The Mountain

Oh boy! Well just to start things off, this week is transfer week. We got our call this morning telling us what's going to happen and... I get to stay with Elder 류 for another transfer in Jecheon!! Wahoo!! We weren't really sure what was going to happen with Elder 류. It was a 50/50 that he could leave or stay but it was almost 100% certain that I would stay no matter what, so I wasn't too stressed out about anything. But he's staying! So that means I am lucky enough to have 2 consecutive transfers with a native senior companion in these oh so precious formative first transfers. :) Seriously though, the language is still kicking my butt but I have made SIGNIFICANT progress this transfer. (When I say "I", I think it should be understood that I am really saying, the Lord has helped and blessed me out the wazoo because there is absolutely no way I could do this by myself). Case and point, this week we were in a lesson with an investigator when all of a sudden, Elder 류 starts taking a totally different direction than what we had planned and prepared for (No big deal, just the Spirit helping us out a little bit. No prob. ^^) Well, as a result, I had to start teaching about stuff that I had not drilled and practiced over and over again like I usually have to do for appointments. Luckily, there is this wonderful tool in the standard-issue missionary utility belt called "the gift of tongues". It can be a little pesky at times, and I ALWAYS seem to forget where I put it the last time I used it, but during this lesson I found it again. (let's be real, the Spirit found it and handed it to me) I was able to teach. And {somewhat} understandably at that!! Now, let's not jump to conclusions and think "Oh wonderful! Elder Fund can speak Korean now!" Hahahaha no. Don't be silly. But I'm starting to think it's not impossible... maybe... :)

Moving on. The main event of this week was a combined district meeting we had in a city called 천안 (Cheonan). We live about forever and a day away from this place because Jecheon is pretty much the Alaska of the Daejeon mission. So we actually had to spend the day prior traveling. 1 train 3 buses and several miles of walking later, we arrived at another missionary apartment in a place called 상당 (sangdang). That was our halfway point where we spent the night. Then the next day we took 3 more buses and finally made it to the meeting! :) It was so good!! One of the missionaries that I was in the MTC with is the Assistant Zone Leader. He and his companion (the Zone Leader) gave this FANTASTIC training called "The Mountain". Since it is tailored specifically for missionaries, especially in Korea, I won't relay all the details. Suffice it to say, it was awesome and it made me want to be a bagillion times better than I am. So it was good. After the meeting we had Baskin Robbins ice cream that a member bought for us. Yumm! Alas, it was time for the long journey home. You know, it's funny. I used to think that the 6 hour drive between Utah and Las Vegas was really long. Haha! I think that's going to seem like a vacation after all the travelling I have been doing it this area. Seriously. If I travel for 6 hours in day, it doesn't even phase me anymore. I'm getting sidetracked though...

What else what else... We set a baptismal date again, but the investigator who we set it with hasn't been to church yet, so I'll keep you updated on what will happen with that. Last night, we went to our Branch President's house and his wife gave my companion and I haircuts. In case you were wondering, yes. My hair does look super-asian. Well, it actually just looks super odd. Maybe if my hair didn't stick straight up or if it was black, it would look a little better. But no, here I am with a Korean haircut, with very NOT-Korean hair. (I was going to say with American hair, but let's be real here. I don't think even Americans have hair as rediculous as mine). Just to give a brief description, it kind of looks like Toad from Mario. It's shaved close to my head by my ears, but from there it bubbles out and just forms a mushroom top on my head. Cool beans. I would change it, but A) I don't have my own razor B) Any other barber would have cut it the same way, and it's really hard to describe how to cut my hair how I am used to and C) Nobody sees it as "weird-looking" except me because, after all, we are in Asia, where a lot of crazy things are considered normal.

Anyway, life is good here. I'm glad I get to stay with Elder 류 for another transfer and I really pray that we will get to see some great miracles in the next 6 weeks. Oh! I almost forgot, I ate something this week called 샤브샤브(I'm not sure how to romanize that, so just say sha buh sha buh and you'll get pretty close). It's basically just a pot of boiling liquid that you stick raw meat and vegatables in and then eat it. It was pretty good. Also, I was forced to eat tomatoes again this week. Only this time with sugar on it (imagine me starting to vomit). I won't say "It actually wasn't that bad" because it still was, but I didn't die, so I guess that's good. Gosh. Tomatoes. If anyone can logically explain to me why people think they are good, I would really like to hear it.

Okay, I'm rambling, so I'll go. Have a good week everyone, and be grateful everyday that you live in a land where you can understand everything that is going on around you. (except of course, for those of you that aren't in which case, I truly sympathize..)

 

K love you bye,

 

Elder Jakob Tyler Fund

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