Dear Family, January 13, 2010
Im glad you are enjoying the sites and staying busy. Its been super cold this week - in the teens with wind - but we are happy. The baptism was great. jung hak stiffened up and didn't bend his legs the first time so Elder Hashimoto really struggled lifting him up and he didn't get his head all the way under. But the second time was perfect.
Our other investigators are progressing well. One of them came for the last 1/2 of church with a friend we had never met. They stayed for the baptism and said they were impressed by it. They need some time but look very good.
We met with 4 people from vietnam with english interest last night. They speak missionary level korean and no english past the abc's. Very fun experience. We will be meeting 2 korean men tonight who came to english class.
Good things continue to happen. We are discovering how to get the ward going. I will be speaking in church on Sunday.
I hope things are going well finding a house. How were the adults in the ward? I was thinking today about how essential it is for you and me to be the ones that go up to people at a new ward or school rather than hoping, expecting, or thinking they will do it. As missionaries we make a goal to talk to and or visit everyone in the ward atleast once. That good be a great goal for you too. Things will getting going more comfortable faster if you do.
Thats great that there's so many byu kids from the ward.
I love you all. Thanks for the hot packs. :)
I made brownies from the mix you sent and am giving them to member in the ward who always helps us for his birthday . I think he will love it. But don't worry I ate plenty of the batter.
Love you,
Peace be the journey,
Love
Elder Britsch
Dear fam, January 21st, 2010
we just got back from the embassy. we were able to deal with american goverment lines and forms. not too painful. Korean government offices are usually the nicest and most well run places you can find. Such a difference. We visited a old palace and saw the guard ceremony and ran through the national palace history museum.
We haven't been able to meet some of our investigators this week because of work but we are having a good week. Our investigators are still progressing.
I am learning the patience and understanding of a parent. It's been interesting to do so many things for others. I've realized, as u might expect, that before the mission much of my life was about me. Being with a companion 24/7 means that often you are not doing what you want. Simply teaching a companion how to make phone calls in korean and/or table manners in korea are good prep for being a father. I am so grateful for parents that are and were so understanding and instructive.
I have seen how some people's hearts are prepared and others are not. Yesterday we taught lessons twice in a row to college students we proselyted into in the rain. One was under the balcony of a loteria (korean mcdonalds) and the other was under the roof of a bookstore. Both told me they were not religious. However, as we talked they began to soften a little. We talked about post life. We talked about the 6 churches we could see on that road. Both asked questions. One said he was interested but to busy going to korea's harvard to meet. The other said he would study it on his own and discover truth himself. after trying to get him to meet, I gave him the book of mormon in my hand.
Earlier I had asked if he had ever prayed or asked God what was true? He said he never had. We testified that God does live, he has restored his truth, and that he can know it by reading the words of God's prophets and praying for confirmation of its truthfulness. He said he would.
It really is a simple process. What I have come to realize is that, just as the scripture's state, we need a humble heart and real intent. Why a humble heart? Because the spirit won't be felt when we get our answer is our heart is not humble and our desire is not to follow god. I believe that we will get answers if we are humble. Our investigators will get answers if they are humble. Many of them pray, but few are humble enough to recognize and accept the spirit. We are trying to help them do that. The man that got baptized last week is humble. He is slower of speech and somewhat awkward. However his heart is pure and he desires to follow god.
I pray that we too can be humble hearted. The world's says "No way! That's foolish! That's not how you succeed! Simply said, "The world is wrong!"
I love you,
Elder Britsch
Dear Family, January 27th, 2010
hanjung hak continues to receive the new member lessons.
We taught with the same less active as last week once again this week. Our investigator actually committed him to come to church - it was really great. 3 of our investigators are sincerely praying about the message but expressed that they have not felt an answer yet. We spent lessons talking about prayer and revelation- we were inspired to give them the prayer and revelation parts of "True to the Faith". (Take a look at it) They did the reading and made many new good connections. It was so cool to see them make the connections. The gospel is so simple yet so applicable. We went with one of them to one of the senior couple's houses yesterday.
We met a part-member family and began teaching the husband. He's willing to learn but is very skeptical of God's methods.
We are doing well. I heard that the ambassador from North Korea visited the MTC recently and the korean missionaries got to introduce themselves to him. i guess he was amazed by how fast they learned. He also met with the first presidency. Not packing my bags to go into north korea, but its good news.
I hope the house stuff all works out soon. School starting will be very exciting. the first day will be a little scary but if you are positive and dont wait for people to approach you first, you will have tons of new friends in no time. Remember to trust in the Lord. Arrange beforehand who you will eat lunch with. Maybe the day before.
everyone wants to be your friend, they just don't know it because they haven't gotten to know you yet. People always respect you if you are nice and you are friendly. if nothing else, remember you are a child of god and even if things are lonely or hard, god still loves you and is helping you to be greater. Its so exciting to have this chance to meet new people that will change yout life and you theirs.
You are all amazing. I'm so blessed to have such strong family members.
Love
Elder Britsch
Dear Fam, February 10th, 2010
Greetings from snowy korea. It's been coming down all day. I have lots of news to share with you.
First of all in July I will be sent to a new mission. Can you believe that? They finally decided I can speak korean well enough to do anything so they are sending me to...ahhh man I can't lie, I'm a missionary. But really, our mission will disappear in July as we get engulfed into the Seoul Mission. Our mission pres. will go home and the existing Seoul mission pres., pres. lee (korean who was a professor at seoul national univ. in my area) will be my new leader. One zone in the south part of the mission with the missionaries now serving there will become part of Taejun mission. We are told it is not a downsizing because of lack of performance (afterall, we are leading Northeast asia statistically. plus, rIght now we are the secondest smallest mission in the world area wise) but because of a reallocation of missionaries - mainly to india and africa. There's a mission in africa baptizing a 1000 people per month. So I will have actually served in two missions when it's all said and done.
Elder Oaks visited with Elder Halstrum of the presidency of the seventy and spoke to the stakes in our mission. They spoke about who much the church has grown in korea in the last 50 yrs. They said we need to be active in the gospel not just the church. Sis. Oaks' wife gave a message addressed to the many single adults. She was single till her mid 50's when she met Elder Oaks. Its his second marriage.
We are still meeting the investigators i told u abt last week. we had an old investigator who met us once over a month ago who called us this week and said he wants to come to church. He said he's just been really busy with work and forgot to call us back. A big blessing. He's around 25 and had a member friend in australia.
We met a kid on the street, a senior in high school who said he really like missionaries (of all faiths)and we talked to him a bit a then he ran off, but not before asking for our phone so he could enter his number. THen 2 hours later we saw him in another part of town and he bought us dinner. We will meet him next week. Really friendly.
I've been getting athiest text messages from an unknown person. The funny thing is that they are written in badly mispelled english.
I am learning to find the happiness in the trials of life and the rainy days.
Here's a quote I like.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, quoting columnist Jenkins Lloyd Jones,
reminded us that life will always have its challenges:
³Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time
running around shouting that he¹s been robbed. The fact is that most putts
don¹t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people,
most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most
jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail
journey S delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed
only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The
trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.²
Good to keep in mind.
i love you all.
elder britsch
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