Week 58

A NEW Area, NEW people, NEW companion!
Although it is sad to leave behind what I have worked hard to build in 태백 (Taebaek), I am excited to start new.

 (This last week I left my area to go to Seoul to meet as Zone Leaders and Sister training Leaders to meet with the APs and President and Sister Taylor) MLC was fantastic! I loved the Spirit that was flowing in that room. It honestly was just like President Nelson described counseling with the twelve.

"When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve,our meeting rooms become rooms of revelation. The Spirit is palpably present. As we wrestle with complex matters, a thrilling process unfolds as each Apostle freely expresses his thoughts and point of view. Though we may differ in our initial perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us to discern the Lord’s will for His Church."

Since the first day I stepped foot in 동해 (Donghae), I have seen miracles. I know that God has been blessing my companion and I because we have been exercising our faith. There have been new investigators, families, and baptismal dates given. I am thrilled to be in the work of the Lord.

I have recently been trying my best to approach missionary work just as the early Saints did. The earliest missionaries were always so bold with their testimonies and touched the hearts of men because of the powerful Spirit that testifying brings. I want that.

I also admire the way they were able to build from the ground up. (That is exactly what our Zone is doing in 강원도 Gangwon-do, the zone that Elder Hulliet and I are to watch over).
And, though their numbers were few, they were faithful and true the revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Sort of a side note~ It is fun to let go of fears, ain't it? Because when you have an eternal perspective in mind, none of your obstacles seem that big of a deal anymore. You feel as if you can do anything.

Elder Hulliet and I get along really well. He, for sure, has a strong testimony. He has lived all around the world because of his Air Force father. He really, really loves Rob Gardner, because of me. I think get a lot more laughs with him then previous companions, but he does speak a lot of English. Excessive usage of English has now started to make me feel cringey. Haha, It's hard to speak Korean, when English is what you hear. Haha, but that is just one thing. He is leaving for home in 5 weeks.

We are both excited to be able to help our zone know the "Why" behind what they do through deep understanding of doctrine, and to help us all as a zone put in to application "How" we can accomplish revelations for the Seoul Mission. That is what we are here to do, to minister and help individualize the revelations we get from our leaders. We customize it to fit those we are responsible for. Here we Go!!!!!!!!

I love serving in the country side, but more importantly, I love the people!!!!!!!!

So many blurry pics, my bad...

My dear loved Brother Lee from North Korea~ He is the best and will stay faithful to the end

Intestines soup!~ I enjoy Korean food more than you all think!

My new Apartment complex (Next time I will show the inside, I am tidying it up. But, It is the biggest in the mission I hear. Though there is only the 2 of us in the House)

 The side walks have lights on the ground to tell you when to go and stop!! That was cool!

East Sea Area!

They have a lot of left overs from the Olympics here.

Elder Hulliet didn't realize that my Sister was in this Painting, and freaked out. 

I know a Crepe Myrtle, when I see one!~~~~~~~~~ 

Why not? (Just chilling in the Apartment)

Grapes are the best here! 

Hiking  Mt. Taebaek (Nice and cool)

Week 57

The Last Week in Taebek! Ending with some miracles!!

This last week I am proud to say we worked ourselves as hard as we could and the Lord saw fit to bless us with 2 new investigators, and a Baptismal Date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This last week was fantastic!!!!!!!!
We didn't get a single investigator this transfer until this last week. And, I was excited to work with them. And, even though I will be in the neighboring area Dong-Hae, I will be able to continue working with one of the new investigators over there, because he lives in that area.
I was glad that we found new people to teach, but the highlight of the week was definitively getting the Baptismal Date!
He is a Youth, named Jung Mean, and has gone to FSY (For the Strength of the Youth) conference and to church more than 18 times already.
When we were teaching the youth in Sunday School, the Spirit was giving us the promptings throughout the whole thing, and it work well. The way I extended the baptismal invitation was different than I had ever done before.  I kept in mind Elder Stevenson's statement of how you need to also have the 2nd baptismal date (at the temple) to retain the converts and keep them always reaching for the temple. And, so I asked our investigator if he would prepare to go to the temple with us as a branch  in the coming months.

He said yes, and it lead to, "Okay! So this is what we've got to do to get you to the temple."
He had been asked to be baptized before, but didn't accept it. I think that it is because he didn't see the full picture! Seeing the end Goal of going to return to Heavenly Father's presence as one big family helped him to know what he needs to do!

I love this work!!! I have learn so much from being here in Taebaek!!! I have gotten a lot closer to the members, investigators and the less actives, more than other areas, and I want to continue that in Dong-Hae!


i AM GOING TO BE zONE leADER IN dONGHAE!!!

Week 56

Just another great week here in 태백 (Taebaek)!!!!
Thank you so much for being you!!!

I love our two most progressing investigators so much!!!!!! They both are headed in the right direction!!! Tonight, we will be extending a baptismal date to one of them, and the other is right behind him!! Keep Forrest in your prayers!

I was so grateful for a chance to listen to our leaders!! Thing I love most, about these types of experiences, is the confirmation that we are all one through this gospel.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Through the spirit of revelation and earnest seeking in prayer, I have been able to learn what the Lord's will is for me. And, not only do I have the right to the spirit of revelation, but I also have wonderful leaders. I've gotten to meet with my mission president, Elder Yamisita, Elder Choi, and Elder Gray E. Stevenson all with in this one transfer, and it has been a huge blessing. All that was taught, (maybe it wasn't even what was said, just the Spirit that was there, for he is the real teacher right?) was exactly what the Lord had revealed to me before hand.
As Christ says when we are one we can be made perfect.

We went to a conference in Dong-dae-moon, another place I consider to be home. The training was given by our area leaders, for the Japan and Korea missions. They are both Japanese and gave their training in English. Elder Yamasita is fairly good at English, but his wife speaks broken English.
Even though her teaching was very simple and she reminded me of a giddy little girl (being late in her 50's), the Spirit was strong and taught us. And, I know for a fact that she loves us. She kept on using simple but sweet phrases while looking us straight in the eyes. Things like, "We love you and God loves you!!" "You really special!" "You can do it!"

It reminded me of when I was a greeny in the Korea. Words really don't matter in the work. It is the way we handle ourselves, and show God's love through our actions!!!

I love the Gospel!!! And, I can feel God stretching my understanding of the gospel in 태백 Taebaek so much!!!!

So, people wonder what impact the Korean culture has had on me. There are so many!

One of the biggest impacts the people or culture has had on me is my sense of reverence. In the temple and in sacrament meetings, reverence is taken to a whole new level, when it comes to respecting the Lord. It is because they have amazing manners in Korea. Not only have I received a greater spiritual witnesses from the spirit because of that mannerism, but even how to show your respect for leaders in the church. It means the world!! Koreans are the best!!!

There are a 1000 more things that I have learned, but I think that is one of the best.

Another, is the realization of overworking. Koreans are so stinkin' studious, as students and in there profession!!! They are flippin' geniuses, and they achieve so much. I love them!!!!!!! But, the flip side to that is they miss out on things. There priorities get flipped, not everything in life is the next task to be done.

I feel that aside from the corrupt methods used by some of the churches here, such as pastors getting famous for speeches and get rich from tithing and so on, and the bad image that creates of churches in general, the biggest thing that Satan uses to halt the work is the "I'm busy" excuse. There is always work to be done or the next exam to prepare for, and so on. Even if we find some with interest in learning about God, that cultural aspect gets in the way of what matters most in life. What we offer is something that doesn't rust and cannot be corrupted by moths.

I have learned the importance of making eternal matters a priority. For the rest of my life I am committed to doing that, and to never tell my kids when they come up to me, "No, I am busy." Just saying those words sort of makes me gag at this moment. I mean after all they are the ones to whom I am sealed for the rest of eternity.

I have recently fallen in love with the "Gospel Topics" (a new feature in the Gospel Library that is like a new and improved True to the Faith). Under Becoming Like God (One of my favorite gospel topics to read from, at the moment, I could read it over and over) it says this, "Latter-day Saints tend to imagine exaltation through the lens of the sacred in mortal experience... Church members imagine exaltation less through images of what they will get and more through the relationships they have now and how those relationships might be purified and elevated. As the scriptures teach, That same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." The things that matter most are people and the relationships we have!

I love being a missionary and serving God's children in Korea!!!!