Week 57

November 12, 2017

Oh kay I am sorry that recently I have been super bad about emails, I'll do better from now on I promise. 

So to start this week... we had the first annual (and probably last) TURKEY BOWL!!! Our mission has some pretty dang good athletes and me and myself put together a "council" and drafted players and teams and we all got together and played a big game of football to celebrate Thanksgiving, it was so fun and reminded me of the good old times where me and my 5 best friends would go out and play 3 on 3 and my team would always win ;) but I was more than exhausted after!!!!!

Nevertheless, Monday night we had a huge miracle. So every Sunday we have a dinner with all the single unaccompanied military people. I have gotten really close with a member named Troy. As we were walking and talking on the way to the dinner last Sunday a coworker of his stopped him and said I have been impressed my whole life with your religion, can I have a pamphlet or something and learn more. Well he said...actually... (as he turned and looked at me haha ;)) 

So we met with him on the next day Monday and He. Is. Amazing. I learned that God really is preparing people and we just have to be examples in everything we say and do and always be ready to share. Just so you can see how amazing this man is he said these few things. 

1. The thing that impresses me most about your church is your ban on alcohol 

2. I think society is letting the family principles and traditions fall and that's not OK.

3. I always was confused on why Christians have the belief that Christ performed all these miracles when he was on the earth, but haven't seen divine intervention since. I am happy to learn that somewhat recently God did reach out again to Joseph Smith. 

I learned a lot from him and felt so good meeting with him and it was amazing for me to have met a prepared son of God. And he brings up great points... and really the gospel is simple and makes sense. God hasn't changed and he is still her for us and has a church and a prophet and a plan for us. All we have to do is read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and when we get the answer that it is true be baptized and don't give up.   

Anyways on Tuesday and Wednesday we were super busy with doing language evaluations with the new missionaries in our district. We also taught Korean class like always on Tuesday. Nothing special on those days. 

Thursday we had Zone conference and it was awesome! I had one of the best spiritual experience I have ever had in my life while watching the new #lighttheworld video. I was just watching Jesus Christs' life people and I realized how much he has lifted me, and how much more he will lift me and all that he has done for me so that I can lift myself to a higher purpose and a higher meaning. 

Friday I had to go and renew my foreigner card because I have almost been in Korea for a year. That was 6 hours of my day because the place I had to go was so far away!! But when we left at 10 in the morning it was not raining... after 2 hours on the subway it was a tiny bit sprinkling, after my appointment it was a little wetter, and then after another two hours home it was coming down hard.... we had about a 400m sprint to the bus stop... we geared up and took off and not one second after we stepped out of the subway station a literal hurricane hit!!! It was absolutely crazy and it was blowing signs on the street over and trash cans and people and me and Elder Perry just kept sprinting and by the time we got to the bus stop I was drenched and it was fun...

But after wards we met with 원정호. (won jung ho) and had one of the best experiences on my mission!  He is our best progressing investigator and is scheduled to get baptized in the coming weeks. HE IS AWESOME. We had such an amazing lesson that really made him have a strong desire to get baptized. It was a great lesson and he is an amazing man! We taught tithing and fast offerings and he committed to follow the commandments... but he was nervous because he had to do it forever. And isn't that the question of all time? Can I keep going? Is it worth it? Is there really something at the end? Can I do this? 

YES you can! We can do it and all God asks is that we keep trying. Just keep pressing forward no matter how imperfect we feel or how many mistakes we make along the way. Just keep trying and that is the hope the Gospel brings! When we keep trying, no matter how many times we fall, eventually we will walk back home and be with God again. I was able to testify of this to him, and I had a great witness myself. I distinctively remember as I said these words, I took a second to take a breath and in that short second of silence I heard in my ear "the words you say are true" and then an absolute warmth and peace come into the room. It will be something I never forget. 

After the storm, comes the light and the peace and the calm. 

Saturday was awesome. The sisters had a baptism and 원정호 (won jung ho) came to that because he wanted to see what he was getting himself into. It was so beautiful and such a spirit filled morning! 원정호 (won jung ho) had a great time and was even more impressed and he said something so great! We were going to take a picture and I asked if he wanted to step in and he said "No I'll just wait for my baptism next week." My heart was so happy and it was a great moment! By the way he did end up getting in the picture! 

And Sunday was fun, we had a huge meal with all the young single adults in the Korean ward and it was a real good time!!!! 

Man this week was awesome and a mission is great! Seriously this is the best time ever! 

Have a good week and see you later

Elder GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON