Weekly Letter 8/17/14

This week was a rollercoaster of emotions!

     Something I've learned a lot about lately is talents, and developing them. On that topic, the Savior has two parables. The primary differences in them is one (the Parable of the Pounds) shows that people with the same amount of potential can yield vastly different results (this principle is also touched on in the Parable of the Sower, when the seeds that fell on good ground yielded different amounts of produce) and the other (the Parable of the Talents) emphasizes how people with different potential can still receive rewards based on how they use what they have. You can find the same principle in both -- those who don't develop their talents will receive no increase. I've thought about this, and have cause to sorrow that there have been many times in my life that I chose not to develop my talents, and that I didn't work harder at finding them. Our rewards in life (and after!) are based on the effort we put in, so it's a real shame I didn't do more.

     But I rejoice that the Lord has opened the door to reparation, and has provided repentance and hope, through the atonement. I don't have to be weighed down by regrets -- I can change them into spurs to help me stay motivated and focused, and remind me not to waste what I have! As I continue leading the life I've been given, the development of talents will definitely take a more prominent place in it.

     This week, we had Zone Conference, where the Mission President and senior couples offer training on all sorts of things. We focused on Family History in missionary work, English class, finding activities, and "Starting with the End in Mind." We had a roleplay where we taught what patriarchal blessings were, and one missionary's comment really opened my eyes. They said, "A patriarchal blessing is a father's blessing, from your Father in Heaven." That's exactly what it is! That was a cool piece of revelation, amidst many other things I learned in an atmosphere inundated with the Spirit. I've said it before, but I really do love President Morrisse. He's a great man. His wife is just as great! She said something that really struck me, and it's something like this: the core of inspiration is God's individualized love and care of each and every single one of His children.

     I know that that's 100% accurate. If God didn't know us perfectly, if He didn't love us, there would be no revelations, no inspiration, no heavenly gifts. But He does, so there are! And like the Book of Moroni teaches, where these things cease, it's because of man's unbelief. That lesson hit me again later that week, as I struggled to know how to climb out of a pit of discouragement. It first came from a friendly comment from my district leader, and then I got a telephone call from my old companion, Elder Westbrook, that really helped me out. Those prepped me for an intense companionship inventory, which was really rough, but totally vital. After that, I realized that I needed to put a conscious effort into loving my companion. Whereas loving others comes naturally for me, the language barrier and our vastly different personalities really made that difficult. I'd been looking for ways to serve him, but not with the attitude of serving because I loved him. I wanted to work together well, but that's not enough. I'm glad I'm learning this lesson now, at the beginning of my mission. Some people are difficult to love, but that doesn't make it any less worth doing. It's a lesson that will help me throughout my life, and I thank God for it.

     Part of improving that relationship is talking. Not just contacting while proselyting, not just confirming plans, but just day-to-day conversation. Since coming to Gimpo (김포) almost everything I've said's been in Korean. Truth is, I can't express a fraction of what I think and feel in Korean. While I've learned a lot and my speaking's improved, as a general rule I talk far, far less than I ever have before. That's one of the things I wanted to learn on my mission, but like any virtue, it can become a vice, and it did for me. I wasn't talking enough.

Whoa, wait a second! Elder Austin Lynn, not talking?!

That's right. I started to lose myself a bit, and became so focused on doing my best to be a diligent missionary that my companion became another missionary -- somebody I work with to do the work. That's not the proper view. I had to tear myself away from that, and do some sincere repenting for that. But, since then, it's gotten a lot better. I'm making an effort to make small talk, and my companion appreciates it. More than that, God appreciates it! Ever since then, we've been blessed with miracles every day. We're not splitting seas, but people on the street stop us and ask us who we are -- unheard of! I bear sincere testimony that God's ready to bless us, as soon as we qualify for the blessings!

     I've been working hard on developing the Character of Christ, too. That's a lifelong pursuit, but this week I had an experience that really helped me see that I've made progress. We were streetboarding, and talked to this grandma who didn't like us. She was exhausted, so she sat down close by. I went and bought a bottle of water for her, and offered it to her. She refused it, explaining that she lived right across the street. I insisted for a moment, but then desisted. I was about to walk away, but then she patted the bench and told me to sit down. She asked me a question or two, then launched into this story. I sat there and listened. And listened. And listened.

Two hours later, we had to go, and that was when our conversation ended. I didn't get anything out of it! Zilch. Nada. I only caught a few random words. And, I had the biggest headache! My head was splitting in half.

Though the flesh was weak, my spirit was happy. I was really glad I'd been able to do that. Why? Because I put somebody else's needs ahead of mine. This grandma had something she really wanted to talk about, and although I couldn't say anything back, she was able to express it all. I'm certain she also thinks a bit better of the church now too, because she was using the Korean intimate form of "you" (당신). That was the first time anybody had ever used it on me; it means a lot in Korea! For those who haven't heard, the Character of Christ, simply, is this: He turns outwards, when we would selfishly turn inwards. I'm striving to develop that habit in my day to day life, and though it's tough, it's extremely rewarding.

      As my final thought, I read something in my book "Mission to Be Happy" by Michael McLean, that addressed something that I've wondered if none-Christians thought about -- worshipping God. I could easily see people drawing incorrect conclusions about God from His command to worship Him (and I have seen them!). Summed up, Michael McLean had this to say: "God's desire for us to worship Him isn't because His ego is fragile and He needs our validation. He invites us to worship Him because He knows we become like what we worship, and He wants us to share in His incomprehensible joy." How beautiful. There's nothing at all selfish in it. His only desire is for us to be truly happy. "He doeth not anything save it be for the good of the world." "God is love." God's purposes and joys are written across the sacred records we call scriptures, and it always says the same thing: "I want my children to be happy." That's all He wants. He helps us avoid the things that look enticing, but are actually hollow. He would have us do the things that are hard, but bring great growth. Ultimately, He sent His son so that we could overcome our sins, and find peace and joy for all eternity.

 

Until Next Week,

Elder Austin Lynn

Weekly Letter 8/10/14

What are the odds?! We saw "Cafe Lynn" on the way over to a meal with our ward mission leader.
The Elder in the second picture is Elder W. Our district here in Gimpo (김포) is composed of Sister T with Sister VW (from my mtc district!), Elder C (DL) with Elder W (a greenie; it's his first transfer in Korea), and Elder I Sang Bum (이상범) and I.
The third picture is the front cover of my planner. It's my mission theme for this transfer! "Sharing the gospel by sharing you." "Ye are the light."

This week was a week of growth for me, as they all are! At church I learned a bit about fasting, which, coupled with fast Sunday last week, helped me learn quite a bit about it. I've resolved to fast more often than the monthly fast, because my goal in life right now is to achieve temperance, that is, self-mastery. Fasting is a fantastic tool for that.
Speaking of church, I've translated in Gospel Principles and Young Men's for the past two weeks! We had some foreigners visiting, and since my English is better than Elder I's (이) he asked me to translate. I still don't understand all of church, and that fact was really hammered home by translating. Heavenly Father showed me how much I know, to reassure me, and then showed me how much more I still need, to keep me humble. Translating, though really dodgy for the poor souls relying on me, was also a good growing experience in that it was really easy for me to distinguish words and phrases I didn't know. When I'm just listening, I have a difficult time picking things like that out, and it's so vital to grow in comprehension.

I finished the Book of Mormon again this week, and this time, I thought a lot about the transition between Mormon's record, to Ether, back to Moroni. The kinship those men must've felt! They even use similar phrases when describing their desperate circumstances as the last righteous men on the face of their land: "it mattereth not," because they knew all that mattered for them was God's will, and that they remained true to the faith. I wonder how Moroni must've felt, abridging this record that shows the same cycle that destroyed the Nephites. He must've relieved all the pain of his life, remembered the wickedness of his own people, felt the pain of their suffering. And yet, he endured to the end. There may be no stronger example, save the Savior, of enduring to the end than the noble man who lived, alone, hiding from armies of Lamanites, who "put to death all who will not deny the Christ," and in his own words, "I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ." How incredible. If we read the Book of Mormon without remembering what it is -- an ancient record of real people, with real emotions, with real families, etc -- we're missing out on so much.
Another thing I learned this week was about repentance! Don't worry; nothing major. The revelation I received was that God is more concerned with where I'm going than where I was, and with who I'm becoming, than who I was. The only moment that matters is the moment right now, where I re-commit and become stronger. The gospel is designed to constantly recommit us to the path back to our Father in Heaven, who only wants the best for us.
We had a service opportunity this week, which was a little dull, but service is always great. We literally input names and amounts off a donation record into a computer for two hours for a local food bank. It was a little tiring, but the most important thing is giving Christ-like service. I'm not sure I ever told you about the service opportunity I participated in, in Yeonsu (연수). The place was called "Love Meals" or 

"Meals of Love (사랑급식). They made food for a few hundred senior citizens, and then we'd do dishes for 1-2 hours! It was intense, but so much fun. They'd feed us with the leftovers afterward, and the whole crew would just talk and joke around.
One of the scariest things in my life is quickly becoming the word "pride." I am literally terrified of it. It's tough, because to speak a foreign language well, you need to speak with confidence. Also, we know this gospel's true, and we're not proposing an alternate philosophic system: we're preaching truth. We can't waver and be quiet about things like that, but we also have to avoid being overbearing and prideful. The balance that works best for me is expressing that "despite my many weaknesses, I have faith in Jesus Christ, who...." I acknowledge my faults, while also testifying of the truth that someone as flawed as me has been able to find.
Something our district is focusing on right now are "20 Minute Lessons." We typically teach them after a meal with members. What I've been practicing is the first lesson. The feedback is extremely helpful. I had the chance to teach twice this week, and the main thing I worked on was asking questions. I improved a lot, but, as with all improvement, my new vantage point revealed other things I need to work on. I feel so blessed to find the paths I need to walk down to grow more, even as I'm stepping off the road I just reached the end of. God's curriculum for us truly is a stretching curriculum designed to bring us to perfection, eventually. Questions are so important when teaching. They're the link between you and the investigator/student/class/etc. They're especially effective for keeping younger people involved. They help people apply the teachings to themselves, and they're the best way to check for their understanding. Elder I (이) and I are really working on how to improve my question asking in Korean right now; what a blessing to have a Korean companion!
To finish up, I wanted to share this scripture last week, but forget. It's found in 3 Nephi 9, verse 13. Jesus Christ is the speaker here; and His words apply to all of us. He said: "will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"

Will you not turn away from the things of the world, things that will ultimately fail to bring lasting happiness, and repent of the things that hold us back, the sins that bring guilt and despair, and turn to Christ, the Savior, who suffered for you and me? Will you not strive to follow Him, who is constantly running to your aid ("succoring")? We do these things so that we may partake of the Savior's healing. He wants to heal us, He wants to help us. We just have to let Him in! Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “[Succor] is used often in the scriptures to describe Christ’s care for and attention to us. It means literally ‘to run to.’ What a magnificent way to describe the Savior’s urgent effort in our behalf. Even as he calls us to come to him and follow him, he is unfailingly running to help us.”
Jesus Christ sacrificed everything for us. What do we give in return? I will do whatever He asks me to do; and right now that's to share the "good news!" One of my favorite passages of scripture right now is D&C, 128:20-23:
"And again, what do we hear?
Glad tidings from Cumorah!
Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets — the book‍ to be revealed.
A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca county, declaring the three witnesses to bear record‍ of the book!
The voice of Michael‍ on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the devil‍ when he appeared as an angel of light!
The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys‍ of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!
And again, the voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam‍ down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept‍ upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope!
Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead‍ speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King‍ Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem‍ them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.
Let the mountains‍ shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks‍ weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning‍ stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!

Shall we not go on in so great a cause?

Love,
Elder Austin Lynn

Weekly Letter 8/3/14 and a few pics! :)

This week was a little on the calmer side. We've been making a huge emphasis on less-actives in the mission, and unfortunately that meant we had to do a lot of work with records this week. Records are really important, as Christ Himself attests to in His visit to the Nephites, but it's so painful when they go unupdated and unused. We've had to put a lot of work into updating them because nobody made the effort to keep them up-to-date. That's been rough, but I know it's the right thing to do. President Morrisse has stated that the main focus of the mission right now is bringing those lost sheep back to the fold; they're all precious.

     I've forgotten to mention this the past couple of weeks, but I've reached a new stage in my life: the squid eating stage! I've had it with a few different meals now, and I've adjusted to eating squid. It's actually pretty cool! Definitely rubbery though. The most memorable time was eating a whole baby squid (about the size of a box of tic-tacs). I won't lie, I was definitely thinking, "I can't wait to tell my family this," as I chewed and chewed and chewed and chewed.

     Something that was impressed on my mind earlier was the importance of keeping a journal. I know they're important, but I realized, looking back over my almost-full journal, starting on the day of my ordination, covering the entirety of my stay in the mtc and my first two transfers, that there are so many moments in my life that I've completely forgotten. Those moments in time are gone. I realized that a massive portion of my life is undocumented, unwritten, and will one day be forgotten. That's really rough. But it's strengthened my resolve to keep a good journal, and I invite everybody to do the same! Even just a small bit may prompt back a days memories. The more effort we put into it, the greater our reward will be. Promise.

     Another thing I learned a lot about this week is "peace." One thing I learned was that peace comes from people understanding each other. The more we truly understand each other, the more willing we'll be to make sacrifices for each other, and the more horrific conflict will seem. We will be able to love others more deeply as we understand them more fully. This conclusion is stated in 4 Nephi 1:15, during the golden era of Nephite history: "And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people." The love of God will enable us to see things as they truly are: we will see other humans as God's children, our brothers and sisters; contention will be seen as selfishness, because ultimately it is selfishness that spawns all contention, as it was Satan's selfishness that caused war in heaven, where contention was birthed; and we will establish peace, because we will love each other, and would rather sacrifice for each other than take advantage of one another. The love of God -- Charity -- changes people. It changes their desires, and it changes their outlooks. This change is necessary. James E. Talmage taught that any attempt to establish peace will be futile so long as human selfishness remains; the gospel of Jesus Christ takes that selfishness out of us. The gospel is the true road to peace, more than de-arming, more than treaties and papers, more than reforms and laws.

     I know this was really short this week, but this week wasn't to eventful!

Love,

Elder Austin Lynn

Weekly Letter 7/27/14

This transfer has been a completely brand-new experience. Having a Korean companion is a totally different challenge, but I'm doing my best to meet it.My listening skills are improving, I'm learning more than ever how to take the lead on the street, and, I think most importantly, I'm learning how to communicate better with my companion. For instance, there was a moment yesterday that really stung me, until we talked about it, and I learned what he meant by his words. My companion said that at church that day, I'd seemed a bit prideful. I was really, really brought low with that. I'm so terrified of being prideful. I want to be a confident speaker, but not prideful. I sat there at my desk, discouraged and crushed, for a few minutes, thinking about what I did wrong. I figured it must've been my greeting at church, and trying to participate in the classes. I thought that I'd done a good job of expressing excitement for working together with the ward, and being here, but maybe it'd come out wrong. I stewed in my thoughts for a little while, and then I asked Elder 이상범 how I can improve. He told me that when everybody else laughs, I need to laugh.
Laughing?! 
I'd taken things the completely opposite direction. To confirm, I asked him about the things I had been worrying about, like my greeting, and he said those were great. My problem was that I wasn't making enough of an effort to smile and laugh when everybody else is, even though I don't understand what's going on. I committed to be more diligent in that, and I felt so relieved. That's something I can do! I can laugh when everybody else is! That's not a major personal problem. It's just something I need to be mindful of and adjust.
There definitely is a language barrier. Elder (이상범) doesn't speak English, and I can't speak Korean. On the bright side, my language is improving, and I'm learning a lot about Korean behavior.
Gimpo (김포) as a whole is vastly different from Yeonsu (연수). Because of the multitude of resteraunts and motels in our area, a ton of the people walking around are young couples that we can't talk too. I've found it really difficult to talk to the same number of people as back in Yeonsu (연수). Because I've found that I'm having a difficult time reaching the same numbers as in a different area, I've had to step back and evealuate everything. It's true that the area is different, and that accounts for part of it, but I refuse to let that be an excuse. I've resolved to do my best here, especially with our contact goals.
One neat thing is that Gimpo (김포) has an international airport, and it's pretty close to where we live. There's constantly airplanes flying overhead. Everytime I hear one, I look up! It's really cool to see them so close, and it's something I've grown to love very quickly.
There's four Elders in Gimpo House, which is on the 18th floor of an apartment building! It's crazy being up so high. It's also a lot more spacious than Yeonsu House, and nowhere near as sweltering 24/7, so that's been an appreciated change. There's a greenie being trained in the other companionship, and they've reminded me a ton of when I was a greenie (a scant week ago), and especially when I first got to country (a whole 13 weeks ago). It's interesting to see how I've grown in that short time.
As a side note, today is my 5 month mark! I find that incredible. I've already moved through a fifth of my mission! This time is so valuable. I need to be able to speak the language already!
Something I thought I'd explain today about Korean and English is the name "Lee." There's not actually an "L" in Korean. So how is Lee such a common name? The answer lies in translation: the common name, 이 pronounced "eeeee" like, "leak" would be written as I, as I've been writing it in my letters. However, when translating to English, it seems that I always becomes Lee. Very interesting.
I want to share something I learned about joy, and my relationship with Heavenly Father.
In response to last week's letter to President Morrisee, he said this: "I wish you could have been at the stake president meeting yesterday to hear yourself talked about in such glowing terms. I'm so pleased and proud of you -- like a son."
I don't send this to toot my own horn, but I just want to express to everybody that when he expressed that -- his pride in me, like a son -- it really hit me hard. It helped me recommit to work harder. It's extremely meaningful to me. If that's how my mission president feels, how does my Heavenly Father feel? How should I feel about that? I think I'm starting to experience the kind of joy described in D&C 18. I want to make my Heavenly Father proud of me, because I am His son. Doing the will of the Father really is a path to eternal joy.
Related to that, though things haven't been as crazy in Gimpo (김포), and I feel I've done less than my best on a few occasions ("have not we all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?"), the Lord really does bless us when we keep trying, even when we've already messed up. The most important thing is the direction we're headed, not how far along we are. We were teaching a lesson, our first of the day, and the day was nearly over. Our goal had been 2, so it looked like we were going to fall short. Near the end of the lesson, a random man walked over (we were teaching a convenience store owner) and he started asking about what we were teaching! It was a true miracle, and we managed to hit our lesson goal, with mere minutes left in the day! God really does know when you do your best, which is something my companion's said to me several times.
If you have any questions about anything, please ask, whether directly or through my parents!
Once again, thank you so much for you letters! I love hearing from home. Your support means so much to me!
Love,
Elder Austin Lynn