Week 59

November 26, 2017

New area, new difficulties...

well I'm here in Gangnam... should be an adventure... hehe the area is super super super super super super super super super super rich and it feels like you are on the Vegas strip always. It kinda feels like home... but even if you have never served a mission just imagine trying to go on the Vegas strip and get people to stop and talk to you about Jesus.... sounds nearly impossible right? haha (painful laugh)

No but the area is good. Every missionary told me that the area is too hard and that no one talks to you and that you always get rejected, but I don't care what people think. I am going into this area positive and not with a give up attitude. Because of that in my first 4 days in the area I got more numbers that the previous missionaries got in the last three transfers. I learned here that life is all about attitude. The previous missionaries felt the area was too hard and they would never be able to talk to people and get numbers. They were right. I came in thinking there will be a lot of new people and there are a ton of people on the streets here in Gangnam, surely I will get a lot of numbers. I was right.

So my new companion and I were in the MTC together and it was a really good reunion! He has changed a lot and grown up a ton! The district is really really young! The oldest person here has been in Korea a little over a year, just 6 weeks longer than me! So we are young but I am sure we will work hard!

So this week on Pday we just relaxed. I had a farewell lunch with a close friend and then we just came home and told stories and talked. Fun day! That night I had another farewell with our ward mission leader and our investigator that will be baptized soon! I was especially sad to say goodbye to him ;(

Tuesday was a crazy day. I had so much to pack and not too much time, but I got to say goodbye to 4 of some of my favorite members. I actually had two dinners in one night! Sorry guys I wanted to see you both!

Wednesday was move day. I got my new comp and headed out to the new area. It's a big city. and wow it's a rich city.... and yeah I just got unpacked did some studies talked about the area and the people and got to work!

Thursday was the first full day in Gangnam and it was crazy! We had to start the day with studies and then went straight to district meeting. Afterwards, we had a ward mission coordination meeting that took FOREVER... like 2 hours longer than it needs to be. Then we had a Thanksgiving dinner with Brother Kern! He is a returned missionary from Korea back working for Samsung. so he wanted us to feel like home and boy did I!!! It was a good night and we talked to a fair amount of people that day!

Friday we got to spend a lot of time outside which was good! We talked and met some really cool people. We also had a really good planning session for our area and for ways that we can work hard! We also had a district dinner and bonding time so that was fun!

Saturday was a rainy day.. we couldn't do much.. but we still were able to get somethings done. We had a great meal with a member! She owns a super delicious restaurant and she said every thing is free and get however much you want. Then we had English class and there was a huge huge party going on at the church that all of Korea was invited to! It was a special music night and I got to see some new members which was awesome!!!! But other than that we had to spend the day inside and we just updated records and did calls and studies and more planning... I hate rainy days/

Then Sunday was the first impression to the ward. Hmmm lets just say it it could have been worse. there were 2 or 3 really friendly people for sure! Every ward has them, but my three previous areas have had some of most friendly awesome amazing members... so this could be a change. But yeah church was good and people liked my introduction talk and we participated in the primary program which was really fun!!!! hehe and then we went stickerboarding as a district after church!

Over all a good week and I am excited to work in this area! It will be hard for sure but it will be worth it!

And I will end with the experience we had sticker boarding! So the people do reject a lot I won't lie. Like I said at the beginning I won't let that stop me. So we had been asking people to stick stickers for an hour and a talked and everyone said no. Like I have never been rejected by so many people in that short amount of time. It was crazy, and I got so tired of it that I kinda made a bet with the new Elder in our district. I said "how many people do you think will reject me before I get a high five?" He guessed 100 and he guessed 10. Well the first person I jumped in front of and asked high fived me. She left with a big smile and so did i....

So I got the idea to just high five people. If no one will stick a sticker then I'll just make sure everyone that passes me leaves with a smile. The place we were at was right by a store playing really loud Christmas music! The setting was perfect, so I was off being goofy and high fiving girls, guys, kids, grandparents, couples, and workers and everyone was laughing and having a good time and smiling.  Then the new Elder joined in, then another sister, then the other sister and finally the last Elder! Pretty soon our whole district was high fiving people and the whole street we were on lit up with laughter and smiles! I may have not gotten to spread the gospel as much as I wanted that night, but at least I spread joy and happiness, which is what this gospel brings!

Elder Goon

Week 58

November 19, 2017

Well you guys should all be very excited! i am going to the place in Korea that every one knows in the whole world! Gangnam!! Haha yes indeed the super famous song Gangnam style by Psy. This should be interesting! 

Well this week was great lots of ups and downs but that's life. I say a great quote at a members house last night that said "life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, but learning to dance in the rain." i believe that and want to get better at dancing in the rain! 

So Monday was the best best Pday ever!!!! We played card games all day as a district! I taught them hand and foot and village idiot and speed and it was a blast! super fun! and then for family home evening we had volleyball night! The people invited this time were a lot better! like a ton!! So it was way fun, and we destroyed our competitors! It was a super super awesome fun day and it felt just like my life at home! Sports and card games with people I love! 

Tuesday was an adventure. We had two of the most spiritual lessons I have ever had! One was with a fairly new person. We had met him once before and he showed very little interest or potential. We had given him a Book of Mormon and decided to give him a second chance. When we met he talked about how he had read an entire Mormon wiki online and started the Book of Mormon and was really interested! He even asked if he could bring his friends next time we met! It was awesome and we taught him a short version of the restoration! 

Wednesday we had an EARTHQUAKE!!!!! My first one ever happened as a missionary in Korea, who would have thunk? Well I would have died had it been serious. we were in the middle of district meeting and the phone alarm rang and the earth started to shake and everyone in our district (including the 70 year old senior couple) hit the floor and got under the table super quick. Meanwhile I just sat there and had no clue what was going on because I had never felt something like this. Well it was only a 5.5 so nothing to worry about Mom, I'm fine. 

Thursday was a fun day! We had a service activity on the base and we served a free thanksgiving meal! It was fun and we got to meet a lot of cool people! I was the photographer so I just walked around taking pictures! We served with some return veterans from the Vietnam war. They were amazing. They held themselves up and they were so proud and they had been through very hard times and they were awesome men. Serving in a military branch has brought me a much much greater appreciation for our servicemen.

We also had a great meal with a amazingly sweet lady and it was a lot of fun! 

Friday and Saturday were very tough... but after all the pain came one of the best nights of my mission! 

So just to sum up the days we had 8 out of our 9 appointments cancel, and they canceled when we got there, so it was not fun. But on Saturday we had a Thanksgiving meal with some awesome members! They had lived in America for 26 years and they wanted to make us feel like we were back at home! They were amazing members and like translated for conference and they met the prophets and they raised two awesome daughters! They even lived in Vegas! It was a fun fun night! 

Sunday was my last day and it was bitter sweet. I am always sad to leave, but its getting easier, plus I didn't have the opportunity to stay as long as I liked. Hopefully I'll go to my next area and be there to stay! 

So I wanted to end with the other lesson we had on Tuesday. It was with Won Jung Ho our super awesome investigator scheduled to be baptized. He asked the question "have we ever given something up for the church?" Of course! our lives for 2 years. We started talking about the things we gave up to be here and the things we are missing out just for him. There was a lot of tears and the spirit was so strong. It really helped him and he has come a long way. He texted us the night before church that he had been reading Moroni 10, watching the video about Thomas S. Monson and the bible videos. He then said see you at church. He is progressing so well and really changing and his heart is becoming soft and open. 

I spent the first year of my mission outside every day for 10 hours with no one to teach. This transfer I got to spend almost every day inside teaching. It was amazing and this man that I have been teaching for the past 12 years had opened my eyes and brought to my eyes the light and the change the gospel can bring in someone! 

Elder Goon