Lots to Do

As a middle aged missionary with another middle aged missionary I feel this is the prime of my mission. We are both young enough to not assume we already know everything, but old enough that we do know a few things. And since we are both motivated and happy, we have plenty to do. Much of which is travel. If you look at the map, [Sorry, Mom's not posting that, it wasn't all that helpful. You'll just have to visualize] our area is everything from Lai King west, including the pink line and Lantau Island. We live in Kwai Fang and still attend church in the Mandarin branch in Wan Chai on the Island. From our home it takes about forty five minutes to get to church, as well as forty five minutes to get to Tuen Mun, where we sometimes have lessons. Buses are faster, but less reliable. It's rather a mouthful, but we're trying our best.

There is a typhoon coming. We are not to leave our house if a warning signal 8 or higher is hoisted. Right now it's at 4. We are also to secure our windows and find a safe place in case they break, as well as make sure we have plenty of food and water. We got this (along with our instructions) forwarded to us today.

"Presidents:
Dwight Pincock is not here today and I have been asked to contact you three to obtain a report on your preparations for Typhoon Megi that is scheduled to hit landfall late Friday, or early Saturday according to reports we have received. We just need to know your plan for the missionaries’ safety. If you could let me or Dwight (who will be back tomorrow) know so we can inform the brethren I would appreciate it."

I could feel scared, but knowing the brethren know and are thinking about us, I'm not worried at all.

In fact the approaching Typhoon has given us very very pleasant weather, with a nice breeze and cool temperatures. It's actually really lovely out which is a very lovely change.

Yesterday we taught a visitor from Hai Nan Island, the little island at the bottom of China. It was hard, because all she can speak is her dialect, but we did ok and she accepted everything. Now all that's left is endure to the end. So daunting a task, but so doable on a day to day basis, as long as we have the Lord. That means daily scripture study no matter what. Daily prayer, weekly church attendance. Those three things are so crucial. When Elder Uchdtorf was here he said at very least two minutes of scripture study a day. He promised that if we do that and really study the scriptures we will find that two minutes is not enough, and we want more. That's the way it is with good things. With truth.

I met a young man named Karlo from Indonesia who had come with his family and other members to get his Endowment in preparation for his mission. He was so happy. His family was so happy. They didn't know Elizabeth, but he knew her name. It made me so happy to see a happy, faithful, functional family.



There are so many broken families in our branch. It also makes me so happy to see our recent convert Sister Zheng's husband so supportive. He isn't interested at this point, and maybe he wears basketball shorts to church, but he comes. He supports his wife going to church by going with her, even though his Mandarin isn't good at all. Even though it's hard to get both their kids up and ready and to Wan Chai by nine in the morning. I know that he, like Grandpa, will eventually accept the truth of the gospel and be sealed to his wife in the Temple. It's so cool!

On a slightly less happy note, sister Ning couldn't make it to her baptism on Sunday because her son was in the hospital. She says she doesn't understand why she has so many problems trying to join the church. I know why, Satan doesn't want it. But she has strong faith, and it's just getting stronger. I know she'll be a good member soon.

I love you all. Be good.

-Noah