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

SCARED OF CHURCHES

Hello Mother and Family!!!

 Life in Korea is great, last week spring came, so it is not as cold as it used to be. It is amazing how the 21st of March seems to be that magic switch (which is really the earth tilting and completing its revolution around the sun...) that turns winter to spring. 

This last week went well. Our Sri Lankan investigator didn't get baptized because he had work, but one of the people in our ward is a manager where he works, so he is going to check the situation out and get back to us. This past week we were able to meet 7 new investigators, which is always a happy thing. We met with a couple at a shoe store, as well as an english interest investigator, as well as a few others. 

We met one guy who is a little bit scared of churches. He went to church on Sunday because he wanted to start coming to church. The church took him in, forcefully baptized him. Then, he decided after so much force that he didn't want to be a part of the religion, they called and texted him everyday for 3 months. Then, finally, they left him alone. So, he has a bad view of some churches, but at the same time, he has good recollections of our church. We explained to him that baptism is a choice in our church and not forced on anyone. We also told him that in order to get baptized you have to come to church 3 times and receive the missionary discussions. He is really open about learning about the church and so we are excited to teach him the gospel and help him develop his faith in Jesus Christ.

There was another person who we happened to meet this week. He met missionaries a while ago and had played ping pong with them. We played some ping pong with him and then proceeded to teach him a lesson. We talked and he said that he liked videos, about anything, if they were about church...then go for it...and so we showed him the Restoration. After we showed him the video we took some time to talk about what we had watched. As he felt the spirit he opened up and told us that he had felt a lot of the similar feelings that Joseph Smith had. In Korea there are TONS of churches, and Mokpo is a little different than the coastal towns of America. There are the artsy crafts and everything, but Mokpo has sooo many churches it is crazy. Mokpo is a little more laid back than the city, and a lot of people go there for the good air.  Anyways, we continued to talk to him and share our testimony that he could know that the Book Of Mormon is true and that this is God's Restored church. He told us that he would read the Book of Mormon and pray.

we also met another person on Wednesday who was really great as well. He attended the Catholic Church for a year (which you have to in order to get baptized) and did the study program that they have, and then after baptism he attended for another year. Well, he didn't feel any belief emerge...so he quit. He decided to go to church on his own, and he also quit going to church on his own. We met him on the street and told him that he could truly believe in God. He accepted the invitation to meet again, and so we commenced to meet again. He told us that he learned all about science as a boy, and because of that his view of religion was coming from science. So he asked questions about the creation and other scientific things, and we helped him realize that just studying scriptures is not enough, we also need to humble ourselves and ask God. He said that he would read the Book of Mormon.

Last we met our investigator that teaches English at the academy. He had a little bit of time, so we watched the Restoration with him and the "phrase of the day" was "ask and you shall receive". We committed him to ask for something that he needs (he is going to ask for the knowledge of how to have a peaceful life) and then look for the answer. He said he would and we will follow up to help build his faith in the Savior.

This week was pretty busy, and next week is going to be just as busy! We are excited to be working in Mokpo for the Lord. 

This past week in Sunday School, we learned about Christ as the Bread of  Life. Christ told the people that if they partook of the Bread of life they would never hunger, neither would they thirst. How can we continually partake of the bread of life? Yes, through reading our scriptures and praying, but also through partaking of the Sacrament each week. The sacrament is such an important ordinance that helps us to become like the Savior one week at a time as we partake of His Atonement. I know that the Sacrament is a really important part of every person's life and that it is through the Atonement of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ that we can be happiest in this life and eternally happy in the life to come. I know that it is through asking that we receive, searching that we find, and knocking that the door is opened. If we don't ask, we won't receive, if we don't seek, we won't find, if we don't knock, the door will never open. 

I love you all so very much! I hope that you have a wonderful week in all of your endeavors!!! I love you!

Elder William Strahl

GOALS AND A POSTPONED BAPTISM

 Glad that everyone is doing well!!!

No, our Sri Lankan investigator did not get baptized this week because he got called into work on Sunday (and found out Saturday)...so he is on a when he can come to church he will get baptized basis....

The old man has not been able to meet...unfortunately.

We met a semi-mentally deficient person on the street that we have started teaching. He is great. We also met another guy that is rather fun. He is in his 30s and pretty much is so decided about everything in his mind that he is totally open (think about it...). So, we have only met once, but were able to talk about God, and faith, and truth, and other things that are all leading up to the crucial moment of...sincere prayer. He also referred us to one of his friends who can meet during the afternoon which is one of the lesser effective times to do missionary work. 

We also met some people on the street, and went through the phone and found some people from before that should have some potential to meet. 

Things are going well in Mokpo. With the transfer, there are now 4 sisters and 4 elders, which is very big for the mission right now (many sisters have left). So, we are excited to roll our sleeves up and get to work in the vineyard of the Lord! I am excited to serve my last few months in this area!

The thoughts that I have had this week have been mostly about the importance of goals. Thinking about a goal, or what we also call a target, the object of a sharpshooter is to be able to hit something very small amidst a very big world. In life there are so many things that compete for our attention. However, as we set goals and work towards them, our focus shifts. We start to see opportunities to accomplish our goals and do better. Goals are really really really important. In reality, everyone has their own goals already set, even if not consciously. Goals reflect our desires and as Elder Oaks says, a lot of time we talk of desires in terms of what we seek. Whatever you naturally find yourself seeking is where your heart is...that is where your goals are...so, pay attention the things that you seek, set goals and appropriately seek, and as the Lord has promised, seek, and ye shall find!

I love you!!!

MIRACLES and DOG SOUP (Boshintag)

So we were going to businesses and advertising the English class that we teach and giving out Restoration pamphlets. We walked into one of the shops and the lady looked at us and recognized that we were Mormon Missionaries...and so she told us that she had been dear friends with an LDS person who had then gone to America some years before. She told us that she had lost contact with this member, but wanted to talk to her. My companion asked her what the friend's name was...and she said the name of our mission President's wife. So we called her and connected them. She was basically crying at the mercy of the Lord. Her friend came in a little bit after and she told the whole story to her friend (there were a lot more "coincidences" than just above) and then they both agreed that there is a God in Heaven who loves them. Sis Shin made her give us her phone number and we plan to introduce her to the sisters this week. 

Love you mother!

MOKPO PICTURES

Mother and Family!!!

This week our Sri Lankan investigator did not get baptized. His friend was severely injured and so he told me that "he had his extra underwear and towel, all ready, and then had to go" and on top of that he forgot his phone at his house...so as we  tried to contact him, we couldn't get a hold of him...it was the longest sacrament meeting of my life!!! Anyways, he called us at eight pm when he got home and told us what had happened and agreed to get baptized this upcoming Sunday. So, that's what's going on with him. He is doing super great though. He already passed the baptismal interview and is all set up for his baptism! This week it will hopefully go very smoothly!

We had a good lesson with the dad of the family with the son that loved us yesterday. He is really a fairly spiritual guy. We taught him the plan of Salvation and he took it really well. His problem is that, like everyone else in the world, money is at the forefront of his eyes and his brain. We taught him that because of the plan of salvation the need for money is only to the extent that we can live and gain experience to prepare to live with Heavenly Father again. He felt the spirit and has the beginning desires of change blooming in his heart. We read parts of Matthew 6 (3rd Nephi 13) with him talking about the desires of our hearts and not seeking the treasure of this world, but seeking treasure in heaven. Hopefully as he keeps commitments he will start to progress and change and realize the greatness of the blessings of the Gospel.

The man close to death is sick...so he has had no time to meet.

This past week I learned a lot about faith. Faith is in Jesus Christ is necessary for our Salvation and naturally leads to repentance. Faith is trust in God and His Plan for us.

Faith is like a muscle. If we exercise it, it grows, if we do not, then it weakens. 

Faith is important! Exercise your faith!

I hope that you have a really wonderful week in Minnesota...I am rooting for you!!! Team Strahl!!!

Love you! 

Elder William Strahl

END OF LIFE COMFORT

Hey mom and others,

Yes, our Sri Lankan investigator is still scheduled to get baptized on the 8th of March. He is amazing. Shines light. We have the interview on Saturday and then he will get baptized on Sunday. He is awesome!

Yeah, they [the family from the last letter] have some reservations, but they certainly are progressing very well (even if they don't say it :) ) They are the greatest family, and we are so excited to work with them and to help them into the Gospel...even if it is a little bit of a slower road!

This past week, we were only able to meet with the English teacher, and the Sri Lankan (His name is Shashika). 

The English teacher took us out to eat with his family :) So we were able to meet his wife and his son, that he has talked a lot about. His wife was really nice and the son LOVED us. By the end of the dinner he said that he wanted us to come to their home :) He is 11 and is so cute. We are hoping to help them into the Gospel by degrees!

Shashika went well. We taught with our ward mission leader and had to teach simply because English is his 2nd language, but it went well and he has the desire to make a promise with God through baptism.

Glad that things in Minnesota are doing well . I got the Birthday card from the ward relief society (or part)...Thanks! I really enjoyed it!

Investigators like the one close to death are in a tricky situation. He is really depressed all of the time, and his depression makes him try not to think about death, (which is the source of the depression) which, if not confronted or dealt with will just make him stall out his life in a depressed state. We are trying to help him realize the hope of the Gospel, but facing death makes him even more depressed, and so he doesn't respond as well as we hoped. We will try to help him read the scriptures and feel the spirit.

Thanks for the thought! 

This past week, I read again the verse in Alma 28:14: The great reason for sorrow is death and destruction and the great reason for joy is the light of Christ unto life. I know that that verse contains a precious truth. All of our sorrow and pain (of the heart) are in someway related to the death, or destruction, of some thing or relationship...etc., and on the flip side, all true joy has some connection to the light of Christ unto life. Joy that continues throughout life and does not receive much effect from the ebbs and flows of life. 

FAMILY IN MOKPO

Hey mother!

Mokpo is great. It is pretty warm here, except for the brisk ocean breeze that is always blowing here.. 

So, in Mokpo right now, some pretty exciting things are going on.

We have a Sri Lankan investigator that wants to get baptized in March on the 8th (a tentative date). His name is Shashika. He is working for  Hyundai building boats here. He has a desire to follow Jesus Christ and to help his Sri Lankan friends accept Jesus Christ.

We also have a very exciting family that we are in the process of working with. The entire district is involved, so things have been going pretty well.

This family is great...the mother reminds me of Mrs. Mercado (Thielen) as a Korean, and is just as expressive. She and her husband both grew up in the same church...which was by definition a cult church. They were living in a church like community where they worked and labored for the church...which in the end was just supporting the leader. Anyways, she spent 20 years in this church and finally, with her husband (who was also a part of it) escaped, and was completely ostracized by her friends and family...everyone. They now run a coffee shop in Mokpo. They have one child. She is really curious about the church, but is a little bit afraid of getting too deep or too far into anything religious...she is afraid to find out that something that appears so good has an evil heart. She likes Mormon Messages as well as the Liahona and a lot of the other things that the church produces. Her husband also has a little religion interest as well as english interest, and thinks that the Gospel is interesting. We met the son for the first time this weekend and his parents have kept him out of religion because of their experience. But, the son wonders a lot about the soul. We taught him the plan of Salvation and he thought that it all made sense until the "after the spirit world" part. Without a religious background, the Bible doesn't really have too much of a pull on him, so showing him the degrees of glory in the Bible was not effective. He is a great kid with a great personality! If these three would join the ward, it would be so great. They are wonderful people and could contribute a lot to the forward progression of the church. She has already referred two of her friends to the missionaries and has plans to show people mormon messages that help families and couples, etc. They are great! Our ward missionary leader in a missionary coordination meeting was about to refer her to the missionaries, but my companion and the missionary that was here before me, had already met her just the week before. We are working hard to help them come to church and come to Christ!

We are also teaching an English academy teacher as well as the person close to death, along with few other fairly new investigators. We are working to bring them to Christ through the covenant of baptism!

I love you all so much!

This past week I had the opportunity to reflect on prayer. It says in Moroni that if our prayers are not with real intent, then God does not receive them. "for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God,except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.

 7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness." 

Thus, it is important that we pray, with "real intent" which of course we all know is key in the last chapter of Moroni with his promise. Real Intent is key for the quality of our prayers. Real intent...has been communicated to me very clearly through learning a language. There are words, and then there is the intent behind the words. Thus, what are the intentions behind the words that we use when we pray? Are they real? Are they sincere? Truly, without 1% of insincerity, or simply what we "should desire" and not what we "really desire". I know that God will answer any prayer said with "real intent". He is God and His plan is different than ours, so the answer may not be in the way or at the time that we expect it, but He will answer it based on His Omniscience and His Omnipotence. I know that is true. I know that if anyone prays to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God with real intent to find out if it is His word or not, God will answer the humble seeker through the power of the Holy Ghost which "carrieth it unto the hearts of men". Evaluate your prayers and exercise that wondrous gift called "agency" and make your prayers more sincere. I know that if you do so, the promise that is in True to the Faith will be realized in your life. "As you make a habit of approaching God in prayer, you will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him.Your desires will become more like His."

I love you all so much and wish you the best back there in Minnesota!!!

Love you soooo much!

Have a wonderful week!

Elder William Strahl

INVESTIGATORS IN MOKPO

Hey mom and family-

The work is going well in Mokpo. We are working hard and relying on the Lord to help His children come to Him. So far we have not gotten any referrals, and we are teaching a few investigators right now. 

First, we are teaching a man that has a heart condition that has been determined as fatal within a short period of time (the time is not designated...he used the phrase "just around the corner"). We met with him last week and committed him to take the lessons from the missionaries again he accepted, and so today we will see if stays true to his word.

Second, we have two students that are learning English with us and about the church. Their main interest is English and so we will try to spur their interest in the Gospel and help them to come unto Christ.

There is also a man who teaches English at a local academy who once knew a member in our church and thereby began to be interested in the Gospel. He is pretty great, and has invited us to meet with his family, but fell through on Sunday.

Third, there is a last year middle school student that we met a few days ago after talking to him on the street. He is a great kid and showed us the background of his phone - a picture of Jesus. He is a great kid that attends church all by himself. He seems to be a little more of a thinker than most middle school aged kids and so we are hoping to help him to come to Jesus Christ.

Fourth, there is a Sri Lankan that we are teaching and his friend. We were not able to meet with them last week, but will be able to in the future.

There are some other potential investigators in the area, but so far, those are the only investigators that I have been able to meet with.

I am really glad that everything is going well in Minnesota! I hope that things continue to go well there! Hope your talk on music goes really well!!! 

This past week I thought a lot about the spirit, and the way that the spirit communicates to us. The spirit helps us know God's will for us in His plan to help us be as happy as possible in this life. The Spirit is a feeling that leads us to thinks that are good and to believe in Christ with greater desire and hope.

I hope this week that you can strive to feel the spirit more acutely in your own lives!!!

Have a wonderful week this next week!!!

By the way, next week, we will not have time to email because of the holiday in Korea.

Sorry.

Have a wonderful week!!!!

Elder William Strahl

FIRST WEEK IN MOKPO AND UPDATE ON SOME KOREAN FRIENDS

Hey!!!

Ok, so Mokpo is on the sea, and it is not a huge city, but I would say there is about 500,000 or so people that live here...and...6 missionaries, and 1 ward of about 60 people.

Gwangju has more members than Mokpo but is also bigger. The weather is a little bit different; because it is by the beach it is a little bit more humid down here...

The house is great, I get to live with a Korean for the first time on my mission!

The restaurant owners from my first area are doing well. Before I left, I talked to the daughter about the family and the mother does read scriptures with her daughter once in awhile, and I saw the son at church a few times here and there. I heard that the father (who didn't come back because of smoking) has been able to reduce his smoking.

The last that I heard from Eric he is done with High School, and was allowed to visit stake conference and the temple. Right now it should be vacation for him before his first year of college, which he will probably do before his mission.

Yeah...pictures. I do have some, but not of Mokpo yet. Things are really busy. Glad that everyone in the family is doing well!! Sounds like God is blessing us well!!!

As far as an update of the mission...

This is my last area, and I have 4 months here until the return trip to America.

This last area is really great. I have some relatives of people that lived in the previous wards that I have served in, so getting to know the members has been a relatively quick and simple thing. I don't have anything super exciting because I recently just moved here. sorry. ready to start my last area and work forward to the end! yep...that's about it.

Wow. Going back to America is going to be really weird. Right now Korea is in the 1960s but technologically in the 21st century. [I had told him about the Church's latest news conference about nondiscrimination]

Well, the things the prophets always say is that the world is getting further and further away from the church, and I have definitely seen that as I have served as a missionary. I never knew how important the Gospel was until I started to share it and go into the homes of those who don't have it. Frankly speaking, people who don't have the Gospel have nothing that they can really rely on (because everything else is either fake, or changes). But, the Gospel provides us with true principles that allow us to be happy in this life and happy forever. I know that the Gospel will help us in our quest to become like Jesus Christ and return to our Heavenly Father.

I love you all so very much!!!!

I hope that everything is going well in Minnesota! (Melissa mentioned how surprised she was that it has already been a year and a half!!!)

Love you all so much!!!

Have a wonderful week!!!

Elder William Strahl