Letter from Elder Rife~December 5, 2011

Hi Everyone!

I don't really have too much to write about this week. Unfortunately, I don't have any investigators to write about but I will mention that David from Bundang is getting baptized this weekend in Bundang!! I'm sad that I won't get to be there, but I am soo happy that he made the decision to be baptized. It seems like just yesterday that I met him outside Lotte Department Store in Bundang!

We are praying and hoping for similar experiences here in Ilsan. Ilsan hasn't seen a lot of success with missionary work this last year. The ward set a goal for 24 baptisms and there has only been one this year. Some people joke that it's a cursed area but I'm trying to prove that wrong! Our English class is going well.. I called lots of people and passed out lots of english class flyers this week. We had 4 people come and then we had lots of members come too so it was pretty fun.

We have lots of new ideas for English class and our ward mission leader told us that we should read the Book of Mormon in English each week so that's what we're gonna do when it's gospel time. Usually we would read the Book of Mormon in Korean so that they can understand it better but our WML wants us to do English so that's what we'll do. I really hope we find new investigators soon! Please pray for this area!

Last week we spent lots of time proselyting, calling potential investigators, and visiting less active members.

We also spent a day doing 김장, which is when Koreans make tons of kimchee to last them through winter season. There were about 60 missionaries who all got together and we made tons and tons of kimchee. My job was just to load trucks with the kimchee. I didn't really want to get in there and get all covered in kimchee; plus I'm better at lifting and organizing stuff, so that's what I did. haha. And we ate lots of kimchee and we were all dirty and tired after. It was fun to get to do service. You always have a good feeling when you do something for someone that they can't do for themselves. The kimchee we made will go to old people who are poor and can't make kimchee anymore.

We set up 4 appointments for next week which means that we could have 4 new investigators next week if they don't punk us. One of them seems pretty promising so I really hope it goes well. We need to find more people! It doesn't help that it's getting cold. People really don't want to stop on the street to talk because it's cold and really really windy. But we never lose hope!

One of my favorite scriptures lately is in Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

When I went to Bundang I felt like my purpose was to find YoonSangYong and to just start doing the work there with Elder Jung. But now I feel like my purpose is to just start anything in Ilsan. Honestly not a lot has happened out here. Nothing is really going on right now. So I'm just trying to get things started and then if we are patient and work hard we will see the results.

When I left Anyang there was the one investigator who had a baptismal date, Sarah Kang. She is now baptized. Elder Ishino had no other investigators other than Sarah at that time. He is still there right now and recently baptized 3 people. He told me that in order to see the results of hard work it will take some time, so I shouldn't expect to see immediate results right after coming to Ilsan. I need to keep working hard and then I will see the results.

Anyway, that was my week here. Today after we finish emailing we're going to Costco. My companion is on splits with another Korean missionary and I'm with Elder Rasmussen. He served in the next area over from Bundang and now he is serving in the next area over from Ilsan. Since we are allowed to go on splits on P-Day we decided to go to Costco together. I'm so excited!

Love you all! Please pray for my amazing Mom!

-Elder Rife