Elder Scott Snell:

July 20, 2009
This week after a flash flood here in Gimhae it is still cloudy and they are still sweeping up the dirt from all of the mud slides off of the hill. We woke up Thursday morning to the wind howling and the buckets pouring. It was the worst one I have seen since I came to Korea. Our investigator didn't drink coffee for a whole day. It was really cool. We weren't even planning to teach her the Word of Wisdom but she asked us why we don't drink coffee so we taught her and tried to commit her to a week but she said that it would be really hard so we started with a day. She made it and we are going to work on longer this week. It is really cool, our other investigator, we taught the Plan of Salvation to and she really liked the part about teaching people in the spirit world, so we brought up the part about doing family history in our church and it lit a fire underneath her. They are both doing really well, we have some other investigators and we are going to start meeting with a new family that I am really pumped for. I really don't want to transfer out of here.

Today we are headed up to an ancient ruins on a hill above our area and took some cool pictures. It is over cast so it is not too hot.
Elder Snell

July 26, 2009
Kim Teh Jaw (김태자)is a really cool investigator and she is really progressing. She sent her son to church yesterday. She would have come but she had to work on Sunday. Her son had a lot of fun and our young men were really nice to him. He had a little trouble enjoying sacrament but he is only 13 so that is understandable. I give the kid props for even coming. He is also going to a youth camp that they are having this weekend so that is awesome. We also had two other investigators out to church so yesterday was a really good day for all of us her in Gimhae. One is Mr Lee, he is a lot of fun, he is an older man who has a little trouble with the Word a Wisdom. The Branch President pulled him in to his office and talked to him about it. I think that it will really help him. That is the only thing keeping him from getting baptized. Also our other investigator, Pak ha na (박한나) came which almost blew me out of the water. She really loves God but doesn't always agree with her Pastor. She is also doing really well. We are meeting with a new family and the mom of a member who is waiting for his mission call. We have been teaching him out of Preach My Gospel. Its been like our own little mission prep thing. Anyway, after weeks of practicing we are going to teach his mom the Plan of Salvation. I really love the Plan of Salvation and the blessings it brings us in our lives. I thank God that we have a knowledge of this wonderful plan. I really hope that she likes it, pray for us. As you can see, the work is taking off here in Korea and I love it. I really don't want to leave Gimhae. This Friday I will find out if I am leaving or staying and whether I get a new companion or not. Elder Sprosty really has been a good comp and a lot of fun. We actually didn't have our first fight until this morning, it was over a Board Game called Settlers of Zarahemla. After the game we both realized that it was our first fight and we had a good laugh about it. It has been a lot of fun. Last week we had an interesting experience that I forgot to tell you about, we were street contacting and we ran into a pastor that was doing the same thing as us and we sat down and had a talk with him. It was really awesome. We talked for like an hour. He first started showing us pictures of the second coming (he even had a copy of ours) then he said that God is judging people right now and we were a little confused so we started talking about the tsunami that hit a couple years ago and killed thousands of people. He said that all of the people were horrible, horrible people that were smoking, drinking, fornicating, and just plain out sinning. The tsunami was God judging them just like when he sent the flood in the time of Noah or when he allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed. Then he got on the topic of the Jews and he said the Jews are the worst people in the world. We asked him why he says that, he showed us 1 John 2:22. He said that Christ said the Jews are the worst people in the world. We were a little confused because it doesn't say that in 1 John 2:22. Then he asked us what we have to do in order to obtain salvation. We told him the basics. Faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end which includes keeping the commandments. Then he asked us what the commandments are. We started naming a few and he stopped us and said, No there are only two commandments and he quoted when Christ said that you need to love God and love your neighbor. We said yes those are commandments but if you look closely Christ was asked which of the commandments are the most important and he answered with those two. He said yes you're right and then we started mentioning when Christ said other things like honor your parents and forgive others and he kept agreeing with us. Then he went on a rampage screaming FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE. Then we asked him if calling the Jews the worst people in the world because the ones that were alive when Christ was killed denied Christ and took part in his crucifixion was forgiving others. He kinda stopped and looked at us and I think he was really thrown back by that statement and we were able to teach a little to him but we had to go cuz it was almost nine so I tried to get his phone number so we could meet him later and he was like just come to my church. So I asked him what church, now this was after I had already tried to ask him about three times during our conversation and he would just say it was a church and that it wasn't the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian, Catholic or any of those churches but wouldn't tell me the name. I was starting to wonder if this dude went to our Church, but he wouldn't ever tell me just kind of awkwardly changed the subject by banting on about something else. Well, we had to leave and I finally got his number and said we'd come to his church and we could meet. So I asked him where it was and what name and he said it didn't have a name yet, that he had just made it..... Uh yeah. I couldn't stop laughing after we left cause the whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. I thought it would be a lot harder to stump a Pastor but this guy was pretty easy. We are still trying to find a time where we can both meet.

Aug 9, 2009
I went to another religion church yesterday and it was a really cool experience. We have an investigator who is Presbyterian and she has come to church the last three weeks but she still goes to her church so just jokingly she invited us to her church. I don't think she really thought we would come. But I have always wanted to go to another church just to see. So we waited for her in front of her church and I thought she was going to fall off her bike. It was pretty funny. We walked in with her and one of the Elders of her church read my comps name tag and was like wait are these Mormons? We told him yes and he was like I am sorry they cant go in. Our investigator asked why it was a free entrance thing and apparently everyone was welcome why not us. He went off about what our real purpose was and how we come to steal there kids and take them to our church. Needless to say my comp and I didn't like the fact that this guy was bashing us right in front of our faces so Elder Sprosty started talking. I had to calm him down and our investigator explained how she just wanted to show us how they worshiped. He finally let us in and he told us we were not allowed to proselyte or talk to anyone. We smiled told him thank you and went in. While we were walking up the stairs we heard him say to someone, they understood what I was saying. I think he felt like an idiot. Man it was completely different. When we came the whole congregation was standing with there hands in the air sing. It was just like something out of a movie. They were clapping and singing shouting amen and hallelujah. It was really quite entertaining to watch it all. I quite interesting. Then the Pastor got up and talked about temptation and how if when we fast if we are hungry it is really not fasting. That when Jesus fasted for 40 days he wasn't hungry. It was a little off but not too bad of a sermon. When we ended all of the church elders got these bags and went around and picked up the Pastors pay check (tithing). As we were walking out one of the ladies asked our investigator where we were from and she gave her the hand and told her she would talk to her later, that she had to send us off well. It was really quite funny. She apologized for the way her church members acted and after we left she said she went and rip on them for ten minutes for how they acted. Then she came to our church. It was quite the experience.
Other then that and three investigators out to church it was just a lot of meetings this week. The first week in the transfer is always full of meetings for Zone Leaders. It is fun but it wears on you. I am really tired today. We decided to have a lazy Pday and stay home.
I love you all and miss you. Elder Snell

August 17, 2009
Today we climbed up the mountain and we ran around on a wall and came back down. It was a beautiful view of Gimhae. It is a lot of apartments and not much else but it is still beautiful. As we were hiking up the hill and we were able to get out of the city for a little bit I felt like I was back at home. The smell and the cool breeze. Minus the bamboo trees, humidity, and the Buddhist temple at the top it would have been home. I really have grown to love Korea and the scenery almost as much as the people. This week we had English class and met some really cool people. Nothing extremely exciting but just normal missionary work stuff. We got ready for the surprise party that we will be throwing for our mission President. He will be turning the big 60 (six o). He really doesn't look it or act it most of the time. He is a hoot. He has been a really great Mission President.

I am on splits now with Elder Tanner. He is a greeny from Eagle, Idaho. He is a fellow spud and this is his first split. I feel honored almost. Oh did I tell you that I got Acupuncture? Our investigator said she wanted to meet us some where and to bring our bikes. Well we did and she ended up taking us to an Asian style Doctor. It was a lot of fun and a good experience. It wasn't the back covered in needles thing you see on the TV but just a couple. The Doctor thinks I have kidney problems and now my investigator is worried about me. I think I am fine but she wants me to go in three times a week and get treated. Yeah like I have time for that. I told my mission president about it and he said not to worry about it. Our investigator was a little disappointed that I wouldn't do it.