I make dough but don't call me dough boy... August 25, 2013

 Hello. 

Well this week was crazy and fast. Basically it was consumed with EEFY. Yeah its called english especially for youth. So basically we do stuff with the youth like play games and make stuff and speak english. The stake basically was in charge of it this year and we were to just to the teaching and what not.. you know, being the foreigners and all so the english is our mother tongue. 

They chose the theme as Stripling Warriors. So the first day was filled with wars. We played capture the flag and also a balloon fight. Capture the flag was hilarious because no one understood the rules and it was on our little basketball court so it ended up being hilarious.

 Then the next day we made food. The whole theme was to follow with exactness- such as recipes and what not. Well the hilarious thing is that they had put the young women in charge of bringing the supplies. Well some didn't show. So for instance, we made pizza. The cheese person never showed... haha so we had to run to a random store (cheese isnt too big here) and finally found some. The american cheese? the individual sliced plastic cheese? We call it fake cheese back home. haha Well  we got that and used it. And the dough also didn't cook so it was like we had stretchy mozeralla cheese. haha Anyways we also made tacos. Well the taco seasoning girl didn't show up either. haha so it was just a ball. We improvised really well. And lets be honest, none of the people here have ever tried a taco anyways so it was good. When we asked people if it was good, some kid said no. I asked him why? and he yells "taco hou syun!!!" which means it is very sour. Well its because this little genius taco was mainly sour cream hahahaha. too funny. 

Well this Friday at Engllish class we had a special visit. This lady, lets call her Polly, showed up  like an hour early and sat in the room and kinda napped. Well before english class, we talked to her and I came to recognize her. I meet here a few months back with Elder Goodrich. She hasn't come to church in long time. Kinda very interesting when we first met her. Well through English class she was good. Then at the end after the missionaries shared a spiritual note, she stood up saying she wanted to say something. She stood up and started telling us an experience she had. It started when she had cancer-a tumor. It needed to be removed. Well while she was very sick, she had an experience. and this is kind of how it goes translated and to simplified quick email writing. she said she saw a pillar of blue light, over her head. It was very bright and descended upon her. This light then surrounded her and lifted her up and took her away. She then was taken to a place that was very beautiful. While she was there, a man came to her to talk to her. guess who it was! yep. Jesus! He came and talked to her and said some stuff. Then she started going into weird stuff. Saying other people say she is crazy, but she knows she is not. By then, Elder Christensen was like "WOW. Isn't that amazing. Now i need you to stop talking. You could say the prayer for us, is that fine? We don't have time and people need to go." She then started saying more and he then told her She seriously needed to stop and say the prayer. But she said she was unworthy to pray. So someone else said it.

Awesome right?

well  that is what my life this week consisted of. Crazies and eefy. 

But we had an investigator at english class share a story. It was really awesome, he shared the first vision from what he had memorized. It was amazing. Joseph Smith's experience when God and Christ visited him is one of the most powerful things I feel that we can share out here. It truly is amazing. I know for a fact he did see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I always love sharing that experience because I always feel the spirit burning inside from his experience. I know we get answers for our prayers too. Love this stuff. 

That's all I got. 

Loves

Elder Sugar

eefy days. I had to hit the cameras so that is why i am awkwardly in the front. I panicked and slid across the floor.

EEFY

EEFY

Ho Ka Hong...so awesome- helped me with everything. Moving to Utah for school and was taught by my MTC teacher Bro. Kruman

Raindrops

Hey. so i just typed this email and it deleted on me and wasnt in drafts so it wont be as good as the last one because I just lost 24 minutes. darn. everyones loss i guess. haha

Anyways yeah, we had a typhoon. It didn't pick up until that night and since I live out here in Tai Po, it didn't get us that bad at all.Pretty much all night I heard rain and lots of wind. All the way up at our  26th floor room. 

Well I had alien or bug eggs in my arm. Yeah they planted. But don't worry I took care of it. I got my handy tweezers, hot needle, and alcohol to take care of it. They shouldn't be back anytime soon. And I also talked to Sister Hawks after the procedures and she gave me some ointment and good advice for me. One of them was next time not to do surgery... haha She is the best ever. 

So this week our ward had a party and it was a blast. We had people perform and do stand up comedy. Then Johnny the ward mission leader, had us missionaries on stage. He put a headphone in our ear and we had to try and sing the chinese song outloud and have the people guess it. It was fun and pretty funny as well. Like it wasn't too bad it reminded me of back home when I would speak and just use made up slurred words. like shleh maofin tushanad. But they eventually guessed them! 

My favorite was watching a few of the men standing around the table looking at the desserts before it started. Then while a sister cut some of the dessert thing, they would steal some  and sneakily eat it. too funny. Brother Lam, the one that always calls me elder Sugar, came over and told me about when he was a waiter and would always sneak food to eat. Too hilarious. Showed me the techniques and all. He is the funniest. 

Then yesterday, the bishop had us over with members for dinner. it was great. and I got to meet a guy that was with Buster in the MTC!!!

Food this week.. Well I love this noodle place called Tam Ji. My trainer elder Goodrich LOVED Tam Ji. And while i was with him, i wasnt used to the chinese stuff so I wasn't too into it. But now I love it. It can be pretty spicy where your lips go numb. So good. I sure do miss Elder Goodrich. He was a good man. Wouldn't mind sitting down to some Tam Ji with him. haha

Well finding is fun. Its pretty rad to talk to people. We will find in a chyun, like a square between apartmetns and stuff. We all do seperate finding to talk to all the lots of people, it makes it so we can contact lots more. Well I was able to stop this guy. We talked about his awersome shirt and then about life. I shared about how knowing of Christ and having his help has blessed my life. Then I talked about prayer. We went and sat down on a bench and I was able to pray with him. Afterwards I felt to share the 1st vision with him. Man the 1st vision is just filled with the spirit. after that we talked on how we all are similar to Joseph Smith and can receive answers. He thought that was cool. I shared about the Book of Mormon and he thought it was pretty rad too. It was cool being able to just share with him and laugh and talk and feel the spirit. I hope to see him soon again.

On last pday as we headed to the Mac store to email. we heared "Elder, elder!!" as we turned around we saw a Thai lady running to us. She said she needed our help. She had just gotten to Hong Kong with her daughter and friends and they were going to the Temple. But they were lost and didn't know how to get there. She said she had prayed for help and that seeing us was a miracle! We were able to send them the right way and help them there. 

Prayers sure do work. Sometimes its hard to do or hard to believe itll work, but it totally does. Why not pray? what do you have to lose, nothing. If pray didn't work then oh well. But if it does, then you have everything to gain. And it totally does. So cool.

Jesus Christ is the best.

Loves

Elder Townsend

pics with the group and the other wiht the bishop and his wife

Thank you Apple Store!!! August 11, 2013

Yep.

Well the reason there wasn't an email from me last week is that I write the email for the time I am on the computer and when I don't know what to write I write other people back while I think. Well as I go to start writing it again, a crazy lady comes up and says that I needed to get off the computer. It was her time. I asked the guy and he messed up scheduling me and I only had a half hour (1/2 of that was writing the president) on the computer so I didn't get to send off the letter. whoops. sorry. But hey its all good! I am at the Apple Store writing you a letter on this way cool, brand new, mac book pro. 

The reason why... is I got a new companion! wait, I mean two companions! Yep! I am with Elder Christensen (who I wanted to be comps with super bad because he is super darn cool, way funny, such a good missionary, and a ginger.) and Elder Christensen is training a new missionary by the name of Elder Crump, who just graduated! Nutso. so cool. Anyways I am pretty much just the guy that gets them water when they are thirsty and carry their bags. Its like what-ev.. haha Nah, I guess I am getting a new companion in like 3 weeks so I am definitely going to enjoy this while I can! It is so awesome.

So last week was pretty wild. We had a zone meeting and the zone leaders decided to ask me to "help." They had me stand on a chair and they put a couple farther away. It was resembling  how when you work to help people get to a goal such as baptism, you can't skip steps. you need to prepare and help set up a way for them. SO they asked me to try to get to the other chair. I wasn't sure, but they told me to. So i took the "leap of faith" and it resulted in me landing on the chair which slid on the wood floor making me land flat on my back. Pretty hilarious. I am a stunt man now.. Some of the missionaries got it on film so I will have proof one day.

 

Anyways my Recent-convert Roy blessed the sacrament today!! So legit. he is so darn awesome.

So since all the new missionaries came in this week, they usually go finding once before they go to their new areas. I was lucky and got to take a couple of the new elders finding. It was so darn fun. I realized how my cantonese isn't too bad! But I also found out it is terrible too. I was talking to a guy and eventually found out he was a member... haha I was like can we switch numbers since you are busy. and then I realized he was saying he was a member.. hahaha 

I was blessed with a tender mercy from the Lord big time this last week! Since it was the end of the month, I had no money on me. I had a 20 and that was it. I got mischarged on my octopus card (what you use for buses and train) so I had no money on that. Well we had an appointment at a members and it was far and we didn't want to be late. So we took a taxi and I had to pay. I gave the man my 20 to get $3.50 in change. Well after we left the members we had to take the bus home or we'd be super late. As we were walking up to the bus, I was thinking how I was going to pay for the bus. I knew I only had 3.50 in my pocket and that was it. the bus fare would cost like 4 something to get home.As I walked up I had the feeling to check my pocket. As I reached in and pulled out money, I had 5.50 in my pocket. I had no idea how, but I had enough money. This was a miracle, the Lord had supplied me with the money to go home. As we rode the bus home that night, I was truly amazed. This tender mercy is something I will remember my whole life.

He truly does care for us. I know He does. He helps me many times everyday. This time, I had proof of it in my hands. I will be honest, I had to fight back some tears because I was so grateful. But all I know, is when we do things for Him, He will do things for us. Whether it be we feel so happy for no reason that we just smile, or it be helping us have something we need. God is our Heavenly Father and is willing to bless us. Christ is our Savior and He puts smiles on our faces when we don't know if we can that day. 

I love being a missionary so much. and I am so happy to serve these people in Hong Kong. I struggled with knowing I could serve and love them when I first arrived. But now I know they just need the gospel so much more. 

Once again I am sorry I didn't get my email off last week, but the Apple store isn't kicking me out. so they are cool. the AC is really strong as well. I am cold. That's also all I really can write about. 

oh actually we had a blood drive at the church on Friday, so i got to promote for that and teach people after they donated blood. I totally can say that in Cantonese now too. Cool stuff.

Loves 

Elder Townsend

pics: kool-aid and the new comps

Elder T, Elder Crump & Elder Christensen