HEART AND SEOUL March 5-12, 2006

HEART 3/5-12

Dear Family,
An interesting event took place last week. Because it is politically sensitive, we suggest you keep it within the family. Early in the week the Sunrider International Corporation sponsored a reward trip for a large group of it's Chinese sales agents. Part of the reward in their trip to Korea, was an offer for those who wished to hear about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That resulted in the baptisms Friday of one hundred elven Chinese adults. The average age was about 30 years and the majority baptisms were not surprisingly, women.
President Ringwood, Seoul West mission, assisted by his counselors, our friend Elder Gammon and a couple of others were responsible for the baptism interviews. The Seoul Temple provided most of the necessary baptismal clothing. In a teaching seminar, three days prior to the baptism, President Ringwood missionaries taught the discussions that were needed to prepare them.
Beginning at 8p.m. on Thursday and lasting til midnight, then again on Friday morning at 6a.m. til noon, interviews for baptism took place. Then those who were qualified entered the waters of baptism. Some who wanted to be baptized were not ready at this time because of personal or conflicting problems, but it was reported to us by our friends that it was a wonderfully spiritual experience.
Our friend, Mark Simpkins, who participated in the interviews told of one sister who has secretly lived the gospel in China for the past ten years, reading the Book of Mormon many times as well as other scriptures and now to have the opportunity of actually being baptized was the dream of her life. This further confirms to us, as we have reported before, how the Lord brings people out of China to be introduced to the gospel and returns them to their homeland where they can further prepare the seedbed when the gospel is openly established in China.
One last note, some eighty baptisms took place in Japan last year and a similar number in Hong Kong the year before thru the provisions made by Sunrider.

SEOUL

After enjoying spring-like weather, cold temperatures returned to Seoul today, but last Monday we took the opportunity to enjoy spring by attending with our fellow temple missionaries Gyeongbokgung Castle, which is one of the highlights to visit while in Seoul. We were given a tour by a charming English speaking lady guide. Part of the tour was the Changing of the Guard, which resembles the guard change in England and America. This guard change constituted replication of the ancient brightly colored costumes and beating of the drums.
The tour continued visiting the many buildings that were used by the Kings of the early Korean dynasties and ended as we viewed the national historic mueseum of Korea.
The day was delightful and we concluded it by having Mexican tacoes in a "small" restaurant discoverd by our young Elders.