Recently something that makes me really excited has been meeting with the family that we are teaching. They are going to church consistently and the father wants them to be members of the church, but because they are kids and he has his own struggles, I have been getting a whole new experience trying to teach them.
Maybe a decade ago, he was learning English from missionaries. The way the missionaries acted and treated others really made a huge impact on him. He wondered why we are always so happy.
So, he reached out to us because he really wants his two little kids to grow up to be good kids and like the missionaries he has encountered.
Recently, I have heard a lot of these type of stories where people have gotten curious about the church because they have seen the examples of members.
A new person we found to have discussions with last week, said that he has always respected a member friend from college who never gave in to peer pressure and never saw him drinking or smoking.
Another is a recent convert in Paju going to Australia, he was shocked that a person would pick up trash and talk to grandma along the street.
Dragon himself was surprised at the way we acted and it was a big reason he got baptized as well.
Or even if you look at the Asia North Presidency, Elder Yamashita, he was baptized purely because, as a teenager, he had seen how the missionaries acted, and he thought I want to be like them. Before then he had never been involved personally in religion, but nevertheless he was baptized. When he did so, he couldn't have said that he really understood all the doctrine of the church, but he just wanted to grow up to be a good person. He had never met anyone like the missionaries before, so he got baptized. It felt right. And all God asks is for the people just starting up to simply have a desire to believe. He cares more about the direction you are facing along the covenant path and less about where you are on that path.
But anyways, this family is my favorite, because the father has the same desire. Although the kids can be rascals, I love them with all my heart. The father say that his youngest wakes up early all of the time and say to him, I want to go to church to be with the Elders. It is quite amazing how quickly children accept the Gospel when they are paying attention. The are so pure.
We are working with the primary leaders and the sister missionaries to really support this family while his wife is over in China. And, this week we will have a meal with for the whole family at President's house. I have got high hopes for the family. (Their English names are Jeffery, Kevin, and Ashley. Keep them in your prayers)
Exchanges!! In Dong-Hae!!!
I got to go home for a day!!!!!!
Because I knew that I was going back, I made calls for 3 hours on the bus talking to previous people I worked with in Dong-Hae. For some people it is sad to see their interest go away and usually these type of people are the ones whom just suddenly stop contact with us randomly. It rips my heart. But, anyways. We met up with so many people!! In 24 hours we met 9 different people.
I got to participate in a new member discussion with Brianne and Oliver!! She had no idea that I was coming and so it was fun to surprise her. We had a discussion of how praying and reading scriptures daily will keep you afloat. I shared my testimony of how when we finally commit to praying and reading scriptures everyday that is when things start to change slowly but surely.
When I did so, I started to have answers to my prayers, I felt the constant companionship of the Spirit, not just little bursts, and even strangely enough, I started to see people from a totally different perspective. I had compassion on the people that used to annoy me at school. It was cool to see my vision change and it gave me the energy I need as a senior in high school, finishing things up.
Oliver and Brianne said they would commit to do it together. She always accepted commitments easily. I love those two.
And, also that evening I share my experience, of the kids we are teaching, to someone I had taught in Donghae before. Those two were both touched by the father's desire to have his kids grow up like us. And, so they said "I want you to teach our kids to love others, forgive, and to understand God. We have never met anyone like you elders even in our church"
Remember that you are always representing the Lord Jesus Christ as a member of His church. And, people are always watching.
I loved doing a Zone Activity in Ilsan near the Flower Festival. I loved meeting a student aged friend, that knew nothing about the church, and helping him start to learn about the gospel. I loved seeing the temple after 8 months. I love loving the missionaries. I love teaching! I love talking to people on the subway and connecting with them, and sharing His light with all I encounter, because we live in a dark world. I love being a disciple of Christ.
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