So we did this funny thing at service assignments called guided imagery. It was kind of a joke and everybody laughed but it was kind of nice to have a little meditation time. Plus my companion and I do 5 minutes of medidation before companionship study, I thought you would be proud mom.. So here is a picture the worker took of us during guided imagery. [Can you find Daniel?]
Hello everybody!
Well I have less than two weeks in the MTC so that is exciting! So this week, we got one native Korean who will leave with our group. Since there was only one and Elder Litster is pretty good at Korean, they made Elder Litster Elder Lee's companion. So in the words of Timone and Pumba "our trio's down to two" (I got that from Elder Rees' email. He said I need to cite him.) I think it will probably be good for our Korean. We will have to do more of the transitions in the lessons and stuff. Plus I think we think more similarly which hopefully will be good in the lessons. Elder Lee is taking out his endowment today which is exciting. In Korea honestly probably around 25-50% of people are either brother or sister Lee or Kim. I don't know the history behind that but it is kind of funny.
Also before we got the new Elder, Elder Litster was sick for a couple days. So we switched of going to class and church and stuff. Honestly it was nice just to have time to review words, and work on Korean by myself. There really isn't a bunch of time to do that. Another great thing about that is that I missed sacrament meeting (that wasn't the great part) and my companion was chosen to talk. I don't know if I would have been chosen or not if I were there, but I am glad I didn't take the chance.
Elder Oaks talked to us at the devotional on Tuesday. He gave a very Elder Oaks-esque talk.) "There are three teaching tips I want to give you. The first..." However it was really good. He talked largely about the importance of partaking the sacrament, and explaining the plan of salvation. Both of which I think he said some insightful things (obviously, he is an apostle.) Anyway, those are the main things that were exciting this week.
Another few things about Korean. So I have no idea whose idea this was, but in Korean they have two number systems. One if pure Korean and the other is based of Chinese from forever ago. That alone is a little annoying, but what is even more annoying, is that they use one number system for hours and the other for minutes, and you still have to label hours and minutes! Plus they use one for when you are counting things and another for when you are already assigned a number (or something like that, I still don't totally understand it), or for counting minutes, days or weeks. So yeah that is annoying. But I do feel like my vocab and stuff is increasing solidly. I may get to 1000 words by the end of the MTC. So at some point I would have known 1000 words. Recalling them quickly and using them is harder without planning. So taking that into consideration, I will hopefully be at around 10 words a day as I kind of planned on. Understanding perhaps even less that that, especially when they talk quickly. However that too is getting better slowly but surely. Our teacher wants my companion and I to pretty much only speak Korean from here on out, which is virtually impossible, especially if he wants us to say many insightful things beyond pretty simple truths. Another funny thing about Korean is that they have adopted a bunch of English words. So a one piece dress is called "one piece suh" or to shower is "showah ha da " (ha da is just to do something) part time is "partuh ta eem" or pancakes or "pan cake uh" anyway those are always fun to find and use.
We were supposed to study a little bit about the Book of Mormon this week and then we had some time to bare our testimonies about it. Elder Littlefield, who is awesome, said something very similar to what I would say. Just that he has never received any super direct answer. However for a while he just decided to really read it daily and then to try applying some things into his life. Then a year later looking back on his experience, he was a totally different person. I don't know what principles he applied or how he feels he changed, but I do know that I am a happier and better person because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have no idea who I would be without it. I am so grateful for it in my life. And through looking back on my life, and the feeling I get while studying and living the gospel is truly the basis of my testimony. And that is enough for me. I mean an angel would be nice and all, but it is okay if I don't get one of those. I have said this a lot, but I am still beginning to grasp the fact that God is our father, and how important that is. As I have studied and thought about the plan of salvation and the gospel, I see the touch of parents' hands. It is powerful and real. I don't know when God chooses to work miracles and when not to, but it does seem much like parents to me. When they intervene in their children's lives or let them keep going with much gentler assistance. I like the idea that God is all-wise. I like that more than all-knowing. Plus it makes Him feel more like a parent. A lot of scriptures say God is all-wise or something like that, and that just struck me. Anyway as always, I love getting everybody's letters. Life seems to be going well. Matt what classes are you taking? Sarah same question for you. Mom and Dad, how is being empty nested again? Or is Misha still there? Brian and Dia, I always love hearing about Zina! haha. Also you guys. Josh, what are you doing now that you are more settled in? David and Danielle, how is the beginning of school and finding students and everything going in Nashville? Rachel, I am about to email you, but I would love an update! Anyway I love you all. The church is true, and I am a better person because of it. Hurrah for Israel!
Elder Sabey
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