Sanchong District - Week 17 - "WE ALL TOO DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW A LOW-KEY"
(side note--the title of the blog comes from the first picture below).
Transfers are this coming Thursday! #transfermadnessbegins
Besides that, what have I been doing this week, you ask?
Eating. And eating. And eating some more. I promise it's not my decision, it's the members who are feeding the missionaries soooooooo much, and it's all for Chinese New Year. In the space of 2/15--2/20 we will have been fed about fourteen meals, and that means we have three more to go. 我吃很飽. My dad worked at a chain restaurant right after his mission called Stuffed Full. There were three more restaurants as part of the chain called Stuffed Full Again, Stuffed Full Again and Again, and Stuffed Full Once More (it was a short-lived chain. :-)). That describes exactly how we feel right now. 身體健康!
Chinese New Year is funny because it came about as a result of the astronomer who wrote the lunar calendar counting days wrong of how long it takes the earth to revolve around the sun or something. Haha I don't actually know, but I'm sure if you Google it you could read up on a better explanation than I could give you. But, in order to celebrate this monumental thing, the Chinese people have dedicated one week out of the year to eating, drinking, and gaining 10 pounds. It's bigger than Christmas here.
I will say that I am grateful to the many members who have invited us into their homes or have taken us out to eat with their families and friends. They have been introducing us their culture, allowing us to become a part of their families for a little while. We've also been able to share spiritual messages that we've been preparing during free time this week.
Sister Maynard and I prepared a spiritual share about the Restoration and about Joseph Smith. We were sharing with a group of about 15 members, so we prepared to do a scripture chase competition with them. (We read aloud a restored truth and had everyone work in teams to find a scripture where that restored truth is mentioned in the Book of Mormon.) The energy was rowdy and excited during the scripture chase, but it immediately calmed down to a reverent and quiet atmosphere when we started to testify of Joseph Smith. We shared this quote with them by Joseph Smith:
"After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."
We then invited everyone to write down the name of one of their family members or friends who would benefit from one of these restored truths, and encouraged them to share the truth with that friend or family member.
I bear you my witness that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration of Jesus Christ's original church. He restored all that was taken from off the earth before the Great Apostasy: the priesthood power and authority of God, and all the ordinances that are required for salvation. He translated the Book of Mormon so everyone can read it and come to know these truths for themselves. And seriously, everyone can read it because do you know how many languages the Book of Mormon has been translated into? I am teaching this gospel in Chinese, for one! This is nothing short of a miracle, nothing short of God's work on the earth.
Anyways, this week has been out of the ordinary but such an adventure. And even though we are practically being forced to shove more food into our mouths than we can almost handle, we feel so loved. Full of love and full of food.
I love you all so much. As far as transfers goes...will I be staying in Sanchong for one more transfer, or be cast out to the southern boonies or somewhere in between? Tune in next week to find out!
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On the way up to a member's apartment, we saw this on the wall of the elevator. It's clearly been translated from Chinese into English, but we have no idea what it means or what it's supposed to mean. The people who translated it probably have no clue either, hahahaha.
P-day activities and food....
Transfers are this coming Thursday! #transfermadnessbegins
Besides that, what have I been doing this week, you ask?
Eating. And eating. And eating some more. I promise it's not my decision, it's the members who are feeding the missionaries soooooooo much, and it's all for Chinese New Year. In the space of 2/15--2/20 we will have been fed about fourteen meals, and that means we have three more to go. 我吃很飽. My dad worked at a chain restaurant right after his mission called Stuffed Full. There were three more restaurants as part of the chain called Stuffed Full Again, Stuffed Full Again and Again, and Stuffed Full Once More (it was a short-lived chain. :-)). That describes exactly how we feel right now. 身體健康!
Chinese New Year is funny because it came about as a result of the astronomer who wrote the lunar calendar counting days wrong of how long it takes the earth to revolve around the sun or something. Haha I don't actually know, but I'm sure if you Google it you could read up on a better explanation than I could give you. But, in order to celebrate this monumental thing, the Chinese people have dedicated one week out of the year to eating, drinking, and gaining 10 pounds. It's bigger than Christmas here.
I will say that I am grateful to the many members who have invited us into their homes or have taken us out to eat with their families and friends. They have been introducing us their culture, allowing us to become a part of their families for a little while. We've also been able to share spiritual messages that we've been preparing during free time this week.
Sister Maynard and I prepared a spiritual share about the Restoration and about Joseph Smith. We were sharing with a group of about 15 members, so we prepared to do a scripture chase competition with them. (We read aloud a restored truth and had everyone work in teams to find a scripture where that restored truth is mentioned in the Book of Mormon.) The energy was rowdy and excited during the scripture chase, but it immediately calmed down to a reverent and quiet atmosphere when we started to testify of Joseph Smith. We shared this quote with them by Joseph Smith:
"After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."
We then invited everyone to write down the name of one of their family members or friends who would benefit from one of these restored truths, and encouraged them to share the truth with that friend or family member.
I bear you my witness that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration of Jesus Christ's original church. He restored all that was taken from off the earth before the Great Apostasy: the priesthood power and authority of God, and all the ordinances that are required for salvation. He translated the Book of Mormon so everyone can read it and come to know these truths for themselves. And seriously, everyone can read it because do you know how many languages the Book of Mormon has been translated into? I am teaching this gospel in Chinese, for one! This is nothing short of a miracle, nothing short of God's work on the earth.
Anyways, this week has been out of the ordinary but such an adventure. And even though we are practically being forced to shove more food into our mouths than we can almost handle, we feel so loved. Full of love and full of food.
I love you all so much. As far as transfers goes...will I be staying in Sanchong for one more transfer, or be cast out to the southern boonies or somewhere in between? Tune in next week to find out!
-----------------------------------
On the way up to a member's apartment, we saw this on the wall of the elevator. It's clearly been translated from Chinese into English, but we have no idea what it means or what it's supposed to mean. The people who translated it probably have no clue either, hahahaha.
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