Happy Thanksgiving! November 25, 2013

Well this coming week is Thanksgiving, so Happy Thanksgiving! We will be having a Chinese/American Thanksgiving hereon Thursday. Our zone will be meeting up and having it at our chapel in Ho Man Tin. It'll be fun. We have a pretty small zone and so only 16 missionaries will be there. Our companionship is bringing the rice and corn. Yep, wouldn't be meal without the rice.

Well good news! Fiona was baptized yesterday! It was a good ole' event. Her son and daughter came as well are her daughter's husband and their two kids. Also her sister came. It was really neat. and afterward she shared her testimony and expressed her desire to show her family her desire to follow Christ and join His church. It was very powerful. She is a pioneer for her family; setting the way for her children and sister. Hopefully her children will have the desire to attend church and allow the gospel to bless their lives. They will be coming to her confimation on Sunday and that'll be great. They are really great people, but unfortunately like most people in Hong Kong, they are busy. That is a large thing that I have seen occur here in HK, time is small. People have to constantly be working and their time is limited. 

I am very impressed and very grateful for the families (members and not) that put their families first. Sometimes it's not taking off work for something, but it is in sacrificing. When work doesn't allow time off, I have seen people sacrifice sleep and meals so they can spend time with their families. This is really powerful to me as it shows me to place what's important first. There is always time for what is important. This has really helped me reflect and see how I am using my time and what my true commitment to this mission is.

Well this week we had a pretty cool experience. So one night as we were out finding, we were walking over in this area that we've only been to once before. As we were walking down the sidewalk, there was like a groupish of people (got off a bus/out of a store) well as we walked passed them, I noticed last second that a guy looked at my tag (happens all of the time) But as we continued to walk, his face came into my mind again and then I just knew I needed to turn around. I thought "turn around" and then felt like the Holy Spirit gave me a shove in the shoulder. So I turned around. I knew why too, for him. So I turn around and see him down the street like 20 meters away and he was standing there looking at us.

I kind of waved and picked up pace to him and he waved us over. We got up to him and the whole situation was going off I just was like. "hey. how are you? Leih hou ma? What's up?" just like no idea what to say. Then we talked introduced ourselves and chatted with him. He said he had friends who were members that went to BYU and lived other places and always curious about us. So we talked and exchanged numbers. He was heading to Singapore for work that next morning and had things to finish but we will be meeting him this coming week upon return! This experience was really neat. Heavenly Father obviously needed us to talk to him and wouldn't allow us not to.

 Also this was another proof of prayers being answered. The previous night, I prayed to God asking Him to guide me to one person that next day. I fully felt the faith for it and really desired it. President Hawks told us "be careful what you pray for, because you will get it. God will give you what you pray for and desire." So that night, Heavenly Father led me to a man that he prepared for us. He proved to me, He listens to each prayer. He proved once again to me, that this is His and Christ's work. He proved to me, that faith will bring blessings.This was once again a tender mercy of the Lord. Nephi's words sure are true in the end of chapter 1:20about tender mercies. 

I am grateful and thankful to be out here and trying to help others. I am thankful for the testimony of knowing God loves us and that He really does. It always makes things easier and better knowing that. (that is my thanksgiving thankful)

Loves,

Elder Townsend

Special friend and new convert Fiona

Hey You!! November 19, 2013

Well I don't have much to write about this week.

 I saw Jimmy's pictures of his bike wreck, that is NUTS. So wild. Anyways, life is good.

We had temple visit today so that is why I email now. 

This Sunday we will have Fiona's baptism so that is exciting!! She is super cool and awesome. Her boyfriend came in from America and he will be here for it! I think he is the one who introduced her to the gospel. She took lessons in America as well.

Well on a night, our neighbors moved out of their apartment. So since we were home at 9 (we don't have to be home til 10 if we are teaching a lesson in this mission because we are shifted back a half hour), we were able to help them. It was hilarious, we come, carry out tons of stuff, find out they are moving down the street and have only one little cart, so we carry it down the middle of the street up to their new place. They were super grateful and took us to get dessert the next night. They said, God had to of sent us. I guess they just don't know how us Americans move people out. Especially Mormon ones. haha They were way cool, just a guy and his girlfriend. They are 20's. We laughed and had a good talk. He isn't too interested in religion but thinks you should treat everyone good. He said he will be going to America one day and to new york. Has family there ish. Told me to hit him up later and also after the mission so we can go to a NBA game. haha

Well, a really neat experience. Back in Tai Po i got to serve with an Elder Lam. He is in Australia now (got a pic of him with my friend Elder White from HighSchool!) and anyways, he is a convert and this is his ward. Well this last week, we got to meet up with his mum and dad! We were able to teach lesson and chat for a while. We taught about tuning in to the spirit and allowing to guide their lives. Related it to their son out in the field. They have cheng'd out missionaries every once and a while, but they want to learn the lessons now and we are able to work with them! Such a blessing to help them. It's funny because Elder Lam told me in the past to got teach his parents one day! so pretty awesome. I am mainly excited to teach them so hopefully when they are baptized they can prepare to go to the temple to be sealed together when Elder Lam gets home. That would be the coolest thing to happen. Teaching them is a great opportunity as well, it just feels like a happy loving envirnoment and just is great. 

Well that's all I got for now. Sorry not much more. 

Love you,

Elder Townsendandsfgasgbowe4gt

 zone conference &the canto boys from the MTC and sis moody because she wished she was one

snake soup (this place was on tv)

Hey there! Nov. 11, 2013

I am seriously terrible and knowing what to type as the email title things. I actually thought of one while I was walking here but obviously forgot it. I know pathetic, that is my mind thought as I thought of what to email...

Well this week was fast and hard. But it feels good to know we have a new week coming and a new week to fill with miracles. Sadly, we were unable to meet with our investigators this week.. 

One of them said he was pretty busy so he dropped our appointment. I sure hope nothing is happening to him, he is so awesome. We will have to move his baptismal date back a month or two more now because he still hasn't come to church. So we will continue to pray and allow God to help us know what to do. 

Even though our other investigator, Fiona, couldn't meet this week, all is well! Fiona has her baptismal interview this coming Sunday and will be baptized on the 24th! It is pretty cool. Her boyfriend is coming to Hong Kong to visit so he will be here for her baptism. So cool. 

Alright this week, we had this way awesome family cheng us out and bring investigators. Our companionship wasn't able to schedule either of ours, BUT the sisters brought their investigator who brought her husband and 4 kids! So it was rad. The member family was so awesome, they live at this nice place so they reserved this place where kids can play games and what not (like a little arcade thing that has a play area or like a fancy lil day care place) Then they helped the sisters teach a lesson.

 We helped the husband member set up and get some stuff ready. Basically I made tuna sandwiches with their two little boys 5 and 6 years old. They were hilarious and could speak good english!! #blessings. So we had an entertaining time helping them and then while waiting pretending to use super powers to kill each other. Dang, I miss playing with little kids. Imagination rules. haha 

Well I have to say one more thing, I sure do love how most people here are nice enough to deal with my chinese. It gets me curious how much they can understand. The other night, I was on the phone with a lady interested with english class and as I spoke to her she told me she couldn't understand and it sounded like I was saying weird english things.. haha "i don't understand enlgish..!" haha well I had sister Foong call her and she had a hard time understanding her so it made me feel better. But my language study is getting so much better now. haha motivation from the honest people. 

 

Geez, I am so happy to be a missionary. I am loving the life out here. Being able to see the Lord's hand in everything. Sometimes it's hard to see, but it is always there. Even though we weren't able to have any success this week, blessings came. One of them was our ward correlator giving us people to talk to, another was having the bishop come with us to a less- active members home (our bishop rules, super powerful) and then the last was I just got a text saying we got a member referral. Too rad.

Well that is all I have for this week. 

Soory this doesn't have anything much. Next week will be better. Also I am super scatter brained now.

Loves

Elder Sugar

Waih November 3,2013

Hey there you.

Well this last week went by fast again, so I will try to update you with the stuff that happened!

So such way awesome news!! Roy, our recent convert in Tai Po, got the Melchezidek Priesthood!! He is an elder now!! So rad. I gave him a call up the other night and he said he is doing awesome and told me about being ordained an elder. He wants to come visit my area and chapel sometime because the church's basketball court is very "leng" or beautiful/good-looking. haha love him. I am just so excited for him progressing in the gospel and being able to receive the blessings that come from the gospel.

Well this week we taught our investigator. He is awesome. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings and importance of the Atonement and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a good lesson, since we have him scheduled for baptism we will need to work with him and commit and help him live the Word of Wisdom and other commandments. I believe with his faith, that he will easily be able to quit smoking and drinking for the gospel. His faith is incredible. He just knows, no matter what, Jesus can help him. He wants His help. As we taught the Atonement and repentance through an object lesson, he pointed out the importance of baptism. He pretty much said, if I want to use the Atonement, I better be baptized because I need to use the best and perfect way to get rid of my sins. It was incredible to see his desire. He also talks all the time about going to the Celestial Kingdom. Like he will say "so when I got to Celestial kingdom..." or "in the Celestial kingdom..." I love the desire and faith he has to follow our Savior. One of our biggest concerns right now is trying to help him to get to church. He is a hair cutter and he has his day off on Thursday so we can't get him there. So we are praying on figuring out how to help him go.

Well just another little Tender Mercy of the Lord happened again this week. As we had spent a lot of effort this week on trying to find our less active members, we weren't able to have really any success. It was sad, all we contacted denied us.Saturday night, as I was finishing up calling people who said they would again come to church, they wouldn't pick up or said they were to busy and couldn't come. I was bummed, we were going to have a sunday meeting without anyone with us. so that night I prayed real hard to Heavenly Father to help us out. I asked Him if we could just have one less active member come. That morning as we arrived to church and were waiting on the 1st floor to greet members (our building has 4 floors) I made some calls. and guess what! no one could come. Well as we stood there I was thinking "alright Heavenly Father please, please help us" and then all of a sudden walks a man through the gate and up the steps to the church. He was rocking a nice leather jacket, hat, gold chain cross necklace, and some rocker jeans. Well I went to greet him and he was awesome. He was a less active member who hadn't been to church in over 30 years. and today, he decided to come. He got baptized at 18 and went a couple of years, but then slowly dissappeared and moved away. He came to sacrament and sunday school with us and I think he had a good experience. One of the awesome members who knew him from a long time ago talked with him and got his number. So tonight we will call him up. But I was so happy. 

Heavenly Father is such a loving Father. He answered my little prayer. That's all there is to it. He listened and did work. The best part was He helped out His other son that needed help too. I am so grateful for this work and for the Holy Spirit. Giving us direction and thoughts in our lives that can lead us to the better and eventually home someday. Prayers sure are answered. 

Well that's all I got so..

Loves,

Elder Townsend