April 6, 2015 (Week 16)

April 6, 2015

Mountain Dew Find

Alrighty, well besides having the cold, this week has been much better.

Just a heads up, my emails may sound awful, but trust me life isn't as bad as my emails make it out to be. It is just a place for me to vent and just get everything out, but after that I'm much better. So don't worry too much about me. That being said, if I keep up with the raging/depressing emails just send me a Gordon B. Hinckley-type message to get over myself. It's frustrating having an up and down every time email.

 So after email we ran to Costco, got pizza there (sooooo good), and I picked up some muffins and Lucky Charms!  You better believe I ate all 15 muffins in less than a week.  That was most of my meals actually. Kinda over them, but it was a splendid week of muffins haha. That took up most of the day, with travel and time there, and whatnot. Today, we are not doing much, just shopping, might make Book of Mormon cases so they don't get ruined, go get some grandma pants (I can't wait, you'll have to get a picture later). I bought me a Mountain Dew this week.  It was soo good. I've missed that sweet drink, haha.

So this week I have played a bunch of piano.  One called Through Deepening Trials (hymn variation) for the musical number the other house elders sang this Sunday, and for the baptismal service here soon we are practicing.  So I'm the official pianist, and I love it. I love playing the piano, all my stress just disappears after I start playing. Riley, keep playing, and just learn hymns.  Learn like one every two weeks. It will help you out a ton on your mission.  I can play a lot more than I thought I could, so that's sweet that the Lord has blessed me with this gift. I may try to learn guitar from Elder Brantley here soon, so that will be fun too.

Weekly people update:

Bang Suck Gyou: We taught him on Saturday night, but he hasn't read or prayed, and he can't meet for a while, so we don't know what to do with him. We are trying to transfer him over to the close area, since he technically lives over there. He is really nice though.

Lee Ho Kyung: Our new less-active. He came to church for the first time in a couple years. He brought his non-member girlfriend (who already wants to get baptized, by the end of this month!) We met him on Wednesday, and he stopped coming because of a smoking problem, but he wants to come back. He talks super fast and slangy so we can't understand half of what he says though, haha.

Kim Kee Ram: We were at ward mission meeting, when he came to the visitor center. Lived here all his life, but finally came inside the church. Very Christian, very open and curious. We taught him the first lesson on Thursday then wanted to meet on Friday about the Plan of Salvation. He feels that the Book of Mormon and Bible don't line up, and the bible never references the Book of Mormon directly. He has super deep questions, too. Like according to the Plan, the fall was necessary. But if God is just, why would he make falling necessary? Why would he already plan on us failing and being cast out? So yeah, we tried to help with his questions. Hopefully he doesn't get too caught up on the little things though. We will meet him this week again.

Well, let this be said that this week is the week that Elder Whitlock hit the "trunky, I'm dead already" phase. On Wednesday, he heard about how some disobedient, crap elders got made Zone Leaders this week, so he feels cheated. He didn't want to be District Leader again, or come into Seoul, but he got both instead. So he feels cheated, and ready to just leave the mission and just go home. Lately he has been more obsessed with getting six-pack abs for Cancun after he gets home than he seems to be focused on the mission. So roles this week have been reversed, with me helping him to try and stay focused and work hard through mental breakdowns.

Personal study is weird. I jump around on random tangents,  so I jump all around and I find awesome answers to other questions and worries I have. It is pretty great. Here are some highlights:

James (the whole book is super powerful) 1:2-4
D&C 64: 31-34
Isaiah 50:6-7

Every person talks of faith, hope and charity. I never noticed that before.
There are some other awesome revelations I get, but those are the highlights.

Spam, Korean-Marketed

Easter was pretty quiet since it was Fast Sunday. Nothing too special happened. The other elders sang, and I just turned pages, since I couldn't learn the piece fast enough, and I sound like death this week with my cold. The new video "He Lives" came out, so that was cool. but "Because of Him" is my favorite. It hits me every time.

That's been my week, today we are getting dog soup, so that should be exciting.  Please don't worry about me, I'm doing great here, even if my emails don't sounds like it. The language is coming, the people are alright. It just sucks when I can hear and understand, but since I can't talk, i feel like an idiot. But don't worry.

Love you all,

Elder Mortensen
  -John 14:18