It's another great week out in 강릉!

Hello all!

We have a meeting to get to in Seoul tonight, so this email will be short.

We have a cool investigator, LOO. He's 22 and missing his pointer, middle, and ring finger on his right hand. He's way cool and super nice, and this week he accepted the invitation to be baptized!  He'll be busy with work this next month, but we're still planning on July 20. He's a great kid, and I'm really excited for him. He's absolutely hilarious, but super sincere at the same time. After explaining the kingdoms of glory to him and bearing testimony, I asked, 'So, where would you like to go after you die?'
'....Uh. I have a question.'
'Sure, ask away.'
'This resurrection thing. After you have a perfect body, do you need sleep?'
'*caught off guard* Uh, I guess not, you won't get tired if you're perfect, why?'
'*sigh of relief* Good, I guess I'd want to go to the Sun Kingdom. If I needed sleep, though, it'd be too bright. I'd probably want to go to the Moon kingdom.' ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
He's hilarious.

We had a lot of miracles this week, but they all include meeting ladies that were interested, so we referred them over to the sister missionaries.
It's another great week out in 강릉!

Love you all,

Elder Franchina

P.S. It's not my first area, just the same zone, but I'll go back to
Sokcho on exchanges in a week or two!

2 Gingers in Kangwondo? Absurd!

Hey! 

One of our investigators is named DVD. He is Korean, adopted at 8 months into a Jewish American family. He has been doing well.  Elder Farr and I are doing the 40 day fast together, and I feel like that really affected our meeting with him. We felt the power of our words testifying to him that he can give that 100%, that it's needed, but it won't be in vain. You could feel the spirit in the tips of your fingers and in the atmosphere as the words lingered and rang in his ears. If he really wants his answer, he needs to do it. He couldn't deny the spirit, especially when we pointed it out to him, and he committed to come to church.

Jordan and Elder Sullivan

We had a great week, we were able to make great progress with current investigators, and pick up new investigators as well.  We picked up YWO, a 22 year old kid we met knocking doors last week.  He wasn't too interested in God, he just had a lot of free time, but after meeting with us he talked about how afraid he was of death. We met with him again, and helped him begin praying. He can't believe in things he doesn't see, but we're helping him recognize God in his life, and how he can feel God, not see him. His first prayer was so sincere. He said, 'Dear Heavenly Father. I don't believe in you,.....but I really want to. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.' He has that desire, and that desire will work in him until it develops into faith.

On Wednesday we went on exchanges with 동해, and I went with Elder Sullivan (He's from Sandy! He went to Alta and knows a lot of the youth in our ward). We met GMGI, who's nice, and very curious about the Book of Mormon. He might have a form of ADD, because it's hard to get him focused, even though he's over 40. But he's nice, and we'll continue to meet with him if he progresses.

We met an old 80 year old Jehovah's witness, SHSK, who was really interested in meeting. When we met, he expressed his beliefs, and that he goes to that church because they actually practice what they believe. After the first lesson, he admitted that if the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and we live according to both books, he would need to believe it and come to our church, and he said he'd read and find out. He's quite a nice old man, we're really excited for him, but he admits to not remembering everything well, because he's so old.

I love meeting with old people.  I just think old people are absolutely adorable. He speaks the 'high form of Korean', like calling us 'sir', and he wears a suit and hat when he meets with us. I love old people.

We also met a convert on the street the other day. He was baptized 2 years ago, but now he's doing 군대 (army), so he can't come. But he has free time every day after 7:00, and he said he wants to meet twice a week! We met and talked about prayer, and not just prayer, but petition and supplication. He's a fantastic guy. He trusts God so much, and has a great relationship with him. He has a lot of faith, and exercises it daily. We'll continue on and talk about scripture study, and hopefully when 군대 is over, he'll still be a strong member.

I've been thinking recently how much I don't know about the Book of Mormon, and have been having the thoughts that I need to have it more cemented in my life, so I've been reading it more deeply in personal study. During Sunday School, one member taught about the power of the everyday missionary book, the process of studying, and the 7 step process. He said to pick our favorite chapter and do it, so I studied 2 Nephi 4 this morning. I prayed hard to receive help and guidance in order to know how to help people with what I would learn through it, and for help to apply it today in my missionary work. I also came up with some questions that I wanted answers to, and when I read it, I felt like I found just what I needed. I found a few verses that I called and shared with TRA, because it was comfort to Nephi right after his father died.

I take courage from the Psalm of Nephi, knowing that if I'm humble and always rely on the Lord, through daily petition and scripture study, I can be strong, and that if I teach my children the way they need to go, 'they will not depart from it.'  Take some time to read the Psalm of Nephi. Psalms are meant to be read out loud, so take the time needed to study it well. It will have a great impact on your life.

I know this Gospel is the happiest and safest pathway for individuals and for families, and I'm grateful to be able to know it and share it with others. I know that I'll need help along the way, but I know I'll be able to receive it when I need it.  Thank you for your example and for your unconditional love for us missionaries.

Elder Franchina

P.S.
I love these old people. They just walk around everywhere collecting recyclables.

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

A Zone Leader is Born

T is still doing really well. She didn't come to church yesterday because she came down with whatever her daughter had, but she still plans to be baptized on the 22nd of June, or that Saturday. She's really excited and couldn't stop talking about how great church was. She was trying so hard to use 'Mormon vocabulary' by saying teachers, deacons, apostasy, etc. She's great. I was on exchanges with Elder Hone, who's our Zone leader, and he goes home this week. He did a fantastic job. It was a very spiritual lesson, ending with a blessing with consecrated oil. We taught about priesthood and she really needed a blessing, and afterwards, she and sister DMG embraced with tears, and she said that she already felt better.

We also met with Dr 홍, and Elder Hone and I tried so hard to get him to come to church. He wouldn't commit, because of previous engagements, but he came to our ward picnic, and became best friends with a recent convert, our ward missionary.  He said he'd see them a church this Sunday, but didn't end up coming. Maybe next week?

This week we met quite a few new people and had great first lessons, but are not able to count them as new investigators, because they weren't able to commit to a specific date. We met with a professor
here named Mr. HSN, a guy from Egypt named T2, and a various set of other foreigners.

The most important aspect of missionary work is Love. Don't try to 'win' their arguments and answer all their questions to convert.  Lovethem enough to have them search for their own answers some times, and always try to help them, not to beat them or win the conversation.  Just imagine how the Savior would have treated that conversation, and you'll feel the love that God has for that person.
I'm so grateful for all of your support everyone.

I'll be transferring this week, back to a familiar land! Kangwondo! Up in the Boonies. I'll be a zone leader up in Gangneung, and I've been there many times. Just about every Wednesday, back when I lived in Sokcho. It's a beautiful city, and I'll be serving with Elder Farr (yes, dad, his dad is the guy that makes Farr ice cream.) He goes home this next transfer, so I'm looking forward to working hard with him.

God bless.

Elder Franchina

Three Important Principles

We had elder Cook speak to us this weekend, and over the past 6 months, in conferences, general conference, etc, they have talked about 3 of the most important principles for our lives:
    1.  Personal and family prayer
    2.  Personal and family scripture study
    3.  Family Home Evening.

We heard a story of a young convert, who was about 10. She was the only person in her family that was baptized, and heard about FHE in primary. She asked her family to help her do it, but they weren't interested. So, what do you do? You can't do family home evening without family, right?
Wrong.
She got all of her dolls, put them in a circle, gave them all assignments, and did her own family home evening every week. She did it, even throughout her teens and college years, with just her and her dolls. The man speaking to us said he was proud to say that now she is married in the temple, and has family home evening every week with her husband and child. That was a great story for us.

I was wondering if you still do family scripture study and prayer, and FHE? I know it was hard for us with all of our schedules never matching up, but looking back, I'm so grateful for those nights in your room or by the fireplace, reading, learning, putting those stickers on our scriptures. Those are treasured memories that have taught me the fundamental principles of the gospel.
You may already be doing this, that just came to mind. Thank you for being such wonderful parents and doing everything out of love.

I love you guys!

Elder Franchina

A More Difficult Road

This week was great. We met with T again.  She is doing so well, we taught her
the plan of salvation this past week. She said she is feeling like the Book of
Mormon is true, and that she needs to be baptized a second time, this
time it being her choice, not as a baby. She wants to show the Lord
that she's willing to follow him. We committed her to baptism, but it
was almost as if she committed to it before we asked. She's
incredible. Everything we talk about makes sense to her, and agrees
with 'her' beliefs. 

We met with a few new people, in that group are: A Nigerian, a mid
20's Korean, and a 91 year old Korean whom we first met at the
bathhouse. That's a great first impression, right?ㅋㅋ

We see a lot of potential in the investigators we have, we just need
to stay on top of things and not let one person slip through the
cracks. That's my worst fear.

KEN's confirmation went really well. Elder Harrison did a great
job, then we met with the Turners that night and talked about temple
work. KEN is so excited to do baptisms, then later marry in the
temple. It turns out that he knows where the temple in Nigeria is.
He's seen it so much because it's on the main road right by his house!
So no matter where he goes, he'll be close to the temple. That's a
comfort to me. He is getting ready to do work for his parents and
other relatives, and even plans on finding a wife soon! He's a great
man and has had a great influence on me.

I love this work and the influence it's had on me. I wouldn't have it
any other way. Similar to Robert Frost's poem, the road less traveled,
I'd like to change it to a more difficult road. We, as members of the
church, take the road that may be more difficult, and that has made
all the difference.

May we all take the road less traveled by. The harder, but more
rewarding road of discipleship.

Elder Franchina

KEN's Baptism

This week was great, all culminating with KEN's baptism.

It started with meeting a referral from the Embassy housing, so we went over for dinner to a member's house, and they had a friend, TRA, with them. She's had experiences from miscarriages and being told they're in hell, to abusive parents, and she has a lot of questions.  After hearing more about our church, she said she feels like she's been a 'closet Mormon' her whole life. Everything she disagrees with her church, she agrees with our church. The family was wonderful in helping teach, even the 16 year old son. This coming week we're excited to meet her husband too.

We met a guy last Saturday who called immediately to take us out for dinner that night who is really interested. He seems Mormon already, the most important thing to him is family, and he really likes our stance on families. We feel like we're running into a lot of potential around here.

KEN's baptism went well. A less active Nigerian showed up that Elder Bell and Weight brought, and he bore a great testimony about baptism, and after the ordinance KEN bore a powerful testimony about God and his life. He knows and understands how important this is in his life. He's so excited to be baptized.  It was an incredible experience for all of us, and we're so happy for him. I can see a great future in the church for him, receiving callings and magnifying them. I've only known him for 15 days, but I know that he has received a manifestation from God that this is true, and that he will be a great member in this church.

These experiences and even the smaller ones that we have every day are just adding to my testimony that this is true. We see miracles daily in this church. I know that this church is the way to find the eternal happiness we're all searching for.

Elder Franchina