Hey everybody,
So, we have transfer calls tonight! I love transfer calls, they're really exciting. Will I stay here? Will I go somewhere else? It looks like me and Elder Larson will probably both stay here, but you never know with transfer calls. Anything could happen! I'll let everybody know what went down next week.
Yesterday me and Elder Larson rode our bikes around for literally the entire day except for church. We went to some of the more remote areas of our mission to find less-active members, and we ended up trying 14 houses over 5 hours. One was home and took an invitation to the big huge party our branch is having for the 30-year anniversary of missionaries entering Gangneung; most weren't home; one told us politely but firmly that she's going to another church now and not to come back; one had passed away last September; one was traveling abroad; and one lady had passed away last September. I was sad to hear that. It wasn't exactly the most successful run of less-active visits I've ever had, but we talked to a lot of people on the way, and it was fun to ride the bikes around.
Here's a cool miracle-ish thing that happened. We were teaching our investigator who should be baptized this Sunday, 황기석 (Hwang Gi Seok), and he said he had some questions about the Book of Mormon. He opened up to 1 Nephi 8, Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life, and read the verses that tell about the great and spacious building that represents the pride of the world. And then he said, "It's crazy, but I dreamed this a few years ago!" He had had a dream where there was one building, really colorful and bright, that was separated from a huge, dark, forbidding building, and he was really excited about it. I thought that was pretty cool. :D
A couple days ago, we were coming back from a far-away area on a bus, and a lady in her 70s got off the bus at the same place we did. We had been talking with her and the bus driver for a second before we got to the stop, and they said stuff about how good our Korean was and the other classic things that Koreans always say to missionaries. Then we were walking with her to the apartment complex across from the place where our next appointment was, and I took her shopping bags and carried them to her house. (You kind of can't wait for permission to serve someone like that in Korea--you just have to start serving them. :D ). On the way we talked about how she lived alone and her children are in Seoul. It wasn't a long conversation, but what really surprised me about her was how happy she was, how big and beaming her smile was and how nice she was to people. I want to be that way when I am old--still alive and kickin'. :D
After meeting her, we went to our appointment. It was an interesting experience. We weren't sure the guy was in complete mental health on the street, so we decided to visit him and give it a shot. It turned out he wasn't really all there enough to teach. The strange thing was, there was a random middle-aged woman living at his house. (He was in his 50s). When we asked about her, he said she "had nowhere to go," so she lives at his house and does his dishes and cleans for him in exchange for the rooming. She didn't look all the way there either. I felt really bad for them, and I was sad that sometimes there are things that keep us from teaching the gospel to people even though the Savior accepts all who come unto Him. I wish things could turn out differently. It did make me really thankful for the amazing life that God has given me.
The food of the week is bokkembap. Basically, you stir-fry kimchi and vegetables and then mix it into rice to make fried rice. It's super good and super easy, definitely easy to make in America.
Hope you all have a good week!
Elder Matt Dean
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