Dear Everyone,
I hope everything you're doing is really great, and you're all happy
and fulfilled. I think everyone here is doing pretty well. This week
the weather started showing some signs of maybe being different. It
was pretty usual (cloudy and rainy) for a while, with a few
interspersed times of slight warmth and sunniness. We also went to a
new place for our district meeting during this week---probably the
furthest area away from ours, called 안동 (Ahn-dohng), for the first
time, which was a little different. And the last time when we sent
e-mails, it was from a little government office at the base of a big
apartment complex in the area called 구미 (Goo-mee), that I'd never been
to before. After finishing, we walked back the way to the train
station, it started raining, and we met someone on the street who said
he'd seen the missionaries before on the street, and is a member of
the Catholic church. We simply shared with him about how we also
believe in Christ and his Atonement. He talked a bit more, and seemed
to like being able to share about his own faith. He had to cross the
street somewhere before us, so we didn't get to talk to him
anymore---but it was really nice to talk to him right after reading
what you had sent and writing back. We took the train back, and
someone we had met on the street a few weeks before was texting us,
and asked if we could meet that night to just talk more about church
and what we're doing. We went to the church to wait for him, because
it had seemed like he said he could meet a little later in the
evening. When we walked in to the buliding where our church is, we saw
someone waiting in a car out in front of it. When we texted him later
to ask about a later time, he said he was already waiting in front,
and we realized we had already seen him. We went back down, invitied
him back up, and talked with him for a while. His name is 민형제님
(Brother Meen), he worked for the military for about 30 years, and
after retiring he wanted to start serving other people more, so he
started working for the government office that deals with immigration,
apparently to help women who emigrate from other Asian countries to
get married get used to the country. Apparently in the past there was
a problem with people coming, getting married and becoming citizens,
and the going back to their home countries but without changing their
citizenship, and so the government has been trying to help them to get
used to the culture when they come so they don't feel as alone and
things like that. He helps them learn about culture, food, and other
things, pretty much just as a volunteer---he's a very kind and
generous person. While we were talking, he suddenly told us to wait
for a minute, went down to his car and came back up with a bunch of
little candy and crackers, and we ate them while we were talking. He
also mentioned that when he was a student, he lived in a building
together with someone who was a less-active member at the time, and so
the missionaries came to visit him pretty often, and often shared what
they were teaching with the other people who lived there, so he had
learned a little about the church. He also says he was raised
Christian, but feels that for a lot of his life he wasn't very good at
applying the things he learned, and so feels a lot of guilt because of
it. We talked about how not matter what, we can always be forgiven
through Christ's mercy and Atonement, and he said he believed it too,
but still isn't sure he's totally ready to be forgiven himself. We
agreed to meet later to talk about the program we're doing of teaching
English and the gospel, and he seems really interested and excited to
meet. I was really grateful we got to meet him.
On Tuesday we went and tried to visit someone named 이형제님 (Brother Lee
(Ee))---there's a lot of them, but he's the one we met in his house,
who invited is in, and who played Bach on an old guitar the last time
we visited him. He said he's feeling sick and not too great, so we
came back and got ready to meet some of the people we have been
regularly for the past few weeks---이형제님 and 박자매님 (Brother Lee (Ee) and
Sister Park (Pock)), who we've been doing our English program with for
a while. Brother Lee (Ee) was preparing for a really big test to
become a lawyer, so he couldn't come, but Sister Park (Pock) came, and
our branch mission leader also came and helped. We talked about
prophets, what they do and teach, and how we can come to know the
truth of the gospel for ourselves. She seemed to have some points that
she wasn't as sure about, but she was able to hear Brother Lee (Ee)'s
testimony, and it really seemed to help her a lot. The next day was
the district meeting in a different place---we had to take a train to
구미 (Goo-mee) and then a bus from there to the other area. It's an
interesting, spread out but at the same time kind of old-feeling city.
We had a really good meeting where we talked and focused a lot on
baptism, and the blessings that come from it. Afterward we started an
exchange with the district leader and his companion. I stayed in the
different area with his companion, 김장로님 (Elder Kim). We visited a
bunch of people, and met a new investigator, watched the Restoration
movie on a fancy box with a d.v.d. player and projector all in one,
and invited him to be baptized---and he said he would prepare. It was
pretty great.
On Saturday, we went to 구미 and helped out with a kind of church
open-house activity---not too many non-members came, but we were able
to talk with the members who were helping out, and to get to know
them. And older member who was there and helping at the same table as
me was really cool and nice, and talked about the temple and how his
children work for the church translating magazines and videos. Kind of
a sadder part of the week was that we got a call that Elder Pickard,
my companion, would be transferred to another area in the same zone.
It was a little sad---we've done a lot here together, met a lot of
people, and gotten used to some of the interesting parts and people
here---but it will be good. We went to the mission headquarters on
Monday, had a good meeting with all the other missionaries, and then I
met Elder Lainey, from Oregon (Portland and Beaverton), and we came
back together. He's really great, likes reading the Old Testament and
study guides, and quoting Disney and other movies---he's really great,
and I'm really excited for all the people we'll be able to help and
things to do together. I really have felt recently how much the Lord
has helped and blessed us and all the people here in very real and
strong ways, and I know that no matter what, whenever we're trying to
follow Christ's example and help others, things work out for the best.
I know that the gospel is true, and am so grateful for the blessings
it's brought in my life, mostly through all of you. I hope you're
always happy, and know how much I miss and love you. Thanks for
everything---keep it up.
-Elder Campbell
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