Monday, August 13, 2012

8/12/12

Wow, it is always such a blessing to hear about everything that everyone is doing! Especially when everyone is doing so well, it is another testament that the lord is answering my prayers! Korea is amazing, like always just way too much to tell you, but don't worry mom I'm an avid journal man :)

 This week has been really quite amazing in the 강남 area! really the Lord is starting to shower blessings upon us. So OK we have been teaching this family. they are Korean but lived in the UK for a while so they are pretty good at English. the dad's name is 오정근 (o-jung-kun) he is so nice. he's the one that seems to be most interested. he has struggles acting on his faith though. You see, like most Korean's he started off just interested in us teaching English but he is getting interested in the church. we taught him about faith and had him read Alma 32. he talked about the good feeling he got when he read it and it was almost like a fairy tale lesson because i taught him that his feeling was from the spirit and then like elder warren and i just worked off each other amazingly. The lord really allowed us to teach well that night. he said he wants more too read so we started him from the beginning of the book of Mormon and hopefully the spirit continues to testify to him. I also challenged him to pray daily, ha but when i asked him to give the closing prayer he said "nononononoooo, next week." i knew he'd say that, but now i got some leverage on him for next weeks appointment. we have had some great success from the Lord by getting new investigators.

 Yesterday at church, a lady from our English class came out of the blue because she said she feels so peaceful at church. so we taught her the first lesson during priesthood with takeyama. takeyama is our awesome ward mission leader, did i already tell you about him? well he's Korean but great up in japan and his Korean is about as good as mine. so teaching with him can be scary because he says some outrageous things and then laughs after. like after we taught Teresa the first lesson she asked about what happens if she comes next week to church and stuff and he was like "you get baptized, or you leave." but overall he has an amazing work ethic. Anyways after our lesson during priesthood, we then had to teach the gospel doctrine class. it was scary... because we had 2 investigators in there along with 2 recent converts and our ward missionary and ward mission leader. So figuring out a topic that was good for everyone was hard so we just taught the 2nd lesson. elder warren did most the talking but i did some, and was able to find a lot of good scriptures to use. I bore testimony of living with heavenly father and YOU (my family) in the eternities and the spirit was so powerful, the room was silent and I've come to really love the silence that can come with the spirit's presence. it's weird though because that was like one of the full first times that i got to teach in Korea. Everyone wants us to teach in English so it was a bit hard remembering some of the stuff i learned in the MTC. then after church we were catching back up on some records and the bishop runs in with the mission leader takeyama and says that some college student walked in and wants to know about our church! another major blessing! so we taught him, and have another appointment for him. He got interested hearing about Mitt Romney. It's just amazing how so many different things the Lord uses to bring people into gospel interest. Also, during sacrament and after church i helped confirm 홍정민 as a member, and gave him the Priesthood. The Spirit is always so strong during priesthood ordinances. I'm so grateful for the opportunities i have to exercise my priesthood.
Well some other fun things in Korea, did a contacting thing where we go to a massive intersection and just rotate and walk across the streets talking to people about the gospel. It was awesome, even with my broken Korean I'm able to communicate the way the Lord wants me to. I met some really cool people and i pray that they will allow us to teach them. ha i walk around bowing and smiling all day! it's the greatest! I'll lean over to elder warren and be like "OK, this person we are about to walk by, lets see if i can get a smile out of them" then i stare at them with a big smile, and say hello in Korean. and bow and behold they smile back....well most the time haha. I also did my first Korean phone calls the other day. We went through the area book because it was raining hard and street contacting is pretty ineffective in the rain so we were calling old investigators and stuff. haha i was struggling because i knew everything i needed to say but they would say something back and i would have no clue in the slightest what they'd say hahaha. luckily elder warren was there to listen in and help me. it was great. i absolutely love mission work!
Last p-day went to the palace, got some awesome pictures there, you'll love it mom because it's so "cultural," you too dad. ha i took a picture with some Chinese tourist's little son... ha kinda weird but they just loved how tall i was. meet some awesome kids doing sports 전도 "finding." man i play so much soccer here it's awesome Daryl! and i meet some amazing players. this one kid, is going to England to play on a club team and his footwork was soo cool! o that's one thing, that i may need is cleats? my feet/tennis shoes get torn up playing soccer so much. but I know it's expensive to send stuff so please do not feel obligated to!  i also play ball, everyone wants me to play basketball out here, i love that the lord gave me this skill to interact with people. went to Costco the other day, it's so weird how different food prices are here. like a little thing of syrup is 40 bucks! and a bar of cheese is 20! but it's OK, i got my essentials, and I'm sticking to my budget.
Tomorrow is temple day! i feel like I've been thirsting for the temple like the spiritual famine talked about in Amos 8:11-12! it will be such a great experience because i haven't gone in like 2 months, and the spirit of the temple is like nothing on earth. I encourage all of you to go! after we are spending p-day at this awesome shopping place and stuff, where everything is cheap. I'll see what i can find for you all but it probably won't be much ha, Korea isn't great for clothing when it comes to people our size.
Cool to hear that sister Lund is home! she's right, it could be the most humid place on earth but it's slowly getting better. in fact last night it randomly rained like crazy. no haven't been to a bath house and wont for a while. elder warren isn't a fan of them and i can see why. just a bunch of naked old men everywhere and yeah doesn't seem to sanitary ha ha ha But I am up for anything! I will keep you all posted on my bath house experience, when it happens. Tell sister Lund I am pals with a guy that was in the mtc with her named elder rife. In fact tell the whole Lund family hello and that Korea is awesome!
It sounds like everyone is great. so happy and blessed to hear about Alexi's scans being clean! She sounds like she is having fun working a ton and making that $$$! what kind of car are you getting fus?...did pearl die?...I'll find you some clothes and shoes ;) and Daryl you are gonna be so strong thanks to physical therapy! just push yourself and rely on the Lord. I am learning to do that a lot out here. Devin, i don't hear from you much bro, but i hear about you all the time. sounds like you are gonna tear it up on the field this year! film your games so i can watch them in a couple years haha and always listen to Mom and Dad; especially Mom. Dad is busy working hard but Mom is always there. keep working hard and have Bronson prepare you for your mission! Brons, you sound great. I'm so pumped for you to play and all that! gosh I'm not gonnna lie i talk you up all the time so now you gotta walk the walk for me! i love hearing about your practices and how well you are doing! keep it up, but don't get hurt!!!! Use your missionary spirit to help everyone in the fambam and on the team... and you and Alexis can't find spouses till i return....but date all you want. you and lex should go on a double date sometime with some people hahah *^^*.....wait.....are you dating anyone right now?! send me some pics in a letter or something of you in your football uniform with dev, and daryl's scars and lex with my nieces (porsche and josey) and stuff!  Mom, you just keep being who you've been your whole life, a service oriented go-getter I love you! Keep my siblings whipped in shape please! Dad, 2-a-days must be tough but at least you got brons there! I'm so grateful for all the support you've given me dad, and your lessons you and mom have taught me all my life are not being wasted out here. I pray that you are all doing well and that you are all coming closer to Christ. I love this work and I know that the Lord has prepared people in Korea, the work will continue! I love you all more then I can express, and I'm so blessed to have the best family ever.

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