It snowed this week! The temperatures, as is typical of Korea, plunged with rainy overcast weather, but when the sun comes out everything's a'ok.
In other news, this week we met several times with our newest investigator, Brother (준석). He was referred to us by a member, and he's doing terrific. The first time we met, we talked about God and prayer. Before meeting us, he had no religious background, so we've been starting from square one with him. It was really rewarding to hear him pray aloud for the first time; it was a very sincere prayer, and afterwards he commented that it felt very "refreshing," or "cool." Now, he's praying every day! To have helped a child of God learn how to connect with him is extremely rewarding.
The second time we met him, we taught him some English, then as soon as we changed to talking about God, he immediately asked us what happens when people die. So, we spent that lesson teaching him God's Plan of Salvation. He prayed to end the lesson, and told God that our conversation today was really good, and that he'd learned a lot of things he'd never thought of or known before. He said that he wants to know it in detail, so I'm not worried about him continuing to learn about the gospel.
Then, he came to church on Sunday! It was our ward's primary program. It was a great opportunity for him to hear a lot of simple, heartfelt doctrines about the Atonement, Jesus Christ, prophets, and baptism. Afterwards, we met and talked more about prophets, and how their writings constitute the scriptures. The scriptures and prophets are important because God reveals the gospel to them, and it's through the gospel that we can strengthen our family relationships and find peace and joy. I think that resonates a lot with our investigator. The first time we met him, he asked us about what was difficult in Korea. We talked a bit, then asked him about what was difficult in his life. He said that when he was young, his happiest time was just being with his parents, but now things aren't the same. One thing that's impressed me is that from the very first time he prayed, he's felt peace.
Aside from working with J (준석) this week, we also organized a lot of our less-active records, and went out to find people. We actually found a few people, who will be able to be visited now by missionaries. That hasn't happened in a while, so it was pretty exciting to have somebody answer the door and not tell us they've moved, or aren't home.
Once, while visiting somebody, we were trying to confirm whether or not our less-active lived there, so we talked to the guard outside. He got spooked when we said hello, and essentially thought we were the police, so he wouldn't "release any information." First time that's happened on my mission! I didn't think we really looked like international detectives, but then again I've never met one (as far as I know...).
We met with our other investigator this week, and his two kids. We began teaching the Restoration after teaching English, and had just gotten to the Joseph Smith story when the father cut us off, explaining the rest of it, and it turns out that he's done the Family English Program before, about 10 years ago, and he doesn't believe the Book of Mormon because of a scripture in Revelations (for reasons why we don't believe that see: https://www.lds.org/general-confere…/…/my-words-never-cease… ). That was said, but we'll meet them as long as they're willing to meet, until the program's done.
On Saturday our ward members went out to pick up trash around the church's neighborhood, and they brought us along with them! It was a really good activity -- Korea in general is really clean, but like any very busy city, there was still plenty to pick up. I was amazed by how many cigarette buttes there are everywhere! I thought about it, and it's pretty logical -- nobody wants to carry around a cigarette butte, especially because it's rather disgusting, so it makes instant litter.
This isn't really special but this week we ate air-roasted chicken while meeting with a member. Is that a thing? IT was pretty mind-blowing for us. Maybe it's just because missionaries are so backwards when compared with modern technology, but wow. This world keeps spinning faster.
Well, that's our week in a nutshell. I just want to leave everybody with a spiritual thought: Isaiah scriptures from the Book of Mormon. Lately I've been reading through 2 Nephi, and I've been really impressed with some of the scriptures he quotes from Isaiah. Among them are:
In other news, this week we met several times with our newest investigator, Brother (준석). He was referred to us by a member, and he's doing terrific. The first time we met, we talked about God and prayer. Before meeting us, he had no religious background, so we've been starting from square one with him. It was really rewarding to hear him pray aloud for the first time; it was a very sincere prayer, and afterwards he commented that it felt very "refreshing," or "cool." Now, he's praying every day! To have helped a child of God learn how to connect with him is extremely rewarding.
The second time we met him, we taught him some English, then as soon as we changed to talking about God, he immediately asked us what happens when people die. So, we spent that lesson teaching him God's Plan of Salvation. He prayed to end the lesson, and told God that our conversation today was really good, and that he'd learned a lot of things he'd never thought of or known before. He said that he wants to know it in detail, so I'm not worried about him continuing to learn about the gospel.
Then, he came to church on Sunday! It was our ward's primary program. It was a great opportunity for him to hear a lot of simple, heartfelt doctrines about the Atonement, Jesus Christ, prophets, and baptism. Afterwards, we met and talked more about prophets, and how their writings constitute the scriptures. The scriptures and prophets are important because God reveals the gospel to them, and it's through the gospel that we can strengthen our family relationships and find peace and joy. I think that resonates a lot with our investigator. The first time we met him, he asked us about what was difficult in Korea. We talked a bit, then asked him about what was difficult in his life. He said that when he was young, his happiest time was just being with his parents, but now things aren't the same. One thing that's impressed me is that from the very first time he prayed, he's felt peace.
Aside from working with J (준석) this week, we also organized a lot of our less-active records, and went out to find people. We actually found a few people, who will be able to be visited now by missionaries. That hasn't happened in a while, so it was pretty exciting to have somebody answer the door and not tell us they've moved, or aren't home.
Once, while visiting somebody, we were trying to confirm whether or not our less-active lived there, so we talked to the guard outside. He got spooked when we said hello, and essentially thought we were the police, so he wouldn't "release any information." First time that's happened on my mission! I didn't think we really looked like international detectives, but then again I've never met one (as far as I know...).
We met with our other investigator this week, and his two kids. We began teaching the Restoration after teaching English, and had just gotten to the Joseph Smith story when the father cut us off, explaining the rest of it, and it turns out that he's done the Family English Program before, about 10 years ago, and he doesn't believe the Book of Mormon because of a scripture in Revelations (for reasons why we don't believe that see: https://www.lds.org/general-confere…/…/my-words-never-cease… ). That was said, but we'll meet them as long as they're willing to meet, until the program's done.
On Saturday our ward members went out to pick up trash around the church's neighborhood, and they brought us along with them! It was a really good activity -- Korea in general is really clean, but like any very busy city, there was still plenty to pick up. I was amazed by how many cigarette buttes there are everywhere! I thought about it, and it's pretty logical -- nobody wants to carry around a cigarette butte, especially because it's rather disgusting, so it makes instant litter.
This isn't really special but this week we ate air-roasted chicken while meeting with a member. Is that a thing? IT was pretty mind-blowing for us. Maybe it's just because missionaries are so backwards when compared with modern technology, but wow. This world keeps spinning faster.
Well, that's our week in a nutshell. I just want to leave everybody with a spiritual thought: Isaiah scriptures from the Book of Mormon. Lately I've been reading through 2 Nephi, and I've been really impressed with some of the scriptures he quotes from Isaiah. Among them are:
2 Nephi 15:5-6 (Compare with Isaiah 5:5-6) - For us to fall into destruction, God only need cease protecting us.
2 Nephi 15:13 (Compare with Isaiah 5:13) - Ignorance leads people into captivity.
2 Nephi 15:24 (Compare with Isaiah 5:24) - The prideful will end up with no descendants or ancestors -- they will lose family relationships to the cancer of pride.
2 Nephi 16:10 (Compare with Isaiah 6:10) - We see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, but we understand with our hearts.
2 Nephi 19:3 (Compare with Isaiah 9:3) - The joy of the harvest is the joy of expectations borne fruit; the joy of an Old Testament's worth of prophecies being fulfilled, millenia of prophecy, trust, and expectations being manifest in the Savior of mankind. The joy of the spoil is the joy of victory, victory over every fall, every failing, every mistake, and every mishap -- the victory over death and sin, brought by Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
2 Nephi 19:13 (Compare with Isaiah 9:13) - The only reason God would smite Israel would be to turn it back to Him -- to save them, because idol gods can save no man. Israel refused to heed God's warnings, and so were destroyed as a natural result of their own actions.
2 Nephi 21:3 (Compare with Isaiah 11:3) - Don't judge by what you see, and don't reprove based off of what you hear. We only have half of the picture. Be careful when judging and reproving; judge with righteousness, for the right motives.
One of the things I am grateful for is the Lord's word, brought to us through prophets and Apostles, who had the wisdom to record it, for all of us who would come after them. I'm grateful for the blessings God rains upon me and my family, which in large part comes from heeding and living the scriptures.
Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn
Elder Austin Lynn
No comments:
Post a Comment