Preparing for Christmas and Baptism!

Wow it is crazy to see how fast these weeks are flying by! It felt as if this week lasted about 3 days. That's it! Although this week has been filled with some pretty big things that I'll talk about, but for the most part, this week has been filled with a lot of hard work, it wasn't as productive as we hoped, but it was really focused in on our currently most progressing investigator! He is fantastic and he just becomes a bigger teddy bear every time we meet him haha! I'll make sure I get a picture with him sometime this week! Oh I also wanted to say that I am SUUUUPPPPEEERRR Jealous of all of you who have seen star wars!! It just isn't fair haha ;-) But it's fine because I'll just have days on end of just lazy relief when I get back where I will watch EVERYTHING!!! Oh I also wanted to say thank you for the Christmas calendar! It is the perfect little reminder of home and it makes me smile every time I see it! But what I would love even more is if dad could reliably finish the family calendar this Christmas so I can see my family on the calendar every day ;-) Just some motivation dad!

 

Haha I guess I probably should tell you about the week haha :-) So the biggest thing that happened this week was that about half the missionaries in the mission went to the Christmas party I was at! It was super great because I got to see some of my 동기 (MTC District). They sound like they all have been having super great experiences! But just like all of Korea, it sounds like they have had trouble baptizing. I'm not too worried though, because I know there are people out there who are waiting to here from me and I know that with the Lord's help I will find them :-) At the Christmas party we had the opportunity to hear from a lot of people and sing songs (I may send video). We also got to watch 17 Miracles. I realized something very fast... Why had I not seen this before??? That movie was fantastic, it made me cry so hard haha, there are few times I remember hearing my tears hit the ground but that was one of them! I suggest everyone should watch it, and just remember and appreciate the amazing and unforgettable things these people went through in order to make it possible for such a great foundation to be built. After the movie we all talked a little more and then we all headed out! There is no rest here! I mean sometimes I get a little breather but for the most part we are working our hardest to talk to everyone we can. I've really overcome that obstacle, I feel like even though I can't speak their language at all they all are willing to listen to me! 

 

We have seen a couple of investigators this week! one, his name is 신사무엘(sounds like samual), anyway he is this owner of a Baskin Robbins. He speaks really good English and has this crazy long hair!!! Anyway we went and met him and he gave us free Ice cream in a darth vader piggy bank! So I got a little taste of the star wars craze ;-) Our other investigator, our gangster, haha he is doing great. I can't tell you how much he has progressed! He has had a slip up once or twice but for the most part he is on his way of becoming a new man! He is just growing so well! Haha we have spent so much time with him! We'll take about an hour to teach him a lesson and then he'll offer to pay for our meal so then we go eat with him! Actually one day we went with him and his friend and they wanted to show us this really tasty chinese restaurant, they forgot to mention it was the next city over!!! So we were in the car just sitting there and then we realized that we didn't know where we were hahaha! We also last lesson had a member pop his head in during his lesson and just came in and helped out and started spitting out a LOAD of Korean! It was super helpful and really helped him with his questions :-) 

 

Food has been really good here, there hasn't been anything I couldn't handle just yet haha :-) I have had a couple run ins with shellfish but nothing bad! Makes me wonder if I'm even allergic to it haha :-)  

 

One Month of Korea down!

Well this is kind of crazy to think that I have already been out here for a month! It sure doesn't feel like that! I guess staying as busy as possible is really making everything move this quickly! I have had a great week this week but it has had it's moments of frustrations and just disappointments. But what would missionary work be without that right?? It has really helped me appreciate the people are progressing! Those people I'll talk about in just a little bit but first I just wanted to talk about the tough parts so we can get those out of the way and move on to the great things! 

 

During this week we had those moments where it just felt like nothing was going right. This week it rained quiet a lot, I'm not complaining because I love the rain, but people in Korea definitely do not. There is this stigma here that every little drop of rain is very acidic, which sometimes it is, but they always fear that if they go out without an umbrella there hair is going to fall out!!! So they don't like to stay outside for to long which obviously makes finding new people pretty hard! But for the most part we have enough investigators to not be too worried but I'd still love to be finding new people. We had this moment where we had a meeting with this potential investigator who said he could meet at this place at this certain time. That place is an hour and a half walk but half hour by bus. We had some other things fall through so we decided, hey, lets just walk. Totally wrong decision hahaha. It was extremely disappointing because we finally made it over there and it turned out we had blown us off. It wasn't the worst thing in the world but it really did feel like we had just lost a full day and that we were going to have to make it up somehow. 

 

Another tough point that came was when we tried to go teach the man who owns the dojo, the one that has the adorable family haha. Anyway we got there and he decided to tell us that he wasn't interested in the gospel and that he had a religion already. The only good thing that came out of that was that he told us he wanted us to keep coming and working out with him, so we've done that and we have built a real strong relationship with their family! But it was a real tough moment when I was leaving their dojo after he told us that, I asked Elder Todd "I'm going to have to get used to that aren't I?" And he told me that yes I would. It was a tough moment, I really love their family and it makes me sad thinking that they don't know what blessings come from the gospel, that they don't know they could live with their family forever. I know they will get there chance someday, but I guess just not yet. 

 

I guess that is enough for tough parts, I wanted to first talk about our best progressing investigator, 송준영. He, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but is a 'gangster'. He seems that was mainly just his past but we all know that he has a lot of work to do before January 10. Why that date? Oh because that is his baptismal date :-) The first time we asked him he kinda laughed, but as we talk about it more and more he says he wants to be a member and follow Jesus Christ and be happy. That makes us so happy. We thought that his biggest problem would be alcohol but surprising since we talked to him and his friend about it (they are supporting each other) he hasn't drank! So for the last 6 days he's been clean and he has just barely started!!!! Sounds like his biggest issue will be coffee but if he goes at it the way he did alcohol he will not have any issue! We talk to him just about every day and he loves hearing from us and is starting to realize why he feels so good when he's with us. I truly believe that he will be baptized and is on his way to becoming an amazing man! He is just someone that you can't really understand until you meet him haha, great guy! Sometimes he'll call us and just say, pray for me! Jeez, love that guy!

 

Then our other really great investigator's name is 김준석. He is the same age as me, he was the one who stopped us on the street! Anyway the more he meets with us the more he agrees! He said that he had heard our church was he racy, and that after he came to church with us he didn't understand why people thought that! We have a youth in the ward that is our fellow shipper for him and they are becoming really good friends! I really believe that he is going to be baptized once he becomes more comfortable with the ward and everyone there! 

 

We have a member in the ward who has some kind of physical impairment so he rides everywhere on this big tricycle that has all these gadgets on them. So a few days ago we went over to help him fix it up and he told me it's name... 3 Nephi!!! haha so I asked why it was named that and he said that 1st Nephi was at the dump and 2nd Nephi had no gears! It really made me laugh, I love the people in the ward and in this country! There is something about some of them that just make them the sweetest people! 

Productive Week!

Wow... Haha that's really the way to put it best! There is so much that I could put into this email so I'm going to try to get the most important things and mention the other things. But before I start I just wanted to remind you all that you are in my heart as we go through the holidays. I mean, Christmas isn't as big here, but we still have it all around us all the time and it almost always puts a big smile on my face when I see it because it reminds me why I'm here, why I am serving. Family is the most important thing to me and I can't wait to see you all again, I can't wait to have the best Christmas present ever and see your faces and hear your voices again! I cannot wait! Well as for my week, I guess there is only really one way to put it, 'a turning point'. 

 

Dad you asked me something about my mission that I don't think I ever addressed and that is "If your mission is anything like mine you'll have 25-30 baptisms". I wanted to let you know, that isn't the case just yet haha. My trainer has had 1 baptism throughout his mission so far and for the most part people tend to believe this stigma and it drags them down with it. I however, do not believe this for one moment, and I promise I am working my hardest to show it! At the beginning of this week we had just 1 or 2 possibilities for investigators, and they weren't very consistent. We now currently have about 6... Now I'm not so sure how this happened, but I can testify to one thing. It wasn't because we found them haha. During this week we wanted to work as hard as we could, my companion loved the fire I brought from the MTC and used it to both of our advantages haha. One thing I began to realize was that after we did all we could we were then blessed with these people. We had no power over it, almost ever single one of our investigators are people who seeked us out and bumped into us out there on the streets. It really grew my testimony that Heavenly Father is watching over his missionaries. For example, We had this one man come up to us who spoke really well English and he said he was a gangster, we thought he was kidding, then we met his friends haha... Over the past few days we have had 3 lessons with him and we have concentrated on the Atonement, and he feels that he needs it, he feels the Holy Ghost, and he actually woke up early for him, (he normally sleeps in until noon) and came to church! Amazing, he has a lot to work on, but I have felt that he sincerely wants to change :-) 

 

So this week we had Fast Sunday and as it being the first fast sunday I would have out in the field it was really... Tough. The thing that made it better was we had 2 investigators come to church and I chose to try and show the ward how much I wanted to work, so I stood up and tried to bear my testimony in front of 70 people in a language I'm still learning. It went really well and I felt my testimony grow very strongly. 

 

This week, I am going to make it a quick note because there is so much I could write, but this week we gave a homeless man on the side of the road a blessing. He begged us for a place to stay that was warm and that he couldn't work because is legs hurt to much. So we offered him the only thing we could, the power of God, he accepted and on the side of the street, in front of many others, gave him a blessing of health. I don't know the outcome but I pray still that it worked.

 

So we also had my first exchange this week with a native and it was pretty cool, for the most part we just did proselyting but we went and did a youth activity which was soccer so that was really cool! I got creamed, but still really cool :-) 

 

Oh! One other cool thing we did! We got the chance to go to a 택견 Dojo ( a kinda martial art) because the teacher/owner is an investigator. He asked us to join one of his classes with his family and so we decided it would help us bond with him! It was crazy! I loved there family so much, they had 2 little girls and then a little boy. His daughters were adorable, they were calling us uncle by the end of it. It reminded me why I was here on a mission. I saw there whole family laughing together and I could see the love he had for his children in his eyes and it broke my heart thinking that they don't know they can live together forever. I pray for them so much that they be able to understand what we teach and desire to be baptized so they can spend eternity with each other like I hope to with mine.

 

I can't tell you all how much I miss you, I hope you understand that how I feel for these investigators is because I have been testified to by the Holy Ghost that this work is true, and I know that my sacrifices are nothing to the reward of bringing others to the gospel. I love you all so much and I hope you never forget how meaningful it is to me that you write to me each week so I can know that you are all okay and doing well. I love you all so much and I can't wait to the 25th so I can kiss the computer screen as hard as I can :-).

 

I love you all so much,

Elder Fox 

FIRST WEEK IN KOREA!!!

Wow I don't even know where to start when it comes to writing this email!! I guess I'll just start from stepping off the final plane of my 25ish hour journey haha. We stepped off the plane and had to take a bus to the actually terminal to pick up all of our luggage and meet our Mission President. Might I add that he is probably one of the greatest men I've met while being out here? He just seems so happy all the time and immediately we all felt so comfortable talking to him. Him and his wife honestly felt like our parents right out of the gates, probably because we all had no idea what we were doing! Anyways we  were then hurried out to the set of cars that were waiting for us and then off we went! I'll just say that I would prefer not to drive in a car to many more times in Korea because that was scary haha. So we were able to make it to the mission home safely, which let me just say I don't think I've seen a more gorgeous city at night, it truly was overwhelming! We stayed at the mission home for the first couple nights, we were able to experience some of the food, which I'll talk about more later, we had some nice long training sessions but that was kind of expected. What was unexpected was on day one, they told us we were going to do some good old 전도. I then realized what that meant, Proselyting. Yup so day 1 we were out there walking the streets trying to meet new people and bring others to Christ, crazy. It was really great though, it was an amazing experience, of course the trainers talked mostly but it was a great intro into the new world I had just walked into. I learned from that experience was to just talk to everyone, don't be scared. We started talking to this man and he completely shot us down but we kept trying, then suddenly his son in law came up and we had a nice 15 minute conversation with him.

 

The next day came and we were told where and who with we were serving, I am now currently in 마산 (Masan). It is a bigger city that rests at the bottom of this mountain/big hill. Unfortunately for us, our apartment is at the top of that mountain haha. I'm not complaining to much because the view is unforgettable! It overviews the whole city and we can see all of the hills in the distance and the ocean, it's just gorgeous. I'll definitely send a picture later! In our apartment it has 4 Elders which is nice cause all of them are really cool. Oh also, in Korean they don't really do beds, so we just have 4 mattresses and what's called 요 (YO)s which are just like big thick pads. anyways, My trainer, he's fantastic. He's been here for about a year and 3 months and has been in Masan for about 6 months. He knows so much it's ridiculous! I'm just trying to keep up! His name is Elder Todd which always gives me a laugh because the Fox in Fox and the Hound is named Todd so we are totally meant to be companions haha. He is just great.

 

Now for the food, this food has 3 words I'd use to describe it. Different, Spicy, and GOOD. Haha I didn't really expect to enjoy the food as much as I do, maybe they're just spoiling me since it's my first week but this food here is really good. Definitely different though haha, I am still trying to get used to the temperature of everything, which is lava hot, and trying to eat it with chopsticks hahaha. I can hold my own but I definitely can't eat as fast as everyone else! So I have been here for just a few days and I was in the middle of one of my meals and I pull out something I didn't recognize for a moment, it was an octopus leg. Apparently super common, definitely unexpected haha. Other than that I haven't had anything crazy just yet, but you just wait! 

 

So other than classic missionary work, we've gotten the chance to teach a couple English classes which is really cool and a weekly thing we do here! We also got to go bowling with the youth and I did something really weird haha. Well first game I did great with a 158, then I became cursed by some bad luck from my companion haha and then scored 79... Let's just stick with the first one hahaha. :-) On Sunday I also was able to introduce myself to the ward (which has about 60 people) and tell them who I am and where I'm from and all that. They all gasped when I said I had only been in Korea for 1 week hahaha. 

 

I can't believe that my first week here has already gone by! It's amazing but still so scary trying to speak a language that I'm the best in, but I know eventually it will come. I can't wait to be able to tell people what my heart is saying, and to be able to share this wonderful message I have even better. I love you all so much and can't wait to be able to see you all again, I can't wait until Christmas! Okay, I love you!!!

Elder Fox

The Day Is Here

This Morning (November 17, 2015) Spencer's plane landed in Korea!!!! and he sent this email today...

Wow... Guess what just hit me, a CULTURE SHOCK! I can't even explain how overwhelming this is, but I can say this. This place is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever laid my eyes on. I will be sure to take a load of pictures so that everyone can see! So we were able to just email really quickly today just to tell everyone we've made it here safely, So I just wanted to say again, I love you. I love each one of you so much and I hope you guys realize that doesn't just change because I'm on the other side of the world haha :-) I will keep you all updated about my first week. There might be too much to put into one email! I'm pretty sure my P-days are Mondays, or Sundays for you haha it is currently 9 am here and I'm guessing around 5 for you all? Wow I miss you all so much,  I can't wait to be able to tell you guys everything!

All my love, 

Elder Fox

Last Week in The MTC!!!

There is no way to express the craziness that has filled this week! Although it has been practically the same as any other week, it couldn't be any different! I cannot believe that I haven't see any of you in the last 8-9 weeks of my life. It really is a change! Anyways I'll just kinda explain real quick how this week started out. Friday morning we got our flight plans, which set us all off and got us all insanely excited! The biggest surprise about it was that we are going straight from SLC airport to Tokyo Japan! That is like a 12-13 hour flight! I'm not sure but we may have a stop in Portland too... Guess I might as well read the book of Mormon again or something ;-) From there we have a 3 hour layover and then on to Busan South Korea! 

 
   I just wanted to take a minute real quick and thank everyone who has sent me letters or packages! They are always a pick me up! And Dad got mad at me for not giving him any glory for the cinnamon rolls he sent me so I've got to thank him for that now ;-) Those and the toaster oven are a really great combo though, my breakfast now consists of chocolate milk and a heated cinnamon roll :-) 

This week we were lucky enough to participate in testimony meeting of English speaking elders. Not just normal English speakers, foreign English speakers. these 5 people were from all over the world and were going English speaking. They testified to us and I don't think any of us realized the power of a testimony, even if it was in a broken language. They did not teach us through their language, they taught us through the Spirit of God and I was overcome, in tears. It made me think of everyone at home, my family. I wanted to just shout out to everyone the testimony that I've grown here, but I know I'll get my chance :-) 

So on Sunday sacrament meetings our presidency chooses 2 people randomly to give talks. The brutal thing is they don't tell you until you here the conductor announce your name (in Korean). I was chosen. It was very weird, because normally I am really nervous about it up until the names are announced, but a part of me knew that I was getting called for some reason. When I was called I bowed my head in prayed and quickly said, "Please do not let me be the one giving this talk, let me be your instrument, speak through me". I got up to the pulpit and began to speak, I began to speak smoother than I ever had in Korean, I didn't feel worried, I wasn't scared, except my body hadn't figured that out yet because it was still shaking hahaha. I wasn't sure if it was making sense until I got down from the pulpit, the Korean natives were smiling and shaking their heads up and down so I took that as enough of 'you did good'. :-) 

We did one on one coaching and evaluations with our teachers this week too, and it was what I needed. My companion is very very good at this language and sometimes I struggle to keep up. But that is not what my Teacher thought. She said exactly what I needed to hear. Sister Washburn told me that I am one of the most sincere and caring missionaries. She told me that I truly concentrate on the Investigator and that is more valuable than any part of the language :-) even my Branch President complimented me on it which was a nice relief.

This week we had our 2 sisters from Tonga leave for Korea early, it was pretty sad because we all had really grown close. 

 Love you all!!!

8 Weeks!

Hey to everyone back home! Especially my Family! :-) I don't know if you all have realized this yet but today will mark 51 one days since the beginning of this crazy little journey! I can't express how excited I am in my preparation for Korea and spreading the word of the gospel, even though it might not be the easiest thing to do in a foreign language I didn't understand at all 50 days ago haha. I can admit that this is definitely something that I never fully understood that I would be experiencing. I am growing so much here and I really wish you all could see me right now, because I'll be honest I am not the same person, haha in a good way though. I can truly say that being here at the MTC is like someone hits the fast forward button on your mental and spiritual maturation. It makes me look back on my past and wish I understood what I do now. But that is a part of learning and growing and I couldn't be more grateful :-) I miss you all so much and really do wish I hadn't taken for granted the time that I spent with each and every one of you. I love you all so much and I truly hope you realize the extent of that love I have for my family :-)

    As for anything new over here, we had a kinda big change this week. At the beginning of the week we found out that we were splitting our district in half, it was really bitter sweet because I had grown so close to all the people that I've met and had learned this brutal language with. But it was needed. We are now down to 6 in a district (which is still big) and next week we have some sisters from tonga who will leave a week early so then we'll be down to 4! We were moved back to our old building which is lot more... Cozy. Haha but it's not a big deal other than I miss the view we had from our top floor classroom (the stairs I don't miss at all). Anyway our district had a flag that we fought over because it was given to us by an older district. We earned it but it keeps getting stolen every once and a while hahaha. 

Yesterday we got our first letter from our branch president in an attempt to kinda give us a heads up of what we'll do when we get to Korea. Now everyone's going crazy over it hahaha. So dad asked about who is going to Korea, Well everyone in our district is except one, half of us are going to Busan, and the other to Dagon. The one other elder is serving in New Jersey because there is a Korean branch there! Mom asked what kind of uses we've been getting out of the toaster oven and I'll tell you you've gotten your value out of it! We really enjoy toasting bagels and bread in the morning, sometimes even cinnamon rolls! Later in the day we use it to heat up Korean style jerky(which is delicious) and to make smores! Thank you so much for everything you guys do, this is just one of the many things my family has done for me and I couldn't be more grateful :-).

    This Sunday I had a great opportunity to bear my testimony, yes, in Korean. I can say nothing less than I was not speaking, the Lord was speaking through me. I felt at such peace while talking, having prepared nothing before and not knowing exactly what I wanted to say, but as I spoke I felt the power of the Holy Ghost fill me and I was at complete peace, no pressure. Dad you sent me and amazing little story from you missionary journal, I'd like you to share that on my blog, it brought me to tears and I loved it so much I wanted to share it with everyone. That night we also had a devotional completely dedicated to families, and I'll tell you, I was a wreck so to speak. haha. I am so grateful for you all, I really can't express it enough, I love you guys. 

     But what most importantly happened this week, I finished the Book of Mormon, cover to cover. I don't think I could complete express my testimony of it's truthfulness over an email, but I will try. As I went throughout my day pondering the last few chapters of the book, I was preparing to take upon myself Moroni's Challenge of praying with an open heart about the Book of Mormon. Moroni 10:3-5. That night when I knelt down to pray, I was completely overwhelmed with the Holy Ghost, it was as if the inside of my chest was being warmed by a fire, that was growing to become larger than my chest. I, without a doubt, know that this Book is the Word of God. I know, that through sincere study of this book, the Lord will grant unto anyone the ability to learn for themselves the beauty and truth that lay waiting to be found within the pages of this book. I love you all, I love my family, my aunts, my uncles, my grandparents, I love my friends, I love Mckalie. And if I could ask of one thing for the well being of every single person I love in this life, it would be to read this book, look for the truth, want to find the truth, and I promise, with all of my heart, you will find it. I love you all so much, and I can't  wait to see you all again.

God be with you till we meet again, :-)

Elder Fox.