At home at his new ward

Still doing bathroom pics

Still Dancing

First letter from California

So I pretty much have the best mission in the world!!!!! My mission is very different compared to most. First all give you some background on my mission. 5 years ago the korean speaking elders had all of California and had a ton of freedom, I guess the Elders back then could not handle those responsibilities appropriately and would constantly break mission rules and a lot of them ended up getting sent home. The church used to get so much trouble from the Korean speaking mission in California that the apostles came and shut it down in front of everyone. Two years later after much convincing the church re- opened the mission. President Bowen(My mission President) is the most amazing person ever! He has worked so hard with the church (His wife's sister is married to Elder Bednar) and does so much for the Asian zone's! So 2nd thing, my mission isn't really Anaheim that is just where our mission office is located. My mission covers the Irvine Mission, Long Beach and Anaheim.  Because my mission is so large we don't ever ride bikes. We drive a Ford Fusion! haha. So I don't need to spend money on a bike but there's money that I need to spend else where now.

 

 Tell Grandma not to worry haha. I live in Irvine and my apartment is the 2nd nicest apartment that any missionary can have in the whole world!!!! How awesome is that?! In the next couple of months we will be getting I phones and I pads. We got to test the ipads and they are awesome! It makes it so much easier to fill out the area book and to be more involved with members plus we get to keep them after we leave!

 

            So just a little bit on the culture and Korean aspect. I do speak mainly English when I'm jundo'ing and tracting but all of our lessons are in Korean and when we go Market contacting it's all in Korean. Church is in Korean and the members speak little to none english unless they're kids or my age. I hated kim chi so much at first I almost threw up! So I decided to eat as whole bottle of kim chi until I did like it, and now I love it! There's this stuff called banana milk and it is hands down the most delicious thing I have ever tasted!!! I buy so much banana milk haha! I love Korean food! It is so much better than what we eat!!

 

           Members: The Korean branch has 60-70 members I believe. Before I leave this mission I will make sure that this branch turns into a ward. The President Koo (The Branch President) is amazing he reminds me of Bishop Thompson. He does SO much work for his branch. A lot of behind the scenes kind of stuff. Without him I don't know where this branch would be. The members are AMAZING! 

 

Sister Chu said over the phone that she didn't like people who didn't speak Korean.....we had a dinner appointment with her the next day......You can see why I may havebeen a little more than nervous. The first things I said to her was: "Sister Chu I really want you to like me and I promise I will study Korean very hard so that way you can" (Plus i honorfied the crap out of her!) Sister Chu is now my favorite lady in the Branch! She always come up and puts her arm around my shoulder (Keep in mind shes like 49) And tells everyone I'm the son she never had. So I love her to death plus her Husband is the secratery and is the bee's knee's he always teaches me new words.

 

 I have gotten to be with the members a lot this 1st week because saturday we had aThanksgiving party at the church and the day before that we had to visit most of them since I'm new and then we had church on Sunday. The Thanksgiving party was so much fun I got to eat great food I met a lot of the members and Kim Young our most progressing investigator showed up and clicked with a lot of the members! We also sang ah-ri-rang with two of the young woman in our branch.

 

 Our district uses me to get meal appointments because most of the young woman are 15ish and follow me around like a little puppy dog.....So they have me talk to the young woman and tell them how I have never had Korean food and that they should tell their parents to invite us over for me to try the food and then they can also teach me Korean hahaha. 

 

 Elders and the work so hard! Sunday I gave a talk and my trainer helped me memorize it and say it. And the members were laughing so hard! Because I like the southern Korean accents so my trainer teaches me kwan Juu dilect when I ask him to, and the members think It's the funniest thing to see a non-korean speaking like that. Anyways....I guess the meal appts. have doubled since I got here because the last american missionaries would not eat Korean food and now they just love seeing me eat hahaha. 

 

          My Trainer is Elder Kim and he is amazing! He has taught me so much when it comes to Korean and has taught me so much when it comes to teaching. He is the most selfless person I have ever met. Everything he does is for other people. My other companion Elder Chung just barely got baptized last year and cooks like a world class chef! (I'm in a trio) I love mine companions they're so freaking awesome.

 

        Last couple things we made a bed frame for Sister Yim and Elder Chung did the measurements and, wow he was off haha. We ended up making a bed for like 4 year old kid with no arms or legs I have no idea how none of us noticed how tiny it was while we were making it. You'll see a picture of it!

Thank you so much for the Dictionary and book I use it everyday! Thank you thank you! Since we drive everywhere and meet a lot with members (the missionaries and the branch president pretty much keep the church going) But we where our suits almost everyday. Will you PLEASE send me my other suit ASAP I can't get mine drycleaned and then I don't have a suit to wear and my companions are Korean so they are TINY! So I really need my other suit!!!! Also can you ask Aunt Carrie or even just the ward different ideas for youth activities. And toffifay :) Thank you mom I love you so much you are the best ever!

Love Elder Meza

Arrived in California

Hey Mom, I arrived in California safe and sound! I'm super stoked!

I love you mom,
Elder Meza

Getting ready to leave the MTC

My letter to Nikko started, "Do you want me to meet you at the airport with a flu shot, it is that time."  

No, I do not want you to do that. Tell Brad thank you so much for the letter and tell him thank you for just being an awesome guy and that I appreciate all he has done and that only the righteous and faithful are blessed with trials. And because of his attitude and enduring through everything faithfully I know for a fact he and his whole family will be blessed beyond their belief.

Also tell the Groneman's thank you so much for the cookies and that I'm working on a letter for them right now!

영세대학교  한국어 학당 편  Have Derek read that or just google translate it but that is the book I would love to have. Also if you go to BestfromKorea.com you can get a electronic dictionary. My Mission President emailed me and said they're very expensive in America and a lot harder to find and gave me a website to look for them. Also my Teacher Brother Lund suggested that you get me the brand iriver or nurian make sure is goes from Korean to English and English to Korean.

 

I still am flying alone. There is no one going to the same mission as me right now so I'm a solo missionary. My schedule changed, I still fly out at 8:45 but I have to leave the MTC at 3:30am!!!!! so I'll have a lot of down time.  I'll call you! I get time again to email you tomorrow so I'll share some stories then! Thank you for the package it was the best one yet. 

 

Thank you so much mom, I love you from here to mars to back and once more to mars!

Love Elder Meza

Later that day

Tell Grandma I sent her a letter but it was sent back because the ink was smeared! Also tell her that my teacher knows her. His name is Carson Lund he grew up in Gunnison! I'm pretty sure his dad's name is Kim but I can't remember his mom's. He had a brother who was inactive for a long time and same with his dad but his dad joined the church while Carson was on his mission. His dad owns some sort of trucking company in Gunnison? 

In the box I'm sending home I have a letter in it for Uncle Bud. I'm also not sending my backpack home till after I get to California because when riding bikes I might need it. Can you get the Jorgenson's address and tell them Hi, also will you tell bishop that when I get to California and can actually print pictures I'll be sending home a pretty studly picture to go up on that big 'ol white board of his! 

So much has happened these last couple weeks I wish I could just send you my journal to read. Since being here I've been so much more in tuned with the spirit and I honestly love it. I think I came out here off of your testimony and other people's testimony that I was close with. It was great that those little anchors were there for me and to help push me the right way. And I will forever be grateful for being blessed with such amazing examples. But no matter what; you just can't continue to strive towards being fully converted unless you have a testimony of your own. And being at the MTC I've truly and diligently read the scriptures not just because I'm supposed to, but because I had questions and wanted answers! It's crazy how the Book of Mormon truly has the answer to everything in life in it. I've had a question for 5 months now and it wasn't until last night at 1:30am in the hallway of our residence when I bore my testimony to a certain Elder who I saw in the hall way  because I had to pee. He had his bag packs wanting to go home. Today he told me how much he learned and how he knows he needs to stay and how I strengthened his testimony. In all honesty, he is the one who strengthened my testimony. Because of that experience I got the answer to my question and realized I knew the answer to the question the whole time I was just looking and searching in the wrong ways. They weren't bad ways but they just were not the ways The Lord wanted me to find out. I love you mom and know how much you will be blessed for being the example you have set. I am so grateful for you in my life. Thank you, I love you.

Alma 37:35-37

Love Elder Meza

Meeting Elder Anderson

Mom,

 

I need my mission home address in Cali! 

Before I leave the MTC I need some cash for flying and to mail packages home. I just need to the small Korean PMG,  I figured out something even better! You can return the overalls I inherited a pair from the older district. I really do need though some hair wax my hair gel is gone so I mooch hardcore. Will you go to Walmart and buy Moroccan Surf Paste,  it's in like a blue little circle! Also, a couple Arizona's would be awesome with one box of Toffifay! :) but that's all I need for food haha. The whole district including my teachers say thank you for all the pens and sewing kits! This is a little random but I've lost 17lbs here haha. While everyone in my room has gained 17!

Talk to Derek and ask if he knows of any good dono books or just grammar books. Because my whole district except for me was given these way awesome grammar and dono books and I've been looking over them and they help so much! They only got them for that one day. They all got a care packages with hygiene stuff in it and such on day they leave. Its through some through University though that makes English/Korean books.

Because I'm not going to Korea and their mission president gave it to all them. I don't know the author.  I just got my flight plans! I'm literally the last one in my district to leave. I'm a solo missionary haha. Everyone leaves the morning of the 9th and my companion who is going to San Fernando leaves at a different time them me on the 10th like 5 am, but he goes to the LA airport. MY FLIGHT IS AT 8:34 AM the 10th! 

On Tuesday Elder Neil L. Anderson came and gave a very interesting talk, I did not expect that an Apostle would do an interactive discussion, it was way cool! I don't mean to brag or anything but I totally snagged those floor seats again for me and my district because I knew the guy and long story short I got to meet with Elder Anderson, talk to him one on one, and shake his hand! I didn't have my camera but it was way cool! He's an amazing guy!

Wednesday I was refered through TRC to be the "example missionary" for the new group that arrived that day to teach the new missionaries "How to begin teaching" (In PMG) It was pretty nerve racking because they were real investigators! But my teacher said it's been unreal how many times I've had to teach real investigators. She said that just normally doesn't happen in the MTC. So I'm super grateful for that opportunity!

 

Tell Aunt Carrie and Uncle Stan that I love them and that they're awesome and that I'm super sorry I didn't get the chance to reply but it's only because we got travel plans and had a bunch of stuff we needed to do.  And Happy Birthday to Tawni.

Mom you are such a fantastic mom and DAD. You need to give yourself more credit. Without you and your faith I would not be here. I'm so grateful I was blessed with such an amazing mom.

"We sacrifice the the things we love, we love the things we have sacrificed for." Just think about that and try to see what that means to you. Because I know what it means to me and I'm so grateful for an awesome mom like you.

D&C 97:8 

 

Love,

Elder Meza