Tongyoung: Are you guys missionaries?

Ok so this week has been super crazy lots of weird things happened! but it was a good week and the work keeps moving forward! 

First on Tuesday we were proselyting for the whole day and it was very draining because we had received rejection for about 3 hours and not any success it was harder then most days. I told elder Park we should walk in to one of these ally ways and say a prayer and read a scripture of our faith card (A card the mission president gave us that has like 20 scriptures on it that deal with faith). After that i felt a little better but still non stop rejection. So i started to focus on Christ, and try and give my frustration and tiredness to him. I was singing the song I need thee every hour in my head when all of the sudden I hear someone say Hoke-Shi Song-yo-sa ibneeka? Or are you guys missionaries? and so we told him yeah we are and started to talk to him. He ended us taking us into his business and we taught him just about every lesson. But turns out he had been trying to find the true church (or so he said) and had talked to 4 other church's. But I dont think he really wanted to find the truth or I dont know because he argued with everything we said and kept trying to bible bash and elder park started getting frustrating and they started arguing and bible bashing. And when Koreans are angry they talk really fast and whiny and it is almost impossible to understand what they were saying... SO I just kind of sat there and tried to calm the situation down but when every I started talking they would just ignore what i say and kept on arguing... so about 2 hours later I finally boldly told the guy thanks for letting us talk to him but we had to go, I told him if he really wanted to find out if this church was true dont ask us, ask god, because this is his church and  he will let you know if it is true or not. He just kind of scoffed it off and wouldn't accept a Book of Mormon so we left him with our pamphlets and left. Elder Park apologized and the next day I fasted for him and some other potential investigators!

next was probably the weirdest thing ever... It was Thursday, and we were out morning street contacting and we were on our way back home but we were coming back a bit early so i was still trying to talk to people. I said hi to this one guy who turned out to be stone drunk!  He took us to a cu ( a convenient store) and bought us hot chocolate and pastries. We talked for a bit and he told us that he used to be part of a gang and that he was a really good fighter. But that he had a dream last night (and he is drinking through this whole thing by the way) that someone told him everything that has happened in your life to this point has been your fault or choice. But everything that happens from this point on is also your choice. He said something about seeing a cross in his dream also. (I am not exactly sure drunk old people are really hard to understand) but anyways he asked us if we could take him to our church. So we gave him a tour of the church then he sat down and asked us for some kimchi. We went upstairs to grab it and when we came back down apparently he had more alcohol because he was drinking a brand new bottle of alcohol.... in the church! We tried to tell him that he couldnt drink it in the church but we could go outside and he could do what he wants. Well elder park wouldn't say that because of the whole age respect thing in korea and apparently its disrespectful to tell someone older than you what to do. But if someone is drinking alcohol in the church I dont care how old the are or where I am I am going to tell them they cant do that. Anyways the drunk guy gets mad at me and keeps asking me if i want to die. Finally we convince him to leave the church but now he is mad at me. We go outside and he keep saying to me do you want to die? Do you want to fight? Do you think you can beat me in a fight? A couple times he lifted his hand up as if he was going to hit me. By then I had enough and I told elder Park we had to go because this wasnt doing any-good for him or for us. He was so drunk he wasnt going to remember any of this. Well Elder Park wouldnt leave.... So finally the drunk guy stands up and grabs my jacket by the neck and is yelling at me and trying to hit me but i have my hand up so he can't, but he is kicking me the whole time. (at this point I was super scared, not of him but that i was going to hit him and get sent home) Finally he let go of me and cornered me in to this corner and started to try and fight me so I hoped the fence that was next to me and when he tried Elder Park told him not to because he was so drunk he would hurt himself. Well he ran around, (and i cant go far because i need to stay sight and sound within my companion, who wouldnt leave him) long story short he kept chasing me at about a fast walk pace for me. He ended up grabing one of those big orange traffic cones and held it like a bat and started running at me, finally elder park told him we had to go because we had an appointment. The drunk guy yelled at him and said go!! So that was a bit interesting... haha

The next is super sad also, so E sung Joon our recent convert when to the temple on Saturday!!! which was super awesome! But in Korea since the temple is in seoul you leave friday night at 9 get on a stake bus and get to seoul around 1 am. You sleep in the temple and then go to an early morning session or baptism. So he left at 9 and got back the next day at 4. The reason what this is a sad story is because his mom hates our church and didnt know he was a part of it. (we got his Dad's signature for the baptism) Well apparently E sung joon didnt tell his mom he was going anywhere, so when he was gone all night and day she  got suspicious and wen in his room and found his Book of Mormon. And she yelled and yelled and yelled at him. Then we got a call at midnight on saturday night and elder park answered it with out thinking and it was E sung Joons mom! She yelled at him and said dont call or text my son again! He goes to the Presbyterian church and stop brainwashing him to believe in your cult! Well the next morning at about 9:20 we get a text from him saying "I dont care what my mom says this is gods true church and its my priesthood responsibility to pass the sacrament" So he came to church. Well about half way through the meeting ( I was on the stage because I gave a talk) I saw his mom walk in and sit down... she stayed for the rest of the meeting then after took E sung Joon downstairs. Well at this point our whole small ward were asking who that was. (now since E sung Joon is the only youth in the ward they all treat him like there son, its awesome how much the have accepted him!) Well we walked down stairs with the bishop (he came down from his new house in daejon (about 3 hours away) because last week or 2nd councilor left church), 1st councilor  and his sunday school/priesthood leader came down to talk to him and his mom. Well she was gone and E sung Joon said that she told him that this wasnt even a church because we have no preacher and its so small. Then left. Well him and the bishop talked for all of gosple principles and priesthood. But after he was feeling a lot better so we stayed and talked with him and sister megan until like 2. Then we get a call from his mom saying come upstairs. Apparently she went and talked to her preacher and she came back with fire. She told us dont talk, text, think, visit, see, anything that involved E sung Joon dont do or she will call the cops. She said if he comes to church kick him out (which we told her we cant do). She took E sung Joon with her and left. Our whole ward was sad and talking about it. Anyways he called us later on that night and said I wont be able to come to church for a long time but i wont leave this church! "I know this church is true and i wont leave!" But he said he could come to our english class and FHE. And since then his sunday school teacher/ preisthood leader (kwan- O- Joon) called him and they are going to dinner today. Its awesome Kwan O  Joon really likes him and cares for him a ton. He told us he feels like he is his older brother! And other members have called him and have dinners with him the rest of the week! So please pray for him and that his mothers heart will be softened! I would appreciate it! 

Even though this was a harder week the work keeps moving forward! Satan can try and pull this church down but it will only keep growing! E sung Joons testimony is so strong and I am positive the second he can come back to church he will! I know the savior is on our side and helping E sung joon as much as he can! E sung joon has been a huge testimony builder to me. Seeing all the opposition in his life that is caused because of this church but seeing him ignore it all and keep doing what is right! If he can come to church, knowing his mom will severally punish him if he does, then what excuse do we have to not go to church or not go to seminary? Anyways this week was longer but i would appreciate all your prayers! Love you all!

-Elder Stagg