3rd week in Gong Ju

Hello Mother and Family--

Well it sounds like I went to Korea...but this Minnesota place sounds way stranger than anything here...sounds like a completely different place than good old Oregon! New adventures and new things! And a white Christmas!

This week we worked really hard and the Lord blessed us with some of His children to teach.

First, we found a person named Waterman who teaches at an English 학원 (a mini-school where you learn one subject) and had first come into contact with missionaries in 1958 in the Phillipines. He thought that of all the religions that he studied, our religion was the best. He was very prepared so we taught him why he needs to be baptized and committed him to be baptized. He said that he would think about the commitment and give his decision this Wednesday. The Spirit was really strong in the lesson. We tried to help him see the eternal value of following Jesus Christ versus the temporary value of enjoying things of less eternal value.

We also had a great finding experience when we contacted and set up an appointment with a high school student. When the student came to the appointment, he brought 3 friends along with him. So, we taught all four of them the first lesson and the member that we contacted came in at the last half and really did a good job in helping them feel the benefit of the Gospel. It was a great experience. Since then they have had a test and have not been able to meet; however, we will continue to contact them and try to teach them.

We had one other finding miracle that was great. On the way home from the Taejon Zone Conference Elder Wager met someone on the bus that we were able to set up an appointment with. This is an interesting story. We were leaving Zone Conference and we had an appointment that we were rushing back to get to. Well, the bus that we take comes every half hour. We rode the subway and when we got to the crosswalk across from the bus stop, we saw...the bus. So, we watched it go by. Then, the stoplight it was at turned red, so we crossed and then sprinted as fast as we could to the bus. Right when we got to the bus, the light changed and the bus took off. We walked back to the bus stop a little disappointed, but knowing that the Lord doesn't role dice. We then waited for the next bus talking to everyone that was at the bus stop with no luck. It was on this second bus that we met this wonderful student. We met him on Sunday and taught him. He committed to being baptized (although we have not set a date yet). He is a wonderful person that seems very responsive to the Spirit. The Lord works in very mysterious ways. Although we missed an appointment with one person, we met someone who I think will have great potential in the future.

The English interest person is...interested in English. The hardest part is that he really does have a very genuine desire to learn the Gospel and to learn it well. We were teaching him the first lesson and he really really wanted to understand the principles such as the Priesthood. He is very slow and fairly difficult to teach, but I see him progressing ever so slightly every time that we meet.

Other than that, we met one more person last Monday who seemed to want to talk more about God. He doesn't believe that God exists because of the difference in the rich and the poor. We helped him see the eternal perspective and the importance of Prophets of God that can reveal to us things that we could never discover on our own. We told him that he can know for himself if what we taught him is true. We then got his contact information (that he withheld the first time we met him on the street) and will hopefully be able to meet with him the coming week (he was busy).

So, the Lord continues to bless us with people to find and to teach and to help into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week I really had the message of patience again built more into my character. Results don't come without time and without effort. Sometimes, they don't come until after a lot of time and a lot of effort. Sometimes, you don't get to see them. But, that's where trusting the Lord comes in. Trusting that sometime, somewhere, the time and the effort put into the work will come to fruition, if not for you, for someone else, and ultimately for the building of the kingdom of God. You just do your work and trust the Lord. The Lord knows His vineyard and He will take care of it. Don't forget about Elder Ballard's Christmas challenge! Introduce someone to the missionaries! If there's one thing that I've learned on my mission it is that everyone has a deep desire to know about God. To really know whether He exists or not. Even out here in what President called the most conservative and cultural city in Korea where 3 out of 4 people talked to are Buddhist, they still have questions about the Infinite. Your friends and acquaintances all have the same questions...even if they aren't consciously thinking about it. That is when you can help them to consciously think about it :) Just ask them simple questions like "do you believe God exists?" "Why do you think that way?" "How do you think that a belief in God can help you?" "Do you think God can help you at school or at work, in your family?" There are also questions that those in who have a Christian belief need help answering, such as: "If there is one God and He taught one Gospel, then why are there so many differently teaching churches?" and then "How can you know for yourself?" "Do you know how you can know?" Help people see why they are doing what they are doing. Most people down at their core know that working or going to school for money is not going to make them happy. This helps people realize that their might actually be a purpose to life--a reason for living beyond what gets blocked and bogged down in the daily routines of life. Ask them who they want to be, where they find happiness, what's hard, what's easy, what they like, etc. Find their motivations and then help them see how God can help them in what they want and what they desire. And of course go by the Spirit. You will know what questions to ask and how bold to be...boldness has received a completely new definition on my mission. Love them, care for them enough to help them in the eternal way!