"Beware of Pride"

Hey Everyone,

This past week has been pretty busy! First off, I had that change of companions! I now have Elder Wright, from Draper, Utah as my companion. It's my first time being Senior Companion so it's definitely a new challenge, especially since he has been a year out longer than me! I was also District Leader for a few days when they were reorganizing the districts so I got to give District training yesterday! I trained the missionaries on how to live a better life as individuals, which translates into them being better missionaries.

Anyhow, we've had a pretty good week. We had a wonderful appointment with the Figueiredo family, our Brazilian family that is getting baptized in less than two weeks. We're just about done teaching them all the lessons, and we'll be going over the baptismal interview questions with them tonight. We really are so excited because of the faith that they have, and for the love or the gospel!

We were able to meet up with Prasanth, though he was an hour late. So, we had a talk with him about whether or not he really knows it's true, whether or not he really wanted to learn since he always seemed to be missing appointments. He said that he really did believe that all we've taught is true. We're working with him to be able to talk to his family. He's a wonderful kid and we really do believe that he can be baptized by the end f the year. We had a man named Chen from Malaysia who we met up with, who was really nice. But the only reason why he met was because he promised to meet us again. He said that unless there is scientific proof, he's not willing to accept what we teach him. I just think it's sad how some people aren't willing to have faith, how unwillingly there are to see all that is around them, and put their trust in the Lord.

We had Zone Conference this past week! It was amazingly wonderful as usual, and President Skelton taught us about the Plan of Salvation, emphasizing judgement, and how we really need to live our lives in such a way that we can be prepared and clean and judgement day and be able to say confidently that we have "fought the good fight."

One thing that I have really learned this week is about humility. This morning, I was reading a talk by President Ezra Taft Benson about pride, and he talked about how pride is the thing that most keeps the children of God away from their Heavenly home. As I thought about it, and reflected on it, I came to realize just how proud I've been all these years, with my parents, my family, my friends, and all those around me. My resolve is to do my best to humble.

President Benson said that for men, "The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. “What will men think of me?” weighs heavier than “What will God think of me?”"

Along with that, he just talked more about pride and how it can really destroy us. I just hope and pray that I will be able to do my best to be humble, and not think that I'm one cut about the rest, that I do not always have to be better than someone, or be the person that another person wants me to be. Rather, I hope that I will be able to become the person who God wants me to be, and be able to return to live with Him and my family in joy and peace foe eternity.

I have to head off, but thanks for those who take the time to read this! Do write! Thanks for the letters to those who have written!

Love,
Elder Ee Chien Chua