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Sunday, July 31, 2016

Week 77 - It's Working! It's Working!

Title - In "The Phantom Menace", Anakin and his friend, Kitster, are trying to get his pod racer working.  With the help of Qui-Gon Jinn giving him a missing part, it fires up and Anakin declares, "It's working! It's Working!". 

Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:55:22 +0900

Hello My Adoring Fans!
 
This week was really great!  The work in 상계 is starting to pick up as we work on finding new investigators and working to strengthen the relationship with the ward as well as their desire to do missionary work.
 
On Wednesday we had a zone meeting which was really awesome!  We focused a lot on repentance and how we can teach it better to our investigators and the other people we meet.  I took a lot away from it but the most important thing that I took away from it was that by teaching repentance, we aren't just teaching the principle of repentance, but we're teaching people how to follow Christ.  That is the doctrine of repentance.
 
On Thursday we met with a guy named Ben who we met last week on the street whose wife is a Tongan member living in Utah.  The lesson went pretty well.  He treated us to 짬뽕 (Jom Bong) which is like this spicy fish soup which was really good.  After that we got to know him a little bit more and talked about our message and about how it's centered on Jesus Christ and how we can come closer to Him by reading the Book of Mormon.  He took it pretty well and seemed interested in meeting with us again.
 
Later that night we went to a less-active member's house in our ward a performed a mini-music night based on how families can be together forever.  Elder Brantley played his guitar and we sang some primary songs.  It was really awesome and something that we're going to try and do with the less-active and part member families in our ward.
 
On Friday Elder Tapan and I went on an exchange and were able to meet a ton of really awesome people!  One of the people we met turned out to be the friend of one of the less-actives Elder Tapan's team is working with who he was planning on referring to them.  That was a really huge miracle!  That night we went out to visit a member, and even though they weren't there, we met a really awesome kid on the way who we set up a return appointment with for this week.
 
This week I was really praying that we would be able to get an investigator to church this week, and while we weren't able to this week, I was really surprised on Sunday when 6 less-actives came.  It was a huge miracle!  One of them was a guy that we met on the street who we have been trying to visit for the past few weeks.
 
On Sunday night we had a our stake missionary fireside which was amazing!  I got to see some of the members from my last ward, 장위 (Jangwee), including my recent convert, 김상하 (Songha Kim), and a less active that I had been working with, 최재원 (Jaywon Chwe), who started coming out to church actively right after I left the area.  It was so awesome to see how much happier they've become as they've embraced the Gospel in their lives!
 
Sometime the miracles seem small, but they're there!  It's so important to recognize the miracles, especially amidst the rejection and punking and disappointment.  There is a light!  That light is Jesus Christ!  He lives and He guides this work!
 
Love and Miss Y'all!
 
Called to Serve!
 
Love,
 
Elder Huckvale
 
 
P.S. I'm sorry for the Phantom Menace quote dad.  It's what I said after Elder Brantley was able to unclog our toilet a few days ago.
 
 

Monday, July 11, 2016

Week 76 - I'm Elder Huckvale! I'm Here to Rescue You!

Title - In Star Wars, Luke, Han and Chewbacca have infiltrated the prison cell block on the Death Star to rescue Princess Leia. Luke goes into Leia's cell and says, "I'm Luke Skywalker!  I'm here to rescue you!".  (And she says, "aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" - I put this part in because it's funny to me!).

Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:25:05 +0900

Hello My Adoring Fans!
 
This week in 상계 (Sanggye) was great!  Elder Saunders went home this week and my new companion, Elder Summers came.  The rain was really crazy this week!  Plus there were some miracles!
 
On Monday, since it was Elder Summers' last p-day, he had his final interview with President Sonksen at his house.  Since Elder Jones (who I served with in my greenie area) also left last transfer, he wanted to meet up with Elder Saunders and Elder Brantley and I one last time before he left.  We met up with him and some other elders from the mission and talk a little bit and then we went to President's house for the interview.  After the interview we came back and went to our bishop's house.
 
On Tuesday we met with a ton of people who wanted to see Elder Saunders before he went off to America.  We met less-active from the ward that we've been working with a lot, named 김종윤 (Jong Yoon Kim) and ate fish with him at his parents' restaraunt.  It was delicious!  After that we met with one of our investigators (who wanted us take our nametags off) and we had to let him go.  It was a really struggily drop. 



Delicious macarole!!!


 
After we met with him we met with one of the sisters from the ward and her son at an organic Korean food buffet.  Afterwards we met up with our investigator 이영민 (Yung Meen Ee) briefly so Elder Saunders could see him one last time and share some last thoughts and his testimony with him. 
 
On Wednesday morning we woke up a little bit early so that Elder Saunders could do some final packing and then we went and met up with Elder Summers and his companion and another set of elders so that we could make sure everyone was getting transferred where they needed to go.  Then Elder Saunders was off.



 
On Thursday we were out proselyting and someone called us over.  It turned out to be this Korean guy who's engaged to a Tongan member who lives in Utah and she wanted him to take a picture with us.  His English name is Ben and he's really cool!  We haven't been able to meet with him yet, but he'll probably become a really solid investigator!  Miracle!
 
On Saturday we met a kid that Elder Summers set up an appointment with on the street and he turned out to a really nice kid!  He came to our ward's Family Home Evening that we hold on Saturday nights and he had a really fun time!  The sad part is that he lives in my old area, 장위 (Jangwee), so we won't be able to meet him, but we referred him!
 
On Sunday we did a district proselyting activity where we gave out free lemonade!  It was really fun and we were able to meet a lot of people and have some good conversations.  We didn't find a lot of people with too much interest, but with some tweaking, it could become a really great proselyting activity!


Elder Brantley didn't believe that I could find a way to filter the water!!!


Lemonade!!!

 
This week has been great and filled with a lot of miracles!  The Lord is blessing the 상계 ward!  It's going to be a good transfer!
 
Love and Miss Y'all!
 
Called to Serve!
 
Love,
 
Elder Huckvale


불암산 (Fire Cancer Mountain - right outside our apartment)



Sunday, July 10, 2016

Week 75 - The Death of Elder Saunders

Title - Not sure what this title means... but in the missionary world, "death" means that a missionary is done with their mission and going home.  Elder Huckvale's companion, Elder Saunders, was headed home... so it was his "death".  :)

Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2016 12:21:30 +0900

Hello My Adoring Fans!
 
We got transfer calls last week among other things!
 
Elder Saunders is going home this Wednesday and Elder Summers (who I went on exchanges with a few weeks ago) is coming to be my companion in 상계 (Sanggye) and I will continue to serve as the district leader.  Elder Brantley is being demoted as the zone leader and we are combining with our neighboring zone (which is the same zone I was in when I was in Jangwee).  Good times.
 
It rained a ton this week!  We also had a lot of punks this week!  And some great lessons!
 
Anyways, on Tuesday we went and streetboarded and it was really great!  We started to get a little bit worried because a rain cloud appeared above where we were streetboarding and started sprinkling.  Through the prayers of the missionaries participating, though, the rain cloud moved away and we were able to continue streetboarding!  Miracle!  That night we met with one of our investigators, 이영민 (Yung meen Ee) and ate some 떡볶이 (Duk boki) and had a pretty good lesson. 



 
We were also able to meet with two new people this week who have potential to become good investigators.  One of them is a grandpa named Mr. Nam and the other is a guy who plays the guitar named 서종만 (Jongman Seo). 
 
On Friday it rained like crazy!  The 장마철 (rainy season) has begun.  Luckily for Elder Saunders, it's starting right when he's about to go home.  Classic Elder Saunders.
 
Other than that we visited and heart attacked a lot of members and Elder Saunders was able to say his goodbyes.  It was a really great week and I'm really looking forward to this next transfer here in Sanggye!
 
This is the Lord's work and I am so excited to be a part of it!  I am so grateful to be able to know for myself that this is the Lord's true restored Church and, like Alma the younger from the Book of Mormon, that these things were "made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God.  Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself" (Alma 5: 46). 
 
Love and Miss Y'all!
 
Called to Serve!
 
Love,
 
Elder Huckvale


"Some weird mask things that the members gave us" (if he only knew).




Elder Saunders' last District Meeting




Birthday Care Package


K, so story about this cake.  Elder Huckvale's last companion, Elder Shepherd, had an exchange student from Korea in his Senior year.  Elder Shepherd is now serving his mission in Korea (what a coincidence), right near the Kang family and they have totally been taking care of him while on his mission (paying it forward).  They have also adopted Elder Huckvale, and even though he is no longer with Elder Shepherd, they ordered him a cake from Baskin Robbins for his birthday.  They are not members of the LDS church, but still love on the missionaries!  Gotta love that!!!


 
 
 
 

Week 74 - A Day Long-Remembered

Title - In Star Wars, shortly after the Rebels escape the Death Star with Princess Leia, you find out that they were allowed to leave by the Empire because they were tracking them to the hidden Rebel base.  And then Darth Vader says, "this will be a day long-remembered".
 
P.S. Thanks to all those that sent Elder Huckvale a birthday card!!!  It really made his day!  Shout out to all the family, the Clarks' and the Jensens'!  He loved getting mail!!!
 
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 16:58:54 +0900
Hello My Adoring Fans!
 
This week was really great!  It was my birthday on Friday and it was really awesome!
 
On Tuesday we went to the temple and it was really awesome!  I was really wondering about some things that I've been thinking a lot about recently and I was able to receive some answers!  There ain't no place better to get away to to receive revelation than the temple. 
 


Elder Saunders and Elder Huckvale at the Temple
 
After we went to the temple we went to the American-style buffet, Ashley, and then on to 동대문 (Dongdaemun) to get some cheap neckties.  It was great!





Companionship ties.  :)

 
On Wednesday we had our district meeting which went really well.  I felt prompted to do a training on working with members and helping them to participate in missionary work.  Sister Shaver gave part of the training and she did awesome!  I was able to learn a ton from the missionaries from the district!
 
On Thursday we had our weekly missionary coordination meeting with our ward mission leader 김영기 (Yung Gee Kim) and since my birthday was on Friday he threw me a party!  He brought pizza and a sweet-potato cake (it was better than you would think).  It was really great and made this birthday already better than my birthday last year where I got transferredㅠㅠ.






 
And Friday was my birthday!  It was so awesome!  All of the elders in my house went all out.  Elder Tapan made me a sign and at night we went out to a meat buffet and all ate together.  Elder Brantley brought a cake.  That night we had a lesson with our investigator, 이영민 (Yung Meen Ee) at the church with a member.  The member that came isn't actually a member of our ward, but a return-missionary from our mission who has family in our ward and is on break from studying at BYU-Hawaii.  It also just happens that he was the Assistant to the President when he served here.  It was really awesome.  The lesson was awesome and we got Yung meen Ee to commit to pray to know that God lives and also to go to church on Sunday to the ward whose area he's in (he didn't end up going though because he slept in).  The Spirit was really strong and we were all teaching in sync with each other.  It was a really great lesson and afterwards the member that helped us, 최준규 (Jun Gyoo Chwe), bought me a cake at the Paris Baguette (a popular bakery chain in Korea) down the street.  It was so awesome!  I felt so loved by everyone and definitely felt like the Lord was making up to me for my last birthday. 




 
On Saturday we had our ward cleaning day and on Sunday we had our ward conference which were both great.  Today, since Elder Saunders is going home next week, our ward mission leader, Brother Kim, took us all to the Seoul Forest and we hung out there for the day.  It was pretty great.



"Dang it, Elder Tapan, and his selfies!"

 
I have felt so loved this week by everyone around me, especially my Heavenly Father.  Thank you everyone!
 
Love and Miss Y'all!
 
Called to Serve!
 
Love,
 
Elder Huckvale

Special thanks to Brother Kim for taking them to the Seoul Forest and then messaging me all these pics!!!















 

Week 73 - I Think I Know What He Has in Mind

Title - In Star Wars, when Han, Luke, Chewbacca and the others are hatching a plan to rescue Princess Leia, Luke goes to put handcuffs on Chewbacca and when he does, Chewbacca growls and throws his arms up.  After trying to reason with Chewbacca, Luke backs away, and Han says, "I think I know what he has in mind."

Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2016 12:06:15 +0900

Hello my adoring fans!
 
This week was great here in 상계 (Sanggye)!  We had mission tour this week with Elder Yamashita of the Seventy!  I got to go on exchanges with Elder 이홍빈 (Hong bean Ee)!  Plus we got to meet with our new investigator again!  Still working hard to find more!
 
On Wednesday we had mission tour with Elder Yamashita of the Seventy and it was awesome!  He came and spoke a lot of things but what I took away the most from the meeting was what he said about member missionary work and the importance of companion unity.  He talked a lot about how important it is for the members to understand the doctrine of Christ in order to progress in the Gospel after baptism.  We really need to work more with the ward here in Sanggye so I was able to find a lot of inspiration from the mission tour on how I could help them most and strengthen their desires to do missionary work.  As for having unity with your companion, Sister Yamashita said "Your companion is your greatest investigator".  That one got me thinking a lot about how I can better show my love to my companion as well as to other missionaries. 
 
Plus after we ate lunch, to help us stay awake, Sister Yamashita taught us how to make origami. 
 
It was a struggily experience.
 
On Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder Ee who's serving in 의정부 (Uijungbu) and we had a really awesome exchange!  This is his first transfer in country, but he's doing so awesome!  His trainer is actually Elder Hong, who was my zone leader when I was in 장위 (Jangwee).  I learned a ton from Elder Ee!  He's going to be a really great missionary!


Exchange with Elder 이홍빈
 
On Friday the elders from our district had a meal appointment with an older couple from the ward, the wife of which is less-active.  We decided to apply what we learned from the mission tour and share a message about the Atonement and repentance and it was really awesome!  At the end of the message, Elder Brantley played the guitar and we sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives".  It was such an awesome experience!  Nothing invites the Spirit like love and music.  Afterwards we went out and ate pizza which was good too.
 
On Saturday we met with our new investigator, 이영민 (Yung Meen Ee) again and had a great lesson.  He studied in California for a few years so he's pretty good at English.  He doesn't have a religious background either so it's kind of interesting teaching him because it's all so new to him.  When we showed him the baptismal font, he asked us "Is it a toilet?"  He also asked us if we get baptised with our clothes on or off.  Now to be fair, apparently there's a really sketchy church in Korea that does that.  Anyways, the lesson went really well and he has a really sincere desire to learn to repent of his sins!  The problem is that he lives in a different area.
 
Anyways, this week was really great!  Especially since the mission tour I've been thinking a lot about how on our missions, it doesn't really matter how many investigators we have or how many baptisms we get.  The number is not important.  The most important thing is that the missionaries themselves are converted to the Gospel.  The more I learn this and understand this, the more I want to love other missionaries and help them to come unto Christ. 
 
God could've done His work in a variety of ways, some of which would've been much more effective than others, and yet He chose to have His work done by imperfect and naive 19 and 20-year-olds.   And I'm one of them!
 
Love and Miss Y'all!
 
Called to Serve!
 
Love,
 
Elder Huckvale


 Elder Saunders' shoe, so that the elevator doesn't leave us stranded