Tuesday, Temple day! Great experience and first endowment in a while! Excellent chance to reflect in the celestial room and feel the saviors love for us as I sat in the quiet reverance therein. After the temple it was good to see everyone and I was excited to take pictures and hear the Last words of the dying missionaries. Some great things were said about love change and happiness. One korean missionary expressed his love to President and Sister Christensen and how much they have helped him on his mission. I almost teared up when I heard him, he never really is an emotional guy. Elder Rhodes talked about happiness and that the times when he was the most busy, stressed, crazed, were the times that he was the most happy. The times that he was comfortable and easy going, he wasnt. Words of wisdom! Sister Hunsaker talked about change and how to let the change happen on your mission, dont fight it! After all this a big group of us went to Ashleys the American Buffet. IT was prettty good and we had a good time inside but the best thing that we did that day was go to Dong Dae Moon and finding the cheapest stuff ever, Almost everything is under like 10 dollars, ties are 3 and shirts are usually 9-10. Sick!!!!! It was soo much fun!!!!
Wednesday: 2 things, one had district meeting at the church entry way because the rest was under deep clean, had to hang through a window to get chairs and tables and stuff. two, lost it on a man while trying to talk to him. Really stressful time contacting followed by 5 back to back rejections and I was feeling pretty upset.... Long story short, he ignored me, I thought it would be a "good idea" to follow him through apartments while he is clearly trying to lose me, and eventually ended in a shouting match.... Not good. I got home and explained to my comp and zone leader what happened. And ended up learning a lot about myself and about rejection. After that incident, I learn from rejection. I understand now how to deal with it. I understand why we get it. I learned alot from that expereince.
Thursday: Celebrated Sister Atwater's 1 year in country mark! Did it right with Mcdonalds! We also taught some random guy in a park for over 1 hour the whole first lesson and we are going to meet with him again next week! exciting!
Friday: Exchanges with Elder Buck. We had some great fun after planning and such and really went out and contacted hard on the streets. Also tried helping a man who was being contacted by another Jundosa (people who try to go and convert people on the street, equivalent to the crazy people with crosses in america, no one listens) started proselyting to the jundosa and he was relentless on that man, would not give up. Very funny time. And after planning Elder Smith told me that my goals for the week seemed more like goals for eternity
Saturday: The real meat and potatoes. Got up early and had to leave my mission again for the 2nd time to go to Youngdungpo. Why you ask? Well we were blessed to have ELDER QUENTIN L COOK of the QUORUM OF THE 12 APOSTLES come and visit us!!!!!!! So exciting!!!!! We had a personal conference with him in the morning for 2 hours as him and sister cook told stories, taught principles, and really brought the spirit. We were even able to shake his and sister cooks hand, as well as president ringwood, president of our area. One of the most powerful parts was near the end as he gave us an apostolic blessing and bore his special witness. I will never forget what he first blessed us with. "I bless you that you will understand why you are serving here, and that all of your loved ones that are back at home will be blessed because of your service." As I heard that come from an apostle of the Lord's mouth, tears came to my eyes and I had the biggest smile and the spirit rested on me and confirmed what he had told us. It was the most peaceful thing that he could have said. Then, as he was bearing his special witness of Christ, he told us that he had heard the saviors voice. What a powerful feeling again of the spirit as he said those words. I knew that standing before us was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, called by him through his modern day prophet. I was so excited to hear everything that he had to say to us. After the conference it was nice to see everyone from my dongi again and talk and catch up for a little bit before going back to ilsan. So we left and eventually returned home, ate, and then left to go back to youngdungpo to see elder cook again!!!! This time for the fireside that was being hosted. A lot of it was some of the stuff from the meeting with them this morning but they still shared some new information and it was a really great experience.
Sunday: Usual sunday, church followed by some contacting (this time around the church) tried to pass off, failed hahah some of these korean words are long and hard! and then we went home and had some dinner and studies.
Today: Now we email and later we are going to a buddhist temple
The really best part about this week was just learning so much and growing from all the experiences that I am having. I cant believe my 6 months is in two days!~ I have really come a long way and I only want to get better. I know who I am now, and who I want to become. I want to be the 4th missionary. I want to be a righteous son of God. I love this work, I love my companions, fellow missionaries, and our mission president. I love the korean people (even when they are stubborn) and I cant wait to try to bless their lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that families can be together forever, and I tell people that everyday. I want everyone to know this glorious doctrine! How sweet the sentence is "I Know that my Redeemer LIVES!"
I love all of you at home so much and all the missionaries too! May the Lord bless you this week in everything you do!
Elder Yamagata
Going over the lake from Seoul
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