HEART AND SEOUL

"HEART"

China has had a love affair with BYU young people and their talents for decades and have frequently sponsored youth entertainment groups to various cities in China. Always with the understanding there would be no efforts to proselyte the LDS religion. Thirty-four YOUNG AMBASSADORS and their directors spent the last three weeks in China and an additional week in South Korea. The culmination of their performance was held Saturday night at one of the most beautiful Opera houses we have ever been in. The house was packed with of course mostly members of the church. This was one of the events sponsored by the church Public Relations dept. and it was enjoyed by several VIP Korean officials and Korean investigators along with their missionary hosts.
As good as it was with singing and dancing numbers taken from several favorite musicals, the spiritual treat came Sunday night at a Fireside held in a Stake house. Their entire theme was celebrating the life of Joseph Smith and the true beauty of their spirit brought tears to most of the eyes of those attending. The program was in choral, solo's, instrumental numbers and narration. Where Saturday nights performance was geared to China's strict requirements, only in a country where freedom of religion exits such as South Korea could they have presented such a Fireside. After arriving home, all of these young people came to the temple grounds for their last experience in the Orient before returning home today.

"SEOUL"

The Young Ambassadors Tour is one of the many events that will take place between now and the end of July. Literally thousands of past missionaries and their families are making plans to attend the fiftieth anniversary of the church in South Korea. Indications are that many of them will want to attend the temple. The very thought of trying to accommodate so many presents deep concerns. There are still only three American couples but thankfully there are quite a few Korean temple workers who can speak some English.
We are certainly here at an exciting and important time and the Lord continues to bless us with health and the ability to serve Him