October 25, 2021 - Gimje/Jeongeup

 Its 시골 Time


Wow, has it been a crazy week! First of all, I provided incorrect information in my last update. Part of that is because I can't spell, and the other part is that President Sargent pranked me and my companion. He said that me and my new companion would be reopening 정읍 (Jeongeup), (which I spelled wrong last week), but that is only partially true. We are actually covering both 정읍 (Jeongeup) and 김제 (Gimje), and will be living in 김제 (Gimje). We will be serving alongside a sister companionship that has been here for 2 transfers and who live in 정읍 (Jeongeup). This is the most countryside area in the mission according to the sisters (남원 (Namwon) is more south, but they say this is even more country). It feels a bit like moving from New York City to Vernal, Utah; it's a big change! There is no online information for the busses around here, so if you want to take a bus somewhere, you just walk to a bus stop, and pray. The two areas we are covering aren't close enough to use the bus system either, so we have to take a train which limits us to traveling with the train schedule. 

The good news is that COVID rules around here are very lax. Technically they still exist, so we aren't doing street contacting, but the 김제 (Gimje) ward sacrament meeting is only in person, no online! To be fair, that's easier when your entire ward is 10 people, but it's great to be able to meet with people in person without a looming "you shouldn't do this cause COVID" cloud above our heads.

The bad news is that our apartment hadn't been lived in for who knows how long, and was filthy. One of the walls was rotting out and covered in black mold. It has taken the entire week to get the cleaning done on top of meetings and moving and meeting members, and we still aren't all the way done yet. But many of the Elders in the area came by to help us clean on Wednesday, and I also got to see everyone at the various other meetings I attended, and it was really fun! Three of the other missionaries in my zone are from the group that arrived with me, so it was really fun to catch up with them.

It's been really busy and really fun getting to know the members out here! I understand even less of what people say here because everyone has a heavy southern countryside accent. Even my Korean companion has a hard time understanding people here sometimes! But if there is any environment for me to quickly learn Korean and other missionary skills, it's here, because I am going to need those skills to survive! I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for the people living in 김제 (Gimje) and 정읍 (Jeongeup), and I am going to do my best to be a tool in his hands!

화이팅! 
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Elder Wardle












Location: Gimje-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea

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