3-30-15

Hello, familia

So big news this week was meeting the referral. It wasn't just the parents that came but also the daughter. Here's the story. There is a lady in America (born in Korea raised in America) that went to Korea 7 years ago and became friends with the parents. She is a member. They kept in contact and the parents had a really good image of the church. Their daughter is 10 years old and somehow decided to send their daughter to live with the friend for 3 months and study English. While there they went to church together and the daughter took all the lessons and then came back a week and a half ago. She wants to be baptized and wants her parents to be baptized as well. So we met them on Tuesday to give a priesthood blessing to the father because he got surgery last week. It went really well, we answered a lot of their questions and such and they are very interested. As soon as the father recovers we will be able to start meeting with them! Super awesome miracle and shows the power of member missionary work! Oh at the end we invited them to pray as a family and as we were walking out I told the daughter to teach her parents how to pray. She had a big smile then grabbed one of the restoration pamphlets on the way out of the church. Super awesome! 

Another thing that happened this week was teaching about the restoration on the bus in English. The guy was 26 and really good at English, super good. He said he was really impressed by the message of the restoration. He said he wasn't really into religion but he still said that it was very impressive. That is because it is true! :D

Church was a lot better than last week. I think everyone was just more settled since everyone received a new calling the week before. Oh we met with our new ward mission leader for dinner at his house on Saturday and it went well. He is excited to work with us and get the work moving along. 

This week I gave a baptismal interview with one of the district member's investigators. Very scary because it was my first. It went well. 

It has been very warm recently so we are now allowed to take off our suit coats. Today is the first day without our suitcoats. It is very warm.

We were going to climb a mountain, well hike, but our member told us to go next week when the cherry blossoms will be in bloom so the hike will be better. We just chilled today, did some shopping, got a haircut. The haircut lady was nice....but at first she thought we were Islam...then when we said no she then asked if we were Christian. Kind of funny. 

Sunday night we had another opportunity to give a blessing this week to a sick member. It was a great opportunity to serve! 

For my birthday the dinner appointment we had got moved to this week on Wednesday so I didn't do anything special really for my birthday. But that's okay!

Have a wonderful Easter and general conference. Remember not to spoil any of the talks next week for me since I see it a week later ;)

Love,

Elder Frampton

3-23-15

Hello family,

With the new bishopric change 3 weeks ago there have been a lot of changes including all the locks in the church. They decided to not let us have a clerk's office key where they used to let us do email so we are emailing from a sketch little community center so this will be a quick email just in case we end up getting kicked out, so if the email stops abruptly that is why...

Tuesday we met a past investigator that is Chinese and is doing grad school at a nearby college. Met with him in his lab and just talked about life and always about Christ. He understands the importance of Christ but not really about the need for the 'true' gospel and church. It was a good opportunity to meet a past investigator though. When we went there we didn't know how long the bus would take, we thought it would take an hour so we left super early beforehand just in case it took longer..But it only took 20 minutes so we ended up being at this college campus with not really anything to do or anywhere to go until the appointment. Just tried to get some students to talk to us in English. Didn't work too well...

On Thursday we met a member at the church and got to know him better and he is a really great member. We are trying to involve him in missionary work now and he is really willing to help if there is someone to meet and if he has time.

Friday we had an appointment with a referral from a member. 26 years old and the son of a past investigator. Didn't know anything beforehand about him so we didn't know how to prepare. He didn't have any questions beforehand either like the member said he might so the lesson was very dry but the Spirit was very present when we talked about Christ. We will be meeting him this week as well and he will probably come to English also.

On Friday afternoon we met this old kind of homeless looking guy that said he sees us a lot. He also said he passes by the church a lot...I then invited to give him a tour of the church but he said that tomorrow he has time. So we went back Saturday after English class around the time we said lets meet...he was there and when we walked up to him he said 'okay lets go look.' So obviously he remembered and was waiting for us...(we thought he might not have remembered because he smelled like alcohol the first time..). Well we showed him the church and introduced him to the bishop who was there cleaning and changing locks. The bishop asked the guy where he lived and the guy was just kind of quiet.....obviously homeless for sure at that point. Then the bishop asked if he had dinner yet....and the guy was quiet again....so then the bishop gave him 10 bucks....we felt super bad about him having to give 10 bucks but he was the one who asked even though he probably knew the answer. Anyhow we then took the guy upstairs to the chapel and prayed with I’m and then he left. It was a good experience I think, I felt the spirit and even though he may have been a little drunk, I think he at least had a good experience.. Just an awkward situation though.

After a very rough day at church on Sunday we went proselyting on the street for a few hours with very little success. Talked to one guy that had shown lots of interest but then said he was too busy to meet. After being tired and almost time to turn back and go home we get a call from an office elder telling us he had a referral for us from Salt Lake South mission or something like that. This girl in that mission is getting baptized and she talked to her parents (who live in Korea) to take the lessons too and they want to listen! So we called the guy and he was super nice and happy and looked forward to meeting us. He is actually getting surgery this week I think (it as kind of noisy over the phone) but he says that he has to recover for about 3 weeks so sometime next month he said we can meet! So that was a huge miracle! :D so thankful we also got a call from a member right after asking us to come over on Wednesday for a meal (my birthday) so that was also a miracle!

Well got to go!
Have a good week!

Love,
Elder Frampton

3-16-15

Hello,

Really good week in a really good new area!

First we went and visited this potential investigator at his bamboo tea making shop...apparently the tea is very healthy. We thought it would taste bad, but it was pretty good...anyway. Really quiet nice guy 42. Met with missionaries nearly 20 years ago. Kind of awkward at first because I didn't know what to expect, he didn't really either. Kind of sat there in silence while he worked, I thought maybe we would be just going and teaching a lesson but it wasn't like that necessarily. Anyway after talking just about him for a little (he was still not very talkative) I just jumped right in and said we wanted to watch a video together. We watched the Because of Him video. It really invited the spirit and created the perfect environment for talking about the gospel. We talked about how Christ and his gospel can help his life and answer his questions (he said he had no questions...), his silence now was different than before. It was more of a pondering silence and I am certain he was feeling the spirit. I offered a Book of Mormon and invited to read and he took it. Last time Elder Glover and his last companion met him (which was the first time) he rejected a Book of Mormon but I think the spirit softened his heart this time. We asked if we could come back the next week and he said that it was fine so we will go back this week! I see a lot of potential in him!

Tuesday night I spent maybe 2 hours or so just calling all the members and introducing myself. I think they liked it and I hope it builds their trust in me. I won't meet them all until next week because this week was stake conference. For stake conference because our house area is far from the stake center, we slept over at another missionary’s house from Saturday to Sunday. Actually it was Elder Luke from the MTC, it was nice being with a familiar friend. Their house was gigantic.

We went to find a service activity one day and we went to this one community center...they didn't have anything so they gave us directions to a service center 40 minutes away (that is not a long distance) walk. We went there and the one lady said that her 10 year old son (now 20) 10 years ago did the English program with missionaries and this was the first time since then that she has seen us! So she is now a potential investigator because she wants to learn English and she likes our church. So when she calls us with a service activity for us maybe we will be able to meet her.

Friday we had district meeting in the biggest area in our mission. Took 3 hours by bus to get there...not a bus you can proselyte on either. They give assigned seats and you aren't allowed to move. So I read "The power of the everyday missionary". On the way there once we got into the area it was snowing!!! It was awesome! Got there and there was like 3 inches of snow on the ground (it is the northern most part of our mission). Anyhow we got to the church had our meeting then sticker boarded as a district as we waited for our bus...got to the bus terminal right at the time we wanted to take the bus but there were no more seats and then the next bus an hour later had only 2 seats which we let the other elders have since they live farther...then we waited for 1 more hour for the next bus and the bus ride took nearly 3 hours back...long day of bus riding and just lots of bad luck. I was able to finish the whole "Power of the everyday missionary" with all the bus riding we had to do. We probably won't go there for district meeting again...

One of the things I learned about this week is the importance of questions. Questions to investigators, members, and to myself. Especially to me, they unlock the doors to frequent revelation. It is harder than it seems but it is worth it :D

Well, have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Frampton

3-10-15

Hello,

Big news, I transferred. After being in Geojeong for 6 months it was sad to leave. I am in the Daegu zone again (last time I was here was when I was in Kyeongsan for 6 weeks...). This time I am in an area called Gumi. Ward here about 60 people attending every week. Train ride from Busan was 2 hours and I had a late meeting yesterday at 4 so we didn't get to Gumi until 8. My new companion is Elder Glover from Sandy, Utah.  Super fun! Super newish house, not as big as my last one but a lot newer so it is nice and cozy.

So I will start with yesterday. Monday. We helped a Goejeong member move in the morning so I actually missed transfer meeting. He moved to a supppper nice apartment 2 times the size of his old one and very new. Moving out of the old house we had to move up and down stairs many times so our legs were super tired. Moving in the new house was just riding an elevator and moving stuff short distances very easy. Took like 3 hours total to move. At the end they tried to give us both 50,000 won (50 dollars) and we tried to deny like 20 times but they were making us take it. When they didn't look we set it down on the counter.....when we were getting in the elevator to leave Elder Suttner had told their daughter that we set the money on the counter and the wife ran back and got it and threw it in the elevator and I threw it out then she threw it in then as the elevator doors closed I threw it out....they were kind of mad so I hope things are alright later. We were just trying to be obedient so I think things will be fine....

Last week after our district meeting in a different area we were planning with the sister missionaries for a program that we are doing and as we were planning 3 random people walked in. college students, 2 guys and 1 girl. They said they had some questions and wanted to hear what we thought about them. Bible/doctrine questions. For about 1 hour we talked with them about their questions and in the process taught about the restoration, plan of salvation, and gospel of Jesus Christ. I was the oldest missionary so I was actually doing a lot of the talking and understanding. One Korean sister but she is a new missionary and very shy. We all felt like real missionaries. Teaching the gospel, feeling and following the spirit. I didn't worry about Korean at all and could communicate everything I wanted to pretty easily. The whole experience was a miracle. Invited them to learn more and then prayed with them and they left. If they call the missionaries and meet again then maybe more will happen but it was a big testimony builder for me.

My last Sunday in Goejeong was also branch conference. Had the new stake presidency there. Their first official visit as new stake presidency. Pretty cool. Total had 50 people in attendance. Usually 36 attend. 6 visitors and 6 less actives. It was a miracle to see a lot of those less actives there because most of them hadn't come once the whole 6 months I was there until now. Very good sacrament meeting and other meetings. 

Saturday as a branch we cleaned the church, spring cleaning, and then watched How Rare a Possession video together and ate popcorn and lemonade.

Good last week and now a good start to a good first week in probably what will be my last area. It will be good:D

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Frampton

3-2-15

Hello,

So the news for today is that this past Sunday we had stake conference and the stake president and his presidency were released and a new one was called. President Jo is the new stake president. He was the mission president's counselor before he was called. Elder Scott D. Whiting was there.

This week we met with Robert. It was really good because he and his mom brought his cousin along with. He is 17. Didn't become an investigator or anything but it was a really good experience for him I think because he had an opportunity to read from the Book of Mormon and feel the spirit. We were reading from the Book of Mormon together in English and the cousin was following along in Korean. Didn't really understand what we were saying really but I know he probably felt the spirit. Robert's mom translated a little as we spoke. He read along with us as we read. Maybe one day in the future he will have a desire to learn. We plan on talking to Robert's mom to work with him a little.

I went on exchanges to a different area again and we had an opportunity to help some guys move a piano down some steps. Good opportunity to serve! Also a lady from their service project bought us Krispy Kreme donuts and hot chocolate:D

Wednesday we went to the stake center and got to set up all the chairs for stake conference. It was a real work out. Us and another team of elders.

So we met this guy while proselyting. He had interest in English and we got his number. He texted us the following day and we set up an appointment for the next day.....we went to his house the next day and told him we were there. After 15 minutes of waiting for a text back we just left and started proselyting some more. He called maybe 50 minutes later and said he was out and that he will hurry back. By that time it was too late to meet him. He asked us what we would talk about when we talked about church and I talked to him for like 15 minutes about that. He said he was Buddhist but he didn't care if we talked about that stuff when we met so we set up and appointment the next day. That was the day I went on exchanges, so Elder Suttner, my companion, and the other Elder went to the appointment but he wasn't there again and didn't contact us back....so close to investigator! We had prepared super hard for the appointment just for it to fall through 2 times:/ it's okay though.

A little short thought for you all.

Another word for forgiveness is love.

Have an excellent week!

Love,

Elder Frampton