First of all: Titles are surprisingly difficult to come up
with on the spot and also when you type "Transformations" it kind of
just makes you think of giant robot car superhero people things. At least is
does to me....anyway on to the letter.
Hello Family and Friends,
Greetings from the pleasant and surprisingly brisk fall life
the Korean missionary, Elder Tucker. Life in 천안 continues and the work is progressing.
It's funny, often times it grows and slows and moves in ways I would never
foresee, but the Lord is at the helm. One fun example from this week was Wednesday.
All of our appointments cancelled. All of them. Backups. Gone too. It was
looking pretty dim. We had a lunch appointment at the bishop's house (which was
delicious. #the rice and 김법 life)
and left with the full expectation to be one the street just doing 전도
or proselyting as we call it in English, when we got a surprise text. His name
was Bryan (his adopted English name) and he saw our number from one of our
advertisement flyers for free English. He said he had tons of time and could
meet in an hour if we could. WHAT? Crazy miracle, right? So we meet and go to
the church and on the way he tells us that he's seen tons of missionaries like
us before. (A very unusual thing because there are 6 missionaries in a city of
600,000) When he was little he lived in a nearby city and used to live right by
the LDS church there. He used to play basketball with the missionaries all the
time. He never met with them for discussions but wants to perfect his already
great English--kind of lose his accent-- and wants to know what makes our
church different from other churches. Golden! Plus he wants to meet three times
a week. Nice! Long story short: God is good.
Also meet my new flat mate: Elder Lee or 이승원 장로
as we say in the Korean. He is an awesome 24 year old, really funny, nice, hard
working missionary. In Korea there are a bunch of older missionaries because
Korean guys also have two years of mandatory military service. So yep! I am
doing well and God is good! It's moving onward and upward!
2.0
The inspiration for the thoughts come from Elder Bednar's
"Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease" talk from April conference and from
Mosiah 24.
Recently I've been praying for an "increased capacity
to do." I've just wanted to do more and do it better and need His help to
improve. I need to pray for an increased capacity so that my burdens can be
made light. I have really felt that happen! My frustrations and angst evaporate
as I study the Savior's words. I need to
pray to be "empowered through the Atonement to act as an agent and impact
my circumstances." For "in the strength of the Lord I can do all
things!" The strength of the Lord is the enabling power of the atonement.
It allows me to: do good and become
better in the ways that stretch far beyond my mortal capacities."
He is the way! I love this gospel and know it is true.
Onward and upward!
Elder Tucker
