7/26/2015

This week was packed with several meetings, but we were also able to meet and teach several of our investigators. In other words, it was a good week!
As usual, we met (정홍익) on Tuesday. This time, there was a surprise: he brought his friend to lunch with him! After eating lunch together, he stayed to hear our discussion. We are starting the fourth discussion, which is the Commandments. The first principle we wanted to talk about was obedience, and we decided to read Alma 32 together. This may not seem like an obvious choice, since Alma 32 is a great passage for faith, but doesn't talk much about God's commandments. As we read it, we connected it with obedience, promising our investigator that as he kept God's commandments, he would feel the seed planted in his heart begin to swell and grow, just as Alma describes. By being obedient, he would perform the experiment Alma prescribed to increase our faith, and, eventually receive eternal life. It went well; his friend felt that the Book of Mormon taught things very clearly. Jung (정홍익) also explained it to his friend, so that he knew what the Book of Mormon was. I don't know if he'll continue bringing his friend, but we certainly hope he will.
We also shared one of my favorite scriptures, from D&C 130:20-21, about obedience:
"There is a law, irrevocably declared in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated -- and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
We discussed that for a little bit, then finished up and headed over to another investigator, Hwang Yong Ho.
We saw H Yong Ho several times this week, and he is doing better and better. He's a rather old fellow, so we have to take things slowly, but he's doing better all the time. This week we talked a little more about the Plan of Salvation, discussing the purpose of life, and the role of Jesus Christ in God's plan.
We had district meeting on Wednesday like always, and this week my training was about patience. Patience is a vital attribute, because without it, faith is terminal, and hope is transient. Patience can help us have sweeter, more meaningful, longer-lasting relationships as well. My thought is... without patience, everything else, no matter how good it is, will fade. So, patience must be linked to charity, because "charity never faileth." Is Charity not patient? Of course it is!
On Thursday we tried to go stickerboarding, but were defeated by the rain -- which was unfortunate, since we'd enlisted our returned sister missionary to help us do it. In the five minutes we did it, we were able to get two phone numbers, so it wasn't a complete loss. We each shared our motivations for serving a mission with her, and discussed our missions for a little bit afterwards, waiting for the rain to let up a bit. It's incredible how quickly rain can come out of nowhere here; it truly is monsoon season.
The next day we had our zone conference, across the country (not as large a distance in Korea; about an hour and a half of travel). A professor from BYU Hawaii named PJ Rogers came, and presented a training on Korean culture and language to top off the day of trainings from President Morrise, his assistants, and our zone leaders. We learned about topics from working with members and ward leaders, to keeping our houses and lives clean. It was a fantastic day, and Brother Rogers' presentation was both informative and entertaining. We had to race back home that night to make it to a ward party our Bishop wanted us to attend. To celebrate summer, they had an evening barbecue. Jung (정홍익) agreed to come with us, and several of the members talked to him, so it was a good evening.
On Saturday, we met with our newest investigator, Lee (이형철). He's interested in learning English, and then asked us several questions about religion, such as: "When is the Second Coming? Are you a Baptist Church? Do you believe in God? Who is God? Who is Jesus' Mother?" We had a brief conversation about each question, and he took all of the answers well.
Sunday was a good end to the week. During gospel doctrine class, I thought about when we strengthen our faith. The teacher made the point that growing faith is not a matter of time, but of experiences. As I thought about it, I really agreed with that. I think that when we have to, we strengthen our faith. There are trials and challenges in life that we can only overcome if we have more faith, and it's at those times that we increase our faith. We don't feel a need to do that when everything is fine and dandy, so God has to send us challenges that motivate us to increase our faith, which ultimately leads to more blessings.
So, the next time you find yourself in a pickle, remember -- this is a chance for you to grow stronger! It's in our nature to be content with our progress, but God has a lot more in store for us than "okay" or "passable" people. He wants to give us everything He has -- which He can only do if we become more faithful, more sure, more Christlike. That's His plan for us, here on this earth. I'm grateful to have the chance to share that information, and to participate in this plan.

Love,
Elder Austin Lynn

7/19/2015

We had a great this week. We had the chance to go to the temple on Thursday, which turned out to be really well timed as that was the main subject matter on Sunday, during Priesthood meeting. We discussed what the temple represents to each of us. Having just been there, it was something that had been on our mind lately. In my opinion, the temple represents the most primal yearning of fallen man -- the desire of children to go home, to be in their father's home again. The temple symbolizes reconciliation, the reuniting of God and man. It is the closest we come to salvation in this life -- after all, isn't salvation returning to God, after our journey here is complete? The temple raises us -- it is a bridge where we can leave behind every weakness and sin that "so easily besets" us, and can stride into the presence of God with confidence. There are few expressions of love greater than that of the temple. As a matter of fact, the temple points towards those expressions -- Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Everything in the Father's plan revolves around those things -- forgiveness, growth, and ultimate reunion.
After visiting the temple, we also went to Gangnam, with one of our investigators (Jung Hong Ik [정홍익]). It was neat to finally visit the much-sung of "Gangnam."
Monday night last week was a major blow... financially. A potential investigator met with us, then, after ordering lots of food at an overpriced restaurant, stuck us with the bill, promising to pay next time. I'm not sure what I would've done if I wasn't a missionary, but I can tall you that Elder Stapp and I had to fork over the majority of our remaining cash. Luckily, we received more missionary funds a few days later. Last Tuesday was our turning point, for everything to start improving. We met with our investigator Jung Hong Ik (정홍익) and finished teaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ by reading 2 Nephi 31 together. He understood it really well, and explained it all back to us, while also relating back to Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life. One of the reasons Jung Hong Ik is such a great investigator is because he reads the Book of Mormon consistently, and he's understanding it. He's reading 2 Nephi right now, and commented that 2 Nephi 2 helped him understand more about the need for laws and repentance. It's wonderful to finally be working with somebody who will not only read, but who actually understands and applies what he's reading. We don't come across people like that very often. We also taught an old man that day, and he's doing better as well. His health is improving, and he said he's trying to read a little bit of the Book of Mormon every day. He asked about church as well, so we taught him how to get there.
District Meeting also went well. We brought back a tradition that my trainer had when I first came to country -- the pre-District Meeting Poetry Slam Jam. It's really fun to listen to everybody's poetry, even though nobody's really a professional, or anything like that. It's sincere, funny, and good wholesome fun.
Friday, we met with a new investigator, who has interest in English, and is a Christian. We were excited to meet somebody new, and that excitement was increased by a man who walked up to us on the street, exchanged phone numbers with us, and told us he has interest in learning about our church, and wants to try attending. We have an appointment to meet him this Saturday.
Last Saturday, the bishopric took us out to dinner. It was meat -- something we don't always eat a lot of. It was delicious, although they were cooking it awfully quick... well, it was beef, so under-cooked or not, all's well that ends well, right?
On Sunday evening, we were also able to eat dinner at a member's home. We've had a meal with a member once or twice a week for a few weeks now, and I just have to say, I'm grateful for those members who open their hearts and their homes to us. I doubt they realize how much it means to us, and how much it does to lift our spirits and strengthen us for the week ahead. There are times when we can feel isolated, against the odds, and downtrodden. It is good to remember that we are all part of a worldwide family, that none of us are truly alone.
This past week as I continued my study of the Old Testament, I read about the life of the prophet Elijah. At one point in his ministry, he felt much the same way -- alone, overwhelmed, and outnumbered. On a distant mountaintop, he cried out to the Lord, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine alters, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1 Kings 19:14). After listening to His servant, God responded by commanding Elijah to continue his ministry, and he reminded him of a very important fact: he was not alone. As he gave instructions regarding the work he had left to do, the Lord told Elijah that, "I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, [a common idol in their day] and every mouth which hath not kissed him [that is, pledged their allegiance to him]." (1 Kings 19:18)
Only a few months ago, Elijah was aided by Obadiah, a servant of the king, who had hidden a hundred prophets, and saved their lives. And soon, Elijah would go to Elisha, his successor as prophet in northern Israel. Shortly before this exchange, an angel had brought food to Elijah, strengthening him on his journey to converse with God. However discouraged Elijah may have been by Israel's state of apostasy and wickedness, there was hope. All was not lost.
And so it is with us. We may feel that we are against the world, one drop against a raging tide. When we feel like we have not the strength to make a difference, remember: we are not alone. While the Prophet Joseph Smith suffered in Liberty Jail, God comforted him with these words: "Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands." (D&C 121:9) And if we should become as Job, whose friends turned against him, then look towards the Savior, the only person who can truly say, "I was alone." Because He spent those darkest hours on the cross in complete isolation from all aid and companionship, because He prayed in Gethsemane while His closest friends slept, we don't have to be alone. He will never sleep while we suffer, and He will never withdraw during our struggles. He is, and always has been, and always will be, our Savior, our Friend, and our Eldest Brother. He will succor us -- a word that means, literally, "to run to."

Love,
Elder Austin Lynn

7/12/2015

This week ended on a pretty sad note. Our investigator, (김용규), finally decided to stop investigating the church, and to return to his old life. It wasn't the choice we were hoping we'd make, as we met and urged him to make a decision that he could take to God, but, like each of us, he has the ability to make his own choices and follow them through. He's met with missionaries for over 10 months, and now, in the course of 2 days, has decided that he is better off on his own. His indecision crystallized into a decision to give up, and back away from making decisions.
The two times we met him before we focused a lot on making decisions. He says that he hasn't received an answer about the Book of Mormon, even though he's been praying and reading about it for months, and we believe that his problem lies in that he was not committed to any course of action. So, we discussed how we have to make a decision to the best of our ability first, then pray to ask God if that decision is right. He had a really hard time accepting that concept, and just wanted God to tell him what to do, without realizing that part of our test in mortality is taking a step first, then waiting for the light to follow.
So, he's made his choice, and we have to respect that, even if it breaks our hearts. It reminded me of how God must feel, watching His children make choices that He knows will injure them, but not being able to stop them because He Himself gave them agency -- our precious ability to make our own choices. As we talked about Brother Kim (김), I received the comfort from the Holy Ghost that I had prayed for as I realized that I can honestly say that I did everything I could. We have labored, fought, cried, and prayed for this man, giving him everything he could possibly need to make an informed decision... and he made it. Though it hurts us, it's not our fault that he decided to turn away from the path of discipleship.
Another lesson and blessing I received was the realization that all of the pain I felt for him (김용규) was evidence of something inside of me: charity. I had love for that man, and that's why it hurt when he walked away from us. All I've ever wanted is charity, and so it was a bittersweet reward to know that I had achieved it for this man. As I read the scriptures later, I was inspired to read Ether 12:36-37, from the Book of Mormon. Some of you may remember that this is the scripture Hyrum Smith shared with his brother Joseph, shortly before their martyrdom.
"And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity.
"And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity, it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father."
In a sense, I'm grateful to have this experience. I can honestly say that it's the first time somebody has caused me this much pain in the mission field, but it's worth it. While rejections from those who know our message of restoration and hope is true stings far more than those who ignorantly avoid us, it's all worth it because I'm doing what I need to do, to raise a voice of warning, and of hope to those who will hearken. Christ Himself was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." (Isaiah 53:3)
Luckily, we're not asked to undergo experiences like that everyday. On Friday, we met with a man named Kyoo Hwan and his friend, Gyung Hwan (규환 하고 경환). We've been meeting them every Friday for months. Brother Kyoo Hwan has started praying, and every time we meet, he tells us that it really does help him, and it brings something different to his life. That's a person who recognizes that there is something in the gospel that he wants.
We also have had an opportunity to eat with our ward mission leader. We had some extra time before our appointment with him at a nearby restaurant, so we proselyted. We talked to one man who was interested in meeting us and learning English. He asked for our phone number; which doesn't happen often. We're meeting him on Friday, and I'm confident he'll become a new investigator. How wonderful! God is involved in this work.
Last Monday was also a great day. Lots of the Sisters in my group from the MTC are going home in a few weeks, so we all got together again to say goodbye, relive memories, and take some pictures. It was a sobering reminder of just how quickly time is passing by. I once heard that time is like flowing water; you have to try and grasp it in your hands even as it passes through them.
I also went on exchanges with Elder Thorup, one of our zone leaders, this week. We had a great time discussing how the gospel is found in everything, drawing comparisons with our favorite stories. We also discussed the future a bit, as we have overlapping interests in music. I really enjoyed our time together, and also the advice he was able to give on becoming a more solid proselyting missionary (the item I requested training on). It all comes back to setting goals, praying about them, then getting up and doing your best to reach them.
And I know that when we take the time to specifically talk to God about the things that matter to us, He listens. He cares. He wants to help us, and the power of prayer is that when we ask Him for His aid, we authorize Him to bless us. He can't do it without our permission, because He sent us here to learn. God won't resist or override our choices, but He will always try to influence our circumstances for our ultimate good. Fasting, prayer, and obedience are all acts of faith, and our faith allows God to show forth His arm in our life.
Love,
Elder Austin Lynn

7/5/2015

This week was a great week! Less cancellations, which equates to more chances to teach! We were actually forecasting a lot more appointments than we ultimately had, but that's alright, because the people we met were great; especially our less-active friend, Gwan Sung Gir (관성길).

We met him on Monday night, and talked a little bit about what exactly he wanted out of our meetings, and what we wanted to do (we missionaries call that HBT -- how to begin teaching). He explained that he wants to move to Australia in a few years, to continue his work on elevator design. He also said that he understands the church is important, and said that when he has time, of course he'll come! But, he thinks that that time will probably be when he lives in Australia... so, he doesn't quite understand how important church is, since it's not very high on his list of priorities. We only had a few minutes to tell him what we wanted to do as we met, since Sung Gir's quite the talker (not that I'm complaining!). We asked about prayer, and he said that he always prays when things are difficult. So we invited him to pray everyday, and briefly reviewed the three methods we receive revelation: through prayer (specifically, the feelings and thoughts we have while praying), through reading the Book of Mormon, and through church attendance. We told him very simply that every time we met, we would invite him to do those three things. He accepted that well, and said he'd start re-reading the Book of Mormon that night. Sung Gir is one of the nicest people I've met in Korea, and is just a great guy. I'm excited to meet him more often. Unfortunately, he canceled our following three appointments, because of a string of unfortunate events (everything from company dinners to a friend getting into a car accident). However, he called this morning to confirm our appointment for tonight, so I'm confident we'll be seeing much more of him moving forward.

One especially great thing about all of his cancellations was that it gave us the chance to work closely with a recently returned sister missionary in our ward, Lee Kibbum (이기쁨). Sung Gir knew her from when he was active (about nine years ago) and now we've gotten them back in contact with each other! It was rather miraculous that everything's happened at just the right time for their paths to cross again. Kibbum had made some changes to her work schedule so she could come to one of our appointments with him, and so when he canceled, we had to cancel with her too. She was pretty excited to see him, and clearly wanted to get involved with missionary work. She even asked us if she could proselyte with us! We didn't think that'd work, but after calling the Sister missionaries, the five of us got together to do some English stickerboarding. It was really effective, and we could tell that Kibbum was really excited to be doing missionary work again. We got over a dozen numbers, and so far everybody we've called has given us an appointment. The first one's tonight... fingers crossed!

We also met HY Ho (황용호), the man with a drinking problem... but now it seems like he's forcibly quitting. When we last saw him, it looked like he'd been hit by a car! He had large black marks on his body, lots of small lacerations, and he'd had surgery on his chin. His face was really swollen, and something was up with his teeth. He was obviously in a lot of pain, so we were grateful that he allowed us to come and introduce exactly what the Book of Mormon is. He accepted it, and said he'd start reading it when he wasn't in so much pain. He's taking a lot of medication, so I think he's on the abstinence track right now. I doubt Korean soju would mix well with his medications.

We also met Kyoo Hwan (규환), with his friend, Go Gyung Hwan (고경환). We read part of Enos together, which Kyoo Hwan had had a rather difficult time understanding. It was an interesting experience to help a Korean understand their own language (equatable to a foreigner helping you understand old English, or the language of the Bible). It was also really cool to invite Kyoo Hwan to teach his friend the method of prayer, and to see how well he's understood everything we've talked about. He did great.

And of course, there's always Kim Yong Kyoo (김용규), our star player. This week he took a big step towards resolving some of his doubts when he finally verbalized what one of his largest concerns with the church is: polygamy. How stereotypical! And, more than that, he's confused about the Manifesto, issued by President Wilford Woodruff, and about a whole host of things... all inflamed by his experience as a college student, as part of a church where the pastor did some very un-Christian things under the guise of Christianity.

However, to balance that we're also meeting him more often. We've been teaching a ton from the scriptures, and have given him a lot to think about. For instance, he asked about martyrs in the era of Roman persecution, compared with the Lord rescinding plural marriage during a time of persecution from the government. To discuss that, we shared a very simple scriptures: John 8:59. In that verse, Christ hides himself and leaves the temple, after the Jews had taken up stones with the intention of stoning Him. That threw him for a loop, and he's been pondering and praying about that for a while now. The next time we meet, we'll re-focus on the baptismal questions, because once Kim Yong Kyoo takes that step of faith, he'll receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which, as Christ promised, will teach us and comfort us. Kim Yong Kyoo, with his seemingly inexhaustible host of questions and concerns, could really use that in his life.

Fourth of July? I'll be honest, there's no recognition of it here in Korea, so Elder Stapp and I ate hamburgers and sang patriotic hymns in our English hymnals to celebrate the holiday. Not a single firework in sight, either.

We did teach English class that night though, which is a pretty American thing... if you're a missionary! It went really well. It's actually pretty fun to teach people English, and it turns out that you can have a lot of fun!

I gave my second training as district leader this past Wednesday. We focused more on teaching skills, specifically teaching with variety. We discussed all of the various tools we have at our disposal, and the importance of implementing them in our lesson plans. It went pretty well. I think my favorite part is participation from the district members, however few in number we may be (4명).

In spite of all this, we still spend dozens of hours a week proselyting on the streets. It feels like we've combed across our area, which can be an attitude killer when it comes to planning another day of proselyting. To break up the monotony, we try to find places we've never been before. We've been having a lot of success finding new venues on the other side of the (not-so-proverbial) subway tracks. I was under the impression that it was all factories, but lately we've discovered several shopping areas, tucked away in all the industrial complexes.

To wrap up our week, we ate dinner at a member's home, and practiced teaching with them. Practice lessons are a great resource; it helps the members feel the Holy Ghost testifying of the truthfulness of the gospel, and it helps us improve our ability to teach, especially in Korean. We impressed the members with our unity in teaching; we made a concious effort to switch off and not let either one of us do everything, which can be a problem when you have very young and old missionaries paired together. Elder Stapp's very talented however, and he deserves it. The members were very impressed with his skill, considering his time in country. It reminded me of when I was in my third transfer, just like he is. I think we have a lot of similarities, and hopefully he'll not only learn as quickly as I did, but do even better than I did! After all, we're a dynamic duo -- not one person leading, the other following, but a partnership. I'm constantly grateful for the chance to work hand in hand with not just a great companion, but with the Savior of all mankind. It's His work, and I know that He is involved in it. He has promise to be with us; and I know that He fulfills His promises. In a sense, that is a vital part of faith: the faith that Jesus Christ has the power to fulfill His promises, and will do so.

Sincerely,
Elder Austin Lynn

6/28/2015

This week I sent Elder Schilling on his way, and joined forces with his MTC companion, and Elder Campbell's greenie: Elder R. C. Stapp!
But before that, we celebrated our time together as a district by eating Shabu Shabu together on P-Day. Shabu Shabu is a Korean dish that... is essentially a pot of boiling liquid (water, but with other things in it. Not sure what), with all of the various things you'd like to eat next to eat. The place we went to was rather nice; there was a salad bar and buffet on the different toppings you add to shabu shabu. Shabu Shabu is one of my favorite dishes here in Korea; and not just because of it's fun name!

That same night, our Bishop had us over to his home for dinner. We were pretty stuffed, but worked hard to eat well! We aren't able to go to Bishop's very often, since he lives in the area right next to ours. We can get permission to visit, but it's still not easy.

For Elder Shilling and my last day together, we ended the way we started: proselyting on the streets of Sanbon. It was a little emotional, but we finished out strong. The next morning everything was packed, and we traveled to meet all of the other missionaries, including Elder Schilling's new companion. I returned home with Elder Stapp, and we surveyed our new (old) apartment, and got to work.

Our first night together, we experienced a wonderful miracle! While we were out in the countryside, walking back towards the city, a less-active who I've only ever seen once called us, and asked if we could meet him Monday through Friday to practice English! We talked for a while, and eventually settled on meeting Monday through Thursday night, to practice English then discuss Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and other church things. We'll start meeting him tonight. That was an incredible event that I have not seen paralleled thus far.

We also met a man who recently became jobless, and is really struggling. Unfortunately, he was staggering drunk when we came over. We can't really share much to help him when he's like that, and it was a little disappointing since the Elders had committed him to stop drinking before, but we did our best to help him, and will see him again.

We met a few other investigators, and it was nice to meet people whom I'd heard about but never seen before. Hopefully I'll have a lot more to say about them in the future. One great guy is Peter -- a Korean born and raised in China. He's been meeting with missionaries for a while, and so last Saturday we met and began talking about the Plan of Salvation. We have to take things very slowly with him -- he has no Christian background, and only vague notions of God. It was really cool to hear him pray, knowing that this is very new for him.

Peter also came to a meal we had here in Sanbon with President Morrise on Saturday. That was nice; we didn't expect him to come, but our Ward Mission Leader called him and got him to come! Members can be a huge help; indeed, I'd agree with President Hinckley in saying that the work of salvation is most effective when members and missionaries work together, hand in hand.

Elder Stapp is a man from California, who's secretly a nerd, but on the outside is very manly. He likes welding, working out, rock crawling, reading, Avatar: The Last Airbender... You know, your typical truck-building, BYU:Idaho attending fellow. We're getting along famously; I enjoy spending time with him, and in our quite little abode, we've been getting a lot of things done to make the house cleaner and a happier place to be. I look forward to spending another transfer or two with him! Maybe, just maybe, Bishop's requst will be granted and I'll stay here till March of next year. wink emoticon

Best Wishes,
Elder Austin M. Lynn

6/21/2015

There's no God in China.
At least, that's what our Bishop said last Saturday, as we discussed an investigator who was raised in China. Of course, what Bishop meant by that statement was that people in China are taught that there is no God, and they have no perception of who, what, or even why God is. One of our main purposes as missionaries is to teach people clearly who God is -- our loving Father -- and how they can have a relationship with Him, and why that relationship is the most important relationship they can ever foster. On this Father's Day, I express gratitude and love not only to my earthly father, but also to my Heavenly Father. It is always with a sense of God's supernal love than I read the following passage, found in both the Sermon on the Mount directed to disciples in Palestine, and the Risen Savior's instructions to the ancient Nephite people of America:

"And what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?

"Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

Of course, we're not (usually) literally evil. But, we do make mistakes and are occasionally selfish. God is perfect, His love is perfect, and His wisdom is infinite. He will give us good gifts, and I know that everything He does is for our ultimate good. He is a God of Love; and, as the apostle John wrote, God is love.

This week all of our teaching appointments fell through, but we were able to rock the streets with the Book of Mormon! We gave out several copies, and met several individuals who have potential interest in meeting again! And, after the news we received on Saturday, that will only strengthen Sanbon area. On Tuesday I accidentally forgot my Book of Mormon and case in a shop of a friend. This friend often asked questions about our beliefs, but had gently resisted any attempts for real gospel discussion. But when we returned the next day, we asked him if he took a look at it. He said he hadn't, but asked what it was. We'd had this conversation before, but he can tend to be forgetful, so we were able to reteach a lot of the first lesson, and testify about the Book of Mormon. We left him a copy of the Restoration pamphlet, so we'll follow up on that this week. He's a really nice man, but he's not really religious. Hopefully we can help him and his family find eternal joy and peace!

Saturday was a long-anticipated day. Transfer calls! Here's the deal: for the past 12 weeks I've been training Elder Schilling, a new missionary. Before this, he was in the Missionary Training Center, with Elder Stapp as his companion. Both of them came to Sanbon house, but Elder Stapp was with Elder Campbell. We were Sanbon 2, they were Sanbon 1. When we received the phone call letting us know what would be happening, they first told us that Elder Stapp and I would be companions. That was stunning! I'd never heard of that happening before. They're combining my area with Sanbon 1, and both Elder Campbell and Elder Schilling are going to new areas. Elder Stapp and I get along great, and are ready to really get the fire going in Sanbon!

Sanbon United!

As part of wrapping up the first 12 weeks for my new companion, we met with the Assistants to the President to do evaluations regarding the First 12 Weeks Language Study Program. In essence, I work with him everyday to help him learn and memorize brief statements of doctrine and belief so that even new missionaries can participate in the teaching process. Afterwards, I did an evaluation for Preach My Gospel Teacher Improvement -- our mission's program for experienced missionaries to grow in their teaching skills.

This Sunday was a country wide stake conference. Elder Christofferson video-ed in from Utah, and spoke, along with a few members of the Seventy, like Elder Maynes, who visited the mission a few weeks ago. Each stake was connected by video. It's incredible how modern technology enables so much unity! Our ward sang for our stake, singing "The Spirit of God," in Korean. It was a blast! I honestly love the wards here in Korea so much. It's a privelege to work and serve among them.

With love,
Elder Austin Lynn

6/14/2015

This week we were able to get back in contact with the family we met some time back. Since their father is working in the south part of the country right now, we're unable to continue visiting them. However, we were able to bring the Sister missionaries to their family, and now they're meeting them. We'll maintain contact with the sons as best we can, probably by playing basketball together or something similar.
We were able to go the temple last Thursday, which, as always, was a great experience. On the way there, I experienced a first for my mission: the first time subway doors closed on me! Not just in front of me -- I've experienced that many times -- but literally as I'm stepping into the car. We were getting onto a subway, but the spot we were waiting at was literally full! There was no give in the mass of bodies before us. The Koreans alongside us simply stepped back, content to wait 20 minutes or so for the next train, but we refused to be late for the temple. We ran over to the next set of doors, saw there was some space, and went for it! (A side note about subways: our motions are always so hesitant, because nobody wants to get on a subway, have the door clang shut behind them, and race off without their companion, trapped on the other side. We're always looking behind our soldier as we step on, making sure they're close enough to get on right behind us.) As I was getting on, the doors slid into my sides. I won't lie, a brief thought went through me head: What if these doors could just squish me like an accordion? That was unwarranted; they weren't really pushing on me too much, but they weren't easy to move either. I slid in, holding them as open as I could, but Elder Schilling behind me got trapped as well. Then, the doors slid open, relieving us. I apologized to everybody, and told them we couldn't be late today. Nobody made any sound, but I think they were surprised to see foreigners, period.
After the temple, we visited a science museum near Seoul Zoo. It reminded me a lot of home; I think all commercial museums are the same, regardless of where you are in the world. One of the workers wasn't very busy, so he gave us a tour around the "Traditional Korean Science" hall, commenting on a lot of the exhibits. I was pretty impressed; Asia was discovering lots of things earlier or at the same time as European scientists, in a secluded environment.
There was a great talk this week in church, about service. The speaker talked about how one way we can serve others is by complimenting them! She also mentioned giving high fives to people, saying hello to a person you don't know, and giving a flower to somebody. I really liked how she took a unique spin on the topic of service, that every single one of us can apply!
Another fun experience this week was knocking doors in a new part of town. It was really funny to see how relaxed some Koreans get in the summer. We were walking towards one door, but then we saw that we could talk to the couple through their open screen window, which gave us a view of their kitchen. The wife was at the table using a computer, and the husband was next to the sink, in his underwear! The wife heard we were missionaries, said, "No thanks," and we walked away, swallowing laughter. At another house, the door was already open (really common in the summer) and there was a young man on the computer. He saw us, stood up, and went to the back of the house... to put on a shirt. We talked to him for a little bit, and were able to give him a pamphlet.
We went back to the same neighborhood later, and while we missed our goal of giving away three copies of the Book of Mormon, we did give on of them to a man who we talked with for a little while on the side of the road. He told us that he doesn't believe in God, and hates all of the differences between religion. He said that, in reality, all of the various churches are out there to make a profit. I was able to take that and respond right away by telling him that there isn't a single payed position in our church. He was surprised by that. We testified that God loves us, and so He's given us a way to discern truth in this life. We told him that the method for knowing a thing is true is to pray. Unlike most people's assumption, we are not here to command people to come to church, but to invite them to read the Book of Mormon, ponder its message, pray about it, and act in accordance with the answer they receive. He accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon, and gave us his phone number so that we could make an appointment to meet again later.
That brings me to one of my favorite proselyting techniques. Most people are pretty awkward when we start talking to them. It can be really awkward. So, I've started asking people, "What do you think missionaries normally do?" Surprisingly, most people have given me the same answer: "They tell people to come to their church." While this certainly is one thing we invite people to do, our main purpose is to do what Christ would do. This takes many forms; but almost always a form of service towards others. The biggest and best way to help a person is to help them learn about Jesus Christ's gospel, but when they refuse that aid, we can find simpler ways to help them, such as teaching English. Ultimately, everything we do is centered on Jesus Christ, who atoned for all of mankind, making second chances a reality. It is He who was alone, He who suffered the most, who can reach out towards us in our dark moments, when life seems insurmountable, and can guide us to safe harbors and calm waters. He is the Savior of mankind, and that's a belief I will never apologize for holding.

Love,
Elder Austin Lynn
배상
임휘천 장로

6/8/2015

This week was a blast. We didn't get to teach anybody, but we were able to work really hard on talking to everybody on the streets. Sunday afternoon was probably our most successful day proselyting; we made a goal to shake hands with everybody we saw. A lot of people turned us aside, but we were able to talk to more people than usual, and I picked up a new trick in talking to people: if they just wave their hand in my face, refusing to shake hands, my instant response is to say, "Is it because I'm white?" That almost always stops them as they're walking away, and they turn around. Then I can ask why they can't shake my hand, to varying responses. One man said it was because he doesn't believe in God; I was able to ask him why, and then respond that our purpose in coming to Korea is to teach people how a relationship with God can help them in their lives. The most creative response so far has been "MERS."
A brief word on MERS. I don't know how much news about it has reached stateside, but it's the topic of news here. MERS is short for Middle East Respiratory Sickness(?) and came to Korea from some vacationers in the Middle East; apparently it originated with camels. The disease attacks the lungs. So far there have been around 20 casualties; all senior citizens. People are saying that it's reached epidemic stages, and that there are over 2,000 people who are self-quarantined, and there's over a dozen hospitals with confirmed patients.
That said, everything everybody has said so far is that it is not transmitted through the air, and has only been contracted in hospital settings, through direct or indirect contact with infected patients. So, if you avoid the hospitals you have a strong chance of being okay. Furthermore, for healthy adults (not 70+ grandpas and grandmas) it's just like a cold, from what we've heard. We've received a lot of precaution warnings, but there's no need to panic, or worry. Not only are we healthy, young men, but we're on the Lord's errand, and are entitled to His protection. That's the kind of confidence that living the Lord's gospel provides.
So, amidst the backdrop of people worried about camel touchers destroying their lungs, the work moves forward. We saw Lucas again this week; three times actually. We talked to him for a little while in the library, then saw him twice more while in the central square of our area. The second time we saw him, we were stickerboarding for our English class, and had the chance to chat with him and a friend, who was leaving for military service in a few weeks. We had a long chat, and, as always, it just made us smile to see him. I saw him again today, on his way to the library, as we were walking through the square with an investigator.
This grandma wanted to take Elder Schilling and I out for lunch, so we had to scramble to find a member to accompany us, since we can't meet women without a male adult. Things were looking bleak, since she wanted to buy us lunch, but 99% of the Korean male population is at work during the day, but then one of our less-actives agreed to come, and so we were able to eat lunch with him, and help him with some translation work afterwards. We'll see him again today, so hopefully we can continue to strengthen his testimony of the gospel.
I'm learning Chinese! Okay, let me explain. There's a Chinese-Korean man who attends our English class every Saturday. We have a good relationship, even though he's one of the other Elders' investigators. For the past few weeks, he's been teaching me short Chinese phrases at English class. I know less than 10 words, but that's more than I knew before!
One of my favorite things about serving here is the odd experiences missionaries so bountifully receive. For example, we talked with a student about English class, then left him with a flyer. As we walked away, I thought, "He's so friendly, I should've asked for his number." The next day, we saw him again, and one of the first things I did was ask him for his number. He said yes, without any reservations! Little mercies like that let me know that God forgives our mistakes. That's the beauty of the Atonement; if we confess, forsake, and try a little harder, God will make up for our imperfections.
Another tender mercy was also an incredibly enjoyable experience. While proselyting the other night, we discovered an electric piano on the side of the street, ready to be thrown away. I've wanted an electric piano since I lived in Yeonsu; I wasn't about to throw away this opportunity. We stopped, walked back, examined it. We wondered if it worked; we pondered how we could get it home. Ultimately, we decided we'd have to take a chance. We were too far from home to seriously consider carrying the heavy piano, so we decided to explore other options. We took it to the bus stop. We watched two bus drivers wave their hands in emphatic denial, and drive off. We almost left; Elder Schilling suggested one more. In the mean time, I called a less-active, hoping he could give us a lift in his delivery truck (he agreed, but we ended up making it without him). The next bus stopped; I asked if he could open the side door. He agreed, and we showed him the piano. We're lucky the bus was empty, because I'm certain that if there had been people on board he would've turned us away. We carried the piano onto the bus, then through the miniature China town in our neighborhood, then up four flights of stairs, to ultimately rest it in our apartment. Then, the moment we had been waiting for: we plugged in the piano. With baited breath, I pressed a key down. Sound erupted from the electronic contraption! We cheered, and beamed with pride at our new acquisition. I've discovered what a difference just five minutes of piano playing can make in my day, increasing my confidence and inviting peace.
Below's a video from us wandering the streets the other night, and some pictures of our new piano. It's actually really nice -- the electric pianos at the church don't even have pedals. As you can see, it's quite sizable.

Love,
Elder Austin Lynn

5/31/2015

Elder Lynn and Elder Schilling

5/31/2015

This week was packed with mission stuff!
Well, yes, every week is packed with mission stuff, but this week was full of mission meetings. On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to interview with President Morrise, and it was very enlightening. One of my favorite things was our discussion about testimony. We talked about how new members and investigators can receive such huge, unmistakable impressions that the Book of Mormon is true, whereas we life-long members often simply don't have experiences like that very often. President suggested that the strength of the witness we receive is proportionate to the price we will pay for living the gospel the Book of Mormon teaches us. Most people have to make huge changes in their lives, with great sacrifice, as opposed to life-long members, who grew up this way. In a sense, it's like road signs: for those of us who have always walked the right road, we only need the reassurance to keep going, simple signs pointing forward. For those who are changing paths, they need something huge and unmistakable to convince them to turn aside, and change everything. 
On Friday, we had a combined mission conference with the missionaries north of the river (Seoul Mission) which had Elder Maynes, of the Presidency of the 70, and Elder Ringwood, our area president, in attendance. There was a large focus on finding and baptizing. Considering that's most of what we do, that's not much of a surprise. Those are central to our purpose of inviting others to come closer to Christ; invitations that strengthen faith come from our teaching, and baptism is the ultimate commitment to follow Christ. And, as I've learned, the more we learn to follow Christ, the closer we come to him, like the older brother who's always led the way for us. 
Last Sunday was our ward conference; the missionaries sang "This is the Christ," and most of the ward formed a choir to sing "The Spirit of God." It was a privilege to participate in singing such a foundational hymn, in Korean. After the meeting, several of the sisters commented that I look like I've lost weight! One of them (the one who's husband passed away last December) told me that she's lost weight too! She said it's because of stress. It's odd how open Koreans are about that, as opposed to America. 
On Wednesday afternoon, our investigator, Lee Gi Won (이기원) finally met us again... to drop us. Which is totally fine, because we were planning on dropping him too, but it's just funny that he beat us to it. The funniest thing was that we realized he was drinking alcohol throughout the lesson; he held it like a champ though. He always took at least two hours to meet, and he spent most of it complaining about his health, so we'll just use the time to find investigators who have real intent to discover whether or not the Book of Mormon's true, if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and if this church is true. 
On the bright side, we met our friend at the library, Lucas, again. We were able to talk a lot about the Holy Ghost, and we actually taught him all about the Word of Wisdom, without it being burdensome or awkward. He shared an awesome experience he had, which our discussion helped him realize was the Holy Ghost. He was about to cross the street, but he had a feeling not to. He was confused, since the cross walk light was green, but he heeded the feeling, and didn't move. At that moment, a parked car on a hill un-parked itself, and flew down the street. Somebody Lucas knew walked into the street, and was killed. It could've been him, if he hadn't listened to an unexplainable feeling that crossing the street was not the thing to do. 
On Thursday evening, we had a "zone blitz" in Sanbon area. The rest of our zone's missionaries came, we switched companions, and spent an hour and a half proselyting, using bingo cards I'd devised. It was really fun, and really effective in helping us begin conversations. I worked with Elder Empey, our new zone leader. It's always interesting to proselyte with somebody else, because everybody's style is so unique. 
This week I started reading the standard works from the beginning, in Genesis. I was really impressed by one of the very first things to occur after Adam and Eve's transgression: a promise of redemption, the guarantee of a Savior. In Genesis 3 (look, see how early on in the canon this promise arrives! Virtually immediately after creation, with the juice of the forbidden fruit still on their lips, God establishes the most important promise in all of Judaism or Christianity: that of a Messiah, a Christ, a Savior) God, while cursing Satan -- in a sense, cursing death, both physical (the separation of body and spirit) and spiritual (separation from God), cursing all failures and fallings, cursing, for our blessing -- God, while in the very act of cursing the deceptive serpent who, unwittingly had set into motion the very Plan of Salvation he sought to thwart, promised: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." 
One Man, of all men, was born of a woman, and not a man: Jesus of Nazareth. One Man, of all men, conquered death: Jesus, the Christ. In the words of Jeffrey R. Holland, a modern Apostle and witness of Jesus Christ, "[W]e celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, every sorrow we have ever known, every discouragement we have ever had, every fear we have ever faced -- to say nothing of our resurrection from death and forgiveness of our sins." 
The Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the heart and core of the Gospel. The Old Testament is full of promises and prophecies looking forward to it; the New Testament showing us the fulfillment of it, and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, expounds in a beautiful way, adding additional prophecy, teaching, and understanding, in a sense enriching and completing the Bible.

5/24/2015

I guess we'll start with the sad news for this week. Our new investigator family dropped off the face of the earth! I suspect it's due to all of the sports events schools held last week, so we're holding our breath to see if we can reestablish contact, but... it's been a while. This is a pretty common problem out here; you meet a person, then they drop off the radar after canceling your next appointment. Phone calls only meet "I'm busy"s and "I'll call you backs." Then, you're left to guess what went wrong.

Not the most enjoyable part of the work of salvation.

But, then there are the moments like last night: when one such investigator texts you, explaining how because of poor health, he hasn't come to English class like he promises every week, but he still wants to see us and eat together. It's not a commitment to consistently meet again, but it's a chance to get our foot in the door, and work our magic from there.

Take Lucas, for example. We met him at the library, and struck up a conversation when I asked him some Korean questions. Almost immediately, we learned that he was pretty darn good at English. Since then, we've visited him a few more times at the library, and had good, friendly talks that led to religion each time. The first time, we were able to introduce the Book of Mormon, and the last time we visited we talked a bit about prayer. He's Christian, so it's always comfortable, too. On top of that, we're the same age, so we're instantly best friends!

Next week is Sanbon Ward's last ward conference, before their ward combines with others. As part of the meeting, I'll be singing "This is The Christ," accompanied by Elder Campbell on the cello. We've only been able to practice a couple of times, but it's come together really well so far.

Here's the song:
https://www.lds.org/liahona/2006/12/this-is-the-christ…

I really love how this Apostle wrote his testimony as a song. It reminds me of Bruce R. McConkie, in a way. In particular, I love that it ties the Book of Mormon's witness of Jesus Christ, best represented in His visit to the ancient Americans, to His suffering in Gethsemane, recorded in the holy scriptures, to a modern witness, united with ancient saints. To try to abridge is to mar; here's the lyrics to this beautiful piece.

They heard His voice, a voice so mild
It pierced them through and made their souls to quake
They saw Him come, a man in white,
The Savior who had suffered for their sake.
They felt the wounds in hands and side,
And each could testify:

This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.

I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane.
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?
With Saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify:

This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God.
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.

I'm grateful for the chance to sing this song, and add my small testimony to all the others that have been borne of Him: He truly is the Christ; the Messiah, the Savior.

The other day we went sticker-boarding out in the middle square. It's right next to a subway station, and there are tons of restaurants and shops, so it's always hopping with people. We took out our English class board, which asks people the reason they want to learn English. It's a really easy way to start conversations and advertise our English class, which is always in need of more people. It's also loads of fun because you have the chance to interact with dozens of people with very little negative pressure. After all, it's just a sticker!

Today looks to be a wonderful day, with great weather and what one member deemed "Oriental Christmas": Buddha's birthday! We met with that member last night, and had a wonderful dinner together: bean noodles, chilled with ice and milk!

Okay, I'll be honest: I didn't care for the taste. But the difference between me not liking something now, and not liking something a year ago, is now I can eat it with kimchi, a smile, and eat it quickly and completely. I wasn't able to put things down like that a year ago.

The member talked to us a little bit about Buddhism, and explained some of the core beliefs, explaining that one of the things he likes the most about our church is that we embrace all truth, and are completely open about the fact that truth is found in many places -- though, of course, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only complete collection of truth.

He said that Buddhism teaches 4 pains, or sufferings: birth, disease, age, and death. The main focus of Buddhism is an 8-point road that leads to resolving these sufferings. The roads are things such as right thinking, right speaking, and rightly acting. Karma brings back what we send out in this life, and influences the cycle of reincarnation. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to reach Nirvana, a state of oblivion to all external cares and worries.

Wow, that's some heavy stuff. But, in a sense, it's all based on truth. For instance, questions of the soul do include those four things: why was I born, why is there disease and disability in life, including aging, and what is death, what comes after it?

Jesus Christ also taught a path of deliverance from worldly cares and sorrows. He commanded us to take up the cross and to follow Him; to deny ourselves of all worldliness. In a sense, He said, "let go of the things that don't really matter, and follow me, so I can take you to back to God, our Heavenly Father." His Gospel is our road to resolution.

Justice is a basic attribute of God, and is reflected in the fact that at some point, we will all face judgment for our actions, thoughts, and desires.

No, we don't believe in Nirvana. But we do believe that at some point every man must decide whether or not he's going to hold on to the things of this life, or give them up for the things of eternity. We all have to learn to let go, in many different ways.

Let's take a moment and ponder the Savior's invitation:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(Matthew 6: 19-21; taught to the Nephites in 3 Nephi 13:19-21)

My most valuable treasure is my family; inextricably linked with my relationship to God, my Father in Heaven, and my Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. I hope we all take time to assess our priorities, and make sure that we're putting our strength into laying up treasure where it matters the most.

With Love,
Elder Austin Lynn

5/17/2015

Things have changed for me, and that's okay!
This week essentially started soon after email last week. We planned on visiting a museum, and while we were leaving the house, we met a man on the street, who asked us if we could teach English to him.
Can we?
Of course! We set an appointment with him, and went on our way to spend an enjoyable afternoon at the Seoul Grand Park complex. In particular, we wanted to visit the Gwacheon (과천) national science museum... but it was closed. Undettered, we traveled to the nearby museum of contemporary art... which was also closed. We were determined to have a good time, so we at last entered the Seoul zoo. Luckily for us, all of these things are located in the same area. We spent a pleasant afternoon at the zoo, and I was reminded of something: there are lots of white people in the world. There were several foreigner tourist families we saw while we were there, and I think I was pretty close to having a panic attack the first time I heard a few little girls speaking... in English. That was one of the strangest feelings I've had in a long time. I'm not used to regular people speaking English; Korean is the world, for me.
We met that man -- Kim Sung Chor (김성철) -- later that week, and, incredibly, he had us come over to his house to teach English. I've been in investigators' homes two or three times throughout my mission. As we entered his home, we met his three sons, who correspond with Christian, Grace, and Tyler in age, and his wife. We learned that they'd lived in Canada for a few years, and Brother Kim wanted to maintain his sons' English, as well as improve his basic ability.
He was asking us to teach his children, and himself.
When asked, he responded that he did not mind if we shared a brief spiritual message after teaching English.
We had the opportunity to teach a family.
This was a first for me on my mission, and a miracle that a loving Father in Heaven provided to us. This family has the potential to become a huge aid to the ward here, and I can easily see their sons being some of the future leaders and fathers that are so desperately needed in the church in Korea. We've officially met and taught with their family once, and it went well. We're structuring lessons like wedding planners, determined that everything will go off without a hitch, and will interest the oldest to youngest, and, most importantly, provide an opportunity for the Spirit to touch their hearts.
Earlier that first day of teaching, we met a man who sits on a hill all-day, drinking and watching the passer-by. To his credit, I could hardly tell that he'd been imbibing alcohol for who knows how long. Apparently he's seen missionaries almost everyday, as they walk past his hill towards church. We talked with him, gave him a Book of Mormon, and discussed the possibility of church attendance. The man was surprisingly open to the thought; he used to attend a church, but now that his knee's injured, it's no longer possible for him to go. In the middle of our talk, he stood up, walked a few feet away, and urinated off the side of the hill. He returned sat down, and continued his thought.
Just a typical moment for a grandpa in Korea.
I'm short on time this week (lunch with an English class member; a grandpa who always says the funniest things!), so we'll close with that. Thank you to everybody who writes me, it means the world to have the support of those of you at home.

Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn

5/10/2015

Zone training this week focused on the question "what is diligence?" As a zone, we had a rousing discussion that drew from Preach My Gospel, the scriptures, and our personal experiences as missionaries. My favorite part of our training was the comment that diligence is not something that we do -- but it's an attitude, something in our hearts, that is conveyed by our actions. Diligence is your personal best effort, that comes from your desire to accomplish a goal, be it writing a novel or overcoming a bad temper. Diligence means effectiviciency -- being both effective and efficient. It doesn't always mean running around every moment of the day, but can often be a moment of reflection and thought, that makes the rest of the day all the more effective. Diligence also requires patience -- the ability to suffer setbacks, but not become discouraged. 
This week culminated in our missionary work youth activity -- the joy of missionary work. It was hosted by Sisters Pratt -- who will return home this week -- and Sister Lee Kibbum (이기쁨), a missionary who returned home to the ward this week. Ironically, her name itself means "joy". After a brief meal together, she began the meeting by bearing her testimony. One experience she shared was how when she was a teenager, she decided she didn't want to go to church anymore. She talked to her parents, and they told her that when she turned 20 (Korean age) she could choose her own religion. She was elated by this, determined to have her way once she was 20. Then, the next Sunday, her mother told her to get ready and come to church. She was confused; she was 20 now, and could choose what to do. She reminded her mother of their deal, and she was told that it was still in effect: but to choose a religion was more than something you do with words; she would have to decide through experience, through church-going, prayer, and scripture study. She took up that side of the offer, and received her own testimony of Joseph Smith, the gospel, the Church, and the Savior. Because of that testimony, she decided to serve a mission, where, she testified, she's felt more of God's love and care than ever before. 
After Sister Lee's testimony, Elder Schilling and I briefly shared what our source of joy in missionary work was. Elder Schilling shared part of the missionary call letter, which promises each missionary greater joy and happiness than they had yet experienced. I chose to speak about the relationships I've made in Korea. Without my mission, I never would've had the chance to meet so many people and learn to give of myself. My mission has taught me how to love, and joy comes from love. I quoted a song from Les Miserables, which states, "To love another person is to see the face of God." I believe that statement is true: when we learn to love like Christ did, we come to understand what God's viewpoint is like, in our own limited way. As we love others more fully, we start to understand how God feels about each one of us. 
After, we talked a little bit about how missionaries often teach English, and played Sister Pratt's favorite English class game -- a variation on Rock, Paper, Scissors. Then, Elders Campbell and Stapp bore testimony of their decision to come on a mission, and how it's blessed them with joy. After that, we performed the musical skit that we'd been practicing for the past several weeks -- "A Missionary Day." It was a resounding success. Using songs from the Children's Songbook, we walked the audience through a day in the life of a missionary -- from call, to breakfast, to proselyting, to lessons. It was lots of fun, both singing and performing. The audience loved it, and it was satisfying to use my talents in a different language -- evidence of blessings from God. 
To finish, Sisters Holbrook and Pratt bore testimony, and sang a song together. With several non-members and many youth in attendance, it was a huge success. It's probably one of the best activities that I've participated in my entire mission. 
Church was odd, in the sense that there wasn't a single mention of Mother's Day -- that's an American holiday (although there was a parent's day earlier in the week). Sisters Pratt and Kibbum (기쁨) spoke once again, and it was a rather emotional meeting for those who were present in body and spirit. I've learned that when you're waiting to learn, or to feel, that's when we find the opportunities that are always there. That's something I can promise all of you: there are always chances to learn or feel something new. God constantly showers blessings upon us; it's only our insensitivity to them that keeps us from receiving them. We look for answers -- the answers we want, and not always necessarily the answer that's been given. We search for feelings -- feelings that confirm our thoughts, and not always the thing we need to feel. If we can learn to accept the will of the Lord and keep ourselves open, He will use the Spirit to teach us, and to help us, and to guide us. I know that's true; I've experienced it.

5/3/2015

Investigators... 

Still not a strong point here. We're doing our best though. People just seem to constantly duck out of meeting with us! It's frustrating, but we're doing our best to get creative in attempts to find more people to teach and serve. We were able to meet one investigator; an old gentlemen named Lee  (이기원). This week as we met, we shared a passage from Mormon, Chapter 8, Verses 1-16. Brother Lee talks a lot about how his health his poor, most of his friends are gone, and his life in general is pretty difficult. After a recent training at zone conference about likening the scriptures, we decided to take his usually-off-topic comments, and make them the center of the lesson. The chosen passage focused on how difficult Moroni's circumstances were. His family and friends had all been killed, including his father; his entire nation was wiped out; the survivors were hunted by their enemies, until he was the only one left; the entire land was consumed in what seemed then to be a perpetual war, a circle of bloodshed and carnage; and, on top of all of this, just to add insult to injury, he had little room left on the plates he was recording on, and no ore to make additional plates. 

And yet, Moroni's faith was strong. He believed in the record's worth, and knew that it would be brought forth, for the salvation of many. In spite of his apocalyptic circumstances, he had hope for the future of mankind. 

Another neat connection was how Mormon (shortly before his death) and Moroni had been visited by the Disciples of Jesus Christ, while in these troubling circumstances. We talked a bit about that, and Brother Lee compared us to them, saying that God has comforted him, through the two of us. It was special to hear an investigator so openly acknowledge us as servants of Jesus Christ. 

Another great experience this week was the zone conference referred to above. We had it in our area, and hiked partway up a mountain next to our church building. We had several trainings throughout the day, from the Assistants to the President, President Morrise, SIster Morrise, and the Zone Leaders. We could feel the effects of General Conference; several talks, such as "The Music of the Gospel" were referred to several times. How blessed we are to live in a day when revelation flows down in such voluminous amounts every six months, not to mention the monthly installments the church provides in other media! General Conference really has grown on me; I'm already excited for the next one! The main theme of zone conference was our mission theme: "We are the message." One of the ways they discussed that was by following up on a recent zone training about being positive. That was my favorite training ever, and I'm still digging it. We are a positive message! 

We had yet another meeting this week, up at mission headquarters. New missionaries are trained for 12 weeks, so now that we're reaching the halfway mark, we returned to the mission office to do a follow-up meeting. At the meeting, we had some training together, then we split up into two groups: new missionaries and trainers. We were able to talk openly about any difficulties we're facing as trainers, or good things we're doing, and all brainstorm together. One thing that impresses me is that it's never negative; it never becomes a roast on the new missionaries. There's a conscious effort to be positive and kind in every comment. 

This week's emails rather shorter than normal; but have no fear! I'll be back next week with news about a missionary youth activity, where we'll discuss "The Joy of Missionary Work." Here's hoping it goes well; heaven knows we've put in enough work! 

Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn