Week 84: No time at all

This last week and this week are super jammed with appointments, and that is great being a missionary!! If you are not busy, then... Gotta find a way to make yourself busy! But this week, we have had such great weather and we were able to go on multiple exchanges with great elders in our district and overall a super happy, fantastic week!

This week, I felt prompted to talk about the sacrament. The reason why we go to church is to partake of the sacrament and to remember and renew our baptismal covenants. As I thought about this and the meaning of the sacrament to me and to the entire world, I thought about how great it is that we are able to go to church and to be spiritually uplifted and have all our sins taken way. Church isn't a place to go

so that we pay pastors to teach or to learn just about the bible just for fun. But Church is a place where we share love and friendship with others and remember the covenants that we made and renew them so that this upcoming week, we are able to feel whole!~

This last week on Monday, it was raining a ton, so we spent P-day at the church. We ate food and played badminton and because of the news with North Korea, we had to go to the mission home and get our passports. Don't worry. This happens all the time and it will be alright! So we hung out at the church and then at at 6 we went outside for a little bit and talked to others and came back to church for a lesson, and our investigator thought we had scheduled for another day, so we met him on Tuesday!

On Tuesday, we went to our new service project! WE got to feed the elderly and work at a soup kitchen! It was a great experience! Then we went home and studied and then we went outside for a little bit to talk to people and then went to the church to meet our investigator! We had a great lesson talking about the plan of Salvation!

Wednesday, we went on exchanges and we studied in the morning and got to share the gospel all day! So we went outside and talk to people and then went to Busan National University and played some basketball!  It was great to play in missionary clothes and have a fun time with others and got to share messages about the gospel! Basically it was if I won, I got to share a message and never lost! Super great! Then we came home and ate dinner and then went outside again and talked to others!

Thursday, we studied in the morning and then went outside and talked to some people and then went to Busan National University and did sticker boarding! We were able to meet a lot of good people and then ate dinner. After dinner we had English class and then we taught Daut!  Daut has decided to get baptized on the 7th of May, so we are hoping that will hold out!

On Friday, we had interviews with President in the morning and then we had exchanges with the Assistant! So we had interviews and then ate and because of a whole bunch of crazy things that happened, we ended up staying inside and doing office work the entire day, but it was good and we got to run a whole bunch of errands for the mission headquarters!

On Saturday, we met our original companions and then came back to Geumjeong and then we studied a little bit and planned and then went outside and then we had dinner with a member after teaching English class!!

Yesterday, we had a whole bunch of meetings after church and Daut also came to church! I translated the entire time and that was super good and then we went outside and we taught the gospel to others! It was a great week and I love being here in Korea!

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson

Week 83: Happy Easter!

Wow... Today it is raining a ton outside. We are getting like 7 centimeters of rain and it is awesome. Actually not that awesome, but I love being outside and talking to others, so it is good. This week, we also got to take off our suits because it is getting warmer, so we

get to wear short sleeve shirts now!!! But this week, was a great week filled with meetings and going on exchanges with other great elders and exercising and serving others!!

Yesterday in Korea and today in the states is Easter. Easter is such a wonderful day. The story of Easter is very well known and I want to bear my that Jesus Christ did die for us and loves each and everyone of us. Not only that, but he overcame the bands of death and he rose after 3 days and is still living today. Just because he lived 2000 years ago and died, does not stop his influence and does not mean that he cannot help us. We can feel his love and our Heavenly Fathers' love everyday and that is something that I believe that we should always be grateful for. Today is a day to remember him and his sacrifice, but we should always remember him and strive to come closer to him!

On Monday, we hung out at the church and ate food and played badminton and just had a great day! It was really nice to get to relax and to exercise a little bit and to have a good time with all the other missionaries in our area. Then we went outside and talked to some other people and went to go drop by a members house because it was his birthday, so we took him a cake and then we went to the church to meet an investigator. But he ended up canceling because he didn't have time! But that is okay. We met him on Wednesday!

Tuesday, we didn't have anything to do, so that meant one thing... Spread to the gospel to everyone we see!! So we went outside and it was super great and we had a great day talking to a bunch of people in great weather!

On Wednesday, we had an exchange with the Gupo Elders, so I got to go to the Gupo area! So we studied in the morning and went outside for a little bit to talk to people and then we met with the other Elders and switched companions and then we went to Gupo! In Gupo, we talked to a lot of people and then went to the church and met a recent convert and we got to play basketball with some kids! Then to end the day, we went outside some more and shared the gospel with everyone.

On Thursday, I got back to Geumjeong and met my companion and then we talked to people outside and then had dinner and then we had English class. After English class, we taught our investigator Daut and he really enjoyed it and promised to come to church!!!

Friday, we had exchanges again and so we had a training meeting in the morning and then came home and did our studies and then we went outside to go talk to others. While doing so, we met someone on the street and asked him if he had time to talk and he said yes and we asked him if he wanted to learn about the church and he said definitely, so we went to the church and taught him and he loved it so much! And was super excited to meet again!!

Saturday, we de-exchanged and then we had a meal with a member and then came back and talked to others on the street and then had English Class. After English, i finished up working on the book and it is like 99% done, but still needs a little bit of tuning.

Sunday was Easter! And Easter was super happy!! In the morning the members all came super early and Daut came to church and loved it!! He said that he would want to come more and we were able to teach him and then we went outside for the rest of the day and found some great people that really want to learn about the gospel!! It was a great week filled of meeting great people!

I really do love it here and meeting the great people that we meet! I love you guys a bunch too!!

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson

Week 82: Working for a baptism, working on an English Book

This week was spent doing a ton of office work! The weather got super nice and it was a really good week and the first week of the transfer always means a lot of meetings! It was a super great week and really effective!! I love Korea and I really do have the most joy when I am able to talk to others and help them come closer unto Christ!

By watching conference, I was able to learn a lot and have a lot of things were able to come back to mind as I really pondered the gospel of Jesus Christ and what it means to me. The gospel is so perfect and through the restoration of it that was taken place, we are able to take part of all its' blessings. But something that I felt this week is that church, is not a hotel for saints, but rather a hospital for sinners. It is okay to make mistakes, as long as we correct them. Now does that mean premeditated sin is okay, no. But what that means is that when you really do make a mistake, that we can change and come back to Jesus Christ and stand up every taller and brighter than we
were before! I love this gospel and words cannot express how thankful I am for it.

Last Monday was transfers, so in the morning we cleaned up the house and emailed and then ran some errands and then went to the mission home with Sister Anderson and all her baggage. It is kind of weird seeing the sisters that I went into the MTC with, go home! Especially after getting so close with them! So then we went and talked to some people and then went outside and had lunch and then went back to the mission home to say final goodbyes and then came back to Geumjeong. We had an area meeting with all the sister team and decided what to do for the baptismal service that we were going to have on Sunday. So we decided to a musical number that I would have to accompany.

On Tuesday, we studied and then we went to the church and practice the song and then went outside and talked to a bunch of people on the street and then came back and practiced some more!

On Wednesday, I was called to work with a person who is making a new English class textbook for all the missions in north east asia. So I'm working with him now to make this book!! so that was super exciting and then we ate and then went outside for a little bit and talked to people and then we went to the church to work on the song with the rest of the missionaries.

Thursday we went to a meeting the morning for District Leaders and during the meeting, we were able to learn so much!! Then had an interview and then went home and then went straight to English Class. English Class was good and then we taught our investigator Daut and that was great!

Friday, we studied in the morning and then we went outside and talked to some people and then we came back to church and practiced and then we had some meetings to end the day!

Saturday was super busy. We had meetings in the morning and then we met witha  less active and then watched general conference, then we had a baptism and I played the music, accompanied and translated. So that that was a great time and then we cleaned!

Yesterday was all general conference and it made us pretty busy, but the spiritual enlightenment was amazing! I love conference!

I hope you all have a great week and love you guys

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson

Week 81: Transfers came and went. And nothing happened

This week has been a very quick week of missionary work, and transfers came and went. We didn't have anything big happen. We will be getting 2 new elders in our area and my companion and I will stay the same. It is great to see that missionary work and the gospel spreads throughout Geumejeong, Korea and the world. This last week was such a great week and we were able to accomplish much!

So Easter is coming up and the church has provided a great video that you can watch the Video, Prince of Peace on mormon.org!  It is a great short video about Easter and the role of the Savior. The Savior came to this earth and died for us and I love him for all that he did for us. But one of the greatest things is that he was resurrected meaning that we can live again with our families forever. Easter has such great meaning and I will share more later, but just think about what an influence Christ's birth and death have made on your lives and how blessed we are to have him as our Savior.

On Monday, we went to Haeundai beach and took pictures and played volleyball and then went out to eat. Then after which we ate a Indian restaurant and then went shopping and emailed. So we were able to do that and take a nap while we were at it. Then afterwards, we went on a short exchange with Geumjeong A team and I went with Elder Avila and we had a great time talking to people and finding amazing people to teach!

Tuesday, it rained, so we went outside in the morning and tried to find people to talk to, but there weren't that many people on the streets. But we kept talking to people and then studied for a little bit and then went to the church and got a lot of office work done.

On Wednesday, we went outside and we proselyted and found people to meet and talk with. We were able to walk and to find others and it was raining, but... It was definitely a good day doing missionary work and preaching the gospel. Also we met a new investigator who really wants to learn about the church and it was awesome!

Thursday we went adventuring and found some small villages that we had never seen! So we went and found some people over there and then we studied and then we went deep cleaned our house. After that came to the church and prepared for English class and the English members bought us dinner! Then we had English class and then one of our investigators came, so we taught him and then went home.

Friday, we had zone training meeting and we talked about Easter and the new Easter initiative that the church is doing., After that we came home and ate and studied and then went outside some more and then we had to get some more office work done, so went to the church and finished that up.

On Saturday, we were super busy! In the morning we went to meet a less active and then we met with multiple investigators all in different places, so we were super busy! Then we had English class and then the some of the English class members bought us dinner. So we were able to talk about the gospel with them and then we had to come back to the church to clean. Then later that night we got a call saying that the other Elders were being transferred and that Elder Jang and I would be staying together.

Sunday, we had church and church was really good and fun! I loved church and translating was a blast as well! Then after church we had several meetings and then we finished up some work and then went to our house to plan for this upcoming week. After planning we had dinner at the church and then got some more work done and that was my week!

It was a super busy week and we were able to meet some great people this week! I love being able to see the smiles the gospel brings to other people! It really is wonderful!

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson