Monday, February 27, 2017
Rain and Elder Holland

It was another beautiful week. It's been raining a lot, and the mountains and the ocean have been covered with a think mist. The view from our home is amazing. And we are busy as ever.

Elder Holland visited Seoul this weekend and did a fireside broadcast for all of Korea. We were blessed to be able to watch it here in Masan. It was a live broadcast, and it wasn't recorded, so it was only a one-time thing. No reruns. I can honestly say that it was one of the most powerful devotionals I have ever seen in my life. Elder Holland's words could move mountains.

He expressed such a deep love for the Korean people. He used no notes, no paper, and just spoke for about an hour and a half straight. He made some incredible promises to the Korean Saints. He promised them that through their faith, the Korean saints would become a model for all other nations. He acknowledged that the saints have had a rough time, and that many members in Korea are less active, but he promised them that "this is only the beginning for the church in Korea, and you haven't seen anything yet. There is much to come." He ended by reading the story found in Acts chapter 3 when Peter and John heal a crippled man on the steps of the temple. Then, quoting Acts 3:6 almost exactly, and with quite a bit of emotion, he finished by invoking a blessing upon everyone present, saying "silver and gold have I none; but what I have I give you all: In the name of Jesus Christ, Korea, rise up and walk." After that, we were all eager to get outside and proselyte. The church in Korea has a bright future.

I've been thinking a lot about prayer lately. Many of the people we meet with don't realize what an incredible privilege and power prayer can be. For me, my prayers began to slowly progress throughout high school, and over the last 19 months of missionary work, prayer has become the foundation upon which I build my daily life. That quiet moment of the day when lights are out and I can kneel quietly in prayer is one of the moments I look forward to most each day. President Hinckley once said that "Your daily conversations with him will bring peace into your hearts and a joy into your lives that can come from no other source." I know that is true. Prayer is the passport to peace.

Thank you for the emails! I read every one of them very carefully.

Love,

Elder Sorensen