Elder Benny Yamagata: Happy 어리니 날!!!! (Kids day)

Mom and Dad,

Today is Kids day in Korea. Found out from our new Korean roomate about this! Will elaborate more in a little.

SO this week had its ups and downs as always, Monday was fun after email as we had dinner soon after and then some 전도 for a couple of hours before heading home.

Tuesday was better. Temple day!!!! It was so nice to be able to go to the temple again for the first time in weeks!!!! And some crazy stuff happened there! First, they asked if anyone wanted to do initiatories, as they were running behind on the number they needed to do. So no one volunteered at first, but then elder Rhodes and Jang from my zone rose their hands to do it. Soon after President Christensen said he would do it, and then I scratched my nose and he thought I rose my hand too so I went to do them! I was actually able to talk to my mission president just one on one casually for a couple minutes about the temple and my area and my family. Super cool! Afterwards, we were to go to the celestial room, but elder rhodes and jang were told not to go in yet. I didnt know that and walked into a pitch black celestial room! How crazy!!! I turned on all the lights to both the room and the sealing room, and then was able to pray in the sealing room for 15 minutes by myself! It was such an awesome experience to be there by myself. A little while later president Christensen came in and we talked for a little bit about calling home and such. Definitely fun to talk to him so often in one day! After we left the temple we went to the korea war museum which was MASSIVE!!!!! I took so many pictures! And WE didnt even see everything fully! We just did osme of the bigger stuff! Sooo much fun! Afterwards we got home and then met with this cool couple where the girl was from utah! We had some fun, but she couldnt speak english at all! hahah. It was a really nice cafe that kind of just looked like an artsy family room haha.

Wednesday we waved good bye to Elder Chisholm as we dropped him off at the train station with some other elders to go into seoul to pick up his new companion. He came back several hours later with our new housemate and companion, Elder Jeong. Cool kid, but hes 27 and already finished with Military service and college. Caused some small problems that first day, but they smoothed over a bit. Elder Smith and I while jundoing met a couple of office people and started talking to them. soon after a police car pulled up and started yelling some stuff over the intercom at all of us. Turns out they were police officers and it was their friend in the car. They then invited us in for some water, and gave us milk haha. Definitely a random experience! We then went and had Jajangmyon with the whole district at night as a kind of initiatory for the new missionary.

Thursday: Mine and Elder Smiths first day alone again! Very weird! We had our first day of all Jundo for the first time in forever!!!!! It wasnt very fun, but it has to be done! Afterwards we ate dinner which was nice since we had been out in the sun for 5 hour. During jundo we had gone down to the flower festival and elder smith had said something to me, and I was already stressed out and I kind of snapped at him and walked away. It took us a while but we worked things over and figured out a better way to relay information between each other. We really want to do even better this transfer, espeically me! Then we had a mini district meeting to talk about our district unity and how we can do better as a district. We are really determined to be one of the best districts and zones in the mission this transfer!

Friaday: Not to good not to bad, weekly planning until 3 and then we jundoed. I realized I have gotten in a rut of jundo and havent been able to do well because of it, I am determined in these coming weeks to fix it! although this day I got my first street lesson with someone! Taught him about the book of mormon and planned to meet him this coming saturday at 1! Excited!!!!

Saturday: Nothing much happned on Saturday. We met with a kid that I talked to named Daniel. I taught him the restoration and then we commited him to read and pray about the book of mormon, hopefully he will do it. He seems like he has a lot of potential. Then later at english class they had me give the spiritual message! I did it on temples (the first of its kind) and it was awesome. Gave out pictures, watched a video called strength beyond my own, and talked a lot about them. Super powerful!

Sunday: Just a normal church time, afterwards we had a meal with a member of Kimchi Bulgogi and it was sooo good! But after fasting for close to 24 hours, it destroyd our stomachs today haha. Definitely had fun with them.

Also this week I realized the difference between faitth and belief. Belief is knowing something exists. Faith as defined in the dictionary is trusting in something or someones goodness or actions. If we have belief in Christ, we feel that he exists. If we have faith in him than we know that through his atoning sacrifice and his resurrection that we will be able to live forever with him and Heavenly Father for time and all eternity. We know that through Him our families can be together forever! Definitely a great blessing to have that all important, infinite, eternal sacrifice that redeems us from all sin!

I love this gospel and the opportunities that it brings us. I hope all of you at home realize the immense blessings it brings us and thank our Heavenly Father for them each and every day! I pray for everyone back at home and hope everyone is doing well!

Love you!

Elder Yamagata