Week 45

Alright this last week was transfer calls, and... I am leaving Dong-Day-moon (동대문)....
I love 동대문 with all of my heart!!! I love the people so much!
When I first came here to 동대문, I was surprised at the amount of people, especially the amount of foreigners. There are so many colleges here!

 Now I am on my way to 태백 (Taebaek)!~ Where, so I hear, there are not very many people and no one really knows English. It is on the farthest South East part of the Seoul Mission. In the mountains and right next to the beach.  It is a place that all missionaries, talk about and crave to go to because everyone who has gone there loves their time there dearly. When people heard that I am going there, they freaked out.

This last Saturday night when we got the calls, the AP said that I am going to be the pianist. I CAN NOT express how excited was. I love music with all my heart! I was raised by my parents to love music, and it was through music (Choir) that I got the start of my testimony, having personal witnesses of the Spirit that this is the Church of JESUS CHRIST of latter day saints. And, since then my dream has grown to be a composer! I'm not in the slightest on that level YET, and there are so many talented people who have been learning and work extremely hard since they were little (especially my fellow, gifted missionaries). I have no clue how to get there, but that is the dream.
As I was starting up my mission, I was sad that I couldn't play the piano everyday anymore. Because that is just what I did back in Arizona. And, even though I have that dream, I am expected to give my all to the people and to being a disciple of Christ.

Through out my mission, I have taken every chance I could to play the piano, but they have been few.
All though, there was a time, earlier on in my mission, where I had gone a long time without playing the piano and I was asked to play.  I was scared that I couldn't, because I hadn't played in forever. But, right as soon as I sat down on the bench, I heard the Spirit of the Lord say to me...
 "You have put me first, and devoted yourself to my work, leaving all things behind. I have promised you, and remind you again this day, that if you continue to be obedient, and walk with your hand in mine, you will have confidence in all you do and you will be successful in those things that you desire to accomplish."
 After being comforted by the Spirit, all doubts and fears went away. And, to my amazement, I played that piece of music better than I ever could before my mission!!

 I am so thankful the promises of the Lord!! They bring me hope!! I love this quote in Preach My Gospel:
“Hope is trust in God’s promises, faith that if we act NOW, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future. …"  And, the Hope of Lehi (1 Nephi 5: 1-5)

This is the end of our last transfer with our Mission President Sonksen. I am so thankful for his ministry.

Yesterday, after his and Sister Sonksen's farewell fireside, he pulled me aside. And, his words extremely comforting. "Elder Alger, I don't want you to think that you were sent to Taebaek only for piano. There is a lack of members out there, and it IS something that they need out there.... but God has sent good missionaries to 태백 (Starts listing Elders I respect). And, now you are being sent there. There is a lot that God has in store for you!" (I didn't feel, even the slightest, in a position to compare myself with these great missionaries he listed off. I am weak. So imperfect, and lacking. But I know that God, has a pattern, or rather he likes to take the weak, and show forth his works, like he did with Moses, Joseph and many others.)

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I don't want to leave my wonderful companion, or the people I have grow to love here in 동대문, but the Lord said it is time. I am excited for the future! And, I love this Gospel!

Love you all!!!
Elder Alger

All this last week they have been demolishing this building right on the way to the church. Here in Korea they don't care very much about shutting down roads or covering the areas on which they are constructing. Its AWESOME! We have had fun watching them take it down.

These remind me of my Grammy's plants. It is in our investigators studio.

A lake on one of the college campus. I was in love!

Just waiting for the Sub-train

Members in the ward, whom I love

There is a non-member that grows all these wonderful plants, and since she is right next to our church she decorates the walls just outside the church. Reminds me of my Grammy. I always ask her about her plants, because she is out and about tending to them almost every time we come to church (Funny fact, for the most part, Koreans know nothing about plants. They don't have words for bush, vine, fern, etc, if it can be living all year round then they just call them 나무 (Tree).... hahah.)

Recent convert here in 동대문. Last night he gave a talk for the fireside. He is a genius and just talks to us in English. I love him! Because he studies Geology, he said that he will be going to the mines of 태백 (Taebaek, my new area) to explore and research, so he will visit me.

조해길  I can't express the love I have for the Brother!! Every time we go to church, he is the only one there and he is just sitting there in the back row of the chapel. He always has the hugest smile! And, the best part of him is the way he talks. He talks with us and at random times spits out fluent English phrases, like "You are a gentlemen" "Stupendous" "How are you?" They are always just little phrases in the middle of our conversation. You can tell he waits for the perfect moment and as soon as it is there he jumps on it, and with the hugest smile ever. He always does it when we are there, even if we aren't the ones listening. So sometimes he "Fantastic" while talking to a Korean, and they look back at him with a confused look, while he sits there ever so slightly nodding his head feeling satisfied, and great accomplishment. Sometimes he smacks his mouth after these victories. It is the best!!!! 

The Bishop's Family!

Week 44

This Last Week Really Was Amazing!!!
For those of you who don't know, here in Korea, we don't really knock on doors. Although I have done so several times before, our main source of finding people is by talking to them on the streets, and in the subways. There are so many people here in Korea!!! And they are all out and about. Even the Grandmas and Grandpas! Unlike, America where many have their grandparents in a retirement home or care center, here in Korea they are always going from one event to another. Such as, Yoga, Karaoke, Hiking, Painting, Aerobics, learning foreign languages (English), and so on. And, the youth are always going from academy to academy. Here in Korea, they never stop learning.
And, so because it is that way here in Korea, we as Missionaries not only need to learn how to share quick, compact, yet simple messages and principles of the restoration to these busy, busy Koreans on the go, but we also have to learn how to get tight with people easily. Along with promising specific blessings the Gospel can bring to their lives and inviting them to learn more. We have to learn how to get their faces off of the their screens in the subways and break the silence. It is particular process, and I definitely feel I have acquired a lot of the necessary skills, but it is always a work in progress.

Another thing that we have work over, is the impression they have of missionaries, that we are not like all the 1,000s of other churches here in Korea. Most "missionaries" (translated and view by Koreans as 전도사s, Evangelizers) in Korea stand in public places with microphones yelling a memorized script to the people. Usually saying "REPENT!! YOU ARE SINNERS!!"
Which in a way reminds me of the scriptural prophets standing on walls telling the people to repent of all there sins and be saved. And, maybe that is what they do here in Korea, but we are not told, as missionaries of the LDS church, to yell at people to repent. We are actually told here in Korea to not use the command form in the language (No 하라s to people, and even avoid 하세요s {Nice way to command others}). "We INVITE others to come unto Christ..." We ask them to follow Him. We try to follow Christs example of when He ministered. I think of His ministry in the Americas where he talks to the children individually, and cares about their specific needs. Even our prophet, President Nelson, mentioned this in 2017 Oct Conference 

“If I am converted and join the Church, I will bring my whole tribe with me.”

“Oh, King,” I said, “it doesn’t work that way. Conversion is an individual matter. The Savior ministered to the Nephites one by one. Each individual receives a witness and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

So when we talk to people from Korea, they all have the image of us there just to yell at them and say your church will go to Hell, come to our church!!!
We have to fight that bad image. We have to learn how to really care for individuals.

So it is really gratifying to find investigators without that bad image of us. (It doesn't help that there is an official list of churches here in Korea that everyone know as the cult and twisted churches, 하나님의 교회 God's Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, LDS church)

We met 3 new people this last week. Of the 3 we met last week 2 of them were foreigners who don't have the bad image our church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  All of them have great potential!
One of them we were able to meet with every single week day this last week!!! He was someone who actually had direct bad experiences as a foreign exchange student in a home in Utah (Really not a good background). So we had to be a little sensitive we were teaching the Gospel. But, it is was extremely cool to see the change that he has already made in his life!! They are all small things, but it is amazing what just a little bit of the Gospel can do for you, if you apply it daily!!!
It reminds me of what we have learned in our recent Zone Conference (Somewhat a shadow of what the 1st Presidency of the Church taught in the last General Conference, President Oaks "Small and Simple Things")
"None of these desirable small and simple things will lift us to great things unless they are practiced consistently and continuously. President Brigham Young was reported as saying: “Our lives are made up of little, simple circumstances that amount to a great deal when they are brought together, and sum up the whole life of the man or woman.”"

 The other 2 are from Vietnam, we met them separately but both are just so happy! All of the Vietnamese people I have met so far are just joyful! Even though we found them separately, we invited them to come to the Lexi Walker Concert! It was a great chance to get a feel of what Mormons are like. We got extremely tight!

 One of the two brought friend to the concert, and the next day we invited him to church. And, he came and brought a different friend! Bring in the 소개s!! He enjoyed Sacrament meeting and said that he can probably come next week!

I am thankful for our Area presidency!! We have had so many great chances to invite the people to we meet to come and see!! John 1:38–39  Because our leaders are really involved in Northern Asia, we have had Alex Boye, Lexi Walker, 서출구 (Famous Rapper in Korea that is a Mormon), and other events like Helping Hands! Helping Hands has an amazing image here in Korea because of our efforts in the Olympics, and any other National Big events such as Children's Day, Service Day, and so one!!!

I love every part about being a missionary here in Korea!!!! I constantly find myself in AWE! I never want to be worn dull of the greatness of serving a mission!

I love you ALL!!

P.S. 김민수 (Pronounced, MeanSue Kim) has a Baptismal Date, but the only way he can have the Spirit fully in his life, he needs to be able to attend church. Work is holding him back. He wants that Gift of the Spirit in his life, and has talked with his Boss, but still has not let him have Sundays off, and still thinking.   If you would be so kind pray that everything will work out for him! Thx! 

Studio of one of our investigators

Elections here in Korea

Making Korean Side dishes at home

Lexi Walker Concert 

 

 

I love this guy!!! He asked me on the way back if I will always remember him and be his friend. I said yes of course!! I guess he has got a little more to learn because I believe we can be friends for Eternity! He wants me to visit his home in Vietnam when I am done with my Mission.

Lexi Walker came to our Ward yesterday!!! I was great to hear talks from her and her family (I am in love with her pianist!!)

This is an extremely weird kids show that came from Korea, called "Larva", I took this for Susie, because she watched this before I came out on the mission. I still don't suggest it, but I guess Susie just was trying to get a taste of what Koreans make, before she knew I was going to Korea. 

I found an OLD Korean hymn book! Is this in the American Hymnal?

We were told by our Mission Presidents that their mission home is the nicest and most expensive of all the mission homes in the World!!! We are so privileged here in Korea with nice things!!

The kids we teach English to every Wednesday! The are precious! 

My District!!  

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