Day one in Seoul South Mission, and address

June 30, 2013

So, before I forget: 

Seoul South Mission

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

24-1 Ogeum-dong
Songpa-gu
Seoul-si
Zip code : 138-855
South Korea

That's the new mailing address.  Learn it, love it.  The test will be the next letter or package I receive.  I hope it passes.

So, family, friends, and the usual gang,

To answer some more of your questions from last week.  Our new president's name is President Maurice (I'm not sure of the spelling... Koreanized... 마리쓰.  I think.  It's close enough).  He be from Utah (again, I think), and really any information I have about him comes straight from the Church news.  And, in other exciting news, there's a mission tour this coming Friday UP IN SEOUL, and there are apparently transfer calls coming in next week.  So, I have no idea how things will play out.  There's a possibility I may be up in Seoul in the coming 2 weeks, like serving there.  Exciting, no?  Other than that, things are pretty much the same.  We be playing by the rules, and we be working hard.  Very hard.

This last week was phenomenal.  We got a member referal (yay!), and his English name is Scott.  He's really nice and has the most adorable 3 year old son (American aged.  5 in Korean).  He also has a super nice wife who works near where we live.  all in all, they be a really nice family.  He knows English pretty well, and I speak Korean much better than I did 8 months ago.  All in all, it's a good combination.  Another super exciting moment was with our investigator 박기철 (Bak Gi Cheol).  He is super cool.  Speaks Chinese, Korean, and English, and wants to learn more about the Book of Mormon.  He got super excited after we got through the awkwardness of last week's meeting, and he really opened up to us.  But, I was speaking very broken Korean, so we let the Holy Ghost and the Book of Mormon do all the talking, clarifying only as needed.  He accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and exclaimed that "maybe we can study this together and find the answer to my questions".   Sidenote, I can't remember if this statement was in English or in Korean.  All in all, he seems really excited about the Book of Mormon.  Really excited that there's additional scripture, and that our understanding isn't just limitted to the Old and New Testaments.  We left that lesson feeling pretty happy!

And, to add more to my own happiness (Elder Oman didn't know this person...), the Elders in my old area picked up a former investigator (최성용) that Elder Miller and I taught.  Yes.  I'm super thrilled.  Like really thrilled.  As in, I was almost crying tears of happiness type thrilled.  So yes, this has been a most uplifting and encouraging week for me.

거의 끝나야 합니다 (I'd be using 반말, but like, I'm not sure exactly who reads this blog, so pardon the awkward formal ending).  저는 여러분을 사랑합니다.  그리고 매일 매일 여러분을  위해  기도하고  있습니다.  이 교회가 참되다는 것을 알고 있고 하나님을 우리 모두를 항상  기억하십니다.  예수 그리스도께서는 제 구주 이시며 제 모든 죄를 위해 돌아가셨습니다.  저는 몰몬경을 읽었고 성신의 권세로 몰몬경이 하나니의 말씀이라는 것을 알고 있습니다.  이 것은 제 간증이고 저는 이 모든 것을 예수 그리스도의 이름으로 간증 드립니다.  아멘.

I hope you can find a translator for that ^^.  But it's my testimony, in it's most basic form.  It's never been anything flowery or fancy, but it's mine, and I treasure it.  I know this is the true church.  I know that God lives.  He loves us.  He loves me.  Everyday, I can feel Him leadning and guiding me, and everyday, I learn just a little more about how to leave everything in His hands.  I trust in His promise that my "family shall live" (DC 33), and that if I "labor diligently" to testify of the gospel, that the friendships and relationships I have in this life will extend into the eternities (2 Nephi 25:23).  My hope right now is that all I meet can see "the image of God engraven on my countenance" (Alma 5:19), and that at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I will be among the people who "see him as he really is" (Moroni 7:48).  I trust in my God.  He is a God of miracles (2 Nephi 27:23... I think), and He is more than capable of doing His own work.

Other really neat things from this week.  Sacrament meeting in both units yesterday was great.  One of the most memorable quotes from yesterday was, "If faith is the antithesis of fear, then faith is courage".  It's true.  The faith to act is courage in it's purest form.  I'm reaching a point on my mission where fear and doubt are no longer luxuries I can hold onto, and I can honestly say that as nervous as I am about this new chapter in my full-time missionary service, I'm excited to see what miracles God can work in Korea.

I love you all.  So much.  I look forward until the time we meet again, but until then, this virtual visiting will be enough.  There's work to be done, people to meet, and friendships to form.  And that's what this life is about.  Relationships and happiness.  I'm happy.  Happier than I have ever been.  I love missionary work, as frustrating as it may be sometimes.  But it has been perhaps the single most rewarding experience of my life thus far.

Until next week!

Elder Elliott Wedam

PS, Since I told him I would - Elder Erekson (a roommate from last transfer who's now up in 곡반장, which is the area adjacent to my last one) says hello.  He's pretty neat.  One of the many friendships I've formed while on the Pennisula.