Wonderful Baptism in Chungjang Ward

Today at 8:58 PM

On Saturday 조백열 and 민유란 were baptized!! They have made a huge change in their lives and in their entire countenance over ther past few months. I have only been here for the end of the process, but only a couple months ago they would hardly let the missionaries talk to them about anything spiritual, but now they are eager to learn, to act, and now to begin a new life under sacred covenant with God. Their daughter converted to the church a couple years ago and is currently serving in Seoul, but she came down for the day to attend the baptism of her parents and it was so amazing to see the joy the gospel can bring, especially as these amazing people begin to enjoy it together as a family. It was an amazing experience!

 

We've had some struggles meeting and teaching a lot of our investigators this week, so we'll have to focus more on finding new people this week, but I am so excited because we have so much good potential for God to work some miracles this week! It is getting pretty cold and wind lately so chances are it won't be an easy week, but I know that it will all be worth it because the worth of souls truly is unfathomably great in the sight of God!!

 

I made the interesting discovery recently that soy milk is actually really good! I don't know if it's just because Korea doesn't really have a lot of real milk and I'm just deprived of what milk is supposed to taste like, but soy milk is cheaper than normal and it turns out to taste so good too! Who would have thought!

 

I also have been impressed this week by an interesting pattern with Koreans. I don't really know the reason, but it seems like Korean people are really "dreamy/visionary" people in general, and not just within the church. I have heard multiple experiences of people who have had some pretty incredible, meaningful dreams and apparently it's not rare here. For example, one of our members' non-member mother had a dream before she was born of her as a missionary with other missionaries, which ended up being one reason that softened the mothers heart enough to let her daughter serve a mission later. It's really pretty interesting. I wonder why...

 

This week I have focused on hope! I learned more that hope is trusting that God will fulfill all His promises according to our faith and obedience. I have realized that God makes sooooo many promises to us and almost all of them are dependent on our willingness to trust Him enough to obey His commandments. I think that definitely applies with missionary work, both as a full time missionary and a member. God has promised us the ability, opportunity, and guidance to share these precious truths with His children. We just have to have the faith, the hope, and the love to put forth our imperfect, yet diligent effort to try!! I know He has the power to bless, guide, and consecrate our efforts as we rely on Him!

 

I love you all and hope you have a wonderul, hope, faith and love filled week!!

 

Love, Elder Tolman

A wonderful difficult week Nov. 17

This week has been bitter-sweet. We had so much potential at the beginning of the week but had such a hard time meeting people. Some of them were just busy and some stopped answering calls. I think that Satan knows this is God's work and that God is prepared to really pour out His power and blessings on our mission and our area and Satan is doing everything he can to hinder it. But he can't compete. Bring it on. 

Regardless of our setbacks, Brother Jo and Sister Min, our beloved investigators with a baptismal date for next week, are still on track! He finally threw away all his cigarettes and is ready to quit. It's going to be tough this week, but he has so much desire. During our lesson on Sunday, I mentioned he would have to be clean for this whole week and he cut me off and said "No, I need to be clean for eternity." He's definitely got his sights set. I'm so excited for them. They are amazing!

We also have just had a lot of opportunities to learn and improve ourselves this week, which was such a blessing. I have been thinking a lot about the beauty of the promise of sacrifice. In True to the Faith, it mentions that sacrifice is giving up something we value for something of greater worth. God provides us countless opportunities to give up ourselves, our things, or our ways with the loving promise that it will always be worth it and that he will overcompensate every cost. Every commandment and every principle of the gospel is an opportunity to partake of the promise of sacrifice, trading our imperfect selves and accompanying results for God's glory, power, and blessings. I am working to more fully sacrifice myself with faith in the reality of the power of Christ's atonement.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Elder Tolman

Another great week in 충장 Skyler Tolman

 

Nov 10 at 8:23 PM

This has been another great week. Our two investigators with baptismal dates are doing well, but they are progressing kind of slow and I don't know if they will make it by the 23rd, which is their baptismal date. 조백열 (Jo Baek-Yeol) is still struggling with Word of Wisdom. I know they will make it to baptism, so if not on the 23rd, then definitely soon after. They are amazing.

 

We also met with another new investigator this week who is pretty amazing. His name is 김형호 (Kim Hyeong-Ho) and he is 72 years old! We met him on the street and he is just a really sincere adorable old man who wants to follow Christ and is willing to study and act in any way he needs to to do so. We set a baptsimal date for December 8. I love teaching him.

 

I have been doing well this week and have been thinking a lot about progression and such. Something I feel like I have come to the conclusion of again and again, especially on my mission, is that God cares a lot more about us learning, growing, and gaining experience than He does about most results. I also know that as we seek to improve and progress, the only way to truly do so is through the atonement of Jesus Christ. This morning I reviewed Ether 12:26. The closer we get to God, the more we will realize our imperfections, but as we consider them as opportunities identified to progress and then rely on the cleansing and enabling power of the atonement through humility and faith, God can really help us to be more than we could ever become on our own.

 

I know that this really is God's work and that He really is such a real part of it. Let's truly become a light to others and let the joy and power of the Gospel shine!

 

I love you all!

 

Love, Elder Tolman