Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Cong Youtazhou Ogden, Ni Hao!!

So. Miracles do happen. Regardless of the fact that I'm still just
here chilling in good old Utah, I'm loving this place. The food is
real, the people are real, lessons are real, I'm a real missionary.
And I couldn't be happier.
Elder Arrington and I

Sister Jenkins, sister Akita, and I got off the hour long train ride
to be greeted by warm and friendly AP's in a freezing cold and windy
Northern Utah haha. Got to the mission home to find out I'd be serving
in Syracuse Utah, whitewashing the area with a fairly new missionary,
Elder Arrington from Bentonville Arkansas, as my companion! Epic. But
we really couldn't have come at a more epic time in Ogden. The next
day, so last Saturday, was our mission conference up in Logan and
Elder Holland came and spoke to us with Brother Davies and some 70
presidency member. It was really good! But Holland gave the same talk
that I had watched 3 or so different times in the MTC, that YouTube
video of "missionary work and the atonement".. Yeah it was that talk
haha but good news is he's got it down and he didn't slip up once so
props to him for being so good at memorization!! But really it was
good I quite enjoyed it.

Next Sunday just so happens to be the Ogden Temple dedication as well
so no I don't get to go the actual ceremony but I do get to go watch
it at the stake center on Saturday and then skip church Sunday
hallelujah!! Bahahaha but church is great around here.

We got bikes yesterday! I was stoked. However they were definitely
made for 10yr olds. The handle bars barely come up to my hips hahaha
and it was just my luck yesterday that while I was shifting gears my
gear shift broke so I was stuck in first gear pedaling like a mad man
just to maintain my companions' slow and easy pace...I'm sure everyone
who passed thought I didn't know how to ride a bike haha! But that's
one of the fun things about being a missionary, you get to look like a
fool and no one judges you for it because you're the godly people!
Hahaha

I think I can already say I've had the grossest thing I'll ever eat on
my mission haha. Thousand year old egg. Yeah, a duck egg that is
hardboiled and left to rot for a couple months until it turns dark
black on the inside. Google it. It doesn't taste any better than it
looks bahaha.
thousand year old eggs…..yum…….
BUT I did eat it like a champ!
and tell Lisa they are "very expensive" hahahaha



Gave two talks this past Sunday with one day's notice. That was fun.
But really if you just trust that The Lord will give you what you
should say in the very hour you need to say it then it will always
work out. The promises I was given in regards to being a missionary
and having the gift to knowing what to say in the very moment I need
it has been very apparent. It definitely is a sure promise!

But as for the real miracle. Right after getting my things dropped off on Friday 
afternoon in my new apartment, we had a member come pick us
up for our dinner appointment with his family. Right when I got in the
car he recognized my name tag and told me he had served in Taipei. So
I got to practice my Mandarin with him over dinner!! But better yet,
he informed me of two Mandarin speaking potential investigators in the
area. So that night after we had tried all of our scheduled
appointments which coincidentally all fell through, Elder Arrington
and I went over to BaiBinDX's house and tried him. He let us in and I
was able to give an entire lesson in Mandarin on my first night in
Syracuse Utah. And it rocked. He invited us back for last night, so I
was able to give yet another lesson all in Mandarin and it rocked as
well, the spirit was friggin strong and was working wonders. My poor
comp can't say anything though so it really is all up to me to give
all the discussions, good thing I studied hard in the MTC. Gift of
tongues is real. Gift of the spirit of discernment is also real. I
believe I can help this man. It wasn't a coincidence I ran into this
guy on my first day out here. All part of the plan I guess. But it's
so so so so sick! So grateful God has provided me with this
opportunity.

I'm excited to go to Taiwan. I already miss my homies from the MTC
haha. I made some sick is friendships. The mission is so cool. It's
fun to see how perfectly placed I've been throughout this whole visa
situation. This work really is so inspired.

Elders Elliot, Heaps, Jensen, Huntsman, Robison and Wheeler

Wo ai nimen!

Jin ZhangLao
Elder Jensen

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