Alma 26:36- "...blessed be the name of God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land."
We have certainly been busy this week! Whereas at first we were almost solely doing 전도--street contacting--we are beginning to teach more and more lessons, and it has been fun to have a chance to learn and develop teaching skills. More than that, though, it is rewarding beyond measure to see in a tangible way the difference that knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and applying its principles helps people to have a different perspective about life and to work out lifelong questions.
I have been thinking a lot about this week about patience, particularly with oneself. As I read concerning Alma and Ammon, and see older missionaries, it is unfortunately a tendency of mine to notice that I'm not quite--or even remotely--there. I know in whom I trust, and I know that the necessary skills to bless those that I need to help come unto Christ will come as I trust in Him, it's just easy at times to see many weaknesses and areas wherein I lack. It always be, I suppose, so we just need to do the best we can and take every opportunity as it arises, so that we can improve and be strengthened.
I had a few chances this past week to come to know President Christensen, our mission president, a bit better. Our district had interviews with him this past Wednesday, and then he came to our district meeting, and we also had a conference this past Thursday. He is really exactly right for this mission and for me, and I look forward to continuing to learn from his wisdom and experience: he sees things in a light that has already blessed me and allowed me to see with more perspective in several settings. I discussed weaknesses and patience for a while with him, and he really helped me to see things as they should be and realize that as long as we are faithfully and diligently taking every opportunity that is placed before us, we will continue to grow, and we will be helped in that moment with what we need. I was also reading in Alma, unfortunately I do no have the reference with me, but as Alma is talking, he says something to the effect of "O that I were an angel," that he might have great power to declare the word of God, however, he continues with "I am but a man, and do sin in my wish, for I ought to be content with what the Lord hath alloted me." Alma didn't have any great and powerful voice, but his consistent obedience and capitalizing on opportunities as he listened to the Spirit transformed him into the missionary that he became, and as we do the same, we will be the missionary that we need to be.
I spoke with Sister Christensen as I was waiting, and somehow got roped into a cello duet for the Seoul/Seoul South mission conference on the 16th. The other cellist will be a sister who attends Stanford, and seems by all accounts to be pretty amazing at the cello. They're going to find out really soon that I play cello, but I don't play cello. In all seriousness, it would be a lot of fun, but as it's coming up so soon, and she lives so far away, and neither of us actually have found a cello yet, we'll see how it pans out. I am looking forward to the conference, it will be great to see friends in the Seoul South mission.
We are headed out early today, so I will just talk about some of those we have been meeting with for a bit. In short, first, it's been a great week. We had a few days with cold showers, mosquitoes, and miracles- just what a mission should be.
Min Gyu, a senior in high school, met with us a couple of times this past week, and attended church with us yesterday. He is so much fun, always rocks a super puffy jacket, and is starting to make friends in the ward. He is progressing very quickly in the Gospel and has a sincere desire to come to know God. He committed to be baptized this past Wednesday for later this month, so we are very excited for him!
Brother Bok was unable to meet this week, as he was pretty ill, but we have been in touch and he is doing well. As he leaves for military service so soon, we really are hoping to meet with him a few more times in the near future.
We met with Ryan this week, who is from Saudi Arabia. Although he is not religious, he really wants to help people, and as we met, we talked a lot about how the Gospel can help bring you a sense of purpose and direction to your life, and know how to serve others as you follow the example of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Da Shi and Da Le, our Chinese friends, planned to meet us on Saturday at the church, and we waited for them for a while. We ended up waiting for more than an hour, actually, and it was pretty hard. As I taught last time, I felt pretty disappointed and fairly responsible that they didn't show up, even though all we can do is invite. As we prayed for them, though, and thought about what to do next, they did show up, and brought two friends with them, who are both really cool and interested in what we have to say. I honestly have no idea why this group is meeting with us: we don't speak Chinese, and our lessons are pretty rough, but, thank goodness, it's not about the language of the mind, but the language of the Spirit, and we certainly have been blessed with some help as we try to communicate with them.
Thank you for your support and your love. Keep smiling, and drink strawberry milk at every opportunity. It's a thing here.
I was extremely saddened to hear of the passing away of Dean Leslie Woodard, who was the Dean of Calhoun College this past year. She will always be remembered as a brilliantly intelligent, fun, loving woman, who genuinely desired to help me, and help me she did. Her insights and her advice helped me to mature, and realize that it's not a bad thing to take on the world, but you need to do it in the right way, and surrounded by those who care deeply for you. Please convey all of my respect and gratitude to the Yale community in this tragic time. My New Haven friends, I love you. As we all remember and sincerely respect the example of Dean Woodard, let's all be a little bit brighter and laugh a little bit more. Her poetry, her energy, and her love for her horses will be remembered, but above all that, her love for us and her tireless service on our behalf. Rest in the peace of God, Dean Woodard.
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| Dean Leslie Woodard of Calhoun College |
Much love,
Elder South
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Editors' Note (from Sam's Dad):
The distinctive strength of Yale is community--sharing, struggling, building together. The heart of this community ethos is in the residential colleges--12 microsystems, somewhat like Harry Potter's "houses" and full of personality and purpose. When two Yale grads find each other anywhere in the world, the first question is certainly going to be "which college?" Both of Sam's parents, like Sam, are "Hounies"--graduates of Yale's smallest, most beautiful, and finest residential college, Calhoun (no bias there!).
Calhoun was long famous for the tire swing hanging from a large oak in the middle of the courtyard, which tree unfortunately had to be taken down recently due to age. But the real centers of each college--overseeing its own building, dining hall, and intramural teams--are the master and the dean. They are Yale faculty who live, with their families, in the college itself. The master oversees residential life, while the dean is the chief academic and personal adviser for each student. The dean is an invaluable support for every student.
By all accounts, Dean Woodard was especially extraordinary, known for her good cheer, her love of students, and her ability to point them in the right direction--on top of her own fabulous career as a dancer and a writer. It is truly sad news to hear about Dean Woodard's passing, and a hard thing for Sam to experience without the support of his fellow Hounies. A brief article on her passing is here:
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