Hong Kong: I LOVE THE SABBATH DAY

December 11, 2016

Family,

Good week. Had my first taste of Baloot (not sure on spelling), which is a half developed egg, from some Filipino members. Most missionaries hate it and the members made us try it. They think they are hilarious and video us as we try it. It was pretty funny though to watch the other missionaries eat it. I think it is delicious.

Helped make a pretty good looking Christmas tree for the Christmas party. Well I actually failed and it looked so bad that I got kicked out from my job and other missionaries did it instead. I'll show you a pic of mine and the new one. Pretty different.

Anyway, time flies here in Macau. Things are picking up. We are really excited for the future.

Wong JM will have her Baptismal Interview this Saturday. I have learned a lot from her. Some of those being: She always takes very good care of her scriptures. She also asks great questions about the scriptures and really tries to understand the what and the why. Helps me understand better what it means to search the scriptures.

Jacky is doing good as well. He always has awesome perspective about everything.

Few Filipinos we met this last week, one a member's brother and another from Cantonese class, both have desire to be baptized. We are helping them prepare for the 8th and 14th of next month.

Taught a new sister from Indonesian last Sunday. The lesson was many languages. Think about this for a second. The lesson was taught in Mandarin because she lived in Taiwan for 9 years and her English is really poor. Also, we don't speak Indonesian. Her sister, who was helping us only spoke Indonesian and choppy English. So she was talking to the investigator in Indonesian and then to us in English to try to help and then us to her in English and her sister in Mandarin. It was kind of crazy, but a good lesson. She is great. Her name is Dadi.

Elder Lau is a stud. Learned a lot from him about humility. Everyday almost I learn how to be more humble from him. Great guy. Every companion I have been with here in Hong Kong or Macau has been a good guy.

I love the Sabbath day. It lifts my spirit every week to talk with all the awesome members and hear them sing hymns at the top of their lungs in Cantonese, which is not a language that is meant to be sung. I can't help but smile every week. It is an awesome kickstart to the week, every week. I have been trying to follow Elder Ashton's counsel from last Conference to prepare for the Sacrament and it is helping me recognize and feel the Holy Ghost so I can know how best to act to be a better disciple.

Have a good week.

Elder Josh Stratford

M1/3 Christmas Party

M2 member party.

failed job trying to eat some dessert a member gave us.

Eating some Baloot (Filipino food, it is a more developed egg sometimes with feathers and bones) Pretty good.

The Filipino members thought they were so funny when they brought the Baloot for us to try. They had a group of about 10 and had all the missinaries there try it. They were laughing and taking videos. Typical Filipino things.