Knocking Doors & Visiting Members

Well let's see what happened this week...
Well this week we did a lot of knockin on doors this last week... Like it went ok. we got in a lot of them. There was this one lady that we ran into a couple nights ago. She invited us in and we just started talking. She was talking about how she drinks a lot and howshe wishes she could stop. I dont really know what we should do with her... But My companion commited her to stop that day and any alcohol she had, to dump it out. she wanted to give us lunch, but we set up another appointment instead... We'll see how it goes...
We have some investigators here in yeoung-do, but we've started putting a lot more emphasis on work within the ward. we have this book of a couple hundred members but there are tons of less-actives... we have started working with a few and visiting a lot. It is turning out pretty well. we had a few of those less-actives come out to church this week! Anyway, we bought this huge map so we can find about 75 addresses that never could be found. I'll let you know how that goes. Well, I am not transfering, and I am staying with my companion! :-) It should be a really good transfer.
Of course, I'll keep you updaded with that stuff as well!
Gotta run!
sorry it was so short!
Love you all!
Elder Shumway

Where's Waldo?/Dad?

Oh my... Oh my... nothing could've prepared me for that. Wow! That's one good disguise! Good job! Did anyone find him? (This is a photo of Daryl before going to the mall where the youth of our ward had to find him and several other adults in disguises. An activity that we like to call "Where's Waldo?")
So as you know, Elder Bednar came to speak to us! It was amazing! He did a question and answer session for about 3 hours! I learned a lot of really interesting stuff! Anyway, The Olympics here were pretty exciting. Of course we didnt see much, but everyone was talking about it. Korea is really excited that they beat Japan, (they want to beat Japan at everything) and they were super excited at winning baseball. And of course, they knew about Micheal Phelps (in Korean it sounds like "pel-pus") But they sounded really fun!

Well, to be honest, there isnt a lot of new news this week. We had a lot of meetings. We finally started our service project again. ( We go to a care center and sit in with a class that is learning English songs. so we sit there and when they need us to, we sing "mary had a little lamb" or "humpty dumty" or any other carol. It is ok. It can get a little boring, but most of the time it is fine. other than that, like I said, We have just done some proselyting and a ton of meetings. Its fun though. Thanks for the package again. My compainion just got some food from his family and we are eating both little by little. Pray for 3 things: Park Gun and his family, Yee Gee Won that he will attend church, and for the people of Yeoung- Do.
Thanks Alot!
Love you!
Elder S

6 Months Already!!!

Well Family,
It has been a great day in the beautiful Yeoung- Do. Well I dont really know where to start.
1. Last P-day was pretty cool. I dont remember what we did but it was fun... I am pretty sure.
2. Then on wednesday, it was my 6 month mark! we had a district meeting. It was good and fun!
3. Well on Thurday, we had interviews with president. Man I love that Guy! He has a lot of changes in the mission! It should be exciting! After, we had lunch and went to get Ice cream. It was pretty cool. We also met a couple of really cool guys. I think both can turn into investigators. We just have to approach things in the right way. They are pretty old and one doesn't really understand us that well. Haha.
4. Friday, wehad a big ward picknic. It was pretty cool. So we showed up to the meeting place and we went down to our spot. And... Lo and Behold, They chose a swimming pool! To make a long story short, we did a lot of sitting Korean-style of course, (otherwise known as Indian-Style). I had made the mistake of assuming that I didnt need sunscreen that day. And well. . . Well, well, well... I've never blistered on my knees before...Haha just kidding. It wasnt that bad. But I did did a little red. Nothing bad though. After that, we went and visited this inactive family. They were way cool and let us in. We talked for a bit, shared a message, and they came to church.
5. On saturday, we met those two old guys we found and continued our discussions. I think we will refer one to the sister missionaries (they're Korean and can communicate a lot better than us). But the other one said he would come to church on the 31st! After that, we didnt know what to do. We had a few options and we decided to visit some people that expressed a little interest in this one apt. SO we visited like 5 doors, and they either didn't answer or weren't home. But the last door was this like 23 year old awesome kid. And he was home. He let us in. He told us that his family is really buddist and doesnt like missionaries. But After we first met him (a couple weeks ago) he has been talking about us to his family about us and saying how cool and awesome we are. So he let us in. It turns out that lately, a lot of tough things have happened since we met him. His Grandmother has cancer, he got food poisoning, he lost his cell phone and so he cant call any of his close friends or anything (cell phones are pretty important in Korea). We shared alma 7:11-12. He really like it. And he said he'd meet us at church the next day!
6. Sunday, we had a great meeting with that kid. He is so humble. He said that for the past day, he has been thinking about that scripture we shared with him. Sometime this week we will go to the hospital with him.

Well, yes I got the package, thank you. We have already used the frisbee once or twice. Flies great!
As for music, I have to admit that it can get tough here in Korea. They have some pretty good techno. haha. I first I was struggling to not think of music. I always had some kind of beat in my head. It took a while, but I think I've got it under control. :-) I still have a beat in my head but it stays pretty mission- standardy. Like "come thou Fount" or something.
Stay pretty!
Keep the faith!
Stay righteous!
Love ya's!
Elder Shumway

Elder Bednar to Visit Korea Soon

third time I am writing this letter... **&%$# That's a potty word in Korean. no just kidding it's not even Korean. But this letter got deleted twice already and I am pretty frustrated. So for lack of time, and lack of will power to try typing the amazing letter again, I will just lay it out...

Well Congrats to Michelle on getting engaged! Good Luck! I hope everything goes well! And another Congrats goes to Aj! Cara's going to Argentina! Hot Dang! That's exciting!

There are a lot of changes while I'm gone! That's good! Maybe things will change for me too! (like maybe my height will increase a few feet or I will grow a bum-chin!) ...I'll work on the Bum-chin.

Well there is good news and bad news. I guess you heard the news that Elder Bednar is coming to Korea. He is! But unfortuanately he is speaking in Deagu and Deagu is really far away from Yeoung-Do. If I was in Gumi still, I would be able to go. But I am not...But I did promise you good news... He is coming to speak to the Busan Mission as well! And I will go to that one! It is really exciting! As far as prayer goes, pray for Yeoung-Do. Pray that the people here will open their hearts to the glorious message of the gospel. I know it's True! It is True! Never be afraid to share it!

Love you all,
Elder Shumway

An Answer to Prayer

So this week is good. My companions name is Heubcsh. He is on splits right now cause he needs to register in the immigration office again. So I dont know his parents names. All I remember is he lives near the 17 and Northern (that's like where the DI is). Well things are all fine and dandy in young-Do. The only problem is that we dont have too many investigators left over after we killed English. Haha. But it is OK. we will find some. there is a lot of potential in this city. Thanks goes out to everyone to helped with the "bike-fund". And like you already know, I am out of the area. But thanks. I think I could use it to get that electronic dictionary. Those things run pretty high. It feels a little akward that I recieved all this money all of a sudden, But again thank you. Well I have to admit, there were a lot of things that changed once I transfered. And not having a lot of teaching and a lot of rejection was a bit to adjust too. But I know that God is in the work. And even some dont accept you or the message, It doesn't make it any less true. The other day, I was feeling a little down, but I prayed, and felt really good again. I prayed to find. I prayed for a little miracle. we went back out for work, and I saw this one guy on the side of the street. But the spirit picked him out from the crowd. For some reason, I really felt like I should talk to him. I said to my companion "hey, lets go talk to that guy!" He just said "go ahead." Looks like I'm flying Solo on this one. (well, that's not true, the spirit was there) So I just started talking to him. We just kinda chatted until the end when I handed him a BOM pass-along card. He was really accepting! Not only of a foreigner like me, but also of the gospel and of the work. It was really cool. I dont know what will happen to that guy, but it was definately an answer to my prayers. He was one of the most accepting people I've met, and the spirit pointed him out.
Love you lots!
Elder Shumway

New Area

What's up Fam! So yeah, I'm with Huebschy right now. He's super cool! Actually it turns out he is also from Phoenix, AZ. But I hadn't seen him at all before. Unusual coincidence, eh? But yeah, he's tight. and he is pretty funny too. Question time! ... or not really a question but more of a request...Request time! I bet you would probably rather it be question time than Request time. Questions are a lot easier to answer... okay, okay, I'll try and make it into a question...
Question time! So my companion and I live in an apartment overlooking a bay? And it so happens that I was looking outside and there was a slight breeze? I started humming the song from the christopher columbus animated stories, "the wind's blowin' my way"? anyway, I was wondering if you ever saw a cd with any of those animated stories songs, could you please send it? Also, (and more prioritaly(if that's a word), is the new EFY CD)!...? I really want that baby? Anyway, if you could do that, that would be awesome? I dont know if anyone decided to go to EFY this year, but nevertheless, I really want that CD? Thanks?
Statement time! Or the reat of the letter...young-Do is a neat area. I like it. There are soo many people and so many that are ready for the gospel. It will be sweet! We are working pretty hard. You know how I told you we would teach English to investigators? Well, for a while, I have really not liked it. It takes a lot of time and some of the investigators you get are not at all interested in the gospel. The progress really slow and you can tell that they only "play along" just for the Free English. We would teach English for half an hour and then gospel for the last half. And depending on who you're with, sometimes it feels like the Gospel is taking the back seat. Anyway, I've always been a little critical of the English/ Gospel program for a while now. Yeah it can bring some good investigators, but you have to spend time with some of the not interested ones as well. But there's good news. Our new mission president just this past week told us to cancel the program mission-wide. We can have a weekly English class, but no one-on-one English Gospel appointments! So I am pretty excited about that. And my companion is too. A lot of missionaries dont like it because that's all they have done, but We're pretty excited! I trhink this is the first time a mission in Korea didn't prosylyte through English. More news to follow...Anyway, it's good. We have lots of time to procylyte and we are in a good area with lots of potential.
Love you all,
Elder Shumway

So I almost forgot. I found out my suitcase isnt as durable as I wouldve hoped. Haha. We traveled a lot and I had to drag this sucker all the way. Haha. It was ok though. I will see if it is fixable. and the other pictures are of the veiw from our apartment.

First Transfer

Hi family!
Today is transfer Day! And guess what?! I am being transfered! Everyone thought that I would stay and lead Gumi but nope! I am leaving. I am writing to you from Young-Do. it is actually and island off of the coast of Busan. technically it is an island, but it isnt very far away. ANyway, I am really excited about it. I have my first American companion in the feild. They are pretty common but It is a little exciting none the less. His name is Elder Hebsch. (Yeah, a little weird spelling). But he's cool! I'll send some pictures later.
Right now I am sending you a few pictures from last P-Day. It was pretty sweet. This is in Kimchon. Actually FYI, this transfer was really weird. There were a lot of new changes that have never happened before. There were quite a few areas that were "white-washed" and there were wierd things that happened all over the place. But now I am on an island. When I got my transfer call, the AP told me, "you're going to a beautiful island". I automatically thought of Che-Ju-Do, the island that everyone considers "paradise". then he said,"...but not Che-Ju-Do". It was kinda funny. But this next transfer looks cool. I am pretty stoked!! :-)
Thanks for all your prayers! I haven't gotten the package yet, But It should probably come by next week. It was good to get your letters. These pictures are of "the beach of Kimchon". Its just a big river bottom. but we took some sweet pictures there. it was fun. In the video, I am trying to skip a rock.

So anyway, things are really crackin' over here in Korea. I like it! The language is still way tough and I can't wait till I can speak it like some of these other missionaries! Some of them are way good! It's exciting! I do my best to do my part and hope that the Lord will make up the rest!

It was pretty cool, because while I was packing and stuff, I was listening to my BYU choir CD! (Awesome cd, and I haden't pulled it out in forever!) But I was listening and just thinking and It started playing track 4 ( I think) "this is the christ". And while I was listening, things just started flooding over me. This is the Christ. This is His work. I really listened to the words and I thought of those in the Book of Mormon, who really saw him. And What they must have thought when they felt the marks upon him, and the wounds that were borne in behalf of them. thinking back to myself, I realize that before his name was engraven upon my Nametag, I was engraven upon His hands.

I'm in good hands.

Love you all! Peace out, Homies! Elder Shumway