Thanks for the letter! Even though I don't address everything, I do read your letters carefully. Do you know about DearElder.com? Ask Nina about it. You can write me a letter, the MTC will print it out and put it in my mailbox, and I can read it the same day. Of course, I still can't respond until P-day, but it's nice to hear from people throughout the week. Also, thanks again for the great package last week! I loved everyone's letters, and I love the jacket.
I'm glad to hear Clara is doing so well. You all sound busy. Life is hustling right along!
Where do I start for this week? I love the MTC, but I'm starting to feel very confined and restless. Remember how I used to go for a drive or take the dogs for a walk when I needed a change of scenery? Well, the MTC is closed campus. So I literally am confined to a few small building for five more weeks. I'll survive, but I NEED TO GO FOR A WALK. My Korean teacher, Brother Memmott, is funny. He calls it "spiritual prison," which is very accurate. We can go play volleyball or kickball on the temple field in the mornings, which is nice. Not to brag, but I may be the best volleyball player these holy grounds have ever seen (okay, that's bragging).
I received my Korean name last week! When we all leave for Korea, they give us new name tags that are completely in Korean. I wish I could write it in Korean here, but I can't get the typing to work. In romanized Korean, it will say "Soraenseun Jangno." So that's pretty exciting.
This week I have spent some time studying gifts of the spirit. I have felt the gift of tongues. On Saturday, Elder Romney and I taught a lesson about Joseph Smith and the Restoration. The lesson started out okay, but we're still new to Korean. Part way through the lesson, our investigator asked a question about Joseph Smith. I understood every word. And that's not all, I was actually able to respond in Korean without much difficulty. She asked more questions, and every time I knew how to respond in Korean. I don't know how to describe how it felt, but words just started coming to me.
Sunday was a pretty special day. It was the last day in the MTC for 33 of the Korean speaking missionaries. So on Sunday night, after the devotional, the whole Korean branch (about 70 of us) gathered in the dark outside the front entrance of the MTC to say our goodbyes. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. We sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" in Korean, then knelt right there in the dark and prayed for the missionaries who would be flying to Korea in the morning. Then the 33 who were leaving sang "Nearer My God, To Thee" in Korean. After 9 weeks in the MTC, you can imagine the excitement they all felt. In lieu of this event, we received the new shipment of Korean missionaries on Wednesday, which means we are no longer the baby group!
I have one more thought I'd like to share. Why is it that contributing to the joy of others makes us happy? Why does service bring joy to the one being served and the server? What is it about us that makes us happy to see others happy? I have been thinking about this a lot, and here's what I think. I think that when we serve others, it somehow awakens the Light of Christ or the Seed of Godhood within us. Neal A. Maxwell taught that we love to look at beautiful scenery because it stimulates buried memories of the eternal world we came from. I think service does the same. We know that the crowning aspect of the Celestial Kingdom is charity--we cannot dwell with God unless we have charity, for charity is what separates the Celestial from the Terrestrial. So in some way, service nurtures the Seed of Godhood within us, awakening us to the law and order of the eternal world. I don't know if that makes sense. It's hard to share all my thoughts the way I want to.
Anyway, I'm short on time. Thank you all for the support and prayers. I love you all.
Elder Sorensen
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| Elder Romney (companion) on left |
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| Alan's view of Elder Romney |
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