July 30, 2018

Dear People,

Until this week there were two teams in Gunsan but  Elder Peterson was emergency transferred out and so Elder Cragun, Buxton, and I are a threesome now. It's wonderful.

We're busy.

The bishop who has been serving for the last 20 years in Gunsan was released finally. He was great but in the words of Bilbo Baggins he was butter spread over too much bread.

I forgot if I mentioned that we miraculously found a member on the street named Steven a while ago who has lived in Gunsan for two years but didn't know there was a church here. He came to church with his two non-member daughters last week. Aparently his nine year old, Seo-rim, was asking super deep quesions in primary like "Why did people want to kill Jesus?" "How were they able to if he was so powerful?". Steven wants us to teach his wife and daughters.

We finally taught Hye-ran the first lesson. It was the best lesson of my entire mission, not becuase anything super special happened but just because of it's simplicity.

We had just finished our Caricature lesson we've been doing with her and the transition to the lesson was smooth because she knew we wanted to share our message. 

She had already gone through the entire first lesson on the LDS pamphlets app.

We had our adult-male member with us but he didn't do anything besides just sit there and be an adult-male, which is all we need.

We started with an opening prayer and we went through the lesson showing her our phone while she followed along on hers.

We worked well as a companionship, taught very simply, and made sure she understood.

She knew that the Book of Mormon is the evidence that Joseph Smith is a prophet but she wasn't expected to just accept it, rather read it and seek an answer from the Spirit.

We invited her to say the closing prayer, asking to know if the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet:

Hye-ran: "I don't know how to pray!"

Us: "Oh, there's a little guide in the back of the pamphlet. You can just think of it as talking to your dad."

Hye-ran: "Ok, I'll pray. Heavenly Father, thanks for sending these missionaries. I'm attending a different church right now, but I'm learning about this church and I'm going to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and if it feels right I'm thinking about joining this church. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

This week our dear Hye-ran showed up to church on her own holding her Book of Mormon.

Hye-ran: "I was planning on going to my normal church but I read all the highlighted parts in the Book of Mormon you gave me and it was just so good so I felt like I needed to come to 우리 교회 (our church).

She is the most sincere, childlike person I've met so far on my mission. She keeps every invitation we give her. Even the random homework we give at English class like: "Use your talents to serve someone" She called us the day after we gave that homework and was like "I've been thinking about how I can use my talents to serve and I want to start an art class at your church. I'll be serving with my talents and I think it will give your church more 'merit'."

We were planning a proselyting activity on an exchange last week. Elder Barber had the idea to give out lemonade as part of a proselyting activity because it's so hot. We decided to make it just giving out lemonade and not try to combine it with giving out copies of the Book of Mormon.

We just got our Helping Hands vests and gave out iced Kool-aid. Lots of people were confused and grateful. I was surprised, however, at how many people recognized us from a distance and walked past with their heads turned away, not willing to take a second's more investigation and realize we were simply handing out something they want. Very thought provoking.

One woman accepted a cup and while she drank examined us and said "음 예수를 믿으라고"

(Ahh, you're telling people to believe in Jesus)

Our vests have the name of the Church on them but the new Helping Hands vests don't. I like that they don't. We want to give. This isn't bait so that ultimately we can take from you.

Jesus Christ's commandments and ordinances are a gift. They are what everyone wants. They are the relief from the heat of the day. It just requires a second's more investigation and expirimentation to realize that.

I know that God wants the best for us. He has really cold Kool-aid. I know that it is very yummy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Brown

 We just want to give you some Kool-aid

Some weirdo in our house trying to make peanut butter with a bed post. (it's clean)

His peanut butter (the fools that mocked him mourned)

 Steven's kids