Seoul Whirlwind--February 22, 2015

Hello! Wow, craziness. Just trying to keep my feet on the ground. A whole lot has happened this past week, and there's not a whole lot of time to talk about it, but I'll try to hit some of the main points.

A lot of missionaries that I was close with went home this week, including Elder Mumford and Elder Reynolds, both of whom have been fantastic examples for me throughout my time here. The sisters that went into the MTC with me also have left, which is an odd experience. I saw Sister Partridge from the Seoul South Mission at the airport as well, who also returned with honor this week.

There was lots of rain and even some snow this week. It wasn't overly cold, but we weren't prepared for it. It should be warming up, sometime!

We picked up the new missionaries from the airport this week and proselyted with them on the way back on the subway, which was and will continue to be a fun experience, to see missionaries overcoming their fears and opening their mouths the first time. To see fear and talking and amazement at miracles like someone taking a card or a copy of the Book of Mormon. One of them said that she took a class from you, dad, and that you helped her a lot. Suyeon Lee? It's been a while, I guess. Another one was praying, and as he prayed, he prayed for the honorified veil Christensen, instead of President Christensen- they're pretty close in Korean.^^ We ran around, and planned, and smashed some locks so that missionaries could get into their bags, and got up to prepare for trainers' training the next day... always a whirlwind.

We had a conference of over 200 people that happened this week for the New Year. Lots of planning, set up, and conducting- lots of learning experiences. You can't always plan for the wild cards, though: as two groups were divided up upstairs and downstairs, the fire alarms in the building went off, and we had to call the fire department and have them come fix it. It looks like someone from the street came and pulled them, or something. Adventures.

Brother Yun from Sanggye came to sacrament meeting in Sindang this week, and his son asked me to go up to Sanggye to baptize him later this month. Super exciting!

On Sunday we had some fun adventures knocking doors, and I met a lady that studied feminism in Germany for 10 years. She gave me a framed picture from her studio and invited us to visit her later as we parted ways, so we'll stop by soon!

There's so much more to share, but I do have to go. Know that i love you and pray for you. I'm glad that you had fun in New Haven, Caleb!

All my love,

Elder South

Drying racks are safer? Back to Seoul, February 15, 2015

What a week! It's a whole new life, but not at the same time. We drove down from Ilsan Monday night last week, met with President that night, and got ready for bed. The house where we are staying is nice and was just remodeled in December, so it includes such luxuries as bunk beds, separate rooms, and a dryer. Who would have thought in Korea? I'm still using drying racks- seems safer. One step at a time, I guess.

Elders Choi, South, and Perry in the mission office

I have had four companions this past week. Elder Reynolds and Elder Jeong were going home, so Elder Perry and I have been working with them and Elder Choi. We've been doing a lot of splits where we go work with other missionaries, so we've just mixed up companionships during the day to account for training and appointments and such. From today on, it's just us three, and there is a whole lot to learn. I'm still working on figuring out responsibilities and logistics and just trying to keep everything that we need to do organized so nothing bad happens. Lots of lists.

On Tuesday morning we went to Sanggye to get our drivers' licenses, and the process in general is a whole lot simpler than it is in America. We did the whole thing in one day, and Elder Perry passed the driving test with flying colors, but I was insta-failed and had to be driven back to the driving center in disgrace. I would have given my life for the fact that we were already in the intersection when the light turned yellow, but she didn't seem to think so.

"Hey! Didn't you see the light?"

"Didn't you see where we were?"

"You're disqualified. Do a U-turn and pull over."

Death. We have to make the hour trip again this week.

We met several great investigators throughout the week and had some fun experiences proselyting, meeting two people from the Netherlands and many other foreigners, and some people that I just had some great, long, in depth conversations with as we traveled, where I really felt like we got into life-changing things, which doesn't happen during every conversation.

We conducted 12-week follow up training this week, which is just a chance to check up and do a training with missionaries that have been here only one transfer, and it was great to see them! I'm really looking forward to increased association with fantastic missionaries across the mission.

We took the one and a half hour plus trip up to Ilsan on Sunday to give a farewell talk and see the members one more time since last week was stake conference and I wasn't able to see them then. it was good to see everyone and take some pictures, and I hope all the best for them. Brief but passionate was the time spent in Ilsan. I didn't really have much time at all to prepare for the address and I was planning on sharing about Jesus Christ and reading a scripture in Alma 7 in the Book of Mormon, but I just felt really strongly that I should share Mosiah 14 (quoting Isaiah 53). I didn't know why, it seemed like a small thing, but I went with it and just went along with whatever seemed right to say at the time. After the meeting Daniel came up and said that he had been deeply touched by what I talked about and thanked me for sharing it. I literally did nothing, but it is a big miracle always to feel like you can be a tool in the Lord's hands. Daniel is doing well, and I hope that we can continue to meet up sometimes. The nice thing about central Seoul is that it's pretty, well, central, so members and investigators that I have met up until now should be able to meet every so often at least.

Sam's district in Ilsan, his previous transfer

Among the members in Ilsan ward were Brother Lee, the stake patriarch and translator of the book Jesus the Christ; and Elder Han, who was the first missionary, mission president, and general authority from Korea, along with having translated the Book of Mormon into Korean. They have some pretty cool stories.

Transfers are today, so last week consequently was crazy {the APs help the mission president a lot with figuring out who goes where throughout the mission from one transfer to another}. Lot of things to work out and lots of things to find effective solutions to. More than just keeping things chugging along without problems, though, we want to find out how more effectively to make things run so that we can save time, point people more clearly in the right direction, and just always be seeking to improve how things are done. Not that we have the answers by any means, but we do have the desire.

Sindang has proved a blast so far. I've had interactions with members three times so far- one a rocking recent convert who just got back from a mission in Japan, one a meal with a family who lived in China and speaks perfect Chinese, and one message shared with a traditional Korean robed patriarch surrounded by ginseng and talking about the health benefits of mugwort.

As far as a daily routine goes, it's hard to say that there is one. We had normal studies maybe once this past week, although that's not really a change, and with conferences and trainings coming up, regular exchanges, and whatever we can do for President, we do a little bit of a lot of things. We are still proselytizing missionaries, though, and during any time we can squeeze we're out there talking to and sharing our message
with as many people as we can.

Thanks again to family for a fun Valentine's Day package- I wish that you could have seen the Korean elders in the office trying chocolate cinnamon bears- life's little joys. They resorted eventually just to sucking off the chocolate and throwing out the cinnamon. Resourceful.

Happy Valentine's Day over there- we're getting ready for a big conference this week for the lunar new year. It's going to be fun! We'll be watching "Meet the Mormons" and another smaller video on the Book of Mormon, doing an activity, and learning about the holiday a bit. Go celebrate with some rice cake soup or something.

Thanks for you support, and always my love and prayers. Have a wonderful week, and wishes for beautiful weather for you! It's rainy rainy over here, just in time for 우수, but hopefully should be warming up in the foreseeable future. The attached pictures are my district in Ilsan and my new companions. Until next time,

Elder South

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

New address for mailing

Elder Samuel South c/o
Seoul Korea Mission
Jahamun-ro 152 1 
dong Jongno-gu

Seoul-si 110-030

      South Korea

In which Sam grows old in a hurry -- February 8, 2015

{Editors note: Sam has now been assigned as an "assistant to the president" (AP) and so has been transferred back to central Seoul. He will be doing lots of traveling and lots of training which he will enjoy a lot. He certainly will be frustrated that so much time is spent on administrative work and he doesn't get to meet others and teach others nearly as much he would like. One chapter on his mission has certainly closed and this will be a new experience for him. Extra prayers on his behalf are welcome.}

Sam at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul

A good day to all. It is frigid here. Very, very cold, with lots of wind. Hopefully we warm up soon, until then we'll be okay as long as we keep our hearts warm and smiles on our faces.

We've had quite the week this week. MLC {mission leadership conference} was on Monday, and the next few days were filled with the associated planning, praying, and preparing before our own zone conference on Wednesday. The assistants dropped by for zone training, and I went on exchanges to Seoul afterwards with Elder Reynolds {presumably one of the assistants}. We saw a lot of miracles, met a guy on the bus that we met again that next day at lunch, ate some Sindang ddeokbokki {I looked it up: stir-fried rice cakes}, and had a great time. It was fun to see Elder Ahn again, who is working in the office.



We were able to go to the Korean War museum this week, and it was eye opening. Like going to the DMZ, it gave me a lot more perspective on the country that is Korea today. LOTS of hardships, lots of struggles, lots of violence, and now lots of hope, but often still with deep wounds from still a relatively recent war.

Elder Rosenberg {Sam's companion} was sick this week for a couple days, so we ended up making a lot of phone calls, which was good! I struggle sometimes feeling like you can still work hard even while being inside, but there is no reason to proselyte if you don't call, and we were able to set up a lot of appointments. Several investigators are doing well and we are enjoying the association- I feel like I am starting to have relationships here in Ilsan. We had a great meal and lesson yesterday at a family's home of three generations. Many of our investigators have great questions that have really made me think this week about our reliance on God, what "truth" means, and such. Every day is a great experience. Someone called randomly this week and was interested in meeting. We talked for a while, he asked where I was from, and he expressed surprise at my nationality, saying that he thought I was a 60 year old Korean man. Probably not a compliment? Wild cards every day, that's for sure.


The biggest wild card of all this week happened after a great stake conference, and President Christensen pulled us aside to talk for a bit. It turns out that I will be out of Ilsan just like that, today, my last day, marking a month and one day. I'll be moving back to Seoul and serving as one of President's assistants. Lots of responsibilities, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't anxious at all. Elder Reynolds called that night when we got back, confirmed times {for the transfer}, and hung up the phone with "have fun trying to sleep tonight."

I'll be living very close to Gwanghwamun, in central Seoul. Lots of people and lots of fun! Hopefully we get lots of time to get out there and work. Lots of fun things in the upcoming week include transfers, picking up new missionaries, etc. There's a conference out in the East pretty soon that should be fun.

Names of those killed in the war

As I have studied this week I have gained a deeper and deeper knowledge of Joseph Smith as the Lord's chosen prophet and learned much from his words. I have felt powerfully of his truthfulness this week and admire him as a leader, a prophet, and a seer. I love you all and wish there was more time to share stories. We're having fun and working hard!

All the best,
Elder South

Korean and UN soldiers fought together

At the Seoul LDS Temple

We missed the revolution -- February 1, 2015

Good day! I hope that all is well! It's still cold, but spring isn't too far away at all, I hope. I hope that all are healthy and enjoying school and work and life in general.

 

We met with the mission president this week for interviews, and it was a great experience. It helped me and gave me more ideas how we can be serving better. He mentioned our missions as a sprint in the middle of a marathon, and we need to come home sweaty but ready to keep running. If we give it our all, we'll be somewhere different as a result of our sprint, even if it seems like we still have a long way to go.

 

We had a crazy, crazy weekend. We had a meeting in Seoul today, so we're a bit short on time (also, I remember how much fun Seoul is every time we go), but among the events of the weekend we experienced:

- A screaming, swearing, love stricken English class crasher that caused quite a scene

- A guy who asked me to confirm about the Mormon uprising against the government in America seven years ago as a result of farming something or other. When I responded that I didn't think that such a story had much merit and there were a lot of rumors about our church in Korea, he responded smugly that he must just know more than me.

-Meeting 2NE1's personal bodyguard during a street contact

-A lady walking between me and a high school student I was talking to on the street and whispering in his ear "heresy, heresy"

Maybe this is what Sam and his companion rode to English
class. Beats their usual walking! (photo from the internets)

-Listening to Vivaldi's Spring on a wall size, $100,000 sound system from England and eating wasabi sushi and fish spam with a canker sore before driving to said English class in a very sweet BMW with the husk of a burned rice for dessert

-Some very interesting and intoxicated fellow passengers on the bus home

-Additional sitings of the English class crasher at the subway station

-Sick investigators who couldn't come to church

-One missionary whose district I served in earlier getting sick and having to go home early

-Translating for a Mongolian named Zolo who came to church

-A sudden Gospel principles lesson during church. It turns out the story of Esther is pretty hard to explain in Korean

-Leaving my scriptures on the bus on the way to church. All of them, English and Korean. I got them back the same day, after church, by a miracle.

 

I felt that I should pray for trials to overcome in order to better my character, and boy, we had a crazy couple of days. I feel like I'm a better person now, I hope? Never a boring day, at any rate.^^

 

Some thoughts from this week, below.

 

In our personal interview with Christ, what will we say that we have done with His name and His calling as a missionary? Do we give our hearts to the people we speak to? Do we open up and share what is precious to us? Are we always respecting His name with our actions?

 

Catch Korea on fire. It takes a lot, so we need to be unquenchable. When we build a fire we start with sharing warmth and light and build from the basics at the bottom. We will continue to testify and to serve until we have given everything we can. We feel a great fire, a great weight and responsibility pulling us to give our all.

 

I have been trying to be more doctrinally based in proselyting, share better what blessings the Gospel has led me to have in my life.

 

All of my love and appreciation for you. Have a wonderful week!

 

Elder South