Elder Nathan Stagg: Goejeong: Elder Oaks in Korea

Hello everyone!! I dont have much time this week because I am going to a beach with our investigator and he is waiting for us to go, but just a quick run through of what happened this week!!

We have picked up 3 new investigators, gave on baptism date, and are teaching a lot of other investigators! I have never been so busy in missionary work! Its awesome!! I am hoping we can start getting some baptisms coming along here soon! Keep praying for me and my investigators and I would really appreciate it!

One of our investigators (the one I am going to the beach with) Came to church yesterday for the second time in a row. He was planning on moving out of our mission area this Saturday but last second the person buying his house canceled, so maybe this is god helping him stay here so he can keep learning about church!! Either way I am super stoked!! He is GOLDEN!!

This week Elder Oaks came to Korea and the missionaries had a meeting with him!! It was super awesome, and the spirt confirmed to things to me during the meeting. The first was that Elder Oaks has the same position that the apostles had when christ was on the earth, he has the same responsibility and same role. I had the same confirmation when Elder Bednar came and talked to us. The second inspiration that I felt was the importance of teaching simply. The more simple we teach the easier it is to understand and feel the spirit. If you are to busy thinking and trying to understand the doctrine you might not feel or listen to the spirit, but if I can teach simple enough so that it isn't hard they are in a better place to feel of the spirit.

I just want to end with my testimony on our saviors atonement!! As some of you might now our missionary purpose is to "Teach repentance, Baptize Converts". When Elder Oaks came he told us to in our own lives "Practice repentance, Partake of the sacrament". We have been given the opportunity to be able to partake of the sacrament EVERY WEEK!! And I feel like as Latter day saints who have grown up in the church the sacrament looses its awe and amazingness. We take it every week that sometimes I am afraid it just feels normal to us and we do it with out thinking. But as I have been focusing on the atonement recently and especially the sacrament I look forward to church! Its a chance I have to have a fresh start! Its a chance i have to thank my savior and worship him and think about him. Missionary work is stressful but during sacrament I can forget all that and really feel the peace that comes from the Prince of Peace. We are so lucky to have a father and an older brother who care about us so much that they provided a way for us to overcome our guilt and mistakes in life. As I talk about the atonement with investigators I like to ask them how they overcome stress or guilt in there lives. The most recent answer I heard was last night and he told me through self control, and sports. I then was able to explain to him that those are both good ways to forget about it. But I explained to him that I think that through those means its just a way to push it back and try and forget about it. But there is only ONE way in the whole universe that we can have those feelings and mistakes be 100% gone, and that is through the amazing sacrifice of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! Through his atonement we can always be receiving forgiveness and he willingly and lovingly takes upon him those bad feelings or those mistakes and we in turn are clean. HOW GREAT IS THAT?!?! I love it so much!!

I am so grateful to be a part of this church, but more important I am so grateful to have a personal relationship with MY Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! He is not only my savior but each and everyone of your guys's savior also!! This Sunday when you partake of the sacrament I want you to watch the priests tearing the bread and notice how there is not one piece that is the same. That is because not one of us are the same. But there is our own unique piece of bread for us that the savior has prepared for us because he knows us and what we are going through!!

I love you all so much!!

-Elder Stagg