Elder Huckvale's Great Adventures: Week 13 - Never His Mind on WHERE He Was! WHAT He Was Doing!

Title - Yoda says this when he's talking to Obi-Wan's ghost about Luke Skywalker.

Note (from mom regarding Star Wars paragraph below) - This is a BIG DEAL for Elder Huckvale. His life has always been centered around Star Wars (hence all the Stormtrooper pictures we normally get). So to be able to put it behind him is HUGE. I told him that Star Wars will be there when he gets back, but that this is his one-time opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father, and that I am very proud of the choices he is making.

This week was really hard but really good. I am beginning to more fully understand my purpose as a missionary with each passing day and I am more fully understanding the significance that my mission will have on my life and the lives of those I meet.

Last week my dad e-mailed me telling me about the new Star Wars trailer that came out and he sent me some pictures. It looks so rad! Anyways, I know it sounds silly, but it was really hard for me to stay focused for the rest of that day (We only did e-mailing last Monday because we had Temple Day on Tuesday so we did the rest of P-day on Tuesday after the Temple). I just had to ask myself what was more important to me: My love for Star Wars and watching movies, or my love for my Savior and doing His work on this earth? This is still something that I will inevitably struggle with, not getting distracted by things going on at home, but I know that this is the Lord's work and that I am supposed to be in Korea right now. I have a very strong testimony of this.

So anyways, we went to the Seoul Temple on Tuesday! It was awesome! There is no better reminder for why I'm doing missionary work than by going to the Temple. Every time I go to the Temple my understanding of this life and the plan that Heavenly Father has for me is strengthened significantly. It is such an incredible experience. After the temple, we went to an American-style buffet called Ashley's. It was good, but it was pretty expensive. After we went to Ashley's, Elder Jeong and I, along with some of the other elder in our zone, went to the Korean War Museum, which was pretty cool. Afterwards we taught English and that was pretty much our day.

On Wednesday, we had Mission Tour. Our Area President, Michael T. Ringwood of the Seventy (he spoke at conference), his wife, and President and Sister Christensen addressed us about missionary work. It was awesome! I felt so pumped to do missionary work afterwards and to be a better missionary.

We were able to eat with the members twice this week, once with a lady from our ward on Monday, and another with some American members on Sunday. The dinner on Monday was...interesting. In Korea, it's disrespectful to not eat all you're given and when you finish your food, you're usually offered more and if you don't accept it that is also disrespectful. So I was trying to eat slowly, but the soup we were eating would get cold if I didn't eat it right away so I ended up eating 4 bowls of soup and then I threw up. I felt really bad about that. She was nice about it so it wasn't a big deal. The meal with the American members on Sunday was awesome. It was really nice to have some greasy American food for a change.

This week I have been really trying to improve at jeondoing (proselyting). As many of you know, I'm not really the kind of guy that just goes up and starts talking to others, so getting used to jeondoing has been really difficult for me. I have been praying to Heavenly Father for the faith I need to just do it and I know that He has been answering my prayers. I have been doing much better at jeondoing and am slowly figuring out how to enjoy it more and want to do it. I know that Heavenly Father has answered my prayers and that He has been helping me to overcome my personal weaknesses because I was willing to humble myself before Him.

The work is going great! I'm having a blast here in Korea!

Also, I've been out for three months tomorrow! What the flip?!

Love and miss y'all!

Called to Serve!

Elder Huckvale