Sick Companion!!!

Hello Mother and Family!

First, I want to address the Lincoln living person with her question about preparing for Korea. Well, I would say that out of everything to prepare for, short term be ready for lots of change really fast. And then, just as solid of a base with the language as possible. Honestly, the language takes so long to learn that there isn't really any magic short quick preparation that will help her. I would recommend just learning Hangul (the alphabet) and how to read. I would say it would be less specific preparation and more with the general lots of change really fast preparation. Dad taught me best. Don't fight it, just accept it, and then eventually you will enjoy it. 

Ok....this week went by well, although my companion got sick from Monday through Friday, so we did not have a real big opportunity to talk to a whole lot of people.

We did have the opportunity to teach the English investigator. He is a hard one. He doesn't like the idea of commitments and really doesn't feel like he has the time to keep them. So, we talked to him and tried to help him understand why he needs to keep the commitments. He is mainly interested in English, so his desire isn't quite there...yet. On the other hand we learned that he had a near death experience on a motorcycle that has definitely caused him to believe that there is a God because of what he experienced. We also found out that his mother is deceased and that he loves her a lot. Hopefully we can help him see that he really can speak to his mother again and that that opportunity far outweighs any possible result that he could get through speaking English. He's a tough one though. 

The high school students haven't responded to our calls. We will continue to try for a short time and then move on.

We had to reschedule with Waterman because Elder Wager was sick and so we did not have an opportunity to meet him this week. 

The person we met on the bus has also stopped answering our calls which is unfortunate. Hopefully we can get in contact and continue to help him come unto Christ.

So, after this week we will be building from the ground up again. We have some likely potentials that we have met in the past few days, so hopefully we help the people of GongJu experience the blessings of the Gospel!

On the other hand, one of the investigators that Elder Tolman and I taught in Gwangju got baptized on Sunday!!! He is the best. He called and was so happy to tell me that he got baptized. He also was so excited that the next week he would receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost! I am so happy for him! He is one of God's precious children who has come to know God and that is wonderful. 

This week has been rather reflective for me. I read a talk that President Hinckley gave in 1999 about Member missionary work and realized that his talk was just preparing people for what is happening now. I also realized that his talk is mentioned all over the place in Preach My Gospel and in the white handbook. It's called Feed my Lambs, Find my sheep, or something along those lines. It is a great talk that really helped me to grasp the member-missionary unity that together can accomplish the work of the Lord. (Read it! it's amazing. Remember that once you read it you're accountable :) 

   On Sunday we had an Area 70 visit the ward and talk to us in sacrament meeting. It was very good. One point that he mentioned is that missionary work is a work of revelation. The Holy Ghost is vital to the work of missionary work. Because it is God's work, and not ours, we must do it in His way and according to His timing. If we don't then we will not get very far. That is so important. When we do things by the Spirit, that is when we are made instruments in the hands of God to do His work. 

Thank you for your thought. That is so true. There are so many that are for us, even when in the world it seems that every one is against us. I love the Savior's words in John. "Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together." (4:35) Christ said it. It's true. Don't say that the fields will be white, because they are white. You just have to look through the eye of faith. I am so excited to thrust in the sickle and reap with my might!

I love you all so much! You are THE BEST!