week 77.5 Christmas call 12/25/2017

Elder Chou got to make a family call for Christmas

so great to see and speak with him!

Week 76.5 Zone Conference & Pixar Exhibit 12/19/2017

Man This week was super good!

We helped with zone conference and specifically we had like a silent section where people just were blindfolded and were told to pay attention to their feelings. It was super good. I learned that a lot of things but one thing I learned was that 

Mary and Joseph tried the best they could to offer him what he deserved but they could only come up with a stable, so I learned even though we try our hardest, we can only ever offer him something like a stable. What we are able to give, isn't that great, but he accepts it and accepts our sacrifice.

That is really the only thing I can put into words. The things I felt this week are so much harder to describe. As this Christmas approaches may we remember all that God has blessed us with and all that he wants us to understand and remember. May we do all we can to please him even if it is only a "stable"

Also we went to the pixar exhibit in Sha Tin. It was pretty sick.

Week 75.5 Caroling in a Hong Kong Mall 12/11/2017

Ha this week

It was good!! we got to know a lot more members. We also sang and that was fun haha we went caroling in the middle of a mall, pretty exciting because I have never done that in Hong Kong before.

Did Some housing stuff like a lot of housing stuff Elder Lee also came back from his mission so that was exciting we got another RM in our ward now!!! yay!!

Sunday night we visited a part-member family and it was good, we celebrated the mom's birthday.

Last monday we also hiked satan mountain with a investigator, the view is very pretty. we were safe so no worries.

Week 73.5 Thanksgiving in Hong Kong on 11/27/2017

I am getting the monthly letter from the bishopbric

thanksgiving is with our zone. thats about it. then we do missionary work.

Well the sisters I came out with are going home soon. so thats kind of weird.

So this week has been crazy. 
Preparing for transfers and all. fyi I am staying. nothing is changing in my companionship, but elder harding is leaving :( finished that man has. 
we ate turkey... probably the highlight of my companion's week. 
We also taught Rainbow, she wants to get baptized on Christmas Eve! so that should be special. 
That is about all for this week! till next time ya'll

Week 72.5 Quiet Week on 11/22/2017

[Dad's note: Elder Chou didn't write much, but had a good week and send us some pictures]

God [is] both treating [us] well.

The Spirit of service is great!

[My] Favorite hymn [is] 292 oh my father, or 200ish the first noel

Week 71.5 Square was Baptized 11/15/2017

This week has been good!!

We did some office stuff, and in the middle of that we saw Mickey! Its pretty cool haha he is in a lot of our flyers. 

Elder Chou got a big blister so that was bad. 

Square got baptized!!!! he was being taught by the Cheung Sha Wan Elders. We bumped into him on the MTR a couple of weeks ago. It was good. He was the closest to me seeing being found to baptized. So it was good. Till next week!

Week 70.5 Seek the Spirit & Set Office Hours 11/8/2017

This week was good. Well we had mission conference and that was very well done and the spirit was there. I learned that I have insistantly desire over time. The over time is the thing I struggle with.

The one thing I guess you do not know about from this week is that we whats-apped the people in the ward and we asked how we could help them and what we could fast for them for. It was actually super good and very well received.  I feel like I have been able to feel the spirit more this week. I think it is because I have been honestly seek it and have been diligently studying the scriptures. I feel like I was more ready to receive it this time. Last time we had mission tour I listened but did not hear fully. I did not believe the things that Elder Wong said, but this time, after I was a little bit more mature, I listened and seeked for inspiration. After that we were able to teach a very powerful lesson on Sunday where she was committed to baptism (we invited here to set her own date but suggested that Christmas is a good goal).

We have also set office hours and I hope that it helps at least me to do things more efficiently and to drop things that are not important. I also hope these things will also help us be able to put more effort into our area. This time around I am full of hope for the things that can be accomplished and have faith that God will help us as long as we do our part

God loves us all and we all have different responsibilities in his kingdom. Hope you are all good!!

Week 69.5 New Territories & Moon Cake Factory 11/1/2017

This week was good!!! We made some cookies, had district meeting, with 6 more companionship in our zone!!! (that's much more fun). 

Then we had the ward trip. We went to the NT's!!! One of my favorite areas haha :) We went to a moon cake factory, a bridge museum, and a few like old monasteries. It was super fun!! pictures included.

Also we replaced a washer, and dealt with apartment problems... that was fun I guess.

Week 68.5 New Arrivals & A Wedding 10/25/2017

Ugh I don't even want to think about this week. It was Transfers!!!!
Yay :( it was super busy with 29 missionaries arriving. Tuesday we went to the airport, it was kinda fun, 

Wednesday we helped out with the missionaries and Thursday was transfers. There was like 100 missionaries there. So many missionaries. We helped the Sha Tin apartment move in and that was about it for transfers. 

Afterward we visited the Hoon's the RC/PMF so that was good! we had lots of members there. 

On Friday we delivered a lot of cookies!!!!!!!! it was pretty fun. That is about it this week! :)

Davis also got married. He is in our ward.

Week 66.5 Moon Cake & General Conference 10/9/2017

This week has been Crazy. We were able to go to the temple, fix things, had a performance, cleaned things, had general conference, ate lots of moon cakes, and more moon cakes, and had General Conference!!!!!!!!!!

Well things that need description more that what is above.

Someone asked Elder Love and I to perform. Actually more like asked Elder Love and I got dragged along haha. We preformed "you raise me up."

It was mid autumn moon festival, so we ate a lot of moon cakes, mainly from Sister Lam because they have way too much haha.

General Conference! We had to go down to the Island so Elder Chang could have a companion listening to mandarin, and guess who is his companion? Elder Chou (my companion Elder Chou). We went down and it was very powerful and full of revelation.

On Sunday we came back and helped a China U student get back to the university pictures included. He is from Austria. 

Also the Hoon family came to conference. It was fun! and Michael is still stinking adorable. I will see if I can get a video some time.

Week 65.5 Helping with Missionary Apartments 10/3/2017

Well looking at the pictures from this week, um we installed a washer!! yay! saving missionaries yet again.
We also went to the storage unit and started organizing things. 

Most exciting part was it was Sister Roskelly's Birthday!!!! so we celebrated. and the Sham Shui Po Sisters brought a cake. 

On Saturday it was Crazy, we went to 5 different places. We drove to pick up some things in storage, dropped off a mattress in Tuen Mun, got the Hung Shui Kiu apartment some things, took Yuen Long Elder's things from that apartment, Dropped off a Chair for the Tin Shui Wai Sisters apartment, Moved Yuen Long's things into their apartment and helped them set up, and went back to Hung Shui Kiu to pick up some broken things so we can fix it. Yep that is about it, it was crazy. We were out from 8-5

Sister Hoon the recent convert was able to go to women's conference! She liked it. She and Christine are still progressing well!

Talk to you all later!! The Lord has poured out his bountiful mercies upon me, and I know he will for you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Week 64.5 Meet people from Mainland China 9/27/2017

Haha so this week was full of cool things that happened.
We ran into a lot of people from mainland china, actually more like people from mainland china ran into us (as the pictures show) It was good! 

We actually also went down to Wan Chai for a performance, and I would have a video but forgot to record it. :( Other than that nothing else really happened. We moved an apartment, dump some trash, did a lot of office stuff and visited members and gave them cookies! (thanks to the sisters) It was a good week. Not perfect, but it was a good week.

Week 63.5 Suki & Christine confirmed 9/18/2017

Office Elder

We had zone conference all week and as the office staff, we dealt with all the requests that came in this week haha :) it was fun. We also did some maintenance on the car

Sham Shui Po missionary

Suki and Christine were confirmed and it was good! they went back to shenzhen right after church.

There was also the primary talent show. It was good!

The day full of miracles

One day we went to pick up the car from the shop, and elder Chou saw one of his relatives. It was like "coincidence I think not!" It was super good, then afterward we went back to the temple and these two people walked in and was like "hey we are here to pick up your car." The original plan was to have them pick it up the next day, so luckily we were there.

Week 62.5 Suki & Christine Hoon's Baptism! 9/10/2017

This week

Mon- We went to dim sam because elder Lau was leaving, Elder Chou [my new companion] moved into the temple

Tues- There was MLC [Mission Leader Conference] and Elder Chou and I officially became companions

Wed- Food Angel Service, Helped with a Baptism [Sarah's parents from mainland], Taught Hoon Family

Thurs- We dropped things off at ssp [Shum Shui Po], and district meeting. Dinner with Luk family

Fri- Nothing too much

Sat- We went to a concert with Christine, Crystal, and Jannet (Hoon family)

Sun- Suki and Christine (Mom and daughter of Hoon family) got baptized! afterwards we went to kowloon bay to record some stuff for some people on the piano

Spiritual Experience: There were two outstanding experiences this week. 

One was the baptismal service from Wednesday and the one from Sunday. Wednesday was special because Sarah's parents came down from China and got baptized. She was super happy that her family could be baptized and be of the same faith. It was really special because it really highlighted what we do as missionaries and it helped me understand more than ever that what I am doing is worth it. 

The second one was Suki and Christine got baptized! I have only taught them like 3 times but it was super good. Suki was really happy that She was able to be baptized and so was Christine. Jannet and Crystal said they will wait a little and find out more [They are Christine's younger sisters that we are also teaching, they also have 2 younger siblings under age 8 named Michael and Hei hei]. afterward we had some food and it was super good because the ward was able to go and talk to them and start a good relationship.

Photo on left: Hoon family with Elder Chou & Elder Chou
Photo on right: sister missionaries, Hoon family, Elder Chou & Elder Chou, Elder Lau & his companion, Pres. & Sis. Lam (mission pres. & wife)

Funny Experience: The fire alarm in the temple went off at 4:30 on like thursday so we all evacuated. Turned out a water pipe exploded or something, well we went strait back to bed.

Week 61.5 Teach Hoon Family & 2 Elder Chous 9/5/2017

Mon- Preparation Day

Tues-Picked up name tags and had district meeting

Wed-We taught hoon family They are super awesome!

Thurs-Office Stuff

Fri-Picked up my license, and visited sister Lee, Staff meeting

Sat-Moved someone's appartment, and visited hoon family again

The office is fun! there is a list of all the things that we did this week.

craziest things is the hoon family are getting ready to get baptized and they are so awesome!!

Elder Lau is getting transferred :( he is going back to mandarin work and I have a new companion who's name is Elder wait for it, Chou!!!! There is going to be a Chou squared! or double Chou power!!! awesomeness haha :) Crazy how many things you find out in the office. We had interviews with president Lam 

Week 60.5 Typhoon & Mission Office Stuff 8/28/2017

Mon: We went bowling!

Tues: district meeting and office work

Wed: We were going to have interviews with president Lam but they Typhoon 10 and we had to come to the office in case the scheduled mainlanders came. We and the assistants are the weirdest people when there is only us 4 in the office

Thurs: food angel service! helped pack food boxes in Shum Shui Po and then went to pick up flyers for all our missionaries

Fri: elder love and I first went to a funeral and we performed "I need thee every hour." We then went to the Island to apply for my license. helped with mainlanders. it was good. running out of simplified Book of Mormons.

Saturday: one lady from Beijing decided to get baptized because she didn't want to on Friday. it was good because she made the decision

Sun:another typhoon! so church got canceled and we cleaned the apartment.

Today: it is flooding by the temple up here in Kowloon Tong, don't worry we are safe but see the video

So this week was absolutely crazy (I guess that is the life of an office elder) We do a lot of the logistical things. I order stuff, help missionaries with everything that they cannot do themselves when they need a computer and yea! it is fun. Its kinda weird. I do miss the field, but hey I will live.

Well this week has been very interesting. I feel like I am doing less and less missionary work, at least the field work. I am just sitting here trying to make everyone happy. I think this is the busiest I have ever bee n in my life. It is kind of weird. Elder Lau and I have a really good relationship, but we also don't talk that much. He kinda sits  there and does his housing thing, I kinda do my online things and yea.

-- 

D&C 50:24 that which is of God is light; and he that recieveth light, and continueth in God, recieveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

week 59.5 Online Office Referral Elder - Seeing Many Miracles 8/22/2017

Miracles: sometimes it is easy to feel like there are no miracles, but as an office elder and as referral manager I get to see many many miracles. I get to see many people from mainland get baptized and people who are actually interested in the gospel contact us. (thats a big one) I can see that God is preparing his children which I always believed but have never seen. It is the coolest experience I have ever had, just being able to facilitate to all the missionaries so that they can have an easier time helping people come unto Christ. I don’t teach that many people now, we have one family which is huge in Hong Kong, but I know that I am "you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation"(D&C 6:8) because I desired it. It was not what I was expecting, but I definitely know that God has a plan for me.

You do much more good than you think. especially for my missionary friends, there will be times (and I am still learning) that you will be depressed, and discouraged. The test is to see if you can pass through that trial of faith to receive that witness (Ether 12:6)

Living in the temple is absolutely fantastic and there is 24/7 AC which in Hong Kong is very good, I love it. and our apartment is one of the biggest. It is the old mission office

Mon: we went and met the Au family. They are super awesome! and we got to meet the Hoon family which is our investigator at the moment. They are super good.

Tues: We had district meeting, and We picked up new missionaries. It was weird to be back in the airport, but it was weirder to talk to elder Hansen, and Cornielles (sorry I can’t spell) about it because they went back on Friday

Wed: helped with new missionary orientation and taught Hoon family

Thurs: Transfers :( traveled to the island because some people forgot their passport to Macau

Fri: woke up early to help with departing missionaries and was elder Mcgraths companion for 30 min! (he is my trainer) while elder Lau went to the airport to help out. First day since Tuesday I got to do personal study

Sat: Felt like a missionary and elder Lau did numbers yeah

Sun: Went to Church, and got a full block of studies in!! (first time this week)

Week 58.5 Finished BOM & Moving to be New Online Office Elder 8/14/2017

so this week has been very interesting. first we did finding and taught but that is not what was crazy this week.

1st we had zone conference and that was fun! we learned about being committed to our goal of having a total of 242 baptisms by the end of the year.

2nd president lam pulled me aside and asked me to be the new online elder [at the mission office/home, housed in the China Hong Kong Temple. So I'll get to "sleep in the temple" now].

3rd He told me I was moving on monday

4th he told me he originally moved me this last transfer so I could swap and be mandarin but that is not happening anymore.

5th lots and lots of packing

but the best part of this week was that I was able to finish the Book of Mormon and I learned a lot from that. included in that long list is that 1st God loves us. 2nd the cause and effects of pride, 3rd that people not following commandments really is sad and unbearable as Moroni describes. I know that God loves all of us

Week 57.5 Smallest Apartment in the Mission & Teaching Joe 8/8/2017

So this week has been good, we are in sheung shui/ fanleng and it is just a blast in the smallest apartment in the mission. Living with the mandarin elders are a joy! Elder Smith and Elder Ashton are such a joy and I can improve my mandarin because I have lost a lot of it since I have been learning cantonese. We went finding and let me tell you short places in hong kong do exist haha :)

We have met with a Joe this week and he is our best investigator right now but the thing that concerns me is that he is progressing so fast. He just kinda says yes to everything and we are not quite sure why he wants to be baptized and all those things. He gives us the answers we want and not necessarily the answers that are in his heart, so that is our concern

But it has been fun! we have been filling up our days with things that are the will of the Lord.

I also hit 400 days on a mission haha :) so that was weird

insights

when we have defined ourselves by what we do, there is a tendency to be prideful because we find our value by what we do, but god does not define us by that. there is never happiness in pride but there is always happiness in the love of God

Week 55.5 Transfer Call, Moving to Sheung Shui & Fan Ling 7/24/2017

Well I am moving again to Sheung Shui and Fan Ling. with Elder Havell. this 3 week transfer will be weird. I am going to have to grow more.

ok first this week then transfers
First this week was pretty weird. Our schedule was thrown off because of the temple, and the typhoon. 

I was happy for the changes for the music rule which was nice. 

We did a lot of finding and Elder Beeson and I are doing well. We taught 1 person this week but we did the surveys for English class and there is a family that we found that has interest! :) so I hope that elder Beeson and elder Knight can capitalize on that.

Well transfers was interesting. I am moving again, I always wonder why and if I have fulfilled my purpose.

One phrase I learned from my last mission really sticks out to me. it says "we are one with the Savior in doing the will of the Father." I think about how I don't know exactly what [is] his will is, but I know the outline, to preach repentance and baptize converts.

I guess only God can tell me what his specific will is for me.

time to hit this 5th area!

week 54.5 Exchanges, Finding, & Teaching English 7/17/2017

sorry I am so bad at taking pictures!! but yea so this week I went on exchanges with Elder Chan on Wed. I think. We had a full day of finding but the Lord through his Grace helped us fill it up. We called through some potentials and one said he could meet! so that was exciting. He is very catholic so we will see but we were able to meet with him. 

We then were fed by the yeung family. they were fun and it was good to get to know them. 

Nothing else really happened. 

yep see ya next week! I love you all! 

Also Elder Beeson and I are doing well, just finding and teaching English to billions of little kids haha :)

week 53.5 Language & Spirituality 7/12/2017

this week has been an interesting one. first what happened second feelings.

Tai wo ward started up like 2 English classes and the stake added another one so we are up to like 6 English classes now. so yay!!! 

we went finding and We had Mrs. Leung even though we forgot to call her last week. 

Sister Lam got after people in interview for their language ability, but luckily I passed! I would not be surprised if she just tells everyone that is under 7 months to not even touch characters haha. 

They set the goal of having 150 more baptisms at the end of the year. we have had 92 so far so that should be interesting, but we will need a lot of miracles 

in Doctrine and Covenants 121 it teaches us that when we satisfy our pride, we loose the priesthood, the power of god on earth. We need that power to be connected to God and to have miracles in our area, our mission and our lives. we need an increase of that power in our mission if we are to hit the mission goal by the end of this year. 

So language, spirituality will be the two things I work on for now!! Good Luck!!!!!

Week 52.5 A Year into My Mission 7/5/2017

This week we have taught Derek and Ching hd. We hope that they will be able to come to church soon. They only cannot come because of work conflicts.

We have been finding a lot. This is week 2 that we have not had a ward mission leader.

Elder Beeson are having fun haha

we went finding a lot. we have one investigator haha. I am feeling good. It is hard but it is good.  We hope to have good things soon. 

Dispite seeing miracles every day, it is still super hard, it is comforting to know that God is there for me, he loves me, and he will always be there for me. Friends leave on missions, family stay at home but "the Lord will [always] be on my left and my right"

As I sit here and ponder my mission, and this week but my mission because it has been a year I think... "What have I done." I have not seen much success, I have not baptized that much, all these different things, but I have worked my butt off. the words finding and summer should not exist in the same sentence but they do in my life right now haha.

 

I also got Share "tea" for my hump day. no worries it was a strawberry milkshake haha :)

Week 51.5 My Year Mark - the Book of Mormon will change your life! 6/25/2017

so this week will be short we basically did a lot of finding and had one really really big miracle, but first off we had zone conference and that came with a commitment.

The commitment was to read the Book of Mormon in 3 months and highlight everything that mentions Christ. I have been reading the Book of Mormon like that and I have learned a lot! I have realized that when Laman and Lemuel are complaining, it talks nothing about Christ, but Nephi when correcting them mentions Christ a lot. I just thought that was interesting. I thought about how when I am complaining I am not following my covenant of "remembering him always" and I know that when we are not connected to Christ we don't see the good of the things that are in our lives.

I think about how we as missionaries always say "the Book of Mormon will change your life", but I am starting to actually find a very deep testimony of that truth. Thank you President Lam for that commitment! 

also if you read last email the lady that we found in the rain last time came to English class! it was a really big miracle that we happily accepted from the Lord. She came with her 2 kids and her husband! it was really cool that we had that miracle that even if it is in the rain people are willing to stop and listen.

I am also at my year mark this week so that is kinda weird. I still feel super young haha :)

 

Insights

your testimony is a process with many landmarks in it. a process is a lot easier to remember because it is a lot longer than 1 single event. That is how we stay in the gospel. it is not having an angle appear to us but it is doing the little things that will help us be able to get that testimony

Week 50.5 Finding in the Rain 6/23/2017

So these last few days have been really good with Elder Beeson! I am learning a lot. It is really good that he wants to work hard.

Most exciting thing we did this week. WE WENT FINDING IN THE RAIN!!!! if you want to know something about HK people and rain is THEY ABSOLUTELY HATE IT. so usually lessons cancel when it is raining. We planned for it in the day and was hoping it would stop raining. It did not. We were nonetheless disappointed but we thought "well God helped us plan today, so lets go out" we did and we talked to a lot of people and there was this lady we me and she has English class interest for her kids! the conversation went like this

sat the 17th of June time 2:35

"hey how are you?"

"hi" she walks past

"actually can we give you a flyer?"

she stops "yea sure"

"so are you going home right now?"

"no we (she and 2 kids) are actually going to a piano lesson"

"oh ok, we don't want to take too much of your time but we just wanted to invite you to our FREE kids english class."

"oh when is it"

"oh it is today"

"oh sorry that doesn't work because we have piano lessons"

"actually it is already done. it starts at 12:30"

"that actually works!"

"could we exchange phone numbers and we can call you back on friday to remind you?"

"yea sure"

missionary frantically tries to juggle pulling out his planner and pencil while holding an umbrella and flyers. mission companion steps in and helps hold his umbrella for companionship unity purposes.

It was such a big miracle for me, knowing that there are people who are actually nice haha :) and have genuine interest. my shoes were soaked after that finding though haha :)

Sunday was also very good! we got to meet a lot of members and they are all either bro/sis leung or lau, with a few that is not haha :)

So until next week! God be with you!