hello family

Dear Family!!

Well, hello there familia! This is Elder Josh and it is quite an interesting week/day already. So I just got off the phone with my dear friend Dustin [Chung]. Ya, I got permission and all and he's doing so good. Dang it was really interesting. He speaks Korean and I understand it this time. It is really different! But crazy and really fun. It was great. We will keep in touch and see if we can't meet up with him (and his grandparents ㅋㅋ sometime)

So me and elder 조광진 are just absolutely going to tear it up here in 전주. I love it here. It's an awesome ward and when we got here the first thing that we got to see was a member baptize one of his daughters. It was so awesome to see a soft-hearted father get up there and sing a song to his daughter. He was all choking up and stuff and it was a really cool experience. The church is so awesome.

So my companion Elder 조 is absolutely a stud. He just got out of military service before he got trained by Elder Jolley. He is a super star. Works hard, is patient with me as I try to learn this difficult language and try to figure out how to do this senior stuff and best of all, I am his second companion (I'm not training this transfer). It is great.

전주 is so cool! The church is huge here - has an indoor basketball court and everything. Love it. It reminds me a lot of the 첨단 church but bigger which is a ton of fun. The ward here is hilarious and the work here is going pretty good. The members seem like they have a ton of interest which helps a lot and we are always welcome at the members houses to eat and talk which is great because 전라도 food is the best. 

We did get to meet with two of our 구도자 this week and they are so cool. One of them is an absolute stud at English and he has a baptismal date for 11/11. Hopefully we will be able to stick him to that. He wasn't able to come to church this week however because of army recruiting things but he should be able to come next week and then from then on as far as I am concerned.

The other guy that we got to meet with has been meeting with the missionaries for a little bit. He attends the 장로 교회 and he is a way cool guy. But I think that was one of the coolest lessons that I have had because we just went off. He was asking all these things and he had all these doubts about the Book of Mormon and stuff because of what he has been taught to believe in his church. But I was able to use just about everything that I have learned from reading the Jesus the Christ book in like one sitting. We answered all his doubts and stuff like that and pinned it all on his faith. He blatantly told us that he is excited to meet with us more. 

Overall the new area is great. I pray every day for guidance and things are just seeming to fall together. It is great. I love it. I love the gospel and the peace that it brings. I love the Holy Ghost and how through just little things he guides us every day. It's so cool. I pray that I will be able to see success here in this area and to help people to come unto the gospel. I love the mission! Gah it's so cool.

So lately the words just kinda fall out of my mouth (in Korean) and my language is getting kinda sloppy. So please pray for me. Need some help. I'm praying for it too and trying to slow down a little bit to help things get better but it's hard to slow down your speaking once it gets comfortable. Gah. There was a point not too long ago that it was awesome. I could say what I want, it came out pretty fluently and ya. SO, let's try to get back to that.

So love ya'll tons! Hope ya'll have a good week. Enjoy some of the pictures!

Love 

Josh

HEY!!!!! 저는 떠나간다!!!

Hey, so today is TRANSFER DAY....

And guess what...??????

I'm getting Transferred! 아싸 [Yikes]!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

It's been fun here in the office but I have got to say that I am excited to be getting out of here and back to the field. I am so excited. I will be going to 전주 [Jeonju]. I will be serving with Elder 조광진 one of the new missionaries to our mission (he has been here for 3 transfers). I will also be going Senior Companion.... (no pressure right?)

It is so crazy here though. I now have two "greenies" here in the office. But since I am leaving I will be getting to serve in one of the coolest areas in our mission. 전주 is one of the few wards in Korea that has a basketball inside and I intend to use that to its FULL capacity. Koreans surprisingly like basketball alot if the facilities are provided. So I will probably try to use basketball as a way to find some investigators (I have heard of a lot of stories of people who were found and baptized through basketball here) and we will see how that goes. 

But ya it has been a busy week. Transfer prep week is always like that. This week however it has been kind of weird. Elder Carter (if you remember my second companion) is going home this transfer.... SOOOOO weird...... I don't know exactly what to think about that. But ya. I have however been busily planning how I can be a good leader with Elder 조 and we are going to absolutely tear it up in 전주. 

Ya, I am excited to be getting out of the office. (Not that I haven't loved it here) but I'm really, really excited.

So we did spend a busy week of getting to say our goodbyes to all of the people in our ward and we have some activities planned today to hang out with most of the missionaries going home. So it'll be a good day.

Ahhhhhhh, so excited

Anyways, I love ya'll. I have to go upstairs and clean (we have to do that before new missionaries come ALWAYS) but ya. I hope all of you know that I love you and that this church is true. I love it, I love the church. Specifically lately I have really loved sacrament meeting. Elder Clark's talk at conference is a good one and I recommend it to all of you (he gave a more firey version of that to our mission when he came for Mission Tour here)

Love ya'll TAKE CARE!!!! Talk to you more next week!

Elder Josh

내가 진짜 좋다 (I'm real good)

Wow, well hello there family. How ya'll doing? I attached some pictures for ya'll to see! I wore my new suit for the first time at conference and I have got to say it was absolutely a 대박 week. We were pretty busy during the actual week itself and then the weekend came. It was so awesome. We got to watch conference! AHHHHHH.

I have to apologize to all of you because I don't think God made conference for anyone but me this time around. Every single talk addressed something that I was looking for and I don't know if anyone else got the things they needed! It was truly awesome. I loved Elder Holland's talk, I think I always do. But especially this time around. He is just kinda my motivational style, up in your face, loud, direct, no messing around. It got me thinking again about obedience and gave me a renewed surge to try and be more and more obedient to what God wants me to be doing as a missionary. I also Like Elder Nelsons talk where he addressed the world "Talk to the missionaries." It was funny when I was in the MTC he came and visited us and his granddaughter was there. And he called her and a couple other missionaries up and was talking to all of them and he shook a bunch of their hands and then he all of a sudden goes and just gives her a huge hug.... Like I swear everyone in the audience was just like "I thought that wasn't allowed!!!!!!!!" I remember thinking: "Well he's a general authority I guess he can do what he wants...?" Then he tells everyone that this is his granddaughter and we were all like "Wahh!!" It was way funny. 

As I listened to conference I kinda caught onto a theme in the conference. Almost every single speaker made specific mention to how through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be forgiven. It was really a cool thing for me because I, being a very self critical person, needed that a lot. I do want to testify to all of you that the Atonement is real. I have felt that power in a way I can not even begin to describe. To feel the weight of sin LITERALLY lifted off of your soul is the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. That is not an excuse to sin, but it truly is a blessing for if we slip up on the way up the "heavenly highway"

I really loved that Conference a LOT. It really was a blessing to me to hear the words of our inspired leaders. I truly want to be so much better, gah if I could have faith like them that'd be so cool.

It is weird, transfer week is almost here and I am not that busy. I study Korean during the day. Training when I need to and ya. I am going to go into overdrive this week so that I can get Elder Palmer 150% trained. I am excited for this next week I gotta say. It's gonna be busy come the weekend. Wah, gonna be busy.

I did however get permission to try and vote. So I registered to vote online I'm gonna vote! Haha. 

So good to see all the pictures you sent. I like getting pictures from home. It's fun to see what you are all doing and brag to everyone about my family. Ya'll are the best and you're worth bragging about. So I'm gonna do it!

I love ya'll tons. Hope you know that. So good to hear from ya and see your smiling faces. One of these days I'm gonna get to see ya'll in person and that'll be awesome! It's crazy. I'm kinda an old missionary. I don't feel like it.... But I am... But then I think about like Chase... He's ancient. Weird.

Anywho, remember that I love ya'll and that I keep you in my prayers always. 

Love,

Elder Josh

(P.s. I attached one of my "manuals" ya'll could come and do the Financial Secretary job if you'd like!)

네가 연차 대회를 보고 싶다!

Well, hello there Family! It has been a pretty good week here in the 대전 선교부. I had a pretty good week. And a really good fast sunday which was nice. But ya lets see.... what's went on this week.,......

Ah, so I managed to find a way to keep myself busy all week which was nice (thanks for the prayers mom :)) and it was a pretty good workweek. I got a nice training built for Elder Palmer that will help him out as he adjusts to the Financial Secretary Job (which is coming along alright!!). It has been an absolute wild week. With these "non-busy" weeks (basically any week that I am not preparing for ZLC, incoming Missionaries, outgoing missionaries, etc) I have got to find projects. Lately I have been working on some stuff that president has asked me to find/make for him and that is coming along nicely. I also got a chance to go through the SMMR computer and kind of clean up some stuff. Then I also decided that I am not much of a trainer in words (because things to me just make sense) but that I can pretty effectively make Manuals. So I have been doing that for both the SMMR and Financial Secretary Jobs of late. It has been pretty good experience and I can usually just refer any questions that I get to the Manual because I already wrote it down with diagrams and screenshots and everything... (maybe I'll send you one to just give you an idea of what I do)

This week was also nice because we were able to find 2 investigators this week. One of them is a college student but he changed his job schedule late this week and said that meeting in the future would be hard, but it's okay because we have some other possibilities that are pretty good! The next guy is a man who lives ni a city called 옥천. It's about one hour from 대전 and we can just take a bus there. He is learning english for this test called the OPIC (An oral profficiency test) and I have am drilling him like Dad drilled me in Basketball. He has a sample test book and I basically just make him do each of the sections of the test to me each time we meet. I may not be much of a Grammar teacher but I can Coach. And so I'm just making him do that over and over. He however as an investigator is going to be a little tough. Kinda stubborn because he has done a lot of study and so even though he reads the 몰몬경 he doesn't get anything out of it, He doesn't even remember it. Kinda difficult but me and Elder 구 are working on it. He's a good guy and he's way honest which are two good qualities and we hopefully while we meet with him we will be able to help him out.

So this week we really kinda buckled down toward the end of the week and just worked. It was really good, it was fun and ya. I liked it. But ya it was just a good week. I really did have a happy good week.

SO, I have heard so much about conference and it kills me because I like the only one in the mission in a position to get on conference, but I can't. I have to wait a week till the rebroadcast here..... It kills me... The link is right there..... AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I never thought I would come to like General Conference quite as much as I do now. I love it. I absolutely crave it. It's the best! But we don't get sacrament meeting which is hard (I absolutely love sacrament meeting and getting to partake of the sacrament too) but I guess hearing from the Prophet is a good enough reason :)

But ya, so exciting to hear that Jenna made cross country state!!! That's awesome! I hope you kick some trash Jenna. Start off strong and finish the season on top 'aight? Make your brother proud! (Already am :))

Well, I love you all so much. I hope you know that this church is true. I hope you know Christ lives. I have had a really REALLy good time lately reading Jesus the Christ. It is interesting to see how your thought process changes when you wanna be like Christ. I love having the moments where i remember things that Christ said or did while he was here and how I can do similar. It is cool. Christ lives, I hope ya'll know that. His Atonement is real. I testify to that. The Atonement is truly real, it heals us and makes us better. It makes us better than we could ever possibly imagine. We just have to be willing to let Christ do that to us. I am trying every day, it's hard, but it is so cool to see when Christ begins to have an influence on your life. I hope I get to have more of that experience and that you all too will get that experience.

Love you again, take care, have an AWESOME week

Elder josh!

추석........and Interviews!

Well this was definitely not an easy week by any stretch of the imagination. Phew, but I am glad this one is over and we can start a new one.

This last week was just... bleh... one of the things that I really love about the Mission is that you really find out a lot more about who you are. I am changing every single day and it is just awesome. BUT this last week was just one of those stretching weeks and it was not pleasant at all. I just was weird from like Wednesday or so on (I'm fine now however I just like was wigging out before but that's when you really come to appreciate having President Interviews.)

So we did a whole lot of 광고 this last week. Put up fliers and stuff all over the place just to advertise our English program and try and find some people who are willing to learn about not only English but the gospel as well (if you remember I did this a lot when I was in 평택 with Elder Scoville). We had a really interesting time just talking as we walked everywhere within like a 2-mile radius of our house putting up these advertisements. It was quite the achievement I have got to say. I don't think that I have ever put up that many 광고's at one time before. But we did it!

We weren't able to meet with our favorite family this week because of the Holidays so we just met with some Less Active members and did a whole lot of 광고....And ya, that was the week. We did also have president interviews and that was probably the highlight of the week. I got a chance to just sit down and talk with my inspired Mission president. It really was an awesome experience and I am SO glad that the interviews came around when they did. I just have gotta buckle down and keep working. But one of the things that I really need to start doing is take some more time to actually enjoy myself. To be happy, to enjoy this experience because I've been just plugging away at it for the last year, and it has been really good, but everyone I meet keeps telling me I need to just kinda enjoy this a little more. Ahhhhhhh... as I have been talking a lot with Elder 구 during like Companionship study and all I have really discovered something about myself that is kinda interesting.

In my mind, there is only one way that I really feel like I progress. (BTW this doesn't translate correctly) 힘들어야지 발전할 수 있다 that's how you say it in Korean, in English it'd be like: It has to be difficult in order to progress. I really am the kind of guy where if it's not hard, there is no satisfaction to it........I don't like that. So if you have any tips on how I can be a little more grateful for the things that are just given that'd be awesome (because there are a lot of those). Frankly I wanna be able to be appreciative and find great satisfaction in even the things that God just does for me. Ahhh... any tips?

But ya, so I figured I would take a little more time in this email to kinda respond to emails that I have gotten from ya'll. So here we go! (Say that with the Super Mario accent please :))

So first, Mom (this will go in order of the things you asked in your email [I'm just looking for question marks]):

Korea's weather right now is AMAZING. Ahhh it is so nice. I love it, there is always a little breeze and the sun has been shining the last couple of days. Absolutely remarkable! Everyone was right, President even said so himself: "We live for October in Korea." And it is just that good. We get a chance on the weekends to get out and it is fun. And then yes. P-Day as well is always good, as long as I get my nap hahaha.

Brother 성 is doing awesome.... hold on so how did you type 성? Copy and paste? He came to church yesterday and told us that his baby is doing well, is healthy and already getting a little bigger! So excited for him. We haven't been able to meet him during the week to just kinda catch up with because of the baby but we will try and meet him this week (I told him to call us if he gets a spare second).

As to the girls's sports: I find it awesome that they are doing so well! I hurt for Kellie though, I know that pain and it SUCKS. I do however recommend those neoprene sleeves that you wear over your shins. I don't know if mine were just so minor that it helped or what but those made a big time difference. Maybe try giving those a shot? That might help Kellie out. Alissa is getting so Big. It is crazy. I look at the pictures of the family and it is just crazy. They are like the 3 towers (jenna, kellie, alissa), well I guess it is now (Jenna, Alissa, Kellie). Jenna running fast which is great to hear about, I don't even wanna try to keep up with that. I'm too fat. Ha. Alissa and Katie are rocking the soccer and that is just awesome! Alissa, go ahead and wear #11. Wear it proud! It's a great number! And Katie bug... Wahh, love that we are all doing so good. Although I am curious if people actually still call you "bug." That'll be interesting. But ya keep up the good defense! 

Conference for us is in 2 weeks... All of it... so that'll be fun but it'll be great to see and hear from the Prophets and Apostles. I'm really excited for General Conference!

Elder Palmer is coming along great, he doesn't have any sort of computer background at all so that is kinda hard but you know. Take it one step at a time and he'll get it. in my interview with president he said that I basically have till the end of this transfer to train him otherwise there is probably the possibility that I will have to stay another.

And ya. Love you too Mom!

To Dad:

I already kinda told you about my life this week so I'm skipping that question. Ha!

Now skipping down to the language question, language is coming alright. I am understanding more and more every single day and it is getting to where I have a hard time talking to people who don't speak Korean because even when I speak English it makes more sense to say some things in Korean.

The office is hard, now that I don't have much to do I am just getting everything done too fast so I have free time. There are some days that I do training but there are other days that I literally just sit around..... All day.... I have to wait on my companion to do translating work so that is unavoidable but ya. I just gotta keep finding things to do and then find the 정신 to do them all even though none of them really need to be done...

We don't have a whole lot of people to teach but we already have two people next week who have said that they wanna meet so we will be able to meet with them. One of them is actually today! So it is awesome! Just gotta keep remembering that I am helping in a different way. 

As to Christmas... I don't really know, I'm gonna need alot of things later and I don't know if I really need anything now. I'd like to buy a nice new suit for the winter. That'd be cool but other than that. I'm good. Just your prayers and maybe like some Reeses Puffs. :)

And to Mom and Dad: Happy 22 years! Wah does it feel like? was it fast? Wah! Congratulations! I love you both so much!

Take care all and I hope you know that I love you!

Elder Josh

저는....그냥.....그래요.....

Josh is walking next to his first greenie - Elder Palmer 

Well, I am back! 

I have kinda almost gotten over that cold of mine which has been wonderful. Although I am still suffering a little bit from the cough that I have it is quite the recovery process. Infact last P-Day I got a chance to take two naps in one day. I don't think I've ever done that before, but I do know one thing. I will definately be doing it again as soon as I get the opportunity. MAN it was so nice. But anywho (I didn't think I would come to be so much like my dad... weird... hehe) It has been a pretty good week. Me and Elder 구 have talked a lot this week and it's been really good. I really feel like we are getting along awesome anyway he is just like the best but we are even closer now. Cool right?

This week we did have one really cool thing that happened. The man who we baptized a couple weeks ago (if you remember his name is 성충모) he is an absolute stud and the last two weeks he hasn't been able to come out to church (his wife being pregnant and all) and so we haven't been able to see him a whole lot of late. But this last week he came out to Church! And apparently his wife had their baby! Wahhh!!! It was so cool to see him there and to get to see pictures of his son and everything. So cool. But I think the even cooler thing was to see how he has changed over the last couple of weeks. And also how our ward has stepped up to help him out. It has been awesome to see the light that has come into his face and just how he is changing. He looks happier. He is just doing so good. And it is all thanks to our awesome 선교 책임자 (Ward Mission Leader). He is totally doing more than his part in taking care of him. It really helps that He came from a similar background as Brother 성. So they are just doing awesome and I feel like Brother 성  is going to do awesome. He has already said that he wants to bring his wife with him out to church when she gets a little more "mobile." So we are gonna see if we can't bring the whole family into the Gospel. Now that I think about it that's really all we are doing in this area. Meeting with families. Trying to get families. We are teaching that one family that I told you about (who we weren't able to meet with again this week! :(    ), we are trying to help one of the other recent converts introduce us to his parents so we can try and meet with them. It seems like we are trying to do something here that I have never really done before. Hum.... Keep me in your prayers so I can know what to do, I need some GUIDANCE.

But yes I did have a cool opportunity this week to study quite a bit about Joseph Smith. It was really interesting to see just how much stuff that Joseph Smith went through for the church. Not only that but it was interesting to see exactly how hard Satan worked and is still working to stop this work. It is ridiculous to me just how much persecution our church gets. It just strikes me how brutal people were to the early saints, to anyone who desires to believe in this work, even now, it seems that there is always something that has to get in the way. It's hard. I think of the things that they went to and the amazing faith that those early saints had to of had in the gospel. It makes me want to strengthen my faith because I may not be attacked by a mob like Joseph Smith, I may not be driven out of my home like the early Pioneers, but I am going to have challenges that are just as real to me. I wanna be strong in my faith. It is gonna take time and persistance but it is possible.

But as to the rest of the week nothing really super eventful. We are going to a really cool place today so I promise I will take lots of pictures and will send them before P-Day gets over!

Responses to emails: Mom!!! I can't read what place the girls got! You need to get your quality bumped up on your iphone camera! (Ask the girls/dad, or if your feeling tech savy turn it up!) But ya. I actually don't hear from a whole lot of people to be honest. I have some people who I need to respond to (Tyler from college), Nicholas, Chase (But I am hesitant on responding to his because he might be home by the time my letter gets to brazil) Cam and Victoria. Haha, I just kinda need to write some letters. Just buckle down and do it. If I do i'll hear back from people. But ya. I think that Chase, Tyler, and Victoria have been the most consistent (as far as friends go If we include family it is definitely Mom/Kellie). But ya.

Just want ya'll to know that I love ya and I know this gospel is true. I love it, it brings light and understanding into my life and into the lives of those who sincerly study and learn about it. I love ya'll and hope you have an AWESOME week!

Love,

Elder Josh!

Well one more week past by and this one took its toll

WOW, this week was crazy. It was transfer week and like I've told you a couple times in my emails home it is really a CRAZY week in the office during transfer week. We had a total of 8 missionaries come in this week and 5 going home. It is always an exciting/sad sight to see knowing the future that is ahead of both. It gives mixed feeling I have got to say. 

So ya this week we welcomed in the new missionaries as well as I got my first Greenie! I know weird right? I'm in the office and training? It's totally weird. Our new senior couple came in this week and they are so cool. They are the Palmers and are from Salt Lake City Utah. Sister Palmer is actually Korean and this is the first time that she has been to Korea in the last 30 years. So I think it is quite the shock for her to be back. Elder Palmer is my Greenie and he is pretty cool. Lived all over the place and is now learning how to be the Financial Secretary here. He is doing a great job and is learning well. It'll be a bit before he will get it all but I think he will get it pretty fast, he's a smart man.

This week was just busy however. People coming in, meetings, trainings, etc. It really gives me kind of an idea of how the Elders did it when I came to the Mission. Quite a fun little adventure. It is so weird, out of the trainers from our mission one of them was at the MTC with me! It is absolutely nuts! It really is starting to hit me when all these new missionaries come in about how far I've come. You really start to feel thankful and a little intimidated by just how far you've come but just how far you have to go.

We unfortuantely were not able to meet with our favorite family this week. They were really busy so they said that they would meet with us next week. Kinda sad BUT we will see them more so that'll be exciting.Hopefully they are reading the BoM and praying like we've asked them too. They would be such a good benefit to our ward!

Unfortunately this week with all the greenies coming in, one of them decided to bring a cold with them from the good ole' USA. And everyone except for Elder Campbell in the office has gotten it. SO I am feeling absolutely wonderful right now. I can't even begin to describe it. I think I'm going to sleep all day today. That would feel nice. Which reminds me of a request I wanted to make. I need a package. I need a package full of Emergen-C (that drink like thing the boosts your immune system) and it needs to last me the winter. I got a cold last winter and I absolutely HATED it. And having this cold right now just reminded me how much I hate being sick. SO if you could send that that'd be much appreciated. 

But other than that I am just plugging along and loving every minute of it (the Mission, not this Cold). I love being a missionary, I am trying to be better and better every day. It is really hard. Like REALLY hard. But It is worth it. Please pray for the people here, pray that they will be led to the missionaries. Pray that we will be able to find them and that they will be prepared. God does lead this work, I know he does. It isn't an easy work, but this work brings more happiness to more people than anything else! I love the opportunity that I have to be here, its the best.

Love ya'll have a great day!

Elder Josh

P.s. the pics are of all the returning missionaries and then one of our investigators who moved to 수원. 

P.P.s. Tell Victoria I did get her letter! Please and Thank You!