Monday, November 24, 2014
Week #24... Busy, Busy, Busy.. Make Your Work Worth It!
-So this week we taught a record high number of lessons but have not so many progressing investigators.
-I thought about Christ and can't see him rushing around and teaching a million lessons a week. But changing lives. We just have to make sure our work is worth what we put into it. Sometimes its ok to slow down and be in the moment. Make your work worth it.
-Exercise update: On thursday I got 90 pullups 90 pushups and 90 situps in 15:47
Challenging Sawyer and Jackson and Dad. Bring it! or in Chinese: Fangma guolai!
-This week going for 100 100 & 100 in 16 minutes.
-Chinese is coming ok. Still struggle sometimes with the tones. I guess singing and speaking in the same time is just not my thing but improving fast.
-Our 75 year old investigator finished the Book of Mormon this week. Took her about a week in a half. Let that be an inspiration to us all.
-Got some meat at the store this week but didn't realize how spicy it was going to be. Even the native elder in my apartment couldn't eat it. Anyways, it was so hot that it literally made me get sick. So the last couple days I have been kind of out of it but today am feeling back to normal. Won't make that mistake again. Didn't know things could be so hot, but obviously I was wrong.
Let me end with a thought: In the gospel of Matthew and Luke, Jesus talks about how if people don't like you thats ok, because if you think about a lot of the prophets they were hated by a lot of people. Also Christ says that if you are loved by everyone that is bad because that is how the false prophets were treated. So its normal to have enemies for standing up for right but we still have to love them.
Out here we have people who bash on us and the church. But we just go on loving. That is beauty of the truth and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love you all,
Elder Pierce
评长老
Monday, November 17, 2014
Week #23... Durain! Steamboat! And What Really Matters Most!
-This week was Penny's birthday! Ate what they call steamboat which is just a huge buffet but you cook everything yourself which made things interesting.
- Also tried durian for the first time. It has a deathly smell and taste but the natives love it. Mostly everyone else hates it. I thought it was ok so I guess I am somewhat native already. not really but yeah.
-We are in a new apartment so exercise has changed. We (well I guess I should just say I...no one else really works out here..kind of sad) just run about a mile and a half every other morning and then the other days working to try and get 100 pushups 100 situps and 100 pullups in as short as possible time. Right now I am at 80 80 80 in about 16 min. Trying to get 100 100 100 in that same time by christmas.
-Also basketball gets thrown in there as well when we can get to the church and play basketball like today being p-day.
-Chinese is going well. This week me and Elder Eggertsen (who is the man) got thrown into teaching the Chinese Sunday school class last second and had to teach on the Law of Chastity. Being the trainer I had to take the lead of the lesson and yeah that was a test for my chinese but it went well.
-One of our investigators who is 70+ years old and has a hard time reading..read 3/4 of the Book of Mormon this week. Be that an inspiration to you guys. Get reading!
-Been learning some Malay and made my first contact in malay this week. That was interesting but they excepted the pamphlet that I gave them.
-Taught a bible class this week in a lady's home for a different church. (well more like showed how the bible supported the Book of Mormon) hopefully something comes of that. It was a miracle that we got in there. We a long time ago had contacted them but had forgotten about them. One day this week felt prompted to go back and they happened to have a bible class at the house and invited us in to teach. It is great when you can feel and watch yourself be guided by the spirit to what you should be doing. We had totally different plans that day.
-Don't get me wrong the mission has been the best time of my life but there are still are times when you get down on yourself. Maybe people aren't progressing or fanging your feiji (flying your airplane -- not showing up for their appointments) or whatever but I learned that if you can analyze why you are down its much better. HALT. Hungry. Angry. Lonely. Tired. My companion taught this to me. It sounded dumb to me at first but it really helps. Try it. Whenever you get down think HALT and decide which one of those four things is making you feel down. Or what combination.
-Lastly, we taught a lesson to a recent convert this week that really got me thinking. The only three things that we can keep past this life is 1. Knowlege 2. Character 3. Relationships and so if we are not working on one of those three things all the time then we are wasting our time. Keep your priorities. It is easy to forget what is important. Spend time with your family :) Love them :) Serve them :) Learn and draw closer to God and Jesus Christ. Don't forget what is important.
Love,
评长老
Elder Pierce
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Week #22....Green Training Green!!
-Not as much time this week so I will make it short.
-This week I went to Singapore for a couple days to pick up Elder Eggertsen my new companion! Yes what great food! Not that the food here is bad but more regular food is in Singapore.
-Elder Fletcher went to KL but got taken back by immigration and questioned and almost sent to America. Crazy. He only has 30 days in KL before he has to leave Malaysia. Immigration is wild.
-Elder Eggertsen my new companion is great! he is from Centerville, Utah. He just got here from the provo MTC and has only been in Malaysia for 2 days!
-Training a new missionary after being out only 3 months is interesting to say the least but you know what they say. Fake it till you make it. Especially with only 3 months of chinese experience.
-Chinese is actually coming along nicely. With Elder Fletcher gone I translate sacrament meeting each week now and take the lead in all the lessons. Penny is also teaching me a lot which is nice. She comes to tons of lessons with us and is awesome.
-We switched houses actually and live with a couple different elders. One is a native from Malaysia and he has been teaching me a little bit of Malay which is really useful out here.
-One cultural thing for the week is that when you shake people's hands you always touch your heart after. It's different but sort of cool.
I'll end with a thought. I realized this week that there is a difference between being exactly obedience and being righteously obedient. The first has no love per se. Without love being obedient is nothing. Ponder that. The greatest commandment is to love God and the second is like unto it and is to love thy neighbor as thyself.
love you all,
Elder Pierce
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Week #21..The Life of a Chinese East Malaysian + Transfers
So today is transfers and I will be staying in Kuching but I will be training now! My companion Elder Fletcher is headed to KL and will be training as well. I do not know who I will be training. So with 3 months of Chinese experience I will be attempting to train someone with no chinese experience. Well this should be interesting. Dang. I am excited though. I will have a son as they call it.
-This means I will be going to Singapore on Wednesday to pick up my "Son" . My "Father" Elder Fletcher will be going with me to pick up his trainee
-My companion this week was out with a concussion from a bike fall. Didn't realize how terrible is was being stuck inside all day, trying to find someone to go on splits with but failing.
-We met with an inactive family this week and the wife and her son were there..the dad was not. The mom told us that the husband won't support her and has a new girlfriend. She wants to go back to China and leave the son here. It is a terrible situation. We got a lot of work to do there.
-Also here all we use is chopsticks and its driving me crazy. I don't think me and chopsticks were meant to be.
-Another thing about this place is that the water here is not good. All the water we drink has to be purified or else you get really really sick. The water filters aren't anything simple either. It is a serious thing.
-This week rainy season started and we have a monsoon almost everyday. The rain is unbelievable. I thought it rained a lot before. But it is still as hot as ever. if not hotter.
-Also this week Penny got baptized! Elder Fletcher baptized her and I confirmed her! All in chinese which wasn't very easy. Also the sisters had a baptism of Penny's friend named Audrey and I got asked to baptize her! Also in Chinese! That was a super cool experience. Mid-ordinance I almost forgot the chinese words for the baptism and I had a huge long pause but I made it through.
Penny is the investigator who had a dream of meeting two young men in white shirts and ties and dark pants who changed her life before we met her and then we actually met her and changed her life. She was buddhist before! She has quite the amazing conversion story!
Kuching is the bomb.
I will leave with a video:
We use the Book of Mormon everyday and it is something that Penny has grown to love.
It will change change your life, just read it.
love,
评长老
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