Random Indian man (14 September 2014)

Hello, me lovelies. 

 

This week was an interesting one. Hahaha.

 

Yesterday it ended with a really random errand. Since we live here where the Temple is, sometimes we get called on really random errands. And there is a foreigner hospital here, so lots of people come around here. Missionaries from Russia who don't know where they are going sometimes need our help, or just other random stuff. But there was a man from India this week. He is in Korea for work, but doesn't have a visa yet, so is going back to India this week, but he wanted to see the Temple before he left. Anyways, we had to escort him from the subway station and stuff because he has no idea where he was. And then we waited for him at the Temple and stuff and just helped him around. Because he was literally seeing a Temple for the first time in his life. He was so excited. It was very cute. 

 

We also had a very random occurrence of a man just coming up to us on the street. He was completely sober and wasn't faking at all. But he said that he was going to have surgery this next week and thinks that he might die. He said it was heart surgery. He was literally about to cry on the street. I saw the tears welling up. We were able to comfort him a little bit, but he was pretty worked up. He just told us his name and asked us to pray for him. He doesn't have a cell phone right now. I don't know. It was kinda weird and it seemed like he could be faking just because of the situation, but I didn't actually sense any of that. He seemed sincere. Maybe we can meet after his surgery. It was honestly very humbling. But we can know that all things will be okay through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if it may not turn out the way we want. 

 

Anyways. I don't have a whole lot of time this week! 

 I love you all! Keep me in your prayers.

 

Love, 

렌프로 장로

CHOOOOSUCKKK!!! (7 September 2014)

It is currently Choosuck! Hahahaha. 추석. Asian Thanksgiving. The fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Lunar calender. So, no one is in Seoul right now! They all go to their grandmas' houses basically. 

We had a Conference for the holiday a few days ago. Last Saturday. It was really good. Our mission president's wife asked me to put together a musical number for right before she spoke. I put together an a cappella men's octet of "More Holiness Give Me." It was really fun to write and it came together very well. I just changed some of the chords and made it more interesting. I need to copyright it. Hahaha. My original arrangement! I am currently the only one in the world with possession of it. 

I ate some serious Sushi this week. In America there is more rice than raw fish. But this was way more raw fish than rice. Some of it was really good, but some of it was not. One had the fish skin on it and had to be chewed for quite some time before I was able to down it. 

We are focusing on prayer this month as a mission. I think it can really help me. And help the people we are teaching of course. 

The thing that stood out to me the most is gratitude. It is such an important part of our prayers. I would say that it is the real reason that we pray. We of course petition our Heavenly Father for blessings, but prayer is not meant to change His will, but to change ours. Gratitude is the changing element. If we ever wish to feel closer to Him, we simply have to be grateful. His love never changes, and its evidence is always found in our lives, no matter what. Gratitude is the only way that the Gospel will ever change us. Gratitude is the reason faith saves us. Because gratitude is the principle upon which our actions change. Learning of Jesus Christ engenders gratitude, which changes us. And align with His will. 

Anyways! I love you all! 

I am going to try to be more grateful!

Keep me in your prayers!

Love, 

렌프로 장로

Helllllloooo (31 August 2014)

Hello, my love buckets. 

I was attacked by a Korean man. Hahaha. Not really. But. There is a dude who is huge but short little Korean man. And apparently he is a chiropractor... I don't really trust it. But that is what the word on the street was. Anyways. He came to our church, and actually has been coming to our church off and on for about 15 years. He is very nice. He was feeling all the missionaries' backs and telling them how out of place they were. He felt me and was just freaking out about it and said he needed to fix it. So he made me lay down and he did many weird things to me. Ha. I can not explain all of them. I mostly just feel bruised, though. On me bum. But I am fine. Don't worry. Hahahaha. I won't let him do that again. He kept telling me my butt was too big and he couldn't find what he was supposed to find to massage. Everyone was just laughing.... There are pictures somewhere, too....

We have yet another Chinese investigator. He has been in Korea for 5 years, so he speaks really well. He is really great!  

It was a pretty good week. I have been reading and studying as much as I can in my free time. Sometimes, our hearts are just a little tired, or just not feeling the way they should. Or can. But I have been really thinking about how reliance on God is supposed to be the antidote. He promises to heal us. He promises to feed the hungry soul. And it is done through His word. We are not to live on bread alone, but every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He is our manna. We have to rely on Him. Everyday is a new day and requires new sustenance, no different than the physical hungers which we experience everyday. I have seen that I serve with a greater joy and happiness. Because I know. Because things are reinforced in my mind. I understand my relationship with Him on a deeper level. 

Anyways. I love you all!!!! Keep me in your prayers. You are in mine. 

Love,
Elder Renfroe

렌프로 장로 

Countless number week (24 August 2014)

Hello, my people. 

I don't think anything unusually special happened this last week....

I met a guy who said he was a refugee from Mars and that Mormonism was a big hoax and lots of weird stuff. His sentences literally didn't make sense as a human being, so I took no offense. Hahaha. He was a big American dude. But whatever. 

We saw some other guy for the second time that was really rude when we met him the first time. But I was able to just smile and say hi. I like that. Not harboring bad feelings even though someone was really rude. It is freeing. 

 

Our investigator is like really ready for baptism. He just doesn't quite know it yet. Hahaha. But. We'll see. Maybe soon!!!!!! 

This week I have been thinking about prayer. A lot. It is something I really need to improve, so I have been focusing on it a lot lately. It is such a basic principle of the gospel. Prayer is a commandment. And a resource. We are literally communicating with our Heavenly Father. Do we really believe He is listening and caring? Those are the fundamental keys to being able to pray effectively. Something I have noticed that has made my prayers more effective lately is just being frank with the Lord with my feelings. There is no need to hide them or beat around the bush. We can tell Him everything and He expects us to share freely with Him the things that are in our heart. The identity of Heavenly Father is the single most important doctrine on the earth. It leads to everything else. Without understanding who He is, His existence really has no meaning to us. 

I made chicken tikka masala the other day. It was darn delicious. Cocaine. Can I compare food to drugs? Is that ok? Anyways. My whole house eats really well because I cook. Ha. We are making dinner for a member next Sunday. It will be so fun! 

We have so many languages going on in our ward. I have to translate all the time. We had Japanese people. And I had to translate for some Russians yesterday in sacrament. 

Anyways. I love you all! Keep me in your prayers. I will keep you in my Korean prayers. :P

Love, 

Renfroe Elder.

렌프로 장로