밝은 미래 (Bright Future)- January 11, 2015

Good afternoon from Ilsan! I hope that all goes well. We've had a fun week and worked just as hard as we could. We've seen a lot of fun things already and are looking forward to continuing to see the Lord's hand in this work as we do everything we can do to work hard and accept His guidance.

One fun thing from this past week was Brother Lee's baptism. He has been investigating the church for more than 10 years and as recently as last week had demonstrated very little interest in getting baptized anytime soon, although his wife is a member. Our ward mission leader called us Friday afternoon and said that Brother Lee was getting baptized and to make the necessary arrangements with interviews and hours of teaching and such. We were somewhat skeptical about the speed of everything, but after talking with President Christensen about logistics, he said, "Let's not stand in the way of a miracle." Brother Lee was baptized Saturday
afternoon. Since we just got here, we don't realize how much of a miracle it is, but it was a joyous experience and he will be a great support to the ward as he continues strong and looks toward the temple. In everything we do as missionaries, God is showering us with miracles, we just need to do our part and close the umbrella to accept them.

I was thinking about one more story from Sanggye {his last area} that we saw near the end of my time there. We went to one part of our area to which we had never been been before to try to visit a less-active member's house, but they weren't there. We met an older retired couple and had cocoa with them; it turns out their son did a lot of architectural design for JFK airport, and bought his parents a cafe after they retired so that they would have something to do. Pretty cool. We walked for a bit on the way-ish back looking for people to talk with, found ourselves on the top of a hill in the dark with very few lights in the town, and in the midst of significantly more dogs than people. I turned around and saw spray-painted on a broken, crumbling concrete wall in black letters "NO FUTURE." We were in a remnant of old Korea, Junggye Bundong- the last ghost town in Seoul, apparently populated only about 10 percent. It was old. It was poor, and you could feel the history.  We met a kind man who walked us out of the maze back to the Korea we knew as he explained the history of the area. Korea has seen incredibly hard things, and has climbed out of it with amazing resilience. Korea is bright and pushing forward today, with all the future in the world.

Sam hike's Suraksan on his previous Preparation Day.
It was a Korean holiday of sorts and traditional to do
a sunrise hike, so they went early!

Elder Rosenberg and I are getting along very well- it's a real privilege to be back together! I have a lot to learn from his patience and know-how, and I am looking forward to it. It's a fun zone to be in, with a whole lot of potential. If missionaries can have one great area where they see a lot of miracles, it's hard to ever be satisfied with anything else, and we want this to be that great area for all of the missionaries serving here. 

{Sam in missionspeak again: Here is what this means, I think: his last time in Sanggye was very productive for him personally and as a missionary. He's now in a new area in Ilsan and not sure what will happen--though I would suggest that having a baptism, unexpected on their first day is a bit crazy and bodes well for the future. But even if it's not as fantastic for him personally as the last time in Sanggye, as a Zone Leader in charge of so many missionaries he wants at least some of them to have this be that great area that Sanggye was for him.}

We're definitely not in Seoul anymore, and the church {building} is super far away, but we'll keep doing everything we can! Let's all continue to do everything we can to serve others and make the burdens of all lighter:

{here are a few verses from a Christian hymn "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief"}

Once, when my scanty meal was spread,

The Good Samaritan by Joseph Brickey

He entered; not a word he spake,

Just perishing for want of bread.

I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,

And ate, but gave me part again.

Mine was an angel's portion then,

For while I fed with eager haste,

The crust was manna to my taste.

I spied him where a fountain burst

Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.

The heedless water mocked his thirst;

He heard it, saw it hurrying on.

I ran and raised the suff'rer up;

Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,

Dipped and returned it running o'er;

I drank and never thirsted more

Then in a moment to my view

The stranger started from disguise.

The tokens in his hands I knew;

The Savior stood before mine eyes.

He spake, and my poor name he named,

"Of me thou hast not been ashamed.

These deeds shall thy memorial be;

Fear not, thou didst them unto me."

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed‍ of my Father, inherit‍ thekingdom‍ prepared for you from the foundation of the world:For I was an hungred, and ye gave‍ me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, andye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited‍ me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?‍ orthirsty, and gave thee‍ drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee‍ in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it‍ untoone of the least‍ of these my brethren, ye have done it‍ unto me."

All love,

Elder South