Bonus Photos of Sam's December in Seoul

Sam sent a lot of photographs this month, so I'll post several, even though there's no context to go with them. Enjoy the images of beautiful Korea and of the people Sam is meeting there! -- Kristin South

Sam's companion, Elder Grimshaw, lives near our home
and his father works at the same university as Sam's father!

Lunchtime in Seoul. 

Cold War relics? Just guessing at this one...

A street scene in Sam's area, Hoegi

This is an older photo of a residential area where Sam was teaching (I think)

With "Haechi, the friendly monster of Seoul"

Sister Jeong on Christmas Day in traditional Korean dress

Sam the poser. Because he can.

"Missionary Swag"

Every Thought [letter of December 29, 2013]

[Editor's Note: Thanks for the birthday wishes for Sam on Facebook! I sent them all to him in an email, so he got them the day after his birthday. -- Sam's mom]

"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

A tasty street scene in Sam's area of Seoul

It's been a beautiful week in 서울! Although the blanket of snow came a day late for Christmas, we've enjoyed the lights, trees, decorations, and spirit of Seoul during the wintertime.

Thank you all so much for very fun gifts from dear family, and very fun and inspiring letters from my other "family" in New Haven. I love you all and appreciate profoundly your love and support; your words are thoughtful and humorous, and it is always a pleasure to hear how all are enjoying this wonderful time.

Unfortunately, neither of those that were planning on being baptized this past weekend received the ordinance,  but both are so, so close, and will definitely have that opportunity very soon. Betty's twin sister came into town from China, so we're hoping to pique her interest as well. ^^ Sa Gae is back in China for a few months, which is sad, but we'll stay in touch with him as he is away, and one of the two churches in the massively huge city of Shanghai is very close to his home, so that is a wonderful blessing. Min, who I haven't referred to as of yet, was baptized this past week in Dongdaemun, however. I spoke with him one night my first transfer as we were walking to go to English class, and he came along with us to class. He wasn't really interested in the Gospel at first, and we didn't start teaching him before I came to Imun, but now he has made amazing progress. It's the first experience I've had where someone we talked to on the street has been baptized, and it's cool to see that with God's help, it does happen!

Missionaries outside the Seoul temple: no snow yet!

On Wednesday, we attended a wonderful Christmas conference as a mission. Both President and Sister Christensen addressed us, and among many other wonderful sentiments, they talked about finding room for the Christ child. From that one night in Bethlehem until today, humankind has struggled to find room for Him in our lives. This is a season to let Him in, to find a place for Him in us, to grow in Him, and to realize His central role in everything we are and do. As we talk with people rushing every which way on the street or knock on doors, we are striving to open hearts and find a place for the Christ child to enter in. And while some closed doors on Him, some too travelled hundreds of miles through every condition to find and to worship him. I know that people are searching in haste for Him in their lives, and as they search, He will welcome them with open arms and exalted offerings.

Christmas conference friends

After lunch, there were several performances. The Korean sisters did a really cool classic fan dance, Elder Rosenberg dropped a beat with his famous beatboxing ability, and Elder Mumford, with whom I live, sang a "dank" (Washington slang?) Korean ballad. Sister Ahn, from my 동기 (age group) and I played on violin and cello. It was a lot of fun to see friends, and quite an enjoyable day. We loved that day and throughout the week to greet everyone everywhere with a smile and a "Merry Christmas!" Smiles and friendship, spreading love wherever possible, seem to go a long way.

As per the old adage, I'll wrap up here and send some photos from the past little bit.

All my love from Seoul, and happy New Year!

South 장로

I Don't Care What You Say, I'm in Love with the Food [letter of December 8, 2013]

[Editor's apology: Somehow we never posted this one when he sent it. I'm sorry! Enjoy the details about daily life in Seoul, including "mountain vegetables" and fish heads!]

"He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." -Matthew 10:39

 

I often have moments throughout the week doing something commonplace, taking a bus or just walking down the street, when it just hits me that I really love Korea. It's the little things.

 

It has been a beautiful week. I will highlight a few events, and then talk more about some aspects of quotidienne life that perhaps I have failed to mention due to their regularity in my routine. We were able to meet with S J a couple of times, who we have been helping with English, and struggling to help him progress in the Gospel. He shared last week how a high school friend had passed away, and that he had helped plan a memorial for him, so we focused with him on the plan of salvation and God's eternal plan for us. He responded well, and really enjoyed the teachings, and after our lesson we put down our table, turned off the lights, and rushed off to the subway because we were tight for time, locking the door behind us. Right before we were about to swipe into the subway, we received a call from him saying that he was in the church and couldn't get out. We saw him heading down the stairs, but apparently he had stopped in the restroom on the way out, unbeknownst to us. We rushed back over, got him out, and ran back. Fortunately, he wasn't too shaken. He met us again and gave us "healthy Russian rye bread" the next day, so I think things are okay.

 

I was able to meet with the assistants this week to finish up our pass-off program, and they were wonderful to speak with. Elder Sol, with whom I met, had wonderful advice about the simplicity of the work that we're doing, and was simple, loving, and profound in his thoughts. Church was great yesterday! No one showed up last week, and we were devastated, so we worked really hard this week to get people out, and not as many came as we would have liked, but we still had enough that we had to split up and teach with members. S K, with whom we met a couple times this week, committed to keeping the Word of Wisdom, and also said that he wanted to be baptized. He didn't commit to a specific date, but he returns to Shanghai on the 25th, so we are really trying to work with him for the 22nd of this month. I looove teaching our Chinese friends, but so many are only here temporarily, which is really tough. He stayed after church for a bit to eat, and he's made good friends with a couple of the members, which is perfect.

 

D W, who just needs love, was also at church. He committed to stop smoking this week, which he has been struggling with. He is just wonderful, and we will meet with him as much as possible in the coming days. S Ho, another Chinese friend, lives with his parents in a massage parlor in our area. He is extremely friendly, and really has a cool story. We've visited him a couple of times now, and he started going to church by himself in China because a friend attended. He is the only one in his family that attends church, and has a lot of interest in our church, but doesn't want us to teach in his home. On our last visit, we asked if we could pray and begin to speak, but he said that because his father didn't believe, he didn't want to talk about church there, so we'll need to have him come to our church and talk with him there.

 

Perhaps the coolest part of the day yesterday was meeting with G. We contacted him going through and calling random unassigned numbers on our phone, and he agreed to meet with us. He is very quiet, and had a hard time opening up, but he too is the only member of his family that attends church and has a strong faith in God. We tried really hard to find his need, what drives him, and how the Gospel can help him, and we weren't getting a lot out of him, but as we began to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he did open up a bit. He is busy with tests this week, but did commit to being baptized on the fifth of January, and we are incredibly excited to work with him as he prepares for that.

 

I will first talk a little bit about how we do our shopping. Usually we just go to a small market near our home, Guhreen Pahm, which we're still not sure is supposed to be green palm or green farm, but regardless, it works. We get most of what we need there, but there is also a Costco near our house, and we've been there a couple of times, but usually we just spend too much money on things we don't need, so we've been avoiding that. It's nice to have as an option, though!

 

At home, somewhat unfortunately, we eat lots of western food. At times we attempt Korean dishes, but I eat lots of rice, eggs, curry, and sometimes ramen. Breakfast is rice, oatmeal, granola, or eggs, and I go through about a carton of milk a day, which is probably my biggest food-related expense.

 

When we eat out, Korean food is wonderful. Some of our favorites are pap beogeo, which is like a burger, except with whatever kimchi or tuna or meat or whatever inside, and the buns rice rather than bread. Bread is one thing that I don't really eat any of, which actually feels pretty good. Donkaseu is also good, some kind of pork cutlet, with many varieties. I love bibimpap, which is mixed rice with pretty much whatever whoever is making it wants, usually vegetables, egg, kimchi, and pepper paste. it's usually incredible, but one time I got it with some "mountain vegetables," which ended up being some kind of fern and mushrooms, and it was... not ideal. That's the beauty of bibimpap, though.

 

Samgyeopsal is grilled meat that you wrap in lettuce with rice and whatever else, and is also super good. I eat lots of tangerines, and apples and bananas when I can. Mandu guk is delicious warm hearty soup with dumplings, and I love that, too. Curry is great, and kimbap is quick and fun. Kim is seaweed, and bap rice, and kimbap is essentially just a variation on sushi with whatever you want inside. After church yesterday we had a meal with the branch, bibimbap, and it was super good. There was a fun new sauce that I liked, but wasn't sure what it was, and I didn't think anything of it until I took my plate to clean and in the sink were dozens of little fish heads. #itscasual

 

I spoke before of hoddeok, and bungeobbang are fish shaped, filled pastry type things. Red bean filling is the most common, but shyukuhreem is divine, and at six for a dollar, these are a favorite. Street food is probably my favorite food here, as it was in China, and there is so much more that I need to try.

 

In the way of transportation, we take the subway every day, just a couple of stops, to get to our area. We sometimes catch a bus and sporadically a taxi, when we're in a rush or lugging something around, but it's mostly the subway. The subway system really is incredible; so many little things about it just make it great. It's pretty simple to use, although this past week a group of six very confused ladies came up to us and started pointing to some Chinese characters on a paper. It turns out they were visiting from China, and literally had no idea how to work the subway. I don't know why they decided to come up to foreigners and start yelling in Chinese, but we were able to help them out. The subways are, of course, electric, and the buses, which are also great, all natural gas, so there are minimal emissions from public transportation in Seoul, which is awesome. Apparently there used to be a lot of smog, but when the buses switched to natural gas, that was greatly reduced.

 

I love you all and wish the best for you this holiday season and always. May you feel peace and the love of our Savior.

 

All my love from Seoul,

 

Elder South

Happy Christmas! And a baptism. [December 22]

"Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord?" Alma 26 [from the Book of Mormon]

 

Elder Sam South and Sa Gae, with many friends. Koreans almost
universally make "peace" signs in their photos. Can you find it?

What a glorious time it is as we prepare for Christmas, to think about all that the Savior has done for us and how absolutely central His sacrifice was to all that we are. Thank you for your support and your prayers this past week. I felt them, but more importantly, Sa Gae felt them, and was baptized and confirmed this past Sunday after church. It was really a special experience for us, and a wonderful thing for him, and the outpouring of love and support from the branch was fabulous. The water was a little bit colder than we wanted, but it was a very happy time. I had the chance to perform the service, and I had to do it twice because I was so nervous about remembering the prayer in Chinese that I forgot to begin with his name the first time. You live and you learn, I guess, and you smile.

 

Sung Il, who we have been trying to meet with for quite a while, showed up yesterday, a straight up miracle. He came after the baptism, and anxiously asked if it was too late for him to be baptized that day, and said that he really wanted to be baptized. We set a date for him for the fifth of January, and are so excited for him. He is wonderful.

 

We moved into our new apartment this past Tuesday [in Imun Dong], and it's great! Carrying boxes with weights and books from our old place was an endeavor, but we got there. We took all the new stuff in: refrigerator, desks, etc., set up, ended up teaching part of Dongdaemun's English class, and mostly finished unloading. It was quite a day. One Wednesday, we finished up moving, stocked the apartment with whatever odds and ends, and taught Jackie. He is very logical, and really seemed to see that church will be a good thing for him. He is progressing well. That evening, the sisters and we went with Sa Gae to the restaurant he works at, which is a fancy seafood place. It's not something I would have sought out, but it was very good, and we got a great discount because Sa Gae works there. We went and grabbed ice cream afterwards. This was the day that Sa Gae said that he wanted to be baptized, which was super cool!

 

Dong Won's baptismal service is planned for this Saturday. He is struggling to quit smoking, but I know that he can do it! Betty also said on Tuesday that she wanted to be baptized, and she will be baptized this next Sunday. She didn't have any idea who God was a few weeks ago, and it is incredible now to see her conviction.

 

Our new apartment is wonderful, and our new roommates are a lot of fun. I knew Elder Mumford, from Washington, a bit from playing soccer with him a few weeks back, and he's a great guy. He's fun and works very hard. Elder Osborne, from North Texas, is really funny, and this is his first area, so we're trying to help him adjust and set a good example!

 

Elders Grimshaw and South with Sa Gae and Betty

We met with Seong Jin on Thursday, and he is progressing well. Sang Jo, who I forgot to mention last week committed to baptism on the 19th of January, has taken big steps, but will just not come to church, so we are trying really hard to think about how we can help him with that. We also met George on the subway Thursday, a super cool guy from Bulgaria who we really want to meet again. He was kind of eyeing us as we got on the subway, and when were on, he turned to Elder Grimshaw, and said... something. After staring blankly for a few moments, we realized he was speaking Russian, and responded in English after quickly exhausting our supply of Russian. (i.e. Hello, you look like a cucumber today. Goodbye.)  He is fascinating, and taught us a bit of Bulgarian. Zdrasti!

 

We met Sa Gae again on Friday with the sisters, just to confirm his desire and go through how everything would work at the service. I'm sure he must have been really nervous too, and in his testimony at the service he said that he had been, but I was terrified all the way until the service that something would go wrong or we would forget something important, but it all worked out okay. He had his interview Saturday, and we had a quick but scrumptious meal at the church of bap beogeo and peach Fanta, and headed off to Yeongdeungpo, in the South mission, with Sa Gae, Betty, and the sisters. There was a Messiah concert that we were able to go to, and it was very good. I thought so, anyway. Sa Gae was a good sport, Betty had no qualms straight up saying it was boring, and the attrition rate at intermission was remarkable. If the words were difficult to understand for us English speakers, though, being familiar with the piece and type of performance, then that is understandable. We had a great time, grabbed ice cream afterwards, which seems to be kind of the thing with that crew, and headed back to our area. It was fun to see some friends from the mission across the river!

 

Sundays are just my favorite days. Hyeon Ho, one of Dong Won's friends, came to church, and he is amazing! he hasn't been to church since elementary school, but really wants to learn about our church because he wants to have a good setting for his wife and daughter at home. We are going to see if we can teach them as a family, which would be wonderful. Jin Su also showed up to church, and we had a great lesson with him. He showed sincere interest in how he can come to know God better, and we look forward to meeting with him more now that finals are done. Unfortunately, though, he will head back to his hometown near Busan in the South of the country for about a month during winter break.

 

All my love, and merry Christmas!

 

Elder South

Falling in love [with cabbage] [December 15, 2013]

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you . . . Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." -John 14:18, 27

I have felt a remarkable peace this week as I have striven to focus on those we are teaching, and studied and shared those simple yet profound truths of the Gospel. Christ tells us in John that that which He spoke unto us He did so that we may have peace. (John 16:33)

This past Tuesday we were able to go to the temple again [Temples represent the highest form of worship in the church, more than weekly services at local chapels. There is just one in Korea.] Beforehand, Elder Clearwater addressed us briefly, as he will be departing this next week. He will be sorely missed, and has been a superb example to me in many ways of the missionary that I want to become. President Christensen then addressed us, and said, among other pieces of wisdom, "If you choose what He wants, you'll get what you want."

On Wednesday, we conducted companionship exchanges after district meeting. I went with Elder Smith, and we had a very enjoyable day. We taught two consecutive lessons with the sister missionaries, both of which went a bit long, and both of which were with Chinese friends. The second was with Shakai, who returns to China on the 25th. It was a fun lesson, and he grabbed dinner with us afterwards. He also came to church yesterday and had a great experience, but still will not commit to a baptismal date. We will meet him as much as possible this week, and I really, really hope that next week I will have good news to report. It seems to him to be a little bit quick to make such a big commitment, which I definitely understand, but I know that all things are possible. (Phillipians 4:13, Alma 26;12) That night, we had a great meeting with another friend, and returned home via a long and very empty bus. Also of note on Wednesday is that we woke up to beautiful snow falling, and a bit having stuck on the ground. It is a beautiful city, and the snow is gorgeous.

We met with James on Thursday, who we met on the subway a couple weeks back. He grew up in Kentucky, but his parents are Korean, and he is studying computer science here. We went to a nice restaurant, and had bossam, which is delicious steamed meat with kimchi and a spicy soup. We had a nice conversation, introduced more of who we are, and are looking forward to meeting with him again soon.

I was introduced to bossam for the first time with James, but we went to someone's house the following day for dinner and had it again, with some superb kimchi. I don't know what happened, and I never disliked it before, but I really like kimchi now. I just want it sometimes. Now is one of those times. We had a great talk with this member. Her daughter is in our branch, but the mother, although she has a firm faith in God, does not attend. She recently underwent a divorce, and really wants to know how she can find peace and guidance from God. We shared Doctrine and Covenants 112:10, and talked about humility. She had great questions and great insights, and I really hope that she will continue to meet and start coming to church.

We will be moving into our new house tomorrow, which will be nice. A massive percentage of my budget is transportation, and this should cut it down. It will be a whole new dynamic to be in a four person house, and kind of a chance to reset, I guess. New commitment, new level of focus and desire.

Transfer calls were Saturday night, and I will be staying in Imun with Elder Grimshaw for another transfer. For those who are less familiar with this somewhat recondite system, I will explain briefly. We are called to a specific mission, in my case Korea Seoul, but there are many areas within each mission. Throughout our time, we always stay within our mission boundaries, but may be in many areas within the mission. Every six weeks is called a "transfer," and after every transfer areas and companionships are switched around, so you serve with several companions and in several areas throughout the course of your mission. For this transfer, though, I'll be staying put.

Sunday was another wonderful day. As we were shoveling snow in order to prepare for church, I was thinking about how some friends in other missions have talked about how sometimes people just walk into church and say that they want to learn. It, well, doesn't really happen here, but I was thinking that there was no reason that it shouldn't people everywhere need to know about Jesus Christ. The day previously, though, somebody called off of a card that we gave them this week and said that they wanted to come to church, which neeever happens. They came, really enjoyed it, and are coming back again. Right before our meetings started, too, somebody off of the street, a sister, just walked in. She said that she was looking for a church to go to that day, and she saw the name of Jesus Christ on our church, and decided to come in. The chances, the timing, her humility- it really was an absolute miracle. She will come back again next week as well, and was a sweet mercy to me. In addition to them, three Chinese investigators came to church. We had to split up again to teach, and the sister missionaries helped out as well. I "translated" for Betty, a Chinese girl and one of the sister's investigators, during sacrament meeting, since she doesn't speak Korean. The problem is, neither do I, so we talked about whatever questions she had, and how we can still feel the Spirit and have questions answered even if we can't understand what is going on. As one of the departing missionaries gave her farewell address, she was crying a bit, and Betty was very curious about what that feeling was that felt warm and opened peoples' hearts like that. Later, as we watched a movie with all of the Chinese people that came and discussed the Book of mormon, Betty too began to shed a few tears as she felt that Spirit. It really was a miraculous day, and helped me again to realize that this work is completely out of our hands.

I was thinking of Moroni's words this morning as I reflected upon the day, in Moroni 7 [From the Book of Mormon]:

"And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased?
Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?
Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain."
We will strive for more faith, harder work, and showing more love in all that we do.

All my love,
Elder South

Big S/O to Elder Clearwater. 사랑해요!

December 1: "Go Out With Joy"

This week flew by. I can't believe how quickly this transfer has gone, and time in general. It's December. I remember the first of December a couple of years ago, as I was finishing up high school and wondering where life would take me. So much has changed since then. I've been in Korea for longer than I was in China now, and I've actually been surprised at how much these respective countries differ culturally. Of course, I have been in a very different role here, and perhaps if I were studying here and saw more cultural and historical sites, I may feel differently, but China, to me at least, just felt older. There is without a doubt a similar underlying economic drive and push for modernization, but it seems that Seoul and Beijing are perhaps at different steps along that path.  What was interesting to me  in China, and certainly true to a certain extent here too, is the differing ideals and drive between the younger and the older generations. On one side there is that desire to be at the forefront of global production and economy, and on the other almost a longing at times for the culture and history of times past that is sometimes swallowed up in the push forward. Anyway, I don't know. I'm just a young guy in Seoul, and I sure love it.

Elders South and Grimshaw sharing a joke...
or the effects of some strong kimchi?

I don't know where I'll be, of course, but next transfer, change is coming to Imun. We went out with one of the senior office elders this past Wednesday to look for a new house in our area, as we've been living in Dongdaemun and commuting to Imun every day. That will be nice, as we do spend quite a bit on transportation. We looked at a nice, currently unoccupied apartment, decided it was what we needed, and went to the real estate office to sign papers. Whoever will be in Imun next transfer will move in on the 16th of this month, and, in other exciting news, there will be two more elders in Imun next transfer, for which we are very excited! It really is an amazing area, and there is work enough to do.

Korean is still difficult, but we're trying to not let it be a barrier. As long as we feel comfortable, those with whom we're speaking usually do, too, and it is just fun. One would hope that we will never again on our missions be as bad at Korean as we are now, and the more mistakes we make as we open our mouth now, the less we will later. The road to Korean mastery, or even basic ability, will be a long one to climb, and I don't know if I'll ever get there, but fortunately, if we do our best and live as we need to be, Korean isn't the most important language for those we're teaching to hear anyway.

We met some wonderful, wonderful people this week, and were very blessed. On Tuesday, we met with Jinuk for the first time. (진욱, Korean looks super weird in romanization) He is a graduate student in our area in his late 20s, and has been in Seoul from the countryside for about three years. He is not attending church here, but did when he was younger, and misses it. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he was really interested: we will continue to meet with him, and he wants to be baptized on the 29th of this month. Jinsu, tragically, did not attend church this week, and unless we can meet with him soon, we may need to move his baptism to the 29th. We met with Jackie again, and also talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him. He readily accepted everything, but feels that he needs more time before he is baptized, and we will continue to speak with him concerning the power of repentance and demonstrating faith to act on the will of God.

The always-thoughtful Elder South organized a bilingual
group celebration on his dad's birthday.

Jaehyeon showed up to English class this week, one of the friends of a regular. He enjoyed the class, and the sisters gave a really powerful message about eternal families for gospel time. Afterwards, he expressed interest in meeting with us personally and learning more about families. His wife recently passed away, and showing love for her and for his kids is very important to him. He is wonderful, and we look forward to sharing more about what we know about the eternal nature of families and what a blessing that is. Shakai is a Chinese student studying in Imun who came to church yesterday. He is a lot of fun, from Shanghai, and like most Chinese people we meet, loves to talk in Chinese and about his home. He met with Ga Dong, our super cool Chinese ward member, and she helped to teach him. He came with us to a meal last night with a bunch of young adults, and had a great time! I hope that he can continue to meet and make friends with the branch!

We have been getting closer and closer to the members of our branch {the local congregation smaller than the "ward" where he was previously}, and they are so crucial. Our branch is small but strong, and the members have introduced us to several friends that now have a sincere interest in what we have to say. member involvement is so important and so valuable in making people feel welcome.

For Thanksgiving this week, the office and Sister Christensen exerted an extraordinary effort and organized meals for almost all the missionaries in our mission with member families from the states, mostly from the English branch in Yeongdeungpo. We were with a Brother Jensen, who has been in Korea for 15 years, and works in global human relations at SK. He was a lot of fun to talk with, as was his family, and his home was welcoming and the food very good. We had butter, for the first time in quite a while, whipped cream, root beer, and creole seasoning, which I miss but never expected to see here. I certainly am grateful for the chance that we had to spend time with his family, and more than that, just for the opportunity to be in such a beautiful place with such amazing people doing something that I love so much. I hope that you had a wonderful time as well, and think about all that God has given us. It is fall break, I think, for many of my friends. Enjoy family, life, and time, and may your studies be fruitful as the semester comes to a close.

Isaiah declares, in chapters 54 and 55, the following:

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: for ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace . . . with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, for the mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord."

All my love,

Elder South

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Letter of 25 November 2013)

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house; Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

 

Last week we had a combined mission conference with the Seoul South Mission south of the Han that I was unable to mention last week, and it was incredible! Elder David Evans, of the missionary council, spoke to us. It was a fantastic meeting, and he addressed many different topics. What struck me most was just how absolutely dependent this work is on love: as we recognize how incredibly much we are loved, and blessed, and try to share this love with all those that we meet, that is when we are both successful, but more importantly, happy and able to truly help others. 

There is a quote by Van Gogh, I believe, and it's killing me that I can't remember it, but it says essentially that "Those who love serve much, what is done in love is done well." As we truly care about those that we serve, we serve, study, and pray more diligently, and strive more and more to do what we can for them. Elder Evans also talked about being young, and inexperienced, which of course is immediately applicable to me and this companionship. We are certainly young, but we can still share what we know and testify of its truthfulness, letting our chance to serve be an exciting time rather than developing a psychological handicap. We are still missionaries, here for the same purpose, and as we do our very best and work hard, we will receive help to make up for our weaknesses. It was also great to see friends from the MTC- most of my district, and many others I knew, went to the Seoul South Mission.

Sam and a new friend

 

It has been an awesome week this past week! We were blessed to see several people accepting and responsive to the Spirit, and to teach more lessons than normal for us and to receive guidance as we did. It is such a privilege to see people progressing in the Gospel. I don't have any significant news or big events from this week, so I will discuss some of those with whom we met this past week.

 

Jackie is incredible. His English name may be somewhat out of the ordinary for someone of his gender and stature, but that phenomenon is not uncommon among those who are beginners at English here. He is incredibly receptive and intelligent, and we have been teaching English to him as well as the Gospel. He has met with missionaries a bit before, a few months ago, and I have no idea why he stopped, yet. My only thought so far is that there were, for a transfer or two, no English-speaking missionaries in Imun, so he was unable to continue learning English. In any case, we are happy to be meeting with him now.

 

J S, our fashion-designing friend, came to church yesterday, which was greeaatt. We were unable to be with him second hour, however, as we were teaching a lady from Thailand. It was a great lesson to experience, the Spirit was present and she accepted well as we watched the story of Joseph Smith in Thai (which sounds like Chinese, but way more wacky), but unfortunately, when we went to meet with J S the third hour, he had left after the second while we were teaching. That was too bad, but we hope to meet him this week.

 

K is from Australia, but his parents are both Chinese, and he speaks both English and Chinese fluently. He is super cool, studying dance and performing often, and our meeting was a lot of fun. He is very high energy, and we were all over the place, but he is earnestly seeking God and to know if religion is right for him.

 

We met a super cool couple from Sweden on the subway this past week, and I really hope that we can meet with them. They were tall, stylin', into K-pop, and Swedish, so we bonded pretty quickly. Jokes.

 

J H is a fifteen year old kid with a lot of Gospel interest. He wants to be baptized, but his mother opposes the church, another situation not rare here. He texted us this week saying that he had time, but right before we were about to meet we got a heartbreaking text about how he was coming out the door to meet, but his mother recognized that he was going to the church and so stopped him. He is wonderful, and so brave. He hides his Book of Mormon in the house so he doesn't get in trouble, and just wants to know more. We are praying and counseling to know how we can help him, but it is a tough situation.

 

D W, an older gentleman, also met with us this week. He has been struggling to quite smoking, and to bring his life into harmony with the example of Jesus Christ. He speaks no English, and we weren't able to have a member help us, but as we taught, it was amazing how things that we needed just seemed to come. He understood, and we understood, and there was just an incredible feeling in the room. He really wants to make these changes, and to receive the guidance of the Spirit. He agreed to be baptized on the 29th of December, and we will continue to work with and support him as he prepares. That would be about the coolest birthday gift ever.

 

I did translation a couple times this week. I've been doing it in district and zone meetings for Sister T into Chinese, and it's usually fun, and rough, but we get through it together. This week, though, we spoke of the parable of the wheat and the tares, as well as assorted other stories, and I was at about a complete loss, so we just talked about other, mostly related, topics. She was asking about a Chinese branch, and it is actually a real possibility, if several of our Chinese investigators continue to progress. Our companionships taught a Chinese guy together this week, and a couple are coming to church. It's nice to have someone who can actually speak Chinese, as opposed to my often less-than-successful attempts.

 

Sam, in the subway, with a Book of Mormon,
imitating the eating habits of his new friend (see above)

I also was asked to translate for T, a visiting Brazilian, yesterday at church. Fortunately, it was the primary program, so there was lots of singing, and more simple speaking, but when our Branch President addressed us it was game over. I figure, though, if you can pick out a few words a sentence, talk about that, and bear your testimony, the Spirit will help both of us feel what is being said. 

 

English class has grown considerably in size, although it is still quite small. It is a pleasure to teach, and both the sister missionaries and we have found some good potential people to teach from the class. The dessert party on Saturday was also a big success, with lots of friends and investigators showing up and having a great time.

 

I need to go soon, but I just want to share a bit of what I read this past week in my studies. Christ talks about his other sheep, which are not of this fold, and how there are more nations than one. God loves all of His children so much, and I know that that applies to His children here in Korea. We learn in the Bible, and in 3 Nephi 14;7-8, that if we ask, it shall be given, if we seek, we shall find, and if we knock, it shall be opened unto us. All of these are promised blessings contingent upon action on our part. As missionaries, our purpose is to invite others to take those steps that will yield that which God has promised. It is certainly sad when someone is not willing to make those choices. As they do, however, and those blessings come, it is a joy to see the blessings in their lives, and a sweet affirmation of the reality and loving nature of our God.

 

All the best, and 여러분을 사랑해요.

 

Elder South 

If We Build We Cannot Fall (Letter of 18 November 2013)

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation . . . which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." --Helaman 5:12

3 Nephi 5:13 says, "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." As we stay happy and continuously invite, we do find those with whom together we can grow closer to Jesus Christ. We seek at all times to "[strive] with unwearied diligence" to bring all to the truth (Helaman 15:6).

I have found great strength from the scriptures this week as I have continued to go in with questions and take more time to ponder on that which is written. The story of Samuel the Lamanite takes on new meaning coming from a missionary lens, as do most scriptures. In Helaman 13:2-3, it mentions that after preaching for many days, Samuel is rejected and becomes discouraged, about to return to his own land, but--he does not. He listens to the voice of the Lord, and prophesies that which is put into his heart. This is a joyous work, but there are certainly times that are hard. When people don't show up to a meeting, no one wants to hear what you have to say, or even pretend not to hear you, it can be hard to chin up and keep smiling bright, but we do, because that is what is expected of us as disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Last week, as I was unable to mention in the last update, ended with a game night at the church for investigators and members, and it was a real success. So much so, in fact, that we are planning a young adult dessert party for investigators and friends this coming Saturday. As those who are interested in the church are able to develop relationships with members, they really begin to feel welcome, and that crucial sense of belonging in an unfamiliar world. The Imun branch is incredible. I gave my 인사 말씀, or introductory words, in sacrament meeting last week, and was able to meet most of the members after church, as we stayed for bibimbap. It is a small branch, but the members are so strong, and really want to help us out. I'm really looking forward to our time here.

Because we did not have a lot of current investigators, we did a lot of 전도 (street contacting) this week, which is honestly just so much fun. We were able to meet a few people, though, and I will introduce some of our investigators.

C. is an older gentleman with primarily English interest, although he loves the Bible. As we went through the sermon on the mount with him, he got really excited: "I love these words!" We hope to establish a connection between the Bible and the Book of Mormon both as God's words as we meet him today, and will meet him consistently to teach English and talk about the Gospel.

We met I. this week, a twenty year old college student at a college in our area. He has met with missionaries before, and is actually fairly sour at the church. We were just about to go outside to meet him when we purposefully walked in the room, looked at us, cracked his hands, sat, and started firing off questions. It was a fun experience as we went though continuing revelation, prophets, and the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was definitely present as we talked, but he would not open up to its influence, which is always sad. We will continue to meet with him, and will really need to think and pray about how we can help him progress.

J., who committed to baptism last week, came to stake conference yesterday. We tried to teach him afterwards, but he was going to dinner at his girlfriend's family's house. Disappointing, but perhaps in the end having his girlfriend's family be members is even more beneficial. We will meet with him this week, and hopefully he can come to the dessert party this week.

As Elder C. was coming home Monday night, he met a Chinese guy, and put him on the phone. We talked for a couple minutes, and it turned out that he lived only a couple minutes from us, so we all went over to meet him right away. When we knocked on his door, he opened up and there were four people staying there, all Chinese, as well as a couple next door. We had a really fun talk, and they were from near Beijing, so we had some fun connections, and they spoke with my dearly beloved hard Beijing accent. We set an appointment for the following day, as they had to return on Thursday to China, and went back both then and Wednesday. We again spoke, came back on Wednesday as well, and really made friends with them. I am sad that they had to return, but I hope that we can stay in touch via email.

We met with some other great people, and have a few appointments for this week as well. We have been blessed this week to be able to double our current investigators, and hope to be able to do so again this week. We will continue to work hard and pray for guidance on how to help them progress. The Dongdaemun elders called D., the English teacher at Koryeo Dae that we have been meeting with, this past week. Elder Park spoke with him, and he was on a noisy bus, so he couldn't hear very well, and he's never met Elder Park, so he didn't realize who he was talking to. Elder C took the phone, put it on speaker, and asked D. what he was doing that Friday to confirm their appointment. D. said, "I don't know, I'm meeting in the morning with some Mormons to try to convince them the Book of Mormon's not the word of God." They called back a few minutes later when he was off the bus, and he didn't realize it was the same people, so that was pretty funny.

We met B. this past Thursday, and what an experience it was. He is from Chad, and his first language is French, but he speaks good English and incredible Korean. He is very trusting, humble, and reliant on God, wanting to know how he can follow Him. he told us of the racism that he has experienced at times due to his roots and the color of his skin. He said that many of his friends pretend to be from France because it is a "good" country, but not him. He wears a shirt with a map of Africa on it, and he is proud of who he is. He sees everyone, rich, poor, religious, not, as people, and as God's children. He said that he was laughed at or rejected sometimes, and he wanted to show that he was human, and strong, and worth something, so he learned Korean. Well. He looked up political words in the dictionary so that he could challenge ideas, and he speaks just amazing Korean now. People think too much about money, he thinks, and care more about that than intrinsic value and character. "I have only 3000 won in my account (about 3 dollars)," he said, "but here," pointing to his mind, "I am free."

"Peace is more important than everything," he said. "You must forgive. If I am angry, I cannot sleep with that in my heart." As we shared Joseph Smith's words describing the first vision with him, he was very touched. he said that he felt good, and that we will meet "again, and again, and again." I hope that we do. He offered a beautiful prayer in French, and went on his way.

We have several Chinese potential investigators that we are meeting soon, for which I am very excited. We have a really cool Chinese recent convert that is excited to help us teach, and that will be awesome.

In Dongdaemun, our ward mission leader was an American with flawless Korean. In Imun, we don't have English to fall back on. Our coordination meeting this week was a little bit over my head, but so much fun. In such a young companionship, I have a much increased responsibility and role, since we have no one with incredible language ability to bail us out.

We started English class in the area this week, and as such have not had huge attendance yet. We have a vision, though, of a fun class that can turn into an effective finding technique. As we did 전도 in the cold yesterday, and handed out English fliers, we got a few more good potentials for English class. When it's cold, that's when the money is made.

It's been a fun week as the work goes forward! We have the smallest area in the mission, but probably the most fun. We won't rest until everyone in Imun is coming to church with us.

All the best, and all my love,

남 장로

New friends -- and a surprise transfer

It has been a week of many blessings as we seek to serve with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength! This work is just, simply, fun. It is hard work, of course, but the relationships that we have been able to develop with people, and just the pleasure of talking to as many people as we can about that which we care so much about, is an absolute pleasure. No matter what the thermometer may read, every day the weather is perfect, the food is wonderful, and we have no excuses. As we work and trust, things just have been working out in ways that we cannot see how they will beforehand, before the trial of our faith. Not always is every issue solved, of course, but the hand of the Lord is easily apparent in people picking up their phone and scheduling an appointment, coming to church, being willing to talk with us, and even being able to understand and be understood. We have found people who want to learn more in ways that we never would expect, and I know that those are direct blessings from the Lord. 

Another more temporal blessing that I experienced this week was 호떡 (hoddeok), which I have been waiting to eat until the weather gets a bit colder. It is essentially a pancake/scone type thing with caramelized sugar and sometimes nuts in the middle. Resplendent.

 

As were were unable to locate cellos on time for the conference this week, we will not be playing now, but it sounds as if we will play at Christmas just for our mission. In other news, I saw another shirt this week that read, in vintage font, "Paris, Sweden." I will do all I can to acquire such an item. Although there is certainly some funny English that goes around at times, people are extremely fashion conscious here, which has been a lot of fun. We have several people that we have been meeting with that study fashion design, and there are a couple schools around our area that specialize in such.

 

R and D, two of our Chinese friends, met with us on Tuesday this week. It has been a challenge to teach them, certainly, both because of the language and also because they really have no base at all to draw from concerning religion, but so rewarding as well. We have relied on scripture verses and pictures to help teach, and have had to teach very simply, which is good practice for me, as I have a hard time boiling things down to the essence and explain them as I would to a child. We talked about prayer, and why it is important, and at the end of the lesson, R offered a beautiful prayer, her first one ever. It really brought the Spirit, and as she prayed, she expressed gratitude for God's love and for her learning more about Him. She said about the church that she "liked it there," and that she wanted to know more. Unfortunately, she and her friends are all returning to China on Thursday this week, after having finished their semester. I will be really sad to see them go. They have progressed so much in so little time, and will not have a chance to learn more or receive baptism when they return. I can only hope that they will continue to pray and to remember, and that one day, they will be able to receive that which they desire.

 

It was Brother B's birthday this past Wednesday, so we met with him in the morning. He leaves for military service in about two weeks, and we are really working with him to keep his desire for baptism strong, so that he, if he does so desire, will be able to be baptized before he leaves. He did commit to living the word of wisdom, which was a big step for him.

 

We we able to meet, too, with M early this week. A member, N, taught with us, and she is so strong. As we talked about the Restoration, and she bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon, it was real, meaningful, and powerful. It was a privilege to be in that lesson with her and M, who is so wonderful and so desirous to learn more concerning the Gospel. This morning, however, we received a text from him expressing sincere apology, saying that his parents oppose him coming to church and that he won't be able to anymore. We, of course, were devastated, and hope to visit his parents soon to speak with them and show them that we are normal people with good values. 

Many people in Korea see the church as 이단 (idan), or a cult, and are not willing to listen to what we have to say because all they can see is this idea. It happened before, with Brother N. There are lots of untruths on Naver, Korea's main internet search engine, concerning our church, and it makes it very difficult at times for people to accept our message or talk with us. I was talking with someone the other day for a while, and as he left, he began to write down his number, and halfway through asked what book I was carrying. As soon as he saw "Mormon," he dropped the pen, turned around, and walked away without a word, because of that reputation. There are those who are willing to listen, though, and I really hope that M will be able to keep coming to church.

 

IS is a professor in his thirties who is incredibly smart and learned all of his English from CNN broadcasts, so he speaks on a sophisticated level and uses hilarious and often misused idioms when he talks and writes. We talked with him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week, and he agree to be baptized in December, which will be a great thing for him. He will be a great support for the ward, and will benefit so much from the Gospel.

 

JS is a 20 year old studying fashion design in our area, and is the boyfriend of one of the members of our branch. We met him yesterday for the first time (for me, anyway, he's come to church twice before), and taught him during the third hour. We were able to teach with a couple of members, and as they testified and his understanding grew, the Spirit was again present in force. He committed to baptism on the 14th of December, and we will continue to teach him.

 

The biggest news of this past weeks is transfers. A trainer and a trainee are rarely split up halfway through training, but not much is normal about our mission right now, and I was surprised when President Christensen called and said that will now be serving in Imun, the area adjacent to Dongdaemun, with Elder Grimshaw, who has been in my house. He is only one transfer older than me, so we will be incredibly young, but we will work diligently, use all of our resources, and obey, trust and pray all the time, because we can't do this on our own.

 

I am super excited to be in Imun: it is a fun area, the branch is wonderful, if small, and we will work hard. I need to go for today, but I will speak more concerning Imun next week. Many thanks for your love and support.

 

With love,

 

Elder South

서울에서 사랑: "Love from Seoul" (Letter of 3 November 2013)

Alma 26:36- "...blessed be the name of God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land."

We have certainly been busy this week! Whereas at first we were almost solely doing 전도--street contacting--we are beginning to teach more and more lessons, and it has been fun to have a chance to learn and develop teaching skills. More than that, though, it is rewarding beyond measure to see in a tangible way the difference that knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and applying its principles helps people to have a different perspective about life and to work out lifelong questions.

 I have been thinking a lot about this week about patience, particularly with oneself. As I read concerning Alma and Ammon, and see older missionaries, it is unfortunately a tendency of mine to notice that I'm not quite--or even remotely--there. I know in whom I trust, and I know that the necessary skills to bless those that I need to help come unto Christ will come as I trust in Him, it's just easy at times to see many weaknesses and areas wherein I lack. It always be, I suppose, so we just need to do the best we can and take every opportunity as it arises, so that we can improve and be strengthened.

I had a few chances this past week to come to know President Christensen, our mission president, a bit better. Our district had interviews with him this past Wednesday, and then he came to our district meeting, and we also had a conference this past Thursday. He is really exactly right for this mission and for me, and I look forward to continuing to learn from his wisdom and experience: he sees things in a light that has already blessed me and allowed me to see with more perspective in several settings. I discussed weaknesses and patience for a while with him, and he really helped me to see things as they should be and realize that as long as we are faithfully and diligently taking every opportunity that is placed before us, we will continue to grow, and we will be helped in that moment with what we need. I was also reading in Alma, unfortunately I do no have the reference with me, but as Alma is talking, he says something to the effect of "O that I were an angel," that he might have great power to declare the word of God, however, he continues with "I am but a man, and do sin in my wish, for I ought to be content with what the Lord hath alloted me." Alma didn't have any great and powerful voice, but his consistent obedience and capitalizing on opportunities as he listened to the Spirit transformed him into the missionary that he became, and as we do the same, we will be the missionary that we need to be.

I spoke with Sister Christensen as I was waiting, and somehow got roped into a cello duet for the Seoul/Seoul South mission conference on the 16th. The other cellist will be a sister who attends Stanford, and seems by all accounts to be pretty amazing at the cello. They're going to find out really soon that I play cello, but I don't play cello. In all seriousness, it would be a lot of fun, but as it's coming up so soon, and she lives so far away, and neither of us actually have found a cello yet, we'll see how it pans out. I am looking forward to the conference, it will be great to see friends in the Seoul South mission.

We are headed out early today, so I will just talk about some of those we have been meeting with for a bit. In short, first, it's been a great week. We had a few days with cold showers, mosquitoes, and miracles- just what a mission should be.

Min Gyu, a senior in high school, met with us a couple of times this past week, and attended church with us yesterday. He is so much fun, always rocks a super puffy jacket, and is starting to make friends in the ward. He is progressing very quickly in the Gospel and has a sincere desire to come to know God. He committed to be baptized this past Wednesday for later this month, so we are very excited for him!

Brother Bok was unable to meet this week, as he was pretty ill, but we have been in touch and he is doing well. As he leaves for military service so soon, we really are hoping to meet with him a few more times in the near future.

We met with Ryan this week, who is from Saudi Arabia. Although he is not religious, he really wants to help people, and as we met, we talked a lot about how the Gospel can help bring you a sense of purpose and direction to your life, and know how to serve others as you follow the example of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Da Shi and Da Le, our Chinese friends, planned to meet us on Saturday at the church, and we waited for them for a while. We ended up waiting for more than an hour, actually, and it was pretty hard. As I taught last time, I felt pretty disappointed and fairly responsible that they didn't show up, even though all we can do is invite. As we prayed for them, though, and thought about what to do next, they did show up, and brought two friends with them, who are both really cool and interested in what we have to say. I honestly have no idea why this group is meeting with us: we don't speak Chinese, and our lessons are pretty rough, but, thank goodness, it's not about the language of the mind, but the language of the Spirit, and we certainly have been blessed with some help as we try to communicate with them.

Thank you for your support and your love. Keep smiling, and drink strawberry milk at every opportunity. It's a thing here. 

I was extremely saddened to hear of the passing away of Dean Leslie Woodard, who was the Dean of Calhoun College this past year. She will always be remembered as a brilliantly intelligent, fun, loving woman, who genuinely desired to help me, and help me she did. Her insights and her advice helped me to mature, and realize that it's not a bad thing to take on the world, but you need to do it in the right way, and surrounded by those who care deeply for you. Please convey all of my respect and gratitude to the Yale community in this tragic time. My New Haven friends, I love you. As we all remember and sincerely respect the example of Dean Woodard, let's all be a little bit brighter and laugh a little bit more. Her poetry, her energy, and her love for her horses will be remembered, but above all that, her love for us and her tireless service on our behalf. Rest in the peace of God, Dean Woodard.

Dean Leslie Woodard
of Calhoun College

Much love,

Elder South

남 장로

Editors' Note (from Sam's Dad): 

The distinctive strength of Yale is community--sharing, struggling, building together. The heart of this community ethos is in the residential colleges--12 microsystems, somewhat like Harry Potter's "houses" and full of personality and purpose. When two Yale grads find each other anywhere in the world, the first question is certainly going to be "which college?" Both of Sam's parents, like Sam, are "Hounies"--graduates of Yale's smallest, most beautiful, and finest residential college, Calhoun (no bias there!).

Calhoun was long famous for the tire swing hanging from a large oak in the middle of the courtyard, which tree unfortunately had to be taken down recently due to age. But the real centers of each college--overseeing its own building, dining hall, and intramural teams--are the master and the dean. They are Yale faculty who live, with their families, in the college itself. The master oversees residential life, while the dean is the chief academic and personal adviser for each student. The dean is an invaluable support for every student. 

By all accounts, Dean Woodard was especially extraordinary, known for her good cheer, her love of students, and her ability to point them in the right direction--on top of her own fabulous career as a dancer and a writer. It is truly sad news to hear about Dean Woodard's passing, and a hard thing for Sam to experience without the support of his fellow Hounies. A brief article on her passing is here:

http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/10/15/calhoun-dean-leslie-woodard-dies-at-53/