Week 3 in Korea

Ok, so I've seen this DVD at the MTC, but man, The Restoration has some of the best cinematography! Showed it a couple of times this last week to investigators, so powerful, so well done. I like the Joseph Smith story too, but we'd probably never show that to investigators. But I think it was done by the same people, a lot of the same footage is used, and Leo Paur has a couple nice little appearances in it. Anywaaaaay...

Third week in country, first time going on splits. So there was this big 3-day training for Zone Leaders, District Leaders and Trainers this week. So I got to have an American as my companion for the first time in Korea. What was odd though about the exchange, is my trainer went and stayed with our DL, and our DL's companion stayed with me in Siheung. So someone who's never been to my area, and someone who's only been in Korea for two weeks period... running around with no idea where anything is! We started the exchange by admitting to each other, "Ready to get lost for three days???!!!!"

It was exciting though. And yes, we would get lost everyday, and I'm talking epically lost. But we're put where the Lord needs us. The very first day, my companion had sent me and Elder Hafen (the American I was on exchanges with) to travel waaaay out to visit some less active members that he hasn't even met. After a half hour on the bus, and an hour of asking for a lot of help in finding the place, we found it. Knock Knock, "Who is it?". Answers the member's wife. "It's the missionaries, Is Kim Du He there?" "He's at work, I'm busy, can't meet now." Fun times.

So that killed our visit and our plans, so we had close to two hours of nothing planned until our next appointment, so we decided to walk to our next appointment instead of taking a bus. We get to a point in the road, where we have no idea where either one will take us. "We want to be over there. but that seems impossible without a helicopter." Elder Hafen suggests, "let's just walk up these hills and try to knock doors." Blistering hot heat, uphill. And the further we walk up, the more we realize that there's only random Hardware and garden stores on this hill. We're in a VERY random place. Elder Hafen says, "We're gonna find someone."

"I trust you," I said. Another 10-15 minutes uphill, and we're drenched head to toe in sweat...

All of a sudden we hear a voice, "Hey!" What, someone is speaking English to us. "Up here." Still couldn't see where the voice was coming from, way up a small pathway a Korean man was yelling, "Come up to my house." He sounded exactly, and I mean EXACTLY like Andre the Giant in "Princess Bride."

"I told you we'd find someone," Elder Hafen said. We were in the middle of nowhere. I looked where the man was yelling from, I have no idea how he saw us. He invites us in, and there's SIX other people in the house. They've just finished eating. And they offer us their chairs, some food, and put a huge fan on us to dry us off. The man's name is Kwang Yeol Na, and he lives off and on in Seoul, and Seattle. This was just one of his places, and it was a total party Karaoke house. We start explaining who we are, and why we're in Korea. And we keep trying to find out how on earth he saw us... (he never explains how, but just says he knows that we were sent from God).

The cool beverages, and the cool air is just what we needed. Then another one of his friends shows up speaking perfect English. He's built like an ox, and explains that he used to play college ball for Temple, lives on and off in FL and Korea. I think both these guys are very well off. So Elder Hafen and I are just amazed that we're able to be in the middle of nowhere, and all of a sudden be sharing the gospel with 8 people within the matter of a second. Out of nowhere, one of the people has a guitar in their hands and is just noodling. I say I can play guitar, they make me play a couple songs and Kwang and his friends love it. Kwang is about Dad's age, and said he is a hippie, that's probably why we clicked so well.

The next couple of days went just like that, lost, but exactly where we need to be. I didn't have my camera, but we took a picture with Kwang and his friends on Hafen's camera. I'll get a copy soon.

What's odd though, is he wanted us to call him back the next day, but he never picked up. The same with the the man I sat next to on the plane. after running into him again. Both of those finding experiences built my faith and are great stories to tell, but they haven't chosen to act on those experiences. Our investigators who are progressing and keeping their commitments, are the ones we've found simply putting our nose to the grinder and going out and finding people through hard work and persistence. Good ol' fashion missionary work.

We'll have some miraculous things happen to us in our lives, but it is the things we do on a daily basis that are what will build our faith the most, and keep us on the straight and narrow path.

Too many stories to tell, not enough time.

Love you all,

Elder Reyes