The work is not hastened by full time missionaries alone...week 85

This week was probably the most joyful week of my mission. Monday, I saw Brother Ng Chun Kuen from a year ago in Tai Wai that I baptized.

He's got the Einstein look for an Asian. Super cool looking. Had some vegetarian food which was delicious. Then when we thought we were done eating, we switched over to the next restaurant and he bought an entire roast duck...Lots of food. Still doing really well. There's no happier moment than to see him politely discuss with the waitress how we DON'T DRINK TEA! She just wasn't getting it. We had to ask the owner of the restaurant for some water (hot as always:)). 

We taught a ton this week. Served a lot of people, and met a new family from India. Funny thing. The dad's first name is Britto (if you don't roll the R it sounds like "Burrito") and his last name is Laban...like the Book of Mormon one...we laughed about that after the lesson. We are super excited for this family. They showed up after having received a lot of encouragement from their family in America who are members to go to church and try it out. We scheduled them for that Saturday.

Their home felt a lot like mine did. Loud kids, sometimes even screaming, but a desire to listen, share, learn, and grow was present.

They have two sons. One is 5 the other is 2.

This is what I reported to the mission president: So this week may have been the most successful week of my mission. I don't know about numbers wise, but as far as the way I felt, it was AMAZING! Sunday was definitely the climax of the entire thing. We had a lot of people at church, our fast proved to be unified and powerful for the sake of one of our investigators who had originally been having a really big conflict and was angry at us. He came that day to church telling us that his concerns had "evaporated." I know that fasting is powerful, but I learned something about it this week. Having a companion who is united with you in fasting is POWERFUL.

We had another investigator who came with his wife and children. He is very prepared. In Elders Quorum, our branch mission leader will start the whole thing off by asking for anyone to share a missionary experience they had that week. After a couple of people shared, this investigator rose his hand and said that he had one from the opposite perspective and had the elders over and that they shared about the Book of Mormon and the Family: A Proclamation to the World. We went to a dinner gathering at the branch president's home later that night and everyone was joking about it and laughing and asking us what it was like and wondering what their family was like. We had probably 3 different families offer to help teach them or have them over for dinner. Sunday School Class was amazing and we had probably 7 branch missionaries there as well as 3 recent converts, a person who just got baptized yesterday, and 5 investigators!

I love God. He really is my Father and your Father. I have struggled to comprehend more and more about his character and grace. I'm therefore very grateful for modern day prophets seers and revelators that regularly instruct us on these things. I wish I could do that.

Imagine. I would really want to just retire at 40 (or maybe even sooner if possible) and just be ready for callings. Do what Alma did when the work in his nation was slowing down. He left the judgment seat and put his all into spreading the Gospel. I hope to keep this kind of dedication to God as my first priority. I would invite all to do the same.

PS This elevator went 40 floors in about 8 seconds. Craziest elevator I have ever been in. SO MANY FLOORS!

Notes from Mom:  I gave Ian some spoilers for General Conference and told him that traditions continue.  Ian won't see Conference until next weekend, once it is translated to Cantonese. The boys went with Bryan and friends to the Priesthood session and out to eat.  This time was Cracker Barrel.  Ian's response:  "Filipino words always seem to be so hard to remember. HASHBROWN CASSEROLE!!!!! That will be my first meal outside of the house. As for opening it, I didn't think it was so much who I was with as how fast I opened it. I would say that he shouldn't wait...for anyone. I LOVE THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR!"