[ HUGE WEEK! BIG CHANGES! ]

Hey everyone!!! Well this was a big and tough, but great week for me!! so many changes. So yes I have been transferred! I am outside of Seoul for the first time. Our area is reallyyyy big. it is the entire city of Bu-Cheon. And my companion's name is Elder Bacarro. He is from the Philippines. Cool huh!! He has been out for over a year and a half and will go home after next transfer. He has only been in this area for one transfer before me so he and I are kind of learning everything together.

Like I said lotsss has happened this week. First I'll talk about my old area and then this area. So in Song-Pa it was tough to say goodbye, I'll be honest. I was there for almost 6 months and I started to get really attached to everything, the area, the ward, the investigators, my companion, just everything. I reallyyyy loved it. It was soo much fun there. But saying goodbye was hard. My good ward member friend Sue was a toughy. We visited her house and when I was sharing my closing testimony with her she started to cry. She was a great ward member and helped out us missionaries so much. she was like our "missionary mom." I'll stay in contact with her.

Our area, Song-Pa 2, has dissappeared. President decided it needed to be closed down. We were the only 4 Elder missionay area in the whole mission and I guess the number of missionaries is a little low, so it was closed. It was kind of hard for me to accept the fact that it was just going to disappear after all that work, but I know that the other elders can handle it. In fact, I received GREAT news from them just earlier. Our investigator Kim-Soo-Hee showed up at church again yesterday and they met after and had a good lesson. Later that day, she called Elder Poulsen and asked about baptism and says she is really thinking about it. It made me SOO happy to hear that.

[ Dinner with the house. Love them!!! ]

[ Invesigator, oh say sung ]

[ Investigator lee hyung ]

[ Investigator woo eun bean ]

So my new area is cool. It's really big, and so is the ward! It's crazy we have like 150 members!!!!! Most I've had by far! And they are reallyyy nice. I had to give a little introduction of myself in sacrament and after everyone was coming up and talking to me. They all said my Korean was really good :) especially my pronunciation, so that made me feel good. and we have 3 meal appointments set up already!

[ Our map ]

[ The house ]

[ A view of part of the area ]  

[ Our church ] 

[ HUGE church | Downtown ] 

[ Buddist temple ]

We have 2 investigators here that I have met. One of them is SOO golden, but just can't get baptized yet. She has a fiance who was a less-active and was reactivated about 5 months ago, way cool story. Anyways, they are living together right now so we have to wait until they are married, which they don't want to do until october, which is a bummer. But really you look at her and she just acts like a member. Her name is Jeen-Meen-Jung.

The other investigator was a referral from a 16yr old in our ward. It's 3 of his friends and they really like soccer. Our ward plays every saturday morning so we went with them on saturday, well 2 of them, and it was really fun. WE only got to share a little message with them. So they will be a little slower, but still way cool.

I met a lady in our ward who they call the missionary mom. She is really nice and asked us to come help her with some work around her farm. So we went there one day for 3 hours and did some work over there. It was so great to serve, like do manual labor service. I don't get to do that as much as a thought I would have. I am grateful for that opportunity. I have some funny pictures of it for you too :) 

[ the countryside of my new area ] 

[ Our hike to the farm ]

[ Our missionary mom :) ]

[ Watering haha ]

So I had a really cool experience on saturday morning on our way to soccer. As we crossed though a little playground we walked by a lady from the Philippines and my comp just said hi to her and we kept going. We went to use the ATM and while there, my comp said, I want to go back. So we went back and found her and he started to talk to her, in his native tongue of course. They talked for about 10 minutes and it was really cool to see. I felt like a greenie though because I couldn't understand a word hahahah. It's similar to spanish so I caught a thing or two, but honestly not really. I guess she is just here for vacation for about a month then will go back to the Philippines. He got her home address and will refer her to the missionaries down there. It was a cool experience seeing my companion follow the prompting of the Spirit.

Last night we went with our investigator jeen meen jung and her fiance to go hear president's like farawell talk to the people living in Seoul Mission boundries. It was so powerful and when he asked all of "his" missionaries who were there to stand it was pretty awesome. I just love being a missionary. After the meeting I got to talk with some of my old ward members, especially from geum-cheon. My favorite family, the stake president's family was there. I got a picture with them for you guys. Also, Lee dong sun, one of my recent converts was there and I got to sit with him. He is doing sooo good.

[ My bud, lee dong sun ] 

[ My FAV family, the Jeun family from Geum Cheon ward, the stake pres. ]

Well I should wrap this up. Sorry it was soooo scattered there was just soo much. Anything that didn't make it in I will put in your letter.

Although i have been transferred, I know that I have come here with a purpose. I am not sure why I have been sent here yet, but I will find that purpose and I will accomplish it to its fullest. I love the Lord and His work. I am grateful to be in His service.

I love you all have a great week family! Have fun at the beach house, my all time favorite family tradition!!!!

Love,
Elder messick

[ HEY EVERYONE!! ]

Well, it's the day of transfer calls! Yes I am a bit sad. You guys know that I am not too big a fan of transfers and I have a pretty good idea that I will be heading out. I loved it here so much and Elder Clearwater was just great! Love that guy.

As for my week, it was great...of course!!! Last p-day was soccer and it was really fun! Our zone pulled out the victory 3-1. No goals for me, but I had an assist. I'll send a pic for you guys.

Also on that p-day I called my recent converts, Lee-Dong-Gu from my last area, and Lee-Dong-Sun from my greenie area. They are doing soooo good still!! Lee Dong Sun has already read through The Book of Mormon twice!! He doesn't have a calling right now but said he would like one. He is singing in the stake choir. He is just tearing it up! :) I only got to talk with Dong-Gu for a little because he was at school but he is doing really well and loved to hear from me. He gave a talk at ward conference and said it went well. I actually ran into the stake president this week too from that area and talked to him a little about Dong-Gu and he just confirmed that he is doing well. I love knowing that they are still strong in the gospel.

During the week we had a zone conference where we got to hear President Lee's like farewell talk to us. It was really good and so powerful. I am so grateful to have had him as my president for this last year. I have learned so much about how to love and how to be happy.

I got to try something interesting this week when we were visiting a less active at her work. She decided to serve us a drink she made herself, fermented banana juice. Not my favorite thing I have ever had to say the least.

On Saturday we went hiking with one of the zone leader's investigators and it was SO cool. The view was unreal. I will send you a bunch of pics.

I was able to see a huge miracle in my life on Sunday. It probably won't sound like too big of a deal to you, but it has a real special place in my heart and something I will look back on in my mission. So for the last 5 and a half months that I have been here we have been visiting a less active lady and her family every week or 2 to share a message with them. They are an unbelievable family. I have written home about her before. They were recent converts and went less active because her husband took some heat from the Elders in the ward while he was Elders Quorum Pres. Well, on Sunday, there sitting in the seats was Sister Lee Tay Kyung. Its hard to explain the feeling I had in my heart when I saw her there. All I can think of is just pure joy and I really could feel the love of God, just as I do right now writing about this. I am soo happy and grateful she was able to come back to church, to put past feelings behind her and realize what matters. When her and I made eye contact all we could do was just smile. She was so happy to say hi to me after sacrament meeting and then the ward just fellowshipped her so well. I am sooo happy. This is a story to me of never giving up on anybody. God loves each one of his children the same and wants each one of them to come back and live with Him again.

I love this Gospel and everything about it. It makes me so happy. I love being a missionary. I just love it. Best decision of my life and will guide me in everything I need after these 2 years end. I have a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know He loves me and He loves you. Have a great week. I love you guys!!!! Talk to you next week! (probably in a new area or a new companion or something....)

Love,
Elder Messick

P.S. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD AND GRANDPA! I LOVE YOU

[ Dinner at a member's home ]

[ HEY! ]

Hey family! How is everything going with you guys. I have been pretty worried this last week with all the health things I have been hearing about. Mom and her heart surgery, Kenzie as well as her dad. It is so weird to be over on the other side of the world hearing about these things, but I know that God has His hand in all things and that it will all be ok. I will continue to keep you in my prayers.

My week went really well. we were able to meet with really three of our main investigators right now. Woo Eun Bean, Kim So Hee and Oh Say Sung. Things are going well with them, especially Woo Eun Bean or Brinley (I picked the American name haha). Anyways, this last week she was able to get the job she has been trying to get with an airline service and she is really happy about that. Also, this week we have taught her more about Christ and what He has done for us (since her religious background is small). And we also talked about the Plan of Salvation, but we haven't finished it quite yet. She is really a smart girl so it is easy to teach and she is really accepting of everything we teach her. In fact, I got a text from her the other day saying "thanks for helping me with English and teaching me about God." It really meant a lot to me and I can see that we are making an impact in her life.

For p-day today we have a big zone VS zone soccer game and it should be really fun. My buddy Elder Jones and I set it up. I hope we win! Haha.

OH! So yesterday I didn't get to go to church in my own ward. I had to go out to the countryside again because that little branch is just on FIRE! They had 4 more baptisms yesterday so I had to go out with one of our ZL for Baptismal interviews. It all started from one person who referred their friend and then those people keep referring people and it's just a big chain. How cool is that!? But anyways, there was HUGE news that went down in my ward. We got a new bishop! Our bishop had been bishop for over 8 years and it was time for a change. I am really happy about it and I think it will be sooo good for this area. If only I was able to experience it longer...

Transfer calls are a week from today and I think I will be moving. I am so sad because I love this area so much, especially the people. The investigators, the members, my comp. just everyone here is so great. But hey there are great people everywhere in Korea ^^

Well, I'm not sure what else to inform you on sorry! I love you guys and hope you have a great week. STAY HEALTHY PLEASE!!! I will continue to pray for you all. I love being a missionary. It is such a privilege and a blessing to be in His service for 2 years. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world. I have grown in so many ways, but am still so insufficient in every other way. I hope to continue to learn and improve. Have a great week.

I love you all!
-- Elder Messick

[ Elder Clearwater standing in the dumping rain ] 

[ A funny sign I saw ]

[ 하이!!! ]

Hey fam! How's it goin in the ME-GUK (America)?

Our week here was a bit of a roller coaster for me. It started of SOO good, as you know from last email, and we had 3 new investigators. They are really awesome too. In fact we will be meeting one of them again tonight.

The second half of the week was the other side of the roller coaster. We had a few lessons cancel and we haven't been able to talk with Lee-Say-Won for a few days. I am sure it will be ok though, she is just trying to get things figured out. Please if you can though keep her in your prayers. She really needs it. 

Something really fun that I got to do this week. We visited a less active who I had never met. She is about 50 years old and works at a Ping Pong place! When I saw that on her record, I was all over it! Haha. I gave her a call to come visit and we were there 2 days later. She is a really sweet lady. The reason she can't come to church is she has work every Sunday. She doesn't have anything against the church which is good and she seemed to enjoy our vist. And yes, I did play her in ping pong. I won't mention who won... :(

Something way cool that I got to do! So we were walking home one night and there were two kids playing on the street trying to learn how to do a wave board. My eyes just lit up!!! I was soooo happy to see those. I asked if I could ride it for a second. The kids were in shock when they saw me "surfing" it haha. I was able to teach them a little and and then tell them we were missionaries too. It was wayyy cool and may turn into something more. You never know...

I was visiting my bishop's house last night to share a message with his family and then the Bishop mentioned, so you go home next month, are you excited. HUH!?!? When I told him I still have 11 months left he was in shock. He thought my Korean was way better than where it should be haha. Kinda cool, but funny at the same time that my Bishop didn't know when I went home.

I want to share a little analogy of the Spirit that I heard from Elder Packer, you may already know it, but it is a good reminder. The Spirit is like salt. You can't describe to someone what salt tastes like, without using the word salt or salty. They just have to taste it for themself. The Spirit is the same way. It is hard to describe what it feels like until we just try the things we have been told and then feel it for ourselves. We have been promised that as we read the book of mormon and pray to God that we will feel the Holy Ghost. WHEN, we feel it, it is our job to recognize it and act on that. When we have our firm testimony, it is then our job to SHARE it. Let everyone around you feel that pure love of Christ. That is our duty to God. We need to share this message with the world. I love this Gospel and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is at the center of it.

I hope you have a great week everyone. Be safe and I'll talk to you next week.

love,
-- Elder Messick

[ Rose plaza at Olympic Park! ]

[ A cool lake overlooking Song-Pa ] 

[ The ZL's baptism on Sunday. Sorry I forgot to mention that! His name is Oh-Geun-Won. ]