Sokcho, Week 2

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Sokcho so far has been really great.  I really love our group of missionaries and the tight knit branch that we have.  A lot of what we do here is centered around the branch because it is so small. Currently, we are preparing for the branch Christmas party on the 23rd by making invitations, decorations, and plans.  It is really fun to be able to serve members along with investigators.  The weekly youth night we hold helps us connect to and support the vital youth in the branch, and at the same time it's also super fun.  This past Friday, we played Yahtzee and shared a spiritual message.

 

Speaking of investigators, we met an awesome man this week.  Another missionary who was going home, found him on the street with his Dad and referred him to us.  His name is Brother Jeon and he is 63yrs old.  He currently lives here in Sokcho, but the rest of his family lives in Seoul.  He has visited tons of churches, but to him, they are all the same.  When we taught him the Restoration, he was super interested, and was eager to read the Book of Mormon.  He even showed up to church this Sunday!  I already feel really close to him because of the personal things that he told us, including that he wanted to be like us.  It really is such a great privilege to be able to brighten someone's day through the message that we share.

 

We also met a young high school kid at a cafe this past week.  After buying a four dollar lemonade (nothing is cheap at cafes), we were able to talk about God and his interest in him.  It went okay, but it was mostly awkward because he was sort of shy.  We tried to connect with him more, but we didn't do a great job.  Most of the time in missionary work, things do not go as planned.  One thing I have learned so far is that I am always lacking in some area, but that is why we have the Holy Ghost. 

 

This week we also had an awesome Zone Training Meeting.  We had to take an hour bus ride south to the city of 강릉 (Gangneung) to hear the training.  Our Zone Leaders taught us on using time effectively.  They discussed how even minor setbacks of two minutes late mean a lot when repeated over a two year time span.  It was another great reminder of how everything we do is using the Lord's time.

 

Overall, I am so grateful for the time I have spent in Sokcho already.  Almost nobody speaks English, so I am forced to rely on my Korean, but I can definitely feel myself improving each and everyday.  Last Monday, we even had the opportunity of heading out to the beach!  Sokcho seems to have the best of everything.  Thanks for the support!

 

Your Favorite Missionary,
 

Elder Wheeler

 

Church Building in Sokcho

 

Burying Kimchi