 |
| Our District |
This week has been really good, but honestly there's not much I can tell you that I haven't already. Peng2 Jye3mei4 is progressing really well, and is really getting a strong testimony, which is good to see. As far as we can tell her only hangup with committing to baptism is that her family doesn't know she's been meeting with us, which is an important thing for them to know needless to say haha. We've felt impressed to share the vision of the tree of life with her, and invite her to share how the gospel has affected her with her family and possibly invite them to investigate in Hong Kong, so they can partake of the fruit as well!
Yang3 di2xiong1 is progressing pretty well too, we're getting into the swing of teaching him too. We got a new referral this week (still a teacher acting), who's name is li3 Jia1neng2 (if I remember right). It's always awkward starting out because our small talk sucks, but he seems eager to listen and soak it all in, even though he's barely even heard of Christ. These lessons are definitely great stretching opportunities for us.
In TRCs on Saturday (I don't know the acronym but we go have lessons with members) we got a lot of compliments on how well our Chinese is progressing for having been here 3 or 4 weeks, which was really nice to hear and can really only be chalked up to a lot of faith, trust, and study (there isn't a provision for pixie dust in the handbook), and most of all, that fact that the Lord really has blessed us with the gift of tongues as we prepare to do His work and help the people of Taiwan partake of His love and joy.
For those who are curious, our daily schedule goes something like this:
We wake up at 6:30, and work out and have breakfast in varying orders (usually I don't REALLY wake up until one of those happens haha) then we study and prepare until lunch. After lunch we have 3 hours of class and another hour of prep time, and then dinner and either devotional or another class. The evenings we usually spend doing some more studying or relaxing and getting ready for bed, but usually they go hand in hand honestly.
Yesterday, we got to hear from two Hollands, first President Holland of UVU and his wife for Devotional, and then his dad, Elder Holland, for Sunday night film. President Holland started out by saying that he had felt a strong impression that there were several missionaries listening who were depressed and downtrodden, and even 1 or 2 that were on the verge of giving up completely. He then told the story of the Provo Tabernacle, and how when it burned down tragically and seemingly spontaneously so many people wondered why God would let such a wonderful building, sanctified by the priesthood of God and blessed to house so many wonderful events, burn down. He talked about how the Stake President of the area, who's name was Buddy, was walking around the rubble in shock when he looked through the window and saw a painting (of the Savior) sitting at the foot of a wall that was almost completely disintegrated, and everything on the painting, except the exact outline of an image of the Savior, was scorched. In his mind's eye, the Lord stood before him and said "Buddy, who's house is this?" "Yours, Lord", he said. "Then what business is it of yours if I want to remodel it?"
Little did he know it at the time, but several months later in General Conference the Prophet would announce that the tabernacle would be restored and rebuilt into a temple, and would now serve an even greater purpose providing the ordinances of salvation for the living and the dead! President Holland used that analogy to show us how sometimes the Lord allows great things to be "burned down" so he can build them back up to an even greater purpose, and that He is mindful of us and will always catch us when we fall.
Later that evening, in the video Elder Holland (President Holland's father) read a poem that went something like this:
Come to the edge, He said
No, I'll fall!
Come to the edge, He said
No! I'll Fall!
Come to the edge! He said again
I came to the edge
He pushed me
and I flew.
It really struck me how crazy it is that a devotional a father gave years ago could, in my mind, continue a message given by his son last night. That was really cool to me.
I know we have a Father in heaven. He loves us. He sent us here to gain knowledge and learn how to make the right choices, to grow spiritually and mentally, to have joy, and yes, to have trials and pains and everything else that makes life suck sometimes. I know that in spite of the bad things that happen to us, through Jesus Christ and his Atonement, we can have peace in this life and live with our families in the life to come.
I know that He weeps when we are sad, and builds us up when we are down, when we turn to Him. I know that even though He could rain huge miracles down left and right, He sends small ones instead, in the form of individuals and individual blessings, so that we can know that He loves and ministers to us one by one. Not as a collective human family, but individually, as His sons and daughters.
I love this truth, this gospel, and I can't wait to share it with the people of Taiwan.
And I also love you all!
Elder Ogden
ps: the numbers in the Chinese are tones in case any of you are interested enough to figure out how to use them or already know how to use them!
Haircut time!!
 |
| Photo taken on the back side of the Provo Temple |
 |
| Classroom shenanigans |
 |
| The lone sisters in our district |
No comments:
Post a Comment