October 1, 2015

Annyeong haseyo, family!

Wow, this is it. Nine weeks at the MTC are coming to a close; then the next big adventure begins. We all received our flight plans and Korean name tags last weekend, and we all kind of just stood there and stared at them. All of a sudden, that fact that I will be in Korea in a few days became so real. Our first flight leaves from Salt Lake at about 9:50am headed to Seattle. We have THIRTY MINUTES from the time we land in Seattle until our next flight leaves for Seoul, so that will be my workout for the day. We will arrive in Seoul at 3:15pm their time (about midnight in Utah time). Then we have a two hour layover before catching our one hour flight into Busan. So that will be a loooooong day. I have to be at the MTC travel office at 4:30 am on Monday morning, so I'm not sure when I will be able to call you. I'm guessing it will be after 7ish, so be on the lookout.

Flight plans

Needless to say, it's been an exciting week. Yesterday was my last normal day at the MTC. All day tomorrow is in-field orientation, then Conference on Saturday and Sunday. I am SO EXCITED for Conference! I think that's one of the things missionaries look forward to most. The entire MTC watches Conference together in the giant assembly hall. Dedicated building, thousands of missionaries, the reality of Korea sinking in... it will be a good time. Not to mention the fact that we will get three new apostles (which hasn't happen for over a hundred years) I have a feeling that this General Conference is going to be a big one... And I'll get to watch it twice in a row because they watch it a week later in Korea. Twice the blessings :)

Something weird happened this morning: I went to print off emails and saw that I had an email from Nicholas Curtis saying that he would be at the MTC in about 30 minutes to help with the Danish class. I couldn't believe it! He comes to the MTC two days after I leave, so I thought I wouldn't get to see him for two years! I met him out in front of the MTC and got to talk for a few minutes (I'll attach a picture). It was definitely a tender mercy. Seeing my brothers who are leaving on missions or are here at the MTC is such a joyful experience. My "brethren in the Lord..."

Which brings me to my next point. Elder Dalley left for Washington on Tuesday! On Monday night Elder Romney and I went to his dorm to wish him off. It was bittersweet. I am so happy we got to be at the MTC together for a couple of weeks. The very next morning, I read again Alma's experience of seeing the sons of Mosiah, and this time a different verse caught my eye. Alma and the sons of Mosiah all depart and go their separate ways, "trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest." (Alma 17:13) I'm so excited for all my missionary friends going their separate ways, and I trust in the Lord that after the best 2 years, I'll see all the people I love again. But for now, I know my work is here.

I have been pondering my MTC experience and have come up with a (long) list of things I learned in my nine weeks here. They have been the hardest nine weeks of my entire life, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Here are, I think, some of the most important things I have learned at the MTC:

First and foremost, I have learned to calm and focus my busy mind. So many unfocused thoughts flying in every direction, but now they have one focus and one direction.

I have learned to have an eternal perspective.

I have learned how to endure.

I have gained a HUGE testimony of fasting. It works, people.

I have learned to forgive and love unconditionally.

I have learned to accept God's will and God's timing.

I have become more aware of who I am, who I'm supposed to be for the next 22 months, and who I am supposed to be for the rest of my life.

I have learned to use my words.

And perhaps most importantly, I have learned to recognize when God is speaking to me, and I have come to really know my Savior

Notice how Korean wasn't on the list? Just kidding, I've learned TONS of Korean. My English is really suffering because of it, so forgive my typos and grammatical errors. I am so excited to get out there and speak this language. I try to spend some time every day speaking to the native Koreans in the classroom next to us, and I can actually communicate with them! It will take a lonnnnng time before it's comfortable and easy, but I can, for the most part, get by. Although, Busan has a crazy accent, and when Brother Memmott decides to speak using the Busan accent, I can't understand anything he's saying. Asa! The literal translation for "it takes time" in Korean is "time is medicine." So, I'm going to need a large prescription (haha, jokes).

There's been some pretty hilarious and embarrassing language mistakes made in the past few weeks. A couple of Elders in my district tried to tell their mock investigator to "pray about her desires" but accidentally told her to "pray about her death." While I was bearing testimony to a member who didn't speak English during my second week here, he started laughing half way through my testimony. Literal tears in his eyes. And I still don't know what I said. At times like that, you just have to laugh with them. It's all part of the experience :)

President Perriton, our branch president, came to talk to our district and do departure interviews. He said some very inspiring things and told us amazing stories. He said that every single large decision he has made over the course of his life he can relate back to his decision to serve a mission. In his words, "You will measure the rest of you life based on how you served as a missionary." I believe it. I know that choosing to serve a mission is locking the trajectory of my life heavenward.

Here's my final thought before I leave for Korea for a few months. I found this quote by President Ezra Taft Benson in a 1979 BYU address. It's a little long, but READ IT. 

"For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. True, there will be some individuals who will fall away but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head—even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God.

All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. Now is the great day of the devil’s power, with the greatest mass murderers of all time living among us. But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power, with the greatest number ever of priesthood holders on the earth. And the showdown is fast approaching."

I know with absolute certainty that this is His work. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is coming again--just as He visited the Nephites in days of old and walked the streets of Jerusalem, He is coming again. As President Benson said, "the showdown is fast approaching." This is the generation that will welcome their Savior back to the earth, "for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God." I hope that instills, in some portion, a sense of duty. We have the great responsibility of making these truths known, and I can hardly believe how blessed I am that I get to share this message in Korea.

It's all true. If you don't know that yet, then I invite you to find out.

I love you all,

Elder Sorensen

Elders Romney, Elder Sorensen and one of their
two amazing Korean teachers, Sister Jackson