May 22, 2014 - Temple Day & Another Companion

Well I guess the rest of my family just doesn't love me that much. Honestly, I don't have much time at all because I spent a while writing to Vincent, the kid in Tai Wai. I think right about the time that Mom was saying she thought of him he started having some trouble. He really just feels like even though he's been doing these things he is still having big trials, so he dropped off for a while. I just read his email, sent one back about Mormon and Moroni's example. Pray for him. A lot of people in Hong Kong really have tough lives, and it can be rough for them when everyone is anti-ing them and it doesn't seem like they have any help. But I know that the gospel will really help them. We have an investigator right now, KK, who was Ida's referral. KK is really interesting, because our first meeting with her she just said "I am really lazy!" and she really is. She prefers to never have to leave the 1/2 mile area around her house. But thanks to us daily contacting her, and some really amazing work by the Relief Society, she has started reading the Book of Mormon. It's still early days, but we've already seen her change a lot. The gospel really can lead us to improve every aspect of our lives.

We've been teaching a guy who really doesn't get the whole idea of what is a sin, what is righteous, what is a commandment, he tends to think that there must be a big book written out of all the commandments and that at church you just memorize it line by line. Teaching him has really helped me learn and understand more fully how important the example of Jesus Christ is to us. I realized that part of why we read scriptures is because we need to gradually come to understand what Jesus would do in order to be righteous. I realized how nice it is to know, like you were saying what is right, because this guy doesn't really get it yet. And he is super hard to keep focused in lessons and tends to find a bunch of bizarre loopholes for object lessons.

That was part of Dad's email.

I just went to the temple, and something weird happened. When we left we had another companion! He is named Elder Yim, and as you may be able to read, he does not speak amazing English. But his Russian is great! Not really, that was for Caroline, he is a native. I am really excited, because I for one really like SYL practice. This is also going to teach me how to be more restrained, because with 3 people together you have to make sure the spirit can really guide the lesson. Speak little. More speed less haste.

Love you all a lot. I'll be emailing again on Monday, but for now I really love you all. We had an elder in our apartment who finished today (hence Elder Yim) and it made me a little trunkie, a little homesick for you all. Movies, games, they can all wait. But I love you guys. I am so happy about David, Brandon, and Whitney going to the temple during the California weekend. People always talk about how missions bless you. You guys going to the temple is a blessing to me. Please go every day,

You know what's creepy, right when Joseph and Rebecca were sick I was feeling a little sick. Not throwing up but my stomach hurt for about a day. WE HAVE A BOND.

Work with the Triads goes on. Dad would be so proud.

Dad,

Hopefully the ISMRM session will be in Hong Kong next year and I can sneak in on P-Day. My companion will probably be bored but I won't, and hopefully I'll be senior by then. I'm assuming you will read the full family email, but I have a native (or bun day) companion now, and my Chinese is about to improve a lot. So pray for that to go well.

I'm sure I am pretty idealizing when I think of you and mom, but you don't really send me any stories about you messing up so all I have to go off is like 11 months of being Zone Leader and then going assistant to president. SO if you want me to be realistic send me the dirt. Or don't, that probably won’t be as helpful to me.