Well
good morrow to you family! (Get it? Because it is a day ahead in Korea)
Thank you all
for writing me, I love the letters and emails!
This week we had a lot
of meetings so a lot of traveling was going on. We had new president interviews
with President Christensen. Really cool man.
Also this week we had
dinner at the bishop’s house! His wife is an AMAZING cook! Excellent Korean
food!
Also this week our
church kitchen flooded...awesome. No it was kinda bad, so I ran and grabbed
an ancient shop vac that was built in the 50s (and I’m pretty sure
it emits radiation). We named him ol' blue (because it was old and blue),
and started to suck up the water. Eventually ol' blue started to smoke! So we
let him rest. While he was resting we found...BIG BERTHA the mother of all shop
vacs (mainly meant for sucking up water)! We got that place sucked dry in
no time!
Oh and last P-day, we
went to the main shopping center of Korea, and...I bought ties!!!!!!!!! They
are freaking sweet and really cheap, 2 bucks a pop! So nice, every missionaries
dream.
Every Saturday we go
to another area to do friendship night with other missionaries, they
invite all their investigators and ward members and we try to do the same (none
of our youth show). But we have fun. We have a spiritual message then we play a
bunch of games. Koreans love games!
Also we have been
meeting with our potentials this week and one might drops us because he is
getting really busy at his work and the only time he could meet us was at lunch
time. But Mr. Kim (it’s what he told us to call him), is another one of
our investigators. He is 50ish. And he has turned GOLDEN. We first met him at
his work. He owns and operates a Nike shoe shop.
We stopped in and said hi to him and talked a bunch, then we just
kept meeting with him and started to share our message. He told us how he loved
that we would come to his shop (because he is always there) and just visit with
him and get that personal relationship with him. On our first visit that we
talked about the first lesson and we soft committed him to be baptized. Meaning
that when he finds out our message is true, would he be baptized. He then told
us that he loves how we didn’t beat around the bush and told him what we wanted
for him. He then said that he had been thinking about it before and that he did
need to get baptized, but he wants to hear our message first. He is really
eager to meet with us we have already met him 4 times last week and we
are scheduled to meet with him today right after P-day gets done! It
just goes to show that God does work with these people and that this man that
we so dearly love has been touched by God. He tells us every time we meet with him
that he has been praying "in the name of Jesus Christ" (he always
gets really excited when he says those words). And just two days ago
he told us that whenever he meets with us, he gets a good feeling, “I don't
know why" he said. That almost made me cry right then and there.
God does work with
people every day, it’s hard to tell a lot of times. In Korea it’s harder. In
Korea your image is really important, so when people see that you’re interested
in a weird Mormon church it can do damages. But when you are
able to bring that love and joy to those people they feel that need
to tell people.
That's why being a
member of this church is important work. I have seen it time and time again in
the ward I am in here. Not a lot of people reach out to others. So a lot of
them fall away and we have no way to get them back except for the missionaries.
Don't get me wrong I love talking with members and trying to gather those that
have gone away, but there is a certain place that the members of every
ward fill. That’s why we have home teachers. If there is any way
you feel like you need to be more spiritual or loving or even just wanting to
feel my joy and happiness that I have when I teach people this message and
bring them into the church, then put all you effort into home teaching, and
loving the members. We are the church of Jesus Christ without us there would be
no church. One of the final steps of a missionary’s purpose is to help
others endure to the end! As members we are in some part
missionaries in this church. We need to help those that are wavering
endure to the end. In doing so, you will see and feel your testimony growing.
If any of you are having hard times, I beg you to help others. The Lord has
blessed you and I can see that. I am very grateful for that. Now is
the time to bless others. Love them. Don't let your wards become like mine
here, it is too sad and sometimes I can’t bare it. I am
very thankful for my family, all of you; I can tell by your
letters that you are doing what the Lord wants you to do. I can promise you
are and will be blessed. I know that this is the Church of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
I love you all!
Keep the faith
-Elder Beau J Sanderson
