Elder True DeMille

Elder True DeMille

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Faith is the Strength of the Soul Inside

I'm going to apologize in advance, because, well, this week has really slipped out of my hands! We've been so focused and determined to find and teach new investigators, while conducting exchanges and splits, and waiting for transfer calls this week. It's been mayhem! But, I'll try to recap this week to the best of my 18-year old ability, haha. Let's do this!
Monday we went to our first Preach My Gospel Teacher Improvement (PMGTI or "Pass off") Brunch at President's house, since I finally passed off my first pamphlet a few weeks ago. Elder Meeks and I did it at the same time, so both Elder Berry and Elder Meeks accompanied us to said divine banquet/brunch. It was DELICIOUS. Sister Morrise made us french toast with bacon, watermelon, strawberries, buttermilk syrup, hash browns, and some super good mango juice. Like, man was it divine! Anyway, we got to talk to President for a while which was cool, and we started to talk about how my dad works as a Production Designer in Hollywood. Turns out he ran into a Korean Film Archive Director on the subway the other day and decided to give me his card! Haha! He said he hopes I get to see his place, and check out some movies! Guess we'll see! :P Later, we found out that President Uchtdorf's favorite movie is School of Rock but.. don't tell him I told you that, haha. However, feel free to like him more than you previously have - that scores some big points! After brunch we hit Costco for my first time in the country, and bought some sweet goods.
Then, Tuesday we had exchanges. Elder Brewer came here around dinner time and we legit hardly did anything all night. He felt super sick, so we just had a long companionship inventory while he lay on our futon with a towel on his head. We talked about our families and girlfriends and stuff, and it was really cool. ..And much needed to be honest. We also played Book of Mormon Battles, this game my mom sent me. So rad! It's like glorified "war" and was a good time. I recommend you play with 4 people though, haha.
Wednesday we unsplit early and met two new investigators: KJH and EHS. KJH met us at Bupyeong High school and walked with us to the church (where we thought we'd be meeting) only to tell us he was busy and that he'd catch us around sometime. ..Wha? Haha. Then, we went all over our area looking for Brother E who told us he was at like three different parks, when we finally found him at an exercise place by our house. So odd. We taught him for 30 minutes and tried to set up a return appointment with little success. That night, we tried to visit a less-active, EYJ, who is super nice, but he wasn't home. Instead, we ran into a guy on the street on the way home who loves missionaries, is from Elder Higham's old area, and is obsessed with Canada. Go figure! Plus, earlier, when we were trying find Brother E, we ran into this French woman who Elder Higham talked to in French forever! He's super good! Apparently, she was lost, looking for her dance studio for Olympic Training. Cool, right? (The Olympic training part, not the whole.. I'm lost, please help me part)
Then, Thursday was Zone Training at Dapdong, which was really good. Elders Berry and Meeks taught me some sweet pen tricks from across the room (I sound like a pretty focused missionary, right? ..Haha they were harder then you'd think! ..Sorry mom.. ) And Elder Witt kept making me bust up laughing, he was being so funny! What a guy. After the meeting I got my "Spider man" package from my other family, the Paul's. It was KILLER! I loved it. Thank you Lou and Pops! And all my homies from the Winder 8th Ward! Your letters really made my day, my week, my month!! Later, we taught EMH and his family, and we felt like we were really getting through to his wife - I feel like they will really progress if we're not scared to teach them and testify.
Then, Friday we met KDN and PGS helped us teach him again! It went really well. We talked about the Plan of Salvation, and he liked it a lot. PGS made a huge sacrifice to be there too, he brought his entire family and was late for a meeting he had. So crazy! He came through big time for us! During the lesson we taught KDN how to tie a tie, and he thought I'd be leaving soon so he bought us some sweet Pizza Hut. Super delish. Then, we taught KHT at 3:30 and had a pretty stiff first lesson - we just need to build more trust. Later, on our way home from the church , our ward mission leader flagged us down and had us walk with him back to the church. He was super concerned about the ward, and the sister missionaries (just wants them to have more success) and how he's supposed to help us. We bounced a ton of ideas off of him. He still seemed down, so, we're gonna kick into gear this week and try to get some ward activities going. To put the soul back in Seoul! ..Er, Bupyeong! Haha. After that, English class was the usual, and just before that we had a less-active member chase us down the street, telling us to come to his shop sometime so he could give us a free windbreaker. ..We'll go this week, I'm sure. ;P Haha.
Saturday we were stood up twice for lessons, and the same thing happened Sunday after I gave another talk in church. I've learned this week that, well, things don't always go as planned, and well, life requires a lot of faith. I can't say much more (time is always against us! hah!) but, Edgar A. Guest says this about faith:

"It is faith that bridges the land of breath
To the realms of the souls departed,
That comforts the living in days of death,
And strengthens the heavy-hearted.
It is faith in his dreams that keeps a man
Face front to the odds about him,
And he shall conquer who thinks he can,
In spite of the throngs who doubt him.
Each must stand in the court of life
And pass through the hours of trial;
He shall be tested by the rules of strife,
And tried for his self-denial.
Time shall bruise his soul with the loss of friends,
And frighten him with disaster;
But he shall find when the anguish ends
That, of all things, faith is master.
So keep your faith in the God above,
And faith in the righteous truth,
It shall bring you back to the absent love,
And the joys of a vanished youth.
You shall smile once more when your tears are dried,
Meet trouble and swiftly rout it.
For faith is the strength of the soul inside,
And lost is the man without it."

..Our business in life isn't to get ahead of others - to have faith that we will come out on top, or in first place - but to simply get ahead of ourselves. To break our own records, to out-do our yesterdays with our todays, to bear our trials and difficulties more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could; to give like we never have given. To do this kind of work, or any kind of work, with more force and a finer finish than ever before. That's the real challenge. To get ahead of ourselves. "So wake up, and do something more, than dream of your mansion above.." 

..Go do something. 

All the love, 
Elder DeMille.

..and yes, I'm still in Bupyeong. ..For life!




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