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!

Week 50.5 Blessed by the Faith of My Parents 6/20/2017

it is good! 太和 or Tai Wo is fun! there is more people than HSK which I like.

… Elder Quentin Cook said that because we face so much hardship in Hong Kong, he gave us a blessing that the things we do now will bless us and our families for a lot longer than 2 years. I know I am getting blessed.

I have been studying Alma 13-17 [in the Book of Mormon] and I think it has a lot of application to my mission specifically (and probably to others as well) because the Lord promises us as missionaries success, but it comes at the cost of a lot of suffering and hardship as described in the scriptures so it was interesting how …God has blessed us.

Elder Beeson also really likes to work hard so it is good to have a companion that is not just comfortable with where we are right now but want to improve :) he is from Arizona 

and yes we have taught a lesson since last email so that is good.

Pres. Jeung wui jeung is the stake president and it was funny because he was talking and he was like "I know Elder chou's parents, and they are a righteous example of what a family unit should be like" or something along those lines, so I guess I got a good introduction to the ward :) 

I am very glad that [my parents] are faithful in the gospel, and have influenced so many people's lives in Hong Kong making it easier for me, a lot easier for me to work with members :)

Elders Chou and Beeson with President Jeung's family

I think back to my patriarchal blessing where is says something like "you will be able to work with leaders in your mission, elders your mission president calls as leaders in your mission and ..." I can’t remember the rest, but I was always confused until I realized that leaders in your mission could be local leaders, and I do have to say a lot of that is because [my parents] did what [they] were supposed to when [they] were in Hong Kong.

Week 49.5 Transfer: Senior Companion in Tai Wo 6/12/2017

Ok I could tell you about this week but my thoughts are a lot more centered on what is happening on Thursday. I am being transferred to Tolo Harbor, Tai Wo ward. I will be with Elder Beeson. I have never really met him :| but it should be fun!

I do have to say [that] part of the streak was broken but some of it was still not. We had a really good ward council, we started to have pretty good relationships with the ward, and I have been here for 2 transfers. I heard that people stay in tai wo for a long time so that may beat my streak, but also people stay in tko for a long time and hsk so... I don't know haha :) . I know that my task in hsk is almost done for the time being,

I think it is interesting. last time I got transferred I said that it feels like whenever I leave, afterwards there is a lot more success. I have been thinking about that a lot, and I thought about how last night, I prayed that the lord would help hsk. not for my sake but because I thought Elder Chin deserves it. I realized that the Lord has been answering my prayers all along. when I really say something heartfelt and when I really mean it, it happens. It was just a great thing for me to notice. from little things to big things. sometimes I complain and I feel like god sometimes says to me "well is this not what you wanted?"

I am so happy that I could notice that, and that he does answer my prayers.

This week we started to really ask referrals from everyone and we have this bring your friend to church thing and all these things. It was great. It was hard, but nonetheless, it was great.

we also were invited by yoshi from ma on shan to lunch las preparation day. It was really good.

insights

"faith is a catalyst" meaning that it needs to have something before it can do its job, and that something is the works and actions we do.

week 48.5 Teaching & Prayers 6/5/2017

This week has kind of been uneventful... just kidding we had some good things happen. 

Tin Sau had a baptism, and they were doing a musical number? but they were not really that prepared so I just helped them wing it. It was good... to see someone get baptized. Music!

I also went on exchanges with Elder Brandse. It was good because we taught two lessons, which I have not taught two lessons in a day in a long time, but I realized that I can be having "success" but I was not really giving it my all that day. I felt kind of bad because my heart was not all in. So I had it reaffirmed to me that I am changing, and it is not what I did that makes me feel happy at the end of the day but it is if I did all I could.

We might start teaching Karmen now that she is on break, she might have a little more interest, but she just like English class and sports, but she is really nice to us and lets us share a message sometimes.

I just had an experience that really built my testimony of prayer this week. I prayed and I wont say what, but I prayed that something would happen that usually does not. Guess what! It happened!! and I just had the thought "I can do this all day, and I will if you sincerely ask and are specific." I immediately thanked my 

Father above for the blessings that I have received that day. It is so important to thank God and acknowledge Him because he is the father of all miracles. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Insights!!

"through that small sacrifice, my heart softened and I found peace in seeking heavenly father's will." (M Joseph Brough) Taht is why "sacrifice brings for the blessings of heaven" (hymn 27) because our hearts are softened and we can receive those blessings

-- 

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

week 47.5 Visit by Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve 5/30/2017

We had Elder Cook [from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] come for Monday!! (as stated in my previous email) and it was great! We had a very spiritual meeting and I learned a lot about missionary work.

We had 2 big miracles this week. 

1. First we had 7 people show up to English class, and second we taught a lesson. This is a very big miracle for me personally because usually the class we teach in English class only have 2 people that show up 

2. and we taught a lesson was also a great miracle because we have not taught a lesson for at least 2 weeks. 

I know that amidst all of the things that I think go wrong, God still loves me, and some of those things that "go wrong" is actually God preparing something to go right

I think the lesson I have learned the most is when you have done your best, it is far from perfect. you may have reached your mental, physical, and emotional capacity, but it will not be perfect, because there is a capacity.  

[what] I learned from Elder Cook was that I am doing my best for the Lord. Hopefully this capacity is not my capacity forever and hopefully my capacity will increase, but I felt like I was doing my best, even if it may have felt unfruitful,I know that God saw it and was happy with it. I also realized that what I do will never really bring fruit. I think back to what Elder Bednar said back in the mission broadcast and he said "success is given" I think That that is definitely true and that if I am doing all i can, there may not be things I can see now, but things will happen, and God was happy that I am trying. I just need to have faith that these things that I am doing, are God's will. 

May we all have the courage to be faithful to God. may we live life to its fullest by living his commandments, and may we receive, with gladness, all the things that god wants us to do. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Sorry I don't have my camera, my fault.