Monday, July 18, 2016
30/30

Annyeonghaseyo!

This p day was spent up in the mountains at "Haeinsa" Buddhist temple. Beautiful. Look it up online if you get a chance. It houses 81,000 wood scrolls that are centuries old containing all the teachings of Buddha. 

I'm glad to hear that trek went so well! I loved both of the treks I went on, and I have very fond memories from both.

I learned so much this week, and I wish I could share it all with you. But, a quick email will have to do.

My favorite highlight from this week actually happened just hours after I emailed home last Monday. Elder Roper and I set out to go visit the man at the gas station, Yu Jeongchae, and see how his BoM reading has been going. We walked past, and there he was, diligently reading the Book of Mormon in the dark under those dim gas station lights. As we approached, he looked up from the book, and we could tell he was thinking hard about something. The first thing he said to me, while we were still a good distance away, was this: 

"If God lives, why is there so much fighting in the world?" (He's into the book of Alma now.)

That conversation we had with him amongst the humidity and the mosquitoes in the dark and the glow of enormous Daegu was perhaps one of the most spiritually led conversations I have ever had. We explained to him the role of agency and the purpose of this life. As the conversation progressed, I suddenly had the idea pop into my head to share with him a few verses. I grabbed the Book of Mormon from his hands (I think I actually scared him a little... haha) and opened up to 3 Nephi 11. In this chapter, the people of Nephi hear a voice from heaven testifying of Christ right before he ascends from heaven. The people hear the voice once and they don't understand. Again, they hear the voice, and don't understand. But the third time, they open their ears, and they look steadfastly toward heaven, and finally they understand the voice.

I believe that God speaks to us fairly often, but it's up to us to hear the voice and hearken to it. Many people don't understand or choose not the listen to the voice, resulting in poor decisions and leading to misuse of agency. God lives, and He provides us with nearly constant guidance, but ultimately, the choice to obey is our own. As we read these verses together with Yu Jeongchae, he absolutely lit up. He told us that the first time we talked to him, he didn't understand the things we were telling him. But each time we came back, the things we told him started to make a little more sense. As if on queue, Elder Roper asked him, "What do feel now when you read from that book?" Yu Jeongchae paused, then responded (this was all in Korean, and Korean doesn't really translate to English well, so this is the most comprehensive way I can say it in English) "It makes my heart comfortable."

He is our miracle man. And yet, we still can't seem to get him to come to church. After much persuasion, I made him promise me he will come one time.

I took up most of my time on that one story... oops. But that was definitely the highlight.

I learned a lot this week about faith. Unfortunately, I spent some time this week looking back, which is never a good idea. As the year mark gets closer and closer, I find time pulling me in both directions. There's the temptation to look back and see how far I have come, while at the same time looking forward and wondering what's next. As Elder Holland said, "Faith is for the future. We look back to collect the glowing embers of experience, but never the ashes. Faith is always pointed forward." And so, to the best of my ability, I am pointing my faith forward and trusting that the next year will be as spectacular as the last.

James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure."

And so the work goes onward. I could not be happier to be a missionary, serving here in the heat of Daegu. I love the Lord and His gospel, and I know this is where the Lord needs me to be right now.

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Sorensen

​Buddhist monks.