Transfer 6, week 1 (February 24, 2014)

안녕하세용~!

So, transfers happened... and I'm staying in 서귀포, but Elder Brower's leaving to 대신 (it's actually the same district as 영도, my first area. They're right next to each other, so I've been in 대신 many, many times). I'll be staying here, and a Korean will be coming. Not sure what is name is exactly (haven't meet him yet, he'll arrive to Jeju Island in like 4 hours), but I think it's 호종행 (Jongheng Ho). This is is first transfer which means, yup, I have to be senior companion. He's only 2 transfers (so 3 months) younger than me as a missionary, so I'm not THAT much older. Besides, he's Korean, so we all know who's really in charge, right?

So we dropped off Elder Brower at the airport, and I'm spending my P-day with the other Elders on 제주도.

Here's a few pictures. One at a restaurant, one at our house, and the last just a group picture with the distict (I'm not really looking at the camera, but it's the best I got...).

Our kind of big new for this week (other than transfers, of course) is that we found a new investigator! We were calling a bunch of former investigators, and I happened to call one 양군수 (Goonsoo Yang). His record kind of made it seem like he wasn't interested, but he was nice enough, so we met with him once. He's a really nice guy, but maybe gets a little bit distracted. But he wants to learn a little English, and is interested (at least midly) in gospel disscussions, so we decided to meet with him once a week on Sundays for a the next little while.

Brother 전충식 is still doing well. Our lessons have been going really, really slowly, but we managed to finish the 2nd lesson (the Plan of Salvation) after meeting with him for like a month and a half. (We were talking about the kindgdoms of glory, when he said he had a question. He said, "I heard that scientists say that if we didn't have the sun, we would all die. It would be too cold, and plants wouldn't grow; the sun help keep the earth alive. But if the moon wasn't there, it wouldn't really make that big of a difference." I don't know what his question was...).

We tried to set a baptismal date for him again - roughly in a month, but that didn't really pan out. We talked about how this date is a goal to prepare for, and if he's not prepared by that date, that's fine. But I guess it's just his personality; he says if he sets a date as a goal, he wants to make it the first time. And there's one big problem right now; he works on Sundays, and so he can't come to church. It's really hard - 전충식 is really, really into getting money, but it all goes to his family, so that his sons can go to college. We've seen where he lives, and it's just this tiny couple of rooms - he doesn't have a TV, internet, anything like that, so it's been really hard for Elder Brower and I to tell him to stop working on Sundays to come to church.

But he was talking last time about how he needs to change, that reading from the Book of Mormon, he's learned alot about things he needs to do differently, but he doesn't know if he can commit to making these big changes. It's hard, but we'll see how things go from here on out. Hopefully, we can help him to have faith to give up work on Sunday, and trust that God will bless him to be able to make it through.

So that's where we're at right now! We weren't able to meet Mike at all this transfer, but we've made some phone calls, and hopefully we can revive him as an investigator. :D

And Sister 정여훈 hasn't come back to church, so she might be a dead end, since we don't actually have a way to directly contact her... -_-

We'll see how things go. We had a really busy week (with Elder Brower having to pack and all), and we hope that that will continue, and we can continue to be busy! The Lord has blesses Elder Brower and I to see many, many miracles in 서귀포, and we're really grateful to have been here to experience them. I'm excited for next transfer as well!

Love you all!

- Elder Luke

At a restaurant with his district -- that looks like fruit on the table, so it's probably dessert at the end of their meal.

I don't know why the goofy face, but at least he looks happy. :) In their house, with Elder Brower in the background.

With his district, the six missionaries that are on the island of Jeju-do.

Notes:

안녕하세용~!: Annyeonghaseyo, the standard Korean greeting.

서귀포: Seogwipo, the city Andrew where is (still) living.

대신: Daesin, the area Elder Brower is going to, that's next to Yeongdo.

영도: Yeongdo, Andrew's first area (an area on the southeast corner of Busan city).

전충식: Jeon Chungsik, the man they've been teaching for a couple of months now.

정여훈: Jeong Yeohun, the lady who attended church a couple of times, mentioned by Andrew on January 20 and February 10.


The restaurant they're eating at in the first photo is a noodle restaurant called 자매국수 (Jamae Guksu -- "Sister Noodles"), which appears to sell what is maybe a Korean version of ramen. Anyway, here's a clearer photo of the menu that you can see at the upper right of Andrew's photo:

They've got some inflation going, apparently -- notice that the prices have all been changed. I found other photos of the menu where the prices are all (at least) 1000 won lower.

Here is the outside of the restaurant:

The restaurant is in Jeju city, fairly close to the airport. (Parenthetically, the Internet is amazing...)

It seems that their living allowance is sufficient for them to eat out occasionally at places like this that are fairly reasonable ($5-7 for most of the menu items). That's more than we could afford in my day. :)