Hello Mother and Family!!!
So, another week has gone by, and here the days seem like weeks and the weeks seem like days. This past week Korea experience what they Bool-go, which pretty much translates to "extreme heat". Yep, it's been pretty hot. One of the members said that it has been the hottest it's been in 18 years! For a taste, on Thursday it was 102 degrees Fahrenheit with 80-90% humidity...which is pretty hot. Luckily, I haven't been bothered by it, there is Gospel waiting to be shared!
This week I was able to meet with the rest of our investigators and get to know them better and to work with them. I did not have a chance to meet with Richard because we usually meet with him during the English class, but my companion wanted me to experience the English class, so he taught with another Elder. The guy that stopped us on the moped we called, he told us he was busy, and so we are going to call him again. Oh, so the city that I am currently serving in is Gwangju. Pretty much right smackdab in the downtown area which is where our church is. Gwangju is south of Taejon.
As I went throughout this week I have been able to understand more Korean! When certain people speak I can understand about 60-70%. Basically I can understand the subject, but not the intent, which is difficult a lot of the time, but hey, line upon line and precept upon precept.
This week we had a special experience with an investigator couple that we have. Background: They own a restaurant and they have a daughter who is a member and who is now at the MTC going to serve her mission in Seoul, Korea. They haven't had any interest in the church until lately when their daughter went to the MTC. They have started to investigate the church with a little more intent as of recently. When we visited them, we went to their restaurant and start by helping with the dishes. Then, we sat down and they fed us (food is a big part of Korean culture). We had some sort of soybean paste noodles which was actually very good. We talked with them on an off while we ate about things that were happening, who I was, etc. The wife came out with pictures of her daughter that she had taken over the years. She was so proud of the fact that in every single one of the pictures that she received from her daughter at the MTC she was smiling in every single one of them. When she showed us the other pictures, she only smiled about 50% of the time. Her mother was so happy!
After the meal we started to talk to them about church and especially introduce the Book of Mormon so that they could start reading it and gaining a testimony of it. We explained about the book and had him read Moroni 10:3-5 which explains that anyone who reads the Book of Mormon and prays with faith in Jesus Christ, a sincere heart, and real intent, can know of its truthfulness through the power of the Holy Ghost. We read this with him and then bore our testimonies. My companion was explaining, so he bore his, and then I felt to bear mine, which I did in a very simple way in Korean. After we bore our testimonies we knew that he had felt the Spirit. I was looking him straight in the eyes when I declared my witness that I knew for myself that the Book of Mormon was true, and after that he looked like he felt something different in his eyes, and then kind of rolled them a little bit as if he was in a little bit of shock of realization. (I don't think I can explain the Holy Ghost touching a soul's heart in a way that could do any sort of justice). Anyways, after that moment, he said he would read the Book of Mormon every day and he committed to come to church every single week for the month (except for the most recent Sunday because he had many people coming over for a meal). We graciously helped clean up, very thankful for the provided meal, and then went to leave; but he then even offered to drive us home. It was such a great experience! I am so excited for this couple as they progress towards coming closer to Jesus Christ.
There was another miracle on Thursday when we gave out all of our proselyting material (3 BOMs, many pamphlets and myonghams (handout cards)) which my companion had never before had happen to him.
Yep, great things are happening here in Korea. The Lord has prepared many people to receive the Gospel and the blessings there in.
Another great story happened to us this week as we met with 김용춘 (Brother Kim Yong Choon) who is a 75 year old man that we met last week. He was interested in English, but then as we taught him about the Gospel, he opened up a lot more toward the Gospel than toward learning English. So, we planned to teach him the next visit. When we went over the second time, we taught him, but he decided in his brain that because we were white and had made a few mistakes speaking Korean, that he could not understand us. Period. Something turned in his brain where he would not understand us, at all. So, my companion and I, a little frustrated after 30 minutes of communication failure, finally got through to him that we would bring a member along to help with the translation/the teaching. So, the next time we did and he was taught and received everything pretty well. He also committed and had been reading the Book of Mormon every day, which was very exciting. He goes on a trip for the rest of August, so the last time that we will be able to meet with him is tomorrow, which will be great.
Our other investigator with potential told us that he is getting to busy for church and to do the things that we asked them which is sad. We plan to explain to him that the way that we are asking him to live is not some separate dimension of his life, but affects everything else. We are also going to challenge him to read the Book of Mormon every day for 10 days straight and to realize the difference that it makes in his life. He is a really great person, so I really hope that he can recognize the value that the Gospel has to him in his whole life--to him as a person.
That's the simple rundown of the week; quite a lot is going on. If I had time to write about all of the cultural and other aspects of this work here it would take me all of P-day to do. It's awesome and exciting, and I am learning everyday more about everything.
I hope everything continues to go well in the States, in Minnesota and Oregon! I think it's really funny that the girls changed the GPS to speak in Korean, it made me laugh (and I told my companion who laughed with me).
As for a spiritual thought, there are two stories in the New Testament. The first is of a young rich ruler who goes to Christ and says that he has been keeping all of the commandments and asks "What lack I yet?" to which the Savior responds to him "Sell all that thou hast and give to the poor". The young rich ruler goes away sorrowing. However, in a parable related by Christ, we learn how we can have the motivation and the ability to give and sell everything. In Matthew 13 (I believe) it Christ tells many parables and one of them says that a person finds a treasure in the field, and for the joy thereof, he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.
The lesson is that we should not focus on what we lack, or what we do not do or have. Instead, we should focus our attention on the greatness and value of what we do have. As we begin to understand the profound significance of what we have, we will automatically begin to do the things that we were previously not able to do. The Gospel is what we have; Christ's Atonement at the center. Realize what we have, and the value thereof. All other things will follow. When we truly recognize the value of what we have we will give everything that we have to devote ourselves to it.
This also has a missionary application. Realize the value of what you have--and also that it has the potential to have that same value to every single person that you come in contact with every day. Share it! Something of this great value should be shared with others. Recognize and ponder the value of what you have, sacrifice to preserve and protect the value, and then help others come to realize the same joy that you have!
Good luck with everything the next week. I will be here in Korea, working for the Lord in gathering His sheep.
Elder William Strahl
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