Thanks for the update! Yes, time flies. Way too fast. It's been over a full year since I came to Korea! So fast.
I am glad to hear that everyone is doing well.
Well, we have a lot going on here, which is absolutely wonderful! We had 8 investigators come to church yesterday, and one that will be baptized next week from China named Sidda. He is full of faith and wants to follow Jesus Christ. He is amazing. I am excited for next week!
The English family didn't show up to English, but came to church...! And also to a Family home evening that we had later that night! They are doing really well and really like the church. We are really excited for them to join the church as a family.
The investigator we met the first week I was here on the street came to church for the third time in a row. The Elders quorum president gives him a ride to and from church, and after the meeting he said "let's teach him and baptize him". He hasn't had time outside of Sunday and hasn't wanted to leave Priesthood or Gospel Principles so we haven't had much time to teach him, but that will change. We are excited for him. He came dressed up in a dress shirt and tie all on his own last week (his third week in a row attending church).
The family that we met last week, the father and the son, were able to come for all of church except sacrament meeting (which is last here). Apparently the father had many questions about the church in Elder's quorum, and the Elder's quorum president offered his house and his help whenever we had a lesson with him. He also came to the Family home evening at the church and got into a 45 minute conversation with a member about the church and it was great. He also got to joke around with Robert Holly, the famous actor in Korea, so that was fun as well. They are doing very well.
We visited the other family that we are teaching the other day, and they seem to be doing well, they just need a jump start. I had to laugh. We showed them the church website, specifically the For the Strength of Youth and the standards therein. We asked if they had any interests, and of course in Korea, the first was education, and then after that we asked the dad what his interest was, and immediately the wife said "the role of the Father in the family" haha. They are such a wonderful family who are pretty much lds anyways, they just need a little help realizing how much it can really bless their family. They are great!
One of our investigators turned out to be a less active member....! He was baptized in 1994 as a college student when he met missionaries there. He is meeting us to do a business deal...with his English academy...so we will focus on trying to help his family, who are not members, to be able to come to church and gain the blessings of church. He is a tricky one. But, we will work with him to help him and his family come to Christ.
We also met with one of our investigators who will be going to the army soon. He is really great, but hasn't really seen the need for religion. So, we are preparing him well to seek God when things get tough in the army. (All Korean males have a mandatory 2 years in the military) He's great though, and I know that he will get baptized some time. He referred his cousin the other day. He knows it's true, he's just a little caught up in himself.
Our Rwanda investigators are still MIA...
Constantine dropped us. He is part of the Russian/Ukraine/Uzbekistan part of our area. They really like activities, but when it comes to church and other things...they seem to avoid us a little bit. Met with him once and then he got "busy". He came to the family home evening but was still going to be too busy to meet... lame
Our crutches, ACL because of (that's Korean grammar, sorry) bed-set investigator is not very well. He wants to come to church, but his back has started to pain him too much to come. He said that he will be able to come in about two weeks. We still text him.
The Less active family that we visited has come out to church as a family every week since we visited them! They are doing well and we are anticipating the baptism of the wife shortly. They have the cutest daughters.
We also met a Nepali gentleman who is interested in the brotherhood. Haha. He calls us brother, and it makes us smile inside. He is great! He can meet on weekends, like most other foreigners...which will be great!
We also had some Vietnamese people want to come to church. But, they came to the bus stop half an hour late and so we were not there to help them get to the church. They are not to great at English or Korean, but kept saying "I want to go" it killed me to tell them that we would have to do next week, especially because the one that we invited had brought friends, but that was the way that it had to be. They are great as well. Just a little hard to communicate with.
Today is transfer day. I don't know what is happening yet. We think that I will stay and that Elder Butterfield is moving on, but we don't know for sure. Anyways, the Lord has blessed us with many investigators who are very interested, which has been really exciting for us!
This week I was reading Romans and Corinthians. In Corinthians Chapter 3 Paul makes the deep statement that "I planted, and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase". Also in Chapter 12 Paul talks about the members of the church being as a body. It is so true. This is the Lord's work. We work, we plant, and we water, but only God can give the increase. In another place Paul talks about how we receive everything that we are given in this life. Our talents...everything. That has helped me to see the work in a more united and a better perspective. I have learned in this area that God really does give the increase, because God has opened up many opportunities to us. It is not through our merits but through God's grace that we are able to do this work (1 Corinthians 15 beginning).
I know this is the work of God among His Children. God is our Heavenly Father. He loves us. Out of love He sent His son Jesus Christ. If we follow Jesus Christ we can be happy. The Book of Mormon shows us how we can follow Jesus Christ.
I promise you that if you read the Book of Mormon every day your life will improve. I have seen that in my life. The Book of Mormon is a gift from God to us that helps us to recognize the restoration of the church and priesthood authority which will let us be happiest in this life. I know that is true.
Have a wonderful week! I love you so much!!!!
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