July 29, 2018
I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY IN MY WHOLE
LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT IS HAPPENING I AM SOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOO SOOOOOO OUT OF MY
MIND EXCITED RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
haha I guess I should explain.
We got transfer calls.
These past two transfers have been very tough. And I was not
finding Joy and really losing my motivation to work. And I pleaded with God
this week for help. That through transfer calls I would be happy and regain
motivation. I even told God where I WANT to go, and who I WANT to be with.
We'll I am so grateful that God gives us what we NEED, and
not what we want.
I am going to go back to Bundang. My first area. My favorite
area. The best area in the mission!!!!!!!!!!!
The excitement, the joy, the motivation, the energy, the
desire for worthiness, desire to work hard, the desire to be the Best
missionary I can be that filled my soul is INDESCRIBABLE. I love the Bundang
members more than anything in Korea. And when I was a new missionary, I didn't
give them the effort they deserved. And ever since I have left Bundang and
learned how to be a missionary, I have wanted to go back and redeem myself. I
have wanted to go back and give them what they deserve. And I am getting the
chance. I know realize this is the ONLY thing that could have motivated me. And
this is the first time on my mission that I think I will be motivated out of
charity. I love not just the members in Bundang, but everyone. When I was in
Bundang 2 years ago I met some of the nicest most amazing people ever. And I
can't wait to serve them.
This was a huge miracle. After the call came I was SO
excited I couldn't sleep. So I stayed up writing in my journal and pondering. I
said so many prayers. Thank you prayers. Help me prayers. I'm so excited prayers.
Help me prayers. I'm so scared. Thank you. I love you prayers.
And maybe for the first time in my life, I had an experience
of "hearing the voice of the Lord." I never really expressed over
emails but like I said above the last two transfers have been really really
hard. I had so so so many trails and there were many times where I told God, I
can't do this anymore, or why me? Where are you? The last two transfers were
hard. But I tried to do my best to be happy. I tried my best to be grateful. I
tried my best to be patient. I tried my best to "endure well."
As I prayed late into the night I was overwhelmed with peace
and joy. And I actually heard someone speak, I looked behind me to see if it
was my house mates talking in their sleep.... It wasn't.
I heard "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine
adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou
endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high"
I tried my best to endure well, and though my adversity did
NOT seem like a small moment, eventually I was "exalted on high" or
in simple word "lifted"
Lifted out of my trails. Lifted from the adversity and
afflictions. I know that God has the power to lift us. When we feel we are in
too much trouble that we can't even stand, God will lift us. But I also know He
lets us suffer for a little bit. But if we trust in him. Try our best. And be
patient and "wait" on the Lord, he will truly lift us. He can
"exalt us on high"
Another great experience I had this week was yesterday
night. I got into a conversation with a member from the Shinchonji church. They
are a church that really focuses on revelations and all that Apocalypse stuff.
They love to fight and they always start with "had Jesus already come? Is
he coming? How will he come? How do you know?" it’s a little annoying and
they always like to pull the most confusing things out of revelations.
Well, I could just feel that as I talked with this man the
spirit of the Lord was upon me. First, my Korean was elevated. I was able to
understand him, and when I couldn’t understand, I was able to know exactly how I
should answer. And I didn’t fight or argue, though that is what he wanted, I
BOLDLY testified of truth. I really felt like I was a defender of truth. I felt
like I was standing as a witness of God. It was awesome!
Monday we played volleyball... probably our missions last
volleyball pday.... 3 of our few remaining good players are going home. It was
sad to say goodbye.
That night we had Brother Park from the Bundang ward come
speak to the zone. He moves all the way across the country tomorrow and wanted
to say good bye to Seoul and its missionaries. He gave a killer talk and it
touched me so so much. One thing he talked about that i needed to hear was that
life is supposed to be hard. If we really want to go to the celestial kingdom,
if we really want to be exalted, if we really want to become like God, do you
think we can just live life with no trials? With no worries or cares? No. it is
supposed to be hard, and when it’s hard, know that God is doing something
wonderful with you.
This week we had a big scare. Our recent convert told his
mom that he joined our church...and she did not like that. She told him our
church is the biggest Cult and that we preach heresy. She threw all sorts of anti-Mormon
stuff at him. She told him that we worship Joseph Smith and that our purpose in
Korea is to bring people to church so we can steal all their money. She told
him he can never go to church, see us again, and to block us on all platforms.
She really hates us.
And that makes me sad, so many people hate our church,
especially in Korea. How can a church that teaches nothing but charity,
service, and becoming more Christ like be so hated? How can a church that is
centered on the savior be so hated? It does not necessarily make me mad, just
sad.
Thankfully our recent convert knew that those were lies. He
know that we weren’t evil. He knew we didn’t worship joseph smith. He knew we don’t
steal from people. So he met us and talked about all his worries. And we were
able to testify with the spirit and it was able to touch his heart and he was
able to know the truth. He said, "Everyone says you are evil, and I can
understand why they think you are evil. But you’re not evil. I know you are
good people." It was a huge miracle. We had fasted and prayed for him, and
he is doing much better.
Well.... that’s about all I have to write about. This week
was CRAZY. We will have another baptism this weekend or next depending on how
scheduling works out. So I will get to come back to this ward in a week or two
and see everyone. I will never forget the Gukbanjeong ward. The people I was
able to see their baptisms, the many less actives I was able to help come back
to the fold. The past 3 transfers were tremendous and I will never forget them.
Elder Goon
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