Hong Kong: CHANGING THROUGH CHRIST

June 26, 2016

Family,

Great week and crazy as always.

Got move calls on tuesday. Elder Grayam left to Kowloon, so Elder Darrington, Ashton and I are a tri-companionship now covering all of the New Territories stake plus 2 other wards.

Then got move calls again this morning informing us that Elder Darrington will be moving to Tolo Harbour and a taiwan missionary is switching from Cantonese to Mandarin to be in a tri-companionship with Elder Ashton and I. His name is Elder Huang. He is great. I'm excited.

Now we have 2 full proselyting loads in one companionship, plus some other responsibilities, so things have gotten quite busy. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. Can't help but smile and press forward. We are loving it.

Wang Le has been in mainland and cancled on us a few times. the problem is that we can't talk to him at all while he is there. If we call him and he happens to be in mainland, all we can ask is when he is coming back, can't say anything about the church or anything. So we are waiting. Should be back today though. He will have to push his BD back a week, since didn't have the inverview last friday as planned.

Zou JM has disappeared. Probably show up soon.

Li Jm is also leaving to mainland for a week. leaves today.

Were able to meet with Jia JM. We'll the otehr elders did while I was on splits, but I guess it went well. She is doing good and hopefully we can give her a BD soon. She is ready.

We have a new District Leader, Elder VanDyke, who is doing a wonderful job leading the district. I had one of the best district meetings I have ever been to this week. Our theme this transfer has been changing through Christ. The story was shared of the 3 trees on a hill who all had dreams of what they wanted to be and were dissapointed when those things didn't happen, but eventually it came full circle and those dreams were realized, just not in the way they trees had originally though. You'll have to look up the story. Really good. actually, mom, if you could send me that story, that would be awesome. thanks.

Went on splits this week and I had the opportunity to be with a missionary that is chinese, but from Philadelphia. We were in HSK and I wanted to go try and visit a former investigator. Her husband answered the door (yelled at us through the wall) and didn't let us in. We knocked in the neighbors door and this old dude answered the door. It was really sunny out, not usual for HK, so he let us in. We ended up teaching him a full 40 min lesson in his living room. He has a lot of really good questions. Hopefully the HSK elders can keep visiting him and he can come to church. That was the 1st time in my mission I have gotten into somebodies house knocking doors.

Had interviews with President Lam on Wed. He came up to Yuen Long. It was great. The best part is always the closing prayer that he offers. Seems to always be pinpoint right at me and my concerns. Pretty amazing.

One scripture that I love recently is Mosiah 5:13. We come to know the master by serving him. We serve him by serving his children. I am striving to remember that the most important person in the world today is not me, and to forget myself and go to work. My favorite hymn #223 sums it up pretty well. If everybody were just humming that song all the time and had it on their minds and then acted with those opportunites arose, amazing things would happen.

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Josh Stratford (施長老)