Week 38.5 Goodbye TKO. Moved to Hung Shui Kiu in the New Territories 3/27/2017

Elder Chou's last week with Elder Love in TKO Ward.

Elder Love and I also went singing finding for the last time but this computer is being stupid and doesn’t let me send pictures today :(
[see last week's pictures below]

Said goodbye to TKO and moved to Hung Shui Kiu (洪水橋), in the New Territories.

well the move was relatively smooth. 新界 (New Territories) is super different from anything else that I have been in HK. It is actually a lot like California. The chapel is also super big, but it is the stake center.

This will be short because nothing really happened. just getting use to the new territories :) and I think I like it better then the busy side of HK.

Yea this week was great!! Elder Chin is my companion (sorry no pictures today :( ) but he is such a nice person!! He loves pokemon so I have kind of been getting into the card game. It is actually really interesting and really fun :) and it is a good game to understand if I do become a game designer (not sure yet) but yea it is super fun living with him elder wilcoxsen and elder alread. I am also in the apartment my trainer Elder McGrath started in. The chapel is super nice and 新界 is super different. It is almost like California actually

Insights

if you are not good enough without it, you will never be good enough with it

Week 37.5 Transfer Call: Leaving TKO & Moving to Hung Shui Kiu 3/20/3017

It is hard describing the feelings that I have for moving to Hung Shui Kiu.  [new companion will be Elder Chin]

First all the companions, the transfer after we are no longer together they train. I think it's kind of funny. I think it is also funny that I have moved all my transfers except one. 

but it was good seeing that TKO was progressing. This last Sunday we had ward council, and we actually got assignments to cooperate with ward members to fulfil assignments. I love TKO very much (probably because this is my childhood). It will be hard to leave, but I know that God has a plan, that plan is perfect, and it will all be worth it.

I also had the weirdest nostalgic moment the other day. I was soccer finding haha I know its weird, but I just looked at the yellow lights and realized that this part of my life, playing on the street with some friends and just being in high school is forever gone. I am getting transferred clear across the mission and I am leaving my aunt which lives here. I am very sad which I won't lie about but I know God has a plan for me, and I have done all that I have needed to do in this area. 

Elder Love & Chou, singing finding in Hong Kong

Guess when I found out I was moving I had 2 thoughts run through my head. One negative one positive. The negative one is "well there needs to be a change in this area and I guess that is me." The positive one is "I have done all I needed to do for this area. I have worked hard and now am being moved because I need to help another area." It is interesting noting the difference of feelings I have when I recognize that God has given a person authority to help me to know where to be and how to live so that I may be happy. I guess there are things I must do in Hung Shui Kiu. I can honestly look back through every transfer and know why I was there. There is a very significant instance to which I can point and say "this is the biggest reason I am here" I can say that for california, kowloon city, and now tseung kwan o. I know that I will also be able to say that one day for hung shui kiu.

We always have the choice to choose whether we will be positive or negative. It is harder to choose to be happy but it will be worth it. I know that God will be with those who trust him, who choose him. It is not easier but it is worth it. I have faith that this new change is God's will. I know he lives and give us people we can trust that will tell us his will. In the name of Jesus Christ, the master, amen.

Insights 

forgetting is the greatest challenge for us

the more you love the more you remember

you live life going forward, you learn from life looking back

                        -Elder Holland

Week 36.5 Andrew was Confirmed this week 3/13/2017

well this is going to be short :) but Andrew got confirmed this week which was great! We met with him that week and just to feel the spirit even before he got confirmed was pretty awesome. It was really cool because he had a new determination and light in him that I have not seen in him before, and to have that change in just a couple days really helped me know that the gospel is true!!

I also got to go on exchanges with my trainer!! :) it was super fun but since he was zone leader the assistants called later and we exchanged again. So I was with elder earls and we were both not from the area so.... we just kinda winged it :) we were find though :) it was good!!! We also went finding with the piano but I forgot to take a picture :( so next week!! remember in the midst of everything that is falling apart, God is our friend and will provide safety for our soul. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Insights

pride and honesty cannot coincide

Spiritual truths make sense because we have been taught that before. When we find an insight often we thing "oh I never thought of that before" but it make sense because we have just uncovered a little bit more of the veil of forgetfulness.

Forgetting is the greatest challenge we have as humans!

Week 35.5 Andrew's Baptism! 3/6/2017

Sorry this will be a short one because we got back late, but Andrew did get baptized. He did show up [late] at 10 which scared us so bad. It was great!!!
It was God that helped us and let us have that miracle. (nothing is ever ours, as much as we would like it to be)

 
picture: Elders Chou and Love at Andrew's baptism (far right)

Andrew [was] found at English class, so that was how the other elders found him. I didn’t really feel that [we did] that much. It was after he was baptized that I felt the Spirit when the bishop bore his testimony and we performed... Po Lam and TKO wards have not had a baptism for 22 months and that last person wasn’t ever confirmed. We are working with her, but we can see that the ward is warming up to us, so that is good. It is more than I could ask for.

We also went knocking doors this week which is my first time doing that in Hong Kong. That was on exchanges with Elder Petersen. This week has been good, and hard :)

I know God gives me miracles but also knows how to grow my faith. That is what I have really learned this week, especially with Andrew getting baptized, is that it really, really is God that gives us the success. Till next week.