Elder Daniel Jackson Picard : Week 20 November 24, 2014 "End of my 2nd transfer and done with TRAINING!"

Training is over and Elder Hastriter and I are going are separate ways... It is bitter sweet and I sure will miss my trainer! He is the best and has taught me so much. For in Gangnam I shall stay and my companion will go. It will be sad to see him go but he gets to train again for his last two transfers so that's cool! My new companion's name is Elder Knapp and he will become my companion on Wednesday. It is crazy that I am already done being trained and have been in country for 2 transfers. Time flies when you are having fun I guess :) Elder Black and I are the only ones staying in my district and everyone else is going. I guess Elder Black and I are meant to be friends like our parents haha.

Well this was a good last week with Elder Hastriter. We started the week off with a BOOM! It was a literal boom too haha. We got to go work out with our ward mission leader at his GYM. It has been too long since I lifted last so man did I have a good time!! They had some pretty funny workout machines there. There was one that you stand on and put a band around your waist then it just shakes your fat like crazy. The other weird one was like this mechanical bull that you sit on and it just shakes you back and forth. They were both pretty fun but I couldn't stop laughing while I was using them. A lot of people working out were wondering what I big white dude was doing at their gym so I got to tell them I was a missionary and why I was there which was pretty cool. We taught a practice lesson with the elders quorum president and then he took us to Japanese and Burger King because I told him I liked burgers so he wanted to take us there too. I was stuffed after that!

I went on an exchange with Elder Woltjen and that went well. I bought myself a winter coat so that my mom wouldn't be worried about me freezing. It is a pretty nice coat and it will definitely keep me warm through this cold winter that is coming. I had a really crazy experience this week and how I reacted will make my mom proud. This man on the street was dragging around his girlfriend and treating her not the best so I kind of just looked at him like why are you doing that. To my surprise he looked at me and said in straight English and said "what in the world are you looking at?" but he didn't say it that nicely. I was so shocked of what just happened that I didn't even respond I just smiled. Elder Woltjen luckily jumped in and told the man that he speaks English very well and asked where he learned. He claimed to not know English but I was just proud of myself for not getting frustrated and reacting with anger! I am growing to learn that anger doesn't help any situation and it is better that we just keep ourselves happy because being happy is fun! We met a man on the street later who thanked us and said we were doing good work here in Korea teaching people about Jesus Christ so that put a smile on my face. We got his name card and haven't been able to contact him but maybe someday.

I had another wonderful opportunity to give a blessing to a man in our ward who broke his foot. This man's family are not members and he really wants us to baptize them but we still haven't been able to meet him. While I gave him the blessing I was filled with the Spirit and the words that needed to be said just came out. It is crazy how the Spirit works so strongly and can guide a blessing like it did. As a missionary I need the Spirit each and every day. The man thanked me for the blessing and he said that afterwards he was already feeling better. It is crazy how sometimes the Spirit can work through you in ways that you don't even know. That's why we should always keep ourselves worthy so that the Spirit can do that very thing and work through you.

We got to help a family in the English branch remodel one of their rooms and that was fun. We painted and then came back a few days later to move everything back into their room. I love having the opportunity to serve others so much on my mission and it has brought me so much joy! My mom was right, service is the best! Don't ever turn down the opportunity to serve someone in need, look for chances to do so! :) I look forward to meeting my new companion this week and can't wait to find those people I was sent here to teach. I must be exactly obedient and have the Spirit with me to do so. In this case I will do just that because that is what my Lord needs me to do!! I know without a doubt in my mind that this gospel is true and that when we serve others and forget ourselves that God will bless us more than we can imagine.

Love,

Elder Picard