Heyyyyyo!
This week we went on exchanges with the Hmong sisters! It was super fun. I stayed here in Karenland and Sister Jasperson was with me for the day! Unfortunately we forgot to take any pictures. We saw some cool investigators though. First of all, we saw some investigators that we found in the area book a while ago, but only ended up seeing them once. They are pretty cool! Their names are Eh Lin and Thay Paw Paw. We had them give Sister Jasperson a Karen name. They picked Cha Moo Jay, which means Star Life Money, which is only one word different from my Karen name (Cha Moo Paw - Star Life Flower) Anyway, we got to know them a little bit and talked a little bit about prophets and set up for a nice lesson about Joseph Smith and the restoration which we will teach them tonight! They came to church yesterday though and seemed to really enjoy it. They said they want to come every week. Hopefully they will progress!
Yesterday we had our third all-Karen sacrament meeting. Instead of it being a testimony meeting, we had assigned speakers and they all did really well! That was exciting to see. We had quite a few investigators there to hear it, so that was good too!
This week I was reading in the Book of Mormon and felt the spirit super strong. I was reading in Alma 36 about when Alma the younger tells his son Helaman about his conversion process. I want to share some of it with you.
Alma was trying to destroy the church but then had an experience where an angel came to him and told him to repent. In these verses he talks about how he was in such pain and misery from his sins, but remembered what his father had taught about Jesus Christ and how we can be forgiven of our sins. And when he repents, he feels the greatest joy.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
Then in these verses he talks about how after he had felt that joy that repentance and the gospel can bring, all he wanted to do was share that with other people. That is one of the main reasons why I’m on a mission right now. I have personally felt that joy that comes from living the gospel and being forgiven of my sins, and I know that this joy, is greater than any joy we can receive from anything else. God wants us to be happy, and he has told us the things that we need to do to receive eternal happiness and the most joy possible. I know that real happiness comes from living the gospel.
24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
Have a good week!
Sorry I did really bad taking pictures this week.
We got a cool new clock from a part-member family. It looks cool in our apartment, despite it being for the wrong church....hahaha (Brooklyn told me they told Mae Paws family they liked the clock and they talked about how they couldn't read the time anyway, so they gave it to them! lol)
Hahahaha cute little Karen boy.
Saturday was the 70th National Karen Day. (Brooklyn added a video to her email, here's a screenshot of the Celebration.)
The picture below is from a Karen party they attended. They had lots of Asian food and played red light green light for the majority of the night. Karen people are so low maintenance, they just put a couple thai mats down and everyone sat on the floor and socialized in the gym--lots easier than setting up heavy tables and chairs!
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