I smile and laugh a lot!

So many fun things happened this past week!

The main highlight was definitely Elder David A. Bednar's visit to our mission!!! So sick! And he brought the Spirit with him. We had a 3-hour question/answer session with him, and I even asked a question. I learned wayyy too much to tell you everything, but one thing I really loved that he said was, "Don't pray for God to do what you know you need to do!" Act with Faith! It is so simple.

Another fun thing happened on Tuesday; we had some free time in the middle of the day, so we hit the subway for a little refreshing type of proselyting and it was awesome. There truly is an art to subway-finding and it requires focus and communication by both members of the companionship. We split up in the same cart and then start talking to as many as will listen, or if someone is willing we talk to an individual for a few stops. The reason I mention focus and communication is because you both need to be on the same page as to geography: we need to get off the subway before we ride beyond the boundaries of our area. Elder Bratt and I have been doing this for a while, so I never really worry about it too much. But this last week, our stop came and at the time Elder Bratt was still talking to someone. I hopped off the subway and then realized he was still on; I jogged up to his door to tell him to get off, but right then the doors were closed. I was waving and shouting, looking kind of crazy to other people I am sure, trying to get him to get off (haha). Yup, he didn't see me. I spent the next 45 minutes panicking, looking for my lost toddler--or that is at least how I felt (I know, he is not a toddler, but in terms of language and time in Korea it seems a fitting comparison). Terrifying! Now I know how my parents felt when I got lost in Disneyland. Funny memory, but not one bit funny at the time!

One more funny experience: in Korea, our church's reputation is not great. Not good at all in fact. Frequently, when we start talking to someone on the street or in the subway and people learn that we are the Mormons, instantly people say "cult!" That word in Korean is 이단 (idan)--I meaning "2" and Dan meaning like "direction." If you break the word down, it means "you split off of the direction everyone else was taking." That really isn't accurate, since we are different from the very beginning! But anyway, we were waiting at a bus stop the other day and this old guy approached us and started talking about God: "Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, AMEN!" Before he got too far into his sermon, I stopped him and said, "Sorry man, we are the Mormon Missionaries, we already believe in what you are talking about." He got all excited and yelled "The Mormons! You are about as idan (second path) as it gets!" So I just smiled at him, and then said "Nope, we aren't idan; we are samdan (third path)!" which isn't a thing in Korean. He just looked at us and was totally at a loss of words. And then I said "God Bless You" and we got on the bus. 

I also learned this week from more evangelists that Christ's Second Coming already happened in Korea 80 years ago and they claim to be "the Restored Church of God".. Gah! I guess I won't be using that line as heavily anymore.

I also had a surprise visit from my second companion, the former Elder Ely. It was so great to see him.

Anyway, last week was so great. Loved it! And definitely smiled and laughed a lot! Isn't that what it's all about? 

Love you all!

Elder Jenkins