracles!!!!!!!!!!:):):):) Oh goodness I don't even know where to start! :) Well Ill start at the beginning. So sadly 김일환 smoked monday morning so he wasn't able to get baptized this past sunday but he is right on track to get baptized this sunday!!!!:) Keep praying! He is working so hard and is looking so hard but he is really suffering from the withdrawls so he needs all the help he can get. We fasted with him yesterday and it went so well! He said how he knows he wants this and it is worth everything. He even said he has been trying to quit smoking for a long time but every time he tried he just couldn't do it. But for some reason this time he has a new strength he couldn't explain that has been helping!! He has such a strong testimony! It is so powerful! He has worked so hard, given so much and is doing the best he can. Things have been super rough for him since his wife left him but the change that can be seen from the time we started meeting with him is tremendous! The gospel really does change lives! :) So this week will be his baptism with his two kids! :) 이효빈 성상욱과 박재현 are doing great(the three boys)! They are starting to build there testimonies and are just studs! :) haha they weren't able to come to church this week because of church but are planning on adjusting their work schedule, which is EXTREMELY difficult and risky in Korea, so that they can come out to church!:) They still don't have a solid baptismal date but we have talked to them about it and they all say that it seems like the right thing to do :) haha anyways they are doing great! :) I also had a super fun split with Elder Fund from my 동이( im not quite sure how to translate that word....basically he came to korea in my group:)) and we had a ton of fun on tuesday and wednesday! :) Then came the wednesday miracle. I went into the eye doctor :) Heavenly Father is definitely watching over and blessing his missionaries! My eye is completely healed! In fact some how or another my stigmatism was healed and I no longer need glasses!!! Holy miracle!!!!:) So I didn't end up going to seoul for a second opinion :) definitely a huge blessing from the lord! The only thing that is left is a small little scar above my eye to remember the miracle God has given me! :) Anyways Korea is going awesome! :) our zone is doing crazy good! :) We are doing the best in the mission as of right now! :) 11 baptisms to happen in the next month! :) That is more than this zone had all year!!!!:) There are definitely prepared people and God is definitely hastening his work! We will get presidents goal and it will be amazing! :) Since coming to 천안 i have seen so many miracles! :) the ward has grown from 108 active members to 146 active members! :) we have been blessed to help reactivate 5 families and baptize a few families as welll! They are all doing great! I love them all so much! It definitely wont be easy to have to say bye...but I know i will get to see them all again! :) They already all added me as friends on facebook I just have to add them when I get home ;) haha. anyways life is going great! :) Korea is beautiful! It has been raining like crazy and it is super super humid! No matter what you do you are always sweating here :) haha oh well its still a blast! :) and everything is so green and goregeous! :) Sad thing is no AC as the appartment so it is crazy hot! :) haha Anyways I hope all is going well! Keep working hard and look for opportunities to share the tremendous blessings you have in your life with those around you! :) I love you all!

Love

Elder Bigler

Miracles and eye update!

Alright about a weekly update :) haha oh my goodness time just never slows down that is for sure! Anyways it was so great to hear from everyone! :) You are all amazing! Thanks so much for the prayers and everything! I can definitely feel them! So this week has been a big huge crazy busy super fun exciting adventure!!!!:) Where to start.....well we got a new mission president! That in and of itself definitely brought about a ton of change! On wednesday I had the blessing of being able to be a part of the leadership council meeting with him. As he met with all of the zone leaders and sister coordinators it was amazing to see his excitiment and thrill for missionary work! :) It was so amazing. He is like a greenie in mission president form and he is defnitley being led by the spirit of the Lord! I am so excited to serve under him and to help him however I can! Anyways as he met with us he shared with us the experience he had as he prayed and fasted prior to becoming the mission president out here. After he recieved his call people began asking him what his vision was for our mission and he wasn't sure. So he fasted and prayed intently for several weeks. And when he shared this vision with us that he received in answer to his prayers the spirit overwhelmed me and told me this had come as direct revelation from our heavenly father! It was one of the coolest feelings ever! Anyways as he started sharing his vision we were all taken in awh....It is absolutely amazing! And will only be possible with the help of the Lord. However I have no doubt that it will happen! :) His vision is to, after 3 years, have 2,000 active members in each of the stakes in the Daejeon mission! there are 5 stakes right now so that totals 10,000 active members in the Daejeon mission! As of right now there are a total of 2,082 active members in the entire mission. Anyways after showing the major vision he broke it all down into how the Lord intends for us to find these other 8,000 members and how we can strengthen the stakes here in Korea! I know we can do it and I am going to do everything I can to make sure it happens! Anyways we returned home and I decided to get right to work with Elder Hansen. We looked at eachother and read through the vision again and said we are going to show the zone that this is God's plan! We didn't waste anytime! We made 5 appointments and got right to work! And the spirit was driving and guiding us in every step! It was amazing! This next week 김일환 is getting baptized with his 2 kids! :) His testimony is so strong and he is working so hard to be prepared and worthy to be baptized! Please pray earnestly for him to have strength to keep abstaining from smoking, he is working hard and needs all the support he can get! :) Also we met with the boys! Oh they are awesome! They are coming to church this next sunday and we talked to them about baptism and are setting dates with them this week! :) Crazy awesome experience with them! :) ( i figure i better account for the experience cuz grammy wants details and sadly I have been holding out to share when I get home :) anyways here is one miracle I have exprienced! :) ) So we were meeting with the boys and they are just golden investigators! I love them so much! :) Anyways we sat down and asked them if they had read the book of mormon introduction like we had asked them to...they had, in fact they read it separately and then read it again together right before meeting with us! :) They said they felt something special when reading it and wanted to make sure they all felt the same thing :) haha anyways so we met with them and talked to them about the 1st lesson! It went awesome and we finished it off talking about the holy ghost and also how we can communicate with God through prayer...side note.....정마 has started (cheong ma is the rainy season in Korea....it has been pouring all week!!!:) haha anyways) and it had been raining hard all day both prior to and through the lesson. Anyways at the end of the lesson we closed with a prayer and 이효빈 (EE Hyo Been), one of the boys, said he would like to say the closing prayer! We were like, yes of course by all means please say the prayer ;) haha anyways his prayer was very simple and sweet talking about how he was glad to have met us and to have been able to come to our church and a couple little things like that but then he specifically prayed that the rain would stop so that we(the missionaries) since he knew we had to walk home, could walk home dry and not get wet. It was so sweet of him. Well the rain was pouring like crazy and by no means did it stop when he said those words. He was like well maybe youre supposed to get wet :) haha anyways we started making our way out of the church with the boys turning of the lights and everything else. No sooner did we open the door to walk out side, the rain completely stopped! Well you can guess.....the boys went crazy! :) haha they were so excited and it was a huge testimony builder for them! And me and elder Hansen were blessed to walk the forty minutes home completely dry....and as soon as we walked into the apartment.....yup the rain came down and the floods came up ;) haha anyways just thought I would share that little story.....There have been tons more this week that I would love to share but I sadly don't have time... Anyways I just wanted to let you know that God really is aware of all of our prayers. He listens to each of us and loves us so much! I know for a fact that if we will go to him in daily prayer seeking for answers we will find them...he will make our weekness strengths if we humble ourselves before him. He loves us, more than we could ever under stand! I am so grateful to be out here, to be able to see so many of his mighty miracles being placed in the lives of those who are searching for truth and striving to live according to his will! God is definitely a god of miracles today just as he was in days of old! :)  Anyways I love you all so much! Thanks for everything! I can't wait to be able to share more stories and hear from you all and all the amazing things happening in your lives!

 

Love Elder Bigler

 

PS I thought I would type in a little update on my eye... Thanks so much for the prayers and concern I have definitely felt them and have felt the miracles that have come from them. From the outside my eye looks completely healed! :) You can hardly even tell I had stitches! The doctor did an amazing job and Heavenly father definitley helped speed the healing so I wouldn't scare away investigators :) haha anyways as far as internally I went into the doctor and everything seems to be just fine. The bleeding has not grown any and has not gotten any worse, sadly however it hasn't improved. He wants to keep a watch on it for a while. President Shin wants me to get a second opinion so we are planning on going to the hospital in Seoul. Since everything is going well and we are super busy getting 김일환 and his family ready for the baptism we are planning on going to the hospital next week. If anything changes or appears to get worse though I will be right in to the hospital here in my area:) So everything is definitely looking good and improving! I feel so blessed! :) The doctor isnt worried about my eye at all and thinks that over the next two months the bleeding should go completely away :) Thank you all for your prayers they are definitely working! :)