Sunday, January 24, 2016

This past week has been amazing! Elder Huckvale is great, and is so good at talking to everyone about the restoration. He makes sure to testify to everyone we meet about the Book of Mormon, and we already have a week full of miracles and return appointments. We pray that they will show up, and that we will be blessed with a great harvest this transfer! 

Things are a lot different in Jangwi with only one team of elders. The last few days of working with Elder Huckvale, however, have been awesome. Elder Huckvale is so good at recognizing a need and getting a top of it. He also is making sure I am getting involved and listening actively to what is being said, which has been one of my biggest problems. We taught a great lesson to our investigator, Brother Kim, and the Spirit was so strong. It has been awesome teaching Brother Kim because he is so humble, and the prayer he offered was very powerful and sincere. He has a baptism date set for next Saturday and is working toward it with fervor. We have another investigator whom missionaries have taught for about eight years now, but seems like he is very convicted now to quit smoking and keeping commitments, and he is eager to meet with us. Besides this, we already have a bunch of appointments and potential investigators this week who we are really excited for. 

We watched a worldwide missionary broadcast last Thursday with Elder Bednar, Oaks, Chistofferson, and some other general authorities. I felt the Spirit so strong that everything they were teaching - meeting needs, teaching by the Spirit, working with members, and receiving inspiration. The theme was "Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts." Listening is something that really stuck out me in the missionary broadcast, and I realized that just because I am often not the one speaking doesn't mean I don't have just as much responsibility. To truly meet our investigators' needs, I need to become fully engaged, all the time. It is, in fact, the missionary not speaking who has the primary responsibility to discern the investigator's understanding and receive inspiration of what to say.  

I'm super excited to be working in Jangwi with Elder Huckvale - we've already seen so many miracles and met so many people with potential. I hope just to do all I can to be a vessel for the Lord's message and Spirit. This new exchange and the missionary broadcast really inspired me to work diligently, patiently, and fearlessly according the best of my knowledge, strength, and ability, seeking the will of the Lord first and trusting in him to do the rest. 

Bishop asked me to think of and share some things that I wished I had done prior to serving my mission. That list is extensive, but the first is something that jumped out at me early in the MTC: Scripture mastery. In general, knowing the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, then the New Testament, is so valuable. Using Korean scriptures, which I still can't understand, knowing the exact reference is important. 

Second: I wish I had studied Preach My Gospel Chapter 3, lessons 1-3 (especially lesson 1). A firm understanding of the BASIC principles is what allows us to share a powerful message so someone on the street. PMG is amazing, and it helps us become instruments in the Lord's hands. Something that the Korean language taught me is what "missionary" really means. "선교사" (seungyosa) literally means teacher of holy things. Of all the things missionaries do and are, what we ultimately need to become is powerful teachers. Studying PMG and the doctrine in chapter 3 allows us to become such. 

Third: Share the gospel! I wish I had done more to simple stand as a representative of Christ when opportunities presented themselves. We ought never be afraid to share a message of joy, love, purpose, peace, and eternal blessings. If we are really converted to Christ, we will never be afraid to open our mouths to everyone to declare His word. As someone once said, "I fear no man!" 

Thanks for you messages, love, and prayers! I hope you are safe, happy, and warm, because it is super cold right now. 

​Our District - Left to Right - Elders Huckvale, Crisp, Kimshihyeun, Kimtaewan, Sister You, Sister Allsbrook. It was very cold. 

Seoul Temple. Much bigger than it looks.

Eating at Ashley's Buffet - Huckvale, Kimshihyeun, Kimtaewan, me
​Jangwi Observatory

The way up.

​Panorama of our area. The observatory is in a place called Dream Forest. 


​Me. Jangwi Observatory. Cold day.

​This is the other side of our area, as seen from the other side of the Dream Forest Tower. So cold.

​Namsan Tower. According to Elder Huckvale, anyway. 

​From the other side of the observatory again - the picture before was at max zoom. Namsan tower in the distance. 

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