이동전화왔다 헐...

Translation courtesy of Elder Edwards: "Transfer calls came, wow..."

Elder Taylor and I, after riding the bikes in
pouring rain for 20 minutes.

Transfer calls came. I'm leaving Wonju ㅠ.ㅠ My new area is 동대문 (Dongdaemoon), which is in the big city... Seoul. I'll be going from our small 6 man district to a large 10 man district, with 4 Koreans in our district!! My new companion's name is 이원형 (Leewonhyung), and he's pretty old in the mission. He'll die sometime before 2015. And we will be zone leaders together! Zone leaders over Dongdaemoon and two other areas (Eemoon and Hwayang). Dongdaemoon is a ward as well, and I'm super excited to serve there!!! There will be TONS more people there than here in good old little Wonju. It's going to be weird leaving the countryside... I don't know any of the missionaries that are out there working in the city. I only know Elder Leewonhyung by name and sight. So it'll be a little bit of a new experience for a country bumpkin such as me, but I'm super excited.

Saying goodbye... yes, I got transferred :(  

This week was a good week. We proselyted during the week days, and then this weekend we had a District Conference over in Gangneung. That was long. We rode there and back with members on Saturday, and then rode there and back again with members on Sunday. 7 hours in a car/rented bus. It was long but good. Really cool to see everyone one last time before I leave, especially the Taebeck branch members. It'd been a long time since I'd seen them, so it was good to see them once more and say goodbye. President and Sister Christensen came to District Conference and both spoke (President in Korean, Sister Christensen in English which was then translated). It was some good meetings. One thing that I heard that I really liked: "Big problems come from thinking that the small things are not important." The theme for the conference was "small and simple things."

More goodbyes...

This morning was spent frantically packing stuff that has scattered through the house over an 8 month period and trying to fit it and newly acquired items in suitcases, which we just barely mailed. Leaving Wonju is lame. I've been here for 6 transfers, and been in the countryside for 8 transfers (11 months) counting Taebeck. The city will be somewhat new. People say that transfers are good, and they usually are, but I don't want to leave Wonju. But, at the same time, I am really excited to work in the city. Goodbyes are hard, mostly because I know that I'll probably never get to see any of these people again. But change is good. I leave tonight (a day and a half earlier than usual), to meet my new companion and catch my first meeting as zone leader tomorrow morning. Here goes nothing!

I love you all!

Love, Elder Edwards

머리 잘랐다

Translation courtesy of Google Translate: "Hair Cut."

Not a whole lot from this week... Except that we picked up a few investigators! Finally. One is a pastor for another church who is really interested in the Book of Mormon, and another is a man named Brother Hong, or Jeffrey, that the sister missionaries found on the street, who came to church yesterday. It was really cool... I was talking with him and asking him about his interests and why he wanted to come to church, but he responded that he didn't have time, and told me to call him later. Then he left. But, he came back 20 minutes later and said he wanted to learn more right then! So we grabbed a member and sat down with him and taught him about the church. Super cool. He said he had been praying to God for some happiness because of some hard things in his life, and he also said that he had interest in the Mormon church. It was cool being able to tell him that he could and would find that happiness here. I just hope I can meet him again before I get transferred. Transfer calls are on Friday and there's no way I'll get to stay in Wonju for another.

Our zone leaders.

I got a haircut last P-day. And the lady butchered it. So I just had Elder Taylor shave it all off and now I look like a large baby. Lame.

I really liked D&C 117:11 this morning... "... and be a bishop unto my people, saith the Lord, not in name but in deed..." The Lord doesn't call us to just have a title. He calls us to act. I should be a missionary in name AND in deed. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." We must have faith, and we must also have works.

Heading to the church after street boarding.

Anyways. I hope you're all well and healthy and happy. The weather is good... switching between sunshine and really annoying misty rain. Companion relations are good. Kimchi still tastes good. I haven't been approached by too many drunk men lately. And life is good.

I love you all!

Love, Elder Edwards

Some ping pong instruction.

아직 안덥다 ^^

Translation courtesy of Elder Edwards:  "It's still not hot.^^" 

This guy is totally wasted.
We tried to teach him the Word of Wisdom,
but he wouldn't have any of it.

It got a little hotter this week. But the nights are still really cool, to the point that I wore a hoodie to bed one night because I was cold. You may wonder why I'm so hung up on the fact that it's not hot... It's because it's so weird to think back to exactly a year ago, when I woke up to a bed that was damp from sweat every morning. It's really nice now.

Beating a rug.

It was a good week. But also kind of lame. This week the last of our investigators kind of dropped off and aren't meeting anymore for a few reasons... some are sick, some are busy, and some aren't interested. So Elder Taylor and I currently have zero investigators. Which means A LOT of proselyting. Which is what we did most of this week. We also fasted on Saturday to be able to find people, and that went really well. Still no investigators, but we're both doing fine and still working hard, even though it kind of really stinks to proselyte for 5 hours in a row. It's really hard to not just get sick of it because it's hot and people ignore us, but we made a special effort to really concentrate and try to help every single person that we met.

The soccer guys were a little violent one day...
but I still won.

I guess the Pope came to Korea for something. Everyone is talking about it. We don't watch the news, so we never know about anything that's going on in the world.

Our branch is still struggling. People aren't really fulfilling their callings, people aren't working together, people are blaming and pointing fingers, and as a result, recent converts get neglected, people become less active, and no home teaching gets done. It's hard. It's hard trying to bring investigators into this kind of environment, where there's a lack of patience, diligence, and charity. We're trying hard, but there's only so much we can do as missionaries. We aren't exactly members of the branch, and because we switch and transfer so often, missionaries can't do a whole lot to help the whole problem. One thing I've learned from this... Home teaching is SO important. It's so necessary to strengthen, support, build relationships, love, and serve. And it's very obvious the difference between a branch that is doing home teaching and a branch that isn't. For all of you out there with home teaching assignments, don't take them lightly!!! You are helping to build the Kingdom of God.

A sweet place with tons of grass that we found.
There's not a whole lot of grass to be found
because of all the apartment buildings.

On Wednesday, while we were proselyting after district meeting, we met a really rich man, who may or may not have been drunk. He asked Elder Taylor how much his watch was. Elder Taylor responded that it was 10 dollars. The man then asked to try it on. Elder Taylor obliged reluctantly. The guy then latched it onto his wrist, pulled 10 bucks out of his wallet, and informed Elder Taylor that he was buying the watch. He was not very nice about it. But luckily we got the watch back, thanks to a kind citizen who noticed the trouble (we told the guy that he couldn't have the watch and he got mad) and made the mean guy give the watch back. The kind citizen turned out to be a very intense women who is very serious about her church, and she preached/yelled at us for 20 minutes. Sigh. The days can be pretty weird sometimes.

I love you all! I'm doing well and happy to be doing the Lord's work!

Love, Elder Edwards

Our awesome district at the Buddhist temple..

Elder Taylor and I.

컴퓨터가 고장 날 땐...

Translation courtesy of Google Translate: "When the computer fails me..."

This dumb computer is being dumb and keeps kicking me off. So this might be a shorter email. Blame the computer, not me.

Kimchi squatting in the rain. I'm getting better at it.

It was a good week this week. A little more rain than expected. And it was blissfully cool. We've actually woken up a little cold the past few mornings. Elder Roskelley stopped using his fan, so I've been sleeping with 2 fans the past two nights and that's made it even more blissful.

Elder Taylor and I with Johnny.

Church was good this week. I really like being a missionary... we're kind of separated from the branch. Not in a bad way, but a missionary can only get so involved in a branch or ward when he's switching around every 6ish months. I sat in Sacrament meeting yesterday listening to the speakers and just thinking about the branch. Thinking about things going well in the branch and things not going so well. I wish I could stay for longer. There are about 6 Melchizedek Priesthood holders, 4 of whom have been the branch president... multiple times. People go less active so easily here, so there aren't any really new people to take callings and fulfill responsibility. So as a result, almost every Melchizedek Priesthood holder has served as branch president, elders quorum president, and branch mission leader. They just keep switching around because there's no one new to take their place. It's a lot different from little Kaysville ward... That's a HUGE ward comparatively. Anyway. I don't know where I was going with that. We didn't have any investigators to church... again. A few said they would come, but they all punked. A less active member came in as soon as church ended and tried to measure every one's height and chest width... I don't think he's completely right in the head. So that was a little weird.

Making calls.

Door knocking amongst some little, traditional Korea houses.

We visited an 80ish year old man at his house a couple times this week. He doesn't have any family, lives in a kind of abandoned house, and can't move very well due to a neck surgery gone wrong. We've been talking with him about Jesus Christ and finding hope through the Atonement and the fact that we will all be resurrected. He doesn't really listen because he says he hurts too much. He just eats fruit because he can't stomach anything else and says he's just waiting for the day that he dies. It was so sad! There are so many people out here that just got shafted, got the short end of life, and are miserable. But it gives me hope in knowing that God is just and fair, and that these people will have it better in the next life. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I love you all!

Love, Elder Edwards

Sul Puma. Sul means alcohol. Do you see the bottle it's holding?

비

Translation courtesy of Google Translate: "Rain"

Me cooking my potato, zucchini, pancake creation.
It was really gross.

Hello! This week was rather wet. Elder Taylor and I were down in the market waiting for a man that was going to meet us there for an appointment, and a great storm came billowing in. I haven't seen it rain like that in a long time. And, like the smart missionaries that we are, Elder Taylor and I hadn't brought umbrellas. But, we got to help some really nice grandmas make it through the worst of the storm. A TON of really old women sell fruit and vegetables in the market everyday, where they just sit under umbrellas and hope people come and buy. When storms come, they throw a tarp over their wares and then tie their umbrellas down with a few extra strings, prepared just for that purpose. And then they chill there, holding onto the umbrella so it doesn't blow away until the storm passes. They get pretty wet. So Elder Taylor and I stayed in the market for around 15 extra minutes during the worst of the storm, helping grandmas hold their umbrellas down. It was actually really fun. I have never been more soaked in my whole life.

Wet after the storm.

It was a good week. We had a few less actives to church yesterday, which was good to see. One of them acted like a complete child the whole time (he's 40 years old) and caused me a lot of stress, but it was overall good in the end. It was Elder Roskelley's year mark this week, so we all went out and got a huge thing of Baskin Robbins ice cream, made even better by the fact that it was 31 day (which makes the ice cream cheaper.) I've been living with Elder Roskelley for about half the time that he's been a missionary. I love that elder. Speaking of year marks, it was my year mark in country this week! It's weird looking back a year ago and realizing I was in Korea then too. These last 2 months went WAY faster than the 2 months in the MTC.

At Baskin Robbins, l-r Elder Arrington, Elder Roskelley, Elder Taylor, me.

I finished my journal that I started at the beginning of my mission. That's the first time in my life that I've ever finished a journal.

Our friend Jjanggoo

We didn't really meet any investigators this week. Our investigators are dwindling lately, and so we don't have a whole lot of people to teach or invite unto Christ. Which is honestly really lame. But we're still working hard and working to find those people that will receive us.

The sun is shining, the sweat keeps rolling, and life is good.

Love, Elder Edwards 

My sweet new soccer uniform!! The man in the above picture,
Jjanggoo, gave me this because I always went to soccer in the
mornings in t-shirts. He figured I needed a uniform. Super nice, huh?

장마... 없는것같은데요

Translation courtesy of Google translate: "I think not seem rainy..."

This is from a Korean to the other elders. Usually English
mistakes are funny, and sometimes they're REALLY funny.

A good week. It's supposed to be rainy season over here in Korea, but we've really only gotten 3 or 4 rainy days. I heard that it's supposed to rain nonstop for 2 weeks, but it's been a pretty easy one. Solid. The lame part of this week: Elder Taylor was sick on Saturday. After studies, we went out and proselyted a bit and looked for some addresses, had one of our appointments punk, and then went back to the apartment for lunch. I ate and he slept. I woke him up when it was time to go, but he was too sick. So, from 2:30 to 8:00 (when I ate again) I sat on the floor and called former investigators. It was kind of a long day. But, we got 2 appointments out of it for this week! So we'll see how that goes. Calling former investigators essentially goes like this... "Hello! I'm a missionary from America. Do you remember missionaries? Cool. I'd like to introduce myself... Would you like to meet and hear about our message again?" with small talk sprinkled in. It gets pretty dull after a while. To keep myself from going insane, I did 10 push ups every time the phone was ringing and I was waiting for them to pick up. I stopped after 500 because my arms got too tired. Cool, huh? :)

Just a small game of Quidditch.

Sacrament meeting was really good this week. We had 2 less actives, an investigator, and a potential investigator all come. The potential investigator (we'll call him Brother Meen) is the boyfriend of a less active girl, whose mom is very active. The mom wants them to get married in the temple, and the less active girl wants to get married in the temple, so now Brother Meen is coming to church. Not with a lot of commitment... but more to just check it out. Anyway, after church our branch mission leader grabbed me and Elder Taylor, Brother Meen, and his girlfriend and her mom and brought us all into a room and laid down the law. He's very enthusiastic about people getting baptized and doesn't really ask them if they want to be baptized, but just sets a date for them. Poor Brother Meen. He was really freaked out. But, he said that he would start meeting with us. So we'll meet, smooth things over a little, and then teach him the gospel. It should be good.

We play soccer every monday morning with all the missionaries
and the branch president. A picture from this morning.

There's a lot of preachers in Korea... Guys (and sometimes girls) who basically stand on a busy street corner and preach to people all day. The bad ones even have little mega phones and yell at people to repent (회개하라!!). We have one here in Wonju who is maybe 50 years old and stands on a certain street corner almost every day and yells at people through a megaphone that they're going to hell unless they accept Jesus and repent of all their sins. Which is fine I guess... it's just the way he goes about doing it that isn't fun. Just getting up really close to people and yelling at them through a megaphone. And to top it all off, he REALLY hates Mormon missionaries. So he'll yell at us any chance we get. We always ignore him and walk the other way, but he'll usually take a minute or so to yell through his megaphone about why he doesn't like Mormons every time he sees us. This week, he stopped yelling when he saw us, approached us, and offered out his hand for a handshake! It was super nice of him. So I reached out and shook his hand. Which he promptly took in a vice grip and yelled through his megaphone that we're going to hell and need to worship Jesus and told us why Mormonism isn't good. That was kind of lame. Oh well. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Forgive and forget, right?

We fixed up the bikes, so now we cruise on them sometimes. 

This was last P-day.

I read Psalms 118:24 the other day. "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." That really hit home for me. Everyday should be a joy. Everyday should be worthy of rejoicing and being glad in it. We should be happy now. I don't remember the exact quote, but... "It is a happier state of mind to be interested in the changing of the seasons than to be hopelessly in love with spring." Wishing for times back then or wishing that now would hurry up and get out of the way so later can come and we can be happy is neither healthy nor fun. We should live in the now.

I love you all!

Love, Elder Edwards

이동 전화 왔다...

Translation courtesy of Elder Edwards: "Transfer calls came"
Translation courtesy of Google translate: "The mobile phone has been..."

Well... it's been an unexpected weekend. A good weekend, but unexpected. We got transfer calls, and everything pointed to me getting transferred, but I'm staying in Wonju!! Weird, huh? This'll be transfer number 6. I will have served here for 2/3 of the time that I've been in country by the time next transfer rolls around. Our district (and my companion) will be staying the same except Elder Gardner (the Elder who cooked us delicious things for the past 2 transfers) will go to Gangneung to be one of our new zone leaders. I'm really happy to stay, but it's a little awkward... I was kind of already saying goodbye to people before we got transfer calls. We usually get calls on Saturday night and then leave for Seoul on Tuesday evening, so there's never enough time to say goodbye to people. So I was doing it beforehand because I thought I was leaving for sure, and now it's just going to be a little awkward when I see them again. Oh well. This makes transfer number 6 in Wonju and transfer number 8 in Gangwondo zone, otherwise known as the countryside of Korea. I'm pumped to stay, but it's a little lame because I was also pumped to go serve in the city, closer to Seoul.

Making calls.

This week was good. We made a lot of calls to potential investigators in the evenings, trying to make appointments with them. We got a few appointments, but most of them don't have a whole lot of interest. :/ Our investigator pool is currently dwindling (in unbelief hehe) right now, so we're proselyting hard in the hopes of finding some people who are ready to hear the message of the restored gospel!! One of our investigators kind of dropped off the face of the earth a few weeks ago... Figures that he's the only one without a cell phone so we can't contact him. But we know where he works, so we visited a few times this week. No luck yet with him or new investigators, but we're searching super diligently!!

The candy store.

We went to a foreigner candy store again this week. They have a whole American wall stocked with everything that flows so freely in America but is nowhere to be found here in Korea... Oreos, starbursts, Rootbeer, Dots, Twizzlers, Tootsie Pops, Skittles, Milk Duds, Reeses... it was all there. And mindblowingly expensive. I settled for a 5 dollar box of Dots and walked away from the store with a heavy heart for lack of money. But the Dots were super delicious. 

Our poor drunk friend napping in the bushes.
It was around 4 in the afternoon.

We also helped out a drunk guy this week. He was staggering around on an intersection because he was wasted, and he got in a bar fight or something so he was a little bloody. We sat him down by some bushes before he biffed it, where he promptly laid down on a flower bed and took a nap. The lesson of the story: Don't drink alcohol. It's not good for you.

The language is coming along fine. It's kind of frustrating not being even close to fluent, but it's okay. I've been a little frustrated with my pronunciation recently. I don't sound bad, but I don't sound like a Korean either. Do you have any idea how hard it is to change every "j" sound that you make to more of a mixture of "j" and "ch", with just a little "z" sound sprinkled in there? It's hard. But it's kind of cool to be at the point where I can be a little more nitpicky with the language, instead of being at a general "woah that guy definitely isn't speaking the language I learned in the MTC." :)

Korea is cool still, and time is cruising.

I love you all!

Love, Elder Edwards

Corn after church.
The Korean on the far left is the other Elders' investigator.

A panorama while street boarding.