Week 6!

Hellllllllo!!!!!!!!

 

(I am intermittently inserting jokes in this letter.)

 

Afterward, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Amendments.

 

Sooooo! Transfer one is now done! We had transfer calls this last Saturday. I'm going to Montana. Just Kidding. I'm staying right where we are. Wooo! Haha. One of the sisters who serves in my ward is leaving to go back home because she is done, and we are getting another greenie! Woo! I won't be the youngest in my general area. And that means it could be someone I knew in the MTC. That would be fun.

 

Yesterday I was fed 2 times by members. It was delicious, but I almost died. Not really. My stomach handled it all well. We had delicous marinated pork and these things called knife noodles for lunch. Then we had a Korean chicken stew made by the man who translated Preach My Gospel into Korean. Haha. It was great.

 

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

 

The Koreans like me because I eat well. Haha. Apparently, the more rice you eat, the faster you learn Korean. I hope it works! I came across my new favorite food this week. It is this stuff called ddeok. It is good, but there is a type that is even better. Ddeok is like this stuff made out of rice.. I have no idea how to describe it. Imagine play-do made out of rice. But not that bad... haha. Well they have this type that has cheese in the middle! I discovered it as I was at a meat buffet. You grill it. It was the best! I want to eat it right now.

 

 Solomon, one of David's sons, has 300 wives and 700 porcupines

 

I just got done eating a chicken curry doughnut. Jealous? It wasn't called a doughnut, but that is basically what it is. Haha. It was great. But super greasy and I might die from it in the next 100 years. Who knows?

 

Moses died before he ever reached the UK. Then, Joshua led the Hebrews in the Battle of Geritol.

 

Sooooo... Koreans have no concept of germs while eating. Ha. Everyone just eats together and licks their chopsticks and sticks them right back into the same pot out of which everyone is eating. Or you stick your spoon into red pepper paste which countless other licked spoons have been into. It is great. No one cares though. The other day while we were proselyting, contacting at a shopping area in my city, I was talking to some students and he was eating a hot dog. He tried to get me to take a bite. A complete stranger. It was funny. I didn't take a bite, but I probably should have eaten it. I might have offended him. Hahaha. I'm not really kidding about that. They offer food. You must eat.

 

Thus far in my mission I have gotten 4 contacts in the German Language. Haha! Winner! It hasn't been for nothing. Yay! It was fun. The other day, I was in Downtown Seoul basically. Since my companion is district leader I get to switch all the time for little one day exchanges of companions. I saw some white people. I asked them where they were from and when they said Germany, I said "Wirklich!" and we switched to German. I gave them cards and they left. And I was also reminded how not knowing this language can be a blessing. While I was serving in Seoul for a day, there are a lot of foreigners, so I saw some white people. Anyways they were really rude. But in Korean I don't know the language to be rude. So I can't be offended! Yay! Hahaha.

 

So the day after serving in Seoul, my companion did an exchange with some missionaries in my district (the Seoul exchange was with the zone leaders). It was really nice. I got to be with another elder who isn't 19 or even 20, but 21 like me! We just were able to talk to each other and help each other. It was great.

 

The fifth commandment is to humor thy father and thy mother.

 

So, we met a great guy! He came to church this last Sunday and we are teaching him this next week! He is from Pakistan and is a Christian. He was born a Christian in Pakistan. He said his great grandfather converted from Hinduism. Apparently 99% are Muslim and 1 % are Christian in Pakistan. Also, there used to be lots of missionaries in Pakistan. But after 9/11, it got really hard to be a Christian there, just like it got hard to be a Muslim here. But he is really great. He wants to learn and there was a really great spirit about him. He has lived in Korea for 10 years. He speaks Korean pretty well, but his English is better. Apparently they teach it in school in Pakistan. We are getting a book of Mormon in Urdu to give to him, that is his native language.

 

This week was a good one, but still hard like always. Something that I learned this week which I really love: I guess I was just reminded how powerful our message is. This gospel is power. The peace that comes from righteous living is the greatest. We have the right to the power of heaven and miracles as we keep our covenants, as we try to live according to what we know to be right. This is power! I have been reading all of the conference talks from the last general conference and reading the Book of Mormon everyday. I always find something in each of them which pertains directly to me personally. It is wonderful. The spirit is the greatest thing. There is nothing like it. The sweet feelings of peace and love I feel from the spirit are of more value than anything else in this world. I always want to be worthy of that sweet connection with my Heavenly Father. When we sin, we forfeit those blessings. We forfeit our relationship with Heavenly Father. He doesn't distance himself from us, but we leave Him. All things that are difficult or confusing in this life can be fixed by having that relationship with Heavenly Father. As we know who we are, and feel His love for us, nothing else matters! Really! Honestly! I never want to leave him. I never want to sin!

 

But I do. I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants and a verse stuck out to me. D&C 6: I think verse 34. The first sentence. "Fear not, Little flock, do good." That verse spoke to me and has become one of my favorites. We are God's little flock. His little children. He isn't going to yell at us if we fall down. He loves continually. Don't fear. Just do what you know to be good. That is all that matters. Just as a parent doesn't get mad at the toddler who fails to walk, the Lord understands. He doesn't accept sin. It is not ok for us to just keep sinning because we think he will just keep forgiving us. But, as we try, he doesn't condemn us for our weaknesses, but rather he helps and enables.

 

I know that we can receive great personal help from the scriptures! I want everyone to have it! The spirit will speak to us as we seek Him. We can have a relationship with Heavenly Father. We just have to be obedient so that we can hear His voice. We just have to choose to listen to Him. He is already there, begging for us to hear. But we can't unless we obey and become in tune with the spirit. It is our call. His love is infinite.

 

I hope everyone is doing amazing! May the blessings of the Lord be ever upon you! I love you all more than you know! I miss you everyday, but I know this is where I am supposed to be.

 

Pray for me!

 

Bye!!

 

Love, Elder Renfroe

 

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