10/5/15 This BENG (Sick) Week!

LEIH HOUH! Leih Sik Jouh Fan Mei!

When I say sick, I mean like it was an awesome week! Like take a perfect week, and multiply it by 3. Anyways, where do I even start! It has been so freaking cool! haha I might actually have to just spend a paragraph talking about how sweet this week is until I figure out where to start cuz I want to make all of my time count on the computer! :) hahaha anyways. Conference! That was so good so good! Three new apostles and it was super awesome! I learned so much! Um I dont even know where to begin, something that I really liked was the Mormon tabernacle Choir, I just love the spirit that it brings! Did anyone notice how loud they were this year? or idk I just feel like they aren't ever this loud and like awesome! haha They did a lot of different things this time, or maybe its just me not having payed as much attention as I did, I took 5 pages of notes front and back! hahaha it was cool. Something I realized that was cool that none of the talks are coordinated, but if you think about it, all of the ttalks mesh so freaking well together its pretty crazy! The MTC and my teachers and I am sure a lot of you got the challenge to go into Conference with a question, but my question was super broad and it was "How can I become a better Chyun Gau Si (Missionary)?" I know its crazy crazy broad, but that means there are more things I can find to answer my questions! haha, Something that I absolutely loved was in Dallin H. Oaks talk focused so much on the Atonement, I never really thought a ton about how we can apply the atonement to all aspects of our lives.  Through Christ we can do all things! All we need to do is ask. Another thing I liked was said in Eyring's talk and he said that the lord will aid you in your calling (Priesthood session) That made me feel awesome cuz there are so many times that I feel not even ready for my mission, it really feels like the 7 weeks we have been here have rushed by so dang fast, I can't even comprehend how fast its coming. There have been times that I just kind of thought "What the heck did I get my self into?! I am not half the missionary that these people in my district are, how am I supposed to do this?" But in hearing these words,  and these talks, I can't believe how awesome conference is. I feel like you could ask any question and they would some how answer it. But I could go on forever about conference haha. YEET! Conference was awesome.

So you know how I was talking about the Babershop number of "Brightly Beams our Fathers Mercy" our district sang? I thought it was just for fun, but then we decided to audition on thursday for a "Large Group Meeting" haha and we got to perform it as a prelude piece before the Sunday after noon session, I think we are going to record it and send it to you guys, Ill try and work it out tonight.  We will be doing it again for the new missionaries on Wednesday! So Elder Taylor and I sang The melody, Elder Wilkoxon sang Tenor, Elder Jensen and Elder Belknap sang Bass, Elder Smith and Herzog sang baritone. Haha while we were practicing this piece, Elder Taylor Suggested that we go try out for vocal point when we get back from our mission in two years haha. He said "Elder Chen, since you beat box and you can hold a tune you should apply for Vocal Point with me" haha I was way flattered and I  doint know if he was just trying to put me on a high horse but I might actually do it cuz singing is bomb diggity haha.  Sorry for all my weird language, the MTC does weird things to you. Haha. But speaking of Vocal point! haha they came and performed at a freaking devo! haha yeah it was so cooL! haha, it was really cool cuz all of them were Return Missionaries and they all shared their testimonies it was super awesome.

Oh so our whole district got invited to be missionaries for the fake investigators at the "People and Our Purpose" thing for new missionaries, pretty much what it was is we acted like missionaries meeting an "Investigator" for the first time.  Just to introduce the lesson and get to know the investigator, it was kind of awesome to feel like the newer missionaries looked up to me and Elder Jensen, Like we are aamazing missionaries. It was super duper weird to teach in english haha I have never started a lesson in english, cuz it has always been in Cantonese! haha but as soon as I got into it, I felt like a boss cuz I could say all of the words I wanted to say! haha. But we got to know a lot of cool new missionaries hahaha. But It was a little painful to watch at times, cuz some of the new missionaries would like dig them selves into a hole that they could not get out of with the investigators like one of the new missionaries, I dont even know what he was thinking but he just goes to the "investigator" "Do you Even Love your family?" and i just wanted to just go take his microphone and sit him down, or like send him home. But then I realized that i was at his same level when i first came in haha. Its so cool how much we grow here :) haha.

So you know how Lo Ji Muih got fast tracked?? SHES IN MACAU haha she got there and They just threw here into the shark tank haha. Macau is like the Vegas of Asia its pretty cool haha. But anyways she says its crazy humid, but I could have told you that ;) haha but her email made me so excited to go out there! haha I am so ready to leave but at the same time Im not haha I dont know but I am so excited! Hong Kong SOUNDS SOOOOO SICK!!!!

I saw dad! I got so dang happy when I saw him and he was able to do my Initiatory ordinances! haha when he started talking and doing it, I couuldnt even believe that he got it memorized haha it was so cool! I almost started crying in the waiting room haha. But I dont know the Temple has a different spirit about it that sets it apart you know? Its weird but I love it, I always look forward to going to the temple on monday cuz there is something new every time! It is so so so Cool.

But Guys I love you so much! God bless! Keep the faith! one of my favorite quotes I have ever heard was "I have fought a good fight, I have gone my course, and I have kept the faith" When I get off my mission, I so want to be able to go to God and say that I did everything that I can for Gods work! I love this work, and I am so excited to serve the people in hong kong! 

Love

Elder Jonathan Chen