Another week of miracles

Wow! Another day full of miracles.We had president interviews yesterday which are always fun. It is weird to think that I only have a few interviews left. Anyway, this week we met this really prepared girl. We contacted her a couple of months ago but she was really busy so we couldn't meet. This week we decided to go through all our old investigators and recontact them. Through that we got appointments with 3 people this week! including this girl. She actually went to high school and college in the US so is a fluent English speaker. She went to a catholic school in Washington for HS and then ended up at Boise State University. Naturally she has been around a lot of Mormons but still had a lot of crazy questions. She is really interested in religion and has some questions that she couldn't find the answer to in the US. We met her 2 days ago and answered some of the crazy questions. We also introduced the lessons to her and she agreed to listen to us and learn what we are really about. Everything in her life seems to be building up to answers. We are really excited for her.We also started meeting with this Chinese gal who is here for college. It is pretty weird for us to only be able to communicate through our second languages.We have a few other potentials. The area is really looking up.

Unfortunately it is likely that I am leaving soon. Last week we went to a museum about a man who assassinated a Japanese official. It was really interesting. They consider him a national hero. He died exactly 100 years ago. Missionary life is good. Hope all is well at home. That is way exciting about Lauren's mission call. Thanks for the shoes and package. I gave the jerky to my companion who has now been in country a year but we got my package today. Poor-boy.Thanks!Elder Anderson

Happy birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me! As you may know, Koreans don't really consider birthdays important. I think one reason is because of the lunar calender. Every year they have to figure out what day their birthday is on! Way too much of a headache. The day before my birthday we had Stake Conference and after, a few members threw me a little surprise birthday party at their house. It was really nice of them. On my actual birthday we had lunch with a few other members including Jeff Wansguard who used to be a missionary here and now is teaching English. We lived in the same house early in my mission so we we meet up every once in a while now.

This week we saw quite a few miracles including meeting 3 people randomly on the street that we talked to a while ago and were able to talk again and plan on meeting with them. We also had a strange experience with a certain less active. Actually it wasn't him in the slightest but it was what happened twice while trying to contact and meet with him. Once we went over to where we thought his house was. We didn't know the exact location and I had only been there once so we just started knocking doors in the same small apartment complex. The one door that answered happened to be the home of these 2 kids that we saw on the street and said "hi" to. They were so excited to see us there. We chatted a little and found out what we needed to know and left them, planning on going back the next day to bring them bread that we made. When we came back the kids were even more thrilled to see us. There was an 8 and a 10 year old boy as well as an 11 year old girl. We sat in the stairwell for probably a half hour while I played with the kids a few steps down and my companion taught the mother the first lesson. It worked out really well. We are not sure how interested they are but she said we could come back later but didn't know her time schedule so we will make something again and bring it over soon. That was number one.

Number two was when we were attempting to text him and meet. He said he could, but right before the appointment we realized that we had been texting the wrong person who's name was similar to the less active that we were looking for. We couldn't remember who this person was but they wanted to meet so we met. It turned out to be a contact that we got about a week ago that we had completely forgot about. Luckily the Lord didn't forget about him. We have met him once since then and is a really nice 19 year old kid. He comes from a broken family which is fairly rare in Korea and just needs some direction in his life. That is definitely what we are here for.

It was really neat to see these miracles and a few others that I don't have time to mention. Missionary work is amazing. Life is full of miracles but sometimes we just don't recognize them as that. We are so blessed. Korea is AMAZING! Just look at my pictures! They are of a temple that we went to last P-day. I was told that this Buddha is the biggest in south Korea. If so then I have now been to the biggest and the highest. I can't even tell you how much I love this place. Wow. I hope all is well at home. Love you all!

Elder Anderson

the cake was good but a bit rich for what we are used to.

Happy Birthday to Me on the 22nd

Hello! Just so everyone knows, this week is my birthday. I am totally OK with getting a letter 2 weeks late by the way. So, if you have been wondering when to write me now is your chance! Wow, what opportunity you have, to fill the mailbox of a missionary on the other side of the world. Don't miss your chance!

So the weather is getting warmer which is amazing except for that after warm comes hot. Right now though its pretty nice. I actually decided I like all kinds of weather as long as it is not too extreme. I found myself leaving the house everyday telling my companion that the weather that day was my favorite and that I wish it could be like that every day. I think I really may like winter a little better than summer though.

This week we saw some pretty amazing things including 23 people at church! It may not sound like much but it was above our transfer goal so it was exciting. 4 less-actives came and 2 investigators so we were pretty happy. I actually only saw them at the end because I went to our neighboring area with a member to support their branch of 3 families. They had a bunch of people recently move so it has been pretty rough for them. We were able to meet 3 of the less-actives two days ago and talked about missionary work with them. 2 of them are serving in the military and debating on serving a mission after but they still don't know. We talked over lunch about the mission and the infinite amount of blessing that we get. Missionary work really is amazing.

I am so blessed. It is amazing to be able to serve among the Korean people. Sometimes I get down because of the language but then I just look at the other foreigners trying to learn this language and realize how insanely blessed I am to be able to speak how much I do with only a year and a half study! That is only one of the many blessings we receive. We can never get ahead of the blessings, Heavenly Father is always so willing and we really never deserve it all. I love the work and all that we are able to do. Elder A

Missionary shoes

This week was a good one. We are still trying to figure out what to do with the neighboring area with no missionaries but its being figured out. There was somewhat of a dilemma when we couldn't find anyone to go to Youngchun with us. No missionaries could afford the time so I went back to the members. Unfortunately no one could so I had to make a decision between our ward or theirs for sacrament meeting. I called the investigators in the other area and none said they could come to church so we decided on our area.

It turned out to be the right decision as we had 2 girls we invited to church come off the streets. The ward was so nice to them and they said they would come back but because of school will only be able to come to sacrament meeting, they can meet us later on Sunday nights. We were really excited for them. The Relief Society taught a really good message on the spirit. It was great to be talking about it and then have that confirmation. This church is so amazing and can bless the lives of everyone. In the future the Stake President will be sending someone to help us out so that we can attend both wards. Poor Youngchun. I have been in contact with their branch president through this and when I called him Sunday night he said no one besides his family of 3 made it to church this week.

I was just given squid jerky by the owner of the barber shop we are in. Its pretty chewy but I like it. Now I'm just trying to soften it by sucking on it, but it's not working. Chew chew chew. We met a few more potential investigators. Wow, if we wanted to we could be so busy just teaching English. The Koreans are so thirsty for it. Life is good over here. Hope it is for you as well. Going to Costco today, I'm pretty excited. REAL CHEESE! I actually have discovered that I really like Korean food and I am quite worried that I wont be able to find what I want in America but Asian markets should have everything from what I hear. Red pepper paste is something I don't remember seeing over there but they uses is in EVERYTHING. Everything is spicy, so good.
Elder Anderson Pictures:

Missionary shoes, and 5 1/2 months left to go. My Heal hurts when I wear these so I quit wearing them

this is how we get around

two areas to cover

We have had some strange changes on my mission including a couple emergency transfers, a couple 3- somes, and a lot of companions. This week was transfer call and we were quite surprised with more news. Our mission is decreasing in size and so our neighboring area is disappearing. It is an extremely small branch that is an hour and a half bus ride away. President called us on transfer night and informed us that we are now in charge of both areas for this transfer. Suddenly our area doubled in size. We will probably need to do splits weekly in order to keep missionaries in the branch because the 2 missionaries make up nearly half the branch! Elder Kerrigan and I will be staying together as co-seniors and we are being put into a different district. I'm excited to have 2 houses, 2 phones, 2 areas, and such things. Change is always an adventure. The hard thing will be the large amount of travel that could possibly be spent to get there and back. I'm not a fan of buses and it takes 2 to get there. We are now out here by ourselves.

This week was good. We were able to go to a Korean style giant Bone fire this last week. The whole city gets together and basically wishes the city blessings and they burn a 20 foot pile of trees. It was pretty fun. Naturally we got to talk to a lot of people as the whole city was all there squished together for us. That same night we also met an Indian man who had lived in America for 10 years and now is teaching at a university near here. He had only been in Korea 2 days and was expressing his frustration with not being able to communicate and wondering if he could really do his 2 year contract. It reminded me quite a bit of missionary work. We don't currently have any really strong investigators but we do have a few. Most just want us for our English. I can't believe that I only have 4 transfers left. It is scary but then I realize that it is still a quarter of my mission. I still have time. Life is going good here. The church is true and brings happiness to EVERY ONE'S life.