Week 102: Time is flying

Ok.. In all honesty, I'm a few weeks from being home and so therefore, I won't write a lot, but I will give you a brief run down of the week and I will give you a ton of testimony! Weather has been super nice as of late!

This week I had multiple thoughts about focusing. When we focus our vision on something, we don't lose it because we are not concentrated on anything else but the goal that we want to achieve. But when we don't focus and we decide to go off and dream or worry ourselves on very finite things, we tend to lose focus and balance in our lives. The focus should be exaltation and that is what we want to do. We want to return to our Heavenly Father again and be in His presence, and receive many blessing!

So Monday was P-day and we stayed in Jeju and shopped and played games with each other and emailed and ate at a buffet and that was great! Then we got on a plane heading for Busan so that we could attend our zone conference and we got picked up.

On Tuesday we had our Zone conference and it was fantastic! We were able to take pictures together and listen to great talks and present training to our fellow missionaries and it was a gem of a time! We then came back to Jeju that night.

Wednesday was a very full day. We studied in the mornign and then went outside and talked to people and then were able to go to our service project. After that we had a meeting with our ward mission leader and then we had a meeting with our investigator that is preparing to be baptized on the 17th and then got to have another meeting with the young men's president because we are his counselors and then we went home.

On Thursday, we went outside and talked to people and got to hand our fliers and my companion had to go to the doctors so we went and got some stuff done there and then we went and helped a member move some of his furniture out of his house. After we had dinner with him and then went to the church and taught English class!

Friday was jammed packed: we studied in the morning, and went and met with the Seogwipo Elders and had an exchange. So we came back and studied for a bit and then got picked up by a member and we went to go visit a less active that lives a long ways out.. So we went out there and got to know them and had a great time talking to them and then came back and met with some people at night!

Then on Saturday, we finished up our exchange and then went to a beach and had our youth activity on a beach and then went straight to the church and cleaned and then went outside for a bit and then played basketball with some investigators.

Sunday was packed full of meetings and I got to translate and it was great! Then after church we were able to do some office work and then head outside for the rest of the day and talk to people.

This week was superb! I love you guys!

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson

Week 101: Super miracles and baptismal dates!

 This next week is going to get super busy and I'm super excited for it!!!

This last week, I was really able to think about the term "success."  Success is a very interesting concept, where people sometimes think that if we try, then we are successful or to be successful we must have the numbers to prove it. But success is something that comes from effort and faith, and is shown by the blessings that God gives us. Sometimes we may fail and it is good to try, but when we ponder what we are doing and the decisions we make, God will bless us with countless blessings and help us overcome our trails by our faith in Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful thing to know that our Savior lives and by walking with faith and understanding why we need to have faith, we can be assured that God will help and bless us.

This last Monday we went to a lava tube and it was super sick! It was awesome getting to spend time with the zone members and talking to them. After we got back, we emailed and went shopping and then I got my hair cut. I told the barber to cut my hair short on the sides and cut
a little bit off the top and he shaved my head... I don't know about haircuts anymore!!  hahaha...

On Tuesday we were super busy. So we went outside in the morning and then we came home and studied. After which we went to a beach and had our ward picnic! It was awesome connecting with the members and talking to then and having a great time with them. Then we came back and helped our Branch President clean up an apartment complex and we got a couple of people to talk to us about why we are in Korean. After that, we went out to eat with them, and at the end of the day, we had a investigator lesson with an investigator with Kim GiBeom and he super loves learning about the gospel and wants to know if the gospel is completely true before he gets baptized!

On Wednesday we planned in the morning after going outside and then studied and then went and heart attacked some members. After doing this we went to the church and studied and then went outside for a little bit. After that we came back to the church and then went to our service project where we teach little kids English. After that we met one of our members at the church and talked with him and helped him learn how to pray and then we went outside and talked to people for
the rest of the night.

Thursday was studying in the morning and then going outside and talking to people and then studying some more. Then after that we met with a member and talked with him about the situation with the young men in our ward and then during that, we had a Chinese man show up the church and he wanted to learn about the gospel, so we taught him and then resumed our meeting with the member. Then we took a bus out to a place called Waedo and then met with a single mother and her kids! After which we went back to the church and did English class and then walked home.

On Friday we had exchanges, so in the morning we studied and then went to District meeting and then we walked home and Elder Hubble and I were going to be companions for the rest of that day. While eating lunch we got a call from someone that wanted to meet with us because he was from Seoul and loved the missionaries, so we went and met him and he started talking about church. He wanted to attend church. We got to teach him the entire restoration and he loved it. So he said
that he would be baptized on the 17th of September and try his best to do so. It was a great blessing. After that we went out walking and then did some studies and after studying we went outside and talked to some people and then went and played basketball with some little kids that super like us. After that we ate dinner and were able to finish the day with some good proselyting.

On Saturday we went outside in the morning and then we studied after coming home and then went out and met another investigator and had lunch with him. so we taught him the plan of salvation and then gave him a baptismal date too and he accepted and it was fantastic! he is super excited to get baptized and he is 18!! Then we switched and went the church and met with some members and cleaned and then studied and then went outside and talked with some people and then met up with a member family and went out to dinner with them and it was fantastic!

Sunday, we had a national stake conference.  Elder David A. Bednar was presiding the conference, and that was fantastic! We had a wonderful time watching and then we were able to talk to the members after church. Then we went to visit some of them and went out to some further places that we typically are unable to go to and we met some great families and then we went home and talked to people on the way home and shared the gospel! It was a fantastic week!

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson

Week 100: Whelp.. triple digits

This week it looks like it is going to rain a lot.

This week I have been thinking a lot about patience and about how to be more Christ-like. As we draw closer to Christ we are able to enjoy more blessings and feel the fullness of his love. it is great being able to have the fullness of his gospel restored to the earth again because this way we cannot falter in our ways if we keep trying to be like Jesus! It is sooo wonderful!

On Monday we went to Busan and I with Elder Cronin and were able to meet with our new companions. I wished Elder Cronin farewell and it was super fun! So on Monday we did that and I met my new companion Elder Johnson that has been out for about a year. Then we came back to Jeju and did our family home evening!

On Tuesday, we woke up in the morning and cleaned and then went outside and emailed and shopped and had p-day! It was a great day and we got to go over to the newer part of Jeju, and send sister Brady's luggage and elder Seol and elder Minson’s stuff. Then we went and visited a member to end the day.

On Wednesday we went outside in the morning and talked to people and then studied and then we went to Seogwipo to send off Elder Stewart’s bags. After which we came back and got to talk to some people and then we went and met the new trainees and their trainers and the airport. To end the day we talked to people outside.

Thursday was officially our most normal day and so we went outside and talked to people and got to go meet with people and want with members and it was a blast of a time. Then we went to the church and studied and then had English class.

Friday was us flying out to Busan and having some meetings for the leadership of the mission and then we went to go meet some of my old recent converts and investigators in Busan.

On Saturday we went outside in the morning and talked to some great people and then went up to Miryang and met with some of my past members and less actives and then came back to Busan and took at plane at the end of the day and arrived in Jeju!

Yesterday we had church and that was awesome! We were able to talk a bunch to members and help out others and then we went home and ate after having a couple meetings and then went outside for a bit and talked to other people and then finished up the day by watching a special broadcast for the Korean members.

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson

With Elder Johnson

Week 99: Almost 100... Wow

So quick update on life... It is tuesday here today because yesterday was transfer day. I didn't get transferred so I will be ending my mission on the island of Jeju. My former companion Elder Cronin
finished his mission here on Monday and he went home today. Last transfer was my favorite transfer and it was wonderful being with such a great companion and great group of missionaries. We laughed all the time and there were so many smiles here and there. I'm so thankful for the Lord sending me such a great companion and great missionaries to our zone!

This week I really thought about happiness. Happiness is an interesting concept in all honesty. Happiness comes about based on the situations we are in. Someone might tell a funny joke and make us laugh, or sometimes when we eat something that we haven't had in a while, our hunger and craving are satisfied and we are content and filled with joy. This last transfer, something that I felt was constant and continuous happiness. I don't remember a time that I wasn't smiling last transfer. My face hurt at the end of the day because I smiled so much or laughed or talked to people on the street or anywhere we could. In all honesty, happiness is found in the people that we spend time with and joy is found in the way we live. This is why Heavenly Father gave us the "plan of salvation", or perhaps another title, "the plan of happiness". And by following the gospel of Jesus Christ we can enjoy these lasting, joy-filled times and come closer to our Savior. We can become great friends with others and have the time of our lives with our families. Literally happiness is
unlimited and it was a delight to have served with such great people last transfer. Heavenly father lives and he loves us and because he loves us, he really has provided a way for us to always be happy.

Last Monday, we went to an island off of Jeju called Oodoe. It was fantastic and looked sooooo beautiful. It had some great scenery and although it started raining while we were on the island and we looked around some more and found some great places! It was lovely. Afterwards we came back to the city of Jeju and emailed and shopped and then had our family home evening and that was fantastic!

On Tuesday, we went outside in the morning and talked to others about the gospel and then had some time study and then went outside some more and had some lunch. after that we went down to the church and did some language study and then walked all the way over to the newer area
of the Jeju and had a missionary meeting at dinner at a members house. After which, we went outside some more and talked to other people and helped others come closer unto Christ and met with some great people that have a lot of potential!

Wednesday we went outside and then studied and then we went to meet an investigator. We cooked hot dogs with him and talked and it was awesome! After that we came back to Jeju and talked to some people and did some more studies and then we had dinner and then we went outside talked to people for the rest of the day!

On Thursday we had our district meeting, so we did that and then we went out to eat with the district and then we went to go see some members. After going out and seeing some members we cleaned up our house for the upcoming transfer and then we ate and talked to people
on the way down to the church. after that we had English class and talked to the members that came to it and it was fantastic@!

Friday, we flew out to busan for a meeting and we were there the entire day basically. Then we went outside and went to the airport and then we came back to Jeju. It was fantastic going to Busan and having great discussions about the mission!

On Saturday we were extremely busy. We were outside with people and talking with others and meeting with others and then we met with some less actives and recent converts and were able to teach them and then we ate with all the missionaries in Jeju. After all of this we went outside and talked to some great people and that was our day! We then had some transfer calls come in and now my companion and I are the only Elders in the city of Jeju, so that means our B team disappeared.

Sunday was a great day and we were able to attend church and take pictures with everyone and talk with others and there were a lot of laughs and happy times. We also exchanged pictures and talked to others and went outside and were able to find some great people that wanted to learn about the gospel. It was such a great week!

I love this work and I love the time I am having here!

Love Always,

Elder Joshua Wilson