ANOTHER REUNION WITH ERIC!!!!

Sister Strahl! I had a chance to visit Will last Sunday!!
He's serving in Mokpo ward right now, which is the far south west of Korea.
He is doing really great. He said he had a appointment with a new investigator on the afternoon, when I visited. Every time I see him, I can literally feel the love and spirit and that he's such a great missionary! Looking forward to see you all together! smile emoticon

   Eric Sung — with William Strahl.

WORK IN MOKPO

Hey mom and family,

The Mongolian investigator is doing well. We weren't able to meet with him last week because of work, but the week before we met with him and the member and we discussed the Plan of Salvation. It went well and the investigator is now making his decision to try the church thing and become a good person, or not. 

We have an investigator that is progressing really well, we met him on Tuesday and he told us that he is going to be traveling to Europe for the next 2 weeks, which means that he will be able to see me, right before I end and go back to the States. 

One of the Chinese investigators that we are teaching asked his parents about baptism and his parents want him to wait until after he goes back to China to get baptized. He will still meet with us and we will help him to find truth.

We are meeting a man studying to be a public officer. He knew a college professor that goes to our church who is now serving a mission in Seoul. He may progress slowly but he does have interest in meeting and learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The investigator on the island south of Mokpo turned out to be a Less active member that moved from Seoul. And, one of the people that he knew in Seoul, moved to Gwangju and is now the ward missionary leader there. So, we are hoping to get them connected and get his family (who haven't been baptized) out to church and contributing to the ward here. 

The other Chinese investigator that had interest in learning and coming to church is touring Korea for the next 3 weekends and cannot come to church or meet with usㅠㅠ

I love you so much!!!

Elder Strahl

HIGH DEMANDS AND A DEDICATED HEART

Hey mother and famliy!

This week went by very well! We had a lot of dropped appointments, but some very nice surprises. 

Our Australia bound investigator did not have time this past week, and so we were unable to meet him this past week. His mom went to the emergency room a little bit ago, and so we weren't able to meet with him...which he leaves in just over a week to Australia. We will try to get him set up best for his trip to Australia. 

There is a holiday around this time in Korea for the students: they have a day off of school after midterms. Our Chinese teacher also had a break and went to Seoul...and so we were unable to meet with him.

However, this past week, the Mongolian member that we met a while ago gave us a wonderful referral. He is the greatest member and he referred to us his neighbor who is Mongolian, but speaks very good Korean. It was great to see a member be so friendly with his friend and to share the Gospel with him. He told his friend that the church was something that had really helped his life. He asked him to meet with him and the missionaries and to learn about the church. He then told him that if he liked the church, then he could continue to attend, but if he did not, he could stop. Anyways, his friend is now investigating the church and with such a great friend, we are hoping for fast progression. We also met with another investigator who lives in the island that is to the South of Mokpo. He said that he attended our church a little bit before and that he also learned english about 15 years ago in a different city in Korea. We met with him, and he has interest in both learning English and learning the Gospel and so we are excited to teach and help him to be able to come unto Christ. 

Throughout this week, I had a thought about the importance of high demands and a dedicated heart. Honestly, no matter how high the demands are on a person, those demands cannot benefit a person to the greatest degree without the heart of the compliant in the effort. In sports, playing and practicing without heart does not improve you as much as practicing and playing with all your heart. That being said, without demands, there is no continual exertion of that effort backed up by heart. Demands give the opportunity to break out of our comfort zones and improve our selves. This principle is clearly seen in the covenants of the church which demand a lot. The only thing that Christ asks for as a sacrifice in these days (instead of the lambs, etc., in the old days) is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The ability to put our heart into the demands of the Lord. Not for ourselves, but for Him. That is something that I have learned this week as a senior companion as I have tried to help my younger companion get to speed with missionary work. There are lots of demands, but those demands are all there to help him to be the best missionary that he can be. He is great, and I know that the Lord feels the same about me as I feel about him. The Lord puts demands on me to help whip me into shape that will allow me to live with Him in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that God lives and He loves us. I know that  through Jesus Christ we all be happiest in this life.

I love you all so very much!

Have a wonderful week and I will email you next week!!!

Love you!

Elder Strahl

NEW COMPANION

Hello mother and family!!!

 

This week went by really well in Mokpo. The sun is out and it feels like summer here, with high humidity in the mid 70s. Missionary work and life is good in general. I have a new companion who is younger than Reid...and so the journey begins this transfer. (He's already been on his mission 6 months total...4 months in Korea). He was a football quarterback standing tall at 6'4" or 193cm for those that speak metric like Koreans. He is super awesome, has a great heart and a desire to do the work right and is very inspiring to me and it will be a wonderful opportunity to let him know everything that I have learned about serving a mission in Korea so far.

 

This past week we were able to meet with a few new investigators. We met with our Australia bound investigators. They committed to get baptized in Australia, which could be a bale, but could be sincere. We will follow up to help them actually get baptized and confirmed, etc.

 

We met with our construction investigator and he took the lesson really well. We invited him to pray with real intent to know if the message is true and he said that he will. If he feels the spirit and continues to keep his commitments he will be able to progress fast.

 

We also are meeting with a new chinese investigator who was a referral from one of the sister's investigators. Originally he just wanted to learn English, but as we talked to him, he had a lot more interest in Jesus Christ than in English. We taugh him the gospel and why we need Jesus Christ in this life, and he told us that he wants to go to church and do the 5 things to accept Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy Ghost, endure to the end).

 

Our other Chinese investigator is riding the ship right now, but if they get baptized together that would be great :) we will work with them to help them accept the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and enter into a promise with God.

 

This past week on Sunday we read a very interesting article in the Liahona by Elder Oaks (march issue). Elder Oaks cited a Harvard Business professor who wrote an essay establishing that unenforced obedience is the core foundation for any democracy and for prosperity. That is true in any system, including a mission, family, or ward, etc. Love you all so much!

ENTERING THE LAST TRANSFER

FTW... haha took a minute to remember...  (Mom's note:  He is really focused to forget that!!!)

Hello mother and family!!!

So glad that everyone is doing well! This week went by well and we are continuing forward with the work in Mokpo.

Neither of our investigators have come back yet, so this week we mainly worked with one of our investigators who is learning English from us before he leaves off to Australia. He has referred us two of his friends, and so he has heard the Restoration 3 times :). We are working to help him come to church and go to church in Australia. He seems to be fairly excited about attending the church in Australia and was amazed at how widespread the church is. 

The rest of this week went really well! I got an email from Eric! He is speaking at Stake Conference where a member of the Area Presidency (70) will be attending. He is so great! 

We also met another investigator who is going inbetween cities, but we will be able to meet with him in the future. He is really great and a very nice person. 

Glad that everyone is doing well. Entering the last transfer is a little bit on the "it hasn't hit me yet, but the numbers say it's coming" side of the feeling. President is transfering me a new companion, so I will be busy helping him out in the language and in doing the work in Mokpo. I am glad for the opportunity that I have to serve the Lord for this last transfer. We will work with our investigators and help them to come to Christ through baptism.

I love you all!!!

This week I reflected on the importance of Christ in our lives. He is the most important associate that we will ever make in this life. He will do more for us than any other person could ever do. I know that through faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End we can allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to flow into our lives. I love you all so much!!!

Have a really wonderful week!

It is raining and humid and about 50-60 degrees in Korea. Going to summer....

Love you!

Elder William Strahl

TELLING MY STORIES

Hi Mother and Family!!!  

Our investigators that are progressing both left for extended times. Our Chinese investigator begins sailing for a month out on the sea until he gets back next month. Our other investigator went to Europe for awhile during his break from his current job and the job that he will have in the future. We were able to meet with our Australia bound Korean investigators who accepted a soft invitation to get baptized. We will work with them to try to get them to be prepared for baptism before they go to Australia, that is the goal. 

This last week we watched general conference and it was really great! There was lots of great talks and inspirations about everything, especially marriage and the family. I am so thankful for the opportunity that we have to listen to the words of the prophets and the Apostles and their teachings and guidance for us today. We learned so much and were very edified through Conference. 

This past week as well, we were able to meet a few new investigators. One of them is the friend of the investigator going to Australia. The other one is a person that we met on the street who has interest in meeting with us to practice english for a little bit and then talking about church. They are both great.

On a different note, the phone contract in the mission ended...and so our phones could only receive texts and calls and not send them out...which was not fun from Friday night to Monday afternoon (especially when contacting investigators about church). Anyways, everything ended up being ok, but we started to appreciated the ability that we have to call other people. The world of the mission without cell phones....haha.

This week I remembered some words that surfaced in my mind from a time ago. I forget who said it. "My stories are not told here. It's not that they are unimpressive, nor because they are not interesting, nor because they are not full of courageous acts of awe inspiring integrity. Nope, that's not the reason at all. The reason that they are not told here is because if they were, they would lose their luster when they are told in Heaven." (paraphrase). Christ always taught that we are to lay up treasures in heaven. It's clear that although that does include materialistic things, it also includes things that we have done. Elder Ringwood (who is the President of the Area Presidency over this part of Asia) spoke in Conference about why we serve. Not to get titles, or to have stories told about us, but the real reason that we serve God is because we love Him. I hope that that is the motivation of all of us as we all press forward in which ever part of the vineyard we are working in. I know that God helps in His work. If we ask and rely on Him, He will do according to His will.

I love you all so very much! Thank you for your emails and prayers and encouragement!

Have a really wonderful week!!!

Elder William Strahl    

A LONG AWAITED BAPTISM!!!!

Hey Mom and others!!!

Sounds like Conference was great! I am excited to watch :)

This past week Shashika got baptized!!! He is awesome. He wants to share the Gospel to his Sri Lankan friends... :) He is a great person, and he mentioned to us how wonderful he felt after he was baptized...on Easter (which isn't celebrated here other than a mention here or there...)

This week we had another lesson with our investigator who is on the edge of his death bed...and we were able to just talk really boldly with him that right he isn't happy, if he doesn't change anything, then he will never be happy, until he dies, and if he learns about the church and participates he will not only have the opportunity to change, but he will also have a immediate support group and family. He seemed to be really cheered up by the prospect and hopefully he will meet with us and change his life!

We are also teaching a Korean who has been to Canada on an exchange and who likes to practice his english with us, but also listens to the Gospel. We are working to help him to internalize the Gospel instead of just listening to it. He is great though, and did accept an invitation to be baptized. His name is Louis (english name)

There's also our Chinese friends Jo un and 94 (yes that is his name). They are great! Jo un went to church in China for a little while, but right before he was to be baptized in his church in China, he came to Korea for school. So we met him on the street and he was more than overjoyed to start coming to church again. He was able to meet president and have a lesson with him which was good, and we are excited at the prospects of bringing him to Christ. He then the next week (Easter) brought his friend 94 to church who had already been baptized in another church. Both of them were able to see Shashika's baptism. We are excited for them and will help them. They are attending a shipping school, and will be riding the boat from 4/13-5/13 but afterward will come back to Mokpo and come to church :) 

There is also a person named Kim Dong Hee. He is a great guy, who has a lot of interest in the church. We met him on the street, and then started teaching him the lessons and he is trying to develop belief. He has committed to read the Book of Mormon every day (1 chapter). However, he is facing some pretty hard things in his life. He quit his job last week, and doesn't really know what he is going to do with the rest of his life. He is taking a trip to Europe and there will think and ponder where he is going. This is bad because it is a very big dilemma for him, but it is good, because he will have time to come to church and to read and pray, which he really wants to rely on God to get through the trial. He is a great guy!

This week was a really good week! Shashika was able to make a covenant with God and we were able to see the hand of God in His work!

This week I thought a lot about the importance of belief. In Alma we read that the people of Alma were converted through belief on the words of God. In Romans we read that people must have the word of God preached to them in order to believe. So simple, but the truth is so poignant. If you don't believe, you don't receive. Which was stated a little bit more...scripturally and precisely by the ancient scriptorian Mormon's son Moroni,  24 And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth-that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief." 

I know that Moroni penned the truth!

I hope that you have a wonderful week!!!

Love you so much!

Elder William Strahl