Well it was another fun week here in 평택 (Pyeongtaek)

So ya, it was another fun week here in 평택....

WOOHOO!!!

It was great, we had a great time and all considering that we get to continue being companions (Elder Scoville and I) so ya! We worked hard this week and it was a great old time :)

I wanted to talk a little bit about what I have been studying this week. So you know I have been doing a lot of study these days. And it is like WAH I love study time a lot (which I think will be good for the future... liking studying... weird) SO ya but one of the things that I have studied of late is the Christlike Attributes (chapter 6 of PMG) and it has been quite a revealing time to me. I spent last week studying a lot about hope and this morning gave me something that I wanted to just throw all in here.

So ya.. Hope.... In all of my studying and stuff like that I have really come to have a much greater appreciation for the word Hope. Hope along with Faith is the foundation of us all. It all comes in where we establish our Hopes and our Faiths which is on Christ. I have really come to realize that although I am serving a mission and teaching about Christ, I need more Faith and Hope in him. It talks about in Helaman 5:12 about establishing our "foundation" as Christ. Not only that but that if we do NOTHING that the devil can throw against us can prevail over us. WHAT A PROMISE! It is so cool to have that knowledge ain't it? Over the course of my mission I have come across a lot of trials. Both within myself and without. And the thing that I have come to realize is I need to have more Hope in Christ. In PMG there is an evaluation that we can take that kinda gives us a measure of kinda where we are when it comes to Christlike Attributes (it's at the end of chapter 6). So I took and and it really opened my eyes to the fact that I need to Hope more in him. 

Why? Well let me tell you.

In a recent conversation with President Furniss he said, "The atonement is already done" What a beautiful truth. The one thing that the entire plan of God hinges on is done. There is no possibility that the Atonement won't be made. None. The single most important element of the Plan of Salvation is done. Christ has the ability to, through his suffering, make us perfectly clean. If we accept his atonement, truly repent, he DOES make us clean. That is the cool thing. We need only accept that we are clean and move on. 

That is where Hope comes in. 

Satan wants us to think we can't repent. He will take all the crap of our past and throw it in our faces. He will do it, let me tell you right now. He does do it. But we need to have Hope in Christ, Hope that we (when we repent) are made clean. What a blessing to know that we can be made clean. I think about the scriptures and how many times that Christ without hesitation forgives sin. I look at Enos, hundreds of accounts in the D&C, Christ makes us clean. 

We need to accept that. We can't sorrow in the past and look forward "with a brightness of hope" for the future. It's not possible. Let me tell you first hand..... It is not possible. But when we accept Christ and his atonement we are made clean. We can make it home to God. We have to believe that. And I hope with all my heart that I can make it home to him.

So ya that was kinda what I went through this week. BUT this morning as I was studying I realized... "ya know I am not alone!" It is in 2 Nephi chapter 4 from verse 17 to the end of the chapter. Nephi, one of the (in my opinion) greatest prophets of the Book of Mormon, sorrowed from sin. But I love what he says. 

 26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath ^avisited men in so much ^bmercy, ^cwhy should my ^dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
 27 And why should I ^ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to ^btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my ^cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I^dangry because of mine enemy?
 28 Awake, my soul! No longer ^adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the ^benemy of my soul.
 29 Do not ^aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
 30 Rejoice, O my ^aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the ^brock of my salvation.

Nephi too held onto Christ. I got down after reading this and just offered a prayer that I too might have my soul "awake! and no longer droop in sin."

Sorry I am kinda mellow this week. But that's what went down. :) I love God, I love my Brother Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that I can through him be made clean and that I have been saved by his grace and mercy. I love this church, and I know it is true. What a blessing to get to share something that I love with others. :) So COOL!

SO ya! Also this week we had an awesome event:

We got a BAPTISMAL DATE!

So ya, one of our investigators (his name is 박정욱) accepted a commitment to be baptized on 5/6 (although according to the Bishop there is something that goes on that day so HOPEFULLY he just is diligent and get's his answer before that so we can just baptize him quick!) BUT YA! It was so good. He is so cool. Love him so much and I ask for prayers on his behalf (and if you wouldn't mind tossing some in their for Elder Scoville and I so we can have the spirit with us as we teach that'd be awesome)

So ya. I hope you all had an awesome week. Jenna I hate you (but am incredibly impressed by you) at the fact you got a 30 on the ACT. WELL DONE! You are an incredibly 똑똑한 동생 (smart sister). Good job! And Kellie, congrats on the Braces! Hope your face is feeling more free that it once was (I know that mine is, my teeth have moved some I think.... so ya....). I was so glad to hear about Alissa's experience on the hike, good job sissa! You are an example to your older Brother. Thanks :) ANd Katie Bug so good on your science project! WOW that's so cool that you are doing so good! (Just so ya'll know she's MY sister! Stay away! :))

Lastly Mom and Dad.... running 13 miles..... THAT IS DISGUSTING.... not fair... goodness that is nuts. Well done to both of you! Congratulations, My guess is you are in so much better shape than the grandpas behind me who sound like they are gonna die. Well done! Maybe one day I'll be in that kind of shape. That'll be nice! 

Familia thank you so much for all that you do for me! I pray for you every day. I hope you know the gospel is true. I ALSO hope that you enjoyed the little gadgets I sent home :) I figured ya'll would enjoy it ;). Dad I expect pictures of you in one of those ties! And Mom I am sorry that the scarf is kinda out of season. I know it's getting warm but I got that back around your birthday and this was just my first chance to send it home. All in all I still hope you enjoy it!

SO YA Love ya'll so much thanks for all that you do for me. Have an awesome week and I look forward to hearing from you again soon!

Love

Elder Josh.