Since there have been only a few days since my last emails, I'll be brief.
After doing emails on Thursday we went to the temple, which was as always a great experience. It sort of takes up your whole P-Day and doesn't seem to have any tangible results, but the difference it makes in your day is undeniable. After that we scoured the mission office for Book of Mormons. Somehow we managed to give them all away and we literally had none to give out, which was awkward because we had an investigator scheduled that night to give a Book of Mormon. Eventually we stole some of the Assistant's and President Hawks's personal one. President Hawks had an idea a little before I got to the mission that we should always carry a Book of Mormon around so that people will see them and be curious, and so that we'll be prepared to give one out no matter where we are. One of reasons that I admire President Hawks is that he never tells us to do anything without doing it himself. I have never seen him on the street without a Book of Mormon in his hands.
We then went to Sham Shui Po so that Elder Black and Halvorsen could buy some electronics (because they have super cheap electronics there). While they were buying I was talking on the phone to some lady trying to sell facials. I feel a lot of sympathy for those people so I rarely just hang up on them, and if it's a P-Day and I've got no pressing responsibilities, I take my time to explain exactly why I have no need or ability to buy their trial facial thing. This time the lady endured in trying to sell stuff for 10 minutes, which is more than most, before being distracted and going off on a tangent about us missionaries and our lives.
As I mentioned, we moved in with the Zone Leaders and the Butterfly Elders. Well, Friday night as they went to bed they were feeling a bit ill, and from about 11:20-2:50 at night they were vomiting. I have rarely had occasion to pray as fervently or selflessly as I did for them. In the morning they looked like zombies. It was sad, but pretty funny. Fortunately we unclogged out toilet before that all went down.
On Sunday we had our awesome investigator A Sing, who totally understands the need for the Restoration and is working for a testimony now. We also had a referral come out of nowhere. Mr Chi, who is the father of a little girl that a somewhat recent convert named Sister Chan was sort of babysitting at church, showed up in the middle of Sunday school to pick up his daughter, stayed to the end of church, and became a new investigator who we will visit tonight. Just so you all know, we never get chances to visit people in Hong Kong. Never. Mr. Chi's interesting because he has a Buddhist background, and really doesn't understand the idea of God. We were talking about how faith can cause blessing to happen.
"So if you pray and then really do your part, God will help you."
"Oh, so if you pray your attitude will improve and help you."
"No, God will help you"
*confused stare*
"God is a real person, and he will help you."
"Oh, okay."
Repeated a couple times. He asked the slightly awkward question of if believing in this church meant that we couldn't worship our ancestors, which we answered bluntly but with an explanation that we do respect our ancestors immensely. I think he actually likes the idea of not having to burn incense any more. Pretty cool guy.
Mom,
I've still got the big box of -4.00 contacts, I just got rid of the loose ones. The shirts weren't too bad, but the collars and sleeves are getting frayed, and I kept the 2 best ones. Hopefully they got donated, I didn't toss them in the trash, and to be honest I think I just left them on the couch. Sounds like you've gotten quite a lot done as YW President. You were in the Primary with the girls before as well, right? We actually had an interesting thing about that come up in our ward. There were a couple Recent Converts who were given callings in the Primary, which was good for them, but didn't give them a chance to really learn much about the gospel and stopped them from being involved in the Relief Society.
They are the classic silk vest looking things you always see in movies. I'll probably buy the fake ones because they're way cheaper. If the kids want them they should tell me their sizes. I feel like I've had good success finding people, but sometimes I don't spend enough time maintaining the contacts we make. I’ve been working on that recently. Love you Mom!
Abby,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! That is (I just want you all to know that for some reason today I literally cannot type. This is all taking extreme effort. So be grateful.) an awesome story! I think you're better at violin than I was at piano, and I did piano until I was 16. I wish I could hear you play right now. I remember when you started as a 4 year old it sounded horrible. When I left it was good. But if it's bringing people to tears, it's probably moved into virtuoso status (or it's gotten way way worse and they're crying out of pain). In keeping with the family tradition, I love Abby because she is without guile when she writes me emails. She always says just what she feels to me, and I can feel that she loves me. Also, she cries a lot which is funny. She probably cried when she wrote my email. You're awesome Abby. I had a dream last night that me and you broke into some abandoned building and then police with dogs came and tried to hunt us down. I'm sure it's a good omen.
David,
I'm sure those in the city of Jacubagath could have easily found time to repent, but they didn't and look at what happened to them. Just kidding. Or am I? ...
The Doctrine and Covenants is probably the most quoted in PMG of all books of scripture. Lots to do with missionary work. I've read through it from start to finish once, and read most of the sections on my mission, but I am not the most familiar with it. Book of Mormon, on the other hand, and New Testament, I feel quite confident towards.
Sounds like the size of the map might seriously affect the TACTICS used to fight on it. Some of the normal TACTICS might not work. Some TACTICS that don't usually work might do better. A TACTICAL genius could probably come up with some great TACTICS and get a TACTICAL edge on that map...
Oh, do they ever. They have meanings with almost no relation at all. It makes no sense. Sahp: to pick up, to gather, formal ten. That's what it says, literally. Wuh: stupid, careless, clumsy, crazy, a Chinese family name. unfortunate.
Rebecca,
Must be cool to be in YW with Abby. You guys should go to the temple together. She's not yet had a chance! It'd be so cool! DO IT!
Well, Rebecca, you must be a woman now to have guys fighting over you. No one ever really liked me at all, so I can definitely say that I've never been in that situation. Though the telemarketer I mentioned sort of tried to ask me on a date by the time we finished talking, though I am about as unavailable for that as a person could be right now.
So, tell me the deets. Do you like any of them? Do they know that they all like the same girl? Could you set up a tournament to determine who gets to sit next to you at lunch? You could have them engage in knightly combat. Then film them and tell me. Where are you reading in the Book of Mormon? There is probably an answer to this conundrum in there.
Joseph,
You look way more handsome than me now. I don't want to come home because as long as I'm gone my memory has a sort of magical lacquer that keeps me from fading in their eyes, but as soon as they see the two of us standing together they will all turn against me and choose you. As for who "they" are, I refer mainly to the more mature population of our ward, but it could be just about anyone. Friends, distant relatives, teachers, neighbors, Mom, Dad, even Abby. Ho hum. Well, at least it's another reason to not get trunky for coming home.
I believe you said that in your new extra Spartan room you may have a chance at achieving apotheosis. There are a few parks here that have made me feel that. I think the reason that I would encourage a little study of PMG is that it will focus the rest of your study in a really powerful way. For example, chapter 2 talks specifically about how to study more effectively and knowing the doctrines in chapter 3 helps you see why certain scriptures are so important, and reading chapter 10 lets you start to notice powerful teaching example in the Book of Mormon. So try it out. You don't need to spend all your time but spend some of it.
Dad,
I believe I mentioned almost all our investigators on Thursday. We got a new turnover from Yuen Long who's an interesting guy. His arm was destroyed in an accident so he's not been working for 2 years. We taught a turnover lesson and basically just explained why it was so important for him to read the Book of Mormon and pray. Always interesting how hard that can be to teach people. They need to feel a need to know if the gospel is true, and an understanding of how it'll bless them, and know how and why reading the Book of Mormon will help them know this thing. We're teaching Mr. Chi tonight, and he's going to mainland for 20 days afterwards, so we really need him to know and understand about the Book of Mormon, because we're not going to be able to meet again and explain more for a good while.
I'd like to ask you and Mom a question, what do you think that I could do to have a more effective companion study? I really want to help Elder Black and myself become more powerful teachers, and I think our study could be better. What did you guys do that was effective?
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