Straight to Sokcho Baby

It's only been a few days since my last email but a lot has happened!

-박선재 was baptized!! It was a great service, even though the entire YSA showed up after he said he didn't want more than 10 people there haha 

-exchange at the 한강 on valentines day

교대김밥 (best 식당)

So yeah I'm getting transferred to 속초 (sokcho) this Thursday. 속초 is a lot more countryside and it will be a way different experience than the city! I've had 속초 on my bucket list of places I wanted to serve since the beginning, and when transfers got closer and I started telling everybody how I was most surely getting transferred to 속초 (i had no idea). I also predicted I would go there during our transfer predictions.

Everyone else in my district also guessed i'd go there just cause of how much I said it haha. And sure enough when transfer news came my wish came true  I'm super sad to be leaving the YSA and all the people I've become close with but I will for sure be returning one day. Also when I told everyone in the ward that I was getting transferred to 속초 they all apologized for my loss which made me a little nervous... not sure what that means but I'm still hyped.

I would like to bare my testimony on the importance of going to the temple! I recently had the opportunity to go to the temple here and it was an amazing experience, in which I was able to have a lot of questions answered. So I'd like to invite you all to visit the temple as soon as you get a chance, and also prepare questions you'd like to have answered in advance. Going to the temple with is an act of faith and I think there's close to nothing better you can do to show your faith than to attend frequently.

"Spending more time in the temple builds faith. And your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial. The temple is a place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress toward a celestial life. There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems." (Russel M Nelson - "Think Celestial!" October 2023)

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선재 was baptized!!

exchange at the 한강 on valentines day

교대김밥 (best 식당)

Six Months

Highlights: 

- went to the temple today

- english club with the gang

- pig feet^^

- 그냥 재미로

I don't have a ton of time (I say that every week) but actually this time so it will be short 

This week we visited a different religion, 예수 사랑 교회 (Jesus love church) cause someone we met invited us. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Everyone was pretty welcoming though and there was some fun music as well. Since we were so open to visiting their church the lady we met said she'd like to know more about the Book of Mormon as well, so we'll see where that leads!

We also have a baptism this Sunday! It's for 박선재 and we've been planning everything for it this week so pray that it all goes well! 

Okay I've run out of time so I have to go but next week my p day will be on Monday so I'll write a longer email (I probably won't)

좋은 하루 보내세요 ~~

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Wars and Rumors of Wars

First of all, sorry I didn't write last week, I can't actually remember why but it's been busy so. I'll make a longer email today though.

There hasn't actually been wars here, or rumors of wars either really, but something that happened last week was the president here enacted "martial law," and then decided not to actually do that and canceled it like 6 hours later. What is martial law you ask? I don't actually know so look it up I guess. But we weren't allowed to leave the house for a day and the word on the street was that apparently we could be shipped out of Korea at any time. There were also some rumors of wars going around the mission, but you know how fast things spread around here (pretty fast).

Other than that, some new things:

- I'm in a trio now with Elder Velazquez and Elder Grant 

- we are double covering for the YSA and 강남 1st ward

- we met a 100-year-old lady on the street (she gave us yogurt and candy)

- had a great Christmas party with a concert in the chapel (check photos for vids)

- Visited the temple

- ate some great food 

Anyway, on to our teaching friends:

- we have 5 teaching friends right now, one of which I believe could be ready for baptism soon! Another one has accepted baptism but is not on date yet and I think he still will need a while to learn some more before we look for a date. The rest are prob gonna take a bit but hopefully as we continue to teach them we will start to get somewhere! 

Spiritual Thought:

Alma 37:6 "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise" 

I think it's important to remember from this verse especially the part that says by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. I've seen from my experience as a missionary already that learning anything takes time. And so I think the best way to learn how to feel the spirit and have a relationship with our Heavenly Father is to work at it every day. And I think my experiences in the Book of Mormon every day have helped me the most with that. I know that if we read the Book of Mormon we will receive guidance from it, because it is the word of God. So read the Book of Mormon this week! 

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Provo City Center Temple

 No letter this week, but here are a few pictures! 

Missionaries NO ️ Weathermen YES

In immersion this week we practiced being weather reporters and each took turns giving a "live news channel" weather report in Korean. For anyone who was watching that weather station, I will gladly pay for your therapy. In other words, it was really bad. Nonetheless, the Korean is coming along slowly but surely and with the Gift of Tongues we will all be just fine. 

Elder Gong came to the MTC!! He gave an awesome devotional on Tuesday. One of my favorite quotes was: "You don't know everything, but you have a testimony. Rely on your testimony when there is something you don't know." I love this quote because I've already come across some questions in Gospel discussions that I can't answer, and I'm sure it will happen more in Korea. It is important to always have a testimony to fall back on in situations like that, or even if you have personal questions or doubts. If you can rely on your testimony then you will be okay in any situation. That was my first time seeing an apostle speak in person and it was so cool! And I got to sit on the second row so that was awesome.

I was lucky enough to go to Jared's wedding this morning! He happened to be getting married at the same temple that my district and I were doing sealings at, at the same time, and on the same day. It worked out so perfectly and was such a blessing! It was a little weird seeing my family while being on my mission but it was still fun. 

Chocolate milk - upon arriving at the MTC, I made a goal to only drink chocolate milk every meal since I'm on the bulk. That only lasted about a week until I got sick and I haven't had chocolate milk since so yeah. Ever since then, I've been quite addicted to apple juice. Boy do I love apple juice. I drink it with every meal. I had no idea how underrated it was until the mish. And then all of the sudden, yesterday morning at breakfast when I went to get my morning cup of joe (apple juice) I saw this: 

                     OUT OF ORDER. 

Are you kidding me. I was absolutely livid. I used to think the days here were long, but it doesn't even compare to a day here without apple juice. It's officially been two whole months (two days) without apple juice. Will things get easier? I sure hope so. 

I gotta go but I'll write more next week.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NE4hqKEuajBNpJgu5