EXACT OBEDIENCE

November 20, 2016

Family,

Met Tang Yang this week. He was baptized last year soon after I left and is starting to go LA. I won't be letting that happen. He came Sunday and will be coming next Sunday. We are working on preparing him to receive the Priesthood, a calling in the Branch and getting some Sunday attire. He is a stud.

Jacky is still doing good and preparing to be baptized next month.

The Sisiter missionaries met this Mainlander the other day and introduced her to us. Her name is Wong JM. She is great. We have met with her twice and she came to church. She has a lot of potential. Has absoultely 0 christian background. She didn't know who God was and now is saying personal prayers and wondering how to recognize answers to prayers. Incredible progress in less than 1 week.

The 2nd and 3rd Branches are doing a great job of fellowshipping some people that came to church on Sunday. Just a phone call the night before to let them know how to help goes a long way. Many members want to help, but just don't know how. They followed-up great and were a big help.

We are seeing a lot of miracles in our work. We are learning that the Lord is in charge and starting to recognize His hand more.

I have been feeling the spirit more in the work, in my preparation and in the lessons we teach. I don't know why. Personal Study has improved. All I want to do is keep feasting on the word. That 1 hour goes by way too fast. 

We are learning the importance of exact obedience. A few days this week I have been sorely tempted to not obey the new mission rule of 3 practice teaching everyday, one of which being a 2 min baptimal invitation practice. One was when Elder Lau was gone all day with Elder Feng for his Patriarichal Blessing. We got back together late at night and I did not want to do it, but we did them. Also last night, I realized that we had not invited anyone to be baptized that week, which was an invitation from President Lam. We were debating what to do and whether or not it was a good idea to call somebody and invite them over the phone to be baptized. We decided that we better follow the invitation and be obedient. We called up one of the investigators we are teaching who has been praying to know if he should join the Church. We talked for a few min about how he is doing and how he has been doing keeping his commiments. He hadn't been reading, so I read a verse or 2 over the phone. I asked if he has received an answer to his prayer. He said he has not yet. I then invited him simply saying, When you receive your answer, will you be baptized? He said yes. He was really grateful for the call, not at all put off like we were worried he might be. 

Few thoughts from personal study yesterday and this morning since I have a few minutes. 1st comes from 1 Samuel 3:10. I have been thinking about it a lot lately. "Speak [Lord] for thy servant heareth." President Packer teaches us that the Holy Ghost presses just fimly enough for us to pay heed. If we don't heed the feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, "Speak [Lord] for thy servant heareth." I want to always be in that mode. 

Also from that chapter, Samuel at first  was heeding the voice, but didn't recognize the voice as the Lord's. Sometimes we don't always realize how big of a part the Lord plays in our lives. Sometimes it takes an Eli to help us recognize it is the Lord. It is a wonderful blessing that we too can be Eli's for those we teach.

Have a good week!

Elder Stratford

District Pic

Edison. Elder Fung and Heslington's Investigator

Brother Torio and his wife. And brother anthony helping us teach.



Tang Yang

Guy visitng from China that just got off his mission in Austraila. Served with Andrew Eyring


Meal provided by Elder Chen.


Thanks for the Ensign! I got the package.