Any News from Home?

Utah had a rainstorm? The biggest ever? What, 3 inches of rain? I remember a few big rainstorms in my life, but nothing like what I've seen here. I can't even remember what the weather was like back in Utah. How can Korea ever be cold? It's so hot.

Genealogy seems to be a fun but challenging task. But when Christ comes he'll ask for our book of records, and we need to prepare it!

I'm doing good, it's just hot. We're really trying hard to have a better relationship with the ward, and we're working on finding new investigators. I think the most important thing is to just be myself. No one wants to talk to a gospel teaching robot. They want people. Friends. Family. Someone they can trust. 

XXXXX doing well and we have a good relationship with him. But he really is trying. He is still searching for his answer, and is working on the word of wisdom. We moved his baptismal date back, but I think at the rate he's progressing, he'll do fine. 

This week we did a lot of finding. Our lessons fell through, mostly, so we did a lot of street finding. It was fun! We met a lot of people, including Jesus Christ. He's a nice, slightly plump and balding Asian man around the age of 40. Speaks softly and kindly, and said hi to me. We might meet him this week again.

I played intense ping pong last Monday with some other Koreans. They all grew to love me because I'm just as good as them in ping pong.

On the street a man approached us and asked what kind  of Christians we were. We said Mormons, and he was thrilled! He's a preacher for another Christian faith, but lived in Kentucky for three years with his wife, then right before coming back, drove across the united states, and stopped in Utah and visited our headquarters. He really wants to learn about the Book of Mormon. He said we could meet later at a park by where we first met on the street, so after we said goodbye we went to go find the park. The only problem is, it's right by the red light district.. I didn't know we had one. Luckily it was only 3:00 in the afternoon when we walked by, so there wasn't anyone around, but dad, it made me think of that story you told me where your cheap apartment was right in the middle of the red light district. I couldn't imagine that. That just makes me laugh, that your mission pres. didn't know that. That's awkward. 

Our bank manager guy is doing well, he liked our message about families, and is going to read the family: a proclamation to the world, and will think about it. We'll meet him later this week. 

We have a few meetings with new people this week, I'm pretty excited for that. 

Sorry I didn't bring my camera with me, I'll send pictures next week. 

Any news from home? What's going on on your side of the world? Anything special? You know, you can keep sending me pictures too:) I feel a bit hypocritical though, not sending you pictures today ;)

Love you all!

Elder Franchina

Views of Dongdaemun & Comfortable Pants!

Here, the horizon isn't visible. You just see a lot of buildings. But in Sokcho, the sunrises and sunsets were amazing. We really didn't see any sunrises, because we study until 12, but sunsets were nice, setting over Seorak mountain. 

There was just a lot of small houses piled together, and some farming fields, with a lot of mountains. 

 

Tired missionaries after a cleaning trash service project

We found some cool stuff shopping. You can make your own personal MLS soccer jersey for $15 (I'm sure Jeff Hansen would die if he heard it was this cheap), so today we're going to go make ours. You pick the team or country, the jersey style, your name, number, and everything. It's fun and they're really comfortable. They're really breathable so it's nice to wear when you can.

Showing support for Uncle Phil's mayoral campaign!

The bathhouses are nice, there's a few pools with different temperatures, some have massage jets, some have tea in the water, etc. The one in Sokcho is one we have to go to when we go back to Korea after my mission. It's really nice.

XXXXX is doing well, he came to church yesterday! It was a really good experience. He is still waiting for an answer, but is willing to give up things, like the word of wisdom stuff, to be more able to recognize his answer. He's doing well. He's really sincere and is searching for the truth. 

Other than him, there aren't very many investigators. But we're meeting some really nice people. Someone we met, was super nice. He said, after exchanging a few words, 'have you eaten yet? Can me and my wife buy you food?' So he took a taxi with us to a restaurant where we met his wife, and we ate together. That usually never happens. He said he went to Hawaii with his wife for a honeymoon 2 years ago, and because Americans were so nice to him, he wanted to be nice to us. Also, his wife believes in Christ, so he thought we'd get along well. They're both physical therapists, and are the nicest couple. The only thing is, they DON'T LIVE IN OUR AREA! So we'll refer them somewhere else, but I have a really good feeling about them. 

The most comfortable pants, EVER!

Also, I've found the most comfortable pants ever. '할머니 바지'. "Grandma pants."  They're stretchy and really thin, so they're really refreshing in the summer. But they're super stretchy, so they fit fat grandmas, but for skinny people, they're like McHammer parachute pants. I bought some, and am currently wearing them out in public. I could not be happier. They feel amazing. I need to buy a huge stock for when I go home. They'll be my pajamas.

Our Zone leader is now teaching an ax murderer. He wanted to learn about the church, then when they met, he told them he's on parole for hitting a police officer in the head with an ax. But they're still teaching him. That's an interesting situation.

The work is moving forward! I love this area and I definitely love Korea. 

And hey, today is my comp's birthday, he has the same bday as Lloyd! Small world. We'll celebrate today!

I love you all!

Feeling A Lot Better & Chocolate Pudding!

Jordan's mission president (President Christensen) is a surgeon, so I believe he has basic medical training! It's a comfort to know that not only he is spiritually watching over these missionaries, he is monitoring their health and well-being....

I'm feeling a lot better now, I went to the doctor, got some medicinal mouthwash and stuff. I used a flashlight and saw what was in my throat and got scared. I immediately dragged my companion to the hospital. My throat was all swollen and colorful. I think it might have been a strain of strep? Either way, it was miserable, and I had symptoms up the wazoo. I tried teaching lessons, but even though we had AC, I was sweating bullets and had a fever. I talked to President Christensen, and he said it seems like I have a virus, so no matter if I work or not, it'll stay for its duration and go away later. So I figured I could either be miserable inside doing nothing, or miserable outside, letting my trainee talk to Koreans. :)  It was fun, he's doing so well.

Air Conditioner!!!

Our apartment in Dongdaemun...it's the largest one in the mission!

But this week, we didn't get much done. Towards the evenings, like viruses do, I got a lot worse so I had to go home, but we were able to finally meet with xxxxx again. He has been out of town. His baptismal date was for the 4th, but since he hasn't come to church once and hasn't yet received an answer, he didn't get baptized. But we met again, adjusted his date, and encouraged him to keep trying for an answer. Yesterday we fasted for our half-convert, who was baptized before I came to this area, but even after visiting multiple times a week, every week, he still never came out to church to get confirmed. We even took the bishopric to his house, but he wasn't there. But this week we fasted for him, and even though we weren't able to see him at church, the bishopric went with us to his house, and the bishop gave him the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a cool experience, but now he's already less-active. So we'll work on him. I just think he's a bit shy, and our ward is kind of big.

But now we have sisters in our area, and they're amazing, so we're working together a lot to make family home evening and English class really fun and a good way to find new people to teach! Tomorrow we have a big service project where we're going to a park to clean up trash, so that should be fun!

 

My trainee is doing great. His Korean is improving so much! He's really easy to get along with, along with the other two elders in our house.

Quick funny story before I finish.

Last Friday we wanted to do something nice for some members in the ward. One of our sisters suggested we make them pudding. So she got the recipe and we made homemade pudding, cornstarch, cocoa, and all. It was fun and it tasted pretty good. But the problem was we added the eggs to the mix while it was still a little too hot, so there were small chunks of egg yolk. It looked gross, but tasted fine. Next problem: We didn't have disposable bowls or Tupperware to give them out in. Just bags. So we spooned some yolk-y pudding into bags, and tied a knot at the top. Didn't look pretty. But it tasted fine, so we didn't worry. They looked ridiculous though. We get to one member's house, the Mongolians in our ward, and they weren't home. So we stuck a card we made for them in the door, and left the pudding at the foot of the door. But it was dark, and we didn't want them to step on it, so we laid it over the door handle and left. It was quite ridiculous. We weren't sure if we should actually do it or not, but the sisters said yes, so we did. We talked to the Mongolians the next day, and they said they got it, and ate it, without knowing what it was, and said it was delicious! When we gave it to another member, she looked at the sisters and was like, 'What is this? Is it edible?' It was so funny. But they all loved it.

Chocolate Pudding, anyone??

Anyway, that's our adventures for this week. Today: Dongdaemun shopping and bathouses!

Love you guys!

Elder Franchina