ASTONISHED!!!!

Hey mom and family!!!

Sounds like the family is doing well! I am just going to say that I am jealous of Reid being so close to Charlotte. Maybe I will transfer to Idaho when I get back (haha, just kidding...). Glad that Christian is gearing up well for his finals and Rachel is writing poetry that is...very interesting, but very well formed! That's a good way for her to express herself...!!! I am glad that dad looked out for his co-worker and had a safe border crossing. I keep forgetting about the American-Mexican border because of the South Korea-North Korea border...way to go mom!!!! Sharing the Gospel! Remember, that conversions start with those simple conversations. Showing genuine interest and love goes farther than most things.

This past week went by well.

We met our investigator named Afron (when he was in America he liked Zach Effron (Efron?) (have I already said this...?) and so he calls himself Afron, because he didn't know how to correctly spell it...:)) and he accepted an invitation to be baptized. He said that it would take time, but we are confident that if he reads the Book of Mormon, prays, gets interaction with members and continues to meet, he will be prepared for baptism more quickly. He is great. He says that he has been wanting to come to church but he teaches students at that time. The big school vacation in Korea is in a few weeks, so I am hoping that after that time he will be able to come to church and other activities.

We didn't have a former lesson with the investigator referred by our member, but he did come to Stake Conference. We talked with the member and set a goal for baptizing him by Christmas :). He is super prepared. 

The investigator who works at the department store will have time this time to meet. We dropped by his work place to see him and caught him at lunch time and were able to talk with him for a little bit. He is doing well and misses the church. 

The bus investigator was busy for this week as well, but he definitely has interest and we will work to get him to church. 

Hahaha. Kimchee making. It wasn't really the kimchee making, but he is 16yearsold and his family was going somewhere to do it and they wanted him to come along. 

The Pakistani investigator was busy this week, but really likes us and is excited for the next time that we meet him. :)

This week we had a lesson with the basketball investigators and they took it soooo much better than I thought. They really paid attention and at the end, we could tell that they had felt the spirit. 

President Sherry shared an example in sacrament meeting that stuck with me for a really long time. He said that the conversion experience (I would say conversion as a member, and later conversion as a new member) is like an hour glass. The bottom is normal, but the top is off and extends forever; infinitely. Well we start as the grains of sand that are moving around in the bottom. At this point, we go according to our own will. And no matter how big the area seems down there, eventually we run into glass. There's always a limit. Then something happens and we start to learn and follow the Gospel. At that point we realize all of the commandments that we need to be keeping, as well as the changes that we need to make. That is the middle part of the hour glass. It feels cramped and restricting, there is absolutely no freedom, only commandments and rules. However, as we continue to obey, and the Holy Ghost expands our hearts, we are able to make it to the upper chamber. The upper chamber is of course, without limit. Endless forever. Also, from the infinite freedom of the top, looking back on the constricting part of the Gospel, we realize how brief of a moment it really was.

This morning I read Alma chapter 20, and a word popped out to me. This is when Ammon is accompanying King Lamoni to release his brothers in another land. They are traveling and they meet King Lamoni's father. After the exchange, the scriptures describe the reaction of the king's father. It mentions: 

26 And when he saw that Ammon had no desire to destroy him,and when he also saw the great love he had for his son Lamoni, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Because this is all that thou hast desired, that I would release thy brethren, and suffer that my son Lamoni should retain his kingdom, behold, I will grant unto you that my son may retain his kingdom from this time and forever; and I will govern him no more—

 27 And I will also grant unto thee that thy brethren may be cast out of prison, and thou and thy brethren may come unto me, in my kingdom; for I shall greatly desire to see thee. For the king was greatly astonished at the words which he had spoken, and also at the words which had been spoken by his son Lamoni, therefore he was desirous to learn them.

From this passage we see that the missionary work of Ammon was accomplished through his love for King Lamoni and his desires concerning his father. The word astonished to me shows that King Lamoni's father recognized something different about Ammon, and about his feelings towards his son. Ammon was living the principles of the gospel. Through living the gospel he was able to cause this "astonishment" in King Lamoni's father, which led King Lamoni's father to desire to learn his words. 

We are all in some degree like Ammon. We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we interact with others on a daily basis. If we are living all of the principles of the Gospel and doing everything that we know that we should be doing, then we will naturally seem a little bit different to others. They won't exactly be able to describe what it is, but something will simply stick out to them. They will feel drawn to the influence and wonder about what it is that is different, just as King Lamoni's father. That is when they begin to investigate the gospel. In my life as well, there have been people who have astonished me and led me to a deeper commitment to the Gospel. I know that as you live the principles of the gospel, you will be able to exert this influence on those around you and act as a tool in the Lord's hands. 

I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Be thankful for everything! I love you!

Elder William Strahl

BUSY PEOPLE IN KOREA!!!

Hey!!!

Sounds like the family is doing well. I appreciated the subtle hint that Reid will leave for his mission before I get back. Get him out! Some place in the world is waiting for the Younger Elder Strahl :). Yeah, the "honeymoon is over - new job is hard" I laughed at that one with my companion. If there's anything that gets you after the honeymoon, it is the companion relations on your mission...:) haha. Oh yeah, there actually is Thanksgiving in America! Eat twice the turkey for me! 

This past week was fairly good.

The member referral didn't come to church, or an appointment that we had scheduled on Saturday because of Kim Jong, or Kim-chee making. :(

The hard to reach investigator is busy as ever...he is basically dropped.

The Utah investigator was busy with school and work, and so was not able to meet this week. :( but we talked to the Young single adult leader in our ward and have plans to help him.

The army investigator had a special event last week and this week, and so was not able to meet... :( 

People in Korea are busy...unfortunately.

The Canadian Gentlemen came back from his trip, but hasn't responded. 

We met two more investigators this past Thursday. They came and played basketball with us and a member, and then we had a really good lesson with a member afterwards. We will see how much interest they have. They really just came to play basketball. But that's how it begins...

We have one more person that we met on a bus who said that he has been to many churches and never gotten faith. 

He says that he has gone to  "cult" churches, "false" churches, and "real" churches (which are the three categories in Korea) and so he is willing to come (our church is in the "cult" category). He is planning on coming to Family Home Evening tonight.

We also met a man from Pakistan that is living by himself. We had the opportunity to introduce Jesus Christ to him.  We will see how things go.

We are working hard, and trusting the Lord, and working harder, and trusting the Lord more.

I know that the Gospel is true! Remember Zion! I love you all sooo very much!!!

GWANG-JU - SECOND TOUR PICTURES!!!

LOOK AT THE BALL!!!!

Hey mother and family!!!

Halloween sounds like quite the party! Our Halloween party went really well, we received 45 referrals between two wards, which is a good number. My companion and I had two potential investigators that showed up as well as one of the less actives that we are working with.

This week went by fast, but well. This transfer passed by so quickly, and will be over after this next week. The calls came today and we will be staying the same (which is a good thing). 

This week we met a referral from a youth who is really prepared to receive the gospel. He said that he wants to repent. Haha. Not much more prepared than that. So, we met with him on Saturday, and he came to church on Sunday where we taught him and another of the member's friends the first lesson. He is great. The member is awesome as well. The Lord works through many different ways to bring his children to Him.

This week also we had a little miracle that may turn into something. We met someone who had (just a week earlier) gotten home from a 2 year stay...in Utah with a Mormon family. He said that he had a very positive view of our church and with the values that we have. However, lately he has been busy because he is graduating this year (in English) and so we are still contacting him to meet. But, he has a lot of potential/

We also have the chance to meet a Korean who recently got back from the army, but before the army was faced with the decision to be baptized and not go to church for two years, or to wait, so he waited. And so we will meet him today, and hopefully everything will go really well!!!

The North Korean is still contacting but seems a little non-committed at the moment. We will continue to work with him and help him.

We also have our English investigator who is going to Canada who quit his job, and just wants to study in preparation for his departure to Canada. He didn't come to church this week, but we think that he will have more time to meet now that he doesn't have a job. He is still great.

Also, on Sunday I had a really really good chat with the son of the family who were baptized in my first area. He came to the baptismal service of our ward yesterday, and really enjoyed it. His sister got back from her mission and they are planning to work on English and the Gospel for some time and so thing are looking good for them. I think he just has a really bad Word of Wisdom problem. He is so wonderful though, I love that family sooooo much.

This week went by really well, and this next week we will work to make the most of all these opportunities that the Lord has provided for us!

I am very excited for the upcoming transfer and those to follow!!!

1 Nephi 16 is a great chapter. Everytime. This time the thing that stood out to me was the Lord's response to Lehi after he humbled himself and asked the Lord for directions. The Lord's response was "Look at the ball". In other words "do what you are supposed to be doing" and "use what you have". I feel like in our own lives we all have our individual liahonas. For missionaries it is preach my gospel, for people it is the scriptures (there's identity and purpose again...). A lot of time we may expect something new or some miraculous revelation to solve our problems. However, a lot of the time, God says, "Look at the ball". Nephi reads the ball, and it tells him to go to the top of a mountain. The Lord could have told Lehi exactly which mountain to send Nephi up, but instead He wanted Lehi and Nephi to learn to use the resources that they had. There is another lesson. Looking at the future (with the boat, etc) Nephi and Lehi needed to learn to rely and read on the ball. That is often the case with us. We need to learn to use our scriptures and the other tools that the Lord gives us. Lastly, climbing to the top of a mountain is not easy. The Lord is going to require us to work. And, when we go to the tops of mountains, at that point, through the help of the Lord and our own ability, commitment, and effort, :) our desires are realized. 

I know this church is true and the end of all activity in the church is being happiest = making a family happy at home. I know that is true. 

I love you all so very much!!!

Have a wonderful week!!1

William Strahl (the Elder Version)