Not A Lot of Time

Sorry, there's not a lot of time left but thank you all for your wonderful E-mails! I truly am the most blessed person in the world. 

This week was a whirlwind! We went on a 3 day exchange to the east coast! the 10 hours of travel total was killer! but the lord really watched over us and gave us great opportunities. One was this man who had gotten into a car accident 10 years earlier. He is paralyzed and has a little bit of a mental handicap. His life was really good as a translator before the accident. His parents took him in and now the missionaries teach him english as a service and also teach the gospel. I was only on exchanges but as I met with this man I could see and feel the deep sorrow he had because the consequences of the past. The accident has left him in a very severe state, and even though it is 10 years later, he struggles with self-confidence and hope. During the lesson I talked to him of hope. I spoke of the hope that comes by talking with our father in heaven every day. I bore testimony of the divine fatherhood of God and our great privlege we have to call on his name. I saw his heart soften and he looked up, and for a second i could see that this man realized that hope was still there. 

I'm grateful that our heavenly father gives us these moments to interact with his beloved children in spiritual ways. I would ask that you always remember that there is hope. Christ came and did what we couldn't so that there would always be hope. If there is someone that doesn't see this great hope, or has lost it continue to reach out and share you light which is merely a reflection of the saviors light. 

I love you all!

Love, 

Elder Kaufusi

Hi - Short but Sweet

Sorry for the late email, we had to change a meeting so yesterday wasn't our p-day. 

This week has been so full of miracles and just great things. It's weird to think you can be this happy all the time! It's not only because I'm doing the greatest work in the history of the universe, but jut waking up everyday and choosing happiness, love, and peace over sadness, despair, and fear dispite all the distractions and temptation that could bring us down. I wanted to finish this email but we have to go to the temple! Gotta keep up the work of salvation! I'll try and find some time to send you another email with a miracle but if this is it. Just Know I LOVE YOU

Love, 

Elder Kaufusi

Hi Family

So time is pressed as always but I loved all the emails. Little Marley Holladay is gorgeous! Can wait to meet her in person! Everyone sounds like they are doing good. Know that you all are always in my heart and prayers. 

Miracle:

Miracle this week was on our way to stake conference as we were riding the bus. 

We were in the very back and there was an awkward one seat in front of the last row that I basically had to just squat down on the ground to talk to the man that was sitting there. He was really nice, and was polite but after talking for about half of our bus ride he didn't have much interest. Sad that he didn't want to meet but grateful I was able to sit comfortable back in my seat I scooted back. Then I looked ahead to see that there were some men with open seats next to them. Immediately the first thought was, "you have to try and talk to them!" But then the rationalization came, "your back hurts and you just spent a long time trying to talk to the last person, that single 전도 should be sufficient for the bus ride. plus if you move and get up it will be disruptive and everyone will think you are weird.

Well I'm grateful that the Spirit nudged me enough because sure enough I got up and awkwardly made my way up the bus a couple rows to sit down next to a college student, even when there were clearly spaces for me to sit alone somewhere else. He was reading a biography about michael jackson and I couldn't have asked for a better way to strike up a conversation! We talked and it was great in fact I made an appointment to meet again. As I got off the bus I felt so humbled and grateful that the Lord was mindful of my weakness, and the things I lack, but he always lets the spirit push and encourage so that I might be uplifted in some sort of way. 

I love this work. 

Keep working hard, and Loving others even more!

Love,

Elder Kaufusi Love you all!

I love you hearing about my amazing family! 

Truly is such a blessing to have an eternal family. My testimony of that principle of the gospel is undaunted and I know that we will all be together forever! 

This past week was really great, full of miracles! One of which was a baptism! Our recent convert's friend was baptized by our recent convert and the Baptismal service was absolutely wonderful. To see the gospel spread from one persons heart to another's through love and compassion brings about such a special feeling of the spirit. It's interesting how koreans bare testimony, prayers and give speeches because at one point or another they always state that they will work hard on something, or they make a statement that they will do something more to change. It was a tender mercy for our recent convert to stand after his baptism and state, " I will live more faithfully for the rest of my life." What a blessing to see the gospel of happiness filling lives with that unbelievable joy. I thought to myself, "How often do we make those kinds of statements? 

How often in our prayers do we show faith, and assure our father in heaven that we are committed to do more and follow the given path? God knows our hearts, so why should we have to tell him that we are committed to do more?...Well when we say it in word we put our integrity on the line. Integrity, our word, is what changes a mere desire to an action. Integrity is what our nature is based on." I hope that you will all strive to be the Children of our Father that are based off a foundation of integrity. That not only are your thoughts are honest and pure but that all your actions follow accordingly, and your word is unbreakable and unchanging. 

I love you all so much. 

I give you my word, that I will sprint to the finish with all the energy I have! 

Love, Elder Kaufusi  

Mother I need your opinion!

Dear Mother,

You were supposed to tell me that I had no choice then to live at home with you! But I will pray and find out what the Lord thinks is best and get back to you. Is it possible to have anyone maybe live with us...2 or 3 friends? You haven't answered. I know that Kenny would really Love to be my roommate but I feel like I want to stay by my family. Anyway, if you have any other thoughts, let me know. I asked Everyone here in the office for opinions and they all are pushing for me to stay home. THanks for being the best Mother ever! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Remember Momma, 2 or 3 friends to live with us is nothing, just service????

Ready for the News?! 

I found out that I will be staying in the office, Isn't that Great?! It was such a relief when president told me. This will be our 5th transfer together! To put that in perspective, we will have been together for 7 months! I'm so grateful for the opportunity we have to be together, we must be doing something right! Our next transfer we will have 2 new office elders and we are very excited for that. Our goal is to become the most efficient and spiritual office team the Lord has ever seen! Then hopefully we can turn that over to the rest of the mission and just continue to see the miracles! 

(just like you said mom, get off the treadmill come home and let someone else have a turn)

This week was busy of course, but we had some really neat experiences. One that I would love to share happened last Tuesday night. 

Last Sunday a random never before seen man walked into the church and was directed towards me during sunday school. He was originally from the U.S and his Korean wasn't perfect even though both his parents were full Korean. 

Anyways, I came to find out that he was a in-active and so i set an appointment to meet on Tuesday night. Tuesday we had mission leadership council and the spirit was so strong and led elder Sol and I to give probably the greatest training we'd ever given together, so that night we were just excited and pumped. We met with him and he began to tell us his life story. It was one of the most interesting, and saddening stories I had ever heard. 

His parents are faithful members and he grew up a faithful member. However, he began to choose another path which led him to gangs, drugs, and other things that just tore down all his spiritual strength. In the end all his "friends" abandoned him and he was left not only alone but was an outcast, and those that knew him really persecuted him. Well, his faithful parents sent him here to Korea to flee from his past/humiliations, and he found a new life here in Korea. 

He is actually a professional rapper and him and his group of friends are some of the most well known rappers in Korea. Anyway, he came back to church because his life is moving on and he needs guidance and direction. He wanted to know what God would have him do in life. He talked about how when he was growing up and even now, all the church members have this "happiness" that no one else has. It was amazing to hear this story of the prodigal son that had been humbled and was now searching for the light once more. I testified to him that God knows what must be done, and knows what would make him truly happy. The spirit was strong as we committed him back onto the path of the straight and narrow. He had felt too down and that God would not accept him back even now after realizing his faults. However, That is when I with all the confidence in the world bore witness of the infinite atonement of the Savior, Jesus Christ. That through the redeeming power of Christ he could and would and is accepted by our Loving Heavenly Father. 

It was a great lesson and the most amazing thing was, I felt that I was the means of answering years of heartfelt, tearful prayers of this man's parents. Reading the article that Elder Bednar wrote in the Liahona or ensign on this topic was great, but having it reassured by the spirit through an actually experience was a miracle. 

Never stop praying, never stop loving, never stop caring!

Thanks dad for being up at 2 in the morning reading the book of mormon. I know exactly how nephi feels to have "goodly parents." You are an amazing example to me and I am grateful for your steadfastness and spirituality.

I love you!

Elder, Kaufusi

PS: Tell Will Faulkner congratulations from me! Mom, Could you maybe get me his email so I could send him a message? 

Love, 

Elder Kaufusi

Will I stay or will I go...it doesn't matter

Well, I don't know if I'm staying in the office or not, or if they are going to let me go out to work down in the vineyard one last time! But I'll probably know by tomorrow, or the next day. However, my feeling is that the Lord has things in store for me and for what I can do to help others, and that is where I will put my trust. 

A side note, if I train maybe I could end up training Elder Mattingly one of Dad's friend's sons. Or maybe the other Orem utahn elder Miller (full name jacob tusitala miller) he's another ethnic Elder so that could be fun! But who knows what the Lord has in store! 

This week has been busy as usual we had some amazing miracles as we just put our head down and went to work. One happened yesterday! Our recent convert brought his friend to church last week and then again this week. We were able to teach him the first lesson. It was powerful and the spirit was so strong as elder sol and I testified of the restoration of the Gospel. As I recited the first vision and looked him in the eyes i could see the spirit working on him so evidently that i was shocked myself. After the lesson, (even though it was our first time meeting and teaching a lesson) we asked him to be baptized and he accepted. We pulled out our phone to pick a date and he picked the middle of march only a few weeks away. it was amazing! We knelt and he ended our lesson with such a heartfelt prayer. I was truly blessed to be in the presence of a prepared Son of God. But here is the rest of the miracle. We went and found out that his baptismal date wouldn't work because of stake conference. Naturally we texted him and asked if he would like to push it back a week and he said that he wanted to move it up a week! Miracles happen everyday, and to be worthy of the spirit to take part in them fully is such a great opportunity to choose who we want to be in this life.

 I pray that this week you will each wake up everyday and choose to follow Christ and be worthy of the spirit. Then throughout each day find those times where the Lord would have you do his will. I promise they are always there, and I promise that recognizing them makes an enormous difference in our lives. 

Love, Elder Kaufusi

Hello Family - Mission Life

Hello Family! No greater tender mercy then to see a picture and read the story of my family bringing someone into the fold of God. I can't express to you how amazing that was for me to see and think about. Truly the results of prayer and love! 

Things are going great for me here. Just rolling on through with things. We had Interviews with President right after staff meeting today. It was big because since Elder Sol and I have been together 4 we know that the next transfer one of us will be leaving the office. So we thought president would tell us during interviews today and he did talk about it but nothing really was stated! So it's still up in the air if I will go for my last 2 transfers or if Elder Sol will go and I'll stay in the Office for my last 2 transfers. The spiritual experience that I had though was President asked me what questions I had. The thing I told him that I was studying on and praying about was with the time left on my mission how can I know and accomplish all that the Lord has for me? How can I squeeze every little bit out of what is left? How can I have the change of heart and nature complete so that I can go through life and eternity with my head completely turned towards God? As we talked he began to tell me of his recent studies and insights on the idea of a changed heart. As he talked literally everything that I had been studying and thought about was brought  up and aligned so perfectly. He spoke of the words from Alma 5 and focused on, "Remember/Understand." It was incredible to see him be used as a tool from the Lord to help me gain personal revelation and direction. We do not change our hearts, the Lord changes our hearts. We must do all that we can to show forth our faith so that when the time comes the Lord can change our Hearts. 

A miracle this week was the opportunity I had to go on exchanges with a missionary that I had lived a long time with and had seen grow since day one into an amazing tool and servant for the Lord. As we were teaching we asked a man if he had ever wondered about where we, as human beings com from. Out of the thousands of times I've asked this about 99% of the people say, "no I don't wonder, and I've never really thought about it." However, this time the man said, YES. He went off on how it was one of the greatest mysteries to him and that he wondered so much about it. We were shocked to see how prepared he was and gratefully told him that he could come to know the answer to his heart's great question. It was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful the Lord allowed me to experience it. 

I Love you all and am excited to see who is next in the family teaching pool of investigators! 

Love,

Elder Kaufusi