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