THE SPIRIT IS STRONG HERE AS I READ YOUR WORDS

November 8, 2015

Family,

Thank you for sharing a little about Peru.  It's very powerful and the spirit is strong here in the Tin Swai Wai Library in Hong Kong as I read your words and see your pictures. It is inspiring. I can't tell you how many times I have thought of you, dad, on my mission and remembering what your mission meant to you and how much you loved the people and the Lord. It makes me want to be better and work harder.

Chen Family is doing good. They weren't able to come to church yesterday though.

We haven't been able to meet with the Sem family this week. Or Elena.

Sam is still sam. never says anything. we asked him why he keeps scheduling us and what he hopes to learn from us to maybe help us know how to help him, but classic sam just said, buzhidao (i don't know).

Zheng is hard to teach. He has lots and lots of questions and doesn't take the time to listen to your response. He is great.

Jason is about the same.  sorry I don't have much to report on.

I loved this week reading Acts 9 and thinking over Saul's experience on the road to Damascus. I think a lot of times as we are going along the road of life, the Lord in his love, tells us and stops us though his Spirit, asking us why we are persecuting him. It gets you thinking. I often think, what you mean? I am not doing anything I shouldn't be doing, just maybe not doing something that I should be doing.  I am not persecuting you, I am only hurting myself and no one else, this doesn't have anything to do with you. Then he lovingly reminds us, I am Jesus whom thou persecuteth. Then as we come to realize that, that is sure hard to take. Saul's response is amazing. The humility you have to have must be so great to turn and ask the Lord, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" It is very hard, but as we are humble, we will be able to ask that question. And then the Lord can answer us and use us. "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." Powerful lesson and reminder for me this week.

Zone Conference was great this week. I was reminded of the importance of obedience, of unity and of getting to know the members. 

Thank you for your prayers and your examples. I know that as we have the spirit with us, the Lord can teach us what we need to learn.

Elder Stratford

The wetlands

Yuen Long away from the city

Tin Swai wai

Zero. I came in and he had been taught a few lessons. I taught him a few times with Elder Darrington and then we got our areas swaped so we turned him over to the other mandarin elders in the New Territories. They taught him a few weeks and he just got baptized on Sunday. He is amazing.

we live up at the top floor 28. it's a long ways. everyother day as part of exercise we run up to our room.

yuen long in the outskirts


View from my room.