Gangneung... It's home. I'm back home. This is where I belong.

Jordan and Elder Farr

It's home. I'm back home. This is where I belong. I love the bustling streets of Seoul, but I LOVE the people of the countryside. The views, the clean air, the warm hearted people.

We got here Wednesday afternoon and went right to teaching this wonderful 20 year old guy.  We taught about a few commandments, set a return appointment for Friday. On Friday we taught a few more commandments, and set an appointment for Saturday. On Saturday (yeah, it's a bit redundant, but it's getting somewhere, keep reading), we went over prayer and revelation. He was preparing for his baptismal interview that day, and while we were teaching him I had the feeling that we needed to go deeper. He said he believed everything we were teaching, including the restoration through the prophet Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon, but I felt moved to ask him if he'd ever prayed about it. He said that he hadn't, which really surprised me. But he was able to logically figure this was true, and then through experience he knew this would help his life. But we talked about receiving an undeniable witness from God that it's true. That is the only witness that is undeniable, and that will sustain him throughout his life. Most people end up going less active because they never got that sure, spiritual witness from God, or they choose to forget it.

So after talking about that, we left him alone in the room for a few minutes to pray about our message. He came out a few minutes later, absolutely beaming. He's a quiet kid and kind of shy, but he was just radiating. He said he got an answer, and as we prayed he thanked God for speaking to his heart that it was true. He passed his interview and was baptized yesterday.  He is here for school, and goes home today for a few months, so we gave him the gift of the Holy Ghost right after baptism, and we'll see him off today. It was all so fast and crazy, but everything worked out perfectly. I'm so glad I was able to notice that subtle tug of the spirit, telling me he needs that extra witness.

We have a few other investigators that are doing well, but we're also seeing a lot of miracles when we walk down the street and meet people that are really interested. Every missionary says this zone is the hardest part of the mission because there's just no one to talk to, but I think it's all about perspective. If you think it's going to fail, it will, but if you have a vision of this area being the most successful part of the mission, it will be.

I keep saying it, but I know that this church is the church of Jesus Christ, because there's no way any other company, business, or even church would stay afloat when the entire future is funded and fueled by 18 year old kids paying their way to go preach the gospel. We have the help of angels on both sides of the veil, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve with them out here.

Elder Franchina