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

3/15/2015

It's not about going to the celestial kingdom, it's about becoming a celestial person. 

This was the crux of a spiritual thought we shared with a member family last Sunday evening. We had a wonderful meal with them, then we were able to talk with the whole family -- including their less-active father. We'd talked to the Sister earlier that week, so we knew heloved baseball. Keeping that in mind, I presented a spiritual thought somewhere along these lines... Since I was young, my family's gone to a number of baseball games. But, our team never won! That was disappointing, but I've come to realize that what mattered the most was the experiences we had together, the family time. 

Then, last year, out of the blue, our team -- the Kansas City Royals -- started doing well! They made it all the way to the championship game of the World Series, where they took second place. Nobody was expecting that. 

In life, we don't always expect the blessings that come to us, nor can we determine exactly when they'll come. In the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "Some blessings come soon. Some blessings come late. But, for the faithful, they come." 

I don't think that "salvation" or "eternal life" is going to the celestial kingdom. Rather, I believe it's becoming a celestial person. Similarly, if we just live, we're missing out. It's our privilege and mission to experience life. It's not always about whether your team's winning or losing -- sometimes it's just about who you're spending the time with, and if you're having fun in the summer. 

Then, who knows? Maybe next year your team will win the World Series. 

Last Monday, we actually visited the Sister, Ha Song Hi (하송희), and talked with her for quite a while on her doorstep, which led to our meal invitation. Working with members is so important!

Tuesday, we went to our weekly service project, accompanied by one of the young adults in the ward. He's always been something we keep a close eye on, so it was really rewarding and reassuring to see how much he enjoyed giving service, even in an environment where it's easy to feel awkward and out of place. 

On Wednesday, we had interviews with President! That was a really good experience. At the very start, he asked me about training. We talked about that for a while, and President told me that while he couldn't be certain I'd be training, since the number of Elders coming in next transfer is so low, he knows that I'm ready. That meant a lot to me, since training is one of the biggest responsibilities in the mission. He told me that, furthermore, he felt I was ready for any position in the mission -- from assistant to office elder to zone leader to trainer. 

One vision I've had since the beginning of my mission is to be a missionary that President Morrise can trust, that he can use in any situation or position, and know that I'll do it effectively. What interviews did for me was take me by the shoulder, and say, "Yes. I do." So, I guess it's time for some new goals! 

On Thursday I went on exchanges with the zone leaders, and had the opportunity to sit in on a district training about promisingspecific blessings when teaching. That's something I can definitely do better on, so I really appreciated it. It's a double-edged sword though; sometimes we're afraid of promising something that won't come, and being mistaken. I thought about that, and I said something that the others really liked: "Sometimes I think, "Wow. I want to be Dan Jones, 'one of the greatest missionaries in this dispensation.' Or Wilford Woodruff, or one of the other missionaries we read about in church history, who perform miracles and convert thousands. Then, I catch myself thinking, "Well, that was nice, back in the day." And I forget that that's what the people in their day said -- talking about the Apostles. Or what the people in the Apostles' day said, talking about the Old Testament prophets. Sometimes we forget that the day of miracles is ongoing, and the only thing that stops us from participating, is ourselves."

Friday was consumed by weekly planning and a meeting with the bishopric. Those meetings are intrinsically valuable, in the sense that we're able to coordinate with the ward leaders, and receive advice on how to help our investigators, as well as how to help the ward. 

Saturday was the first session of stake conference, and boy was it great! During the priesthood session, both Elder Lee, one of the senior proselyting missionaries, and President Morrise spoke. Elder Lee gave a powerful talk exhorting members to involve themselves more in missionary work. He also made all of the missionaries laugh pretty hard when he stated, "Ammon didn't go around giving people his card and asking them to call back if they need help." You wouldn't believe how often missionaries have to do that! And, we rarely get calls. There's a more effective way to do missionary work -- and that way is through members. President gave a good talk about Preach My Gospel, and it reminded me how valuable it is both for members and missionaries. 

Another enjoyable facet of stake conference was that Elder Koichi Aoyagi, of the Asia North Area Presidency, was presiding. He came to our mission last year as part of the mission tour, and we had a great time with him. He had to speak through a translator, so we had a Japanese man speaking to a Korean, and then we had to translate in our heads! Wow. 

The Sunday session was also really good. Sister Morrise and President Morrise both spoke (in Korea, of course). We were so proud of Sister Morrise; she's definitely not fluent, but she certainly knows how to write a talk and figure it out! Her talk was about gratitude; and President talked about inviting, which is our main purpose as missionaries. We invite people to come unto Christ. In everything we do, there should be an invitation. I'm glad that he talked about that, because that's something I forget to do sometimes, and it really is vital to help others.

That was my week, in a nutshell. I love all of you! 

Elder Austin Lynn 

3/8/2015

We had several training meetings this week, all of which have gotten me excited for the future. There was a big focus on leadership, and the new "Because He Lives" initiative the church is launching this Easter. When I first heard that, I remarked that it sounded an awful lot like the "Because of Him" theme we had last year. I really like it though, because that concept is so beautiful. A few of my thoughts are...

Because He Lives: 

All mankind will, too.

Families can live together, forever.

There is no such thing as "the end."

Mankind is reconciled with God, on conditions of repentance. 

We can start over, and try again. 

Ultimately, if Christ didn't live, then this life would be the end, men would be unable to overcome their failures, and our world would be without light and hope. Pretty dreary. But because He lives, we have the firm promise that all of us will be resurrected, to stand before God again. Because He lives, death is conquered, man is free! Because He lives, we can overcome sin, and come unto God again. 

Last P-Day I met with the missionaries from my MTC zone, to celebrate our year mark. We ate bingsu (빙수) [a dish made with shaved ice, beans (sometimes), and various other ingredients (ex. strawberries, cookies, etc)] in a cafe and reflected on how far we've come, and how much we've learned. It was very special to be able to see all of us together again... probably the first time since we came to country that every single one of us has been together. 

Our less-active, Bak Jay Hong (박재홍) didn't come out to church, but we haven't given up on him. Our plan is to help him keep small commitments, that will strengthen his faith, and slowly bring him him back to Christ. We regularly share scripturally based spiritual thoughts with him, and one thing we've noticed is that he seems sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord. The problem is that despite this, he continues to place work first... we're hoping that as his faith grows, he'll realize in his heart that the Lord will provide a way for us to keep His commandments. This past week, we talked a lot about the heroic Captain Moroni. He exercised great faith, which led to victories over innumerable enemies. We discussed their motivation for obtaining and maintaining their faith, simply outlined in the title of liberty: in the memory of our God, our freedom, our religion, and our wives and children. The reason for religion -- for fighting, for struggling, for standing up for what we know in our hearts is true -- isn't for vainglory, for recognition or advancement, but for the duty we hold to God, to the love we have for God and fellow-man, and especially to the bonds we have with family and friends. 

We were pretty blessed to even have that conversation -- when we first came to his shop, he was busier than normal. Just when we were about to give up, everybody left, one by one, leaving us alone with home. I count that as a miracle. 

One significant theme from zone training was that baptism is not a taboo word in our mission. Sometimes, we tend to avoid talking about it because we're not a South American mission, baptizing hundreds each year, and we don't want to appear as though we've forgotten that baptism isn't the end of a person's conversion. Baptism is our goal. We want to bring people to Christ, and the gate to the path that leads to Him is baptism. Baptism is the ordinance, established from the beginning of the world, to signify faith in Christ, and a determination to follow Him. 

Another thought from this week is that to achieve faith, hope, and charity, we have to make room in our hearts for them. Likewise, if we seek to eliminate selfishness, greed, and lust from our lives, we not only refrain from them, but we have to fill our hearts with good things. This is why it's important for us to be filled. 

I apologize for the scattered structure of this week's letter; that's how the week felt to me, too! I love all of you; and I hope that all of you will seek for opportunities to show somebody you love them this week. 

Best Wishes,

Elder Austin Lynn

3/5/2015

3/5/2015 Weekly Letter

First off, here's my talk from last week. Mentally, I titled it "The Culture of Gods."

Because last week was Sollar (Lunar New Year's), I've been thinking quite a lot about culture. I've been especially pondering the concept of accepting a culture. To be a great missionary, one must accept the culture of the people he serves. To achieve that goal, Preach My Gospel states, "One of the greatest things you can do to gain people's trust and love is to embrace their culture in appropriate ways. Many great missionaries have done so (see 1 Corinthians 9:20-23)." To show my love for the people I Korea, I want to learn about Korean culture. To live happily in Korea, one has to accept the culture.
Just like that, we have to accept God's culture in order to show our love for Him and live with Him again. As a matter of fact, God commanded the ancient Israelites to do this, saying: "Ye shall be holy: for I, the Lord thy God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2) The risen Christ said this, to the Nephites in America: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect, even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." When I look at these verses, it looks like God is commanding "Learn about my culture," to me.
There's a large difference between man's culture and God's culture. Paul said, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) The natural man can't understand God's culture. God's culture is all about giving, sacrificing, and feeling. Man's culture focuses on seeing and getting. Because of the Fall of Adam, we all begin life as "natural man." The prophet Abinadi taught that natural man is "carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil." From one point of view, we're all kyobo (the Korean word meaning a person of their race, born in a foreign country and raised with their culture). Even though we're God's children, we're born as natural people, and have to learn about His culture. We weren't born with it; we have to find it and accept it. We have to replace mankind's culture with God's. The great king, Benjamin, taught his people that, "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord..."
How can we do this? How can we "yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and put off the natural man?" How can we truly accept God's culture?
This question's answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We come to understand and accept God's culture by obedience to its principles and through accepting gospel ordinances.
Among the principles of Jesus Christ's gospel are the principles of enduring to the end and obedience. Enduring to the end means we do our best to be obedient, until the end of our lives. I want to share an analogy about these two principles. Right now I know a bit about Korean culture. I've been a missionary for a year; I've come to know a bit. But, what if, hypothetically, I were to return to America tomorrow? I would stop learning. On the other hand, if I married in Korea, raised a family in Korea, and lived here for the rest of my life, I just might come to understand Korean culture completely. Likewise, in order to accept God's culture we have to be obedient to the gospel throughout our lives. Momentary obedience is insufficient.
It'll take our whole lives, and maybe a bit more, to completely accept God's culture. But, that understanding will come, for the faithful. The Apostle Paul said that, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." As we do our best, our ability will grow larger. As we receive a little, we're given a little more. Our joy becomes full. Our understanding grows deeper. God said the following through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "And no man receiveth a fulness, unless He keepeth his [God's] commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and is glorified in all things." And again, "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."
Lifelong obedience brings incomprehensible blessings to us. If anybody is trapped in a pattern of disobedience, please remember this expression: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. We can always start anew. I testify that Jesus Christ made this possible, through His atoning sacrifice. He is our Savior. In our time, He has restored His gospel through Joseph Smith. I pray that we may all do our best to learn of God, and accept His culture, that we may live with Him again. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Anyways, this week:

Monday
We hung out with some grandpas at a park near the place we email. They motioned over one of their grandma friends, who they told us, "Gave good sermons!" I almost asked if I could share one, having given a talk the day before. Nobody ended up sermonizing anything, but it was a nice, peaceful talk.
We then traveled to our own little "Central Park" located in the center of the city. We played basketball with some students, and they invited us to come back and play again sometime. We intend to visit them tonight.
Finally, we visited our less-active friend, Bak Jay Hong (박재홍). He hasn't come out to church in over two decades, but he's a wonderful family man. That night, we got pretty real with him. We asked him if it'd be possible for him to get work off on Sunday, and he told us that he didn't think it would be. I shared 1 Nephi 3:7, and testified that God would provide a way for him to keep His commandments. We talked more, and decided that he would need a miracle. In order for him to receive a miracle, we've been sharing a scripture with him everyday, and have been fasting. We really hoped he'd be able to come to church on Sunday, and bring his non-member family.

Tuesday
We fasted today, and tried to visit various potentials. Nothing major happened. We ran into one missionary friend, who called our baker friend and purchased fifteen dollars' worth of bread for us! We would run into her again on Friday. Apparently, her nickname among the Elders is "Cute Hippo." Interesting name for an upper-50s to 60s English teacher.

Wednesday
We had district meeting. There, Sister Pratt shared something she learned from Sister Bradie Johnson, while she was training her. It goes like this: Pick up a Book of Mormon, pray to God, asking a specific question, then flip through the pages until it just "feels right." Then, you open up and start reading until you find your answer. I was skeptical, and decided to put it to the test right then. I asked God how we could find new investigators, then read in 3 Nephi, where Christ tells the Nephites that all things are become new. Uncertain if that was my answer, I asked for a confirmation, like Gideon of old, and flipped through again. This time, I read about a Lamanite army attacking the Nephites and being routed in the same place they'd been defeated a year prior. The message was clear. Time for new techniques, and new ideas!
We also prayed that night to see how many people the Lord has prepared for us to find, teach, and baptize here in Sanbon. I've never done anything like this before, so it was a very.. different experience. Elder Maris and I both received an answer, but decided to wait until the next day to confirm with each other.

Thursday
Temple day! Had a great time at the temple, then, confirmed with Elder Maris as we prayed in the celestial room. We were both inspired to believe that there are 3 people waiting for us to find them and teach them. Considering how difficult it is for us to find people right now, that'll require some huge miracles, but I'm hopeful. I believe in a God of miracles. Thursday also marked one year of missionary service. Today (Monday) I'll be gathering with the rest of my MTC "class" and celebrating during P-Day.
On our way home from the temple, we ran into a grandma from our ward, who took us to a traditional Korean restaurant. She got us fish -- head and all. We were pretty worried for a bit, but she took the head. It was a bit spicy, but quite good once you figured out how to eat it without getting a mouth full of fishy bones.

Friday
Pretty calm day. Visited a baker friend after weekly planning; ran into Cute Hippo again. Less busy, she took us to a nearby restaurant and purchased lunch for us. That's surprisingly common here. I don't know if it's being a missionary, or a foreigner, or both.
In the evening, we met with our ward mission leader and did a practice lesson. He acted like an investigator, misunderstanding and asking questions just like one would. He mentioned how impressed he was by my grasp of Korean phrases (he specifically mentioned the Korean equivalent of "fall" into apostasy), and said that I almost have the vocabulary of a fluent speaker.

Saturday
This was the long-anticipated navy base trip! We bussed over, and then toured the base. It was really neat; the place focused on the "NLL" -- the Northern Limit Line -- set up by the UN and defended by South Korea since the armistice. It definitely puts things in a different light to be learning about these things in the country.

Sunday
Church and a meal with our recent converts, where we shared the classic story of Nephi busting free of rope in chapter 7 of 1 Nephi. Discussed the significance of what he specifically asked for when he prayed (strength to change his circumstances, instead of an instant solution) and the way his answer came (the ropes were loosened, something he wasn't expecting, but answered his prayer).
Bak Jay Hong didn't come, so we were kind of disappointed, but we have a new game plan to get him active, founded on lots of small reading and prayer commitments that will eventually prepare him to come back.

Sorry for the quick report; time seems to slip by faster than ever. Thanks again for all of your support, prayers, and love! It means the world to me.

Best wishes to all of you,
Elder Austin Lynn

2/22/2015

"God uses the unlikely for the impossible."

Elder Nelson, of the Quorum of the 12

Because of Lunar New Year, appointments were extremely hard to get. Traditionally, Koreans travel to their hometown, and spend their time with their family, reviewing and updating their family genealogy, and just partying. Not a lot of room for foreigner missionaries. This is a regular issue every year, so this year we spent our time doing different things. Even regular proselyting isn't very effective, because the streets are empty! For the three day holiday, we had three full-day activities. On Wednesday, we delivered individualized cards to every active member of our ward, crisscrossing our area. From the reaction on Sunday, they really enjoyed the cards, especially a foreigner in a hanbok  (한복) -- traditional Korean clothing.

Our Lunar New Year card's picture:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zblycuhxj6z0ren/DSCN3143.JPG?dl=0

On day two, the main day, the entire zone met together. Since it's the week after transfers, there were several new faces. We all introduced ourselves briefly, then played some games to all get a bit closer. Hello, Bang! That was really enjoyable. In a sense, it was kind of like P-Day, but with more people. After, we ate lunch then departed for a local mountain. We climbed, climbed, climbed and I took lots of pictures. Part way up, we took a brief break, and regrouped in a clearing made of large boulders. As we started moving again, I stepped up to a rock table, but stumbled. So, in the middle of saying something to the group, I hurled my upper body towards the ground, leaving my legs dangling. It was pretty funny, but everybody was worried I was hurt. I immediately sprang up, and put my hands on my hips, and, after assuring them I was fine, commented, "I'm doing this just in case anybody's taking video." A lame joke, but I was desperate to break the cloud of awkward concern. At the mountain's peak, we had a zone training on the topic of charity, my favorite Christlike attribute. We had a really great discussion, and a big thing I picked up from it was that motives like wanting to impress some one, reach a higher level of performance, etc, will all fail -- except for charity. All motives outside of charity eventually burn out. Perhaps that's why Moroni and Paul wrote that, "All things must fail, but charity never faileth." 

After the hike, we regrouped at the church and had dinner. Then, the moment everybody was waiting for... 

We watched "Meet the Mormons!" Our mission has one copy (I think) and our Zone leaders managed to procure it! What an awesome movie! I hope everybody's seen it! Right now, my favorite profile was "The Candy Bomber." What a story! I loved the history behind it. 

On Friday, we met as a district, and discussed my idea for the ward: a ward meal, after church. We decided on grilled cheese sandwiches, spaghetti, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, and cookies. We went out, got the ingredients, then spent some time playing games at the church. That evening, our bishop took us out to dinner, and asked me to speak at church on Sunday. 

Saturday: One day till meal time. We made mashed potatoes from scratch, and boy, was that intense. If I ever had an orphan sweatshop, I think I'd make mashed potatoes. I've never mashed so many potatoes in my life. 

Sunday: Game time! During sacrament I gave my talk, and it went pretty well, since I'd written it all out. I talked about culture, starting from how missionaries accept their country's culture to show their love, and how wearing the hanbok symbolized that. From there, I discussed how God has a culture, and He wants us to accept it. I contrasted the culture of Gods with man's culture, which has been drastically different since the fall of Adam. Ultimately, we can accept God's culture through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is designed to change us, and make us better -- perfect.

That's a really condensed version. I was pretty proud of it though, so I'll send a full manuscript next week. From there, I skedaddled out to start making sandwiches with my companion. We must've made over 70 grilled cheese sandwiches. There were so many! I flipped slices of bread for probably an hour. We didn't know exactly what we were doing, so in addition to that we had to figure out a method for making cheese melting deliciousness.

In the end though, it worked out. The ward loved the food, including, surprisingly, the mashed potatoes. It was a huge success, and everybody was really impressed that we cooked for them. It was a big change, providing something for the ward, instead of vice versa. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to show our love for them. 

This week's pictures: 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r0il161ge9bb3jc/AADqeWnMW4g8D6MNFjrHMavRa?dl=0

Most are from a hike we took with the zone; a few more are from meals, and the ones of the paper taped to the back windshield reads: "Sorry, sorry, new driver." 

One from my companion. Last week during weekly planning, the other elders pranked us. We took it in stride, and took a moment to remind everybody that, back in the old days, missionary apartments were so small they had to study in the bathroom!

With Love, 
Elder Austin Lynn

2/15/2015

We got transfer calls this Sunday, and.... I'm staying! Since Elder Maris (my companion) leaves at the end of this transfer, it looks like I'll be in Sanbon for a long time.

Which I'm totally fine with; especially because we just managed to pick up a new investigator! We'll be meeting with him for the sole purpose of discussing the gospel, and religion in general. He's an older gentlemen, and is quite... different from most Koreans. He also likes to talk for a long time, so... Either way, he's a child of God, and we're doing our best to help him find light and truth. 

So, what is Valentine's Day like in Korea? Actually, pretty similar to America. Couples go out, there are huge lines outside of the lotto stands... wait, what? Yeah, lottery tickets! Those are hugely popular on Valentine's Day! I guess it's an expression of love towards money! Interesting, eh?

Before anybody asks, yes, yes I did have a date on Valentine's Day. I spent it with Elder Campbell, from the opposite Sanbon Elder team. 

What? No! Of course not! No, we did not kiss! Don't be rude.

 

Sorry if the hypothetical conversation lowered anybody's opinion of me, but it's exactly how I think about Saturday in my head! I did go on exchanges, but it obviously was not a date, anymore than my companion and I are a couple (ack!).  It went well; and we made sure to take a goofy selfy together (in the dropbox link at the bottom of this week's letter). 

So, what have I been doing? One thing is memorizing the Articles of Faith -- in Korean. What a blast! Of course, the primary children are better than me, but I've only just started, and I'm confident that I'll be able to memorize all of them before too long. Then, the real struggle begins: maintaining them! 

I got to put them into action when we had a lesson and meal with a recent convert family on Sunday. They taught us how to do the traditional Korean bowing, and it was lots of fun! On Lunar New Year (the biggest holiday in Korea) when youngsters bow to the older folks, they give them money! It's better than Halloween! (Don't tell anyone, but the ward members gave us money too! We were mortified. But, it's culture! And they're fabulously wealthy). 

Somebody at the meal commented that I look like Leonardo DiCaprio! Not sure how, but I'll take it! Now I can compare the fat Australian who did Korean military service and is fluent, with Tom Cruise and Leo DiCaprio for the most common comparisons I get from Koreans. Things are looking up! Maybe I can be an actor! 

We shared a spiritual message about scriptures and the Book of Mormon, and at the end one of the brethren commented, tapping the Book of Mormon, "This is a fun book!" (잼있는책이다) He asked if there were movies, or a drama! I committed to work on a Book of Mormon drama when I go to BYU. Personally, I feel it could be pretty succesful. The story of the Book of Mormon itself is vastly interesting, and the people inside of it are real and captivating; just like secular history! 

Do you read the Book of Mormon like a novel? Like an essay? Like a history text? It's all of those, and more. We should all exercise the privilege of putting ourselves in the shoes of the writers and participants of the Book of Mormon. For example, you can feel the power, the determination, the strength in the following passage, penned by the final Nephite, a lone survivor named Moroni:

1 ... And I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ. 

3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

I grew up watching animated adventures from the Book of Mormon, and was blessed with a consistent habit of family scripture study. Thanks to that, I have come to love the Book of Mormon for it's various messages, and I am constantly getting to know it's main men better and better. Do you read the Book of Mormon like you read your journal? Do you read it like the latest Harry Potter? Do you study it like you would study a formula for turning lead to gold? Do you value the sacrifice of untold multitudes, who provided this priceless record?

And, before I forget, I feel similar about the Bible. I've spent a lot of time lately reading through the New Testament, and it's teachings have come to permeate my dreams! If you ask how, I woke up the other day, concerned about whether my Jewish converts were still trying to get my gentile converts to keep the Law of Moses. If that's not a sign of reading the Epistles of Paul, nothing is. 

Sunday morning, we performed a musical number in sacrament meeting. All 4 Elders sang a men's quartet version of "Come, Thou Font of Every Blessing" in Korean. We were only able to practice for 3 days, so it was a miracle that we pulled it off! It's a good feeling when you walk back to your seat and can tell people have been affected by the Spirit.

One of my favorite songs affirms that, "We all just want to be stronger." In the song, it says that the way we grow stronger is through relationships with others. In the song's phraseology, the "number of people in our heart." I think it's a wonderful concept that the number of people we love, the "[people we] want to see the most" are the things that enable us to reach above our average level of performance, and become something more. Is not motivation what determines performance, nine times out of ten? What better motivation is there, than love? It's the one that pushes our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. 

(the song quoted is a translation of the song "Newsong" by Tacica)

Wanting to see each and every one of you,

Elder Austin Lynn

This week's pictures: 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s87tovpjxs1z516/AAALcx6wGEQmH-kNqN9_vfAKa?dl=0

I got pranked! We stepped out of the house for a few minutes during weekly planning to pick up some delicious ice cream for the house, and when we returned five minutes later, my desk had been moved to the bathroom! I found it rather enjoyable, and, ever a sucker for change, continued to use that arrangement until the other Elders moved it back.