Well, Elder Pulver was transferred to Kuching, so my current companion id Elder Ng-Woon from New Zealand, my first non-American companion. He's way hard working, and also plays the guitar and sings amazingly well. I'll miss Elder Pulver, he was a great Elder.
Elder Ng-Woon and I are now absorbing the teaching responsibilities for the 1st Ward, my old home ward, so that's been both interesting, but also really fun.
We met up with a "new" investigator, Brandon from Korea. He was learning from the missionaries, but moved here, so the Elders there told him to look us up. We've met with him three times now, and he is set to be baptized next Saturday! Brandon's English teacher happens to be a member in one of the wards I'm serving in, so that will be a great help.
Jen is doing great! She said that she would continue to read from the Book of Mormon, and that she would pray about it. She wants her daughter in the Philippines to learn too! Along with that, she also invited a friend, so we had a new investigator from that!
Ethel has met with us twice now! It's good! She came to Church once a few months ago with her member friend, but we're now making progress!
Another of our investigators that was progressing has had a little bit of a setback, because of problems with the Sabbath day and the law of chastity. Unfortunately, the investigator feels that she is somewhat obliged to her partner because they have been together for eight years, and that they will get married, maybe. She said that her boyfriend said that they would get married if she got pregnant, which shocked us, so the member who was with us tried to help out with explaining the virtue that has to be protected, and how she can't let herself be taken advantage of. It's disgusting to see how the world has casualized sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage, and how to often, people fall into that trap of carnal security, especially when they do not know how to get out with it. She also has problems with not shopping on Sunday. It's weird that she's perfectly fine with tithing and fasting though. I guess we each have our weaknesses, but through the Lord we can become strong (Ether 12:27).
Cisca had some of her concerns resolved, and we reset her baptism date: good.
On Saturday, we had the evening session of Stake Conference, where I was asked to bear my testimony/give a talk on how serving a mission has blessed my family and my own life. As I was reflecting upon it, it was good to see the blessings come from a mission, and the things that I have learned, but also how fallible I am at time. I practiced my talk with Elder Pulver a few times, but of course it came of rather different when I was on the stand, because I don't write out my talks anymore, but just have a few points written down (I like having a bit more of that confidence now). My parents were there, (which is always a treat). It was good to be able to bear my testimony of missionary work and of the gospel to them also. As I talked about the Atonement, I learned some things about the Atonement, and understood more about it than ever before. The Spirit teaches. It was a marvelous experience.
The rest of Saturday Conference was wonderful. There were talks on relationships between family members, on how we can all listen more than ever to the counsel of the living prophets and apostles. President Lai gave a wonderful talk on how that will bless us, how reading conference talks and applying them will bless us. All too often, people just pick what they like, but I am learning day by day that we have to listen to EVERYTHING they say. President and Sister Clark were also inspiring on single and couple missionaries. Stake Conference on Sunday was great. It was a multi-stake satellite broadcast, and we had some great talks on forgiveness, virtue, endurance, faithfulness, being member-missionaries, and finding hope in the future, and in the Savior. Sister Dalton especially talked about our Stake President, about his willingness to obey the commandments of the Lord. Conferences are always so good.
Well, we'll see what this week brings. Take care.
Letters please! Encouragement! There's been a seven week dearth!
Love you all!
-Elder Chua
1 comment:
Great to hear all the updates! We're always glad to hear how things are going.
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