W'sup, Fools? [week 30]

Just when I think I've got this sending emails business down, I realize there are yet more people who I have been missing because of the missionary level phone. 🤪🙉💀... that makes me crazy. Well! For those of you tuning in for the first time, Welcome along! To another episode of missionary with missionary. Episode eleventy-two. And hello to me! I am your host and my favorite person. Truman is the name I used to go by, but now my name is Elder Renfroe. Put some respect on my name! (I hope I'm not quoting something I shouldn't be because I just heard kids saying that in high-school) I'm serving in the Korea Seoul South Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints. Put some MORE respect on my name!

Well let's get this farty started. Uhhhhh I'll write more about that later. 

Later...

OK! For the realizes now.  So let's see what I did this week. Last preparation day I played some basketball with the boys. That was fun. Then the sisters came. Lose lose situation, but still fun. THEN they invited us to play soccer with them. That was super awkward. It was a sisters activity. Why can girls crash ball with the boys and it's OK but it's super awkward when you switch it? Not fair. That's sexist.

Let's talk about how the old guys at church smelled on Sunday. For the most part, not like you would expect (like oldness). One guy smelled like Play-doh. Another guy smelled like pine needles. Oh goodness. Did you know that Koreans don't need to use deodorant. They just don't sweat or they just don't stink or some other crazy dark magical wizardry. But there's a trade off, and her name is "the Kimchi fart." She is next to lethal how bad she smells. Zero out of zero: would not recommend. All of the thumbs not being used to plug any and all vital sensitive smelling and/or seeing organs, will be used to make a thumbs down to communicate- NAY demonstrate the disgusticity of the kimchi fart. The good news is Kim chi doesn't smell bad anymore. Nothing does compared to Mrs. Kim Chi fart. 

I'm about to have spaghetti and it reminded me of an awesome story, so STORY TIME! once upon a time, I was chilling  with my roommates at BYU-I and one of them was like "How do I break this spaghetti without it exploding everywhere?" And I was like "Twist, don't bend." And all of my roommates were blown away. Their brains were breakdancing trying to engrave this vital information on the fleshy tables of their brain hearts... not really. But that's what I like to think. Thanks for the random kitchen wisdom, Mom. 

I have a teaching friend who is so nice and fun to meet with and she is doing good at reading everything we send her way. I like this lady. She is super nice. And there is a cool guy who plays board games with us every once in a while. He likes history and has a cool accent. I like him. 

SCRIPTURES!!!

Oh wait I almost forgot about the general authority who came and did a mission tour. {Stupid distracting kimchi cabbage farts always distracting me from my true potential. 🌪 (can you guys read emojis? Or is it one of those annoying rectangles with an x? I hate those.)} So yeah. 

Elder McCune and his wife came over and they talked the Sargents up (my mission president and his wife.) A TON! We had zone conference and interviews and three or four trainings with those fellas. It was awesome. One elder told us about a dream he had and asked if elder McCune could interpret. It actually sounded like this Elder who had the dream has a spiritual gift, but elder McCune said he doesn't have the authority to interpret personal revelation. What a cool experience for everyone involved. 

OK now SCRIPTURES 

Mosiah 2:17 

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God

17 그리고 보라, 내가 이러한 것을 너희에게 이야기함은 너희로 지혜를 배우게 하려 함이니, 너희가 너희 이웃을 섬길 때 너희는 다만 너희 하나님을 섬기고 있는 것임을 너희로 배우게 하려 함이니라. (That's Korean. I speak Korean. No big deal)

I love that when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God. I like service. Its my specialty. 

PICTURES!!!

Today I want to share a special bit of culture that only Korean missionaries get to experience. And you guys obviously are going to experience it. The pictures from my Korean text book. They are simply... well just see for yourself. Witness y'all. Feast your eyes. OK it's only funny if you've been on a mission for a while and haven't had any source of entertainment (like besides the best entertainment which is the Book of Mormon). But basically all the pictures in this textbook are sexist and anti fat people. Anyways behold or whatever, that's all I got. Sorry this email was full of fluff and not much else. Not much new has happened, but I hope my sparkling personality and miraculous humility were enough to keep you entertained. Love you guys stay in school don't do drugs go on a mission. 

Facebook Post: Power of the Spirit [week 18ish]

Me and my companion by a cool lake. 

I love being out here in Korea. Being able to see the happiness in the people we are teaching about the gospel is the best thing I have experienced. In Alma chapter 17 Ammon and his brethren are all super hungry and suffer much and yet they are all so happy and full of the spirit. I have it better than them because I get to try Korean food, but the point is I get to feel the spirit work through me and things have never been better. I know we can all feel the spirit work through us towards others or work in us in our own self improvement. What is a scripture or personal experience that exemplifies the power of the spirit?

Melissa Foster Thompson:❤️❤️ awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Sandra Jackson Haglund: You both look so happy. A great photo!

Song Xi Xin: 谢谢你们 为我们服务 "Thank you for serving us"

Eli Jacob Coon: I think when Moroni raised the title of liberty. The spirit and the power that was present was beyond any comprehension. The battles and the wars were not only strategic but led by the spirit

Amber Siler Campbell: This is one of my favorites. The word of the Lord can really direct us in all things. He really is that powerful when we hear, heed, and hearken, like President Nelson teaches.

Jack Livingston: I have many scriptures 사랑하는 Renfroe 장로님. One that I'll share is in 2nd Nephi 4:21. This verse is Nephi talking about how he has felt our Heavenly Father's love for him. I know and can promise everyone that Heavenly Father loves you all!! And you can pray and ask to feel of that love, anytime, and anywhere, and you'll be able to feel it!

국윤진: 랜프로 안녕 "yes hello 😁 lol"

Becca Coon Renfroe: This is one of my favorites. Alma chapter 4 verse 15. Even though Alma began to be very sorrowful about afflictions, persecutions, and inequalities… I love that conjunction “nevertheless.” The Spirit of the Lord did not fail him… And it will not fail me! And it will not fail you! 😘😘😘

I'm a Missionary! [Week One]

Hello all! 안녕하세요? I just thought I would send you lovely lot an email. Feel free to write back and tell me how swell I am. Today is day seven at home MTC, and it has been a jolly fun time. I've had about eight hours of zoom meetings a day, and the rest of the day is full of studying, meetings with my companion, practicing the Korean alphabet, and I eat on occasion as well. It's GREAT! I love having a purpose all day long. I never have to wonder if I'm wasting my time. I'll get a ten minute break out of the blue every once in a while and I don't know what to do with my life so I have a banana and read some of the Book of Mormon (another testament of Jesus Christ). 

So yeah good times. I got to meet my MTC companion, Elder Prock. He is a bodacious dude, He is as committed to the work as me if not MORE. I am super glad for that, It's easier to go at the same pace as your companion than slower or faster. He plays baseball, He is from Mesa Arizona, and he is shorter than me, and he always shuts me down when I comment on how cute our Korean instructor is. That's a good companion right there keeping my mind in the right spot (but she's still cute).

So I met my companion, you now know him, and I met the rest of my district. I could write a ton about them, but I'll give you the shorter version. 

• Elder Greene is a smart dude with huge eyebrows (like Rock Lee level eyebrows) and I think he is a convert to the church. He is serious.
• Elder Dickey is from Arkansas and he looks like a ladies man. He's kind of quiet in group meetings, and more extroverted in small group rooms. He likes shoes. 
• The best way I can describe Elder Harden is un-weird. He just seems like a nice normal dude that everyone would get along with and like. He built his own computer. 
• Elder Del Priore is the guy who raises his hand whenever he can (I am in second place after him for the teacher's pet award) . We get along really well and have a lot in common. I have talked to him the most after my companion. He likes anime. (I forgot his favorite, but my favorite is Naruto, thank you for asking)
• Elder Griswold, I don't know very well yet, but he seems like a popular sort of guy. He isn't shy, but he doesn't talk much either. I thought he was a grumpy pants until we did an exercise together and it turned out he was a funny guy. He has nice hair.
• Elder Livingston is really nice! He makes everyone feel included and special. He was in theatre in high school, and he was good at math. 
• Elder Fallon loves drums... And he is a member of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints and serving a mission, so that must mean he is a very righteous dude! I know the least about him.
• Then there's me! I am the oldest, loudest, biggest, and most handsome. 

Earlier Today before the first Sunday session of Conference, a righteous guy named TR and his wife Amber came over to my house for crepes. He grew up in Soda Springs and he went to Seoul, South Korea for his mission as well. Since I have been a missionary the spirit comes whenever somebody bears their testimony to me, and they usually tear up when they talk about the thing that they feel the most blessed about. TR (who doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would cry for no reason) teared up when he told me about the people in South Korea who came to him to hear his message and be lifted up with the help of and in the eyes of the lord. This was a really cool message for me and made me look forward to serving in Korea even more. And TR was a super cool person. His church calling is being an Addiction Recovery Facilitator, which is sweet in itself. He and his wife were easy to get along with, and he told me some cool stuff about being in Korea.

This is TR--such a cool guy!

  

I don't want to make this email too long, but I have to mention some great people who helped me get to where I am.

My Mom and Dad are at the top of the list, and I love them very much. They have helped me through every tough time in my life and I wouldn't have a testimony if it wasn't for them. 

My Stake President, Wade Clark, is the most in tune with the spirit person I know, and he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is really great and helped me enter the mission field as a strong member of the church.

Me and President Clark--haha, he is doing a weird face--
he usually looks like he is about to laugh

Chad Harris and Karen Bartlett taught me how to work hard and well, and they are both good friends now. I have some good memories with those great bosses. 

My cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents are at the core of my testimony. Their examples have shown me how powerful living by the gospel can be. I love them all and I wish them the best.

All my friends from working at Lava and living in Soda and going to Rexburg. I am going to miss you guys!

The MTC has been a great experience for me. I have never felt the spirit more fully and consistently, and I can't wait to get into the mission field and spread Jesus Christ's Gospel. I already love all of my future companions, and mission leaders and most of all I love the people I am going to teach in Korea. I can't wait! I love you guys. Thank you for your support and friendship.

Truly, 

Truman 

My favorite scripture