I Flippin ♥Love♥ California
What a blessed week out here in the always above 75° California.
This week was my first week with Elder Yang. He is very VERRRY
quiet. But, that's OK because I never stop talking, so it balances out well.😁 This
week has been exciting for my Chinese because Elder Yang doesn't know much
English so my Chinese has been growing and real quick!
Also I've been out 5 months this week as of yesterday! Time is
going so fast its kind of scary! It feels like just yesterday I was sitting there
giving my last hugs to the family! When you're this busy man time flies so
fast!
We were super blessed to get 2 people who I love very much on date
this week (they picked a baptismal date). We taught Hank & Tina, an
awesome couple we have been teaching for awhile. They have already been to
church 5 times! We taught them a lesson and brought it up and we picked
the date for Apr 30th. Man, they are so awesome! I have some pics of them I'll
throw down below!
This Easter Sunday was super special. I got to spend it with all of
our Asian friends at church. Sister Lin, who is being baptized next Sunday, was
sitting right next to me crying saying that she has never felt peace like this
before. I am just so grateful that I get to take part in this experience they
are going through.
We then later that night had dinner with some members. The
Crocketts, Hank & Tina and Jay all were there! It is super cool to get to talk to them
outside of the lessons. They are all just so awesome and it was really fun to spend
Easter with them!
So overall another great week on the mission! Hopefully next week
there will be some baptismal pics we will see!
We also got a car so the work is going to pic up even more now
that we don't have to walk everywhere!
Have a great week hunks!
孫長老 Sun Zhanglao! Elder Nelson
Some pics of the peeps I love!
In Ben's recording he started off saying how grateful he is for his purpose. He has had an AMAZING week feeling the spirit and helping these people come unto Christ. He is so excited to see Sister Lin baptized this upcoming Sunday.
As missionaries they get a lot of taunting and made fun of, but to spend time with these people that have been prepared to receive the gospel and to feel of their love for their Savior, makes all the bad things that happen to them seem like nothing.
This recent transfer was a shock but as always Ben is looking on the bright side of the "surprise". He says,"I know why the Lord split up me and Elder Willes. He is giving me an opportunity to stretch myself and grow. Since Elder Yang is so quiet, I am having to do most of the speaking, in a language that still seems difficult. But I am improving more and more each day and can finally even joke around with them in Chinese! Which sounds dumb, but to say a joke and have them understand and laugh is a HUGE deal for me. LOL".
Mid recording he says, "WHAT! Someone threw an egg in our air conditioner! REALLY! GROSS!" I was dying at his noises of disgust!😂
Hank and Tina are really solid but have yet to set a date for baptism. Ben talks about feeling prompted to read "The Doctrine of Christ" with them. It talks about 5 parts, It's in
2 Nephi 31:
*Faith in Jesus Christ
*Repentance
*Baptism
*Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost
*Enduring to the End
They decided to read this with them and it just clicked for Hank and Tina. After they finished they mentioned they did not have a baptismal date. Ben's said, "The spirit just put me in a backpack and let me watch him work. I don't remember most anything I said because it was coming from the spirit."
Tina asked what they needed to do to plan a baptism. Ben was soooo EXCITED! She is graduating from college soon so they set it for April 30th!
Ben says,"I am going to bawl like a baby at their baptisms. I cannot begin to express how amazing and what a gift it is to go from meeting these people on the street, you don't know anything about them except they are Asian and might know Chinese. You get to know them and start talking to them and you have the 1st lesson, which they are super confused. You go from they don't know who God is, in fact they don't know much of anything, to them being the ones that are testifying to you in lessons. They are reading, praying, coming to church and then you end up being the one that is learning from them. I am just so grateful that I get to be a part of this life changing process."
Simon is another investigator that is super solid. Ben asked him to read Moroni 10 and he came back with everything highlighted and his own notes. He read all the way to the end of 2 Nephi as well in 2 days. Ben says,"I can't even pay members to read that much!" LOL
Sister Lin has been really emotional in this whole process. She has been feeling the spirit so strong and a peacefulness like she has never had before. Ben has been able to be there for her through this whole process and it has brought him even closer to his Savior as well.
On Easter Sunday one of the teachers, Brother John Wilkinson taught the meaning of Easter and shared an analogy of the Atonement that really touched Ben.
There is an old Japanese art where they drop a piece of clay or pottery and put it back together. But when they seal it back together they use silver and gold and it is twice as beautiful as before. He relates this to us in the sense that we are all broken, we are human. The important part is to know who we need to help us fix it, Jesus Christ. He knows how to mend us and put us back together to where we are more beautiful than before. ♥
My favorite part of Ben's recording is when he talks about these investigators, his friends, he is so emotional. I can feel and hear how much he loves and cares for them. He says he feels like they are his babies and he wants to keep them close to him. Awwwwe, the feels! 😢
In Ben's recording he started off saying how grateful he is for his purpose. He has had an AMAZING week feeling the spirit and helping these people come unto Christ. He is so excited to see Sister Lin baptized this upcoming Sunday.
As missionaries they get a lot of taunting and made fun of, but to spend time with these people that have been prepared to receive the gospel and to feel of their love for their Savior, makes all the bad things that happen to them seem like nothing.
This recent transfer was a shock but as always Ben is looking on the bright side of the "surprise". He says,"I know why the Lord split up me and Elder Willes. He is giving me an opportunity to stretch myself and grow. Since Elder Yang is so quiet, I am having to do most of the speaking, in a language that still seems difficult. But I am improving more and more each day and can finally even joke around with them in Chinese! Which sounds dumb, but to say a joke and have them understand and laugh is a HUGE deal for me. LOL".
Mid recording he says, "WHAT! Someone threw an egg in our air conditioner! REALLY! GROSS!" I was dying at his noises of disgust!😂
Hank and Tina are really solid but have yet to set a date for baptism. Ben talks about feeling prompted to read "The Doctrine of Christ" with them. It talks about 5 parts, It's in
2 Nephi 31:
*Faith in Jesus Christ
*Repentance
*Baptism
*Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost
*Enduring to the End
They decided to read this with them and it just clicked for Hank and Tina. After they finished they mentioned they did not have a baptismal date. Ben's said, "The spirit just put me in a backpack and let me watch him work. I don't remember most anything I said because it was coming from the spirit."
Tina asked what they needed to do to plan a baptism. Ben was soooo EXCITED! She is graduating from college soon so they set it for April 30th!
Ben says,"I am going to bawl like a baby at their baptisms. I cannot begin to express how amazing and what a gift it is to go from meeting these people on the street, you don't know anything about them except they are Asian and might know Chinese. You get to know them and start talking to them and you have the 1st lesson, which they are super confused. You go from they don't know who God is, in fact they don't know much of anything, to them being the ones that are testifying to you in lessons. They are reading, praying, coming to church and then you end up being the one that is learning from them. I am just so grateful that I get to be a part of this life changing process."
Simon is another investigator that is super solid. Ben asked him to read Moroni 10 and he came back with everything highlighted and his own notes. He read all the way to the end of 2 Nephi as well in 2 days. Ben says,"I can't even pay members to read that much!" LOL
Sister Lin has been really emotional in this whole process. She has been feeling the spirit so strong and a peacefulness like she has never had before. Ben has been able to be there for her through this whole process and it has brought him even closer to his Savior as well.
On Easter Sunday one of the teachers, Brother John Wilkinson taught the meaning of Easter and shared an analogy of the Atonement that really touched Ben.
There is an old Japanese art where they drop a piece of clay or pottery and put it back together. But when they seal it back together they use silver and gold and it is twice as beautiful as before. He relates this to us in the sense that we are all broken, we are human. The important part is to know who we need to help us fix it, Jesus Christ. He knows how to mend us and put us back together to where we are more beautiful than before. ♥
My favorite part of Ben's recording is when he talks about these investigators, his friends, he is so emotional. I can feel and hear how much he loves and cares for them. He says he feels like they are his babies and he wants to keep them close to him. Awwwwe, the feels! 😢
Comforting letters home, Ben, Hank and Tina
Jay and Ben, Elder Nelson and Elder Yang
Easter Package for the boys
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