Week 48

This last week, we got to meet our new Mission President and Wife, The Taylors!

He served his mission in South Korea and she served hers in Italy! They both are very missionary minded, and tender hearted! I think the coolest part of the whole introduction to the Taylors was their enthusiasm and the spirit they brought. They were in the MTC for 4 days and for 3 of those days they were with all of the members of the 1st presidency and the quorum of the 12 apostles to be taught by

them. So right when they got to the mission they conveyed that very message! They are so sure and confident in their testimonies of the living prophet! The Spirit was so strong and I could not deny it! God has prepared them for this mission and as they introduced themselves I could see that the hand of the Lord has worked with them throughout their lives. I can't describe how great it was to meet my new leaders / "parents" in the mission field for this next year! I love them! And, I know they love me!

Aside from that, this week we did a lot of finding. Knocking doors and such, but my favorite parts of the week was visiting our members and supporting them. This week we cleaned out Brother 이창(Chang Lee's) house. I love serving the members here!

Another great finding tool we had this weekend was to go to the festival. The couples festival! There were a bunch of people gathered and that never happens out in Taebaek. So we took that opportunity by making and cutting out hearts that have Moroni's saying of Charity never Faileth, (In Korean it is Love never Withers away). So it was a great way to introduce the BofM to others! I got to have a couple of good conversions with people this weekend! And, it was just fun to hand out "love" at the festival.

This last Sunday the 고 (Go) family was gone, so the missionaries were the running the show. I had to play piano and give a talk, while Elder Newton presided and conducted the meeting, and can't forget we also administered the sacrament! And, for second hour we ran the discussion about ministering, which Elder Newton has to set up, because he is the clerk.
Being here in Taebaek is teaching me so much about how the church is run, and is strengthening me in giving talks in Korean (I have given one every week since I got here), and learning the hymn book cover to cover. I love serving the members!! I love the church and I know the church is to help us all!

This quote from PMG really ringings with me this week:
"The church is organized to perfect and bless the lives of the members. It gives us opportunities to teach one another the gospel, fellowship and serve one another, and support one another in our quest for salvation."

I love this Gospel! And all of you!
Elder Alger

It has been raining this whole last week! And, being the wimpy dessert boy I am was cold! It is July!!!!!!!!! It is supposed to be hot out! And, if it wasn't raining we were walking through a Cloud, of misty air.

​Bonus pic from one of my companions!

This was while riding the 2hr 20 min long bus ride to meet the new mission pres. You can see I study really hard, to understand the Korean Scriptures! lol 

I haven't had American food in a while. And, that meal was great and all, but I am fine keeping my kimchi, seaweed and rice. There is something about Asian food that just sits right with me!!! 

This is the most popular Church here in our small town. They teach that we are a cult, just like every other church in Korea. I can't remember if I have mentioned this already, but Korean churches got together and have made an official list of cult churches that everyone should avoid. God's Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, And LDS church, etc. And here in Korea they praise their Pastors.

 I also think that it is funny that JW church is right next to our church in this next pic, so we have to be careful when people ask where our church is. haha

These next pictures are of a memorial for the people who died in a mining accident. This place used to run on miners, that is this place's roots.

Croquet! Played a little on p-day with grandpas and grandmas! Fun to watch them interact with each other, I love listening to their Korean (They use a different form because they are old and respected)!

Just outside the monument!

More construction! (The older couple Missionaries came to fix our door from last week, and they told us that missioanries have been living here for 40 to 50 years!) They might move us in the new building, but who knows?

This is Taebaek

 An Investigator is taking us out for food!! I love the Korean Food! They always have so many side dishes to choose from!!

Teaching Prayer for English Class with a Hamburger Analogy. Can you interpret it? (In order for it to be a "Hamburger" it needs to have the "buns", the rest is up to you, but there are some preferences)

Bad handwriting, but this is what we gave out this weekend.

Setting up for the festival right outside of our church

Our investigator ran part of the festival this last weekend. Lots of pretty flowers!

More festival!

Our investigator

And even more festival!

We were knocking on doors and there was a cool artist there!

These next few describe Taebaek very well in my opinion. 

Teaching

Week 47

President Sonksen is now gone and on comes the 1st year of the reign of President Taylor! ;p (Scripture fun)
Our companionship's first interaction with President Taylor was last night... haha. We were just heading home from a apartment complex, where we were knocking the doors, (here in the country, there aren't many people out on the street, so we have to defer back to knocking on doors to find people) going up and down the stairs of the complex, and being exhausted from the leg exercise on a fast sunday evening. When we returned home and opened our old front door and it popped out and attacked Elder Boden! Haha. It was funny, but if your house is less than the standards listed in the missionary handbook, you have to call the mission president. So we did. He just laughed, still excited for the journey that lies ahead for him in Seoul. It wasn't a bad experience, just a funny first impression.

Here is part of what I said to him in my letter today:
"I am Elder Alger! I am serving here in 태백. I love it here so much! I am new to the area, but I love the people SOOO much! I mean our area is probably the smallest population wise, so I can get to know the people a lot easier.

Here in 태백, we have a solid 10 faithful members. It honestly just feels like family. After all it is about the size of my family of 11 people. It is great!

The people out here in the countryside smile a lot more than in Seoul. I really can't express the love I have for them~! And, our investigators are great!! 3 of them have been going to church consistently since I have been here in 태백!! Our investigators make up all most 1/3 of the congregation, that sort of a crazy thought, huh?!
.....
 I am honestly extremely excited to follow your and Sister Taylor's every direction. I want to follow the Lord's will! I know that you will bring in new ideas, and inspiration that will help make the Seoul Korea Mission flourish!
 Thank you for taking 3 years to sacrifice for the people here in Korea!
 Have a fantastic first week in Korea!"

Because the branch here is so small, our church is just 2 hrs long! It goes by really quickly. (If we had more than that it would be more stress on the members in responsibility for maintain the church, and the church will start to be more of a negative effect on its members. That's not the goal of church. Church is supposed to uplift the members. They all already carry lots of great responsibility. And, to make things lighter and to give a better experience for the members, the missionaries here [Elder Alger, Newton, Boden] run a lot of the Church functions. We do make up half the Priesthood.)

I love learning and serving the people! You have to give a lot to the members out in 태백. Service does magic for the server and the one being served.

Love you all!!!

Getting a customized traditional Korean stamp with my family name on it.

yup it's the market!

Cool fish in the Market

Flowers!

The mountain looks even bigger in person

Riding the bus back from a lesson

There is a plaza, park, and pond right in Front of our Church, here's the plaza!

Fun little reading spot. It is actually a place were you give and take books from people in the Neighborhood. Fun Idea!

This art tells the legend of how the pond in front of our church came to be. I still don't understand it, but you can imagine a lot!

There is some sort of tree that drops a fruit something similar to blueberries and they are everywhere!

We hardly ever use transportation out here. It is not like Seoul where you ride the subway multiple times a day. But, on the rare occasion we use the bus. But, when we do, it is a long ride.

I honestly love the Farming environment! I feel at home with all these plants!!

Visiting one of the Power Three Sisters in the Ward that make up our Relief Society. She honestly has the biggest heart. Here in Korea if you enter the slightest bit into the house they naturally feed you till you are full! But, because her husband wasn't home we just sat in the doorway with the door open talking about how she got converted, about her mission experiences, and just all good things that the Gospel has brought to her life!  And, I really am not lying we I call these members faithful!!!!!  And, the power 3, really are the POWER 3.  I love the members here!

와 잘 보여요? 아닌데요 (I find myself first thinking a lot in Korean naturally. It might be because I wanted to improve my Korean skills, and told my Zone Leader about it, and then he followed up with me the next day, say "You are not to speak a single word in English while your are in 태백. And, when you do, you have to put a coin in a cup every time you slip or can't fully express yourself." I accepted the challenge and honestly it is FUN! Not, many slip ups. :) haha anyway this is a picture of a extraordinary bug that you can find back home in AZ. Sorry for the blurriness

Lantana!!!!!!

A treat you can only find in Korea! Extremely delicious! (made of red beans, shaved ice, granola, some other fruit, and a little magic)

My Companions

Is the Korea countryside beautiful, or WHAT?

We do English class twice a week like I did in my last area in Seoul, but the big difference is, in previous area there was 30ish people that attended. And, here, a whole total of 1 sometimes 3. Hey but they are our Investigators, so it is good time to bond, help them learn, and teach a spiritually message according to their needs

More 태백, (Taebaek)

A building that is under construction right by our apartment.

Our Door fell! Ha! I guess it is time to move!