Week 33

So we got transfer calls and literally everyone in the area is leaving except for me. I am thankful that I still get the chance to work with the same people, because I love DongDaemoon! But, I've got to say goodbye to my District family. My next comp is From Utah! We will switch on Wednesday. He is Elder Mechahwklsf...(not sure how to spell) from Utah.

I have seen a lot of great results from applying what I learned from my leaders recently. And, this last week together we have been able to achieve things that we have never been able to before.

I learned a lot about everything from my companion Elder Lee. I know that one of the bigger reasons that I was put with him was to be able to improve my Korean, but out of all the Koreans in the mission I was put with HIM in this area. As I have been given the chance to work with him, I have had to step up my game and really stand for what I know. With Elder Lowe my trainer, I was told what goals we were to achieve, told everything that I need to improve on, and kept under strict rules, and then I was left to find the find right path to take me to the destination that we need to go to.
 But, when I came to 동대문, I was the driving passion and dream finder. If we were to go the extra mile, it was because he gave me the reigns, and he was there to support me where I fell. Most of the time it was Korean where he supported me.

My companion is a talented person, and easy around people and makes it chill, and it definitely makes it comfortable for people to get brought into a new culture. He doesn't realize how awesome he really is, he has a lot more potential then he gives himself credit for.

With my next companion my goal is to be completely on the same page, unified, and one! Sometimes if your speak different languages then there can be a lack of communication. Isn't that a funny thing! Hahaha! And, so I craved that unity. It just took a lot more effort and time to be on the same page. I wanted him to flourish with his natural talents and gifts to further the work here with some fun flavor.
And, of course I want to work my guts out, that is no question. I want to grow together.

I know that God wants us to experience things so that we may grow and that he puts us in the families that we are in for a reason, it is no accident. And, we can find out what we are supposed to do if we pray to know what difference you make with yourself to better help those around you. All we have to do is earnestly seek it and He will give to us gladly. 

Off to another adventure of a week!

A street food that my comp loves and shared with me. It is actually very delicious! It is filled with red bean paste. 

Grammy this one is for you. My comp had no idea what this was until an elderly brother in the ward gave it to us as a gift when we visited him. It's a back-scratcher! 

Eating out with the recent converts in the ward.  There is is no better chicken than chicken in Korea, especially compared to America. 

Transfer Calls, they are all leaving me this Wednesday! My whole district. BYE BYE 

Mongolian member in our ward!!! Cutest thing! 

If you look in the Window you can see our wards recent convert and us sitting on the bench waiting for the subway. 

Korea loves art! Everywhere you walk there is "art".

Selfie with Elder Fullmer

Cold Sores are almost completely gone!

Week 32

This last week was full of ups and downs. It was really great for me! I can feel the Lord working on me! This last week I had  exchanges with Elder Horne, my District leader. I also had Zone Conference. This weekend has been a high for me, and I am never coming down! The Lord's way is the best!

With Elder Horne, it was so refreshing! Because we both love missionary work to the core and we are willing to do whatever we can to follow the Lord's Way! The numbers were off the walls for that day! And, we met sooooo many fantastic people! I had not had a day like it since I was with Elder Lowe! But, even this day was better than those days, because we taught members, a new investigator, and got to have contact with more people than I have ever been able to get in a day. And they were GOOD contacts with people.

At one point, we were studying in huge park next to the University, and we had 3 people walk up to us and just start talking to us!! And, we taught them gospel principles and invited them to be taught the lessons and they agreed! What!!!!  That was just the tip of the iceberg for our that day! It showed me what happens when you both are devoted, and united with active faith to achieve your goals. It really was remarkable!

And, then I was back with Elder Lee, all pumped up ready to GO and do the Lord's way. But, it did not turn out the way I thought. I lacked the guts to lead the way with my 25 year old Korean companion. Not that we are not doing great things, but when we did things that day it was just not the same. With that and an experience of one of our recent converts choosing to fall off the edge of the earth, not being able to be contacted again, it helped me realize that we are agents! We are agents to ourselves! God really did give us the power to change our environment, in spite of the "bad" situations you are put in. We are in charge of the results we get in life. It is not anyone's or anything's fault.  And as we act in faith, we are given the aid of heaven.

And, then came Zone Conference!!!!!!!!!!!! I love receiving inspiration and insights from my leaders! I trust in their teachings, because they have a higher vision then I do. They are out of the fog of the struggles in life, and are able to lead with a clearer vision then I ever could on my own. These clear and bigger views are given to them from on high.

But, I would say the best part that left me on a high for the weekend was passing off my language progression test with the Assistant to the President, Elder Gilmore. He is a powerhouse! Extremely authentic! He leads with example and cares about each person that he serves! He wasn't there to just fulfill his responsibility to check up on my Korean skills, but magnified duty. He really thought of how the Lord wanted that time to be spent. He made the meeting of worth, so that it would make a difference in my life and to those I serve.

He didn't say any of those things though. He is too humble to say anything, but it is true! He really hears the voice of God in his life, and he follows it with vigor! He really understand the gospel's little details and applies the Prophet's words to his work and to the needs of his life. It was everything that I needed to hear at the moment and the Spirit taught me more than I could express. He was an instrument in the hand of the Lord by sharing his spiritual insights according to my needs, but mostly through his example and the way he lives. From the way he carries himself to the way he approaches and acts around others. He treats them according to who they really are, as a child of a God and sees them for the great potential they have!! I want to understand, teach, and really live the gospel like he does. To authentically follow and become through Christ!

I love how God calls imperfect people to accomplish his perfect, insurmountable, and glorious work. He takes the mere lad to do His work. No one on Earth, me, those in the church, and even our Prophets are perfect. But, through Christ, he fills up the rest, if we give our best!

I know that the Church was organized for the perfection of the Saints. And, I know that if we learn to give up the things we feel are "un-give-able", or the things we feel aren't sufficient or not even worth consecrating for His perfect work, then we will be able to accomplish His great expectations in full. That is then the means by which miracles come to be. And, not only will we be able to fulfill his perfect work by our imperfect "all", but we will be left with more than what we had before. Being able to experience more of the blessings that our Father in Heaven has.

Through our Savior Jesus Christ we are made whole!!

Love you guys!
Elder Alger

A fantastic food that we eat in Korea, pronounced  Duck-bow-key 떡볶이

If you haven't already seen it on Facebook, here is the fun activity our zone did this last Friday. We had little discussions with people about families. These clips of my and Elder Lee's contributions to the activity. What better way to get gospel interest than through talking about Families! It is central to our Gospel! I love serving my Brothers and Sisters here in Korea!!

Here are the links to the videos:

https://youtu.be/Y53nJcSxvw8

https://youtu.be/u-sHNXR5AdI

 Video Making

Exchanges

Stroll our way back home

A university we study at

Well, this came out of nowhere!

Cold Sores!

Love from back home.

Thank you for the Valentine's!

Week 31

It great to be here again emailing!! It is a chance for me to reflect and review my work. I helps me to realize that I am progressing and also to see where I am still lacking ~ a LOT.

This last week was good because Elder Lee and I were able to reach our goal of getting more meetings. I was able to meet with a large variety of different people, with different backgrounds, lifestyles, and just everything. But, the one thing they have in common is that they all want to find peace and to be happy in life.

All of us are different, but we all have the same ultimate goal. Not, one of us is ordinary. We are all special! We all chose to come to this Earth to go through experiences in order to progress and grow. And, God has prepared a way to live where we can overcome all that is unjust in this imperfect life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 Recently, I have been pondering about the Gospel. And I have come to realize that it is by following these principles that we can have access to the Powers of Heaven in this life.

#1
1 Faith, 2 Repentance, 3 Baptism, 4 Gift of the Holy Ghost, and 5 Enduring to the End
 I have seen the difference it makes in living the Gospel of Christ.
I have also seen people who follow this same pattern in trying to make the most out of life, but without knowing or having the Gospel. And, it is interesting to see the difference. It would look something like this...

#2
1 Hopes/Goals, 2 Change/Growth, 3 Commitment/Devotion, 4 Good influence/Personal Guidance, 5 Never Give up/ Perseverance
  These are Eternal truths that people live! And, they make a huge difference an anyone's life if they apply it, but the one difference between the methods is when we live according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ we have aid from on High! And, if you really look at it, the difference is astronomical. I could go on and on about the difference between them. To have Faith or just life aspirations. To have an applicable Eternal Atonement to rely on to become what God has prepared to be or just changing to achieve and find success. To have an ordinance where you are given the right and access to unimaginable spiritual gifts and blessings or not.

The heavens can can open into our lives when we follow the teachings of His son. When we do so we can be the means of God blessing His beloved children, because we need it!

I would ask you to compare the difference it would make in your life if you didn't have Christ's Gospel in your life. What would be the difference in living a life according to method #1 and #2? I promise the the difference is there. I know that if we live the Gospel the of Jesus Christ, then we can have the enlightenment of Heaven in our lives and it will even make great difference in the lives of those around us!!! We are so blessed by His followers.

Love Elder Alger

Writing notes for members

Buffet! The members are too kind

Walking Home

I love our investigators style! It is fun!

Stake Conference! I got to see the convert and investigator from my last area!!! They were so giddy and happy to see me again. I was too!

Walking through the marketplace

Just enjoying skating on P-day

The cutest little girl keep messing around with me as we were skating! Lots of fun!

Here is a video of us skating! 

https://youtu.be/k6riC3O3UNo

Week 30

This last week was really eye opening, faith strengthening and full of change (repentance). I have seen miracles as a result of those experiences!!!

I felt like I was starting to get a hang of things in the area, but after meeting for Elder Robert C. Gay's  tour of our mission, I could feel the heavens opening. He is the authority over the North Asia Area. Everything that happened and that was said there was truly inspired!! I had answers to my questions and more. He just gets it! He has such a higher vision than I do. Want that badly in my life! And, I could feel his authority. He is called of God! And, things really started unfolding in my life. I took his invitation to heart! I have never ever had such an experience like I did that night. The Spirit was working with me.

Nephi 2:"16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young... and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father (who was his Spiritual Leader) [Elder Gay]; wherefore... (17)the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit..."

And, everything just made sense. I feel like it was the first time that I truly understood repentance and felt it! For I was made known my sins, and could see where my lack of faith was, and like Elder Gay was talking about, the key blessing of the restored gospel is that the heavens are opened again and people need it! Things were spoken to me, multiple scriptures and words of my leaders were brought to my remembrance. There is no way I can deny it! That is just the tip of the principles and truths that were made known to me. That God works with his children through his followers, who get their guidance from the Spirit. The things I learned are treasures to me.

After that, things that I needed to act on were clear to me. And, it is really amazing to see the difference made in every aspect of the work. There are still the same challenges, but I feel Him guiding me. Because my vision is so small right now I had no full idea where I was going, and I couldn't see the results right away, but I knew it was what was needed to be done.

The biggest miracle was at Church. We went to church, and people we have been working with potential investigators and investigators came. 6 people, new, old, and in between.
I was so surprised, because we worked hard to get meetings with some many people the night before, but nothing solid came of it. I fasted to be unified with the members.  I know that these people showing up to church is God saying that my work with members is coming together, because it wouldn't have happened the way it did, without the members' efforts. And, almost all of them said they will continue coming, but they all accepted our message during 2nd hour extremely well!! The Spirit was so strong!!

The Spirit can work in our life in miraculous ways!! We just have to do all we can to stay worthy of that Spirit!

Love from Elder Alger!!

I don't know remember why, my companion thought it was so funny that they sell Kinder Eggs in Korea because they are considered illegal in America. It is a chocolate egg with a toy inside.

FHE Not everyone but just a part. One of is from Mexico and always brings fantastic food!

We study in a Public area,and they have Karaoke, art classes, etc. I don't know why, but I find them really fun. They are usual a bunch of Grandmothers. But, I do think it is great that they still want to learn, do activities, and grow even when they are older. 

​Baptism this last week!! She has remarkable faith!! And, was really prepared! I am grateful for her amazing choice! We all as missionaries sang an arrangement of I am a Child of God! She was really touched by the whole experience. And, it was a great way to remember it's effect in my life. 

Elder Horne!! I love serving with him!!! A musical genius! 

I hope I can learn a thing or to from him!! 

See the video at this link: https://youtu.be/gasfjRT0UT0

The next 2 are of a recent convert in the area that we go to events with!! He is really funny. 

Study!!!! I love Korea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So do the missionaries I live with!! 

Last P-day we ate this!!! Sosososo scrumptious!! 

Every Tuesday we are blessed to serve in an old folks home. We sing to them. They are so precious!!! These grandmothers range from ages 88-101.

In this video we are singing a traditional Korean Song - Ari-Rang.

Watch it at this link: https://youtu.be/j08dgcY2BUI