Love, Meekness, and Spicy Chicken Feet

This week has been great. Elder Gardner and I have been working really hard. He got a little sick this weekend (we had some REALLY spicy chicken feet, and I think we were all a little queasy) but we're all doing good now. Elder Farr came to church with his parents, sister, and brother in law, and now they're heading back to Seoul to do some more travel, then they'll go home on Thursday.

I'm so happy to be serving out here, and I wouldn't trade this for serving in Italy, Mexico, or anywhere else.  I know I'm supposed to be here, serving with President Christensen. They've said that sometimes they assign missions based on where they feel like we should go, but it's usually based on which mission president they feel like you should be paired up with. I LOVE president Christensen. He has such a great love for Korea and the missionaries here.

We had a pretty hectic week, but our first few days together were great. We haven't met with many of our old investigators, but we were able to meet with 률건박, and the lesson went really well. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and prayer.  Elder Gardner bore a really great testimony, and we could tell it affected him. After Elder Gardner's prayer, he had tears in his eyes. We think he'll really start progressing from now on. 

When we contact people, it's changed from just introducing what we're doing (just a sales pitch) and giving a card to actually having a conversation, getting to know and love the person we talk to, and then the commitment to meet again or get their phone number is easy!

In my studies I studied more about the Sermon on the Mount, and today I thought a lot about Meekness. It's a quality I am really searching for, because the meek qualify for the grace of Christ and receive forgiveness for their sins, becoming the Sons of God. To me, meekness is a lot about humility, and not because it is forced, but because it's desired. It's a choice, because the individual understands the benefits of humility. Meekness also includes aspects of obedience, submission, and love, and so I am still seeking to obtain these qualities as I progress as a servant of the Lord. I can start to clean the inner vessel, so that my whole body can be full of light. I love the light. I enjoy dwelling in the light, and I love serving the light.

This week we saw a great miracle when we visited a less active sister.  She wasn't able to come out to church, but in front of her door we talked for about 15 minutes and shared a message about God being her father, and how she's always worthy to receive his help. We shared D&C 112:10, and talked about how Christ is beside her, holding her hand.  It's a more comforting notion, than a savior that exists above us, doing his own work or working with us from a distance. Christ is beside us, with his angels, lifting us up, and we helped her realize that. It was a very good message for her.

Some friends and scenery pictures! We had some crazy cool clouds, pure white, then blue sky, then a typhoon storm cloud just over the mountains.

Thank you for your prayers and for all that you do, I love you all!
Elder Franchina