August 8, 2022 - Daejeon

Dawn of the Final Day - 24 Hours Remain -

Hello everybody! Transfer calls were on Saturday, and if you can't tell from the subject of this email, I am leaving! I will be serving in 충주 [Chungju] with Elder Smith! This transfer was a huge one, but I want to talk about other things that happened this week first, so stay tuned!

This week was busy! We finally finished preparing for the Daejeon Stake english camp! Well, I say 'finished', but there are still details to be ironed out, and because of transfers, many new missionaries need to be trained and informed about what the plan is. The big picture is done, however, and it should be excellent! I won't be here for the actual event, but the preparation should be well worth it (maybe, assuming whoever is there pulls it off)

Normally, when transfers come around, we use the threat that we might be moving to guilt trip our friends into meeting with us often before we leave, but this time around we were actually too busy to do that! Some of our friends that had been too busy found time for us, and friends that we had been meeting briefly began expressing stronger interest in Jesus Christ. We had 6 people attend sacrament, and we surprised them all in person that we would be leaving.

I also had a really sweet member appointment Sunday night with my favorite member family ever. The members here have been extraordinary and so kind to me and my fellow missionaries. The last thing I heard from the members was this families 8-year-old daughter asking if 밥 장로님 (my nickname, meaning Elder Rice) could come back tomorrow to play. I definitely didn't cry, but if I did, it was tears of joy ㅋㅋㅋ

Now, back to transfers. Our district got nuked. Both me and my companion are leaving. Of the 8 missionaries serving in Daejeon, 6 will be leaving. The other Elder companionship is being whitewashed, and there will not be elders coming to replace us in the 1 Ward; only the sisters will remain. Right now, there are more people completing their missions than there are new missionaries coming, so they had to cut a companionship from our district. I'm conflicted and worried for our friends and recent converts. But because many of our friends came to sacrament, we were able to introduce them to the sister missionaries. Our English activity is in jeopardy, but because we were thorough when documenting it, the coming missionaries should be able to get caught up. Many of the stresses and concerns I had since hearing this news have had solutions pop up in the last two days and a busy two days it has been! 

I'm excited for the future of both 대전 (Daejeon) and 충주 (Chungju). I learned so much in 대전. Even though it's my third area, I still consider it my training area, as it's where I learned the most. And even more so, I'm excited to take those things and serve in a new place with new people, new experiences, and more for the Lord for me to do.

I hope you all have an excellent week!

Elder Wardle

Pictures: Baptism in Daejeon, A flashback to my last zone conference with Pres Sargent, A little goofiness, My zone







Location: Daejeon, South Korea

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