It's been an awesome week to be honest. i'm just going to go ahead and go straight into it...
We met our amazing investigator earlier this week, 박상민 (Sangmin Park), and taught him the Word of Wisdom. But before we even did that, we did a quick review of everything that we've taught him thus far (Restoration, Plan of Salvation, the Gospel, other commandments) and asked him what he thought or if he had any questions/concerns. And his answer was one of the best things I've heard so far as a missionary. He said, "It's so easy". He talked about how before he met the missionaries, he didn't believe in God at all. But now, knowing what he knows, he says he's sooo much happier. He loves it every time we meet. And whenever we teach something he just thinks to himself that it all makes sense. This all being said, he accepted the Word of Wisdom beautifully, something that would usually be difficult. He's been smoking for ten years and when we told him he had to quit he was a bit wary, he wanted to quit next week. But the thing is, we told him that he had to quit to recieve baptism. His response, "Well, I'm quitting tomorrow then.", and he hasn't smoked since! His faith is an amazing thing to witness and he is no doubt 100% prepared to hear and accept this gospel...
Another amazing thing that happened this week: I got to go back to my training area to see Spomartial Kim get baptized! He was so ready. When he gave his short talk before he was baptized, he started to cry, and the Spirit filled the room. He truly knew the importance of the promise he was about to make and was truly grateful that he had the opportunity to get another chance to accept this gospel fifteen years later and meet the missionaries again. He's an amazing man and I'm excited to see how he and the rest of his family will progress.
With these two things happening this week, i had a chance to reflect on what my purpose is as a missionary. I could just regurgitate the old "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping...", which pretty much sums it up but when i try to define it myself, it's all about simply changing lives. When we teach and share the gospel, our goal is to help others accept and apply it to their own life, to change it for the better. There are people out there waiting to hear it like 박상민 and Spomartial Kim, and I've had the indescribeable opportunity of a lifetime to watch it take effect in their life and change right before my eyes. And not only is this time as a missionary meant to change others life but the missionary itself, and it definitely has. I actually know ho Christ is, why this is so important, and what I really need to do. We lways have more changing to do, and we have a lifetime to do it, to prepare for another life after this one. And there's always more change to come, both in others and in myself. I love being a missionary.
That's all I really have for the week, other stuff happened of course but I'd say these were the most noteworthy. Thanks for reading and writing!
-Elder Metcalf
1) Our investigator here in Gyeongsan, 박상민, he's the actual bomb 2) Spomartial Kim, or Brother 김정세, and all the missionaries involved in helping teach and fellowship him (minus Elder Kirkham who was in a far away zone, so he couldn't make it) 3) Brother 김정세's new family in Jungni Ward (added note: the short older man standing next to me is 도태환, my other investigator in Jungni who's scheduled to be baptized later this month, he's super sweet ^^)
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