Jecheon Style (49, 50, 51)

Aug 30
5 min read

Hello, Hi, yes!

Indeed I am back. Sorry for the late email I just get distracted with stuff... As always let's break down the last couple of weeks!

Learning Jecheon

So as of writing this I've lived in Jecheon for the past 6 weeks and today marks the 1 year mark for me! Pretty crazy it's been a year time flies. Especially when you miss 3 emails in a row (sorry again). Jecheon is actually my 3rd area here in Korea and it’s definitely been the most unique so far. Jecheon, as some may know, is a very "countryside" area and there are not as many people who are interested in the gospel. However, this area has the most amount of people we are teaching i've seen! It’s awesome! I was really worried it was going to be an area completely full of walking around the streets aimlessly for hours just like my last area. Instead, we are busy visiting people, members, and even service. Unfortunately, like most areas here in Korea, getting people towards baptism is very unique and requires a lot of faith. Just when you think you finally have someone ready for baptism they back out halfway through, or something else comes up. Either way we keep grinding.

The main reason for this section is actually about the geographics of this area. I have never been more confused, siked out, and lost more than I have here while serving in Jecheon. Every single street looks exactly the same and there are ZERO land marks to point me in the right direction. So, I’ve found myself pulling out my phone often for a map here and there.

Other than that the area has been great. However, transfers which means...

Transfers

I am staying in Jecheon! This will be my second transfer here and its been a good 3 days so far. My new companion is Elder Keate. He is from St. George Utah. He has been a missionary 1 transfer longer than me. We are in just a regular Senior/Junior companionship. I was made the Junior companion for the 8th time in a row! Although I suspect I may be leading this companionship a lot more than normal.

Elder Keate is a very laidback kinda guy so its felt a lot quieter than the days with Elder Bingham. But because he's super chill we get along pretty well I would say. It’s interesting because I have had this pattern on my mission where I get to an area, then I stay for a transfer while I get trained up on the area, then that companion leaves, and I get a senior comp to come lead the area after I teach them for a week or two. After that most of my companions, Elder Curtis and Centeno for example, usually hop in the driver seat. But so far Elder Keate and I are kinda in it together for right now. Like I said before the geography of this area is insane which is a problem because, Jecheon just opened a new area! For the first time ever Jecheon has a Sister missionary team! Which means I get to train up 3 people about an area I barely even know! It’s been really fun though. The two sister missionaries are Sister Clegg and Sister Ashton. Sister Clegg had been in the mission longer than Elder Keate and I. She is also training a new missionary from the MTC. Their first day we had to walk them to their apartment from the bus terminal for about 45 minutes during the night because they showed up really late. Also for the past 3 days they didn’t have a SIM card which means they can’t call, text, or even use a map properly because they have no internet. So Elder Keate and I have been showing them how to get to place to place in the area. They seem to be having a great time nonetheless.

Gangnam Special

One cool opportunity we had, at the end of the transfer on Friday, was we went to the city Gangnam! Yes, the famous city from which the song "Gangnam Style" derives from. We went there because we had a very special opportunity to receive a devotional from Elder David A. Bednar! It was awesome.

One thing that was interesting was on the stand with him was 4 members of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishop, Bishop Budge. Elder Bednar said they were not going to do their typical planned speech but instead he wanted to have everyone on the stand come up and deliver their testimony to everyone. Then after he wanted some audience participation. So everyone on the stand delivered a testimony completely off the top of their head then sat down. Then for the next 3 hours Elder Bednar called on random missionaries in the audience, who had their hand raised, and asked them what they learned. He gave his insights to what the missionary said. It was really cool because everything that was said was completely unscripted.

My claim to fame is to Elder Bednar I am now know as "That one Elder in the back by the wall". As I raised my hand to deliver some insight and I guess I got picked. I wish I could remember exactly what I said but I was so nervous that I just kind of blurted out something along the lines of faith and eternal principles. Elder Bednar looked at me and said "Faith is not found, but rather bestowed upon you." I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that means but insightful nonetheless.

All in all, it was a really special experience and I may not remember all that was said. But I do remember what I felt.

Conclusion

In the end, the last 3 weeks have been me getting prepared for this next transfer and I am excited I get to spend it with Elder Keate. I hope we can do some great stuff together and it should be good!

I'll try not to slack on writing emails next week. I hope none of you will slack on writing emails to me. So please. Feel free to send me one I always love reading them.

제가 예수님은 모든 사람들을 사랑하다는 것을 알고있습니다!

And so do I,

Love y'all,

-Elder Christensen.