Sunday, January 16, 2011

BRRRR...Its the coldest it has been in ten years!!!!!!!‏

7:44 PM



Hello!!!!!
Man is it cold outside! Glad we have heaters and are blessed to live in a good house or life would be prett dang miserable at night! This last week has been a good week, we improved a little bit from the week before and managed to find three new investigators which takes us up to a total of four people who are meeting with us now! We reall have gotten to see some miracles inthe last few weeks! one of them came on tuesday when it was freezing cold and we were out proselyting and met a 20 year old kid and sat him down and talked with him, he was way cool and we set up an appointment to meet on thursday. Now you have to understand that we set up appointments with probably 3 people a day on the street and abvout 95% of them never talk to us again. On Thursday he actually answered our phone call and showed up to the appointment and it was amazing. We spoke of the restoration and asked him to be baptized if he came to know it was true and thats when it seemed that the spirit kicked in and guided the lesson! in the end we asked him to get baptized on the 30th of this month and he said yes, however he wasn't able to come to church this unday so that date will have to be moved, but a miracle nonetheless. The big thing I am realizing in Missionary work is that a ton of it relies on others agency and has nothing to do with yours! i love this work and the fact that we get to see miracles everyday!
With Love,
ELder Grant

Monday, January 10, 2011

No worries..at the dmz 11-28-2010

Hey Momma Bear,
Don't worry about me, I am still alive and Kicking though you might not find this next bit funny! WHen North Korea struck seouth Korea I was at the DMZ on a tour! It was the very end of our tour so everyone was leaving anyway but you could tell that something had happened! Lol Talk about a crazy thought, there I was looking across the DMZ at there army and people farming behind them while at the other end of it North Korea was attacking our side, Wahh...... No worries, all missionaries are living and look to stay that way! The funny thing about things like this is that most koreans just hear about it and laugh, cause NK does it all the time, however from what we here this time it is a little more serious with some response expected from our side, pray for the saints faith here to be strengthened that a war does arise. Things are going well with the companion and we are having lots of fun! Talk with dad about my debit card, its almost expired so my hands on that end once again have some more work to do because of me, I'm n sorry! Hope this last week was fun for you, can't wait to get some pictures! The one thing I could use at christmas is a new journal! The one you gave me beforee I left was done along time ago but I had bought two exactly like it in the mtc so if they have those blue and tan leather ones at deseret book I would love to have another one of those to finish out the last few months! I love you and am so thankful for all that you do momma bear!
Love
Greggors

Christmas miracles in the works 12-5-10

Hello, Christmas Miracles in the works!!!!!!!!‏
12/05/10
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Hide details Charles Greg GrantTo Aunt Tracie, Aunt Trisha, Carly Grant, Dad, Dan Adair, Grandma Adair, Grandma Grant, Grandpa Adair, Mckenna, Mom, Robin, Tanner, Tricia Hales, Uncle Joe
From: Charles Greg Grant (charles.grant@myldsmail.net)
Sent: Sun 12/05/10 8:07 PM
To: Aunt Tracie (tggran@yahoo.com); Aunt Trisha (caludy@burgoyne.com); Carly Grant (spunkyseaturtle@msn.com); Dad (grantk@byui.edu); Dan Adair (daniel.adair@myldsmail.net); Grandma Adair (bearmum2@aol.com); Grandma Grant (gay-grant@msn.com); Grandpa Adair (gadairrealtor@aol.com); Mckenna (kuzcomg@hotmail.com); Mom (tetonwildflower@msn.com); Robin (robing@sd215.net); Tanner (t.agrant272@gmail.com); Tricia Hales (tricialou@gmail.com); Uncle Joe (joeadairrealtor@aol.com)


Hello Family and welcome to the Korea Report, though all I know about is missionary work in Korea!!!!!!!!!
WE are set up for some pretty amazing miracles in this the month of our saviors birth! WE have about 12 investigators who have a good desire to be meeting with us whether it be for english or the gospel!:(I hate teaching english, if you can here my words never come to Korea to teach english!!!!!!!! Haha However among them we have 5 people who I am just way excited for! WE have two people who already have dates for the first sunday in January, we tried for christmas which no one really does anything for her in Korea but by chance both of them were busy that day! However we have another two who are absolutley miracle member refferals who should get baptized the week of christmas! One of them came to church for the second time yesterday, the first time was our first week here and I didn't know she was an investigator because I didn't know anyone at that point yet. but she showed up at church with her friend again yesterday and her friend was like재발, please teach her the gospel and yes I meant to put that Korean in their, it was what she said and it is how Koreans beg! lol So we were like fo course we will teach her, I was surprised but it was one of those good surprised! So this next week we have an appointment with her and her two daughters, the mom should gewt baptized and the two daughters will hopefully follow! The other miracle is sister임해원, she is friend with one of the laurels in our ward and has been to church already 5 times and if we can ever help her friend to get the courage up to ask her to be baptized on christmas she will get baptized then, last time when we asked about baptism she was really hesitant cause the mom asked first and then the missionaries followed, not her friend, so this next time will do it right! I think the bigger miracle than this girl going to get baptized is what it is teaching the 18 year old girl who reffered her and her family. Every time we have a lesson we get to see her testimony grow and it kind of opens the family up to one aNOTHERS tender sides because when the spirit is there all you can do is bear pure simple testimony and everyone in the family has done it at one time or another! The best was the first time we met in a teaching setting and asked her to follow the promise found in Moroni to read and ponder and ask! She was kind of silent so we asked her friend if she had done it and the answer was no, it was sweet to get to be able to bear testimony to both of them about the promise and then watch the laurels father who is the 1st counselor in the stake president teach his daughter a great lesson on the power of the holy ghost. In the end of the lesson we challenged both of them to read and pray together, follow up with one another and see if they couldn't help each otehr gain an answer! Its the same challenge I would give to everyone else who isn't sure, give it a try, read, ponder deeply, and pray! It doesn't matter what others say, if it is the word of god thats what it is and that is what you have to take it for! If you haven't tried it before해보세요, just give it a try you can't lose anything through jsut trying can you? I love this gospel and know that it is true and am so happy and glad to get to serve here in Korea at this time!
Love you all!
Elder Grant

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Keep writing people!1-9-2011

Hey I am on, sheesh, not an email in the inbox, what the heck, am I that old of a missionary? Lol
Love you all!

The stress just never ends does it 1-9-2011

Family,
This last one has been a cold one here in Korea and it sounds as though it was about the same there in america! Haha this last sunday our thirsd new convert was confirmed and all three of them are doing well especially shin song ah, the ward has just brought her right into the church and she is loving every bit of it. lim hae won is as good as any new 18 year old can be in the church and the one that is worrying me to death is lee bum chewn but he'll eventually come around before he has to leave for the army, I hope!
This last week has been a great week, one in which I have really been able to learnb alot and grow spiritually. We started off on tuesday of last week with Elder choi of the seventy speaking to us which was absolutley amazing and really helped me realize the need for obedience to even the very simplest things in life. Throughout life the only way we get blessings are simply by beeing obedient and strivcing to be our best selves! This morning as I was studying I read a talk by Elder Ballard or Packer to Mission presidents in the MTC a long time ago and he was speaking about missionaries and the spirit of obedience and how opur lights are brighter than most other peoples because we are members of the true church. We have to let our lights shine peop, live obediently to the lords commands so you can have the spirit with you and then go out and show others the light that comes from the true gospel, the light and truth we have can be seen by all and many wonder what it is that makes members of our church different, share it. There are so many churches in Korea that have lots of members it is crazy, but in one of my meetings with the ward leaders yesterday I heard something that made me kind of sad and calls for a more valient effort on our part. Other churches here in Korea are not the true church, we know that, and they don't. But almoat every member of a church in Korea is proud of the church they attend and most have specific service hours set every week to share the gospel, and they do it willingly adn boldly. But in this leaders words yesterday our church is the opposite. We pack the truth, but arent' willing to share it. Many members here in Korea and all over the world are ashamed to admit that they are members of the "MORMON" Church, don't be, say it with pride and then if someone comes back and starts dragging the church and its mebers through the mud, don't fight back but let them know the truth because truth in any case can never be proven wrong! Okay after my tangent lets just all make sure we stand up for and are proud of the fact that we attend the Churhc of Jesus Christ of LAtter day saints. its the truth. Life is going great here ion Korea, my companion is a different Kind of guy but we get along just fine and are having fun doing the work together!
I love you all,
Elder Gran
P.S. My english is getting pretty bad, Huh?Lol

The holidays are here! Or are they 12-12-10

The Holidays are Here, or are they there? Well in any case it's that time of year!!!!!!!!!‏


Merry Christmas from Korea everyone and welcome to the shinceon temple district!We have been really busy in the last week, tons of meetings and lotsof missionary work. Right now we have about 18 investigators and 5 ofthem are on the verge of baptism it is just a matter of helping themto realize the fact that baptism is a beggining and that the hard partis living according to the covenant that they make through baptism.Sister shin sung ha has decided to be baptized this next month on thesecond. Yesterday at church I was so worried when ten minutes throughsacrament she still wasn't there, however after the prayer I heard thedoor open and so I looked up and I don't think there could have been aperson with a bigger smile on their face there than I had at thatmoment! We had three investigators there yesterday, two memberrefferals and then the lady I just told you about, all three of themshould get baptized in the next month and hopefully the young womanwho is carlys' age will get baptized on christmas eve if we can everget her friend to ask because whenever we do it the situation justgets really akward even when the spirit is there, I think it issomething this young member has to do so that not only here friend canprogress in the gospel but so she can as well! We also have myfavorite investigator ever, his name is lee bum kewn, yeah yeah Iknow, almost as bad as gus foot huh mom?, anyway he is amazing! Onlyour second time meeting I was talking about baptism and he looked atme and said, can I be baptized to. We have been working with him sincethen. His job that had him working late nights on sundays andsaturdays ended this last weekend so this next sunday he is going tocome to church and his plan is to get baptized on the second ofjanuary as well. However he has a big problem with smoking anddrinking, and he is only twenty years old, he has been smoking sincehe was 14, crazy huh, it is wicked stuff, if you are in high schooland reading this level, or even if you are an adult, never get intothose bad habits. The good thing about him is that he really wants tostop so is trying. He was up to smoking three packs in a day a whileago and we have him down to less than one pack now and this last timehe told me, "I just have to do it, i can't go down little by littleanymore." So he handed me all of the ciggarettes and lighters he hadwith him, which was a fair amount mind you and that was that, so farhe is doing okay but he's not out of the woods yet, we should get himthere though! Man I love this work! I got an email from president leelast week and it looks like Elder Kim will be transfered this nexttransfer which happens a week early(This wednesday) because ofchristmas. I love elder Kim to death but I am going to be relieved ifwe get split apart, it is tough having a companion who is brand new tomissionary work and is really trunky. he saw his mom this last wek atthe temple and it sent him for a spin. I almost had to bodily keep himfrom sprinting up there to see him. Man it will be a big stressreliever once we are split up, the temple area deffinatley is not aplace to have Koreans, they see their girlfriends, parents, friendsand at least in elder kims case it causes him to lose focus andeventually for both of us to not be able to do the work aseffectively, he isn't very happy with me for keeping me from thetemple and his mom, but hey, we'll stick to the rules! We have hadtons of miracles lately, it is amazing! Last night for example afterwe tried to visit a less active member we set a goal of five peopletalked to and a return appointment with one of them. As we werewalking i saw a man about 50 feet ahead and said "He will accept thegospel!' Well we had a good fifteent minute long talk and in the endwe will meet him this upcoming saturday! Amazing miracles! I reallylove this missionary work! Christ lives and lets not any of us forgetthat this holiday season!With Love,Elder Greg Grant!!!!!!

Happy New Years! 1-02-2011

Hello Dear Family!
This last week has been the dream of all missionaries dreams! We started on christmas with our cinnamon rolls and activities for the ward We woke up around 7:30 casue we got to sleep in on christmas however it was basically just lying in bed for an extra hour cause after almost two years I have gotten to the point were when about 6:15 hits my eyes fly open automatically!!!!!!!! I can't believe, I, Elder Greg Grant, finally got to the point where it is just natural to wake up early! Lol So we woke up then and my new companion, Elder Nichols called his parents while I started th e cinnamon rolls! Wow, what a project that ended up being! I spent a good hunk of money on it and from 8 in the morning to three we rolled out and tossed in about 100 cinnamon rolls! When all was said and done and I was sitting there looking at them we both looked at each other sand said, well, they at least look delicious, we proceeded at that point to as most people would to taste our cooking and not to be too prideful or anything, but, dang, for a first time effort those were almost good as pillsbury dough boy style!!!!!! Haha Thats when the bigger part of our project started, the delivery! We have about 120 members here in the shinchon ward and we are serving in one of the biggest areas in the mission land wise and also people wise, AHHHHH>>>> Talk about delivery nightmare, no car, no money, what were we going to do? We went out to get all of those closest to the church and our house first and then started spreading out, it was bitter cold that day, just our luck, the coldest day of the winter yet plus the wind was just driving the humidity right through your bones, but we kept going and eventually got to the first counselor in the stake presidencies home, after wandering a half an hour aound trying to find the place, in the end our cold fingers and toeas all got there in one peice and we sang our song for them and left them with out cinammon rolls, about now it was 6 o'clock and I was thinking of the idea of just not going to outbacksteakhouse for Christmas Dinner so we could deliver more and I had the though, "Dang, I wish we had some way to get to all the members tonight, and bring them some christmas cheer." All of the suddent my phone was going off in my pocket, a blocked number, greeat the crazy who was calling me earlier in the day while I was on the phone with the family(P.s. He really is crazy and Kind of stalking us and doesn't like me at all becasue I told him to get off of our church property or I would call the cops!!! Crazy story, ask me about it when I get home, he is of no threat though!!). anyway the personal calling ended up beiong president park that we had just visited, he and his wife had been talking and were worried about us beign out in the cold all night and he said,"I know you won't quit so I want to help, I'll come pick you up!" It was an answer to a prayer! Wow, we saw so many miracles that day and in the end were able top deliver all of the rolls with an exception of two families! WE had a spiritual experience at every house as we sang a Christmas song and bore testimony of Christ! It really brought in the spirit of Christmas in a country were Christmas is more like valentines, a day for couples to get together! Next up in our incredible week was tons of other amazing miracles but the most amazing having to be the fact that we had three baptisms! I was on a high after our last one on sunday! They are all just amazing, prepared, children of God! lim hae won who is carly's age had a tough time making the trip down into the font beacause of an experience she had when she was younger making her deathly afraid of water but she took some pills to calm her nerves and was able to do it though the minute she touched the water her whole body went rigid and when she come out and went into the bathroom she was sobbing, but she was clean! My favorite of the three would have to be shin sung ah who is just an amazing thirty six year old woman who reminds me a lot of trish hales except for not quite as outgoing! She has ana amzing spirit and through all of the effort it took for us to get her baptized I really came to love her so much. She has such a special spirit and will be an amazing member! She is probably one fo my favorite people I have had the opportunity to teach her in Korea! Those two got baptized on Saturday after our new years morning party(The Morning Sunrise is bigger than th emidnight celebration here in Korea, Sounds like dads style!Lol), Then on Sunday we baptized brother lee bum chewn! He is a 20 year old that I called off of some old potential investigator forms and he agreed to meet and he made tdecision to be baptized, it took a giant effort on his part cause in 1 month he went from almost three packs of ciggarettes in a day to none! Amazing, for him to quit we really needed a miracle and it happened after last sunday! He had a short interview with the bishop to see how we could help him quit and then I gave him a blessing and in the blessing was a promise that if he truly wanted to follow the lords will that the lord would provide a way for him to quit. That night he got deathly sick, he went to the hospital and ended up bedridden for three days and didn't have the strength to smoke a single ciggarete. Thrusday and friday he was better but slept the whole two days cause he was so tired and barely made it to the chruch for his interview, and on sunday he had yet to smoke the entire week and said he felt no urges to smoke but that his body still felt a little bit sick, Cool Miracle huh?
SO overall the last few weeks have been amazing! I finally have a regular companion, when I first met him I could have sworn I was looking at a carbon copy of tanner with darker hair but now that I have gotten to know him some he and tanner are way different. They both talk 24/7 none stop but tanner isn't quite the nerd that he is! Haha We will have fun the next while together! Jesus Christ lives and loves each of you no matter your circumstancve!
Love,
Elder Grant

Christmas--no time to write today

Christmas!!!!!!!!‏
To see messages related to this one, group messages by conversation.
12/26/10


No time to right today, gotta go do missionary work and of course have a good p-day!!!!!!!!!! Christmas was great and it was fun to get to talk to everyone, I love you all!!!!!!!!!!
Love Elder grant

First Snow of the Year in Korea 11-28-10

Hello, Talk about bitter cold out on the streets, though not near as bad as it sounds like it is in Rexburg! WE had our first snow of the year yesterday, I think we got all of about 20 flakes, but everyone was crazed that it was"SNOWING" come on people, lets go up to the north of Idaho and see some real snow! Haha, this last week has been fun and we have seen many miracles, one of the miracles has come in the form of a young man we found last week! WE were meeting him for the second time on friday and we had planned to watch the restoration DVD with him but the DVD player in our church wouldn't work jso we had to go and borrow one from the temple which is luckily right by our church! Haha So we went up there with him to get the DVD player and while up there he got to walk into the lobby of the temple abd wait and we spoke about the role of the temple in heavenly fathers plan, you could feel the spirit in amazing force, it was a wonderful experience as we talked but after we watched the movie what happened next was even better! We were reviewing the restoration and how one of the key parts of it was the fact that the priesthood had been restored to the earth again. We moved from that to how you had to have the priesthood to be able to baptize and how baptism was only valid if you were baptized by someone holding that authority! AS we talked once again the spirit feeled the room and I kept getting the feeling that I needed to invit him to be baptized but I just couldn't find the right moment in the conversation and then I found it and said something about how baptism is needed to return to our father in heaven and he looked at me and said, "나도 침례를 받을 수 있나요?" or the equivalent in english of can I get baptized too? THe spirit once again filled the room and I came back with a probably overenthusiastic but happy response of "Of Course, lets talk about how!" Amazing but then before we ended we asked him if he had any questions and he asked about the temple. Apparently his friend died awhile back and as he heard our explanation of the temple he thought that it sounded right, that of course the lord would provide another opportunity for people who had not found his truth while upon this earth to learn later. He said that after he was baptized he wanted to prepare to do the ordinances for his friend in the temple! Wow, talk about Golden Investigator! The only problem is that until the 1st of January he is working a job that requires him to work the weekends from 8 at night to 8 in the morning so he is really tired and has a hard time coming to church. We almost had him out yesterday but in the end he was just too tired, hopefully he comes this next week! The rest of the week has been good, doing missionary work with Elder kim is good, he is still a young missionary so has a good desire and we see miracles when we are working outside every day, because of culture differences sometimes in the house we don't get along to well but for the most part we love each other to death! He always knows if I am mad cause I start speaking really fast english! Lol we laugh about that, I think it has only happened twice though! Haha About the only two times I have used ebglish in the last two weeks! Looking at the way I spelled that word I would say the effectsa are taking place! Life is great and we will continuew to work hard! Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving even if travel was a little bit hard, did anyone make it out for black friday shopping? haha
Love
Elder Grant

merrry 상탄철‏ 12-19-10

merrry 상탄철‏
12/19/10


Hello family and friends and welcome to christmas in Korea!!! MerryChristmas!!!!!!!This last week has been kind of a very complicated week but it hasbeen fun! Like I said in my letter last week, last monday was transfercalls and no matter how much I love Elder Kim I am glad that we gottransfered! Haha however I am his district leader still so we stillget to be with one another! I am really happy about that because Ireally do love him at times he is just hard to be with 24/7! Haha soif Elderkim got transfered what does that mean for me? Well thankfully I amstaying in shincheon ward because I just set 2 more dates this lastweek and I love it here, plus I will be training a new missionary fromAmerica. He still is not here because the missionaries from ourmission went home a week early so they could be with their familiesfor christmas. So during this last week I have been kind of up in theair! The first day I was with Elder Kim and his new companion becausehe moved to the area right next to us and the second day we saw asmall miracle happen! Last monday after email we went with some wardmembers to play soccer with one another and one of them was an 18 yearold young man who lived in america for high school for two years, 전준경,jeon kyoong, and I got to be really good friends with him. After I gotthe call from President about transfers and he told me I would have tobe in a threesome for a week I started worrying alot about what wouldhappen to our area if I was gone for a week. That night the firstthing I prayed about was finding a way for me to stay in my area tolook after my investigators for the next week. As I prayed for thatmethod I thought of him and remembered that he said he was going toquite his job the next day. A quick call to president later and I hadsecured the permission I needed to make it happen! i gave him a callon wendnesday night and he said, "will I have to cut my hair, soesthat mean no music?"The answer of course was yes! I have no idea why Ithought of him for being my companion because he has supper long hairand is kinda one of those kids whom just seem to cause their parentshair to stick straight up! Haha he said that he needed some time topthink and twenty minutes latter he was on the other end of the linesaying, "Lets do this!" The last few days with him have beenabsolutley amazing! My biggest worry was making sure missionary workwas fun for him so that he would want to go out in a year when he wasplanning on going out. We have had tons of fun but I think what madethe biggest difference was that the first day we had an amazing lessonwith an investigator that the senior couple found and we are teachinghim together because he lives in our area! I was guided by the spiritin that lesson to speak about his son who had died and the temple andhow he could be with his son again. He had several obstacles toovercome like pmg says but we worked through all of them and at onepoint he broke down and cried and said, "I don't know what to do, Ijust don't know what to do." His circumstances are really tough and heknows the church is true but if he switches churches he will lose hisjob. At the end of the lesson he had decided to come to church. we hadthat lesson and following that spirit I sat down with jeon kyoong andtalked about the purpose of the missionary and the reason for what wedo. It really helped him understand the gospel a little bit more andit has turned this week into a great week of missionary work! Hopeeveryone has a great christmas on this next saturday, I can;t wait tospeakto you!Love,Elder Greg Grantp.s. Carly, he befriended you on Facebook!Lol

It's that time of year! 11-30-10

Yes mom I got the package, no worries, i won't be left christmasless!Lol thanks for sending the recipes, if I can find all of the things Ineed hopefully I can make christmas a little bit happier for others!Hope you got kenny's program on tape, I definatley want to see that!Lol I have two packages in the mail to you. One is kind of a smallerone and one is a big one that is on a boat, the smaller one hasletters for people and a book of mormon for t, sorry I sent it lastp-day and meant to take more video but ran out of time. The second oneby boat is christmas presents and Korean stuff with some of my thingsas well if you could save them for me. Names are on the shirts forwho's they are! I will call on christmas eve in america and it shouldbe between 5-10, so if you could all be at home I would love you, noneof this going of skiing or up to the woods on that day! Haha I amloving life right now! In two days I will get my new greenie, i can'tdecide whether I would prefer an american or Korean, both have theirperks but I think an american coming to a foreign country two daysbefore christmas could drive me nuts, I garuntee he would be homesick,lets hope for a Korean then! haha Hope you have a great time attarghee, Have a good long list of things to talk about, lots aboutschool, work, and things that need to happen when I get back would begood cause it is the last time we get to talk directly before that! Isure love all of you,love,Greg

Back to District Leader 11-21-10

Wow, so this last week has been a hectic one but one of the most fulfilling of my whole mission! As i am finallyt out of the zone leader position I am finding I have a lot mor time, I still have a lot to do as district leader but it can all be done at nights and in the morning and I only have to do 2 exchanges compared to the 10 I had to do each transfer before! All this extra time on my hands and wow, are we seeing miracles with it as we use it wisely! It seems like almost everyday we foind somewone around the church and ask them if they would like to go look at the temple and they say yes, it makes a great opportunity to explain about the plan of salvation and then shift into the restoration which what brought us the knowledge nof that plan! The Temple really is amazing! We had two people to church this last week, one a sister that I have come to love in the last two weeks, shin song aa, no worries she is almost forty so it is not that kiond of love!Lol She met the sisters a couple of times before we got whitewashed in and she is just an amzingly prepared person, she has such a sweet and yet tender spirit, she feels the spirit and reacts to it like none of my other investigaators ever have, she is very tender when she feels it, but because of those promptings it is strengthing her sprout of a testimony into something solid really quickly. We also have a reffereal from a girl carly's age in our ward. Her friend lim hae woon, these girls are so funny and yet a couple of the most quite girls that I have ever met! SAhe has been to church three times and yesterday for the first time we met her. She will probably get baptized in the next four weeks and she said that she told her mom about how our church is just like one big family amnd the feelings she feels every time she comes and she said that her mom wanted to come and check out our church for herself as well and she said if the mom comes so does her little sister who is one of the top ranked 16 year old girls in Korea for none other than TENNIS, we will definatley have to go play some time! Haha Things are going good here and well, we will just keep onj doing the Lords work!
love you all,
Elder Grant

I finally leave after over a year 11-17-10

Elder Grant has finally been transfered out of the kangseo stake afterover a year, I am going to miss everyone there! I got moved to a newand an even better area. The whitewashed the area that the temple isin and sent me and my new companion to it! I live five minutes fromthe church and our church is conected to the temple yards, talk abioutclose!Lol My new companion is elder kim byeoung eww and he is in justhis second transfer so he hasn't even hit three months yet and he'spure Korean, and one of the few who don't speak even a little bit ofenglish! This is the first time I have spoken english in...oh... aweek now... kinda crazy hbut it should help my language skills a ton!The new area is absolutley amazing. With the temple right next to ourchurch it provides constant questions and we see a lot of miraclesbecause of the spirit that the temple brings. The funny thing is thatall on the same block as our temple there is a jehovas witness church,bhuddist temple, a 'HUGE" presbyterian church, and we can add inseveral other little tiny denominstions as well. There are so manychurches in Korea, living in america you simply can have no idea abouthow many there are. You go up on a roof at nighttime and across thearea you can see there will be over thirty bright red neon crossesshining, it's crazy! Inn my new area they have 3 of the best schoolsin korea, or in other words the Korean IVY league equivalent, makesfor quit the party town but we are seeing miracles every day! One ofthe best ones we have had so far was this little old disabled man whorides around on a handicapped wheelchair and lives in what looks likea little hut from world war two surrounded by other little huts,probably some of the most third world stuff i have seen in korea. Thestory behind this man is that he used to be one of the biggest gangbosses in Korea, you shake his hand and his hand is huge and you canfeel the strength that used to be there, Kinda like shaking grandpagrants hand except he still has tons of strength left in It! This mandid tons of bad things and says for the last forty yeaars he hasregretted all that he has done and hasn't been able to find peace,every church he has gone to has condemned him for his actions and hesays he never felt at peace until we came along! We had an amazingspiritual discussion in his little hut that i cant stand up straightin and commitesd this little sweet soul to baptism and coming tochurch and he agreed to all of it, amazing, he felt the spirit and isnow acting on it! We will continue to see miracles evere day, Love youall,Elder Grant

Miracles! 11-7-10

Hello Family! How are all of you?

This last week has been crazy hectic with a lot of leadership meetings and other such stuff going on in the mission and the zone but nonetheless it has been fairly satisfying! I feel as though the Lord has blessed us to be able to use our time more effectively as of lately and while we have been seeing much success this week things finally worked out in our part! I am way excited, we found a mother and her daughter to teach plus we now also have a part member family’s mom we are teaching as well. After 8 months of being here in this area I finally got her husband and two little boys who are members to come out to church, now it’s just a matter of working with her! Our baptism from last week was confirmed yesterday and once again it amazed me as I participated to feel the lord’s spirit in such abundance! We have seen some pretty cool miracles from the beginning of this week to the end and they just seem to not stop its almost as if once again the doors of heaven have been opened in bangwha! Lol for example a couple of nights ago as we were out on the street tracting we ran into this kid and had a great 154 minute talk. He had been a foreign exchange student in Utah and had lived with an LDS family. He said that he had always wanted to meet the missionaries in Korea but had never known how to find them and that the one time he had seen them he was riding a bus and they were walking on the street. He was way cool and way interested in the church. He said that the example the kids in Utah set for him had had a really big influence in his life and because of that he wanted to learn more. He couldn’t come to church yesterday cause he had a test but he promised to come to church this next week and we should meet him a couple of times before that as well, cool, huh? Lately in My study I have been studying a lot in 3 nephi and it just impresses me more and more as I continue to study it, christ’s love for all of us is absolutely amazing. I think one of my favorite parts comes in chapter 19 verse nine where the nephrites are praying for that which they desire most. It really made me think. When president Burton was here he told us that we should be careful for what we desire because the Lord Grants us our greatest desires, it really made me think what my hearts desire is at this time, am I in line with the lords desires? As I thought of that I thought about just life in General as well, we should ask ourselves many times in a day whether or not our desires are in line with the lords, are we striving to be what he would have us be, do what he would have us do, if we look back and try and bring our desires in line with his everyday I think it would go a long way to bringing us closer to him and also in allowing us to have the spirit more! Pretty cool that that is what the nephrites did and their hearts desire was answered. All is well on my end of the world, if not a little cold and wet with all the rain and wind! I sure love this work and at times wish that the world would stop spinning so I could just keep doing it! I love you all, Jesus is the Christ and he loves each and everyone of us!

Love,

Elder Grant

Crazy day at church 10-31-10

Hey Family,

So I have been sitting here for the last half an hour trying to write you a letter but I seem to keep getting calls from president and the Aps concerning a certain two elders in our Zone who apparently think they are above the rules, geez, I hate calling people out on things. Anyway now that we have that all sorted out I can get down to the business of taking care of the family!Lol So we had a baptism this last Sunday of a young man my age, he’s got a long way to progress before he’ll take off on his own in the church but if we keep an eye on him and help him come closer to Christ eventually he will get there! Yesterday was a crazy day at church, I don’t think I have ever felt so stressed in all of my life! Haha we had a baptism candidate who was twenty minutes late my best friend in Korea, our ward mission leader, going less active and another investigator 15 minutes late to our appointment to take him to the church, yikes, talk about blood pressure spike! However in the end miracles abounded, my favorite person in Korea came to church and talked to me for half an hour about our bishop and his counselors who are seeming to wreck our ward. In Korea every ward has one person who argues with everything that is said and six weeks ago it was bishop but then he got called to be bishop, hopefully it helps his family, and I explained to kim unn sook our ward mission leader and my best friend in Korea, about just following our leaders and supporting them no matter what so long as there actions confirm with the gospel, I told how you taught me that dad, back in deacons quorum when I felt like the young mens presidency wasn’t doing anything and so wondered why I should go. in the end however he expressed how he knew that the gospel was true and that he would never leave the church but then said he was going to move and switch wards when I got transferred, you have to understand the Korean culture to get this story!Lol These last two weeks have been rather slow but we are still working hard! Sorry for sounding negative last week, it wasn’t as bad as I made it sound, just having a tough day and feeling the stress from all of the different things that I have to do! Yikes Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Grant

Just wanna be normal missionary 10-25-10

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhh………I want to be a Normal missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello family and yes I just want to be a normal missionary! This last week has been I tough one, I think I we have been in our area for a total of like three days and it’s starting to take its toll on both my body and our area! We have a date for this upcoming Sunday for a guy who is my age, he’s a little bit of the loner type but all he wants t do is follow Christ’s example so he should be good. Our investigators are all hitting the wall, they are either not willing to progress so we have to quite meeting them or they feel to much pressure from us about the church and its doctrine so they just don’t show up to their appointments, that one drives me nuts, if you have an appointment keep it or just at least tell us you can’t come. Anywho, Hope you are all doing well, life is fun and the missionary work goes on. I was out in my last area in sheheoung for exchanges yesterday and got to see four out of the five people that I baptized out there plus just out of pure coincidence got to meet some of my investigators including the group of 16 year old boys I taught just on the street as we were proselyting. Weather has gotten really cold lately so its time to break out the coat and hope I last through until the end of February where it starts to warm up a little bit!

I love you all,

Elder Grant

Happy Birthday Dad 10-17-10

Hey Dad,HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! I think it is now legal to say that your getting young again! haha Hope today was a great day for you! Sounds like life is busy as always out where you are at, hopefully you're happy with all thats going on! I sure am loving life here as a missionary! I love everything about it, getting to fell the spirit, recieving daily guidabce everything. I had a really humbling and testimony building experience for me this last week and it truly has me amazed. I was out in my old area, sheheuong, to do a baptismal interview and during the interview this man had several problems but was willing to overcome them all and near the end of the questions you have the question about keeping the sabbath day holy, I asked him this question and he responded that he had no problem but that two times a year during his workplaces busiest time he would have to work on sundays but other than that he was good. It was at this moment that I felt I had to say something about his working on sundays but I had no idea what I needed to say so I kind of just shrugged it off and was about to move on when he finished speaking when the feeling came once more, at this point I was finally able to get out of the way and recognize that it was someone elses thought patterns going through my mind and not my own so I opened my mouth to speak. I didn't kknow what I was going to day at that time but for five minutes I went on with this man in perfect fluent Korean. In the last year and a half I have gotten to be okay at Korean but its the hardest language in the world for americans to learn so I was nowhere near fluent, but for five minutes as words came out of my mouth I was. I told him that at some point in his near future there would be a shift in his life requiring him to work on sunday and that at that time it was time to quite his job and find another one. I told him it would be the hardest thing in his life but that if he would do it it would bring his family who are all already members greater blessings then he could ever imagine. I can't really describe what happened there in words, but I know with almost 100 percent surety that it was the lord working through me. I felt the spirit in amazing abundance and he did so as well. He told me that he understood and would always remember what he had felt and heard while we were talking. Hopefully somewhere down the road those words remind him to come to the lord. It was an amazing experience for me. I have had places where I thought I was speaking as the lord wanted me to speak but never before have I felt as though I was acually an instrument like that, for words to go directlyto one of his children from him. Amazing experience and I just wanted to share it with you, you always taught me the importance of living with the spirit, I didn't fully understand why or how to do it, but I think now I understand why however the how is going to take some time! Thanks for all you have done for me dad. your influence in my life is bigger than anyone elses here upon this earth, I love you and can't wait to see you after serving our lord and savior honorably here in the land of Korea!Love,your son, Greggors On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:58 AM,

:Hey buddy, Just got back from home teaching. We talked about the importance of couples praying together and reading scriptures together. I think that if the ward couples would learn to pray and read together we would have many fewer problems in the ward. Too many think that they are too busy for this Pause for family prayer! I'll be right back.... Now Michael has kicked Tanner in the face and Carly told Tanner he deserved it and...well, things haven't changed too much since you left. Oh the joys of being a parent. Not much to report--worked about 60 hours this week and I am still behind; church has been somewhat mellow. Lots of new callings in the next two weeks, so back to the training board; I hope that all will go well. Much love, If the boys go down easily, I'll be back; if not, know that we love you and pray constantly for you. Dad

Allergies...when you're older? 10-17-10

DO allergies come out more when you get older? I have never had allergies in my life until now, I hate it!
Hell Family,
Yeah, I hate allergies but its a good thing you can walk into any pharmacy in Korea and they will give you any drug you ask for for way cheap, i am amazed that they don't have very much drug abuse here because of that! This last week has been absolutely amazing, we have seen miracles around every turn and I feel now more than ever that the lord is guiding me in life. We found two incredibly prepared young men this week and both dropped everything to come to church with us on sunday. One of them has already decided to be baptized on the last sunday of this month! IT's so much fun getting to watch the gospel of christ weork changes in peoples lives. This last week i have been studying alot about christ's leadership abilities and his teaching abilities. The thing I have learned the most is love. Love for anyone you interact with. If their is no love in a situation no one responds in a manner which is effective in accomplishing anything. Take for example this young man we are metting that is severly handicapped. He is a pain in the neck and calls non-stop but just hangs up when you pick up(Litterally he called250 times in one day). We had just finsihed english class and we were talking to him and he was just being a pain in the butt and not being respectful to the members or us so I was letting him have it pretty good and you could tell that it was making him hurt inside. I felt like he needed love at that momen, I remembered mom with kendall and how he does things better through feeling loved than anything else. At that moment, I got on my knees and looked up into his drooping face and said,"There is only one thing you need to know buddy, Jesus loves you and I do too!" In that one instant his face went from frown to a beeming smile this most amazing smile I'd seen fromanyone. We spent the next 20 minutes talking of Jesus's love and how we need to follow the example he gave us so we can feel that love even more. It amazed me that by simply softenting my voice and changing what I was talking about that I could get that kind of reaction out of someone! I love this work, I pray for you all, hope to see you in the not too distant future!
Love,
Elder Greg Grant

Crazy Good Week 10-10-10

Hello Family and welcome to week number two with Elder Kwak and life in Seoul.

I am still here in Seoul in kangseogu in an area called Bangwha! I really love getting to serve here, the members are not the best at helping with missionary work or loving one another but we sure love them and they love us back in return, it’s just a matter of helping them realize the importance of the gospel. Take for example a family that we are meeting right now, one of my favorite ever. Her English name is Julia and her Kids are Alex and Candy! They are so stinking cute and the whole family including the dad is extremely prepared, no word of wisdom problems which is rare in Korea and they don’t attend another church, its been fun to help them build a belief in Christ from the ground up! Julia really has gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the church in the past three months; you can see it in her eyes. They have lots of concerns about starting to attend church but they have committed to start coming at the beginning of November. We have been looking to find a way to help speed that process up and we thought we had found it last week when we found out that the little daughter was best friends with a little girl in the ward because her dad was helping us teach and then even better we found out that the sister in our ward is their sons English teacher! We thought we had found a key into helping this family progress better! A couple of days ago we went to this ladies house to ask if she could help us teach one time or even if she would just come out to an activity we were planning with them and she flat out said no! She was not very nice about it either and quickly changed the topic. I brought it back around to it again and explained that it would be a big help and also that it would bless not only their family but hers as well “NO” I am his teacher so I won’t do it, its to much of a word they use in korea that can’t be translated but kind of means pressure. I have probably never been madder on my whole mission. For goodness sakes people if the gospel is true I don’t care how much부담 you feel if you don’t share it you will pay the consequence in the next life, I am still mad just thinking about it. Any way we also saw some other way cool things this week. We picked up a new family of four and we also set a baptismal date with a sixteen year old student who is fairly severely Handicapped. I was wondering dad or mom, what are the “Guidelines” for a situation like this? He can tell the difference between good and wrong and he understands what we tell him when we teach but as soon as he leaves the room whatever we said is all gone, do we baptize him? President says baptism is a gift and needs to be given to all and I would kind of agree on the same lines cause we can’t judge who is accountable and who is not only god can do that, what do the general authorities say? Anyway, it was a great week, we say tons of success and had met the standards of excellence by Friday in time to be able to “Relax” and enjoy general conference! Haha My favorite talk was the one about the scorpions and following the instructions that are given to protect us, what were all of yours? Well this week was great and hopefully with all 28 investigators we have we can get some of them to the waters edge and then give them the Holy Ghost!

Love ya’ll,

Elder Grant