ASTONISHED!!!!

Hey mom and family!!!

Sounds like the family is doing well! I am just going to say that I am jealous of Reid being so close to Charlotte. Maybe I will transfer to Idaho when I get back (haha, just kidding...). Glad that Christian is gearing up well for his finals and Rachel is writing poetry that is...very interesting, but very well formed! That's a good way for her to express herself...!!! I am glad that dad looked out for his co-worker and had a safe border crossing. I keep forgetting about the American-Mexican border because of the South Korea-North Korea border...way to go mom!!!! Sharing the Gospel! Remember, that conversions start with those simple conversations. Showing genuine interest and love goes farther than most things.

This past week went by well.

We met our investigator named Afron (when he was in America he liked Zach Effron (Efron?) (have I already said this...?) and so he calls himself Afron, because he didn't know how to correctly spell it...:)) and he accepted an invitation to be baptized. He said that it would take time, but we are confident that if he reads the Book of Mormon, prays, gets interaction with members and continues to meet, he will be prepared for baptism more quickly. He is great. He says that he has been wanting to come to church but he teaches students at that time. The big school vacation in Korea is in a few weeks, so I am hoping that after that time he will be able to come to church and other activities.

We didn't have a former lesson with the investigator referred by our member, but he did come to Stake Conference. We talked with the member and set a goal for baptizing him by Christmas :). He is super prepared. 

The investigator who works at the department store will have time this time to meet. We dropped by his work place to see him and caught him at lunch time and were able to talk with him for a little bit. He is doing well and misses the church. 

The bus investigator was busy for this week as well, but he definitely has interest and we will work to get him to church. 

Hahaha. Kimchee making. It wasn't really the kimchee making, but he is 16yearsold and his family was going somewhere to do it and they wanted him to come along. 

The Pakistani investigator was busy this week, but really likes us and is excited for the next time that we meet him. :)

This week we had a lesson with the basketball investigators and they took it soooo much better than I thought. They really paid attention and at the end, we could tell that they had felt the spirit. 

President Sherry shared an example in sacrament meeting that stuck with me for a really long time. He said that the conversion experience (I would say conversion as a member, and later conversion as a new member) is like an hour glass. The bottom is normal, but the top is off and extends forever; infinitely. Well we start as the grains of sand that are moving around in the bottom. At this point, we go according to our own will. And no matter how big the area seems down there, eventually we run into glass. There's always a limit. Then something happens and we start to learn and follow the Gospel. At that point we realize all of the commandments that we need to be keeping, as well as the changes that we need to make. That is the middle part of the hour glass. It feels cramped and restricting, there is absolutely no freedom, only commandments and rules. However, as we continue to obey, and the Holy Ghost expands our hearts, we are able to make it to the upper chamber. The upper chamber is of course, without limit. Endless forever. Also, from the infinite freedom of the top, looking back on the constricting part of the Gospel, we realize how brief of a moment it really was.

This morning I read Alma chapter 20, and a word popped out to me. This is when Ammon is accompanying King Lamoni to release his brothers in another land. They are traveling and they meet King Lamoni's father. After the exchange, the scriptures describe the reaction of the king's father. It mentions: 

26 And when he saw that Ammon had no desire to destroy him,and when he also saw the great love he had for his son Lamoni, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Because this is all that thou hast desired, that I would release thy brethren, and suffer that my son Lamoni should retain his kingdom, behold, I will grant unto you that my son may retain his kingdom from this time and forever; and I will govern him no more—

 27 And I will also grant unto thee that thy brethren may be cast out of prison, and thou and thy brethren may come unto me, in my kingdom; for I shall greatly desire to see thee. For the king was greatly astonished at the words which he had spoken, and also at the words which had been spoken by his son Lamoni, therefore he was desirous to learn them.

From this passage we see that the missionary work of Ammon was accomplished through his love for King Lamoni and his desires concerning his father. The word astonished to me shows that King Lamoni's father recognized something different about Ammon, and about his feelings towards his son. Ammon was living the principles of the gospel. Through living the gospel he was able to cause this "astonishment" in King Lamoni's father, which led King Lamoni's father to desire to learn his words. 

We are all in some degree like Ammon. We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we interact with others on a daily basis. If we are living all of the principles of the Gospel and doing everything that we know that we should be doing, then we will naturally seem a little bit different to others. They won't exactly be able to describe what it is, but something will simply stick out to them. They will feel drawn to the influence and wonder about what it is that is different, just as King Lamoni's father. That is when they begin to investigate the gospel. In my life as well, there have been people who have astonished me and led me to a deeper commitment to the Gospel. I know that as you live the principles of the gospel, you will be able to exert this influence on those around you and act as a tool in the Lord's hands. 

I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Be thankful for everything! I love you!

Elder William Strahl