July 24, 2016

To my friends and family,

This week I will be very brief because I was pretty busy during email time. Anyway it was a great one and a very hot one here in Korean. We don't have AC in the house (most people don't) so when it gets pretty hot we do a 등목. I don't think many of you know what this is but it is basically like an upper body shower that you need someone to help you with. You get freezing water and then put your hands on the floor and someone just pours it on your back. It doesn't get your face or pants wet so it is super effective and super fast. Anyway, that was one of the highlights of the week.

The message that I feel that I should share this week is the promise that God loves you and knows your individual struggles. I know that he loves all of his children, and I know without a doubt that all of you are his children and he cannot and will not ever forget you. No matter how imperfect, no matter how far you stray from his path, he will always come to find you because you are his child. I love you all and I hope that you find peace, hope, and joy this week in all that you do.

Elder Coleman

Remember the Promises

July 17, 2016

Hey everyone!

This week was a fun one and a pretty busy one. We had a good amount of meetings but we also had some good time just to go outside and talk to people on the street, bus, and in their homes. I love days every once in a while when we don't have a huge plan. We just go out and kind of see what happens.

Anyway today I wanted to share a very quick message about promises. In the Book of Mormon, there is a prophet named Alma. When he was young, he was not a super cool guy, but as he grew up he became a wonderful prophet and missionary. In his last words to his oldest son, he asked him to remember this.

 17 For he will fulfill all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.

For those of you who are religious and have made promises with God, whether it be baptism, personal promises, or other religious promises, I hope that you will remember those. I promise you that God fulfills all of his promises that he makes to his children. If you keep your end of the promise, God will always bless you and always follow through on his end. I have seen this is in my own life and I know that all of you can see it in yours. I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Coleman

Charity and Virtue - July 10, 2016

My friends and family,

This week was a hot one. In Korea we are hitting the season where it is both hot and rainy and you can't decide which one you dislike more. That being said, we saw a ton of great things happen this past week so I don't have anything to complain about. 

I learned some cool culture this week. Don't ever, ever hand scissors the blade side forward, don't even think about eating food off the floor (no 5 second rule guys) and don't vacuum or clean when food is being cooked or being eaten. So there basically goes my entire American identity. ㅠㅠ

I will share a quick message today (I always say that and then when I type it turns out to be super long...) anyway when people think about the hard things that we are expected to live by they often thing of the word of wisdom (no drinking or smoking), paying tithing (10% of income), going to church every week or a bunch of the other rules that we have. But when I think about the most difficult thing that we are expected to do I think of charity and virtue. Paying tithing is easy, you just put money in an envelope and walk away. Of course it is a sacrifice and of course if you don't have much to give it is not so easy, but it is not complicated. You follow it or you do not. You can be perfect at paying tithing. Charity and virtue are much harder. You can't perfectly love people. You can't have perfectly clean thoughts. We all struggle with both of these things. But I echo the promise given to us in the scriptures of charity and virtue. 

 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

And in other scriptures…

 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

 I know that as we seek to have pure thoughts and as we seek to love others the Lord will help us. He wants us to be good. He wants us to make right decisions. As we make the commitment to try, he will help us find renewed strength to overcome the things that we cannot control and give us the confidence to press forward in faith.

I love you all,

Elder Coleman