Week 24: Snow & Investigators

So this week has been super great and 24 weeks... I'm not even sure about that anymore, but it has been amazing here in Korea as usual.  The more I learn, and the more I am here in Miryang, the more I love it and I am so happy and grateful to be here.  It snowed a little bit this week and I was actually super surprised, but it didn't stick which was kind of sad.  But for being a missionary, the snow would make it kind of hard for sure.  Also, we rode our bikes this week, which was super fun.  Also, this week has been filled with miracles and very interesting experiences and I am so glad that I can be here!!

This week's spiritual message is the phrase "Learn of Me", not the fact to learn of me (Elder Wilson), but to learn of Christ.  The more you learn of your Savior, the easier it is to spread his light to others and also be able to be edified personally.  I love being here on a mission because everyday I get to study a lot of how I can become more like my Savior.  Also, as we learn more, the more we will apply to our lives.  The gospel is very simple and precious and as we follow these simple and precious things, we can ultimately become as him.  As we always remember that we have someone, loved ones, to lean on, we can always keep going, so... Just keep going :)

So this past week was fantastic for sure and I have had such a fun time!  There hasn't been a week like it at all.  So last Monday we went to the dentist and that was alright and also we emailed and then we went to a festival!  This festival was very special for people here because it was the welcoming of the first full moon of the lunar calendar.  Because of that, they burnt a huge tree down and had a huge ceremony, and it was fantastic! The burning of the tree was apparently symbolic of the renewal of spirit or something. Then after P-day ended we had family home evening at the church and we played Charades. That was sooo fun and then after which we went home.

On Tuesday we were able to study and then we got to go outside and talk to a good amount of people. After which we went to go visit our investigator in prison named You-Ir (유일). He doesn't have a family name anymore because his family kind of threw him away after he went to prison for a mistake.  But he was as happy as ever and smiling and it was amazing!  Then we went outside some more and talked to others and then we went shopping because we needed to go find ingredients because we were going to have a special Taco- Pingpong (탁구) meeting so we went and bought ingredients and my companion's bag broke so we had to carry a lot of things in our bags. Then one of our investigators showed up to the church and we had a good lesson. Then we taught English and then talked to the English students and went home.

On Wednesday, we had our district meeting and that was great, and then I got to exchange companions for a day with the Zone Leaders. So we came back to Miryang, and then we got to go work on the horse stable, got to eat some great food with the member we work with and then we went outside and got to talk to others and check up on former investigators and then finally got to go meet a member who is originally from north Korea.. He is about 80...

Then on Thursday we studied in the morning, and he talked to me about how the exchange was and then we went to go de-exchange and then came back to Miryang. After coming back we took our bikes to go meet our investigator at his house and we stayed there for 3 hours because he was so curious and he wants to be baptized and to change!  So it was a great lesson and then we went home and planned.

On Friday we studied in the morning, and then went outside to go teach people the gospel.  While we were outside, we met a lot of people and it was amazing and actually we did that just about the entire day.  On the street we met a man and he was kind of drunk and he started talking to us in English.  He was like you guys can only speak to me in English.  So we did and he wanted to learn the gospel and to quit smoking and everything.  Because I am American, he felt like we were like brothers so he kissed me on my neck … and yes.... That was my day.

Then on Saturday, we taught English class and then had our Pingpong - Taco meeting and it was great!  Members and investigators came and it was amazing.  To end the day, we went outside and helped others come closer unto Christ. And also met the investigator we met on the street on Friday.

On Sunday our investigator came and his name is An-Ho-Gyuong (안호경) and he is super happy and wanted to quit smoking and was super inquired and everything was great. Later he introduced his friend and we got to talk with the members and everything was great and church was amazing and yes!! Then afterwards we went outside and then had dinner at our branch president's house and everything worked out great!

This week was amazing for sure and I love it here!

I hope you guys are doing well and I love you guys more than the world!

Love Always,

Elder Wilson

Bikes!

Lunar Festival

At the Lunar Fastival

In front of the burning tree!

Our Golden Investigator

Our Another Golden Investigator

Week 23: A week in the sweet life

This week has been pretty cold... I don't understand why because it is supposed to get nice at some point, but... It's cold. Anyways this week has been really good and I still super love it here.. I feel like I use that phrase a ton, but it is super true.  I'm so glad to be out in Korea doing the work and Miryang is wonderful although it is the middle of no where.

This week's spiritual message is about “Focus.”  As people are taught to focus on something in order to achieve it. Even as athlete, victory is the prize and if we are focused, it is very hard to fail.  But what if we do fail??  Fortunately, that is why we have Christ on our side to make up the difference.  But in being focused, as we are focused on what Christ, what God wants for us, we will become as we need to.  As we look to sync our lives with them, we are better able to receive guidance and love, and will never feel alone even when all odds face us. There is never any need to fear, because he lives and loves me.  So always stay focused on the prize and always remember the Savior, because with him, we can always win.

This week.... (Wow so many "this week"s). So anyways this week was fabulous, and it really was a normal week for typical Korean life.  No holidays, just average life.  So the week panned out like this. 

On Monday we went to the dentist and I got my tooth fixed, then after that emailed for a little bit more, then went out and got my hair cut and that was really the end of P-day.  Then we went and did Family home evening at the church and it was super fun because one of the people that attends is a 35 year old man who isn't married and he played a game with us which is for  like younger children and completely went with it and it was super fun! He also drove us home and he is one of my favorite people here.

On Tuesday, we studied in the morning, and then went outside and went to go talk to people.  After talking to many people we went over to one of our investigators residence. And the investigators residence is... Prison. So we go and he is super happy! His name is 유일 (You EEl).  He is super great and super happy for sure.  He has been taking the lessons for the past year, and still has a year left in prison for drunken manslaughter, but he is super happy and wants to change.  We only get 13 minutes to talk to him.  Fortunately, Korean is going super well, so we can teach him good lessons. Then after that we went to the Church and taught one of our investigators who shows up randomly and he listened and apparently got engaged, and is now going off to military service. Then after that we had English class and English class was super fun!!

On Wednesday we studied and then went outside for a very good amount of time!  While we were outside, it was very fun and we were able to talk to many people, but people didn't really accept our message.  But it is perfectly fine... It is always their choice :)   So then we had a meeting with our sister team and then went outside for a little bit and talked to people even more.  Finally we went and visited a member who we visit 2 times a week... He is apparently North Korean... I don't know how he made it down here,..,.. But... he is super nice and we love him so much!

Then on Thursday, we had a meeting with all the missionaries in our zone and that was fantastic. We were able to learn so much and be able to have such a good time. Also after that Elder Quiroz and I exchanged with some other missionaries and went to our respective areas and it was fun. Unfortunately it was hard to do much during this exchange because it takes an hour and a half to get from one place to another where we were at.  So when we got back to Miryang (me and my new Korean companion) We had a bunch of fun, but really no one was out to talk to, but we had a great time and speaking Korean all the time is super great!

On Friday, we studied and talked and then went and met our original companions and then came back to Miryang.  After doing so we got changed and went to our service activity.. Which is.... Working with horses and going to a horse stable and cleaning it... So we did that... For 5 hours and lifted everything and went to go eat with the member and it was so fun!  I love working in horse stables!!  Then after that we planned and that was our day!

On Saturday, we studied in the morning, ate lunch and then went to the church to prepare for English class.  After going to English class, we taught English which was great, and then cleaned the church!  After cleaning the church we went out with the sister team and talked to people and met with one of the sisters’ investigators and then kept going and then finally went home.  A lot of the week has been spent outside.

On Sunday, we had church and church was fantastic!  We got to be uplifted and rest and I got to play the piano for a little bit and it was great!  Then after church, we got to clean up and then go outside with the sister team again and it was amazing!  I love being able to go to church. Then to end the day, we went and ate at our branch presidents' house and that was amazing!! I love him so much and his family!!

That was my week in a nutshell!  I'm so glad to be out here and I pray for you all every day!  I love you guys so much!

Love Always,

Elder Wilson

 

Elder Wilson w/ 몰몬경 - 예수 그리스도의 또 하나의 성약

Exchange!

Fake Glasses

Week 22... The middle of no where, and a chipped tooth

Happy Valentine's Day from the 대한민국!! Or Republic of Korea!! There is just so much love in the air for sure and it so great to be out here.  Miryang is... The middle of no where, but it is absolutely lovely.  It definitely isn't a big city where a lot of people are outside but it is amazing.  The members here are wonderful for sure!  It has been raining here lately, and there was a day my companion and I forgot our umbrellas, and.... let's just say... Showering with a suit on is not fun at all!  But more or less... It is awesome and I love it here, this is so lovely and they have so many historic places over here, I'm excited to explore!!

So this week's spiritual message is on love and how blessed we are.  Last night I was listening to my Dad's favorite hymn, "Love at Home".  While doing so I was looking at family pictures and I was so.. Happy.  I was so grateful that my Father in Heaven has given me such a wonderful family to always depend on, that has taught me so much and that has turned me into the person that I am today.  Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I really got to reflect on how much I am loved.  I got to give a talk during sacrament meeting and look at all the people who love me even though I'm new.  I got to think about all the wonderful members on Yeongdo who I love very much and finally I got to think about my friends and especially my loving family.  I am so blessed to have such a great family and I just feel at such peace.  This joy that comes from having a family, from being loved is because God, our Heavenly Father, created a plan for us to live in families and to be loved. I talk about this all the time with people everywhere, that God is our loving Heavenly Father. He loves us and I love him and that is my spiritual message for this week.

So the week kind of rolled out like this.  So on Monday after P-day finished, we went to the Church and did family home evening.  One of the people that came was extremely drunk and wanted to play ping-pong with me... It was super fun actually and we ate dinner.  Monday was actually a day called 설날 (Sol-nar) which is the lunar new year.  No one in Korea is outside on this day and is bigger that Christmas and New years.... It is very hard to talk to people outside and really from the 5th to the 10th, was the national week of rest... So we had family home evening and I got to share the spiritual message! It was super fun for sure :)

On Tuesday, we studied in the morning and then made lunch and went over to the Church.  While at the Church, we planned a little bit and then we went to go out to go see our investigator.. Who is actually a prisoner... So we went walking and talking to people and then got to the prison, but because it was like national rest week, we couldn't go inside and meet with him.  So we came back and talked to many people!  I love talking with people and it is so awesome. Then we got to the church and we were going to have a planning meeting with the sisters in our area, but they weren't there yet, so we kept talking to people and then they finally got there.  So we had a nice meeting and talked and then got ready for English class.  But no one came so we went to go visit one of our members and we got to bear our testimonies to them and it was awesome!

Then on Wednesday, we studied for a while and then we went outside and talked to many people.  We were able to talk to a lot of people and we also met a Japanese person, so I got to have a great conversation with him!  It is super fun to be able to speak Japanese with people for sure.  Then after which we went inside again got some more materials and then went back outside.  After doing outside, we went outside and talked to more people.  There really aren't many people here... Or even outside and then we went to a member’s house who is about 80 and we talked to him and sang hymns with him!!

On Thursday, we had to go back to Busan for a meeting for the leaders of the mission.  So then I went outside and got breakfast and talked to many people with a missionary who is 6 weeks older than me in the field and 12 weeks older than me in the field and it was super fun!  We went out to talk to people and we ate!  Then after we came back to Miryang and planned and then went outside and talked to people and then we ate dinner.

On Friday we had a meeting and it was super fun and then we went out to go eat with your district members and that was super great!  After eating we went outside and talked to people and then we went to one of our investigators houses! He is going off to military in April, but he is meeting with us and has great intent!  After that we finished, and then went home and I made Banana Bread muffins that turned out super good.  And it started raining super hard... Which was not fun at all... But the banana bread muffins though..

On Saturday, we had a service project in the morning... And this will prove how middle of no where this is... So our service project is cleaning up horse stables!! So, we had a fun time doing that and then we came home, ate and then went to English class. We did English class and that was great and then we cleaned!!  After cleaning, we went and we delivered muffins to members and then we went home and then went outside and talked to people and went and looked for people.

On Sunday we had Church and church was fun!  I got to give a talk and that was awesome and then we got to talk and it was really great.  Everyone was surprised that I have only been here for 3 months.  Then after Church, all the members had a meal with each other and then after which we went outside and talked to many people with our sister team. Then after that we went home and then talked to more people after going back outside and then after that I dad a snicker doodle type cake for Family home evening today!! Also while I was chewing on some candy, my tooth chipped so I had to go to the dentist today.  Not bad at all.

So today has been good and I got to the dentist! Thanks for everything and happy valentine's day!!

I really love you guys

Love Always,

Elder Wilson

Happy Valentine's Day

My New Area