Week 5 Complete, Nerds!

Bring it on Week 6! ..Haha I'd love to say that these weeks are flying by but.. .well.. it's more of a trot. Things are going well here, although almost our entire District is sick (the cold is getting around.. sooo fun..) but we are stoked to be getting closer and closer to experiencing civilization again! Some interesting things sure have happened this week, and that, at least, has helped to spice things up a bit. 

Let's see here.. last Friday, on P-day, we got locked out of our room after taking showers (someone decided he should close the door for some reason.. haha) and we all sat in the hallway, half-scandalous while Elder Ross and Elder Peterson ran to get us a spare key from the Main Office (in 1M). We got into our room and were late to class, but, it was a good story to tell. Later that night we taught our TRC (Training Resource Center volunteers, we teach them and it's the best thing ever) and since there were hardly any Korean volunteers, rather than teaching two 40 minute lessons, we only had to teach one! Well... Shaver and I only had to teach one. Our teacher decided to have other Elders teach us individually as we were excelling in class and were prepared for our lessons that night. It was super cool! Munk and Ethington taught me that night and the spirit they bring is phenomenal. If they can just get a better handle on the language they will accomplish so much!! After Ethington and Munk taught me, Shaver and I taught a young Korean woman and got the most killer review! I took a picture of it, and I'm sure my mom will get it sometime soon but, man.. I've never felt like I've taught so well in my whole life! It was totes awesome. 

Let's see.. I've also seen Grace Gochnour around these parts, and run into her all the time! I can't wait to see T-Jolley and Gabriella Gonzales (who are coming in soon). I also just BARELY (like seriously.. 15 minutes ago) ran into Matthew Blake! We went to Elementary together and I haven't seen him for.. what.. like 9 years? So crazy! I couldn't believe that we both recognized each other too! We both did a thrice-take, it was pretty funny.

Speaking of funny things, you would never believe what happened to our companionship. ..So.. Shaver and I are pretty good teachers, right? Right. ..Well.. we were trying to teach about faith, or something of the sort, and we had our Progressing Investigator read a few verses in what we thought was D&C 9:7-8 but.. you know those Korean Book of Mormons.. ...all Korean and such.. ..and we had actually unknowingly had them read Moroni 9:7-8 which is actually about cannibalism, the slaughtering of women and children, and chastity. Surprise! It was pretty embarrassing, but we had a good laugh and moved on well with the lesson.  Also, a few days ago we learned our first Korean children's song about 3 bears. (You can listen to it here) It goes something like,

There are 3 bears,

that live in 1 house.

There's a poppa bear, momma bear, and a baby bear.

The papa bear is FAT.

The momma bear is skiiinny.

And the baby bear is cute.

Shrug, shrug.

Good job! 

It's pretty silly, but we like to sing it because it makes us feel that much more a part of the culture I suppose (and like we know what we're saying ). On a side note, we have a teacher named Brother Wade (who is absolutely incredible) and when he speaks Korean he speaks in this really low voice. One day, he was in class and sat in my seat, and was telling the district (in Korean) that he was now Elder DeMille! So, I, being the rambunctious child I am, decided that I would be him, hahaha! I stood up, buttoned my suit, and started imitating his low Korean voice while I introduced myself. It was hilarious! He started dying, and another teacher who was helping us was almost crying! That poor sister. She looked at me and said in Korean that suddenly Elder Wade had gotten much more handsome, and I started to laugh like he does (the silliest little chuckle you've ever heard) and that was the last straw. Everyone died, hahaha! It was sooo funny, and now Elder Wade can hardly teach us without teasing me about it. My face went as red as a red carrot (a silly Korean saying) because I thought for sure he was going to kill me!

What else, what else.. ah! I'm officially huge. Yup. I've gained 14 lbs these past 5 weeks, and it's unreal how much bigger I feel! It's a problem, haha. Everyone is gaining weight like nothing else. Watts and Munk are both at 15, while Hendricks is at 17. Pants are getting tighter and tighter, and we are all so in denial that we can actually eat less at meals. Pride.. gotta love it :P Other than that, not much has happened! Just another week learning Korean and serving the Lord. What a wonderful opportunity it is! 

Ah, I wrote another poem to share with you last night, before I sang my Elders to sleep (they requested a lullaby, believe it or not, so I sang some Death Cab For Cutie just for them, haha. You could say we're pretty cute) and.. well.. anyway, here it is. Try to figure out what it's about. (obviously the point of a poem) .. Love you all!

It falls

Upon you like any other thing 

For a moment

Wanting

Not to stagger nor stumble

But to find refuge

Within the soul of something not quite so cold

With room to feel alive

Never had it been held so close

Felt so awake

It had never been held at all

Except by Him

His wounded soul

In the beginning

Feel the incredible intricacy

In a way that transcends

The five senses

Unheard   unseen

Yet simply somehow always there

Still

And soft

How will you feel when it leaves

Your soul to find another 

Iridescently drifting in the bitter wind

Inside

When you often cannot feel its presence at all

See its beautiful symmetry

How does He spend so much time

On such simple things

Unappreciated

Feel it

As it melts upon your softened heart

"Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life's fight, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then overcome." -Thomas S. Monson

Keep on going! You can do it!!

-Elder DeMille