4/6/2015

 Austin with his new companion and the Mission President and his wife.

 Saying goodbye to his companion...who is going home!!

 Austin and his new comp.

 Austin and Elder Maris

4/6/2015

On our last P-Day together, Elder Maris and I decided to go to the local park. There, we met with the other Elders and Murphy, our English-fluent member friend. We played soccer and whiled away the time. It was pretty strange for both of us to realize that this was his last P-Day.
On the next day, we met with Gabriel, and he asked us about the Word of Wisdom, which he'd read about online, in connection with the various standards that we live. We had a discussion about the commandments, and how they not only help us to live better lives, but authorize God to give us various blessings. He's impressed with how we live, and really respects us, but he can't see how he could do it. He still insists that he has his own faith (Catholic) and that he's only meeting us because he feels good when he meets us, but I think he's being converted, from the inside out.
We also had dinner with Sister from the ward, and she took us out to a restaurant. The dinner was so spicy, I was having a hard time eating a lot. I've gotten a lot better with spice since I came, but there are still times where it just gets the better of me.
On Tuesday, Elder Maris and I had a really interesting discussion about movies and books and stories in general. My conclusion was that they enable us to have a virtual experience, helping us to gain knowledge from experiences that we could never actually have. Life is short, and good literature helps us to broaden our horizons, without actually doing it!
Wednesday was the day. We went out to the transfer area, then I left with the rest of the trainers to go to the headquarters, where we met our new companions. My new companion's name is Elder Schilling; he's from California, attended BYU Hawaii, and is a bonafide surfer dude. We're a bit different! Actually, we're a lot of different, but I think that's just a tool for the Lord to use to make a really strong companionship. It took us all day to go through the orientation then get back to our area, but I was already seeing one of the benefits of training: not only are new missionaries generally enthusiastic, but everything in Korea is still new and strange to them. After a while, you stop appreciating and being amused by all of the differences between America and Korea; you just get used to it. But when training, you're able to enjoy all of it over again, while not missing out on the things you've learned.
On Thursday we had our first district meeting with Elder Campbell as district leader. We did an activity that I did while I was with Elder Chow in Gimpo: "cross the line." How it works is that each time a statement that you agree with is made, you cross the line. It's a visual representation of how we're all actually pretty similar, even if we have some differences. It was a good discussion about unity, which is important since each companionship in our area changed this week.
On Friday we met with Lee Gi Won (이기원), and, as always, he talked a ton. But, we were able to talk a little about the restoration of the priesthood, and priesthood blessings. We wanted to offer him one, since he constantly agrees to come to church if his body feel's okay (which... considering him, isn't surprising. He's told us about some of his myriad physical deficiencies), but he wasn't understanding very well, so he told us that we'd talk about it more next time.
Saturday was pretty low key; mostly walking around in the rain looking for people to talk to. We were able to get a few phone numbers though, so it wasn't unproductive.
Sunday was a pretty big day for the ward, and for us. We were able to get Gabriel to come out and support Elder Schilling, since all new missionaries speak on their first day here. He was pretty uncomfortable, but stayed through Fast and Testimony meeting. Hopefully he was touched by the Spirit, because we had some really good testimonies that day, not excluding the five missionaries who bore their testimonies.
Above all, I was grateful this week for the chance to remember the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us, from the Garden of Gethsemane, to the dread peak of Calvary, to the glorious empty tomb. He lives, and He's there. We just have to find Him in our lives.

Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn

3/29/2015

3/29/2015
One year later, and I'm training, instead of being trained.

On Monday we went to a barbecue with one of our members here, Murphy. He's a Korean, but he's dead fluent in English, and enjoys being around us. He works at the Seoul Zoo, so he was able to get us in for free, and rent a grill and everything. We ended up paying for the lift over the pond he has to guard everyday, and the meat we grilled. It was tons of fun. On the way over to the park, we had a great conversation with Murphy about the Church and man-made organizations. He said that organizations have to change because standing water becomes contaminated. I thought about our Church, and realized that just because it's doctrine doesn't change, it's not standing still. Rather, it's constantly growing. Instead of a pool of still water, it's a fountain of living water.
That night, we met Gabriel, who the sisters introduced us to last week. We were able to explain the Family English Program, as well as our purpose here in Korea. He wanted to do it, so we'll continue meeting with him, to talk a little in English, and also to discuss our religious message. He was really curious about the Book of Mormon, so we introduced it, reading the introduction and Moroni's promise. He was really impressed by the book, and what it claimed to be. When asked, he affirmed that he believed it could be true.
We met with our investigator Lee Gi Won (이기원) on Wednesday, and finished teaching the Restoration. With him, it was backwards. We first taught about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, then went back and talked about prophets and apostasy. As we wrapped up the lesson he told us that the Great Apostasy was not a teaching unique to our church. He told us that he figured all of that out a long time ago! I hope that he connects that knowledge with our unique message -- that a restoration of Christ's original church has taken place.
The next day I went on exchanges with Elder Campbell. We met a grandpa named "BS" Kim. He took us out to lunch and we talked about his background. He doesn't know much about Christianity, but he wants to learn. He also wants to practice English as a defense against dementia. We also met their investigator Kim Young Kyoo (김영규) and read President Uchtdorf's talk about receiving spiritual light with him. We were able to have a really good discussion about what light is, and why a testimony is important.
On Saturday, we met with Gabriel again, and this time he took us to an ice cream shop while we met! We talked a lot about Jacob chapter 4, discussing the role of prophets, which is to testify of Jesus Christ. He really liked it, and committed to read the rest of the chapter. We also met another referral from the Sisters, an old man who invited them in while they were tracting. He was very difficult to get a handle on. He wouldn't give away very much about himself, so it felt a bit like we were grasping in the dark, trying to find where he had interest in the gospel. We were able to soften his heart a little bit when he found out that we serve off of our own money, and he might be interested in the concept of prophets. We're going to meet him again this week, and hopefully it'll go a little smoother.
On Sunday my companion gave his last talk, and we had a ward meal.
Also! Our transfer calls came Sunday morning. The results: Elder Rossi is leaving, Elder Campbell is staying and training, and I'm going to be training as well! That blew my mind. I'm incredibly excited.
To close, I wanted to leave you some of my thoughts about modern society. This was weighing on my mind this morning, as I studied.
Specifically, this morning I thought a lot about how this generation really is "the reckless, the wild youth." I thought about why people would do things they know are wrong, or they know will have a bad outcome, and do them anyways? Why do millions of Koreans spend their weekends drinking when they know it doesn't lead to anything good? Why do millions of teenagers play around with smoking and other drugs when they've been taught about the consequences and know that it's no good for them, health-wise or emotionally?
There's a point where we want to do something, but know that it has negative consequences. We know that it'll bring problems in the future, but we choose to do it anyways. We keep ourselves from really thinking about the consequences, or, as I've found's equally as common, we damn ourselves, in a sense, we give up on ourselves, and throw ourselves into a whirlpool of surrender and impulse.
It really broke my heart, but I realized that we intentionally blind ourselves, and keep ourselves from thinking about the future (that applies as much so 44, 104, and the next life, as it does to college, graduate school and graduation). It's saddening, but I realized that I do it all too often; and anybody who does something wrong does it. If we could always remember what matters the most, what our purpose is, then we could always make the right choice. I think that's something Jesus did that I wish I could. He always remembered who He was, why He was here, and what He needed to do. He didn't get distracted, never lost focus, and so He was able to heal in everything He did, teach with every word He spoke, and live a truly perfect life.
We are the reckless, we are the wild youth. We set fire to our insides for fun; we collect the names of lovers that went wrong. We try to distract ourselves, and heave through corrupted lungs, and so most of our feelings are dead and gone. (paraphrased "Youth" by Daughter)
I keep wondering what I can do to help people break through this vicious habit, how I can help people be more sensitive to those around them, because a life lived for yourself is a life all alone.
I guess one difference between us is that I believe I can live my life to the fullest, and then keep living life to the fullest in life after this one. I've realized that I can't rely on myself. I have more flaws than I can count. I'm weak and fragile, and make mistakes. I only know so much, and that can look like so little when confronted with the myriad opportunities life presents. I believe that I can turn to God for help, and that He'll help me -- not because He wants to rule me, or control me, but because He loves me, and He wants me to achieve my potential. I don't want to have to rely on my limited experiences and knowledge. I want to be partners with my Father. Why should I limit myself to what I have, when God wants to give me everything He has? In my opinion, that's the transcendent truth of life -- we're only alone when we separate ourselves.
When I think about comfort, I think about the greatest moments of comfort I've had, and they're all experiences with the Holy Ghost. That's something I can't provide on my own; it's a gift, one that is greater than anything else. This morning I was reading a book, and out of the blue, I had those feelings, like a shiver, or pins and needles, that I've come to equate with the gentle sensations of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, so often called "the Comforter."
So, I suppose one could say that I believe I can do anything -- through my friends. And of course the one friend that's never failed me, never let me down, and has always had His arm stretched out towards me is Jesus, the Christ.
I guess that if I had to define religion, I'd say that it's all of the truth that man has received from God. The most important truths are the ones that tell us who we are -- why we're here -- what our eternal destiny is, but it also encompasses all things that are true, and that's beautiful to me. When I think that not only can I live my life to the fullest, loving and being loved, helping and being helped, growing and changing and always improving, and then I can carry that over, and continue growing and living and having a family, and, most importantly, keep loving, forever and ever -- it takes my breath away. My destiny -- everybody's destiny, if they way -- is to love and be loved forever, to continue growing and learning, and to continue adding to our family for all eternity. That means more to me than any of my other dreams; more than putting out an album, more than being an actor, more than writing a book or anything else.

This week, the Church's most recent media initiative, "Because He Lives," launched, with this remarkable video: http://www.mormon.org/easter…
I invite all of you to watch it! It only takes two minutes, and I can promise that it'll uplift and inspire you.

Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn

Because He Lives - Easter 2015

Because of the Resurrection, Jesus Christ lives. Because of Him, you can overcome sin and experience everlasting joy. Learn more about how you can discover, embrace, and share the joy of the Resurrection at helives.mormon.org.

MORMON.ORG

3/22/2015

"We can experience that burst of confidence.We can feel that pride of performance. A three-word formula will help us: Never Give Up."
Elder Thomas S. Monson, Go For It!

Last Monday, I played ultimate Frisbee for the first time in over a year! Several Elders from the zone got together in our area, and we played in a local soccer stadium. It was really fun; and made me think of home; activity nights and camp-outs. All good experiences that went into building a missionary man. We met a young adult at Burger King that night, and had a nice discussion about gospel principles. He's a good kid, even though he's having a hard time finding a solid testimony and acting in faith. He really likes Burger King, for some reason. Maybe that just comes with fluency in English.
On Tuesday we did our regular service project at the cerebral palsy place, and brought Murphy, our young adult, Burger King-liking young adult. I can't express how reassuring it is to see him enjoy giving service, especially the kind that most people would be pretty awkward about (feeding physically and mentally handicapped children has never been "comfortable" for most people). Service is one of the best ways to invite the Spirit into our lives, because service is selfless.
As a matter of fact, that's something I pondered quite a lot on Tuesday, and throughout the rest of the week. One of the most tragic moments in the Book of Mormon is when the prophet Nephi confesses that his older brothers are "past feeling" and no longer hear the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. That heart breaking moment is mirrored in the twilight of the Nephite civilization when the prophet-general-historian Mormon makes the same observation, but applies it to his entire people.
Why is this so distressing to me?
Because the process by which an individual becomes deadened to the influence of the Holy Ghost is by doing exactly what the Holy Spirit prompts us not to do.
Let's step back for a second, and look at what the Holy Ghost wants us to do. The Holy Ghost influences all of mankind to do good, to uplift, and to inspire. The Spirit wants us all to be a little more selfless, and a little more sacrificing, and, above all, a little more loving. He prompts us to do that by affecting our thoughts and feelings. We can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost by doing things that will invite him into our life: listening to the words of prophets, modern and ancient, prayer, and wholesome family activities. By rejecting these sources of divine aid, we choose to rely on our own wisdom, and become more self-centered.
So, the opposite direction of this bright, but difficult path, is selfishness and reliance on one's self. So, when a person is "past feeling," we could say that that person has become unwilling to act in faith and trust, and only relies on themselves, and the world's wisdom. So the reason it breaks my heart to see somebody move towards the point of being past feeling is that it symbolizes a person moving further and further away from the gospel, the firm rock men can build on and never fall, and more towards the shifting currents and fail-able sand of the world.
Wednesday was marked by a district meeting focusing on referrals. It bore fruit later in the week, but in an unexpected way. More on that under Saturday! We also had our weekly English class. The most important thing that happened that day though, was our recovery of Wilson! You may ask, "Who is Wilson?" Wilson is a black bowling ball we discovered on the road. Abandoned, injured, and friendless, we took him home with us on Wednesday, a few days after our initial contact. Wilson is now happy in our study room, where we constantly role-play teaching with him.
On Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder Rossi. We met with one of their investigators, then we spent the rest of the day proselyting (not an uncommon day here... it's been difficult to find and meet with investigators recently). We did have a neat experience though: as we were walking past a man bending low to look under his car, we said hello and asked if there was a problem. He said no, and looked the opposite direction, so we started walking away. Then, he turned back towards us, and asked us what the best way to learn English is! Well... we informed him that we actually teach English for free, and gave him our contact information.
We also met with Murphy in the evening, and talked a lot about war. We discussed a scripture from Mormon, where he talks about how his people struggled with the sword to preserve their lives, but refused to call upon the being who created them. In life, we often fall into the same pattern, doing everything we can, except for calling upon Him "who is mighty to save."
The next day, we hit the streets and proselyted after weekly planning. We had a break in the form of song practice with the district -- the Relief Society had an activity on Saturday, and they wanted the missionaries to provide 10 minutes of music. We made our final song choices then practiced them for the last time.
On Saturday, we attended the Relief Society meeting. How neat is it that the Relief Society is the oldest and largest ongoing women's society in the world? Pretty tremendous, if you ask me. For our music, Elder Maris played guitar for a few minutes, then the 4 Elders sang the song "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy," accapella. Then, all 6 missionaries sang the EFY Medley of "As Sister's in Zion," and "We'll Bring the World His Truth." (Sidenote: we trimmed out the women's part, so this was far more balanced between men and women. Everybody else thought the same thing I did when I first heard it: What a nice women's piece with a background part for men at the end!) That went well.
Later, the Sisters met a Brazilian man named Tiago off of the street. They met him later, with us, and we were able to talk a bit. He doesn't know much English or Korean, so communicating was choppy. But, he has such a nice face! Just looking at him makes you happy. He coaches soccer here, and his mom became a member in Brazil. He wants to come to church!
I was blown away. I never imagined that I'd have one of those Brazilian investigators. And here he is, within our grasp (and the clasp of the restored Gospel!). He wasn't able to come this Sunday, but we're eagerly anticipating next Sunday.
Afterwards, we had dinner with our less-active friend, Bak J H (박제홍). That was delicious, and a good step for him. Until now, we didn't even know where he lived. He asked us not to share a spiritual message since his wife isn't a member, but we were still able to talk a little bit about Christ and His role in our lives.
Sunday was also pretty good. We were able to attend Ward Council Meeting, and that's always good. There's going to be a ward family home evening in a few weeks... and we're going to a bathhouse! That'll be crazy awesome. More on that when it comes!

Best Wishes, and Love for All:
Elder Austin M. Lynn