February 2012

The Pats are in ANOTHER SuperBowl?! 이럴수가? (What the heck?) Oh well, go Giants. Like LAST time. 'Sokay, I guess that means my care for football has always been more on the commercials anyway. Still, good to know things are going well haha.

About the flash drive and the card.......I don't really care. In fact if you want you could even send both :D that way I'll be able to have all my pics on me AND be able to send home. My reasoning is Elder Yoo keeps wanting to see earlier pictures of my mission, but......he's probably going to transfer from here next week so maybe....I dunno. I'll know on Thursday (already) what's happening. He thinks I'm getting a younger companion and going District Leader. We'll see. Oh, just an FYI (you already know the drill) because it's transfer week if he transfers we both have to go to Busan and I'm going to probably end up not being able to email until the next day. Just so's ya know.

Another "what the heck?" has to be thrown at those 5th graders. Like.......stealing doesn't surprise me because kids are stupid, but.......blackmail? Seriously, just who in the heck does he think he is? Glad to see he's going to have to fess up, hopefully it'll help him see the light. Because I'm seeing more and more punishment doesn't help if they don't see why what they did was wrong. Maybe it's because I'm thinking more along the lines of repentance now. After all that's all it is....seeing the error of your ways and making amends somehow. Hopefully the kid gets the point.

Anyway things on my end are a little better now. Elder Yoo is pretty good at fleshing out problems and it doesn't feel like anyone in the district is really satisfied with the way things are going so......one more week.

Beau writes me every so often to let me in on what's going on, but I was unaware of what he was going to name his daughter.

I'm getting updates from the Josh's....in fact it's kinda funny because I got a message from Johnson with the first line being "Leadership problems?" Seems I'm not alone haha.

I'm getting more mail finally haha. It's been a fairly decent week for mail, so I'm pretty pleased. Elder Yoo asked me how I've managed to keep people writing me throughout my mission.......to be perfectly frank I'm not sure how I've done it myself. I'd heard from numerous sources that once you hit your year mark in the country the letters just cease. Maybe it'll happen sooner or later (although I can't say I WANT that) Not sure what to think there.

This week we finally met the missionary mom investigator, and I learned the reason she doesn't come out to church more often is because of the fact that she goes to the city of 김해 (Gimhae) every weekend....so we committed her to go to church out there if she gets the chance. Which is probably better, there's more people, closer to her age. Out here we have two young families, an older American couple, a number of youth, and a Cambodian sister who is actually hoping to leave on a mission. So......yeah, not much going for her sadly. But she's really amazing, and has a unique love for hymns and the songs in the primary song book. Oh, she's a piano teacher by the way, and it was really fun, we just sang songs with her. She's going to get baptized eventually, I can just tell. I actually met her son in the MTC and he's......awesome, and has an amazing testimony (like, when he got baptized he set to work straightaway on improving his English so he could read books written by the church leaders that haven't been translated yet, and he's fluent)

There's your spiritual uplift for the week.....I really hope things are going well for you on that end in that department. I keep hearing about how well you're doing from other sources so on the outside people can see the changes within you, but I'm hoping you realize it yourself. It's something Elder Yoo has kinda taught me....you have to be able to see the good that other people see in you; something I do but I don't....like, I refuse to believe I'm anything special (in a weird way......you already know that though)

Guess there's always something to learn, and I'm thankful that this time my lesson doesn't involve me being emotionally damaged like earlier on in my mission.

So I wish I had more time to write but we're going to have our district P Day today. I'm a little skeptical, but whatever...it's just because I dont' want to do any unnecessary travel, and we have to go to 통영 (TongYoung), which is a long way away, just to turn around and do it again on Wednesday for district meeting. The only thing I don't like about this place.......like Declo/Burley.....EVERYTHING IS SO FAR AWAY!

But whatever, outside of that things are good :D

Anyways, hope you have a good week. See you soon!

Love

Aaron

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사랑 보내셨으니까 감사합니다! 사랑해요!

Elder Cahoon in Korea. November 2010 to November 2012

Sister Howerton's Blog from Korea

This is the link to the Howerton's blog.  They are just finishing a Senior Mission in South Korea.  Aaron was lucky enough to meet these wonderful people and be treated like family in their home.  I hope that they know how much this blog has meant to all the friends, and family of the missionaries in their area.  They are wonderful people!
http://howertonkoreanmission.blogspot.com/2012/01/holiday-times.html

December 11, 2011

Hi mom!

Okay, be forewarned that I don't have a lot of time so I'm going to try to cram as much into this as possible with as short a time as I have, so.....here we go.

First of all yes I DO actually get to see the pictures that you send but the videos don't seem to be working. I don't really know why, but they're not making the transfer.

Second.....I don't think the office is holding packages anymore....yeah, my district leader just got like 3 in the mail last week so....I think that it got too big for what they were going to do or something haha.

Third...phone call....I will be calling Christmas Day your time, but at what TIME I'm not sure since there are three of us that have to call and Elder Olsen has a lot of PEOPLE to call since his family doesn't live all in Alaska (he said he has a sibling in every time zone) So we'll plan that out and I'll email you about it next week. And if not, just be home (don't go ANYWHERE) between the hours of about 3 PM and midnight (I don't REALLY know when but just a ballpark, it'll be afternoon or evening) Oh, we will NOT be able to Skype. We got news from the Seventy that that is NOT "appropriate" or something.....makes sense, because there's no telling how the missionary would end up emotionally, that or the parents. We're supposed to make it so that it doesn't distract us from the work, but I'm not really sure what that entails. All I know is it means no Skype, which.....I don't have too much of an opinion on anyway. You'll see me next year ;)

Oh, but we got a problem......about me going home early. Turns out that people have to get PERMISSION from the Seventy to do so and they have to have a good reason, and apparently having no future (at least nothing prepared for it) doesn't count as a good reason. At least that's my interpretation, I'm going to talk to Pres in the next interview and see.

At any rate....it means you can save your money and we can do something over Christmas break next year assuming time allows.

Oh, don't worry, I'm rather upset about it myself, but yeah, I'll talk to Pres about it and see what HE considers a "good reason" (other missionaries have told me that preparing for college might not be considered good enough)

I dunno, I'll see what's up then.

That's really sad to hear about Clark's mom....give him my regards and say my prayers are with him and his family.

So....a story, we were at a local university that we sometimes go and proselyte at, and we were meeting with our potential investigator in the International Building, and as we were leaving this rather large Korean guy comes up to us and identifies us in English as missionaries, and then starts asking who we were and what we were looking for there. The three of us looked at each other with the expression of "Crap!" because we thought he was going to kick us out.

Well, he wasn't.

Turns out A. His friend had an English question, and B. He had gospel questions.

So we cleared up his friend's question and taught them a little about the restoration of the gospel. He had a LOT of questions but he said he wouldn't mind meeting again, and I'm sure his friend would too, since she later texted us and said that she did really well on her English speaking test because of the help we gave her. Which was cool, it was like the icing on the cake haha.

Also a less active that we tried to visit a few weeks ago has been coming consistently for two weeks and bringing her little granddaughter, who seems to be LOVING primary. I looked at them at sacrament meeting and the granddaughter was devouring a "Friend" which is the kid magazine the church does.

We're planning on talking to her and seeing if we can teach the granddaughter (since she's technically going to be a convert since her parents aren't members and she's going to church with her grandmother (lives with her actually))

Here's hoping.

That's about all that's going on here right now, I'll try to have more to write next week (as well as sending a Christmas card because I FINALLY FOUND SOME! Turns out they're not displayed in obvious places but they ARE EVERYWHERE. It's even in Korean so it's proof that I'm actually here haha.

Hope all is going well for you, and I hope this new calling you have will help you. Nothing helps church attendance and progression of a less active or recent convert quite like an assignment (says so in Preach My Gospel) And also friends work well too, but we've got THAT one covered, right? Haha.

Anyway, I need to get going, until next week!

Love,
Aaron

December 4, 2011

Re: December 4, 2011

Sunday, December 4, 2011 8:10 PM

Message body

Hey Mom,

It's been a MUCH better week than last week. It started out kinda rocky because we got rained on, and rain in Korea is...really bad. As a missionary, as a normal person it's actually pretty cool.

But anyway, our fridge has been acting up and it just so happens that it's a Samsung fridge. How is this relevent? Well, I'll tell you. We have a member named 김성대 (Kim, Sung Dae) who works for Samsung and because of his schedule he's been forced to kinda go less active. So we got permission for him to fix our fridge and we were able to have dinner with him and kinda talk to him about church and he said he would try to come within the next few weeks if his schedule lets up. Which is awesome :D

Another one happened with another less active, we went to try to visit to just kinda talk at the door and she wasn't home so we left her a message card on her door. Well, she saw it and she was at church with her little granddaughter this week!

ANOTHER member actually mentioned in her testimony yesterday our dropping by her house and leaving her and her family cookies.

And in all that I'm learning one thing....I'm in a branch full of either single middle aged women or part member families where only the wife goes to church...some of them actually have missionaries out.

In other words, I'm in a branch where about a third of the members are my mother.

This dawned on me when we went with the sister missionaries in the area next to ours to visit our recent convert who is doing AWESOME, and she's having faith building experience after faith building experience, all of them clearly blessings because her daughter is on a mission. I was really reminded of you when we talked to her.

So....remember how I mentioned I was gaining weight again in Daegu? Well, guess what? The pants you sent are STILL LOOSE! I mean I can't go any tighter or else it will destroy my thighs but.....yeah! Do you know what this means? I have a smaller waist than I did in 7TH GRADE!

It's clearly because I'm actually eating healthy (as opposed to starving myself)

Kinda strange to think that yesterday was Krissy's birthday....I had barely even realized it before I looked at my calendar and asked myself what was so important that day. Dang....I've been out a while.

As far as the ring goes, yeah, it's a pinky ring. But that's fine, I can still technically wear it (the only rule against it is wearing it on the thumb).....and it's kinda funny to look at all the sister missionaries with rings on their index fingers. That's why I don't feel bad about wearing it as a pinky ring.

Not really sure about people to mention for Christmas cards but I'll probably check again later to be sure....people have emailed me and I probably should print those off so I can write responses (dang it)

Oh, we also met the French people because it was one of their birthdays but unfortunately until exams end (Christmas Eve) it's going to be hard to meet them. But the one we're teaching said he'd read the Book of Mormon on his vacation, and he's really excited to (or so it seems) so here's hoping :D

Anyway, I'm sending home some pictures in this and in another email. There's one of the three of us, and then I took pictures of our district (minus Elder Gee and his new trainee Elder Baek) at lunch last week.

About the packages, yeah, if you wait until then it might. But from what I've gathered talking to other missionaries (Koreans) not many people will be getting packages, and my district leader told me that he got a package last week so maybe...they're calling it off? I dunno. Anyway, yeah, the 10th should work.

That's about all this week....hope all is well for you though, and hope things continue as they should. Just keep doing what you're doing, I promise it works.

I love you, and I want you to tell everyone else that I love them as well!

Love,
Aaron

사랑 보내셨으니까 감사합니다! 사랑해요!

Elder Cahoon in Korea. November 2010 to November 2012

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November 13, 2011

Hi mom! I'm glad to see that you're feeling better--I was kind of afraid I was a little tactless in what I said....but my reasoning behind it was I was thinking about a member (a couple of members actually) in my branch right now that come....alone. Both women in their 40s. Both whose husbands are nonmembers. One actually a recent convert, whose daughter is actually in the MTC right now, and one whose kids both served missions and are studying in America.

But it's cool, they're both really solid. Probably my two favorite members here.

It's strange that you mentioned your MnM group because Sister H asked me about it, specifically about that missionary she mentioned to you. Personally I agree in saying that he needs some assistance. And not to worry, he speaks English pretty well, most of the time I just talk to him in English. Well, i jump between. Anyway, yeah....he's got an amazing conversion story, and it's kinda sad how little support he gets from his family.

I saw the pictures, thanks for that! I kinda forgot Brandon HAD camels.....it was kinda weird to think about. Well, I guess not really, he got them shortly before I left so most information like that has been deleted to make room for the language.

Strange to think that it's already been a year though, since I came out. Like.....it doesn't feel like it was very long ago that I was still actually in the Busan city, and it doesn't feel like it was very long ago that I got THAT letter (you know the one).....THAT WAS SIX MONTHS AGO! Six months ago yesterday, to be precise.

Scary...

Anyway, I'm excited for the packages, and will be on the lookout for them

Y'know, I'm actually really surprised at how many people I AM hearing about serving missions. Kyra Burch....and a little bird told me that Knobbe has recieved his call! Crazy! It's weird to think that when I get home a year from now how different life's going to be. Oh well, no reason for me to stick around, instead go straight to college and begin getting ready for my career. Whatever that is. I'm kinda concerned....Olsen has like EVERYTHING planned out and knows EXACTLY what he wants to do. I don't. At all.

In fact it feels like every one of my companions thusfar has had at least an IDEA of what they wanted to do. Reese wants to be either a pharmacist or a doctor, Jang wants to be a lawyer, Jo wants to be a phys ed teacher (or something to that effect), but....like, I got nothing so far haha.

Oh well, I guess I'll worry about that next October/November haha.

I wish I had something to say about this week....it was kinda strange but it was kinda....dead. Elder Olsen told me he met the French people on exchanges with the Zone Leader but we still haven't really been able to actually BEGIN teaching much yet.

I wish there was more to do in this area, because....there's not much to DO. Like, everyone we meet seems to actually live IN Daegu, and it feels like they're all in Suseong which is ANNOYING because

1. They (meaning Suseong) have not only a huge ward but ALSO they have the military (english) branch so they HAVE stuff to do, and members to visit, and

2. Their members do a large amount of the work FOR them (several convert baptisms in the past year and very few have been found through the missionaries themselves (which is the way it's SUPPOSED to be, they're supposed to be found through the members)

I guess it's getting on my nerves because it's hard to meet our members because we have so few priesthood men (the ratio is like 4 women to 1 man)....and they're all fairly busy.

Oh well, if you feed the missionaries we'll get SOMETHING in return. Hopefully....at any rate thanks for doing that, as well as for the package/s :)

Well, I need to get going....it's the last week of the transfer and we've got a lot going (HOPEFULLY! Dang it) I'm probably staying in Gyeongsan, but we don't know that for sure yet so stay tuned :D

Love,
Aaron

PS I'm sending a letter (a couple actually) for Beau and Ty and their families, sending them to our address so if you can divide that for me I'd be happy :D

October 31, 2011

Oh my gosh it's been quite a week.....let's take it from the top haha.

So on Saturday we had this stake Halloween party that....because nobody was actually asked to help the missionaries had to do EVERYTHING. Which is understandable....in Korea it's not as....big? I dunno, with the exception of a large amount of kids (probably an English class) close to our apartment that were walking around in costumes saying Happy Halloween, I haven't seen the "influence" out here much. With the exception of themed donuts at Dunkin Donuts (it's here) and something at Baskin Robbins.

So anyway, Elder Olsen and I got to work on the bean bag toss, and let me tell you how THAT went. We made it out of foam padding thinking that we'd be safe with it. We made three boards, and in all it took us like 6 hours to do it. Two of the boards were completely destroyed within the first half hour.

We also were put in charge of decorating a room.....that took most of Saturday and it was completely trashed by the end of the day.

Nice, right? Haha.

So on top of getting ready for THAT we also had a baptism to go to on Satuday....a couple going to the military branch got baptized and a lot of the missionaries that worked with them over the course of the last year, my companion included, showed up for it. It was really cool to see, especially since the husband at first didn't care much; he had a good UNDERSTANDING, but it didn't like....mean anything to him until the last part. Like, he decided to get baptized with his wife about two weeks ago, she's had a date set for nearly a month. It's cool, I even got to teach them a little on exchanges....it's cool to see that the gospel really IS for everyone....and I actually had a profound thought the other day. Everyone....EVERYONE...has the exact same questions regarding life. Everyone has the same core belief that there's a reason for our being here, beyond to....just exist? Pay taxes? Whatever. Everyone in some way believes more than that....and that's why a lot of people get lost in things like drug addiction, alcoholism, and such....to distract them from what's truly burning inside. Some people get so stuck on those distractions that they either lose sight of any true purpose or, worse yet....assume that that IS their purpose.

But regardless...everyone has that same thirst for knowledge and understanding.

Trippy....haha.

So one more thing....one of our French investigators mentioned wanting to go to church with us! This is incredibly significant because he talked about already going to church, but my companion told me it seemed like he just kind of picked a random church to go to for some spiritual enlightenment while he lives in Korea. Anyway, we gave him a French Book of Mormon and he was really excited about it. So we'll see what happens there!

Anyway...I don't think I'm going to transfer, I think first Elder Olsen will leave and I'll (FINALLY) get a junior companion, and THEN I'll leave. Maybe. No telling what's going to happen haha.

About my package.....I need a casual (P Day) jacket (just grab either my blue one or my black one at home)....and obviously....candy haha. Maybe a cool t-shirt? Haha

And Christmas.....just money.....and a cool t shirt and some candy :D

Anyway, I'm enclosing some pictures from the Halloween party. Also...notice how skinny I am in that picture? Haha.

Oh hey....I'm flip-flopping on whether or not I want you to come out......here, try this. I could come home in October or early December....so....between those two which would you want to take time off from school for? GET BACK TO ME ON THIS!

Outside of that....not much else for this week. Have a good week, thanks for all the support and love! It's greatly appreciated!
Love,
Aaron
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사랑 보내셨으니까 감사합니다! 사랑해요!

Elder Cahoon in Korea. November 2010 to November 2012

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Where does time go?

Sorry I haven't posted here.  I've been busy keeping up with Sister Howerton's blog in the Busan Mission.  Aaron is now in that area, and she has so many pictures of the missionaries it's so fun to read, and see what is going on. 
Here is the lastest letter from Aaron.  Enjoy! Oh...check out sister H's blog if you want.  I'll post a link.

Wow....sounds like a roller coaster of a week.

As for us, well, it's really hard to meet people. We can't even meet our members without another man, but the problem is our priesthood are either busy or.....I'm not sure if I want to take Branch President to visit less actives. He's a nice guy, but....he's someone that MIGHT scare them. (he is 6'8")

So anyway....my birthday was really good. We had our zone meeting that day, and the Howertons DID feed me and my companion....not long after we heart-attacked their door. They KNEW it was us haha...they required a picture of us by the door, and it's on the blog. But I'm sending it here too haha.

And the package DID show.....the suit is AWESOME! Really comfortable! Thank you soo much! Same with the shorts, it's really good. And the candy, oh man :D thank you so much!

I'm trying to write people but I really don't have a lot of time for it....we never have boring P-Days here haha.

Oh, I'm still in Gyeongsan, but I had this idea as far as using a contact on base to get packages, but I don't know ANYONE who goes to the Suseong English branch so we have no contacts. But Sister Howerton could have an idea haha.

Oh, conference was amazing, as usual. I really liked how Elder Holland really got after people about serving missions, and how much ENERGY President Monson had. That alone was a good pick-me-up.

Let's see....outside of that this week was kind of......strange. We've come up with some new IDEAS proselyting, but we're going to have to get to work on putting it to action. Stay tuned :D

Outside of that....unfortunately I don't have much news. I'm really grateful for all you're doing.....just think about all that's happened in the past year. Right? Haha....

Anyway, we've got kind of a big day today, so I'll post the pictures and leave you with a charge to have a good week.

Love,

Aaron

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사랑 보내셨으니까 감사합니다! 사랑해요!