October 31, 2016 (Week 98)

October 31, 2016

This week...

At Home in Do Bong

A lot of decorating.. not even kidding.  I think we had to go to the church everyday this week for a couple hours for it. Especially the haunted house we made.  We would hang up sheets, then they would fall down.  So we're hang them up, and they fell down.  So spent a ton of time on that, but it turned out well.  About 40-50 people came between both wards, pretty good. We did a lot of mini games stuff, and most people liked the haunted house we made.  If you really care to know about it, ask me later, too hard to explain over email.

Besides that...
I went on exchange with Elder Roe.  He is super chill, fun time talking with him.  We just walked around, decorated, and did streetboarding. It was a good day for that..

We did the music night.  From our entire stake, only about 40-50 came,  and most of them had a part in the presentation, so not that good at all.  But, afterward we had a meal with the 2nd counselor because Elder Lowe is leaving.  It was a really good meal with them. They're a nice family.

Elders Mortensen and Lowe,
Second Counselor and Family

Transfers... I'm staying/dying in Do Bong!! Dying with Elder Jung Young Hoon.   Sick, my one Korean companion!  We've done a lot of stuff with him already, so we both know each other. It should be fun.  Elder Lowe is going south, right next to the river. It was an interesting two transfers with him.

Not much else happened this week, take care!

October 24, 2016 (Week 97)

October 24, 2016

Well, how short can we make this email??

Elder Mortensen
(Courtesy Sister Stancliffe)

Monday was more halloween prep, since we combined with another ward for the party. So some missionaries came over so that we could plan with them what to do. We did that, practiced singing a little, (we still suck) then had a regular work day.
Tuesday was temple P-Day. We went there, enjoyed the temple for a while, then enjoyed a pizza buffet (Why is this not popular in America yet?) Then we went to the War Museum with Elder Lowe, Elder Carmen (from our MTC group) and his companion. It was pretty fun, but three times there makes it not quite as cool.. We did that then came back and streetboarded the night away...
Wednesday we rode to Young Dong Po (Seoul South Mission) and had a combined mission conference... with... Elder Bednar... Yup, that was pretty sick.  He assigned us four talks to read in preparation for the meeting (Ask in Faith, Converted unto the Lord, That They May Always Retain a Remission of Sins, and Seek Learning by Faith; all of them have a very similar trend). He talked a ton about how we are to act, not be acted upon. Example: Instead of praying at church "bless those who didn't come this week to come next week", pray "bless us as we go to their houses and visit them, that we may be able to bring them back to church." See the difference? One is throwing it all to God and going home, whereas the other, we decide to actually do something about it. Pretty great conference, he was a lot more open and free than you would imagine from General Conference.   Plus, got to see my Seoul South people again.  They are all doing good, still cool friends.  After that was a smashed-full train ride back to English class... yippee...
Thursday we had service, then we went and made some halloween invitations to give to members, so we went around and visited them, and talked with people.
Friday was pretty much the same. We streetboard, then visited members.
Saturday we visited members, had English class, then got stood up by a kid, so we tried to talk with people.
Sunday we had church, ward council (little in missionary work would happen unless missionaries came there...) That went on a while, then we had to figure out what we needed still for the party, then we had dinner and spent some time outside.

That's pretty much my week. Nothing too special, but it was fun seeing my friends from Seoul South mission and realizing we are almost done...shoot... but, the Elder Bednar conference was great.

Love you all,

Elders Brantley, Mortensen,
Herron and Whitlock
(Thanks, Sister Stancliffe

Elder Mortensen

2 Nephi 10:23---The gospel doesn't get simpler than this. (Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.)

October 17, 2016 (Week 96)

October 17, 2016

ok...

Elder Mortensen at the Lantern Festival

Monday we went to Dong Day Moon for Elder Roe. I looked at all the ties, still nothing special anymore.  After that we came back and ate and played Settlers of Catan. Fun day.  After that we did some flyering at the lantern festival that was going on this week. There was a good stream of people, and we met some really nice families.
Tuesday we went and visited a member.  He usually isn't there at that time, but his schedule changed so he was there! We had a good talk with him and hopefully we can keep him working with some people.  He's been trying to get to church.  After that we did some halloween party planning, and singing practice, since our stake is doing a music night. After was dinner and street boarding.  That was alright, nothing super great.
Wednesday we had district meeting, then went and practiced some more for a little bit, then went on exchanges with Elder Judd. We pretty much just ate dinner and had English class... yippee...
Thursday Elder Judd and I went to a leadership conference Pres. Sonksen had set up. It was pretty much all the ZL's, DL's, STL's, and trainers come in and get a long training on becoming the new leaders, the new face of the mission. It was a really good meeting though. We talked about simplifying the work, getting all on the same page.  So now the mission feels a lot more on the same page, the same thoughts, instead of just relying on zone leaders interpretation of his words. We came back, closed exchanges, then went and walked around, and went to the festival.
Friday we had planning, streetboarding, then got cancelled on by a couple of people, so we tried to visit some members, but they were busy, and ended up with not much to do.
Saturday was more walking around, English class, then a long member meal...  It's difficult to tell them we shouldn't stay too long.  It's a struggle of keeping time effective/ keeping a good relationship with members.. but yeah, we ate a lot of meat, and didn't feel happy afterwards, haha.
Sunday we had church, and more proselyting...

Tigger and Piglet in Korea

This week not much happened. Nobody seems willing to meet, and not a lot of stuff happening in Do Bong ward. Bay Gyoung Whan has mid-terms this week, which means that he will be studying all day everyday for the next 2 weeks, dang it.  

Well, take care,
-Elder Mortensen

October 10, 2016 (Week 95)

October 10, 2016

Ok, this week...

Ward Activity

Monday we went bowling with a couple members, so thats why I hopped on late last week, sorry folks. But, it was pretty fun. I bowled a 167 one time. I'm pretty proud of that. After that we emailed, shopped, wandered around, nothing too special.  That night we met Heo Say Moo (that's the best way to say his name) We met him in July, and finally got around to meeting him again. We had a good lesson, and he seemed pretty interested in the the resurrected Christ somehow visiting America.  That sparked some interest, hopefully we can build on that.

Tuesday we went and just talked on the streets with people, got lost at one point, but managed to make it out ok. Nothing really exciting to report about today.

Wednesday we had zone meeting, talked a lot about the basics of missionary work; planning, faith, teaching simply, etc., all because our mission is really young.  By the time I leave almost all companionships will be training or greenie-breaking (3rd transfer).  It's pretty crazy, so they are reviewing basics right now. It was an alright meeting, came back, went around the block talking with people, before English class and dinner.

Thursday we went and did service, came back and as soon as we left our apartment, our appointment cancelled on us.  Freak, he's done that 2 times now.  It's so frustrating when everybody in the world just cancels on you.  So, we just did a lot more street contacting, went to some festival they have going on, and talked with some cool people there.

Friday we had a couple appointments fall through.  And it started raining, so life just wasn't the best, but later we met Sheen Sung Hee. It's been a while, so it was good to meet him.  He is doing alright, not much desire on his part to come back though.

Saturday was General Conference.  That's about it.  Pretty sweet time though.

Night Shot.  (Red Dots are Crosses on Churches)

Sunday we had Bay Gyoung Whan and Sheen Sung Hee come to the morning session with us, so that was sweet! We watched it in Korean with them, and that was cool to listen to conference in Korean and actually get something from it. We had lunch after the morning session with the ward, then watched some more.  Good conference.  Then we had the dinner with the Digma family again, and family night.  Pretty good weekend.

Well, take care,
-Elder Mortensen

October 3, 2016 (Week 94)

October 3, 2016

Alrighty, this week is in the books...

Bowling with a Member

Monday we went and ate lunch with a member, before the other missionaries transferred. Then went up to the suit place, and got a suit made for me.  So much stress...you see a cool pattern, but not quite sure how it would look on a full suit. I ended up getting a gray one. I'm pretty excited. I've got a couple black suits and a nice blue one, so I decided to go a little bit bolder with this one. I get it this Wednesday, so we will see how it turns out!  After that, we shopped and called it a day.  Just kidding... We went and just streetboarded with the district.
Tuesday we had another meal.  A buffet with the bishop and other elders. It was originally just meant for the other elders, but at the last minute, the bishop called and said all to come.  Dang it, I'm fat... There are so many buffets here, and a lot of nice members =fatness.  Oh well, fat and happy I guess hahaha.  After that we just went to find some less-actives, and it was downpouring most of the day, so nothing too exciting happened.
Wednesday we did studies while Elder Du Plessis and Elder Judd went to the office.  Elder Judd is training Elder Roe.  Yes, we now have an Elder Lowe and an Elder Roe. (It's the same spelling in Korean. Shoot, you would not believe the members' reaction on Sunday.  So confused/amazed/cracked so many jokes about it.)  So we met up with them and the sisters (our district is now five from Utah, one from Korea...) for singing practice for the baptism on Saturday. We did that for a little bit, then ate, then got stood up by a super sick guy, then had English class.
Thursday we went to the service, came back, then tried to visit a couple members, then we went and had dinner. After we went and did some more street proselyting, then went to bed.
Friday we had 4 appointments set up. One cancelled because of being sick, one didn't have time anymore, one wasn't in Seoul and didn't tell us, and one we met: Bay Gyoung Whan. We met him with our ward mission leader, who are the same age. It went pretty well.  We talked about the Book of Mormon.  He noticed that the book starts in 600 BC, but the reign of the king in 1 Nephi 1:2/4? didn't start till 597  BC.  So we talked through that, and the fact it was written in Egyptian. We tried to answer those, but man that's hard.  After that, we just went and wandered around the streets.

Elders Lowe, Du Plessis and Mortensen

Saturday we met a guy, who didn't want to keep meeting. That was sad.  Then we had a baptism, but the kids were terrified of it all, so they didn't go through.  Try again later I guess... English class and work, and that's about all that happened.
Sunday we went to church and studied and watched it rain.

 Love ya,
-Elder Mortensen