Today is Chinese New Year! Chinese New Year (pronounced like "soul are" in Korean - say it without space) is HUGE in Korea. The streets were packed on our way to the PC room today, and the place is filled up. Lucky we got spots. 90% of the people here are playing League of Legends...kind of a big deal in Korea. Anyway, on Chinese New Year the streets basically turn into a parking lot. Everyone is visiting family. Eating spam or salmon are most peoples' new year tradition. Stores sell spam in fancy boxes with oil and/or seasoning. Some members actually gave us some spam yesterday. Wish I'd gotten pictures of some of it...maybe I'll snap a picture of the street when I leave. 

Besides that, Brother Kim got baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday! It was so cool because he seemed so happy because of it. I know he was prepared and led to us by the Lord, because he was a golden investigator - incredibly humble and completely diligent in keeping commitments.

I've been thinking a lot about why Brother Kim received such quick and profound answers to his prayers while others struggle to find an answer. From what I've observed, I've found this pattern to receiving revelation:

1: Humility. The Spirit cannot enter into a heart that has not room for it. 

2: Real Intent. We receive an answer when we fully intend to act on whatever the answer is. 

3: Faith. Seeking diligently in the Book of Mormon and praying are acts of faith that allow us to receive a confirmation that that which we now know and have received is true. 

Brother Kim exemplifies these perfectly. After hearing our message, he read the Book of Mormon avidly, marking it up, studying it, and taking the message to heart. He even answered the baptismal interview questions using scriptures from the Book of Mormon. He kept every commitment, and he was entirely prepared and desirous to change his life according to the witness he received. 

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week. We have New Year's conference tomorrow and deep cleaning on Wednesday, so that's exciting. Wish I had time to explain all the awesome things I get to see and experience every day, but, in summary, spiritual experiences are some of the most valuable things we can receive. Something profound I've seen on my mission is how spiritual a study of the Book of Mormon can be. Whatever our struggles are, I know the Book of Mormon will give us strength to overcome them. It is a gift from Heavenly Father. It is true, and the implications of this are eternal. Never forget what a confirmation of the truth of the Book of Mormon means - everything inside it is true, and everything spoken through Heavenly Father's prophets is of such importance. 

새해복 많이 받으세요!

​I edited an English paper for a friend of someone in the ward that I've never met. It was for a science article that he wanted to publish, and he sent me this as thanks.

​Me, Brother Kim, Elder Huckvale, Sister Sonksen, President Sonksen. Elder Kimtaewan came back and baptized him, which was very cool.