Hong Kong: PLAYING THE PIANO

December 4, 2016

Family,

Wong JM is amazing. I apoligize for forgetting to get a picture with her like I said I would. She is getting baptized in 3 weeks. Very humble, a little nervous, but determined to serve Christ to the end. The ward members are taking good care of her. They are so key.

2 ward members brought non-member family to church yesterday night. They are great. We are planning on visiting them this week. Also a few Less Active members who we have no records for showed up to church as well. We are excited to visit them this week.

I am pretty lucky to get to go to 4 Sacrament meetings every week. Our Sundays are spent all at the church. Yesterday we attended 3 sacament meetings, 2 Elders Quorum meetings, 1 Gospel Principles Class, 2 Branch Councils and 1 Branch Correlation. Discussed the Branch Mission Plan for next year. The pianst couldn't come for 1 Branch so I got the privledge of being the pianist. That's my favorite job. I also got to play for Mission Leadership Council last week. Elder Woolley apologized to me saying, 'sorry you have to play all the time, I don't know anyone else who can play.' 'You got to be kidding me, Elder Woolley, playing the piano is the best job there is.' Music/The Hymns are amazing and inspiring. I hope all my roommates don't get sick of the constant singing and listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir I do in our apartment.

One thing I am learning from going to a lot of meetings, councils and correlations is to see what things are and are not effective and how to use time wisely. I think a lot of meetings could be done in 1/4 the time.

We found this small field we can play some ultimate fribee on for morning exercise to mix up the basketball and ping pong. It's pretty fun.

I took up your invitation to use the credit card to eat more and eat out more so I can gain some weight. I am going through a lot of food right now. Delicious. Hong Kong food is the best.

Elder Lau and I plan to put our goals up where they are visible and we can refer to them often so we can strive to accomplish them instead of setting them and forgeting about them till the week after. We are also working on asking better and inspired questions. We think that asking inspired questions is a key that influences most other teaching skills and has a great influence on how a lesson goes.

A few days last week, Friday and Saturday, something felt a little off and I couldn't figure out what it was. I was reminded of a talk I have been reviewing lately, "The Music of the Gospel." (By the way, everytime I listen to this talk, I think of spraying weeds at Grandpa's house cause I used to listen to Conference recordings while I sprayed the weeds. Happens every time somebody mentions this talk). Anyway, I did what the talk suggested to hear the music of the gospel in my life by living the gospel of Jesus Christ through faith in Him, repentance, and so forth specifcally applying the suggestion from Elder Ashton last Conference about preparing for the sacrament. As I did, the thought came that I needed to make sure I was feasting on the word or teasure up as Dad just said in the last email. I recommited to the Lord I would do better and soon the spirit filled my heart once again. I am very grateful for the gift of the spirit and for the power in the word and the blessings from keeping the commandments of the gospel.

That goes along with something I read from the Teachings of President Hinckley. When he was asked what his theme would be as President of the Church he said approx, 'The same thing the previous Presidents have taught and emphasized. Simply live the gospel.' That is powerful counsel. I have a quote taped to my desk that I hope to live for the rest of the year and for the rest of my life. It is from the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said, "I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it."

Elder Josh Stratford