Good day to all. <3 It's warm here, but sounds like not so warm as over there. We've had some nice cool breezes this week, and we're headed out again to Kangwon-do (by the sea) this week, which is always a welcome retreat.
Why are we rejoicing? Because we have the opportunity to share the Gospel, and to see the change that happens through Him.
We had ward conference this week, and we were running around for a bit trying to figure out translation and stuff at the beginning of sacrament meeting. Eventually we sat down, and heard the people behind us speaking English, so we turned around to ask if they needed translation. The sister looked at me, did a double take, and tried to look at my name tag. As she saw it, she exclaimed, "I TAd for your dad!" We talked for a while afterwards, and it was fun to meet them. She said her English name was Sunny, and they were just out visiting family for a bit. She was talking about working with my dad, and reading my emails- I will say that she had the advantage on me, who had never met her before. It's been fun to see the influence of a righteous dad many occasions even out here in Korea as connections are made.
We had a nice farewell lunch with the office staff and the Christensens today. They move into a hotel today, and leave on Wednesday. It has been an absolute privilege to work under their tutelage and learn so much from them, to see an example of just how good people can be. They have been so kind and so loving, and I hope that I can continue to be more like them as they have showed us all to be more like the Savior. Early in the mission, one assistant told me that we should always be stressed, tired, and happy as missionaries. Stressed because we want to be doing better, tired because we're working hard, and happy because there is no greater work to be doing. I am all of those things, but most of all happy and loving to be here in Seoul. All love to you and prayers for your welfare,
It's been a busy time, and that won't stop anytime soon. Lots of meetings and organization and planning, but trying to have as much time as possible for "normal" missionary work, and to make sure that administrative work never gets in the way of taking an interest in and caring for individual missionaries. We're not really sure what to expect for this week, or beyond- we're just doing everything we can to be on top of cleaning, organization, and scheduling, and trying to be ready to adapt to whatever President Sonksen needs us to do. This past week brought some big changes in the mission, with my upper group going home, which was a lot of people and a lot of strength. Elder Perry is travelling around with his parents, and it was fun to meet them. One returning sister's father does calligraphy as a hobby, and gave some beautiful pieces to the Christensens last week for our conferences. I was admiring them, and as her dad came to pick her up, he brought a beautiful inscription of Moroni 10:32 for me, which I am very grateful for. Elder Perry's dad served with President Christensen here when they were young missionaries, so that was a fun reunion. We're now the oldest missionaries in the mission, which is strange considering how young we all still feel. Fortunately, we had a fun trip to the airport and brought back some fresh and more eager than average new missionaries to start their own journeys. At trainers' training the following day we had missionaries from Korea, America, Australia, Germany, the Czech Republic, England, and the Philippines in attendance.
Kanghyeok, Damon, is doing very well. We first talked with him as we were shopping a couple of P-days ago, and he has really grasped on to the church and has found a lot of help in it. He came to church this week, and set a baptismal date for August 2nd. As he was coming out of Gospel Principles {Sunday School class}, he was thinking a lot about baptism: "wow, do I really need to be baptized?" Once investigators share their concerns about being afraid of the physical under the water part of baptism you know that they're pretty close.
Jaeyoung Lee we have met with a couple times recently and is progressing well. He and his mother are still planning on being baptized in a couple of weeks. He came to an activity at the church on Saturday, and it was good to spend some time with him and then go to his home and meet with his mom and grandmother over delicious ddeokbokki and sweet potato cake. They are so kind and so thoughtful, and really sacrifice so much for each other. They've had some hard times and don't have an easy family situation, but it's incredible to see the Gospel fill that hole in their lives that maybe they didn't know that they had.
On Saturday this week we had an appointment at the church with an older man without a Christian background, and as we met sang a few hymns with him. Elder Miller and I aren't allstar singers by any stretch of the imagination, but he really enjoyed them and it was impressive again to see the power of the hymns. We went outside and proselyted for a while, and people were less receptive, which happens some days. After a good chunk of that, though, we had some very powerful lessons and some great people come to church, so we were just so grateful. There's a Korean expression, 고생 끝에 낙이 온다, meaning in essence that after the storms come the flowers. There's a lot to be grateful as a missionary, on the front lines, seeing all the miracles happen. No one, maybe, has more reason to be more grateful:
"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."
Why are we rejoicing? Because we have the opportunity to share the Gospel, and to see the change that happens through Him.
We had ward conference this week, and we were running around for a bit trying to figure out translation and stuff at the beginning of sacrament meeting. Eventually we sat down, and heard the people behind us speaking English, so we turned around to ask if they needed translation. The sister looked at me, did a double take, and tried to look at my name tag. As she saw it, she exclaimed, "I TAd for your dad!" We talked for a while afterwards, and it was fun to meet them. She said her English name was Sunny, and they were just out visiting family for a bit. She was talking about working with my dad, and reading my emails- I will say that she had the advantage on me, who had never met her before. It's been fun to see the influence of a righteous dad many occasions even out here in Korea as connections are made.
Some fun quotations from this week:
"No smorking"
"How do you say romantic in Korean?"
"Thank you, you too."
"Everyone is westernized, a couple times I eat bagel, not kimchi jjigae."
And from a nice grandmother who cuts our hair after she finished watching us talk to someone:
"하나님은 점수 줘." "God is the one who will grade you."
We had a nice farewell lunch with the office staff and the Christensens today. They move into a hotel today, and leave on Wednesday. It has been an absolute privilege to work under their tutelage and learn so much from them, to see an example of just how good people can be. They have been so kind and so loving, and I hope that I can continue to be more like them as they have showed us all to be more like the Savior. Early in the mission, one assistant told me that we should always be stressed, tired, and happy as missionaries. Stressed because we want to be doing better, tired because we're working hard, and happy because there is no greater work to be doing. I am all of those things, but most of all happy and loving to be here in Seoul. All love to you and prayers for your welfare,
Elder South
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