[ THE BEST TWO YEARS ]

Hey guys! I hope you all have had a great week :) Well, it's all starting to wrap up here for me as you know. I have been trying to just get every second out of every day that I can. As you would guess I have very mixed feelings about it. I have given my whole heart and everything I've had these last two years into Korea and the people here. I have tried my hardest to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. But of couse, what I've done is not enough. But that is ok. I think of the story of Alma the younger in Alma 29 "Oh that I were an angel." But he is just a man and that is ok. Alma gave it all he had, but it was insufficient, but the Lord was well pleased with his efforts. No matter what I'm not perfect, but I know that I gave it everything I had.

About my week...On Saturday, our ward mission leader and us missionaries put together a meeting for all of our investigators and young single adults to come too. It was kind of a farawell party too. We had 8 investigators and about 25 people total counting us missionaries. And man it was awesome!!! I think it was SOO good for our investigators because everyone there was about the same age. We started it with a Mormon message video then talked about it for a little. We then ate pizza together and played some super fun games. It ended with Elder Westarp and I sharing our final testimony with them. Let me tell you that was a POWERFUL experience for me. I was standing up there looking in the faces of many of my investigators and it just hit me how I have helped play a role in changing their lives. It was just overwhelming. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given here in Korea to meet the people I have.

At church on Sunday I did my last words and I spoke about my favorite Korean word "go-geen-gam-nay". I know you know that one dad!!! It means like, after the bitter comes the sweet. I talked about how missions are a great example of this word and how as we have trials we can learn from them and build and become better and stronger. It went pretty well. Again though, after sacrament saying my goodbyes to people was tough. I was talking to my companions after about it and I was telling them I think these goodbyes are almost as hard as the goodbyes were back when I was leaving for the MTC.

Last night was reallyyy cool!! We took our investigator to a fireside all about BYU-H and it was sooo cool. I think I liked the meeting more than anyone else there ahha. It just got me soo excited to be going back there. Good choice on my part!! haha Anyways, family and friends. Thank you for all your support over these last 2 years. I love my mission. I have a firm testimony of this Gospel and of our Savior Jesus Chirst. I know He lives and is leading this church. There is no doubt about it.

I love you all!!! SEE YOU IN A FEW DAYS!!!!!!!!!

--
Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!! and you too AUBS!!!

[ Football with the boys ]

[ Sister Seo-Hyun ]

[ Most famous 떡볶이 in all of korea!!! (sorry its blurry!) ]

[ Saying some 'see ya laters' ]

[ HEY FAMILY!!! ]

Hey guys!!!

I had a really fun week here!! I think the highlight of my week was the thing I sent home a billion pictures of. I got to go on a bike ride on Saturday with Sister Choi and her two kids. We had an absolute blast. We went all the way down to the Han river and back. I think maybe 6 miles or so. I was veryyy impressed that her little boy could do it. We only had one problem on the trip. Sister Choi's bike got a flat tire and was pulling her little boy along on the back so I switched her bikes and rode about a mile or 2 on a flat tire with her little boy on the back. I took one for the team to say the least haha. but it was so worth it I love them!!! we got to the big river and there was a bike pump there for us to pump it back up then we raced all the way back and were the first ones back. :)

As for investigators we have been finding a few more really good ones! Especially Hee-Jeen (see pics) and So-Hyun. They are mainly meeting us for English but have gained lots of gospel interest while meeting. I have high hopes for these two.

You know its pretty crazy that the time is starting to get short, but I try not to think about it. I am working just as hard as ever. Pounding the streets trying to find those that are prepared. I want to give it everything I have. And like Bryce told me, go so hard that I come home on a stretcher. (Don't worry mom, not literally). But I know that I have been called her for a reason and I haven't quited fulfilled it yet. I gotta keep goin. I love my mission.

I love you all. Have a great week. I'm off to go play a game of football and soccer!! :)

Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

P.S. HAppy 2 year anniversary to Aubs and Matt!!!
P.P.S. Happy bday morgan!! :)

[ A 100 year old lady we ate with. ]

[ The district :) ]

[ Korean exercise hahaha ] 

[ Hee-Jeen and Ju-Hey ]

[ Hahahahahah my comp getting ready for bed! ] 

[ Goin to a bike ride with sister Choi! ] 

[ We made it to the Han-Kang ]

[ SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER HERE :) ]

Hi guys!

Another good week here in the "Land of the Morning Calm." To be totally honest it's tough to think of things to fill you in on. We are working hard and seeing miracles, but I don't know how to update you guys on it. So you just gotta take my word for it that we're doing really good!

Right now we have a ton of investigators, 4 that want to be baptized really bad, but right now just cant. I'll explain. First is Sister Choi and her two children. They just love us to death!! and she lovessss the church doctrine. But there is just one problem. Her husband. I don't know why but he is opposing her from being baptized REALLY hard. and it's getting worse. He wont even let her go to church with us now. He only will let them come to our English class on Tuesday and Saturday. But a few days ago the husband said, ok we will go to a different church for a few weeks and if you still want to go back to the Mormon church then you can. So right now that's where we're at. She went to another church yesterday, but didn't like it. She truly has a testimony of the church and knows its true. We have been talking with our ward mission leader on what we can do to help her and he came up with a great idea. He talked with our mission president and we are going to set up a dinner appointment with him and sister Choi's family. I'm not quite sure if he will consent to it, but if he does I think it will yield nothing but good results. Also another fun thing about her, she plans to go back to Az in July and she said I have to come visit her and she might come to California too.

The other investigator who really wants to be baptized was the man I sent a picture of, Brother Beck. He is the most sincere man and asks such good questions. Every time we teach him I feel the spirit leading the lesson 100%. The problem is though him mom is really sick and he cant leave her side to come to church. He wants to and says he has been praying a lot about baptism and thinks it would help him. Our game plan for him next time we meet is to offer a priesthood blessing. We already offered for his mother but he didn't want one. But now I think if we give him one it can help him a lot in his decision making and knowing what he needs to do. Keep him in your prayers. :)

Lots more of investigators to write about but I just don't have the time. I have it all in my journal so I can tell you about them when I get home if your interested and you remind me. :)

Last thing that happened this week that was a big deal. I gave my "last words" talk to the mission. It was really tough for me to choose what to say but it went really well and just once again reminded me of how much I love my mission. I have it on video to show you when I get home.

I love you guys. Stay safe PLEASE!!! I'll be seeing you soon. :)

Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

P.S. Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

[ TRANSFER #15 ]

Hello to all of you :) Transfers have happened and I am now in a threesome, me, Elder Fonnesbeck, and Elder Jang Heon. I am wayyyy excited to be serving with both of them. Elder fonnesbeck and I get along wayy good and now I can speak korean as much as I want and get help anytime I need it. It worked out perfect!!

Well I am superrrr short on time today because we have had soooooo much to talk about and work out. Good thing I don't have much to fill you in on this week. I felt like this week was pretty normal. We have been finding people like CRAZY but we jsut cant seem to get them to take that next step.

This week on friday was a big holiday in Korea when the celebrate independence from Japan. We were invited from an investigator to go to this old prison in the area right next to us and it was reallyyyy cool. They had all these places wehre they showed us how they were tortured from the Japanese. It was sad but really interesting and cool to see how much Koreans respect their culture and ancestors.

The only other bit of information. Out of nowhere, Brother Hong left and is off to college 2 hours away. I told him I would get him the church address for down there and he will continue to attend there until he has to go to the military in August.

Sorry for the short email. I love you guys soooo much.

--
Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

[ Brother 백 ]

[ Got milk?? 3 weeks worth, about 100 cartons :) ] 

[ We went to the prison for a celebration. ]

[ Investigators. Sister Kang and her kids. ] 

[ MOVING INTO TRANSFER #15 ]

Hey everyone :) On Saturday was transfer calls! Yup transfer calls changed from Monday night to Saturday night. So much better that way. Well I will be serving a 3rd transfer with Elder Fonnesbeck, but there's a catch! We will be a threesome! Yup we have another missionary coming to serve with us, a Korean :) we are super stoked about it. I think teaching and what not might be a little bit more tough, but definitely will be fun having a native Korean around all the time :) another cool thing from transfers. We got a new AP, guess who. Elder Clearwater!!!! So cool. The first Elder that I got to train is my AP haha. He is a rock of a missionary and am excited to hear his trainings.

Other big news that I think most of you know by now, our mission is splitting in July! We had to wait for the official announcement before we could tell you. I am sooo stoked that they are sending more missionaries to Korea. More people now get the opportunity to serve their mission in the best country ever. The work really is beginning to hasten. I am so glad to be so involved in it.

The biggest news of the week as far as investigators goes is Sister Choi. I talked about her a lot in my last email, the referral from America. Anyways we met a lot this week! Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday haha. When we first met on Thursday her kids just LOVED us and said they wanted to meet with us again tomorrow haha. They brought there wave boards with them too cuz they wanted to show us. We are like their best friends. Then on Saturday they came to English class and the whole class was blown away by the little boys' English. And Sunday, they show up to church, and the boys are in white shirts and ties!!! It was so awesome. I found out that she really liked the song 'I am a child of God' so I asked the primary pres if the kids would sing it in Sacrament and she loved that. Now to the not so good stuff. I'm not sure why, but some kids in our ward were teasing her children and made her cry after sacrament. I felt sooo bad for her. I don't know why. Next week i think my comps and i will go into primary and make sure they are treated well. We had a quick lesson after church with my "Korean grandpa" and it was really good. He is probably my favorite person my whole mission to teach lessons with because he is so spiritual every time. Sometimes we have people who are SO concerned with the investigator having fun. And to be honest sometimes I get a little to worried about that too. But really the focus HAS to be the Spirit. If they feel the Spirit, that's what will convert them. If they just have a fun time, they become converted to the missionaries or to a member, but if they have the Spirit touch their heart, then they will be converted to the Lord. Then they will never fall away.

All of our investigators right now are so close to the point of progression, but they aren't quite there. I don't know why but we just can't get them to the waters. We are constantly inviting them to be baptized, but they keep putting it off. Sooo, please if you would pray that our investigators might have a realization of the need of baptism and the immediate blessings they will see from it.

This is the work of the Lord. I have been called of God to be out here and I won't ever slow down in the work :) Have a great week fam. I love you guys.

--
Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

P.S. Bryce, not sure if you read these, but I think your mom does so happy birthday man. Love you!! Thanks for the example you were to me as a little kid. I still remember when you took me skimming once. ;)

[ Dinner at Subway with some members and potential investigators they referred to us, Dabin and Eli. The two in the back. ] 

[ Returning missionaries ]

[ Sister Choi. The investigator who visited Gilbert, AZ ]

[ My birthday cake :) ]

[ EIPC WEEK!! ]

Hey everyone :) I am just so happy right now. Things are going so good, both for you guys back home and more importantly for the people of Nok-Beun here. We have been very busy and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Yesterday was our stake conference and man was it a BIG turnout. In preparation for the big crowd my companion and I spent about 2 and a half hours shoveling our entire parking lot becase it was FULL of snow. Man that took forever, and not to mention 3 broken shovels. haha Anyways, I think we had anywhere from 700 to 800 people there. Our church isn't all that big so it was a tight fit with 2 overflows. I don't know if they used them though since I was up on the stand singing in the choir. Don't worry though mom, I sang VERY quietly hahah. The conference all in all seemed really good. My favorite part hands down was the Branch president of the deaf branch! Thats right. They started a deaf branch here in Seoul. He was up at the podium signing all this stuff and his daughter translated the whole thing. It was so cool and a very spiritual motivating talk.

We had 2 investigators show up to sacrament along with our recent convert Brother Hong. He brought his friend Dong-Ho. He is doing well, but still not sure about the whole baptism thing. We are talking a lot about it and helping him see why it is important for us. He attended a baptism on Thursday (I'll expain in a sec) and the whole time he was like everyone looks so happy. I kept trying to tell him it's because they are following the gospel of Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Ghost. I'm not sure if he's fully getting it or not.

So as for the baptism. The other elders in our ward were able to get that husband and wife baptized (I sent their picture last week). They are sooo solid. I wrote about my first experience when I taught her and she was just so golden. I am so happy for her and the elders for all that happened.

Ok so hands down the highlight of my week is this lady named Sister Choi. I mentioned 2 investigators came to church, she is the other. Alright so Saturday night i got a phone call from our Church office with a referral for us, Sister Choi. I give her a call and she gasped for excitement when I was in the middle of saying our church name. COOL! Anyways, we chatted for a little and it got even cooler. She found out about the church as she was on a 6 week trip to America. Guess where she was staying. Gilbert, AZ! Sup Jacki! haha. Then she made a stop somewhere else. Guess. YUP San Diego!! So major connections haha. She and I hit it off really well and she just loves the church. She's about 40 and I don't know too much about her family yet since it was Stake conference so we didn't have time to do a lesson. But this morning I got a text from her saying she wanted to read from The Book of Mormon and wanted me to suggest some chapters. She is so golden. We will be meeting her on Thursday. :)

Last night we had a dinner appointment with the cutest family ever. they have 6 kids. That is absolutely unheard of here in Korea!! They were sooo much fun. Especially their littlest girl whose 5. Just the cutest thing ever. I have a superrrr funny story to tell. So she randomly popped behind my companion and gave him a kiss on the cheek hahahah. Her mom got mad at her and said she had to go tell Jesus what she did. About 45 sec later she comes running back. She said and i quote (well translated) "I prayed. Jesus said its ok!!" while running at my comp to kiss him on the cheek again. hahahahahah. I haven't ever laughed so hard. Don't wrry she didn't kiss him again. We shared a really good spiritual message with them. We gave one of their children a choco pie and said ok take a bite. "Does it taste good? Do you want to share it with your family" Of course he liked it so we gave him another to give to him mom. and another for his dad. Eventually to all the family. We read together 1Nephi 8:11-12 and talked about how we have tasted of the fruit of the gospel and because it makes us so happy we should desire to share it with others. Something for you guys to think about this week.

I love you guys. Have a great week. :)

--
Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

P.S. Happy b-day paul. I love you bro

[ Teaching at the kids english library ]

[ Pics of the mission ]

[ Mexican food fajitas :) I FELT LIKE I WAS HOME haha. The son lived in Spain for a year. ]

[ HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR^^ 설날 ]

새해 복 많이 받으세요!! ^^

Happy New Year guys. :) It was the lunar new year here, basically the biggest holiday of the year, except for us missionaries haha. We just did our normal thing, Street contacting haha. I sure do love it though. As weird as that sounds, I really do. Sure some days are better than others, but I find real happiness just from opening my mouth to as many people as I can. When it's a tough rejection just shake it off or see if you can get them leaving with a smile. Its fun. :)

[ Overlooking my area ]

Church yesterday was great. It was just sacrament meeting and we had a much better turnout than expected. I'd say over 120 people were there. Lots of people in 한복s. We were still short though for the sacrament so I said one of the prayers. When Brother Lee (my Korean grandpa) walked in to church, he came up to me with big open arms and gave me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. hahha. I sure do love that man. He sure does take care of us missionaries.

The day before we had a big conference as a whole mission which was SO good. We had a guest speaker, P.J. Rogers. This guy is in the presidency of the English district here in Korea. He's no ordinary guy to say the least. He is HUGE here. He's got tv shows and a radio show. Koreans love this guy and for good reasons. One, his Korean is OFF THE CHARTS. And two, he is hilarious. He is even funnier in Korean than he is in English. Great character. He was a missionary here some time ago and now lives here with his family making tons of money. He gave a great presentation on how to improve missionary work by adjusting to the Korean cultures to gain members love and trust and respect. It really was so good. I'll have to explain it better in person. :)

I think our most progressing investigator right now is Brother Beck (백). He has met us 4 times now and is soooo sincere. He really is searching for the truth and willing to put the effort in. He just is in a tough situation with his mother being so sick. We have tried to get him to commit to a date, but he just won't quite yet, however last time he did ask where we do the baptism at. He wanted to see the baptismal font. When he saw it he said, "it's kind of like a public bath house" hahhahahah. He has a funny sense of humor and has really opened up with us a lot. We have taught him some great lessons. I feel like every time we teach this man the Spirit guides it 100 percent of the time. We teach to his needs better than anyone I ever have and his understanding of the gospel and it's restoration is increasing. He is a great man.

Mom, a story for you. Just a short one. So on Sunday morning we were doing our studies and could hear a car really struggling to get out of their parking spot from all the ice and the car just wouldn't move. So my comp and I threw our jackets on and went out to "give them a hand." Do you know where I'm goin with this mom?? Anyways, we gave the car a big push and got it out and they were on their way. But before they were off I was sure to hand them the pass along card I just got from you in my last letter about giving a hand. I just translated it into Korean and wrote our number on it and handed it to them. Maybe they'll need help again some day. :)

Last but not least, all you friends and family who have wanted to write me but it just slips your mind. If you are planning on sending me a letter you should probably do it in the next week or two!! Otherwise you won't be getting a response from me. Thanks. :)

I love you guys have a great week!!!

--
Love,

메시크 장로
Elder Messick

[ The boys after b-ball ] 

[ My area after the snow ]

[ A Korean delicacy? Haha. It's cow sinews with some knee meat. Yum. ]

[ Me and Sister lee. She's dope. She'll be going to BYU-H after the mish. :) ]

[ Me and brother Song. He is a wonderful member. ]

[ This lady and her husband are people I wrote about a few weeks ago. They have a baptismal date for Thursday. They are the other missionaries' investigators but we have helped out a bit. ]