Week 25.5 Christmas call home 12/25/2016

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas call between Elder Joseph Chou and his family.
At first we were only able to get the audio, then just the video, then finally we were able to get both audio and visual. Although skype didn't work out, google hangout worked for us.
Sunday night in Utah was Elder Chou's Monday morning in Hong Kong.
What a fun time it was to speak and learn of the wonderful experiences he is having on his mission in the China Hong Kong Mission.
It is amazing for us to see how he has grown spiritually in the last six months, and how his Cantonese has improved!
It is so wonderful that we get to speak with him twice a year, for Christmas and Mother's day.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All

Week 25.5 Christmas in Hong Kong 12/24/2016

Elder Joseph Chou has been serving as a full-time missionary in the China Hong Kong Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, on 6/29/2016 to begin his 2 year mission. Then served in the Modesto California Mission while he waited for his visa, and he is now serving in Kowloon City, Hong Kong, China.
Each week, he is able to write home, and we update this mission blog for him.
On Christmas, he will get to call/skype his family, so we are excited and looking forward to speaking with him via skype.
He and other missionaries prepared a wonderful Christmas program in Hong Kong this week (see pictures below).

The message that he and the other missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints carry to those who will listen is simple. Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary, and he was crucified and died on the cross. Then after visiting the spirit world for three days, he rose from the grave and became the first fruits of the resurrection. Those who will believe in Christ and follow his teachings, and his glorious Plan of Salvation prepared for us, will be blessed. As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, are baptized by immersion as he did, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, we will be blessed and will receive eternal life. It is only in and through the name of Christ that salvation cometh. It is only by following his teachings and example that we and our families will find joy in this life and in the life to come. We testify that God lives, that the tomb is empty, and that the Savior is ready to bless each of us if we will follow his teachings. May the Lord bless you during this Christmas season, when we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Week 24.5 Singing to Children 12/19/2016

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

This week has been so much slower. a lot of people canceled on us but the [highlight] this week was definitely when we were waiting for a bus [and] we started like kinda signing to these two adorable little girls (8 and 4 it looked like) and that really lit up Elder Mcgrath and my week because we have been canceled a lot this week and we taught like two lessons and were out on the streets for 5 hours a day. Its nothing really to complain about because I know there is a purpose, but back to those little girls as I thought more about it, I was reminded of the scripture in Moroni 8:12 which says, "But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world" and how those two little girls showed me that. I might not have as big of an impact as I wanted to for them, but they impacted me a lot.
Hong Kong is a special place. Lots of people lots of potential, just a very very thick wall that we must take apart piece by piece so that we can get through to them. So they can understand that this gospel is an investment not a sacrifice. "for he had heard my cry and answered my prayer. " (Jacob 7:22) and I know that God has, that he gives me the strength to go on to keep going because "I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. "(Alma 26:12).
God sent me here for a reason. Don't let any excuse keep you from loving him and loving his children enough to give them the gospel. I just think of what I have been through and realize that Christ went through so much more. As we try we will face more trials face more challenges, but as we try harder it will also be harder to surrender. We should not demand the unreasonable, but we should always demand improvement from ourselves. I know that my Redeemer lives, What comfort this sweet senate gives. and I know that is defiantly and 100% true in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Week 23.5 Christmas activity 12/12/2016

九龍城 星期二十三 (kowloon city week 23) 我是神的僕人,但是呢個是好難去做祂的事工

Missions are hard haha :)

This week has been less then productive it feels like, we had a Christmas activity, and that took a lot of time that I felt was very unnecessary. The good thing is that it is cooling down these days so that is really good :) I am also alive!!! Ok miracle of the day, people actually talked to us when we went finding at a park, and we bumped into someone we met on the street like a month ago!!! they are super cool I can not remember their names  because as asian as I am, they all still sound the same haha (I think one of them was Edward but I don't know) I also am using a nice computer today so I can actually send pictures in. We also had investigators go to the music activity so that was really good haha :) yea I know this is kinda different I don't really talk about my week so I will get to the usual agenda now :)

We had a zone training this week and it talked about talking with our heart and really really teaching people :) 

I also had a scripture that really touched me this week which is 2 Nephi 29: 6-14 it talks about how the Book of Mormon is super important and how we need it. Read it and tell me what you think! The Book of Mormon is true!! Whatever anyone says it is true, people will write up things to challenge our faith to make us disbelieve in it, because if it is not true, then people have a rationalization to continue in sin. but it is not rationalizable nor is it excusable to willingly commit sin. The Book of Mormon changes lives, if we don't accept it when it is placed in front of us, it is our fault and someone will take that opportunity because they want to. I challenge you all to read it and ponder hat it says and really try to ask God if it is true. By doing so, you will receive an answer. You will feel an answer. In the name of my savior Jesus Christ and this whole world's savior Jesus Christ Amen

Insights

There is a difference between being humble and humiliated. you can still be humble and brave, humble and courageous. humility is not thinking less of ourselves it is thinking of ourselves less

Questions of the soul of the week

why is it so hard to give Heavenly Father our will guilt everything after all we have done

(I don't have an answer so thats why I ask :)

Week 22.5 Power of Prayer 12/5/2016

Well update from this week we had stake conference and that was really fun :) We are also organizing a music thing for a Christmas activity so that will be fun haha :)

picture Elder Chou & auntie Suhky at stake conference 

Today I will make it quick but I wanted to talk about the power of prayer

D&C 29:6 is where we will start this topic it says "Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive." so we can literally ask for anything, if we have faith it will be answered. We can ask God to change our heart (I need that a lot haha) but you can do that and he will answer it!!! That's great knowledge to have that God loves us enough to actually answer our prayers!!

So why do we not have faith that God will answer our prayers? because he answers them over time "by small and simple things" we have to be proactively looking for them so that we can see them. We have to thank him like the 1 leopard . Remember it is the little rudder that moves the whole ship and the little turn of the wheel that turns the car. It is in the little things that make the biggest difference, the "tender mercies"

May we all be like Ammon who boasts of the strength of God. For I of myself am nothing. Everything about this work of bringing souls to the salvation of Christ. Having a baptism is not a missionaries highest form of happiness because in reality all the credit should be given to god. He gave us the gift to communicate and move and find and have trials so that we can grow. God will change us if we will only let him do that to our soul.

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of [God's] fingers, the moon and the stars, which [God] hast ordained;" (Psalms 8:3) I think it amazing that he has answered my prayer, my humble prayer, to know if the Book of Mormon is true, to know if he does talk to prophets today. He created all things that I see and there are a lot of things I see, but him knowing me personally gives me a sense of relief and comfort because I am so small and "am nothing" yet he cares for me. I know he will answer our yours and my prayers. He will because he loves us, you and me.

"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" (Psalms 8:9) In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Insights

differences between ourselves are to be celebrated not calculated

-        steven sharp nelson