Yongdo: Drunk Soccer

This week we almost did nothing.  In Korea there are 2 really big holidays. The 1st is Choosuck. This is basically Thanksgiving for America and the 2nd is gaychore(the national foundation day of Korea). Choosuck is on the lunar calendar and gaychore is not. So this year the 2 holidays were just 1 day apart so the country of Korea decided to make the middle day a holiday also, so starting last week we are in the middle of a 2 week holiday! So last Wednesday we had a P-day where we had to go to a museum, and then the rest of the day was just regular P-Day. And on Thursday we had a fitness day for the mission. We played soccer and other fun games! So I had 3 p-days this week!

Every morning from 6-8ish these people play soccer. We met them last month and got invited to play with them. When we first went no one really talked to us and we were not sure how useful for missionary work it was. But now we have a bunch of their numbers and they give us rides to soccer and today they bought us some drinks after and we sat down and talked with them for about an hour. They all need the gospel so bad. Almost all of them were drunk this morning as they were playing soccer. They get up at 4:30 so they can drink and be sober before work. Its so sad. But we are getting pretty close with them and hopefully we can change it from soccer interest to gospel interest. 

Other than that we spent 2 days watching General Conference and it was amazing. This Conference really spoke to me. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to listen to and see our modern day Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. I encourage you all to keep studying these talks for the next 6 months and in 6 months be able to look back and see that you have changed in regards to general conference!

홰이팅하세요!! 

스태그 장로! 

Elder Nathan Stagg

Yongdo: Beachhouse

안녕하세요 여러분!!! 잘 지내세요?

This week has been hecka busy!! Last week during weekly planning we made a number of appointments but had to cancel a lot of them because 1) we found out that we had to move houses and 2) we had to plan a baptism that is taking place in 3 days!

We are now on Youngdo. We used to live on one side of the island and the church was on the other side.  We had to spend a ton of money and travel by bus to do missionary work. Also we were living in a shack that the church purchased like 30 years ago! Now we get to move to the other side of the island. Not only did we move but we moved to an ocean side mansion! It is massive! I sent pictures but I will take more next week of it after we are organized and it is all cleaned up.  We can now walk to the church in 4 minutes! That is really nice!

This is a branch member who was recently married and her husband is taking the lessons. Last week she called us and said "Elders we need to have a baptism this Saturday" This was on Thursday! So we set up an interview, I made a baptism announcement,  and we asked some people if they would come and talk. On Friday, our branch president called us and said that we couldn't have the baptism this week and said it would have to be postponed until he talked with the Mission President. This week he called us on Tuesday and said "Elders there is a man named Kim Jong Gook's who wants to get baptized before this Saturday because he is getting married at our Chapel on Saturday. So we made another baptism service in like 3 days! It went great! Bro. Gook said that when he was baptized that  he felt a "pop" feeling in his ears and felt as if his sins and mistakes were swept away; he said he truly felt clean! It was a really cool baptism! Once he gets the Priesthood, he looks forward to being able to baptize his son! 

We were busy this week, but we still found time to meet with some other investigators. We set a goal as a district to get 9 baptisms this transfer and our part of that was 3, so we got 2 more to get! Please include this goal in your prayers! Love you all tons!!

*below is the bridge from Busan over to  Youngdo and then a picture of Kim Jong Gook and then our unorganized apartment

사랑해

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Yongdo: My island has 3 sides.

Mannn its nice to be on an island again!!! The weather is nicer than the main land, and this island is small enough where at most points of the day I can see the ocean on at least 3 sides of me! :) Its a life that I have missed!

Last week our mission president changed our schedule from instead of morning proselyting we could now have morning excersize! So we play soccer with this group of adults every morning! Its super fun they are all super good, one of them plays for a german pro team and the other for and australian pro team! haha its super hard but my soccer is getting alot better and we have gotten some of thier numbers and are growing really close friendships with them!

We have some really awesome prepared people here! We should be having a baptism in the next 2 weeks or so!

I have  been reading about commandments alot lately and I found a scripture that I love!

Mosiah 2: 41 which talks about if we keep the commandments we will be happy! With everything god asks of us there is always something that we will receive from it! And it is always better than what we give! 

Love you all! Keep trying to stay happy and strong in the church!!

Elder Stagg

Yongdo: Music Jundo

안녕하세요!! This has been a wonderful week!! We had Mission Tour where Elder Yamashita came and talked to us with is wife! He really likes to focus on missionary work and brought up a lot of good points! I love being able to hear the words from our living prophets and apostles! Being on a mission has allowed me to hear face to face words that are meant for me being spoke from one of gods servants numerous times! I love it! 

This last Sunday we did a district music jundo(proselyting) We went to nampo which is a super popular underground shopping area that has lots of people, and we set up a table with books of Mormon, and pamphlets. Then we sang hymns, Sister Jaggi played the flute, me and Elder Matua played the Ukulele! It was really fun and really cool!! Plus the island of Yongdo (my new home) had a huge party going on and its right next to nampo, so as we were singing there was fire works going of behind us! haha it was pretty dope! 

I got transferred to the island of Yongdo!! It is still in the same district and  only like 30 minutes away from my old area! haha me and elder Matua will still be in the same district and see each other like every week, but we wont be companions! haha  I am excited to serve in Yongdo with Elder Avilia! He is 1 transfer beneath me and is from Australia(but both his parents are from chili) 

Love the gospel, Love talking about it, and I love missionary work!

사랑해!

시태그 장로

Tool

Goejeong: Underground Nuke

Hello! This week I dont have a lot to talk about. We met with Yoo Jay Young, one of our investigators, 3 times this week. He is convinced that since North Korea blew up a nuke underground Trump is going to blow up North Korea and then North Korea will blow up the south. This takes up about a half our of our conversations everytime! haha He always tells us we need to go and call trump or the korea veteran society and have them help... I think he thinks we have more power then we do... haha He is a really awesome guy and is very slowly progressing but he is definitly progressing!

Outside of that we just kept on keeping on! Just doing the day to day stuff that we usually do, nothing to interesting happened this week! Except that the weather has cooled down a ton!!! and its raining a lot!

I have been doing a cool study recently. I have gone to the back of the bible and am looking up every reference of Jesus Christ in the bible, I am then reading the references and trying to figure out how I can become a more Christ teacher/person/everything. It is kind of overwhelming because there are over like 6 pages front and back of references but its been really cool so far! I will keep you updated on what I learned. I am also trying to finish the bible this transfer so most of my study recently is in the New Testament. And its awesome!! I am reading stories that I have heard about 1,000 times but its so cool to read them (3 different versions) and through the spirit  learn something new almost every time! Its awesome!

Oh also yesterday us and the sisters went down to Dadaepo beach and did music proselyting. On Sundays there are tons of family there and me and elder Matua have learned how to  play the Ukelalai and Sister Jaggi can play the flute so we went down there and sang and played hymns!! It was super cool and super fun! We are planning on doing district music proselyting this Sunday!

Keep on Keeping on my Chingoos!

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GoeJeong: Keep On Keeping On

How are you all doing?! Isnt life just awesome!?

Its finally starting to cool down here in korea!! There are still some days that are hot but for the most part its pretty nice!! The work is keeping on keeping on! Right now we only have 1 Investigator really. We have taught him almost all the lessons but he doesnt seem to understand why religion is important. He believes in christ and thinks that all religion is good because it help man kind move in a good direction.  I think this week we are going to try and focus on coming to church and if we can get him to attend church hopefully the spirit can do the rest to peek his interest! He is a really cool guy and is the exact same age as my dad! haha He loves Americans I can speak some english!

On saturday our zone leaders planned this big youth activity for the whole busan stake. We made a mystery escape room called Labans House. We went in one of the churches and decorated it and made a bunch of clues and then had all the missionaries dressup and be guards or laban or zoram, and the kids had to go through figure out the clues to first kill laban, than go down and grab the brass plates and bear testimony to zoram to convince him to go with them! Then at the end they got to take  pictures with lehi and sariah (elder and sister George!) It was super fun! I should get pictures next week!

I am currently reading the new testament and I came to a part that I have read probably like 1,000 times but this time as I was reading it in regards to some other studies I have been doing it had a new twist to me and how it can apply to me.

14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not?

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cæsar’s.

16.5 And he saith unto them, now whose image is upon you? And they said unto him, Gods.

17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

I added that into my scriptures and it makes the story make more sence to me. The things of this world belong to this world (We still need to obey the law, pay taxes, etc.) But the things that are of heaven belong to God so we need to give god the things which are gods. Or in other words we need to give ourself to god and reconize that we are his!

Anyways I love you all!!

Have a good week!

-스태그 장로!

Goejeong: Nuclear Sirens, Argentine Iron Man, and Piercings

Hello! 

So this was quite the interesting week!

I will start of with explaining the title!

Fun story of the week!

Last Tuesday during companionship study we were watching a Mormon message when all of the sudden we heard nuclear sirens blaring.  We stop the video and open the window and hear the loudest warning siren going off.. We stopped and looked at each other and didn't know what to do! We knew what to do if our leaders texted us because we have been having drills with them but we had not received any text. So did the only thing we could think of---we ran and grabbed our cameras and started filming the city! haha!!  It lasted for about 15 minutes and  still had no idea what to do until we got a call from our zone leaders saying not to worry, that it was just a drill. Apparently all the big cities in Korea are doing these drills. It was super sick (I think that means "cool")  I have only heard sirens like those before in  movies! About 80% of me was convinced that North Korea had finally launched their nukes! 

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 said "missiles" "Bombs" "BOOM" "Kim Jung Oon". hahaha.  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 our passport and put it in your 72 hour kit, or make sure we have 50 American dollars ready for an emergency...and stuff like that! Its super fun! 

Speaking about our recent convert, he got confirmed yesterday!! He has been going to the hospital for his ankle so he missed last weeks church but he came right after church ended yesterday 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 he wants to prepare to get a temple recommend! Super fulfilling to watch these kids get the priesthood and participate in church ordinances, and then want to go to the temple!

**I still keeping in contact with my convert back in Toung Young and he is still in contact with the missionaries. His mom got in a car accident the other day and when he visited her, the first thing she said was "Don't 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! 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 a number of times now and they are meeting with the Elders! I love that kid so much!

I love this work! I love you all!

사랑하개

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