Week 50

With the new mission president it has been energizing to see how he is digging into the work like us younger missionaries. Even though I am on the other side of the mission, I can feel his love and excitement. They are trying to find investigators have been teaching some lessons and inviting and interacting with nonmembers.

 It is great to think that our leader is willing to go out and proselyte with me in Taebaek 태백, if it were at all possible (That was what he told me in my last interview, but it doesn't make sense for him to take a 10 hr bus ride from Seoul to Taebaek and back). I can really feel Pres. and Sis. Taylor are taking every chance they can to invite people to come unto Christ out in Seoul! I find that very admirable!!

It honestly reminds me of King Benjamin!
Mosiah Chapter 2
14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you... (Not just a leader that tells what to do, he takes action himself)

18 Behold, ye have called me your king (Mission President); and if I, whom ye call your king (Mission President), do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another? (Leading by example not just words)

19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king (Mission President), who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your Heavenly King (Our Heavenly President, Heavenly Father ;P)!

Obviously the president is not our king but it suits my purpose in expressing the my president's great example.

This last week has been packed!
We have been doing a lot of prep for a big 전도 (teaching) activity in which we are going to be doing the Book of Mormon activity they did in Seoul, as well as giving a musical performance! I am excited! Not sure how it will go but it should be similar to the  #bookofmormonexperiment activity.

Seoul missionaries putting it to work!

Love you all!! Until next week, keep smiling and sharing God's love!

Exchanges! If you look you can see intestines! And Fried Squid! This is all considered Korean Minute food 분식. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Good!! I am really adicted to 떡복이 (The red stuff, I am trying to perfect how to make it at home)!!

Taebaek is big and so we ride a lot of buses! That means a lot of waiting! 

But, the mountains are gorgeous! 

Investigator taking us out for what she called an Italian restaurant! Maybe the top left dish is Italian? Though it was amazing!!!!!!!

 I love talking with mothers and their kids!

Just walking home

Flowers!

I am extremely, beyond all description, disappointed! If you are asking why it is because I took to pictures and they did NOT come out. It was a picture of the pride of Grandmas lying about in the structure in the picture! We walk by them every night, and they are just the BEST!!!! I love love love love Korean Grandmas! The picture does not even come close to doing it justice! (Taken from our apartment window)

On P-day we spent most of the day in a cave! It was very informal and extremely cool (temperature)! I was almost cold. It is the first time I have been in a cave this big! Taebaek was known for their mining industries in the 1900s! I learned a bunch of useless vocab such as flowstone, and other minerals...lol. I kept thinking of my Gram (my mom's mom) because she loves learning and would enjoy seeing it! I feel like if she had been there she would have told me some cool facts about rocks or somethings cool in history! I also was reminded of her because of that one time when we were driving to DC and spent a lot of the drive going through Dictionary.com's word of the day(s) learning fun but useless vocab for the common listener to understand. (It is sort of fun to know words that most Koreans don't even know. I'm such a nerd! I feel so alive when I am learning new things!!!)

Our youth in the Branch! Not a good picture. But, I do love teaching them every week! They are just such good kids!!! (One of them is our investigator.)

Our investigator took us out for Italian food, because she is leaving on a vacation to Europe and will not be able to say goodbye to Elder Newton before he leaves at the beginning of August. 

ㅠㅠ (Korean eyes dripping with tears)!

Week 49

The Lord has people prepared to receive the message of the Restored Gospel!!

Hello!!!!!!!!!!

Miracles are happening here in Taebaek! This last Monday night we were knocking on doors, going up and down and up and down the stairs of apartment buildings, and everyone was straight up ignoring us. You always hear the stories of missionaries knocking on doors and get them slammed in the face, but here in Korea, every single door has cameras to the front door, and so they can see who we are before they even get up from the comfy seat. So in Korea you get the silent treatment.
This was consecutively happening with the occasion slammed door, until towards the end of the night when we knocked on the door of a lady named Claire (40ish).  We just told her that we are missionaries in the area and that came to serve the people, and asked if there was anything that we could help her out with? Similar to what Ammon did with the Lamanites:

12 And it came to pass that when Ammon had made ready the horses and the chariots for the king and his servants, he went in unto the king, and he saw that the countenance of the king was changed; therefore he was about to return out of his presence.
14 Therefore Ammon turned himself unto the king, and said unto him: What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king? ...
15 And it came to pass that Ammon said unto him again: What desirest thou of me?...

Because, we are knocking on so many door without the results we were hoping for, I started doubting our methods. But with Claire, it was almost instantly that she recognized us as representatives of Christ! She said that she had an English teacher who was Mormon, and that she is interested to meet with us to learn more! This last week we met with her a total of three times and she is now a progressing investigator! And, tonight she wants to take us out for pizza. She has really strengthened my faith that there are people that the Lord has prepared, to hear the message of the restored gospel! People  really do see the light in our eyes. But, in order to for them to see it, we need to get out of our comfortable "home land" (In my case and Ammon's case being the literal and figurative meaning-comfort zone) and just serve and love people. Over time, their countenance will  change. And, we will wonder "who are these people?" And, they will see the state that King Benjamin talks about:

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual..."

I love the people and I love the blessed and happy state that the Gospel can bring into our lives!

I haven't played Settlers of Catan in a long time. The Branch President of the East Sea branch, made the game all by himself. He also provided pizza (Interesting fact: There are no copyright laws in Korea)

 Grandmas here in Korea are just so friendly!!! I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

(She is in her 90s and she is still walking about and squatting)

Riding to the East Sea

Riding back (Sitting on the train was great time to read, the BofM in Korean!!!! I am addicted to the Korean book of Mormon! I am now in Alma, I started at going hard on it once I came to Taebeck. The goal is to finish the BofM, by my year Mark in the Mission)

The East Sea

Taebek!

Towards the last part of FHE, the members asked everyone to come out to the plaza right outside of the church. They enjoyed it a lot.

  

A member gave a presentation about how the Microbiome is related to the Word of Wisdom. (A lot of words I had never been exposed to before, it flew right over my head)

The rural side of the mission, Kangwondo Zone, with Pres. and Sis. Taylor