Jan 19 Week 76 - Sick, Wu Family Calls and comes to church, Wei Family -referral from Yu's, Fun Charades at Miao's, Giving Blessing, Interview with President

I am sick as a dog. I probably haven't been this sick my whole mission. So annoying, at least it was on a P-day I am going to take a super long nap after this. This week was pretty cool, there were some disappointments, but lots of blessings too! So... ok I am trying hard to remember... I might not do day by day, but just say stuff as I think of it. So the coolest thing, was 2 weeks ago we talked to a cool family in the park, I got their number and called them, and they said they were busy and would call us. Which usually means that they don't want to meet. I was bummed. Well Saturday night they called, and they all came to all 3 hours of church yesterday! So awesome. We will be meeting with them tomorrow! So cool! There last name is Wu. Also a while back there, the Yu's brought a lady to church. I had talked to her on the street at least twice before. We have been trying to get a meeting with them forever. We finally did! It was really good we have a new family! They accepted the invite to baptism and this week we will put them on date for Feb! They are the Wei family! They didn't come to church though so that was a bummer. Ok so Liu Yue had to get a job at a sushi place, which makes him work all the time! So church will be hard to come to now, I am stressing now. We will figure something out. Brother Xiong is great! He and the family came to a great ward activity at the Miaos. We had so many investigators come, it might have got the Miao's a little overwhelmed, but that's ok. It was fun. They played charades. It was so funny. I have never seen them act like that. They are so reserved, they barely even smile. And Sister Su was acting out an inch worm on the ground, everyone was dying. It was fun to watch. I love all these people! I am so grateful for the gospel, that has touched all of their lives! Micheal and Wei wei stood us up. But they had good reason. They had to take their daughter to the hospital. So we will meet with them this Saturday. Uh... oh so a sister missionary got sick, and asked us to come give her a blessing. I felt like the spirit really helped me know what to say in the blessing. It was cool. What else.... oh interviews with president where this week. Mine was just so so. He told me I need to enjoy my mission more. I really do enjoy my mission, I just don't want to break the rules, or miss doing something that Heavenly Father wants me to do. So I get a little stressed over that stuff. He also talked about how long I have been in both areas. I know Elder Schoonmaker is begging to come back to Eastvale, and also to train the new Elder from China. Elder Zhen. So I am a little nervous about that. He also asked me if I thought Dyer or Merriman would be a better trainer. I said I don't know Dyer yet so.... I couldn't say. I wanted to say me! I also want to train the Chinese guy and get super good Chinese. I trust President Mullen to listen to the spirit and make the best decision for everyone. Tuesday we went to the temple. It was good. I love the temple, our ride took us to cafe rio after and then to deseret book... I was a little stressed, because we got home so late, and we were out of the mission (the temple is out of the mission.) I felt bad though because we didn't arrange the ride and I have rushed these Elders a lot before. Well so that is the week. Please pray for me not to be sick, and to get some good work done this week. -Elder Murray

Jan 12 Week 75 - Chen's make good chinese food, Car is back, Norris Bday, Cleaning with Tracy and Morgan, Blessing to 91 yr old early Taiwan member, Bao Zi Buns, Xiongs at Miao's, Liu and Evelyn get Insurance, Side effects are "fatal" but don't die

Well I can't be pessimistic because I didn't get shot with a bullet (I sent him story from church about someone who got shot but was optimistic), but man it was a tough week. I am just trying to smile and hope that it will get better. :) I feel like my temper has gotten shorter, not longer on my mission or maybe my temper wasn't tested much at home. Last night we had an Chinese lady that was really nice to us; then she asked her pastor about us, and didn't want to even see us after that. I was so angry as we got back in the car. I don't know how Christ did it, He was perfect, he had done nothing wrong, but so many people hated him. He didn't get angry or lash out, He asked Heavenly Father to forgive them. I am constantly trying to think of Christ's example, and trying to do better. I am working the very best I can so that I can show how grateful I am to him. This week in the sacrament, I really felt good. I felt like Christ is pleased with how I am doing even though I'm not perfect. I love this gospel and I a love sharing it! Monday we were on bike!!! So fun! I really did enjoy it. We went to see Jack Wang and caught him outside. He said he was too busy. Then we saw Yuyi the college freshman that the 1st Chinese Elders baptized. He is good, busy though. It is sad to see how being busy with good things, sometimes distracts from the best things. His parents see school as the most important and limit his time doing all other things, including meeting with us and church. We also saw this guy that I have met before. He said he cries every time he goes to his friend's Christian church. We told him that was the spirit and asked to share more about the restored gospel. He declined, but at least he knows what he is feeling, and what it is telling him to do. Tuesday we had ddm. Then we biked to an appointment with the Liu's (the old couple whose son got baptized.) We even had a member set up. They didn't answer, we even saw them inside. Then we saw the Yan's (the old couple referred by the Deng family.) They were good. We invited her to baptism and she said no because she had to go back to China, but luckily she lives in a city in China where they have meetings. We invited her again, and she just smiled, and was silent. So we set up a return appointment and left. We had dinner with the Chen's that night. They are the awesome old member couple than makes good Chinese food! Then we biked around a lot, trying to look for Chinese in the new neighborhoods. Wednesday we got our car back! Yes! We had an appointment with Winter, but it fell through. So then we biked around more. At night we had English class and a good amount of people showed up. Then we had a lesson with a lady from the class named Pheobe. A member came. We invited her to baptism too. She said she needed to think about it. She came to English class again on Friday, but left quickly, and then we didn't answer our calls or text about church on Sunday. Thursday we did our weekly planning then went to Perris, to see a referral from Elder Schoonmaker. Turns out he was someone I had taught in Riverside, but dropped. He is still not really all that interested. Then we went to give a cupcake to Norris (Winter's Boyfriend) it was his birthday. Then we went a park to talk to people, and got 2 solid potential people! Then we had dinner. After dinner we tried to meet with Tracy and Morgan. They said they were busy cleaning, so I said "We'll help!" and then hung up. So we showed up and vacuumed their house, for a bit. Then we ate some sea cucumber, and smoked fish, that you had to bite the spine off of. Then we taught a lesson. Tracy hates the Book of Mormon, because of all the war. I am ordering a Child's version today to give to her :) At 9:30 a member called and asked us to give a blessing to her 91 year old dad. So we went really quick. He called us the next day and said he felt better. He is a really nice old man, he was one of the very first members in Taiwan. Friday we had a lesson with the Yan's again and Brother Miao. Very bad. Brother Yan got angry about us inviting them to baptism. Sister Yan seems down. She said they'd come to church. Then we got in with the Liu's; they rejected the invite to baptism. They just won't come to church. Then we went to see a less active named Brother Yin. He is nice, but he is out of it. He thinks I am Heaton. Then we went to dinner, after dinner but before English class Sister Jiang invited us over to have Bao zi with their non-member/former investigator friends. We went for a bit and watched how to make Bao zi (stuffed steam buns is the English translation) then we had English class. Brother Zhu didn't show up at all this week, and he is going back to China tomorrow :( Then we went back, and ate some Bao zi with them and tried to teach a lesson. They still aren't super interested. Saturday I was on exchanges with my ZL. Our dinner was 2:30hours long. He was just in slow motion the whole day, it killed me. Meanwhile, I had set up 2 member presents for Elder Merriman, and one other lesson. The other lesson went ok, he committed Stephen to baptism. Then Sunday morning, Brother Yan cancelled. So frustrating. Sunday it rained a lot. Church was good. Afterward we went with the Miao's to see the Xiongs. They are having them over for a party on Friday night. We showed them a cool mormon message on the plan of salvation. They all watched it together. At night we saw Liu Yue and Evelyn. He said he is keeping all the commandments, they got the insurance stuff figured out. They are solid, and they made us some delicious Chinese food, and mickey mouse chicken nuggets with ketchup. Funny quote. An investigator in my ZL's ward. "The side effects from my meds could be fatal! Not like I'd need to go to the hospital fatal, just like I wouldn't feel very good, that kind of fatal." :) Love you guys! -Elder Murray

Jan 5 Week 74 - Prompting to knock, Miracle for standard, Guidance to improve Chinese, Sad to have 6 months left

Ok so today is a little crazy, so I don't know if I will have time to write much.   This week was good.  Last week I don't know if I told you, but one day we were biking, and there was a house for sale.  I felt like we should go knock on the door.  (tracting is a big no no here so it is unusual for us to just knock on strangers doors) but I felt like we should so we did.  We found a great new family.  We had a good 1st lesson with them.  They just moved here, and are looking for a church.  We are going to take lots of members to fellowship!!

This week we hit standard again!  Yay.  It was close.  Saturday night we only had 2 people coming to church.  I prayed, and Sunday morning we got a call from the Yan's saying they wanted to come!  What a cool miracle.  

 I have worked really hard on Chinese.    I prayed to know how I could use my free time at lunch and breakfast to get better.  After praying I had a thought just to do role plays with myself.  Practice talking to people, and then when I get stuck trying to figure it out, write it down, and then the next time I see a native, ask them if I got it right.  We'll see.  I felt like it was inspired.  

So these prayers answered this week were small, but they really increased my faith and added to my testimony.   I know by the Holy Ghost that Heavenly Father is there and He loves us all so much.  I know that Christ is always there to help us.  I am so grateful for this time that I have had to grow closer to them, and grow my faith.  I love where I am.  I am sad I only have 6 months left...