HEART AND SEOUL January 8 - 15, 2006

HEART

Dear Family,
We are somewhat reluctant to report this next incident lest your picture of Seoul Korea becomes tainted. As we have suggested in the past one feels the crime rate in this huge city as being very low. When we first heard of this incident, we were greatly concerned because it had overtones of what you might expect in one of our large cities in America.
President McKinney is a 2nd counselor in our District Presidency and works for a Korean base company. His wife is Korean and his children, though very much American, also have somewhat Korean appearance. Brian is 21 and just completed a mission in Hawaii. His younger brother, Justin, is preparing for a mission.
On Christmas Eve they were enticed out of their home by a false messenger and were ambushed by seven drug excited youth. Upon hearing of the incident, our first thought was a retaliation by Korean youth against the American Military. We then found that six of the youth belonged to families in the military and the seventh was the son of a US Embassy staff member. It was hard to believe that a group of young men would premeditate such brutal action. They proceeded to hit, kick around their heads and neck and other areas of the body so severely it was questionable they would even live. They were only saved by a roving military police patrol.
For two weeks following this attack, their lives hung in the balance. Brian was the more seriously injured of the two and the Drs. reported that with seven concusions, he could not have survived any additional punishment. Justin's injuries necessitated facial surgery, particulalry his nose.
The prayers by family, friends in the ward and temple prayer roles performed a miraculous cure to the amazement of the Drs. and other professionals. They are at home and today both boys were able to attend Sacrament Meeting and are speedily on the road to recovery.
As we reviewed the events with President McKinney we have seen the Lords hand in another of His tender mercies. The seven youth have made apologies but as to their sincereity, it is highly questionable. A strange law exits in Korea that crimes committed under the influence of drugs, have less severe penalties with the thought that "they don't fully understand what they are doing".
As we have stated before, we have yet to feel unsafe walking on the streets, of which some would be considered alleys at home, and knowing of this incident we still feel very safe.

SEOUL

This past week has been a banner week as we served in the temple. The people of the temple district, including the military district, turned out in supportive numbers to the point Saturday the highest numbers of endowments yet to be performed in the Seoul temple were done. For your parents, it was running from one post to another to cover all the responsibilities needing attention. Like endowments, scores of young people came to do baptisms. It left us tired at the end of the day in a most delightful way.
It seems as though the people are truly trying to prove to the Lord their love of the temple and their commitment to fill this New Year with greater dedication. We hope that the coming five months will prove to be the case.