A week of complete madness

12/20/15

안녕하세요, 여러분!

This whole week was pretty insane.  Not in a bad way or anything like that.  I was actually super happy this week.  I don't really now why, buy I'm definitely not complaining about it.  Let's see here...

On Sunday, the bishop asked Elder Bradshaw, a super good violin player, to do a musical number for yesterday, and he chose a pretty difficult piece to play.  So, we spent a lot of time at home and he practiced, and I studied Korean mostly, as well as other things.  Monday was P-day, as usual.  We pretty much sat around the house the whole day.  Nothing extremely interesting.  Then, on Tuesday, we had English class, and Elder Bradshaw pretty much practiced the rest of the day. On Wednesday, we had District Meeting, and then we went on exchanges.  I went with the Korean Elder 설현우 (Sol hyeon wu).  We 전오ed around for a little while, and it turns out that my area has approximately five people in it.  Of course, that's an exaggeration, but people are quite scarce here.  Then, we went streetboarding on Thursday after we finished exchanges.  We also met with a member during this streetboarding.  On Friday, we did a little weekly planning, and went to a community center English class, and then Elder Bradshaw practiced this song that he's put at least 6 hours into at the church with the accompanist.  Then, we saw a baptism of an 8 year old member.  It was very special.  Then, on Saturday, everything broke loose.  I pretty much only slept in my area for the past 2 days.  Elder Bradshaw had to go to 의정부 for another Music Night.  It's pretty far away.  So, I actually went to 녹번 with and Elder there, and helped with their English class and their Family Home Evening.  It was actually really fun.  Then we got home at about 10:20 because of some miscommunication at which station we were meeting at to switch back.  Then, on Sunday, we went to church, and bishop told Elder Bradshaw, after all of the work he had put into this song, to choose a different song that was quite as fancy.  Then went back to 녹번 again.  There was a Music Night there as well.  That was fun.  Yep, that was my week.  Thank you all!

Elder Tyler Conley

And, hello, 원당!!

12/13/15

안녕하세요, 여러분!

Well, for the first half of last week, not a whole lot of regular missionary work happened, because, since our area was closing, there was literally nothing effective that we could do, so we just cleaned our house, except for a couple of member meals that we got.  The meals that we got before transfers were pretty insane.  On Monday, for P-day, we ate at a sushi buffet, and then the next day, the previous bishop took us to VIPS, which is a really big fancy buffet, then on Wednesday, our stake president took us to a super high quality meat buffet.  I literally only ate lunch for 4 days straight.  Then, we said goodbye to everyone on Wednesday night, and then it was transfers.  So, I said goodbye to Elder Jarrett, and met my new companion, Elder Bradshaw, and we were off on our way to 원당.  Elder Bradshaw is a super duper good violin player, so he has to do all these music numbers all around Seoul, so I get to come with him for a lot of them!  Yesterday, there was a music night in 일산 that the Sisters from 화양 were also involved in, so it was good to see a familiar face.  But, this week, not a lot of regular missionary work happened at all, because our area was closing the first half of the week, and then we were really busy while I was Elder Bradshaw this last week, so there aren't a whole lot of really cool experiences to report on.  So, sorry.

Till next week!

사랑합니다!

Elder Conley

Bye, bye, 화양 (and Elder Jarrett)!

12/06/15

안녕하세요, 여러분!

This was a fun week.  On Monday, we hiked up a mountain, ("mountain") for an hour or so.  Then it was Tuesday.  Just like any other Tuesday.  Except, we picked up another pastor investigator, who sells coffee and phones and does his service all in the same building.  He was pretty cool.  Then, on Wednesday, we had zone training.  It was a good one.  It was all about Christmas!  I love Christmas!  We talked about a bunch of different ways we can do missionary work that is focused on Christmas.  We also set some really high goals for our stats this month.  After zone training, 이신진 장로님, our office elder, came to us and told us our house was going to be sold, and that our companionship area was closing.  So, I figured out that day that the chances of me actually getting transferred went up to like 85% or something way high like that.  So, we spent most of Thursday cleaning our house, and we met with John again.  Then on Friday we met with our other pastor investigator.  All we really accomplished with that meeting was that our churches were different.  We also street boarded, and talked to people on the street about our new Christmas video and gave out hot chocolate to people.  That was fun as well.  It also marked Elder Jarrett's two year mark, so this last week is an extra one for him. 

Then, it was Saturday.  Transfer call day, but they come at 9 at night.  John and 김성민 both fed us, with lunch and dinner respectively.  They were both very sad to find out that both of us were most likely leaving, and said they probably wouldn't meet with any other missionaries, which is really quite terrible.  Then, we got our calls, and I am going to 원당 (wondang), which is clear outside the other end of Seoul.  It's going to take somewhere around two hours of total travel time to get there.  Then, on Sunday, Elder Jarrett and I, along with Elder Song from our district, gave our goodbye talks in sacrament meeting.  We also took some pictures with ward members, and said goodbye to them.  It was a fun week, that's for sure.  

See you next week, in a different ward!

사랑합니다!

Elder Conley

 Previous bishop, 최일광, (Choi ear gwang)

황인성 (Hwang een sung) and family with me, Elder Song, and Elder Jarrett

When a cold wind blows, it chills you...

11/29/15

안녕하세요, 여러분!

Yes, it actually got a little cold this week.  I actually had to wear... gloves!!!  Wow!  But, today, we are going hiking up a small "mountain", and I'm wearing just shorts and a t-shirt, just like old times.  Fun, fun, fun!  

Nowadays, Elder Jarrett is just about dead.  When missionaries die, that means they go home.  He is going home pretty soon.  He only has until next week, on December 11th, then he's gone forever.  ㅠ  ㅠ  I'm going to miss him a whole lot.  On Tuesday, our zone and another zone all went to the temple, where Elder Jarrett gave his 마지막 말씀 (final speech).  I didn't actually cry, like I thought I might, but it was pretty heartbreaking. 

Sister Lenhart, Sister Lynn, Elder Jarrett, Me, and Elder Carmen

And then, the day got pretty fun.  The mission leadership had a meeting, and I didn't need to go, so I got to go on splits with Elder Paulsen.  For those of you who don't know Elder Paulsen, he's a pretty silly guy.  He was in the MTC at the same time as I was, just coming in a transfer later.  So, there we were, two greenies, out to conquer Korea on our own.  Just kidding, we just 전도ed the whole time.  But it was pretty fun, because neither of us really know Korean at all yet, so it was pretty interesting.  We met one guy who just talked our ears off about the difference between Korea and America, and how everyone's busy in Korea, and a whole bunch of stuff that I really don't know at all.  Then, we had to go meet the other leadership people at a subway station, and our day was over.

With Elder Paulsen

On Wednesday, we had district meeting.  It was for missionary work during Christmas, so Elder Jarrett and I went all out, and got a tree and lights from the basement, and we had the Sisters draw pictures on the board.  It was pretty fun.  Elder Jarrett and I wore matching Christmas ties, which was pretty cute.  Then, we went on exchanges with the zone leaders.  I stayed in 화양 with Elder Lundberg.  He is the trunkiest person I have ever met in my life.  He is so ready to go home.  But, with him, I finished my studies, and went to English class.  Then, on Thursday, we had to exchange back early, because the zone leaders had a 식사 that they had to go to, so we switched back at 1.  So, Elder Lundberg and I said to each other, "It was fun to do studies with you!"  That is, besides English class, the only thing we did together.  Then, for Thanksgiving, Elder Jarrett and I, with the other Elders, went to a meat buffet.  Also, on Thursday, our ward mission leader had me give Elder Jarrett a priesthood blessing.  It was a cool experience.  It felt a little backwards, because, since he's my trainer, he's sometimes called my father, and I'm his son, but I was giving him a blessing, so it seemed backwards.  But it was cool.  Then, it was Friday, and nothing happened besides weekly planning.  

Then, on Saturday, we had English class, and then a ward activity that we had planned.  We had the members bring food for snacks, and we all watched Ephraim's Rescue together with Korean subtitles.  I would label it a success.  Pretty much everyone there was crying, and Korean people really don't ever cry.  It was impressive.  It was a cool thing to do for them.  They all really liked it.  Then it was Sunday.  I was really tired.  It was the primary program yesterday, and it was really cute.  But, I was so tired, that I actually fell asleep for about ten seconds, before a member woke me up.  And then, in gospel principles, we talked about eternal marriage.  That was fun...  It was all missionaries, except for one recent convert.  It was kind of awkward.  

Yep, that's the week that I had.  Thank you all for supporting me and all that stuff!!

사랑합니다!

Elder Tyler Conley

Kimchi-making service project

11/22/15

안녕하세요, 여러분!

This was a pretty good week.  It was pretty low as far as stats go, but it was a pretty fun week.  

We had P-day on Monday,  and we went to a cool palace!  My camera was dead, so I do not have any pictures.  I can see if my companion has some, but we will see.  It seems to rain every single P-day now, or at least it has for the last three weeks, including today.  

On Tuesday, we did 김장, which is kimchi-making.  It was for a big service project, so there were a ton of missionaries there, as well as a  bunch of people from other organizations.  I didn't actually make the kimchi, I just moved boxes full of kimchi, which was still fun.  Then, we studied.  Because I am a greenie, I need to study for four hours a day, so that blew out our whole afternoon.  Then, we had a 식사(meal) with a member of the ward with the whole district.  The ward seems to like us better now that we can have the whole district at a meal together...  We taught them about temples, and apparently the man of the house, who is the first counselor in the stake presidency, is really into temples, so that was pretty cool.  

On Wednesday, we had district meeting and English class, and between those and studies, the whole day was gone, except for one hour, where we were able to 전도.  Then, I went on exchanges with Elder Carmen from that night until Thursday afternoon.  English class got over so late that we had to get home super fast, and we barely made it home by 9:30.  

On Thursday, with Elder Carmen, we met with 이동진, who is a less active member who got into a car accident, so he is now pretty handicapped.  We read the simple Book of Mormon Stories book with him, and just talk with him a little bit.  After that, and after we had finished our exchange, we had Missionary Correlation Meeting with 강민수, who is our ward mission leader.  He had Elder Jarrett bear a testimony for the spiritual message, and I sort of almost cried.  I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow, when he gives his final testimony at the temple.  

On Friday, we had weekly planning, and then I went and passed off LPP with the zone leaders.  So, I was cooped up inside for the whole day.  But, I passed, so I have LPP with the AP's this Friday, and then I get the Certified Teacher achievement!  

On Saturday, we had English class again.  That night, we had a huge Music Night activity with our stake, but there were a bunch of missionaries from other zones there and stuff, so who knows what it was.  It was a great activity.  There was a lot of piano, some opera, and even a little Greenday!  I feel kind of guilty about listening to that last one, but it was also really sweet.  Our mission president was even clapping along with it and stuff, so I guess it's okay ;)  

Then, it was Sunday, and we had church and then studies, and then it was time to go to bed again.  Wow.  

Also, I guess it's been over four months since I left on my mission, so that's cool.

Bye Bye, everyone!

Love,

Elder Tyler Conley

The offering Tyler took to his zone leaders when he went for language pass-offs.

A comic Elder Jarrett's mom sent to him.  Elder Jarrett's going home on Dec. 11.

There are six of them in there already!

11/15/15

안녕하세요, 여러분!

We had a pretty fun week this week.  A good amount of stuff happened.  On Monday, we 전도ed around 광나루, which is a rich area next to the river.  It's pretty far away, so we weren't able to get to the whole area, but we met some cool people.  On Tuesday, we had a house check by the senior couple.  It was pretty fun, because Elder Cannon said, "I guess we'd better see if your oven works or not..." and then he made us some chocolate chip cookies in it.  We have never even used our oven before, so it was really awesome.  I really miss chocolate chip cookies.  Also on Tuesday, we were able to do a 식사 (a member meal) with all of the missionaries in our district with the stake president (which is legal now, because they changed the rule where you can only have one team at a 식사).  The stake president is super cool.  He pretty much grew up in America, so he's fluent in both English and Korean.  But, we only spoke Korean there with him.  It was fun.  We taught him the Restoration as a message, and it was a very spiritual experience. 

Our Stake President-김현수, Elder Ellingford, Elder Song(송현빈), SP's wife-홍성미, Elder Jeong(정영기), Sister Lynn, Elder Jarrett, Sister Lenhart, Elder Carmen, Me

On Wednesday, it was Pepero day!!!  빼빼로 대이!  Pepero is a cookie stick type of thingy that's pretty good, and on Pepero day, you give some to the people that you love.  So, my companion/district leader got a whole bunch and gave it to the district at district meeting.  Of course, he said I was his favorite on his little note to me.  On Thursday, I went on exchanges with Elder 정영기.  He is Korean, and he is not terribly good at English.  We met with John that day, so we taught him bilingually.  Then, when we were closing our exchange, Elder Jeong said something like, "Because I could serve with you today, I'm tickled pink!" and I kind of totally just lost it.  He's a pretty funny guy.  On Friday, we were able to make kimchi.  Pretty much, we just salted cabbage and let it sit out for a nice long while.  It smelled wonderful.  Then, on Saturday, we were able to meet with a new investigator.  His name is Leon.  He is super awesome.  He reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy wants to find the truth, so he had tons of questions to ask us.  He's already read most of the Book of Mormon, so all he really needs to do now is to pray about it.  He is really cool.  He was born in Singapore, and raised in Canada, so his accent in English is super duper weird.  It's understandable, but strange.  I think he will get baptized pretty soon.  

Just before email today, I was able to pass off my last lesson in Korean to my district leader.  Now, I have to do pass of with the zone leaders, so I called them to schedule an appointment.  We were joking around, and they asked me how many goats and pigs I was going to bring for the sacrifices.  I asked if cows were okay, and they told me that cows are a little too big to fit in their house.  My response was, "Are you kidding?  There are six of them in there already!"  So, I might get an automatic fail on my pass-off but I think it was kind of worth it :)

That's all this week!  Thank You!!!!!!

Elder Tyler Conley

An additional story he sent to me, plus pictures of his apartment:

I have a story that happened last night.  Since Elder Jarrett is the district leader, he needs to get stats from all of the missionaries in our district.  When he called the sisters, they wouldn't answer, it even sounded like they were rejecting our calls.  We tried a whole lot of times, then asked the zone leaders to try.  Both the zone leaders and the sister training leader called, but they got the same response.  Elder Jarrett and I are pretty worried at this point, so we called President Sonksen.  We told him what happened, and he didn't say anything except, "I'll get the AP's on it" and then hung up.  It was pretty stinking sketchy.  Our area has a small history of strange stalker people for the sisters, so we were sore afraid.  Elder Kang, our AP, told us to go to their house and see if they were home.  We rushed over there, and they were home, and the only problem was that their phone was broken.  Elder Jarrett and I were a little put off by that being the problem.  Anyway, today, we found out that Elder Kang told the zone leaders that, if they weren't at home, the whole zone would have to go out and look for them.  They pretty much freaked the whole mission out.  It was a little scary, but it's over now.  I told Elder Jarrett, "Whoever can freak me out that much deserves a medal."

 Small kitchen, plus Elder Jarrett

"The bathroom's weird, because it's like the whole bathroom is the shower, so in the mornings, before the shower dries out, we have to take off our pants and stuff before we go to the bathroom, because it's all wet!"

 Bedroom/Study

Drying room

Relatively Boring Week, Sorry!

11/08/15

This is by 아차산, our local mountain.

This week was, indeed, quite boring.  I was only able to teach one lesson the whole week.  Elder Jarrett was able to teach another when we were on exchanges.  That's right, we did exchanges this week.  I went over with Elder Ellingford to his house, and partied it up with the Korean elders.  Party is probably not the right word, but it was a fun exchange.  We were only able to do studies and 전도 for the whole day, though, but we were able to 전도 to a different part of our area that I had never been to, so that was cool.  Elder Ellingford is a really awesome missionary.  He is a master of enduring to the end.  He didn't downright say this, but I think that he hasn't had such a good pick with his companions.  He's been in for over a year now, and a lot of his companions haven't been very good for him.  But he is one of the most awesome people I know.  That was a fun exchange.  

My only lesson this week was with 김성민.  He is super duper nice.  We talked to him about prayer and faith, and then gave him a super weak baptismal commitment, because he's very reluctant to talk about the gospel.  But, it was apparently too weak, because it kind of just blew over.  He still wants to meet with us, though.  I am super excited for him, because I do believe he will get baptized eventually.  I think Elder Jarrett will have gone home before that, but hopefully it will be when I'm still in 화양.  Also, there is something about me that Korean people just love.  The old bishop and the Modelizer guy (Modelizer is just a burger place in our area) both know enough English to say, "I like you."  김성민, whenever he meets with us, says, "내가콘리장로볼때, 항상웃게되다!" which means, "Whenever I see Elder Conley, it always makes me smile!"  He's a really funny guy.

We also had a change in our bishopric yesterday.  The old bishop's final talk was really sad and touching.  He was pretty much crying the whole time, and Korean men don't ever cry.  So, pretty much the entire congregation was crying.  

That's all for this week, sorry.  

사랑합니다!

Elder Conley