June 10, 2012

Hey everybody,

So this week I'm doing some computer work to transfer files onto a memory card to send to my parents, so this email might not be very long. Sorry in advance. :D

Last week was pretty crazy. On Monday we went to another area called Wonju for a baptismal interview and then slept the night there, because we had to go to Seoul the next day and Wonju is on the way. That day was pday, so we emailed and shopped and then I worked out with another elder named Elder Rife. He is ridiculously big and strong, but it was cool because he was patient with me and didn't make fun of me because I can only lift a third of the weight that he can. When he had all his weight on the bar was bending slightly. :D I always thought weightlifting would be pretty boring, but it's actually really fun. It's a good stress reliever too--like Elder Rife said, "you can't think about anything else with 200 pounds over your head." (I only lifted 120 pounds^^)

Then on Tuesday we went into Seoul for our Zone Leader Council, the last one with President Lee Yong Hwan before he goes home. That was pretty sad, we will miss him a lot. He leaves on the 30th and President Christiansen comes in the same day. I heard they aren't allowed to talk at all, which is interesting.

Thursday was pretty crazy. We went to a youth activity with our branch, and they originally planned to go fishing, but nothing was prepared so we just played basketball instead. That was fun. Then we went home to clean up, and as Elder Larson was making rice the sink exploded! Water was shooting in a jet horizontally out of the wall, and getting everywhere. I stood blocking the jet with my hand while he looked for the water shutoff, but stupidly it was not under the sink. I found the piece that blew out and tried to screw it back in, but it didn't work and just sprayed more water everywhere. Finally Elder Larson went next door to the neighboring apartment and asked, and it turns out it was in a panel in our bathroom. That is a dumb place to put a water shutoff; they should at least have an individual one for the sink. I got soaking wet, but it was kind of nice because it was hot that day. :D A piece had just slowly come unscrewed, and it happened to pop off while we were there, which was definitely a blessing. If we had been out when that happened it would have been bad.

Yesterday we met with two people who were not Korean, a Chinese kid named Lee Seong Mun and a guy from Pakistan named Shafqut Ullah. It was interesting to teach them because we could barely communicate with Lee Seong Mun, but he was so sincere, and we gave him the Book of Mormon and a pamphlet in Chinese, and he said he would read them. Also we talked with Shafqut for a while, and it was really interesting to learn about Pakistan from the point of view of somebody who came from there, and also from someone who isn't Christian or Buddhist, the two dominant religions of Korea. I feel like it widened my horizons a little bit. He said he wants to have a barbeque with us, so if that ever happens I'll let you know. :D

That's about all. Hope you all have a good week!

Elder Matt Dean