August 31, 2015
Family,
Hope everything is well back home. Thanks for sending the package. I'll let you know when it comes.
My regular day is get up at 7, exercise for 30 min then eat, shower and get ready for studies. Personal study starts at 8:30, Comp study is at 9:30 for 2 hours for the first 12 weeks for training stuff. Then usually lunch at 11:30. Then Language at 12:30. The rest of day is pretty variable. Our studies usually don't all get done in the morning in a row like that, that is just if we have no other morning commitments. We usually go out street contacting for an hour or two each day. The rest of the time is different meetings with the ward and others, teaching lessons, doing calls, other finding things like teaching english class every thursday for an hour. We get back to the apartment by 9:30, usually earlier because we do calls for some time. Planning is 9:30 to 10. and then I usually shower again, write in the journal, and do whatever till bed at 11.
My comp just got called as the zone leader for Macau. There are 16 of us here. 8 of us in the 1st branch. He has had a lot of meetings with the other leaders who all just got called and so Elder Brandse and I got to go on splits for a good amount of time this past week. My comp had a training in Hong Kong this Wed, so we were on exchanges that day. It is pretty interesting because Elder Brandse just got on his mission too. He is a week behind me. and speaks cantonese. It is pretty fun to go street contacting with him. We both can barely say anything and when we do, we don't undersand each other because he speaks a different language. This has helped me learn the language a little faster because I am now the one talking most of the time and he pops in here and there. We were able to get quite a few street lessons in, which was cool. It is pretty rare that a trainer gets called as zone leader, but two did here in macau. Who knows why, but it is good. It really helps and is an answer to a prayer. I prayed when I got to Macau to help me learn the language better and right after that my comp was called as zone leader. I was pretty shocked, but it has been a blessing.
Anyway. Gao Jiemei has been out of town this week in Taiwan and just got back. She actually came to church yesterday, which was amazing. It is our first investigator or less active to come to church. The meeting reminded me a lot of home, since her son was running around everywhere and making noise and she was chasing him down. Just like Blake. No other investigators this week. We are continuing to meet with Liu xiansheng. He is really cool guy. He always gives us hot water everytime we meet. I don't know why people do this. It's already so hot here, but whatever. It was 98% humidity yesterday. Usually it is not that bad. It has been more rainy this week, but not bad. A-xiang came to English class thursday which was good and we were able to meet with her, but she still isn't keeping any commitment. Jinxiansheng we haven't been able to meet with this week.
We had a talent show with the 1st and 3rd branch on saturday. It was fun, but the less active that was planning on coming with us couldn't make it and I was performing in it, so we stayed. I accompanied some missionaries singing a Child's prayer and then I accompanied 3 sisters doing this other piece I've never heard of. They did a good job. One family in the ward had their daughter sing Let it Go. She has a dress on and a blond wig. It was pretty cute. She danced, and sang and ran around with her little brother in an olaf costume, while her dad kept spraying this fake snow stuff following them around. she is about 7 yrs old. Anyway, We also performed at sacrament meeting yesterday. They gave me the music on Sat and asked me to accompany them Sunday, so that was fun. We sang the EFY melody. It was good. The spirit was strong as they sang. Cool piece.
Few quick thoughts. I love what it says in Ether 2 and 3 about prayer. It is interesting the pattern the Lord uses to answer the questions of the Brother of jared. First he tells him to build barges. This might be to see the brother of jared's obedience. Then the brother of Jared returns adn reports. He ask the Lord 2 questions. 1 is aout how to get air and the other is about how to get light. The Lrod answers 1 of his questions but then asks the brother of jar4ed what he should do to answer the second question. The brother of jared shows that he really wants an answe rand is willing to work bery hard to get it. He hikes up a huge mountain gets stones adn then hikes up to the very top to pray. I'm sure he could have done something easier or got the stones some other way, but this was his way of showing dedication to God and a desire to have an answer. I think this pattern is good to know. Sometimes the Lord tells us to do things without us asking, other times he answers our prayers straight away and other times he wants us to go and show Him that we want an answer and work to receive the answer. The answer will come as a confirmation after we have done the best we could and given our best answer. Ether then prays and first recognizes his dependence on the Lord. He then shows his faith that his plan will work with the Lord. I think that is a good example to follow on how to pray and receive answers.
Also I think A lot of times God doesn't answer our prayers because we are praying for different things that are both good. He expects us to take the step of faith and go and do. Then if what we are doing is not right, he will then warn us.
Another quick thought since I have a few more minutes. I am learning that everything goes back to the Atonement. I was pondering Ether 12:2. It tells us that Ether could not be restrained because of the spirit of the Lord which was in him. Wow. I believe the reason he had the spirit so strong with him was because he really understood and used the Atonement. This allowed him, first, to be clean so he could be worthy of the spirit and have it in greater abundance. Also, experiencing the grace and firgiveness of the Atonement instilled in him a greater desire to share it. It goes back to what I think I shared last week about Enos. The Atonement gave him increased desire. Lehi is another example. After he experience the love of God, he desired his family to taste of it. Alma the younger is another exampole. He 1st experienced the Atonemetn and then said, "yea and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing."
Thank you for your prayers in my behalf. Thank you for your example to me. They really do strengthen me often. The spirit whispers to me and reminds me of things you have told me that help me be better and remind me how I can improve. I know the Atonement is real and I know that as we ponder when we study, the Holy Ghost can help us see connections and learn what He would have us learn. This allows the Holy Ghost to bring things to our remembrance. I know God answers our prayers.
Love,
Elder Stratford
District pic with teachers
Branch President Teng in MTC
me at temple first day
church lobby
apartment living room and kitchen
Bathroom. We really are blessed with a sweet apartment
Bedroom
study room
place where we do emails
funny door. read the words. I was laughing for a while after.
They are delicious. My favorite food. It is $22, which is like under 3 bucks back at home for a good amount of rice with delicious meat and veggies on top. They also give you some soup.
They have that chashu stuff you always get at the mandarin. They have it everywhere. They have it hanging up kind of like the pata negra in Madrid. They have that and duck and other meats hanging up. You order, they take it down, chop it up and give it to you. So delicious and really cheap. I'll have to send you a pic next week.
from the humidifier in our apartment. This much water in a few hours while we were at church.
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