It Just Takes One

January 25, 2016

          Well, it has officially been 1 year and a half since I started this journey.  It’s crazy to think that if I were a sister missionary I would be done already.  I’m glad that’s not the case because I would feel like I accomplished so little.  I’m hoping to do a bit more here in the last quarter.

          This last week was just super cold and snowy.  So much snow!!  And it’s not like Utah where it just falls straight, this stuff attacks you from all sides with some evil wind as well (it froze my hair…).  We spent a lot of time yesterday pushing cars up the hill outside the church which was fun but tiring.  Good opportunity though.  Stinkin’ Korea and its lack of snow plows and rock salt.  We spent a lot of time just outside sliding around in the cold trying to talk with grumpy cold people.  Good times.

          We met with Oh Wanyoung (the guy we met on the street) and our ward mission leader.  It went pretty well but he got suuuper overloaded on information.  He sent a text to us later saying that he doesn’t think this is right for him so he dropped us which was pretty sad. 

          On the bright side we met with Darius, this awesome black guy from Liberia that we met on the street several weeks ago.  We taught him about the restoration which he accepted pretty well.  All the African people I met have been super open-minded.  Sometimes I get a little jealous…but it’s all good.

          We have this funny old guy that we meet and do our English program with.  He has a hard time understanding us and our message, but he came out to Sunday school!  He has his church he goes to so he says he can’t come to ours.  We’re trying to help him understand that there can only be one truth.  We’re thinking of dropping Jang Yehoon (rapper kid) because he’s just going backwards and doesn’t show interest or any desire to progress anymore.

          Our investigators are pretty stagnant right now.  It’s been awhile since we’ve had a progressing investigator.  People just can’t see the importance of what we are teaching, don’t really care, and aren’t willing to change their lives, especially from the invitation of 2 young white kids.  But it only takes the 1, and that’s why I’m still going.  One of these days things will start picking up.

          We talked about the Sabbath in church, so I’d like to invite you all to think about what you can do to make it a more special day or maybe what you can stop doing.  Always remember that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man.  Thank you for all that you do, have a great week!

          Love,

          Elder Jace Anderson

 

                                             I got me a new suit!  Only $75.

                             We all got the same one...haha.  Who wore it best?

Finding Joy in the Work

January 18, 2016

          This week was pretty similar to last week.  The weekdays went by well and fast, and the weekend was just kind of slow and painful.  But we did find 2 new people through some great miracles!  The first one’s name is Hwang Namgil.  We got a random text from someone saying that they attend a Protestant church but have interest in and want to learn about the Book of Mormon.  Awesome!  That never happens!  We set up an appointment and met him the next day.  He’s a super cool guy and accepted it pretty well.  He doesn’t really believe his own church or even God, but was curious about the BoM.  He was really great but we haven’t been able to contact him since (same with Kim Yusheen), so we are worried that they may have consulted with their pastors. 

          Our second guy was cool too!  We were walking on the street and came to a stoplight where 2 guys were waiting.  I walked up next to the one on the right and looked over at them, but then backed out and went to the guy on the left.  I started talking with him and found out he’s a Buddhist but open to new things.  He’s probably around 45-50 years old, kind of an odd guy but really nice.  We talked about religion and stuff and ended up walking him to the church to show him and we had a lesson also!  He’s not like interested to see if it’s the religion for him, but he’s curious and open and we are meeting him again this evening! 

          We had a member lesson with Lee Dongchan before he went to the Philippines, and besides him bringing green tea pancakes it went awesome!  We just have to wait a month for him to come back. 

          So remember that time those old people made me eat tons of rice?  Well, they did it again.  It was painful, but I put down 4 bowls of it!!  I was so proud of myself, and in pain, but I avoided offending them.

          I went on a split with Elder Esplin in the neighboring ward.  He’s from Salt Lake and went to Skyline I think so he knows Matt Wilcox.  He’s on his 2^nd transfer but is already super good at Korean.  He’s a funny guy, so it was a good time and we taught a great lesson to our rap loving Jang Yehoon about Alma 36 and the word of wisdom.

          We saw some weird stuff including sketchy activities and lot and lots of missionaries from other churches.  There was even this guy with a giant megaphone strapped to his back yelling at people to repent and believe in Christ.  Not the best way to do it.

          I’m preparing things for district meeting about finding joy in the work and I found this cool scripture, John 13:13-17.  Go ahead and read it!  Thanks for all you do!  You guys are the best and I’m grateful for your examples.

          Love, Elder Jace Anderson

A big peace sign!

Elder Benefiel gave me one of his gingerbread men

Me and Elder Esplin

 

Stop stealing mine!

January 11, 2016

          So, weekdays are pretty good here, but we struggle on the weekends.  We were able to find a cool new guy though!  His name is Lee Jongchan.  He called off an English ad and came to our class.  He liked it and us so much that we were also able to meet him separately later on.  He’s like 24, doesn’t have a religion, but believes in God and says he could see himself getting into religion.  Great right?  Well, he leaves for the Philippines at the end of the week and will be there for a month.  Stupid Philippines!  You have enough prepared people, stop stealing mine!  That’s ok, the Philippines is cool.  Our other new guy, Kim Yooshin (the guy who has his other church), accepted the BoM really well.  I just hope he doesn’t ask his pastor!  He’s a cool guy and says funny stuff in English, such as “You too!  Good Jesus dream better than piggy dream K K K.  Have a good sleep.”  Silly guy.  Telling someone to dream of pigs means “sweet dreams,” so that’s why he said that.  All our other investigators are pretty much the same.  Except Park Jongmoon!  He’s more of just a missionary friend that knows the church is true, but he said he wants to be baptized!  He just needs to come out to church. 

          We had a zone conference this week as it was the start of the new transfer.  It was pretty good.  I always love being able to hear what President has to say.  He is such an amazing guy.

          I threw up again this week again.  A member took us to that same buffet and made us eat a tone, and then I ate this gross food with an investigator, so I threw up that night.  But in a better story I went to this crazy market in search of this Philippines store and a duck got flame throwed.  Pretty fun.

          It was a good week, nothing too amazing, but it was a good one.  I’m enjoying my time here and hoping for some more success soon!  Oh yeah, that old guy we teach said he’d get baptized next week, but it was a pretty iffy response.  We’ll see what happens!

          Love,

          Elder Jace Anderson

Elder Medina decided to take pictures.  We enjoy collecting stickers that come in bread here.

                                                    A funny garbage sign.

                                     Me and Elder Medina!  We live together    

Me and my phone! 

Happy New Year!

January 4, 2016

          Happy New Year everyone!  I hope it was a good one and that you are all off to a good start.  The end of the year went great and we were busy and meeting new people, but after New Year, well, it was super slow and we spent most of our time talking to difficult people on the street.  Even when we just try to ask people for directions they reject us!  Like what the heck?  Anyways, we met a super great new guy named Kim Yooshin who could be super golden, possibly.  He contacted us to learn English.  He said he came to find God while doing his mandatory military service and is now faithfully attending his church but said that recently the feeling he gets has been getting weaker.  As long as his church’s people don’t convince him to stop meeting us, he could have some potential. 

          We were also able to meet that guy who came to the Christmas party and he’s been taught everything!  But he has a bit of a mental issue and his parents oppose the church, so we’ll see what happens.  His name’s Park Jonghoon.  The best part of the week was Debby!  This awesome Nigerian lady.  I talked with her like a week and a half ago on a bus and told her a bit about the Book of Mormon and got her number.  We were able to meet her at just this bus stop and gave her an English copy which she accepted really well.  And then we helped her and her husband move a fridge into their house.  The husband lived in Spain for 15 years and was pretty misinformed about the church, but we told him we’d bring him a Spanish Book of Mormon.  It should be fun!

          All our other investigators are either the same or are kind of avoiding us, so there’s not much else to talk about with that.  But we did get sucked into having a lesson only about the Fall, that was no fun.

          Speaking of no fun, here’s a story.  In Korean culture, food and etiquette is everything.  You have to eat things right, and eat A LOT!  And never ever leave any rice (because Korea used to be super poor so people remember when it was scarce).  Well, our bishop decided to take us to a buffet and made sure we ate a lot, and then for dinner that day this old couple had us over (we usually don’t have meal appointments), and they destroyed us!  They made us all eat 3 overflowing bowls of rice.  I was so full on my last one that I gagged each time I put some in my mouth.  It was just impossible, so I couldn’t eat it all, and they might’ve been a little offended, but it was better than throwing up!

          We’re starting a new transfer and hoping to have lots of success!  I found a quote from Pres. Hinckley I like.  “If you do your best, it will all work out.  Put your trust in God…The Lord will not forsake us.”

 

                                                        My district

 Me and Elder Benefiel on our way to this guys house way out in the outskirts of Gwangju. We had some super good 추어탕 or loach soup