So finally I get to head out
to Korea! I am so happy that I am able to be out of the MTC very soon, actually
in exactly 3 days, but I am very sad to be leaving my friends and the great
people that I have been able to meet at the MTC! The MTC is such an amazing experience, and I
absolutely love being able to learn about the gospel and to come closer to my
Savior Jesus Christ!! So in the モルモン書 Or 몰몬경 or in English, the Book of
Mormon is a very true book. One verse
that I want to share is from Moroni 7:41.
It states, "And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that
ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his
resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in
him according to the promise".
Come unto Christ! Live his word
and keep his commandments! I really want
to challenge all to pick up a Book of Mormon. Don't read it like just to read it. Have a real intent! When you don't bash on it, and rather read it
with real intent, God will show unto you His amazing restored gospel.
Ok, anyway, that was just
a short little thing I wanted to share with all :)
Ok, so, this week has
been so fun!! The focus levels have
dipped a little bit because of it being the last week at the MTC, and all we
want to do is to go to Korean, but ... that hasn't happened yet! I'm so excited to be able to head out
already!! I can't believe my nine weeks
are up here, and that it has gone by in a blink of an eye! I know a lot of Korean now too; so I'm pretty
happy. :)
So this week's update is
a pretty cool/sad/spiritual update. So
P-day ended last Thursday. I'm ready to learn, but for some reason,
all the elders have like a P-day hangover. Actually that's an everyday thing, but P-days
are more than usual.
Friday was TRC day,
and we work hard and plan lessons and learn Korean and then we get to skype
actual native Koreans and it is so fun to do Skype TRC!! I love being able to talk with others and to
be able to get to know them from all parts of the World! This language is such an amazing language
too!! I love being blessed to be able to
speak this and I always keep up on my other languages!
Saturday we had the
most spiritual experience ever at the MTC!! The district always stresses about not being
able to speak Korean, not being prepared, feeling insecure and afraid. Our teacher, Sister Washburn planned
something that no one else at the MTC had ever done. She had one of her teachers bring in English
Second Language Students to come and testify to us. It was a very spiritual experience. They were from Thailand, Belgium, West Africa,
and all bore their testimonies about the Church of Jesus Christ, and their
conversion stories and why they know this gospel is true. Many of them are the only ones in their family
that are of the Church of Jesus Christ, and many of them don't have family
support. Yet they come out, they chose
to serve a mission because God and the Savior asked them to, so they follow
after their words. Their testimonies
were so strong!! I felt the spirit, and
was holding back tears and then Sister Washburn asked if we wanted to share
anything and I just bore my testimony, and expressed my gratitude and just
straight up started balling. :) I am so grateful to have a loving family, and
to have been able to grow up in the gospel!! Anyway, they were fantastic, and I will send
pictures of them later.
Sunday was very nice!
Sunday is always a very relaxing day of rest. 1 day of rest is absolutely fantastic and
definitely keeping the Sabbath Day holy is amazing. You receive so many blessings based on keeping
the Lord's Commandments!! I absolutely
love Sunday's! So on
Sunday everyone was like Elder Wilson is going to give the talk next week
because he has the best Korean so he won't be giving a talk this week. I was like ohh okay. The zone is like I'm giving it this week haha!
Before our meetings we don't know who is
going to have to talk and you give all your talks in Korean! It is pretty funny because people stress about
it a lot. I was talking to the Koreans
and said that I just prepare two bullet points, two scriptures and let the
Spirit guide. They were like us
too!! HAHA :) I thought it was
absolutely fantastic and I love being able to have such fun people!
We also went to the
temple, and that is always a blast! We
took pictures and I love my Zone!!
Monday was a very
nice day, and we are making very good progress with our two
"investigators" (teachers who pose as investigators). I think we are going to ask one of them to be
baptized either today or tomorrow. I feel that when you teach, you retain 70~80%
of the language you use and that is the best way to remember vocab and
language. Many are hesitant to teach,
but I love teaching because not only does it allow me to learn the language,
but also it gives such an amazing spiritual experience! I love feeling the spirit, and you feel it all
the time as a missionary, but it is fantastic because it just multiplies so
much when teaching! I love being able to
teach about the gospel!!
Tuesday was so
amazing!! Tuesday it finally hit us that “WOW”--- At this time next
week we will be out in the real world teaching many in Korean in Korea!! I'm so excited!! Class was fantastic and I've been learning so
many different things from the Natives that are heading to Busan with us! I talk to them every night, and I can feel my
Korean getting so much better. I absolutely
love being able to talk Korean with all of them!! Also on Tuesday, we got snow. We have been getting snow a lot, but not to
the point where it sticks! It is so cool
looking at the mountains and how much snow they get too! It is such a beautiful sight!!
Also Tuesday night was devotional night, and Elder Hugo Montoya spoke
to us! It was a beautiful talk and there
was one thing that came to mind when he was talking, and he was giving a talk
about our purpose of inviting others unto Christ.
The thought that came to
mind was a quote from one of my favorite movies "Miracle", when the
USA hockey team goes on to beat Russia and win Gold at the Olympics while
overcoming all the naysayers and many different obstacles. A key moment in that story is when the U.S
goes to Norway and ties with their National B team. After a full on game and Herb Brookes hearing
many things on the bench, he has the players do conditioning training. He says to the players something like,
"The name on the front of your jersey is a heck of a lot more important
than the name on the back! Get that through your head!" All I could do is think about the name that I
have on the front: 예수 그리스도 후기 성도 교회 (The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I wear
this name tag. I am a representative of
Christ in all I do and all I say. I try
my best to be like Christ. I want to be
the best example I can be. I am not
Joshua Wilson. I am Christ's Disciple. The name on the back can be different. You can be a Wilson, Anderson, Fox, Hanes,
Lunt, but one thing stays the same on the name tag, and that is the Name, Jesus Christ.
Yesterday was such a
great experience! We got such an amazing
lesson from Sister Choi, and she is so spiritual! She is such an example too because she grew up
in Australia, didn't speak a lick of Korean, got called to Korea and self
taught herself. She didn't get books or
study material. She just picked it up
based on people saying it! She is so
good at Korean! But anyway, it was
interesting because the lesson she gave us yesterday was on 3 Nephi 11:3~41. This chapter is
beautiful and is talking about God talking to his people in the Americas after
Christ's death and how Christ came down to them! If you have a time to read it, please do!! I absolutely love this, especially in verse 41 which states, "Therefore, go forth unto this people,
and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth." This is what is great! Sister Choi actually asked us why we like
missionary work. My answer was I like
missionary work because I get to see the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ
brings families. Eternal truths such as
families can be together forever, God has a plan for us, I know where I'm from,
what I'm doing now and where I am going, and many other things bless others. The purpose of life is to gain knowledge and
to come unto Christ and be like him. I
absolutely love my Savior!
Every week my testimony of his sacrifice, of his glory, of Christ's life grows immensely. In the temple this morning, I had the privilege to read Luke 6, and some scriptures I wanted to share are verse 20~23. They state " And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall
separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name
as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy:
for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their
fathers unto the prophets."
I love this. We will have joy. We can have joy. Just partake of the bread of life. I love the scriptures and being able to be a
servant of my Savior!! I love you
all!!
Love,
Elder Wilson
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| Korean Flag & Captain Moroni with the title of Liberty flag |
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| In front of Provo temple |
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| w/ Elder Lunt & Elder Trask |
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| with my group |
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| with Elder Yoon & Elder Jang |
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| with Elder Bramwell from our family ward in Ohio |
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