December 2014 Gwang-Ju

Gwang Ju  Dec 2014

TIME AND CHOICES

Hey mother and family!!!

This past week we had the missionary Christmas party as well as the fun experience with the threesome!!! We continue to meet with our investigators and help them to experience the love that God has for them and for all of His children.

Afron is doing well. He got better, but through a series of unfortunate events he was unable to meet us this week. On the good side, it is the end of his semester and so he should have more time to meet with us, and he will hopefully do really well with the people in our ward.

The member referral is also finishing up school this week and then will be able to come to church and continue to learn about God. He will be a good person to teach.

The high school student is going college searching this next week, but the next week agreed to go to church.

last, we have the investigator that attends another church that we met rather recently. He has women interest as well as gospel interest and so it is a little bit tricky to discern his true motives. He really wants to get the Gift of the Holy Ghost, but at the same time he also wants to date all of the single adults... in consultation with the single adults, they tell me that he has a social problem, but that he does have genuine interest in the Gospel. He says that the thing that he wants most is a happy family. We will continue working with him. He told us that he wanted to convert and get baptized, and so we are working to help him prepare for making that kind of a commitment to God. 

The new old man investigator is old and it has snowed a lot here, so we may potentially get to see him on Friday.

Things are going well in the threesome. We talk to more people, have more faith, more prayers, etc. It is great! 

This past week we were able to have a lesson with a Less-active member and we talked about stewardship. We told him what Elder Christofferson mentioned in his talk "Reflections on a Consecrated Life" which goes something like this: the two things that we have stewardship over in this life are time and choices. Everything else that we do comes as a result of those two things. He then made the comment that that is true because what job you choose determines your schedule for your entire life. That is a pretty profound statement: everything comes out of time and choices. Our choices define the quality of the results of our time. And so those are the two things that are most important to regulate, and if regulated well will produce whatever result that this life has to offer.  I know that the Holy Spirit is real and that through the Holy Spirit we can know of things that we cannot see. I know that through the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ the eternal unit of the family can be complete in a state of incomparable happiness.

Love you all,

Elder William Strahl

NEVER, EVER, WANT IT TO END.....

Hey!

This week went by really well. I will just go over the investigators that we were able to meet with and what is going on with our other investigators.

Our friend who started to meet with us that we met on the street and is coming to English class, is really starting to get a social conversion, which is part of the battle. He is great and as we do lessons with him, he is the only investigator that I have ever taught that was able to figure out on his own some of the thought provoking questions that we ask them. I am convinced that he knows it from his heart (and from the pre-earth life) and will do well as he continues to mingle with the people here and learn about the church.

Afron got a cold this last week and so he wasn't able to meet :( that was very sad, but I am sure that he is doing well, and we are looking forward to meeting him this next week.

This transfer things are a little bit different. I am staying in the same area, but I am getting 2 new companions (at the same time). So we are going to be in a threesome....it will be interesting. My current companion is going way up north...

We also met with one of our high school students who is doing really well. He told us that he told his parents that he was learning about church and his parents told him that once the school break starts he needs to go to church every week (probably because he sleeps in all the time!!!!) He said that he will be able to come at the start of January. He learned the Plan of Salvation really well, and had good questions about the doctrine. He reminds me of my investigator in 공주 Gongju that is doing really well as an active member. I have high hopes for him :)

We also were able to meet with a new old man investigator that we met some time ago on the street. He called off of a slip and we took him to the Christmas devotional (first Presidency one). He seemed to enjoy it, but at the same time we had a North Korean investigator come to the church and meet with some other missionaries at church. The North Korean was going on about some crazy religion, but he accepted a Book of Mormon. I haven't actually met with him as of yet, but it seems like it will be interesting. 

Let's see, all of our other investigators were either busy with tests, or their schedule did not match up with ours. 

This past week was really good in a lot of ways. Our member told us that his friend really wants to come to church, but because of school and other things, he is busy. We are excited for the school vacation because that means that we can teach the high school aged kids.

I am glad that everything went well in Minnesota, Alabama, and Idaho :) Keep up all of the good work in all that you do!

I love you all and hope the best for everything that you do!

This past week the sisters in my group went home (2 left from this ward) and that is quite the shock. Time goes by soooo fast on a mission. The lesson comes from a very wise person named Dallin H. Oaks. He talks about good, better, and best. So true. There are so many good things to do in our lives! But, there are better good things and there are the best good things to do with our time. And so, if we want to use our time to its greatest potential, then we will prioritize! Identify first the good, better, best, and then give up the good and the better for the best. And, we will be happiest!

I love you all so much and am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to be a missionary. I never ever ever want it to end :) ever.

love you!

Elder William Strahl

AN INVESTIGATOR'S VIEWPOINT OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

Hey!!!

. Glad that everything has been going well back in Minnesota!!! Seems cold! It has gotten a lot colder here in Korea, but it is still normally above freezing (although because of the high humidity it feels super cold).

Reid in the choir!!! That is exciting! When is he going to get his mission call??? You have to let me know when!!! Christian is so lucky to get to see grandma and grandpa so much. In Korea the Confucianism background is very strong (they literally bow to their parents and ancestors at various stages of the culture). Anyways, I have of course felt and realized the grandness of the aged. I really miss them.

Afron is doing well, we met with him and taught the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. He drinks with his friends, so he will have to work to overcome that. I love that when we taught him the Word of Wisdom, he said "Everyone knows that these things are bad for you, but they do them anyways". He knows, it will just take time to help him to find strength through the Atonement to overcome and progress. He is great. He can start coming to church in January! He seems a little knocked down at the Word of Wisdom, but through prayer and scripture study he will be able to overcome!

Haha. In Korean "한드폰을 잃었던 구도자 함께 만날 수 있었나요?", (your question) is literally translated: phone lost investigator with were able to meet?  SO...yes!!! You are getting the backwardness of Korean!!!  we were not able to meet with him. He is in testing period (in Korea the test is at the end of December, so the whole month is "testing period", where parents take their kids phones away and limit the time that they go out) So he will be able to meet on Saturday, but Sunday is impossible. 

The bus investigator stopped answering his phone :(. Maybe later he will answer and come...

The high school student had to go to look at colleges and was not able to meet this weekend. But we ran into him again on the street, and he seems to be doing pretty well. He wakes up really late. I called him at 2:30pm on Saturday and he had just woken up...crazy!!! I agree that there are second shift people, but I also think that everyone can become a 1st shift person :) Like the old days. (any generation before 1960...) 

The basketball investigator was not able to meet (testing period), and so hopefully this week he will be able to meet, even if once. Thanks for the tip! We will try to help be accepted by members and feel accepted and loved by God!

The Pakistani Investigator is ok. He lost his job and hates Korea. He wants to go to America. We taught him the plan of Salvation. And he liked to think about where we came from before we were born. He said he will come to church next week, but we don't know how much he really is thinking about changing. (korean lesson 101#2. In Korean you can honorify people (that you are talking about) as well as honorify through the tense at the end, the person that you are speaking to. It is always rude to honorify yourself, and so when you speak, you always have to be conscious about who you are speak about and who you are speaking to...there are 4 different levels of respect, with three that are commonly used. (The fourth is specifically to a king (or to God when praying)) 

Nathan's twin is not musical... but is great nonetheless. He couldn't come to English this week, but will come next week. 

We also met another person on the street this week who recently moved to the area and who already attends a church but had been praying (sort of...kind of thinking as well) a chance to meet a western friend. Well, we met and then we met a few more times, he came to English and made some friends and has more time to meet, and so we are excited to help him to make the journey to come unto Christ! He is 25. 

We also went back to the house of a person that we met a little while ago while knocking doors who accepted a book of Mormon. We visited and it turns out that he is pretty lonely because he has three kids that don't really visit him a whole lot. He works at a factory, doing hard labor. We asked him about church and he hated the caste system in Korean churches where if you attend for a certain amount of years you become a "deacon" or a "elder". He also doesn't like the competition fostered by publicly displaying the amount (yes to the dime) of money paid in offerings...He loves his wife soooo much and she died three years ago. He said that his happiest memory was marrying her and his saddest, was at her death. He has already read about a third of the Book of mormon. He says that it is basically the Bible summarized into a shorter, more clear way. He said that the parts that are boring put him to sleep :) and the parts that are good he believes to be right.

I love you so much. This past week we had a 70 come and speak to us (Elder Aoyiagi) in Japanese, which was translated to Korean, and then to English for the missionaries who are newer. It was sooooo goood. He told us the priorities of saints from the prophet:

1. Personal relationship with God.

2. Spirituality of Family.

3. Building up the Church.  

And then applied them to us as missionaries.

It was super great.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!!!

Elder William Strahl

CAPTAINS OF A BOAT

Hello Mother and Family!!!

This past week we were able to meet some new people and work with our current investigators. Lately we have been really blessed by the Lord in His work.

Afron! He told us that after we taught him the plan of salvation he couldn't stop thinking about it and said that "he is really thinking of getting baptized" after he get less busy. He has 8 close friends that he has talked to about us and brought one of them to the lesson with us. He had us teach the Plan of Salvation over again for his friend as well! Before, he was telling his friend about the "stars, moon, and sun" (in Korean it is directly "star's kingdom, moon's kingdom, sun's kingdom). We are excited to continue to teach him as well as his friends who will hopefully catch the interest that he has. He is great! 

Our member referral got his phone taken away at school, so our member was trying to communicate with him through facebook and things were not working out so well...so he unfortunately was not able to come to church this week. But, he will hopefully be able to meet this Saturday and Sunday. 

Our bus investigator said that he would come to church...and he punked (which is actually a Korean word for not showing up...(of course coming from English)!) We will get him to come next week. He has potential if he will come :)

We were able to meet a high school student this week that we met on the street. He really wants to know if God is real or not. He decided that it would be good if he went to church, and so he decided to meet with us. He is great! He is a very pure and a very good young man. His problem is that he gets up on Sundays at 3 or 4pm. He said that even with alarms and phone calls, nothing will get him up. So, that is what the spirit is for! We met him for the first time and he understood and accepted things very well!

The basketball investigators (there's three) mostly do not have interest (2 of them), but one of them is really prepared. He is in a sticky relationship with his dad and he gets angry all of the time. So, he likes to meet with us and he feels the spirit and that there is something here to help him. He has attended his own church for three years without any of his family member's support. He accepted a baptismal invitation and so as meet more with him and help him he will be able to overcome his anger and come to Christ. 

The Pakistan investigator was busy this week, but he loves us. He is great! He always says "that's ok, that's ok" but he is a foreigner and so he only knows the lowest form of Korean which is for close friends and kids. It's great :) my companion and I laugh about it a lot :) 

The department store investigator had his rest day, but was too busy to meet, but promised to meet this week. He is great, but needs to meet. 

We also met another investigator who I met while playing soccer with the young men last Saturday. He lives by us and works in the downtown area. He doesn't really have or ever has had a religion. His view is that religion is a scheme for money and fame. We told him a little bit about our church. The best part was that when we first met him he told us that he only had 10 minutes...and then he stayed for 30 minutes. He is great and is getting introduced to the wonderful light of the Gospel!

We are also meeting the father of one of the sister's English investigators. He is interesting. He doesn't really have a religion, and likes beer and women. So, there is some way to go, but that is what the Gospel is for!!!

We also met a person that the sisters met on the Street and are working (slowly) with him. He doesn't believe in God, but is great. He is pretty much Nathan Egan turned into Korean form (which makes me smile so much all the time because I LOVE Nathan Egan)!!! 

The Lord has been very bountiful in His blessings to us!

There is a cool Korean adage or saying: If there are many captains of a boat, the boat will go towards a mountain. In other words, there has to be clear direction, or we will not accomplish our purpose. The boat can be compared to almost anything. The best, though, is the family. The captains are anything and everything that affects the direction of our family. That is internet, tv, friends, school, etc... All of those things are pulling families in certain directions. But, there is one thing that will show how to take those things and point them in the direction that will get us to sea. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the Living Prophet. We have a purpose, but if we do not follow correct direction, we are boats steering towards a mountain. I love you all sooo much!

Thanks for the emails and the support!

The mission is the best in so many ways!

Have a good week! 

(ps, the cafe I am in is playing the 12 days of Christmas (all in English)) :)