May 25 - 영어 몰라요!!!

영어 몰라요!!!

I have been really trying to do some kind of big stunt here so I can get "Korea Today" (whatever that show mom and dad watch is called) to come and interview me so you can see me on TV, running pretty dry on ideas. Anyway, right now is election season here and so the streets are crazy flooded with campaign teams doing cheer leading chants and routines, big billboards plastered all over the city. And the best are these trucks that drive around with little stage areas on the bed where the candidates stand with a mic and give speeches as they drive around. They really don't mess around here when it comes to running for office, true as that may be no one here has yet to go as far as shaving an "X" in the back of their head.

We had such a good week here! We met with lots of people that we've been trying to meet with for weeks and saw good progress out of our investigators. I had a crazy story come from last Monday night. So, missionaries in the area next to us found a guy that lives in our area that wanted to meet. We set up a meeting for that night and when we met him at the subway station, he came right up to me and said, " Oh how are you?, have you been good? Its been so long!". When he said all this, I thought he was just mistaking me for the first missionary he met that referred him to us. I kind of just went along with it, but then he asked if I remembered him and started listing off subway station names and areas that were in my first area, Nok Bun. He told me we met there over a year ago and that he still remembered me!! I couldn't remember him. What are the chances that he meets another missionary who refers him to me of all missionaries! It was almost creepy. This guy lived in Virginia for a long time teaching Korean karate to CIA and FBI Agents, which is where he said he came to know so many mormons. He wouldn't tell me where he lives so I'm still not exactly sure if he is in our area, but I hope I get to keep teaching him!

Last Tuesday was just a day full of miracles!, namely the return of Grandpa Yoon!! We haven't been able to meet him lately because he has been so busy, but we met this time and made progress like never before. I don't know why, but this week he starting to take everything we were saying seriously and even writing down word for word scriptures we were showing him. He said that if he knew it was true he'd be baptized on June 15th. We're praying really hard for him right now. He's got a special place in my heart being the first guy that was willing to listen to us when we came to this area. That day, right before we went into our lesson with Grandpa Yoon, we met a guy on the street who said he wanted to come see our church sometime. We got his number and said we would call him. During dinner, we got a call from someone who was listed in the phone, but I didn't know who it was. He started talking and I was kind of confused as to who it was, so I did what I do with pretty much anyone I talk with on the phone. I asked him if we could meet sometime and then he said yea tonight! It turns out it was the guy that we met that day! He called back the same day and we got to meet him. We were waiting for a bus on our way to meet him and the bus would just not come. We were waiting with this Grandpa who turned out to be 100 years old and looked no older than 75. He was really nice but even he got too impatient and just got on another bus. We were starting to run super late so we decided to just take a taxi there. Our taxi driver turned out to be a very christian man who was strong in his belief, but willing to listen to us. We had the chance to teach him the whole ride and leave a pamphlet with him. It was a crazy day to say the least.

We were trying to think of how we could help Brother Jeong progress and since we only meet during the day and he doesn't come to church. it's hard for us to teach with members. Luckily, we just had a new senior couple missionaries move into the ward (that makes 8 missionaries now!!). They came and taught with us and it seemed to help a lot. Elder Lee and Sister Kim lived in Utah for a long time so they could both relate both living in America for a long time. We've figured out that his biggest struggle is prayer and that its really hard for him to try and know something spiritually not just logically. He is still doing pretty good though. We hope that we can get him out to church here in the next few weeks.

I'm not sure if I talked about heart attacks yet in these emails, but it is a tradition here for missionaries to cut out lots of hearts and then go stick them all over a member's door and say, " You've been heart attacked by the missionaries!". The idea was so weird to me when I first got here because it would never happen in America, but I've finally come around to the idea and its awesome.

When I first came to Gum Cheon ward, I wrote on my introduction sheet that I liked that fermented raw sting ray under food I like. I never thought anyone would ever take me seriously because it is expensive and not even Koreans like it. But one of the families actually made it for us this week!! I was so shocked and kind of nervous. The first two times I had it it was just weird and kind of bleh, but this time was different. I can say as of last night it is officially the weirdest thing I've ever eaten. It gives you this sensation similar to burning, but not the same. It goes from the bottom of your throat to the tip of your nose and it burns, but not like a normal burn, ohhh it was soo weird! I ate about double the amount of all the other missionaries, combined because I technically "requested" it, hah. I'm really glad they made it because it was quite the experience. They said no where else in the world serve stingray this way. One of those "where in the world am I?" moments.

This Saturday is a joint mission conference with Seoul mission!! I get to see all my old friends! Elder Cook of the quorum of the 12 is coming to speak to us so I'm really looking forward to that! Have a good week!

From 금천 with love. Elder Nixon