6/26/16 Welcome to the World of Cutting!!

So... I finally did it. On June 24 of 2016. 9 months and 2 days after I came into the mission field. I finally finished my Language pass offs. On June 26 @ 10:00 PM I started learning characters, borrowing characters from Elder Aldridge, On June 27 @ 11:00 AM I have finished 100 characters! hahaha I don't know! Characters are so much fun, but its helped my understanding of the Language so much more!! Hahaha but hey! I still can't read anything yet, but its coming right!!?? Anyways so that was a pretty good emotional booster for the week! ANYWAYS! That was a fun Announcement! Watch out Mom and Dad, you might be Natives, but I'm planning on having better characters than you ;) Hahhaha Just kidding. Anyways super good week!!!

So this week had a lot of cool and amazing things that happened! Of course, as the weeks usually come, it started a little bit slow, we had district meeting on a Wednesday, usually on a Tuesday, but there was a weird meeting on Tuesday, so that threw me off hahaha, but yeah we were able to meet with the bishop with all of our records and we spent like 2 hours going through all of them and the Less actives and how we can find them and help strengthen them! IT was super cool! The bishop is a boss!!! It was definitely long, but we already are seeing the blessings from it this week!!

When we met with him, he just told us who was Less active and who was Part member, and that night we were able to already get a ton of them scheduled! So this week will be a full week! so its super exciting... The ward here is the BEST!! Last Sunday, we were called to speak in sacrament Meeting about a night before, so we didn't have too much time to prepare, but the bishop told us we would be fine, haha. So, pretty much Elder Petersen and I just said "Jesus take the wheel" And Elder Petersen gave the most powerful talk that I have ever heard in my life!! SO powerful hahaha. But yeah, the Ward got all excited about the work and started scheduling us as well, so things are looking really really really good!

Anyways, fun time~~~ We got invited to a Family Home Evening, once again with Sister Chan, she is an absolute boss!! Haha but it was super cool, they talked about home teaching, and visiting teaching, Mainly because there were mostly relief society sisters there. But they were all super powerful about going to do their callings. It was a really fun time!! 

Yeah. So this weeks email wasn't super exciting. Sorry about it!!! -_- haha but I love you guys!! 

Love,

Elder Chen

 

 

6/19/16 WAAZZZAAAAAP

Hello Hello Hello...

So this week, I forgot to write down all the things i want to write about so I am like 100 percent sure that this email will make about zero sense.... And to add to this trial, there is a man at this library... Sitting in front of me... Watching The NBA Finals... #CURRRYYYY!! #LEBrAAAWN JAAYYMES A bit distracting to be honest... But Yeah....

Speaking of Curry... I made some really super good curry this week Thai Curry and it was absolutely, amazing... Like on the reals tho... Put me in the kitchen of a 5 star restaurant, I'll make magic happen! Hahaha No and speaking of Curry the dude, Chinese people Love him here man, We went finding a few days ago, and we stopped some Middle School- High school age kids, and they were all wearing Curry jerseys.... And then you know how to get them talking, Just say "Oh, Lebron James is Better" And they will go off! hahaha it was really funny these kids were like talking about how much better Curry is and they just started like flicking their wrists like they were shooting a  ball and started screaming "CUUURRRYYY" hahaha pretty fun....

Anyways!!! This week was super fun! Once again, Lots of time in the streets of Tin Shui Wai, haha yeah no, this week was kind of crazy, and fun, but so remember how the stakes got split, That means the Zone got split as well, so that happened this week, Waaaay super fast!! hahaha Anyways... so I am still in the NEw Territories zone so that's always a plus. Yeah! But so half way through the week, we got a text saying that Elder Petersen and I would be then part of the Tuen Mun district, which is about 30 minutes away from our actual district and a little less than an hour from our actual area so, it was going to be a little bit of a struggle to get everything packed in for Tuesdays which is when we have our district meetings.. But it was super fun, cuz then I was going to be able under my MTC Companion as district leader, so I was really excited but then 2 days later, I don't know what happened, but then the districts changed, and now we have a district of 6 companionships super sick!!! But yeah it will probably change after next week (Transfers) 

Haha yeah! Anyways! Yesterday I was able to give a 15 minute talk in church about missioanry work... It was a long time because I was not sure I even knew 15 minutes in Chinese yet hahaha, I guess I did. Hahaha. But it was super fun! the ward here is absolutely Amazing, they are all super excited about missionaries, and its super fun to get to know them! Anyways! Yeah it was fathers day yesterday! And the ward bought these super cool thermoses, or however you spell that... Like those cans that keep stuff cold or hot or whatever temperature you want. Haha but yeah the ward gave them to us, cuz "FUTURE FATHERS" hahahahaha no the ward here is awesome!! 

Yup... SO this email was pretty rough. Hahaha anyways! Super cool week, lots of miracles. Things are definitely picking up speed here and we are absolutely having the time of our lives! Yeah!! Anyways! Thats this weeks email!! I promise ill write things down next week! Love you guys!!

Love,

Elder Chen

P.S. Characters are going to be learned next week!!!! :) YAAAAAH!

1. District

2. FHE

6/12/16 Finding Lines

Haha. Good week guys!! once again, this week has been a new and totally amazing week! Haha Its a good day when youre exhausted right?? ;) So this week has been so full of finding, because before Elder Oquist left, all of his investegators got baptized and we have been working with a lot of new investegators, which werent too many, haha. Anyways this week for some reason a lot of them just kind of dissapeared, thankfully we were able to get back in contact with them last night, but up until then we had not a lot of people schedualed. So this week we had so many street contacts and lots of time to find! we had at least 4 hours on the street everyday and, not going to lie, it was hard, Elder Petersen and I worked a lot on having a good attitude for the work, and we met a lot of potentials, and had a lot of street lessons, so we hopefully will be seeing some progress with them! Haha.

Anyways this week was super cool, lots of now things and I definitely had a lot of fun! First off, I went on exchanges with Elder Yeung in Hung Shui Kiu, super fun, we taught a few lessons and it was kind of nice to let him take the wheel for a little bit hahaha. Anyways, the cool thing about Elder Yeung is that he's a native from Hong Kong, so I got to speak 100% Chinese with him, haha he taught me a ton, and I learned a lot of conversational words that I had no Idea existed... So I mean, now we can see that my language still has a lot to go :P Working at it though. Anyways, going and doing something different was super fun, because I mean Tin Shui Wai is so tiny and I guess it was cool to see something different and learn a different style of missionary work! Haha it taught me something pretty interesting, that I To be honest kind of was a cool realization to me, that we are all doing the same work, and as long as we are doing our best, its successful missionary work. Pretty cool, I was able to learn different styles of teaching and see how he worked with the people we taught. Definitely really cool!

So!! This week on Saturday, we had something that was really cool, so our neighbor ward Tin Sau, organized a new english class, focused on New kids, we have been working with this idea for a little bit and it was all kind of in the air, and then we finally did it. We had 28 kids show up, that was incredible, we didn't teach it at the church though, we were in like a little office with a white board and stuff, I'll send a picture next week, anyways... I was able to work with three little kids, Jason, Andy and Oliver. And they were the cutest little humans i have ever seen. Especially Andy, he is from Mainland, and he is super young, but he didn't speak Cantonese, so I had a little bit of a test on my Mandarin, haha but even harder was that he didn't know the Alphabet, and the missionaries were teaching about something a little more advanced. But Anyways, I didn't really realize that he didn't understand anything, until half way through, when other kids were making fun of him. He got a little sad, so I was able to teach him the alphabet. the Letters A, B, C, D, E, F and I made a little game for him and at the end, he mastered the first few letters, and he was just like the happiest little kid. It made me smile. Once again, I don't know why I shared that story, but deal with it... Sorry.

Recently, we have been giving lots and lots of Turnover lessons to the Sisters in Tin Sau (Sister Leonard and Sister Viazzo) it has definitely been a good time. Just yesterday, we were able to turn over an Investegator named A-Lot (Jeff) And his Girlfriend Stacy to the Tin Sau sisters, these two are very special because I met them on my first day in Tin Shui Wai, and just now was able to get in contact with them. I was very kind of angry with Missionary work I guess, because I felt like I deserved to teach him, I loved talking with him and we found a lot of things that we had in common, he danced, he loved games and movies, and I was a little bit upset, because I guess I felt like Elder Petersen and I had been working as hard as we could and we didn't see any success in the area. That night I said an angry prayer, I said something to the effect of "God, I am working hard, I am doing everything that I was taught in training, by Elder Gillis, Everything that I have learned from the missionaries I had served with, and I still feel like I am running this amazing Area into the ground. What am I doing wrong" I then received an answer. Very simple, It was very strong, and it just said Missionary work is all about your attitude, Success is never found in numbers.  It was a good reminder, for me to know that service with a bad attitude is worse than not serving at all. I don't know but its also a reminder to me that Prayer is real, God is Mindful of  us. Thanks guys I love you!

Love,

Elder Chen

陳世偉長老

1. Elder Aldridge and I just walking to the Library to Email... Elder Petersen and Elder Yeung are in the back... Hahaha

2. Elder YEUNG Feat. ElderChens Ugly Face...

6/5/16 Why did He Make them Fly??? :(

WHY!?!? Hahaha I HATE COCKROACHES... Hahaha especially the ones that are bigger than my hand and can fly.... Ugh... hahahaha so this week, One of my most prominent memories.... Allow me to set this story, in an estate, Elder Petersen and I had just got out of a lesson and we are going home, its about 9:15 and its a warm summer night. So, In these estate, because it rains so much, there is like a hall ways of steel beams that hold up a kind of a roof so that it doesn't rain on us, anyways. So Its really warm, and cockroaches at this time just go where ever they want. SO we are walking to the train stop, and something catches my eye. Its a giant cockroach that is like as long as my forefinger... Oh my gosh, and it was fat, so I point it out to elder Petersen, and we spend a little time agreeing at the hugeness of it... And then the unthinkable happens.... The shell comes off. and out comes wings.... And it flies, a freaking finger is flying through the air... I scream.... scared a few people, and then the even more unthinkable happens. it lands right on the left lens.... of my glasses.... I freak out and it flies away.... I am brought to tears... This whole time Elder Petersen is on the phone with some Mandarin missionaries, who are so confused at what is happening... But yeah... Thats the story of how I got attacked by a cockroach....

Anyways. On a happier note, this week was really good, haha we had a lot of different and special experiences, so This week is all about Tuesday! Haha so we had district meeting... and then we had Nothing, no lessons, no activities, just 7 hours of finding, hahaha, fun stuff... So. We get into our first 4 hours, no problem. its creeping on dinner, and we go to a park for some water fountain action. I drink tons of water. And then I get this urge to let the Stephen Curry inside of me get out... Just right, there are a bunch of students going for it, Elder Petersen wants to play to... SO we jump in, and we are just two dudes in nice clothes playing with some students in jerseys and stuff. But played for about half an hour, and I was really confused... Because it felt like a was raining. But Anyways, more importantly, we met a kid named Edward, super nice kid. Haha a little bit of interest which is always good, but we invited him to our sports night! Super Good.

Anyways speaking of tuesday, that night, after dinner, we are finding once again, and we are in a park, and I hear a faint Bass and snare... And if there is anything I have learned from dancing... Its always go to the bass and snare... it took us to a  little plaza in our area... Where there are just dancers... 2 or three of them... Super funny I get caught staring as we are walking by, and one of them motions for me to come over, "Manta" is his dancer name. But I talk to him for a little, and I asked him why he wanted us to come over, and he was like "Hou Yuhngyi Tai day Cheut leih sik tiu mouh" (Its really easy to see that you dance) Turns out, I didn't even realize it, but as I was watching I started hitting and waving with the beat hahaha. Anyways, we talked to him and exchanged numbers, he invited me to some dance battle, which I obviously won't  be able to attend but he kept inviting me to practices with his "Crew" haha pretty funny, but Potential is potential right??

Anyways super super cool stuff happened this last week, so Hong Kong got split into 6 stakes!! Which means we are going to get a lot more missionaries here!! Super cool!! Its huge, they have had this as a goal for ever! And its finally happening, a lot of things are going to happen in the zones as well, but for now I don't think Hong Kong has enough Missionaries to create 6 new zones, so the mission calls might be blowing up ;) hahaha I'll train you ;) Hahaha jk  haha no but its really cool to see how the church is growing here! people are coming and staying!! I love it!

Anyways, that was my week!! Super fun!!

Love you guys,

Love Elder Chen

Picture 1: Member Visit! Hung family! super nice!

Picture 2: After Basketball finding.

5/19/16 Carmen is A PIRATE!!

So everyone, This week was super good! First off I just want to talk about one of our Less Actives, Her name is Carmen... Now Carmen is a really interesting/diffucult case, because she got baptized a few years ago, because the missionaries told her to, and she knows the Church is good, she's just trying to figure out how it feels, and we have had a lot of really good lessons with her but this weeks lesson was really interesting, so we teach her at a McDonalds, because its a rule with teaching Females cuz we are the only pair of missionaries in the area, so we teach girls as well. Anyways!! So, The girls here are all super interesting, but Carmen is pretty normal, she normally has Brown hair, and you know looks like a regular person. SO anyways! We are just sitting there. And some body comes and sits next to me... And she has Green hair, and an eye patch, from what i can see... And I freak out, I just think its this crazy woman, I get really scared and I like stand up, and then i see its carmen... And then its awkward... But anyways so Green hair, she said it was for some model thing, it was free, so she was like "I'll try it" and then the eye patch, she got some surgery done on her eye like an hour before our lesson, and she was so ashamed haha, but she is super cool, so we all laughed about it, and then It ended up being a really good lesson.

Cool! So does everyone remember Bill? The Recent Convert? super good, so his mom isn't member, but she speaks Mandarin, and do you know who doesn't speak mandarin?? Me... But hey you know who does?? THE MANDARIN MISSIONARIES!! haha so Bills mom is super in love with the church, super excited about it. But I mean yeah so what happened is that we are switching off weeks with the mandarins until Bill's After Baptismal lessons, but anyways this last week was her first lesson, and she is amazing!! They committed her to read the book of Mormon Every day, and she was just like "Alright, every day we will read, and if you don't read, you can't eat breakfast" So I'm talking about that Investigator missionary work baby! Haha so fun!

So last week remember Sister Chan Gave us a referral? So yeah Ng Sin Fung (A-Fung) is her name, super fun super cool! Older, Single has a kid, not sure about all those details, but she is super ready!! But I want to talk about Sister Chan! Sister Chan is so so cute! So we went to her house for food and a lesson with A- Fung and we were talking, and on her wall, she has 3 HUGE PICTURES of the first presidency, like they take most of her wall. And she asked us, "ELDERS! Who is your favorite??" a really hard Question, and I told her I liked Elder Uchtdorf, and she was like "OH MY GOSH ME TOO" And she was just like "If I had a chance to shake one of their hands I would faint! I would go crazy (Ngoh gokdak Ngoh wuih Faat Din din dou Wahn Dai) haha super funny It reminded me of like fan girl, for the The apostles hahaha she is so powerful! She was like "MAYBE IF I KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS I WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEM! I KNOW IT!" Haha but I was amazed at her testimony!

Anyways super fun week, super good studies, I started the Book of Mormon over a few weeks  ago, and now I'm in 2 Nephi, I actually came across some really cool scriptures that I want to share, 2 Nephi 4: 19-21 "And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; Nevertheless, I know whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; He hath led me through mine affliction in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh" I don't know, something about these verses got me really excited, About God, about how he is you know? Its really hard to describe. I love these scriptures because its so obvious, and its the straightest way to say these things. As we trust in God, and in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, even though we struggle so much, we can not fail, because as long as we fully trust in him, we can't fail. I have been reading in the Addiction Recovery Pamphlet recently and it is cool, I started over, and the first step is "Honesty" and inside Honesty there are two key factors 1. Over Coming Pride, and 2. Hope.  When we get over our pride and admit that we need help, we leave space for hope to come in. And That hope is in our Savior Jesus Christ.  If you can't trust, then have hope! if not hope than faith. Like Elder Holland Says, start with the ground that you have already won! if you start with your doubts in hoping to know the truth, thats like trying to stuff a turkey through its beak. 

Anyways! Love you guys!!

Love,

Elder Chen 

1. Zone Conference! Our group!! SO old

2. Carmen...... Yes... The best!!!

5/22/16 Life Is Good!

Hey everyone! Another interesting week in Hong Kong... Its really been a little bit of a roller coaster this week. But it ended super super fun! But the point is, that everything works out, not the way you expect it to, but, it works out. And thats how I can describe this week. I think its definitely been a learning experience!

So Where do i start! Lets start from yesterday, Sunday! hahaha so Sunday was really good... So Just kidding, lets start on Saturday, about 7 PM, haha so we had just gone to a district find, and we got a call from our ward Correlator, he had been in Thailand all week, so we haven't been in contact with him since he left, anyways he calls us, and he says "Elder Chen, I got sick yesterday... Can you do me a favor?" And of course, I say yes... Cuz one of the most common response from missionaries is "yes" haha and he says "So i'm sick... Can you teach Gospel Principles class for me tomorrow? Its lesson 25 (Fasting)" Haha and I can't really say no... So I mean thats what I did haha. We had 1 hour tops to prepare for this lesson, cuz we had a lesson right after and then yeah... SO! Anyways, pretty much Elder Petersen and I were freaking out. haha but at church the next day straight up Gift of Toungues, I don't know what happened but the lesson pretty much went perfectly, it started really rocky, but the class was super good! And it felt really good for both of us haha. 

Alright... Anyways... Sorry for that really bad story... But yeah so, this week I figured out why Tin Shui Wai is called Tin Shui Wai (Sky Water Great or Great Water Sky) I don't know what the translation is exactly... But its because it just rains whenever it wants... Anyways, kind of like my story with Elder Walker we got soaked again... Anyways. So What happened was that we were leaving the house, and the weather was fine, a little cloudy, and both Elder Petersen and I got a feeling that we should grab our umbrellas, so we go back to the house, and grab them... Come out, and we go finding for about an hour before we have to come back for english class, and the whole time, its just fine... So we go back to English class when I don't know the only words I can use are... Gravity stopped working and the ocean was on top.... of us... Haha anyways, we go run to the Light rail stop and we get on a train to the church, where we see this guy, and he is just waiting for us, I guess, and he asks us if he can walk with us to english class. He is a Returned missionary, but he had no umbrella... So, I let him use mine, well I shared with him, so the left half of my body just got absolutely soaked... Yup another bad story...

Anyways. I am so sorry ummm. Yeah after Engliish class we were able to play some basketball with some of the youth so that was pretty fun! haha its like 3 wards youth and young single adults so its super funny to see all the drama... There is a girl that plays that I dont know but all of the guys like, so when she walks in, all of them go  straight up BALLER for the girl haha and she just feeds the fire... "Go EJ! WAAAAW!! Gam Leng!!! So perfect!!!" haha and like she loves it its hilarious hahaa Idk thought it was funny...

Cool. So last night we had a fun FHE, A member, Sister Chan, super boss, but she just invited all of these people to her home for a super delicious meal, and it was really good! There is a woman that she introduced to us, named A-Fung, and she is really prepared! So we are going to start to work with her more!! 

This week during district meeting, I was assigned to give a training on something called "The Success Function" it was a training that we got at Zone training, Essentially, they talked about how Success in missionary work is never going to be found in your numbers, but Success in anything, begins and ends with your attitude. I think its really interesting because its true, I shared a quote by the one and only Uncle Iroh "Protection and Power are overrated, I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love, there are reasons each of us are born. We have to find those reasons" Its true, I think a lot of times as missionaries, we get really caught up in our callings, and aspiring, something that I struggled with was that I really hoped to be doing something like Training, Or being a leader of some sort, and when I wasn't either of those, I made it a goal to get my numbers up so that Mission President would see them and think "Elder Chen is the best, Ill give him a calling" And I don't know it wasn't until this transfer where I started to really understand what my role as a missionary truly was. And that was kind of what i struggled with this week, I am now doing my best to become the best missionary I can be. To learn, and the help the people come unto Christ, to love these people more than numbers.The change in my attitude really has made this week more full, and I hope that i can maintain this attitude for the rest of my mission and life. I guess I wanted to share that thought because I think it actually applies to a lot of things, its cool to see how the people of Hong Kong are all so different, and special, and you see that the happier ones are all the ones who are the strongest in the church. I know thats not coincidence, as we strive to line up our lives with the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, everything seems to fall into place. Love you, and miss you! Hope I will have a better email one day.

Love,

Elder Chen 

Picture 1: Learning to cook (Broccoli Beef)

Picture 2: Thug Apartment...

5/15/16 "THE CATHOLIC BIBLE"

Hello Everyone! 

Such a good week! So many things have happened. Once again. Haha I am proud to say, that I have memorized the area! hahaha. All 500 square feet :P Its a good area I'll tell you that. So! First things first! The area, has a crazy, his name is Franco... Franco is fun, Fun Franco! haha no, so he is super funny, but we saw him the other day, doing what crazies do, just chilling on the street... Reading his Catholic Bible. Haha we were about to go finding and we didn't have a whole lot of time so we tried to avoid him, and we failed... So he sees us. And simply speaking, I ended up with a Catholic Holy Bible and some holy water to go with it... #Baptism  Yeah. Franco is a boss.

Anyways. Fun story, so we went to a retirement home for some service activity, it was the first time anyone has ever done it in our district haha so it was really interesting... The problem is that we went in during their nap time hahaha. So a few of them were awake but they were all just really really grumpy! haha But it was hit and miss with how happy they were, so Elder Petersen and I just went down the building floor by floor... And there were like 6 floors in the place each had two sides with like 7 old people on both sides... And Uh, sadly elder petersen walked into this place and overtime, he just talked to the happiest old men... and then I sit down and I talk to a wall for about half an hour hahaha its pretty fun! Thought it was hilarious.

This week is the best cuz we saw an Recent Convert, named Bill, and bill is super funny, because he has like no interests, maybe I have told you about him before, haha its funny cuz his mom is doing everything she can to get him excited about everything, but he just likes playing games, but anyways his mom was like "Elder Chen, What do you like to do!?" And I told her that I liked to dance, and that I am sure that Bill would as well, and I told him to look up some cool youtube videos on it (Fik Shun, Quest Crew, Les Twins, Moon...) All those cool people that I worshipped before my mission, and I guess he watched a ton of them, cuz on Saturday we had a ward party and the mom was like "GREAT! When can you start teaching him how to dance" Not a Missionary success story, but an Elder Chen Success Story! 

So on Saturday, there was the greatest activity any mind has ever thought of ever... And it was a Cooking Competition, where they took the wards best cooks, and told them to make the best food that they could think of... And then we got to eat... It was delicious, and these chinese people went SO So SO SO SO Hard for it haha it as the best.

Elder Peterson is doing well haha, its a good time, fun story, so we everyday we have an hour between our work out and our study time so that we can get all ready and pretty for the days work... So I have gotten showers down to a science, I can get in and out in 2 minutes flat haha, and If I push it, I've gotten it down to a minute hahaha. But So thats how I shower, so I shower first, so I have time to Iron shirts, eat breakfast, clean up do whatever I need haha. So one day, I guess Elder Peterson was really tired, so he took a 20 minute shower... haha so thats been a joke around the apartment, so Elder Aldridge gives him 5 minutes and then the Water Heater Turns off... And Life is so efficient hahaha. Super fun.

Um Yeah. So this week was really cool cuz we got to meet a lot of our Less actives, all of them are progressing really well. Its really fun cuz I mean being new in an area gives you an excuse to ask for things like conversion stories and they are all really fun to hear. But the cool part is that these Less actives have to think about when they got  baptized and then they have a chance to share it.  And its true that I have seen them change, when they share their testimony and their story it really opens them up to the gospel you know? its hard to describe but its cool to hear how individual conversion is. 

Anyways, Thats this week! Love you guys!

Love,

Elder Chen

Picture 1: BILLL!!!!

Picture 2: 3/5 Elders in the mission that have served in tin Shui Wai, (Left to right: Elder Oquist (He served Tin Shui Wai for 14 months, One of the most beautiful men i have ever laid my eyes upon, MCM) Me, Elder McGrath (Another beautiful Man... came with me to HK)

5/8/16 MEAT WEEK!!

This week man... Can't even begin... First off, lets start with the food! Hahaha, so with areas, usually they have a market, with like everything you need, and vegetables. But here, we have a KAI BO! haha now Kai bo is incredible, cuz you get all of your meat, for pretty much free and you have lots of meat for ever... So when I saw we had a Kai Bo, I got really excited, and bought literally enough meat for like the rest of the month... The problem was that I spent so much money on meat... So I didn't get many other vegetables... Thankfully!!!! Elder Petersen.... ALSO GOT SO MUCH MEET!!! Man... So I was happy to buy so many veggies this week... By the way, I am so sorry for sending you so many stupid emails about food... You guys don't really care, but I already spent time writing this paragraph so thats what you get to read...

Anyways other than unhealthy and fat elder chen, Stuff has happened, its been one of the weeks where too many cool things have happened that I don't know what to write about. haha So our first two days of the week, all of our lessons fell through, so we had time to find haha its great cuz, in normal areas, you have to figure out where you want to find, in what city, or in what estate, but with Tin Shui Wai, you get to find the whole area three times within an hour haha its super fun :) and its cool cuz Elder Petersen helped me figure out where everything is, and who lives there, and now its all pretty good in my mind :)

Also... Super random note, just kind of hit me in my mind.... I talked to a Chinese born Black American... Call me racist, but It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my life... It was this black woman, speaking fluent Chinese... Like straight up native. It was super super super super cool Hahaha. 

This week also was pretty cool cuz we had what we call a district find, I actually never done a new one, I guess Elder Aldridge is trying something new, but we pretty much go to someones area, and find together and its super cool! We have a banner out and it was really cool haha. It was all about mothers day... Funny story... So, the  banner all it says in chinese is, "Are Mothers Important?" So when we started we didn't really know how to tie the banner into the finding, so we were saying really weird things like "Hey!! Mr... Is your mom important to you?" And they would just look at us really weird and yeah... It was an experience hahaha.

Anyways... Sorry for this terrible email this week! But Next week I swear It will be better!

Love,

Elder Chen.

Didn't take any pictures this week... So #TBT To when I went to 10000 buddhas with Elder Walker...

5/1/16 The New Prince of Tin Shui Wai!

Hey... So everyone!! Guess what I'm At right now??

4 Transfers... 4 Companions... 4 Areas!! Hahaha Just got moved again!! :P And what can I say? I absolutely love it! SO MUCH CULTURE!! I love it!! SO Fun stuff! We got move calls this last week, and Elder Powell became zone leader, Elder Walker (My Ex-Companion) is now training (Still In Sha Tin) And I got BANISHED! TO Tin Shui Wai (Sky Water Great) haha pretty fun, I'm serving Senior w/ Elder Peterson, he's one transfer below me. So it should be fun! Haha... He's super white... Yeah! Um So The funny thing about this, is that the Elder That I replaced has been serving Tin Shui Wai for FOURTEEN MONTHS!! Holy crap! They titled him "The King Of Tin Shui Wai" So, I guess I'm the prince? ;) haha should be a fun time haha. But Hey, New area! I'm getting pretty good at this whole packing thing :)

So Another cool thing about Tin Shui Wai, is that its the Smallest Area in the world. Apart from Temple square, its the smallest area for missionary work in the world, so thats super super super super super super fun :) We went finding on the first day I got there for about an hour and I pretty much saw the whole area. LoVE IT HERE!

ELDER PETERSON, is one of a kind man, haha he's from Lehi Utah... Therefore he is one of the whitest people I have ever encountered in my life, its pretty neat. Haha a little bit more white than my MTC Companion Elder Jensen. Hahaha, his chinese is way good, he has a really good vocabulary. Super fun to talk to, I sense a good transfer coming up!

Anyways!! So, Miracle of the mission, so I get the move call that I will be going to Tin Shui Wai, so I called the Tin Shui Wai elders to coordinate the move. So I need to back up so you can understand the incredibleness of this story... So Remember Brother Chan? From Macau, the one that had a stroke that we taught for a bit in macau, then he moved to Sha Tin, I got called to follow him to Sha Tin, and then He moved to Tin Shui Wai, so we turned him over to Tin Shui wai and Elder Peterson and Elder Oquist taught him... And when I called them. they said "Hey, Elder Chen, Brother Chan Got Baptized, and he'll be getting confirmed this coming week."  So, this last sunday, I was talking to the Bishop getting His confirmation set up, and I told him about how I followed him around the mission. So we chose someone to do the confirmation, and then he said "This is obviously God's Plan for you to work with Brother Chan, So I want you to come up and confirm him with Brother Siu (The one performing the confirmation) And I don't know, when I was able to take part in it I felt incredible, something I never felt before you know? I am really loving this ward.

So anyways, I'll talk a little bit about my last days in Sha Tin, We taught an investigator named Joe, its a part member family and the kid is hilarious, Elder Walker is going to have a great time with him.. Yeah Haha at first I was a little Salty about leaving Sha Tin, but God Loves me so no worries!!

Awesome Week.. Love it here 

Love,

Elder Chen

Picture 1: Brother Chan!!! TEACHING AFTER BAPTISMAL LESSONS!

Picture 2: New District (From Left: Elder Aldridge (DL/Apartment Mate) Elder Yeung (Native/ Visa Waiter), Elder Peterson (My Companion), Me, Sister Meh, Sister Lo (My Mission Homie) Sister Viazzo/Sister Leonard) Can't remember the last two in order....

4/24/16 "A-Sihng! Sit Down.... PLEASE"

Hey Err. Body. Turn it up! I am very distracted right now. hahaha I don't know why, but this email might be the worst thing that you have ever read... So! Things to say! WORDS!!! 

So This week was really really cool I liked it a lot. So it started this Last monday, where we got a call from the bishops wife, and she's just like, "Hey! Elder Chen!! We have a service opportunity, do you elders want to come with me this Thursday and Check it out??" The only service opportunity we have right now is teaching english class, so I got stoked and we decided to check it out. So we meet the Bishops wife at this facility and its called "Old People Training Center" So that was like a fun thing to look at... We walk in, and there are just 20-30 mentally handicapped people just right there, It surprised me a little bit, but anyways, we walk in, and one of them grabs my hand, smiles super big and gives me like this really firm shoulder rub, it was great. Haha But there is quite a bit of contention there its kind of funny, so there is one man, who just walks around and just punches people in the face. and its so sad but hilarious at the same time, cuz the facilitator, or like the guard we were talking to about the whole service opportunity just would stand up in the middle and shout "A-Sihng! Choh daih lido mgoi!" and A-sihng would run and sit down for about 2 minutes, get back up and run and punch another person in the face... Straight savage is what he is. Just Savage hahahahahaha.

Haha so that was a cool thing, but we have been doing a lot of random stuff this week, from finding, to knocking doors in little villages, and we got a really cool assignment, actually from Elder Wong from the 70, he told us to visit an LA, and it was cool to get to work with him, he is really cool! Anyways that was a cool experience/Encounter.

So, Funny story, we have been going to church here for about nine weeks, and we just see this baby, and its so adorable #AsianBabies and we have no idea who's it is, because we just see her being held by like different members, and it was really confusing. So its just like the ward baby, haha pretty fun stuff.. Turns out, its Brother Chan's Grandson, (Our Ward Correlator) Probably the worst story you have heard.

Anyways, this week has been really cool because stuff happened. Oh. Ok sorry blanked out for a second, and forgot I what I wanted to type. So! This week was really cool, cuz we finally got to meet a less active, we had been calling, but he never answered/HungUp on us, but his wife brought him to General Conference, and he really liked it, and ever since then, He hasn't not come to church, its been really cool to see how the Gospel has helped his life, and its absolutely incredible.

This week I have been able to ponder a lot during personal study, and Elder Walker showed me this scripture its in 2 Nephi, but its about how God and Jesus Christ could do this work, perfectly, and take out the flawed missionaries that we are. And, I have really thought about how amazingly kind God is to us, He loves us enough to slow down his work because of our shortcomings. And I think that it's incredible to think about. I am learning so much out here, and its incredible to see God's hand in my life and in the lives of people that have the Gospel. I love this and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Anyways. I love it here.

Love you all, and I hope everything is going well!

Love,

Elder Chen

4/17/16 "A-key, what are you saying, Bat Man is way better"

Like A SOME BODY!! Did the week already go by that fast?? What on earth!? I am so much happy right now!

So this week! I made a list of stuff I want to email about... And there is so much. So you get like a little bit this week. But here here we GOOOOO!  First off. The Title of the email. So remember A-Key, the Mandarin? Haha He speaks fluent Cantonese but is from MainLand, so Mandarin is his first language... Yeah that one. So, we have been trying for weeks to turn him over to the Mandarin missionaries but they are so busy they can never make it down haha. So We have been teaching him and now he has a baptismal day. So this week, he came to our lesson and we were talking, and some how Batman vs Superman came up, I don't know he was psyched about it tho. Haha but then something happened where we tied in batman to the Gospel of Jesus Christ lesson, felt pretty happy.  hahaha super fun! Anyways. Funniest thing, haha after the lesson, we were walking him back to the mall cuz thats where he works, and we started walking away from him, and he says "Wait! I have a really Important question.... Does your church... have... Girls?" hahaha I don't know thought it was hilarious. He's a cutie patootie.

Anyways. So we have this finding route. that we do, where we just go all over our area, and we only do it when we have really long finding days, so we are doing this route and it starts raining super super super hard, like ankle deep water in the streets it was AMAZING!! Hahaha but we were at an awkward place in our area where if we took the subway home it would be a little bit longer than just walking home, but we were just in a really weird part of our area. But so we were walking home in this huge rain and I just hear a bus coming right behind us in the street, and then all the sudden, my whole body is wet... Like all of it, it was absolutely freaking nuts nuts nuts. hahaha  Anyways that was how I got really wet.

So its like springish time now. so it does rain a lot, and we take our umbrellas every where. haha pretty fun, I mean its a good time. But sometimes we are waiting for our elevator and we have sword fights... I beat elder Walker like 2/6 times so I mean I'm getting pretty good...

So!! Anyways! This week we did a district find, for english class, where we pretty much stand on a bridge for two hours and give out fliers. and you know it gets long sometimes. But anyways, something that i learned this week, is that Dancing like a robot straight up MELTS BRAINS! Hahaha its hilarious, and its super successful if you want to give fliers to people. Pretty fun I did it to a little boy, and he got kind of scared, but he took a flier.. so AAAAYY! Pre mission talents paying off hahaha.

This sunday, this last sunday, was super cool, cuz in Sha Tin, We have a member he's like 20 ish years old hahaha and he is so funny his name is Johny, now johny doesn't like missionaries a whole lot, but he is a ward missionary so this week I went on an exchange with him to teach a lesson, and we just got talking and his english is perfect, but we were talking about a bunch of stuff from super heroes to just music and stuff like that, anyways, we got to the lesson and he bore the coolest testimony I have ever heard, almost made me cry...  But the point is, that I learned from him to bear your special witness, and anything that is close to your heart, will immediately invite the spirit. It was amazing.

Anyways, sorry for the long email. you'll have to deal with it.. But hey, love you all!

Love,

Elder Chen

1. A-key is my friend

2. My vocabulary from this transfer (800) Somewhere around there

4/10/16 I Just Want to Take off my suit and Eat a Cucumber...

HEEEY HEY HEEEEY!!

Hello err' body! Hahaha don't worry the title of this email has nothing to do with me getting trunky, that doesn't happen, hahaha I am so much happy though. So This week, cuz CONFERENCE WAS SO GOOD! Like I wanted to cry like 30% of all of it, I am straight up a cry baby now... But no, did anyone here the Tabernacle Choir?? THAT WAS SO BOMB! Like seriously, I can't even make words for how amazing it was. Cool SO I'll talk a little about that later.

So here is a story, the week before last week, we went to a park and shop, and they had no veggies, well no vegetables that I knew how to cook, so therefore we had no vegetables, and we just had meat... So much meat... It was kind of gross, Chicken for Daaayyzzz hahaha, anyways this last week, I didn't want to be fat... I got like a small thing of chicken and like about 10 cucumbers. Broccoli, lettuce, all that stuff that I hated before. So, since I had so many cucumbers, I ate cucumbers for comp study and I would have one when I get home after finding. Elder Walker said something pretty funny he said "Elder Chen, Imagine going back to your kid self and saying 'Elder Chen, you are going to be gone for two years and no one is stopping you from buying candy, and ramen and whatever you want, and you are going to want to get Choi'" Yeah...So CHOI FOR DAYYZ is the best :) So cucumbers are my life substance now and I have so much more energy... Weird how that works isn't it.

This week, also was Elder Walkers birthday, so I found every reason to sing to him. He got really annoyed hahaha it was the best. I gave him lots of hugs and love... A ladle full of love that day. Hahaha No but we got him a cake and it was super fun. 

This week was super super super super sick, cuz we have an investigator, his name is A-Key, we found him and turns out his first language is mandarin, but his cantonese is fluent, so we have been trying to turn him over to the Mandarin Elders, but they have been super busy so we have never had an opportunity, but we have met him for like a few weeks, and we invited him to baptism, and he said yeah, and we told him to pray about a date that he wanted to get to. So, this last week he was just like "Yeah, May 15, I think I really want to be baptized then, and I think he can do it, it was really full of the spirit, I felt really good about it. I think he did too, so it will probably be Mandarins investigator, but I was really happy to get to know him and since he lives in Sha Tin, he might even be able to attend Sha Tin Ward so it will be super cool!

This General conference though. I can't even tell you the feelings that I felt, it has so much more meaning when you go in with questions, and it feels like General Conference was formatted just for you, you know cuz everything is just amazing. One of my favorite talks was by Elder Uchtdorf, he is always the best. But Elder Hollands made me cry, I am glad I was sitting in the back next to another member that was crying as well so it was cool :P  Well, Thanks everyone! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Chen

1. Me and my CUCUMBEEEERRRR!!!

2. General Conference Pancakes... :) Shout out to Elder Powells mom for the chocolate chips and pancake mix

Happy Easters. I was the Easter Dinosaur

4/3/16 So Fast... 4ish day week...

So, hey hey hey!! Long time no type... haha its been a good 4 days :)

So First things first!! This morning I had revelation of a thousand moons!! Like this is the best revelation that I have ever had in like ever.... Just made my life super happy. So I don't know but we got talking about dinosaurs... And Elder Powell said... "Well, you know how all things are resurrected, in heaven there are going the PERFECT DINOSAURS!" hahaha cool stuff :) DINOSAURS!! AND LOTS OF PANDAS!!! They are the coolest!!! 

Anyways then, this week well this Thursday, this last one, we had a Giant Tim Tam Slam, cuz the deal with the word game, is that if you had the most "Tics" you would buy a bag of tim tams when we went shopping!! And we had just a giant mountain of Tim tams by the end, haha super super super super fun and gross! I had so many tim tams... Kind of hurt my body. Yeah, anyways so yeah that was the celebration of the finishing of the game! :) felt sick for the night, and woke up and just loved life :) TIM TAMS FOR DAYZ!! 

Also this week was april fools, not really a chinese holiday, but whatever, Elder Powell put Elder Walkers milk in the freezer over night, and then put it back in the fridge while Elder Walker was showering... Pretty funny... Thats about as crazy as it got, hahaha um it was funnier when it actually happened... I am so sorry. Um yup its like a pretty good time over here. haha. 

Anyways! We saw , well we met with an investigator, his name is Yuen HD (Brother Yuen) super cool guy, a little bit sick in the mind, but his family is super super cool, the Daughter, Yandi, is super cool and we had english class this week, and right before we saw the daughter, just walking on the street, and we invited her to the English class and she was just like "Yeah, I'll go" and after she was like "I like this, I think I will come every week" So we are slowly getting her in and she is super cool!

So this week, in preparation for the time that the Missionaries get to watch general Conference (A week after Y'all do) I have been reviewing this last conference, and it was perfect because I was reading in Priesthood session Super cool, in President Eyring's talk called "You are Not Alone in The Work" and its super cool, I particularly liked a quote "When you won't have the remarkable and visible success... That is when you will need to be confident that the Lord, knowing you would do your part in the work, called you through his authorized servants" I love his Quote, and I have been trying to learn from it more, but its been really good for me this week and as of late, but I am happy. Thank you Everyone! 

Love,

Elder Chen

Picture 1: Slamming!

Picture 2: Also, if you remember Peter from Chai Wan, i just got a picture of him thanks to Elder Gillis! Love you guys

3/30/16 "Thank You Mr. Chen For Translating" ~ Mr. Au

So hey!! I am back!! We had temple day, and as always it is the best day... Ever. Anyways. So these last two weeks have just been filled with super super super super super super super super super super super cool! Full of Miracles! Full of just pure Awesomeness! I truly love it here in Sha Tin, Up in the TOLO HARBOR ZONE!! WHAAAT!?!? Hahaha I've been here for a little bit now, and I think I am starting to get a hang of the area now.

But anyways... For the Title of the email, so we had a turn over lesson with the Tai Wai Elders (Elder Powell, and Elder Taylor... Both super white) and this man's name was Mr. Au. We met him at the Subway station, and we were just talking and this whole time, he just calls me "Chan Saang" (Mr. Chen) Haha, so we have about a half hour lesson with them, and Elder Powell and Elder Taylor, are absolutely Killing this lesson, like it is the best thing, but Mr. Au, the Whole time just looks at me. #ABCProbs. Hahaha and at the end of the lesson, we close, and thank him for the time, and out of no where he just says. "Thank you for giving me this awesome revelation, and thank you Mr. Chen for translating for these gwai louhs (Translation: Ghost People, Meaning: White people) Hahaha so, not sure how, my mouth wasn't moving that whole time, but, I guess I am translating! Hahaha look at that, gift of tongues right?? Haha that tends to happen a lot actually, Elder Walker and I will be having a street contact, and the whole time, the person only looks at me! Hahaha its super funny sometimes! Good stuff! Sorry I just keep telling these stories that are so funny to me, but make at least no sense to any of you who read it, so sorry.... You get these emails...

So This week was super cool, cuz it was EASTER!?!? Right?? it was easter Sunday this past week... Right? hahaha no, yeah it was super cool because last week, it literally rained pretty much every day, haha, and then the day before easter, it became the most beautiful day I have ever seen, like finding was perfect, it was so beautiful outside, I wish I took pictures, but anyways, Easter was also beautiful, and then the day after Easter was beautiful, and then it got all rainy again... But that was cool cuz CHRIST LIVES!!! On the reals though, its true, I can't say it enough, and its incredible to me and it is still incredible to me that every time I hear testimony of Him or bear testimony of Him, it just makes me feel so amazing.

Anyways this week we had a ton of cool things, like Temple day, and we had quarterly interviews with President Lam, it happens once every two transfers, and it was so incredible, President Lam is the coolest, ever, haha. I just sat down and had revelation poured onto me from the wisest man alive! Super cool 

Haha, so yeah, no its been a killer week, there has been just so much! Oh! Yeah, so remember the 94 year old man we take sacrament to, Brother Lee, its super cool, cuz every time, he tells us so many amazing stories that makes us so happy, its super fun! Some times I don't completely understand what he says, cuz he is a "Hong Kong Person" and I am not hahaha, but he tells these stories, that I only get like 80% of on a good day, but most of the time they are super cool, hahaha, and he loves me, cuz pretty much every time we go over, he tells one story every time about some time when he had an encounter with a tiger? Not super sure. But he then says to Elder Walker and he says "Hey, Elder Walker, if you had that kind of encounter with a tiger, he would eat you" Hahaha super funny, he's the coolest old man ever. :) Anyways, but he has the coolest testimony and I love hearing it every week.

Yeah! So This last sunday was also Ward Conference! Super super super super good, our Bishop, Bishop Tse, bore the sickest testimony, and so so so much spirit there, they focused on Keeping the Sabbath day Holy, and it was so much power, it was really cool. Sorry, this email is super scatter brained, I am standing up in an apple store, and I kind of need to pee... But, I will do my best to give you a good end of the email.

So, While we were at Brother Lee's house, he talked to us about missionary work, cuz he is super boss. But he was just like, "When you see anyone on the street, don't judge them, if you have a hard time with investigators, don't judge them, because EVERY Single person in the world, has God in their hearts, even if its so small, God is in their hearts, and that is what you are looking for" When i heard that, it was really cool to me, because it gave me a new way of looking at the people here. It truly is amazing, I love it, and I found that its true, it has been a really good experience for me to learn about missionary work from a member. 

Anyways!! I love you All, thanks for all the support, Love you.

Love,

Elder Jon Jon Chen

TEMPLE DAY (District)

TEMPLE DAY (OLD Macau homies