Elder Benny Yamagata: Long week...But a great one!

Mom and Dad,

Oh man did the Lord throw me and Elder Smith a couple of curveballs this week! Definitely a lot of time spent on my knees praying to the Lord for guidance and supplication. Me and Elder Smith have had our on road bumps together, even to the point of having to have an emergency companionship inventory on the street near an appointment. We have had some troubles lately with 캍이전도 and not being able to really fluidly speak together when talking to people, and so we were both getting kinda upset at not being able to figure it out. But luckily after talking with each other for about 30 minutes, we found some solutions to our problems and were able to get right back to work! Implementing them took a few tries but now when we 캍이전도 we are more in unison and definitely bring the spirit a lot stronger.

Another thing that hit us this week happened a few hours after Emailing last week. Our big investigator family 최 형제님 and his wife 오 자매님 texted us and told us that Their work was too busy and that weekends should be a time of rest, not church. They also told us their hearts werent ready for religion. "In 10 years I will be ready for mormon" It definitely took me and Elder Smith by surprise! We thought we had such a great time with them and really brought the spirit that they would be eager to take the rest of the lessons. We tried to keep them on, but they are dead set on only meeting with us as friends. Me and elder smith prayed, both seperately and together, on how to meet with them again. And the same answer came to both of us as we thought of their daughter that we met the first time that we met them. We asked about her and they said we could still meet with her next week! So hopefully this next time we can bring the spirit and get them fired up to want to just jump in the waters of baptism!!! Hahaha ^^

On the bright side of things now (because looking at this email is depressing me and quite honestly it was an awesome week!) we had transfers this past thursday. On saturday we all sat eating our pizza (as we usually do on saturday night pizza night) and were staring out our phones waiting for our transfer calls. Me and Elder smith got ours first with the news we already knew, that we would stay in Ilsan. Elder Hendershot got his at the same time and some exciting news came for him, he would be staying but that he would be getting a new companion: Elder Buck from Tooele, Utah. We received him at our house early thursday morning, while saying goodbye to Elder Elwood who was my older 동기 but we werent really close. Elder Buck is definitely a fun guy though and we get along awesomely! He is a hard working missionary and is not much older than me (he is 2 동기 older than I am) and fairly good at korean! Speaking of, Korean is coming along ok. I have been having my Zone Leader Grandpa Rhodes teach me the ways that he learned korean. He is the best foreigner in the mission right now at Korean so im trying to learn all that I can from him.

Yesterday and saturday night we had stake conference and boy was that rough. I sat in the chapel for 2 hours both days and read the book of mormon. It took the full two hours to read 1 Nephi 1-4 in korean on one day. the other day I studied pass off vocabulary and grammar. I am hopefully going to start making huge strides in my korean this transfer! Its so exciting that I walk around all day and my mind just switches to korean, Im able to talk to people somewhat on the street and ask about things. Its incredible how far you can come in a short amount of time! It was also really nice to see the new missionaries come into the mission at stake conference. I was able to see Elder Dixon for the first time since leaving there and it was nice to see him!

Anyways this upcoming week is going to be awesome! We dont have much planned but me and Elder Smith are just feeling the spirit so strong and are ripped and ready to go! We want to get out and do work, spread the seeds of the gospel and bring people closer to Christ. I love this gospel so much and the effect that it has on us young men and women that we can turn our hearts to the lord for 2 years and just serve him! and in return he blesses us and our families so much its unbelievable!!! I love the people I serve with, my district and zone, and all the other missionaries in my mission and all throughout the world! We are doing the lords work and building the Kingdom of God! Nothing can stop this work from progressing, nothing can keep us from finding people every single day who have been prepared by God to hear his message and receive the blessings that he has for us! We talked about it the other day in our house, and all we have to do is follow Christ and his commandments, not much. But in return we receive eternal life and Exaltation! How amazing is that!!! I want everyone to know that they can be with their families forever and that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have provided us this plan so that we can return to live with them forever! So that we can have the same happiness they experience, for eternity!!!

I love all of you at home so much! I cant wait to get back out and do more work! Enjoy your work, be safe, and may God bless each and every one of you!

Love,

Elder Yamagata