A Korean Week!

Hello all,

 

Well this was quite the week. And yes, we were surprisingly busy, which is always good. We continue to meet with our regular people, such as Ashley, Lin, and will be meeting with Subeer again. They are doing good. Ashley continues to slowly progress, but many of her concerns stem from her past and only the healing power of the Atonement will be able to heal her wounds. We are continually in contact with her. Lin is working towards baptism, but because he is going to China for a month, it isn't likely that he will while I am still on my mission.

I have started learning some Korean. The obscure hieroglyphs of yesteryear are slowly beginning to be comprehended and understood, although I still don't know what the sounds actually mean. But I do know a few simple phrases, which are beginning to get me along. Because of the decrease in missionaries, President Larkin has had to combine some areas. But I don't think that this "Zebra companionship/area" will be around for many more transfers. It would be really hard being called as a Korean-speaking missionary, especially here in the northern half of the mission. It takes 45 minutes to have investigators drive to Church and on top of that, Korean people are only scattered about the area and often not interested.

On Wednesday night we helped run the missionary English class. In a recently revamped class, we have invited all people that want to learn English to the same class. So it kind of forces the students to learn and converse in English instead of all speaking the same language together. It seems to be effective to find new people to teach because it brings people to us.

But it really has been an interesting experience thus far working with Korean people. We had a Korean dinner on Wednesday night and I met the branch on Saturday at a barbecue in Federal Way. And yesterday was Church, which I couldn't understand half of, but there are translation services for sacrament meeting, which is nice. Many of the individual members know English so its pretty easy to talk to them. It seems like the Korean branch is more of a cultural and social thing more than a language barrier issue, as is the Church in any other ward or branch. But it has shown me that I didn't need to leave America on a mission for a cultural experience. It is really neat.

Time continues to tick away, but things for now are going well. We're keeping busy and working hard to build up the Lord's kingdom in His true Church!

~Elder Fetzer

안녕하세요!

Hello all (안녕하세요),

 

Well, it's transfers once again and I'm staying here in Bellevue 7th, but something crazy happened. Now don't think I'm kidding when I say this, but this area is combining with the Bellevue Korean area. So my new companion's name is Elder Song. He is actually from Orem, UT, but he speaks Korean and don't worry, because he grew up here in America, his English is just fine too. So together we're going to not only teach our investigators, but also Korean people in the area, helping teach the ESL class on Wednesday nights with the Chinese and Spanish missionaries, and possibly still go to the Korean branch in Federal Way on top of our ward. So right now we don't have a ton of direction, but we're talking to President Larkin for further insight. Maybe when I get home I'll know a little bit of Korean. That will be strange won't it? But in all honesty, I am excited for this new adventure for the next 6 weeks. It will keep us busy and give me a new challenge.

 

This was an interesting week. We continue to meet with Ashley. She has come a ways, but still has a lot of challenges to work through. She has a really stressful life and she worries about things that she doesn't need to. And she has a lot of concerns. Many of them stem from her somewhat abusive past. But time and most of all, the Savior will heal those wounds. And she will continue to learn.

 

On Saturday night we had dinner with our WML and his wife, brother and sister Yool, and also Nathaniel and his wife Siti. We watched the film "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" with them. It was a good reminder about the life of the Prophet and his work. And it helped him understand their new church also.

Sushil is back this week so we'll meet with him soon.

 

So I'm in for an exciting last transfer! Things are going well, and the Lord is blessing us because this is His work and this is His true Church!

 

~Elder Fetzer

The Spirit Converts Them

Hello all,

 

In a week of patience and perseverance, it surely ended well. Honestly, we've been struggling a little bit finding new investigators. We have people that continue to progress, albeit very slowly, but we've been having trouble finding new people, which has always been a struggle here in the Bellevue zone. But I think it is a lesson I'm supposed to learn. One thing I've learned about myself on my mission is that I can do hard things. And it has been the Savior's atonement that has gotten me through it. Now don't think that things are awful or I'm really struggling, or that I'm complaining, but I'm just stating that a mission is really hard. But there's a simple part of the gospel called enduring to the end, which we all must learn... The doctrine is clear: "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen." (2 Nephi 31:20-21)

 

It's amazing how even the trials that the Lord puts us through is exactly what we need to learn the lessons that we need to. My mission has really been a learning experience, both about myself and about others, one that has truly changed my life for the better. I feel that I have learned lessons I would have never learned otherwise, which will be essential both here and in the eternities to come.

 

On Friday we had Zone Conference. President Larkin taught about personal revelation in our own spheres of missionary work and how that would propel the mission to new heights. It was really inspirational. We also had a really powerful testimony meeting as the last part of it. As usual all the departing missionaries (including me) bore their testimonies because it was the last Zone Conference they would attend. It was a really powerful way to end zone conferences for me. 

 

Yesterday our sacrament meeting was focused on missionary work, as was the lesson in Priesthood and Relief Society. Elder Walker and I spoke, as did our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Yool. As I studied for it, I learned more about my purpose as a missionary and studied more of the doctrine on why we do this sacred work. I fully realized that "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him...And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" (D&C 18:10-11,15). The work we are all called to do is truly a magnificent and divine work!

Last night we attended a fireside hosted by President and Sister Larkin in the mission home with Nathaniel and his wife Siti and our investigator Ashley. Each person had the opportunity to bear their testimonies. Nathaniel has come a long way and bore his testimony about the Book of Mormon and how he can find answers in it. Siti shared her 7-year conversion story. Ashley, who is still investigating shared that she has found answers to places in her life where holes were found. It was really rewarding to see them say that we as missionaries have helped those that are new or investigating the Church have impacted them so much! But it is really the spirit that converts them!

 

People are progressing and the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Miracles Happen!

Hello all,

 

This was a week full of many small miracles. Nothing major, but still little things that will help the work continue onward in the Bellevue 7th ward. 

 

Because she is hard of hearing, it is hard for Ashley to hear in Church. She has special hearing aids that connect to a bluetooth receiver. So with the aid of the ward's technology specialist, we found a way for the microphone's signal to go directly to her hearing aids. So she finally came back to Church after many weeks of having different reasons not to attend, but never fully helping us realize the true reason for not coming. She continues to seek for an answer.

 

There were a few instances where God truly placed us in the path of His struggling children. On the Fourth, we tracted a few houses and met Edward. His house was one that neighbors told us may receive our message, but we didn't go back to the neighborhood until then. So when he answered the door he began to cry. He told us that he had just been studying about God and praying for guidance. He told us that he had been diagnosed with MS, but due to his pride, never did anything about it. So now he is paying the consequences. We taught him about the Atonement and that he can have all his feelings of guilt and shame swept away by the Savior. He thought he had truly repented, but it didn't seem like he had taken full advantage of the Atonement. A major seed was planted and he continued to cry while we talked with him. Although he didn't want to learn more just than, we will be going back soon...

 

On Saturday night we were going through the list our bishop gave us of recent move ins. So we rang on one apartment and asked for the man we were looking for. The lady started to cry and said that he didn't live there and that she had been less-active for years and wanted to return to the Church. She told us that we had come at the right time in her life. So we are helping her come back. It's amazing how the Lord works. Sometimes He leads us to one person through another person's name.

 

So things are okay. People continue to progress and grow closer to the Lord.

 

The Church is true!.

 

~Elder Fetzer

A More Powerful Missionary

Hello all,

 

Well this was another alright week. Our investigator Ashley is back from her trip to Alaska. She is very prepared to accept the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, although she has a lot going against her such as old family issues and possibly her 19 year old son. She knows that baptism is essential, although is still waiting for an answer to weather or not the Church is true. I think that she has already gained her spiritual confirmation that the Church is true, but just hasn't recognized it yet. She is genuinely committed to doing all that is necessary to gaining/recognizing an answer. We have taught her a lot about gaining and recognizing her own personal revaluation through prayer, scripture study, and Church attendance.

 

We continue to meet with Lin. He is progressing very slowly, but continues to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He continues to attend Church and it is also good to have ward members that are Chinese and can relate to where he is coming from.

 

This week we had two fasts, one on Tuesday for the mission to be more powerful missionaries, and the other regular Sunday one. Now I am feeling a bit more rejuvenated and ready for the remaining two months of my mission!

 

~Elder Fetzer