Herro. (15 February 2015)

Herro. I am in kolea stirr. Don't wolly. I rove you arr. 

I have gained at least 10 pounds on my mission. Maybe even as much as 15. I am not quite sure. But I have! Chubs. 

We had a baptism this last week! Yay! I don't even feel like I did anything, though. He was so prepared. Ha. We had 4 investigators at church, too. 

We took our guy that got baptized to a member's house for dinner the other night, and while we were sharing the spiritual message, one of their little boys let out a fart that was about 10 seconds long. We laughed for a really long time. Ha. 

Also, I had a really small but special service that I was able to render. It really touched me. There were these two Chinese girls who were carrying lots of stuff. A lot. They ended up moving to a new house, but it was a lot of stuff. And the girl whose stuff it was had some sort of physical disability. She walked funny and therefore had to walk slower. And also had some other deformity on her face. Not anything huge, but just affecting her physical appearance and condition. There was just something about being able to help them that really humbled me. There was something about her and her condition and her humble spirit that really touched me. It made me want to always help. To always serve those people who need it. It was such a great feeling. Those five minutes changed me for the better. Especially, sometimes we think that we can't help others because we need help ourselves. That day, I wasn't having a very good day. One of our investigators was ignoring us, our phone wasn't working, other stuff. But that simple interaction changed me. 

Anyways. I love you all! Have good weeks! 

Love, 

렌프로 장로

Howdy. (8 February 2015)

This week was crazy!

We have a baptism this Saturday! How fun, right? He is a 24 year old kid that we found on the street maybe 4 weeks ago. He is so prepared we had to move his date up. Hahaha. He is really great. He actually wants to get baptized! Haha. It is nice how easy it is when someone is actually prepared. He has been looking around at churches for quite a while, but he said they all seemed fake. But now that he has found ours, he feels it is real. That is the watered down summary. Ha. 

Also. We just met a random English guy at a restaurant. He met sister missionaries back in England, and he said that when they talked to him, he just got this feeling that what they were saying made sense and was true. So ever since then he said he knew that God actually spoke to Joseph Smith, he has just wondered what it was that God said to him. Hahaha. So we told him. As I was reciting the First Vision to him in English, he said right after that he got the same feeling as when he met the sisters. Pretty crazy. Both me and my companion were flabbergasted. Hahaha. Definitely a first. He is only living here for a little bit it seems, but he'll be in Korea for awhile. So even if we don't get to meet with him, it was just so nice to find such a prepared person. Prepared people! They are out there! 

We had Stake Conference this last weekend. All of the choir numbers we did went well. It was really cool to sing the 3rd verse of brightly beams our fathers mercy with 700 Korean people. Next week, I have to sing for the seminary graduation. Yay! More music! hahaha. 

I am going to go on a one month road trip with a Korean friend when I get back to America. People give me money. Hahahaha. One of my investigators wants to do that with me. Haha. 

But things are going well. 

Also, I led a Chinese man around for a day who had come to visit the temple. I had to use my meager Chinese all day! My brain hurt. He isn't a member but wants to be. He has known about our church for 5 years, but hasn't know where to go, what to do about it. So I helped him get information of our church in China, branch locations and stuff. Pretty crazy. He said he went to a temple in Thailand one time but no one spoke Chinese there. So he was really happy to meet me. Ha. 

Anyways! I love you all! I gotta go! Talk to you next week!

Hi. (2 February 2015)

We didn't have any time yesterday to email because it was a zone leader meeting. So today is our P-day! Sorry for the inconvenience. Ha. 

 

This week was good. Kind of a roller coaster in terms of investigators. It is going really well though. I am grateful to be here and serve with these people. To be able to help these people. We have 3 baptismal dates and will have one more in a little bit. 

 

One of our investigators has a really hard life and things went kinda crazy and he had to move way out into the countryside. I was really sad about that, but he called last night and said that he will be moving back into Seoul, and back into our area. So we will still be able to work with him. I have been working with him the entire time I have been in this area. He just needs a little more of a testimony. He just needs to feel the spirit a little more. He already lives all the standards of the church and is doing great, reading and coming to church. 

 

One of our investigators is really really prepared. We might move his date up so we can baptize him sooner. Haha. That is a first. 

 

I taught Sunday School on Sunday. I am so grateful I can speak this language now. I can't say all things in the world, but I can express myself the way I want to. I really love that. All the hard work has paid off. I am going to learn Korean the rest of my life. Ha. 

 

The choir I am leading is finally coming together. We actually sound kinda good now! Ha. Thank goodness. 

 

This week in Sunday School I taught about the creation. It is surprising how much there is to learn in the doctrine of the creation of the world. I will tell you one thing that stood out to me as I was preparing. The reason for the creation of the earth was so that we would have a place to learn and develop. It was planned. We needed to leave His presence to learn and grow. But there is so much more on this earth than just the basic necessities. Birds and animals and plants, nameless beautiful things that weren't necessarily necessary for our salvation. They are expressions of His love. He didn't just send us to a cardboard earth, but He sent us to an earth of endless beauty. The only thing we have to do to feel His love is open our eyes. 

 

Anyways. I love you all! Keep me in your prayers. See you in 8 weeks. Ha.  

Hi. (25 January 2015)

I have 9 weeks as a missionary left. Remember when I had only been out for 9 weeks?

This week was pretty good. We were really busy running around and teaching people. 

We had interviews with President, a few new investigators and met lots of people who seem like they will be pretty great. 

One of our investigators who is really great, though, is moving. :( He is moving way out into the country, but there is a church about 30 minutes away. So that is good, still. But. Sad. It is all of a sudden as well. We had no idea and then this week he came up to us at church and told us he was leaving this next week. Maybe he will have nothing to do but read the Book of Mormon and pray out there and he will get a testimony! Hahahaha. It is still our mission, so if he gets baptized, I'll be able to see it, I guess. 

But other things are going great. We had people at church and it is going really well. 

This week I have been learning about prayer. The things that stood out the most to me was this. Prayer in the Old Testament was usually accompanied by sacrifice. People built altars and gave burnt offerings. Pretty serious business. But nowadays we just pray. But I think the concept should be the same. When we pray, are we offering? Or are we demanding? Do we see it as a burden or an opportunity? I have noticed that my most effective prayers, my most rewarding prayers have been when I have a heart to give to the Lord. When I repent. Prayer isn't just a discussion board. It is a conversation, but we also are not praying to change God, but to change ourselves. So we must give Him something. We must sacrifice our hearts to Him. 

Anyways! I love you all! Have good days and lives. See you in 2 months-ish.

Love,

렌프로 장로

Howdy, me lovelies (18 January 2015)

This week was great!

 

We found a great new investigator this last week. We actually found 3, but one of them was really good and will be able to meet regularly. He didn't seem to be extremely interested on the street when we met him, but it was way great. He has honestly wondered about a lot of stuff and has real interest. 

 

Also, I met with a kid from my college. A Korean member who is studying there. He is great. We will be best friends for life. Hahahaha. 

 

I am leading a choir of missionaries for Stake Conference in February. Hahaha. It has been a lot of work to get everything together. I even translated a song into Korean that they don't have in the Korean hymnal. There is one on the Internet, but it doesn't preserve all of the meaning. I am also working on doing some others. 

 

As I was translating that Hymn, Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy, and rehearsing it, I felt some really special things. It is just such a beautiful tribute to the Savior and our role as His servants. Just to sing it in Korean was so touching to me. A song of saving those in distress and trouble directed specifically at this people and culture I love so much. 

 

I love all of you! Keep me in your prayers. 

 

Love, 

렌프로 장로

Hi! (11 January 2015)

I have 11 emails left after this. 

 

11! That is pretty weird. I got a new companion this week. A big teddy bear from Salt Lake City with a heart of gold. His name is Elder Hollingshaus and it is great. Working hard. 

 

I will be happy to end these last 2 transfers with him. Our strengths and weaknesses go really well together. Ha. What I mean is that we can do a lot more together than we can alone. So I am grateful for that. 

 

One of our investigators agreed to a baptismal date once again. He is so close. He is reading the Book of Mormon every day and really is learning a lot from it and enjoying it even. He says he feels like it is God's word and he hopes it is God's word, but just isn't quite sure yet. But we will be reading with him everyday, basically. 

 

We have been meeting a lot of nice and cool people. And some not so nice or cool people. I met one lady the other day that I thought really bad thoughts about. She was so rude. But I repented. Ha. But then we meet cool people, so it all balances out. 

 

I made cookies this week and they tasted like popcorn. Korean butter is to blame, I think. Ha. 

 

I have been learning lots of things lately this week through the scriptures. It honestly has been incredible. The truths of the restored gospel. They are infinite and eternal and contained in God's word, which has been given to us in this day. Heavenly Father truly has poured out abundant blessings upon us in these latter-days. 

 

I don't think I could even begin to share them in a email. But they have made me love my Heavenly Father more, appreciate the sacrifice of His Son for me, and even healed my soul in ways I didn't expect, and will continue to do so.  

 

I love you all!!!  Keep me in your prayers!

 

Love, 

렌프로 장로