콩 장로가 왔다

A pretty good week. Last Monday Elder Moon and Elder Bean came all the way from Taebeck (my last area), and we played sports with them and the other Elders and the Sisters. For 3 hours. We played soccer and ultimate. It was the hardest I think I've ever run on my mission. I was still sore until Thursday. We committed that we would never play sports for 3 hours in a row again until after we are a little more fit. But it was still super fun.

Our awesome Wonju district.

Elder Moon (our native Korean zone leader) had to go to an army reserves training for 4 days, so his companion Elder Bean stayed with us for the week. Elder Hansen and I and the other Elders switched off with having Elder Bean in our companionship as a threesome. It was super fun. Elder Bean has only been out on his mission for 4 months, but he has a huge heart and it was a pleasure learning from him. He has a TON of stories and miracles to tell from his 2 months in Korea... and he has no problem with telling them. After he left, I was thinking about how Elder Bean could possibly have so many stories to tell and all the miracles happen to him, and then I realized something. Elder Bean chooses to see the little things. He chooses to see the miracles. He's obedient and does everything he needs to, and then chooses to see the small things that he is blessed with as a result. It's also a gratitude thing. He's grateful for the small things. And it's that gratitude that makes life good.

Elder Bean (the elder right next to me.)

We visited a less active this week who we haven't been able to visit since Elder Murdock and I were here in January. We went to his family business, greeted his parents, and sat down with him and drank some drinks. His family business is a bar. They brew their own beer and sell it to people. So he's for sure not keeping the Word of Wisdom. Lame. But we were able to get really close with him and he invited us to come over every week! That's really big for us. He hasn't been super receptive to visits recently, so us being able to talk with him a lot and building trust was super great. And another good thing, I'm pretty sure people that make beer make the best drinks... any drinks. That was the best mango juice I've ever had on my sojourn here on earth.

I really really like Korean kids.

On Friday night Elder Hansen and I were proselyting on the way home, and we met 3 little kids who we had met 2ish months ago. They remembered our names and were so happy to see the foreign missionaries! We talked with them for a bit and had a street race and committed them to come to English class. We were only with them for 10ish minutes, but it was really cool for me. We're here to preach the gospel here in Korea, but a massive percentage of them won't accept that message. And so what do we do to those people that don't accept or don't want to accept? We love them. We be their friend. We learn about them and treat them as equals. That's one of the things I have loved doing here... growing close to people. Whether it be members, less actives, other missionaries, or people on the street.

The gospel is true! Kimchi is delicious!

Love, Elder Edwards

Korea is pretty.