Goejeong: World War 3

Hello!! How is good ole America? I hope the weather is starting to cool down! Here in Korea its starting to cool down but the humidity is still so high that if it isnt cold,  we are sweating! 

This transfer has been super fun! I will now explain the title! This week I went on exchanges with Elder Avila. He is chilean but has lived in Australia his whole life! He is one transfer beneath me and we have served in the same district for about half of my mission! He is super fun guy and a super dedicated missionary!  Well, me and Elder Matua are BROKE! haha we each have around 20 dollars for the rest of this month (still about 2 weeks left) We have almost no food at our house so we are eating 1-2 meals a day! Elder Avila LOVES food and he almost had a heart attack when he saw our fridge! So for dinner he ordered fried chicken for us!  Gotta love those Chilian Australians! We had family night that night and we went with our recent convert! Super fun night and I have learned a lot from him!

As some of you might know, last week was mine and elder Matua's Year mark!! And as none of you probably kmow( I am not sure if this is a Korean missionary tradition or all over the world) but at least here in Korea, on your year mark it is custom to light a tie or a shirt on fire as celebration. So we went to the top of our 19 story apartment on to the roof, and lit like 10 ties and a shirt and a sock on fire!! I will send pictures later on. Don't Worry we made sure to wear the best clothes that we could find!! And you can find some pretty awesome clothes in the Korean market!!

Last week I got a call from our recent convert, and he said "Elder!! Our countries our at war!!" And then because he thought I didn't understand, in english he says"missiles" "Bombs" "BOOM" "Kim Jung Oon". He then explained that on 9/2 we are going to war! HAHA  I love that kid! But we get a call almost everyday from our leaders telling us to check our 72 hour kits, or find your passport and put it in your 72 hour kit, or make sure you have 50 American dollars ready for an emergency, stuff like that! Its super fun! So next time I see you guys it might be WW3!! :)

Speaking about our recent convert, he got confirmed yesterday!! He had to go to the hospital for his ankle so he missed last weeks church and yesterday, but he came right after church ended and the branch president wanted to confirm him then. So hopefully next week when he comes to church he can get ordained a Teacher and then if he wants, he can get a temple recommend!! Super fulfilling to watch these kids get the priesthood and participate in church ordinances, and then go to temple! I Love it!

**I am still talking with my other convert back in Toung Young and he is still meeting with the missionaries. His mom got in a car accident the other day and when he visited her, the first thing she said was "Dont go to the LDS church" Regardless he told me that because she was in the hospital he was able to go to church for the first time in a couple months! And he was able to bless the sacrament for the first time!! Plus he is referring a bunch of his friends and he has 2 or 3 of his friends that have been to church 3-4 times now and are meeting with the elders!! I love that kid so much!! Super awesome kid!!

Well I love you all! This IS Gods work!! If it wasn't,  I would have messed it up a long time ago!

사랑해!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

-스태그 장로

-Elder Stagg

School Girls

Heart of the city

Awaiting further guidance

No scenic country roads here

Not much English these days

Burning the ceremonial hump-day tie

Feeling the spirit during this gospel lesson

Goejeong: Humpday

안녕하세요!!!! So as some of you might know this thursday (8/17) is my year mark. The best part about that is that I get to celebrate it with my companion who is also celebrate his year mark!! This has been one fun year of my life, probably one of the most influencial and important years of my life so far. I am ready to hit this next year with renewed vigor give all to the lord and see some miracles!! There truely are going to be the "Best 2 years"!

So this week me and elder Matua were talking about our year of missionary work, whats worked what hasnt worked. And we came to the conclusion that missionaries in our mission when they have free time they just instantly without thinking right down 전도 (street contacting). This is good but missionaries have been doing this for 60 years, and its gotten to the point where people dont even listen to us. They never get a chance to feel the spirit, or open their hearts to the message because they are just biased against us. So we were talking about some ways or methods we can do to help them talk to us first that way they arent biased towards us and they are a little more open to listen and talk.

One thing you guys might not  know is that most Koreans have an inner burning desire to beat 外國人 (foreigners). So we are starting this campaign called (Beat the foreigner!!) We are going to different activities everyday, (soccer, pingpong, basketball, rapping, uno, etc) and have a sign saying can you beat the foreigner? This way people will first come to us have a fun time which will open their hearts and hopefully we can get thier number and meet again and start teaching them s imply. We talked with our zone (my  zone leaders are Elder Youngblood (my trainer) and Elder 박휘선 (pac hwi son)(my follow up trainer)) and we decided to do this as a zone. I am excited to see how it works! But because of this  me and my companion are trying to learn the Ukelaliah and we are writing raps in korean  about each of the lessons.(its a lot harder then it sounds)haha

The work is moving forward! As Joseph Smith said

“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” 

Lets do it! I love you all!!

舍廊  사랑해

-徐太奎 長蘆 스태그 장로

Life in the Rural Countryside

Peanut Butter Smoothies from Home

Goejeong: Baptism

Hello! This has been a fun week!! First of yesterday was Choi Soo Wons Baptism!! It was a super cool ceremony, and the mission president and his wife came down and talked!! It was super cool to see him in his white clothes already to get baptized!! I am truly blessed that I was able to meet  him about 7 weeks ago!! The only part that I worry about is that our whole branch is old.. so we need to work on helping him stay active, which is hard when there is no one his age. So were just going to baptize some of his friends to fix the problem! :)

Other than that we have had a lot of member visits because my companion goes home today, so the members have been feeding us a lot!! :) And I now have a new companion!! His name is Elder Mica Matua! We entered the MTC the same day and we super good friends in the MTC. We always joked that we were going to serve together one day!! Super stoked for this transfer!! We are going to get some work done! 

We met with Chang, and found out he is from China, but lived in Greece for 14 years where he got his NBA! He didnt come to church this week but next week he says he will!! 

I have been thinking a lot about the temple lately. I cant go for one more year.... and I miss it so much!!! The temple (especially if you live in utah) should be at least a monthly thing. The members here in korea go once a month with there ward, and it takes 2 days of a trip to do it! Its so much easier for us, I was able to do it before school in the morning!!  

President Thomas S. Monson has said: “The world can be … challenging. … [As we go to the temple], … we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. … We will be renewed and fortified.

I challenge you all to make sure you are worthy to go to the temple and then go often. In the temple you will find peace and joy like none other. If you have a hard decision to make or even a question go to the temple to receive help!! 

Love you all

사랑해

-스태그 장로

Beginning of the Stagg-Matua days

How can this country not want to speak with us?

Look, when we do this we look tougher.

Goejeong: My Birthday

안녕하세요!!! 잘 지내세요? 

This week has been fun!! Yesterday both of our investigators didnt show up to sacrament but came for the second and third meetings. Both of them have a baptism date for next week!! So hopefully all works out!!

최수원 (Choi Soo Won) He has been taught everything and just needs to get premission and then a baptism interview. I am 90% sure he will get baptised next week. He seems pretty confident that he can get premission.

Then 송채민 (Song Chay Meen) He still needs to be taught the third and fourth lesson plus an interview. We are not sure if he will be able to get baptised this week or not but we are pushing for it!

We were counting last night and we have a potential 7 investigators that will probably come to church next sunday!! Which is especially awesome because we will be having a baptismal service that sunday!! The future is looking bright for 괴정 (Goejong)! I have put lots of sweat into this area (literally) and it nice to finally seing things start rolling!!! I am happy we are going to be able to get a baptism before my companion leaves!! This is his last week as a missionary!!

I want to share one miracle from this week!

*MIRACLE*

So we were coming home for the day and we stopped by our house to throw away some trash. This person walked by so I said hello in Korean, and he stops pulls his headphones out and asks me if I speak english. I told him yes and we started talking. His name is Chang and he is from somewhere in Europe. He told me that he has been working here for 2 years and has made lots of money so he wants to take a break for the next 2 years and relax. He told me he wants to find a religion during his break to help him find peace. But since he doesnt speak korean he cant go to church. I told him that at our church about half of the members can speak a little bit of english and that I could transate the talks for him. We got his number and when i called him he said this week he couldnt go but next week he wants to come to church. PLUS he says every week he buys a bunch of American beef and steak and makes and american BBQ by him self.... so he said everyweek after church we are invited to come over and eat with him!!! Plus he lives in the apartment next door to us!! Super cooL!! Hopefully he comes to church next week!!

I love you all!! I know that when we trust in the lord and do what is asked of us by our leaders (whether we are a missionary or a member) we will be able to find people to talk to. First you need to gain gods trust, god needs to trust that if he puts one of his children in your path that you will talk to them and share his gosple with them!! If you can gain gods trust you will see soooo many miracles!! Love you all!!

-스태그 장로

ps. I encourage you all to get the book "The power of every day missionaries"

love you all

Happy birthday to me

Birthday indulgence

Even Koreans play Shadow Hunter

I dont even know how to look normal anymore

Birthday feast

We're gonna party till 9:30 pm

Unforgettable 19th birthday

Goejeong: Happiness

안녕하세요!! 

Hello!! How are you all doing? This week has been another fantastic hot and humid week! (I think the best invention in the world was the air conditioner) But even though it has been some of the hottest feeling days of my life the work goes on, and we life is good! :) 

So this week not a ton of new stuff has happened! We are still meeting with 최수원 (choi soo won) We had to push back his baptismal date for 2 weeks, because we feel like most of his interest is just in missionaries and he still doesn't have a super strong personal testimony. We could baptize him but we didn't see much meaning if he didn't really care. So we are using these next two weeks to hopefully help him see why he needs it! Please pray for him! 

Next is our investigator 송채민 (Sohng Chay Meen) He is 21 but a little... special... his mental age seems a little bit younger than his age, but he can still make choices and think and he knows a lot about the bible. He has come to church twice now and we teach him very simply on the weekdays! He understand if we teach simple and lots of review. He has a baptism date for the same day as (choi soo won)  최수원. (8/6/2017) 

Other than that we went on exchanges this week with the yongdo Elders. I went with Elder Becket who is from gransville Utah. I went to the island of yongdo with him. He is one transfer ahead of me and it was a really fun exchange. We met one of there investigators and gave him and his son a baptism date! Super good lesson!  I learned a lot from Elder Becket!

So the motto of my mission has kind of been Happiness, If you are not happy then why be on a mission? So I have focused a lot on how I can always stay happy!

I want to share with you some of my learning's!! 

Helaman 3: 35

35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

So as this scripture says that as we get firmer and firmer in our Faith in christ we will have our souls filled with joy! During my mission has been some of the happiest I have been, its not because its been super FUN!! or because I have made lots of money, or anything else the one and only reason is because I have grown closer to my savior and have gained more faith! Because of that I have been happy and felt true joy and peace!! 

next is 

2 nephi 9:39

39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.

S.M.I.L.E!! To be spiritually minded is life eternal!! And  when you are spiritually minded you will smile more because you are growing stronger in the faith of christ!!! So I invite you all to S.M.I.L.E!!!

Talk to you guys next week!! (my birthday)

Have a happy 24th!!

-스태그 장로

-Elder Stagg

Mmmmmm, deep fried heck-sheem

Shoe bliss

banana Bliss

Getting ready for the big day

Everything is better with food

Deep-fried bliss