Happy Father's Day

Happy Fathers' Day to Dad!! It really snuck up on me this year...I didn't notice until about 10 PM last night....luckily you're a day behind and it's still Father's Day there and this is still on time!

Funny, I always have all sorts of little thoughts throughout the week "Huh, that might be something fun to write to my family..." but when I sit down to actually type them out to you...the memory just isn't there. I'm allowed to turn my brain off on P-day. Give me a break!

Kind of remarkable---yesterday I was getting frustrated that none of my investigators were really progressing and that I didn't exactly know how to help them. I started to really pray for greater inspiration and to find some new people to teach. Right after we had finished Church in the Pungho ward the Chinhae Bishop called me and told me that I had an investigator at that ward and that I should come meet them (People in Korea still haven't figured out the difference between a POTENTIAL investogator that I've never met and an investigator). So I was scratching my brain as to which person could have finally bit the bullet and headed out to Church...and we got there...it was a girl I'd never seen before. Turns out she's the non-member "not" girlfriend of the Bishop's son who is just barely about to turn 19. I think every person I saw that day emphasized to me that she's NOT his girlfriend--but I know better...she's got a sappy little sticker picture of her and him together stuck on her phone---and quite a ring on her finger...though in Korea that doesn't ALWAYS mean what you think it does. The poor girl was SO scared when the Bishop introduced her to me--that whole scared-to-death-of-the-boyfriends'-intimidating-Bishop-father thing....I can relate (just kidding Old Man!). I kinda felt bad for her. But she was really great while we taught her the First Lesson. I really like her. Answers to prayers always come--even if the method isn't exactly what you were expecting. I think it'll be really fun to teach her. I hope I can show her the love and comfort she needs to understadn the greatness of this Gospel.

There are few things that have been sadder to me on my mission than to visit Less Active members who served missions. How can one give so much of themselves and not take it to their grave and beyond? I don't get it! I look at all of the strong, happy families I've seen in Korea and in almost every case at least one, and usually both parents have served missions. What happens that that gap comes out? How does someone who preached it day and night for 2 years just let it go? I visited three such families this week, and I'm grateful to see I've seen a little improvement in each of them since my last visit. No matter what mistakes people make or how long htey disappear, the Lord will always welcome them back with open arms if they but come to Him. I'm grateful that your level of discipleship is always in your own hands and the only person who can keep it from you is yourself. No matter where you are you can always stand to "rise to a new sense of commitment" (First Pres. Message PMG page iv or v) and in continually doing so, you will never fall and forget what you had before.

The humidity has rolled in full force. My poor high and dry from Wyoming companion is having a rough time adjusting. It's not really bothering me so much this year (knock on wood). I step outside and it kinda makes me happy--and an "ahh--it feels like my mission" feeling overwhelms me. The only times I've been around humidity I've been on vacation. I used to hate it, but now it's just a pleasant little reminder that it's okay--I'm still in Korea (I've had some premature going home nightmares lately...). Either that or there's gonna be QUITE the storm in the Rockies this afternoon. People in Kroea don't understand me when I say the weatehr is different with no humidity, because most of them have never been somewhere without humidity. They ask me if there are four seasons in Colorado and I respond yes, becasue it's not Hawaii or California, and they just don't get how it could be different. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.


Well, there I go off about the weather...that's my cue to get off.

I love you all!

~R~