It Was Amazing

October 19, 2014

I can't believe how fast the weeks are going. It felt like it was just barely P day a couple days ago. 

We've actually been teaching a decent amount. We do a program called 30/30, where we teach 30 minutes of English and 30 minutes of the gospel, and there is a man who has been doing that twice a week. He also comes to church usually, so that is a plus.  We were talking to him last Monday evening, and we were talking a little bit about prayer. He says he prays to God when he feels lonely, and from his prayers he feels peace, and he feels like he receives strength from that. It's cool because he already recognizes the Spirit before we had even talked about it. We shared Moroni 10:3-5 with him when we met on Wednesday. He asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon in English, and then we he came to English class on Thursday he had all three verses memorized in English. It was amazing. And now every time he sees me, he asks for "homework," so I give him a verse to memorize for the next time we meet. If he keeps this up, he's going to be a scriptorian in a matter of months. I feel like this man is definitely someone who has only been kept from the truth because he knew not where to find it. He is probably one of the nicest, most sincere people I have ever met, and it is so fun to teach him and see him progress.  

In English class we always give a spiritual thought in Korean at the end, and it was my turn on Thursday. After I finished, someone who was sitting next to me said he was really surprised that I have only been learning Korean for three months. He said I'm basically fluent. It was really nice to hear, but it's not true at all. I feel like I barely know anything, and when I gave the thought, I made a ton of mistakes, so I was really surprised that he told me that. Must just be the Spirit. :)

Elder Suter and I only pass the Sacrament, they have other people to bless it. I've only played piano in Sacrament Meeting that one time, just because the person who normally does wasn't there. But yesterday I got to lead the music, and then afterward people were asking me if I am going to major in music because they think I'm so good at it. I feel like people in Korea are impressed really easily.

I go on exchanges almost every week. Elder Suter is the district leader, so he is supposed to go on an exchange with each companionship once a transfer. So that means I get to as well :)

That is so weird that both missionaries who came over [for dinner] have about the same experience as me. Yeah, there are a ton of Korean missionaries in the MTC, there was between 70 and 90 while I was there. I'm not sure if that's increasing or if it's just normal, I have no idea what it has been in the past. I do know that my group who just arrived in Korea is the biggest group that has come while Elder Suter has been here. So maybe.

No, the language isn't getting any easier. Probably harder, if anything. There's just so much that I don't know, so much I still have to learn. It's really frustrating. That's OK though, I just have to learn a little bit at a time.

I love you!

Elder Hines

Companion exchange with Elder Hamilton