Hong Kong: THE PLAN OF SALVATION HELPS US HAVE PROPER PERSPECTIVE

July 3, 2016

Family,

Thanks for the pics and the emails.

Wang le is ready to go for baptism. He needed a special interview, so we talked to the mission president and planned to go down with him on Thursday afternoon to Kowloon for the interview. We arrived at the appointed time, 3 o'clock, and waited in the office for 40 min. We figured President Lam was just having a long interview in his office, but finally, we called him to see where he was and he said, "I'm up hiking Victoria Peak with all the missionaries that are going home tomorrow, the interview is tomorrow afternoon, remember?" I said, "oh, ok" and he says, "ok, bye bye." Somehow there was a communication error. I have seemed to have a lot of those this week. Anyway, so we were a little nervous. It is kind of out of the way to travel down to Kowloon, about an hour and we had been sitting there for a while. We called the 1st counselor in the mission presidency and he happened to be in the building and had time to do the interview. What a big tender mercy! He passed and is excited for the 10th.

Zou Jm has vanished. probably left to mainland without telling anybody. Li Jm just got back and we'll meet her this week. Jia Jm is doing good. She has some hard personal trials right now, but is exercising a lot of faith. We hope to give here a BD soon.

It has been awesome being with a native mandarin speaker. This this 1st I have ever been with. It is awesome to hear mandarin and know that is the correct way to say it. Almost everybody we talk to learned mandarin as a second language. Hong Kong people mandarin is ok, but way way different from a native speaker.

We had a mandarin activity this week and it was great. Had a few former investigators come both of which had never before set foot in a chapel. It was cool, they made friends with the members and 1 will be coming to Wang DX baptismal service next sunday.

The Lords hand is sure in this work. Sometimes it is easier to see than other times. He has a plan a vision for us. So many things that could have very easily not happened or worked out, did. Also, so many times this week, trains and buses just lined up perfectly so we could be where we needed to be at the time we needed to be.

Sure grateful for the spirit leading the lessons and making sure we are teaching according to the investigators needs. Plans have changed a lot in the lessons this week, but definitely for the better.

We are very blessed with wonderful wards who are focused on missionary work here.

There seems to be a big Book of Mormon push lately. I don't know why, but Elder Ashton and I have been really fired up about it ever since last tuesday. I have read the 3 ch in Pres Benson teachings of the presdents which are awesome. We hope to use the book of mormon more and help those we teach gain a testimony of the book of mormon. That, as it says in PMG, should be a central focus of your teaching. We hope to do that more.

One line that really stuck out to me this morning was from Oaks talk on opposition. The Plan of Salvation helps us have proper perspective.

Out of time, have a good week!

Love,

Elder Josh Stratford