Me and my "tween,"

Good friends in my zone

My zone-Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Mohng, Lao, Vietnam

Unedited letter from Sister Dudley- I love every word she writes!

Hey there family!

I hope you had a great birthday, mom! I have a letter coming. I'm the worst for not getting it to you in time, so I'm really sorry. But I hope it was a great day :) You're the most amazing person, and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. I wrote more in the letter, but I hope you know I love you :)

Well...21 more days till we get to leave! This was a good week. We really studied hard, and we saw huge improvements with the language. So thank you for you prayers!!! Our grammar is improving, and I'm remembering words better, and our lessons flowed better than usual. At TRC this week, we taught some more natives, and they gave us great compliments on our speaking (keep in mind how very generous they are toward us, though), but it gave me and Sister Adams good hope. We also had the opportunity to teach a non-member. It was tough, because she mainly spoke mandarin, and just a little Cantonese. So I'm not sure why she didn't go to the Mandarin missionaries...but it was still a really neat experience to share a message with an actual investigator. She was going to church for the first time the following day, which was cool because our TRC topic we had to prepare was how to receive personal revelation at church. But since we always teach members, our lessons are usually based on that, so we really just tried to follow the spirit and answer her questions. We talked to her about the Spirit she can feel at church, and she asked us what the Spirit was and what it felt like. It was a really neat experience and a good window to see what it will be like to teach people with such a different background. And our language ability still keeps us teaching really simply, but there are few times in my life where I have felt the spirit as strongly, or been so moved than when we have been simple and clear and let the spirit testify that it's true. I think the people of China dont need deep doctrinal convincing or complex explanations. Those I have met so far have been so in tune with the Spirit, that they just need the simple testimony, and they let the spirit teach them from there. And I've thought about this a lot this week. I was reading a talk by Elder Packer, and he said,"Make sure you learn the things that you are not taught overtly. If all you know is what you read or what you can hear, you will not know very much." I can read the scriptures and have neat ideas, or study certain patterns I see, or listen to amazing apostles bear testimony, but I think I'm missing alot when that's all I do. I think too often we underestimate the importance and precious nature of reverence and pondering. The Holy Ghost is the greatest teacher we have, and when we study things out in our minds, we invite further revelation by the Spirit. So I'm going to work on that. What an amazing gift to us.

Anyway, I just opened your email! Ya, I love looking at pictures! So send them all you want. You have great friends. I love the people of Carson haha. People are so good. And what a fun weekend it sounds like! I'm excited for Tommy. He deserves every ounce of good that comes his way. And I hope Camilla has some fun. I love that girl. And Danny.....shaving?! say what?! and drivers ed?! that's so weird. Thank you so much for the packages. So much! I wear those shorts every minute I can haha. And can you send me Tobi's address? She sent me an apple pie!! I loved it. And my entire district loved it - haha. b But we threw the box away before I wrote down her address. But it brightened my week, so thank you :) I think our mission president assigns our name based on what our last name is, and what's available, and I dont know. And we have a chinese name because a lot of people in China have both a chinese name and an English name. My shoes are great and comfortable, and no, I'm good. Camilla writes me, a few people from school have written me, I got a note from Tommy last week. I always look forward to those dear elders during the week, so thank you! Favorite part of the day?...probably laying down in bed at the end of it. Or sometimes we do our personal study outside in the sun...that's pretty nice. But then I just look at the mountains and wish I was on a hike, so it's sometimes hard. Favorite meal?: I always get their mashed potatoes because they sound good, but they never really do it for me. I'm big on their life cereal. and broccoli cheese soup ha. Ya, I think my closest friend will always be my companion. I think I'm good at morphing to people's personalities, if that makes sense. I love Sister Adam's though. I definitely lucked out with her. No, there are plenty of piano players here. and we did once at the beginning, but now we have a lot of zone meeting things on Sunday, so Sister Adams and I dont get as much time to have some personal study, so we spend that hour reading scriptures and stuff. which is nice. Sorry, scattered letter. Edit it however you want haha. I love you mom :) Happy Birthday :) Tell everyone else I love them! Oh and last week I put some more pictures up. I'll send some more this week.

Love Hannah

Week 5 - MTC

Hello!

I love your letter. It sounds like the family is doing great. You all are so awesome. I'm so lucky to be a part of you all. Congrats on the wedgie picking contest Abbey...I always knew you had it in you ;)  (a joke award that Abbey won in her drama class!)  And danny, enjoy the netflix while it lasts....I'm sure mom will crack the the whip. But that hike sounds awesome. We'll have to go backpacking together once I get back. And jacky jack! I'm excited for you to swim. Ya, I dont think you need to do the summer program either. That would be such a great skill to learn to discipline yourself at your age and swim on your own. And no...I have yet to drink any chocolate milk while being here haha. I'm too scared of gaining that infamous MTC weight! And that's awesome you read that book. I loved that movie. And yes, we should definitely go visit the volcanoes in Hawaii. I would LOVE that! start saving bud :)

And holy smokes my time here is flying by. Yes, I definitely wish I had a few more months here (and at the same time I still cant wait to leave). 28 days?! We taught another native couple at TRC, and although I was surprised at how much we could pick up, there was a lot I couldn't understand and me and Ngaih Jimuih are getting more and more nervous about the language once we leave haha. But I absolutely love the people we have met from there. They are soo happy and kind. We watched a "I am a Mormon" video of these girls in Hong Kong...Search Stella on mormon.org and watch the video that shows up. So I cant understand most of what they say, but I would guess we can understand like 30% of it! Which is exciting for me haha. try watching it without the subtitles. It's such an awesome language!

We had such an amazing week here. We heard from Elder L. Tom Perry on Tuesday. He spoke about the importance of companionships, and then thanked the senior couples for their service. He spoke for awhile about how much they love the senior couples, and how essential they are to missionary work. He said they need at least double amount of senior missionaries...so once Jack graduates, eh? :) And then he talked about how to improve our teaching skills. One thing he said that I thought was interesting though was that the Book of Mormon is our greatest missionary. There are more conversions by and through the Book of Mormon than any other way. However, with all due respect to the Bible and Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants stands in a peculiar way above all. There is no book on earth as important as the D&C because it contains the word of God to those that dwell here and now. With that said, not to misunderstand the value of the Bible or Book of Mormon. But he encouraged us to study and know the Doctrine and Covenants. Interesting, huh?

We were also extremely blessed and my district was visited by two members of the 70, Elder Martinez and Elder Wong. They sat in on our class to observe us and give us some counsel. Elder Wong is from Hong Kong, so it was really neat to hear him and his wife bear testimony in Gwon dung wa. And then the next morning in TRC, Ngaih Jimuih and I got to teach his wife.Very intimidating. And since they're part of the older generation, they say some sounds a little differently, but we managed to do ok. But they mainly spoke about the power of prayer. He said that he knows the language is very difficult for us, but through prayer Heavenly Father will help us. I have more on that in just a little bit. He also spoke about how blessed we are to be called to Hong Kong, and I feel so blessed to go there.

We last night were also visited by......Elder Bednar! Can you believe that?! And supposedly we have another coming on Tuesday! I dont know what's up, but we are so lucky! They probably know we need all the help we can get, but 7 since I've been here. I cant believe it. I've learned so much. We watched the Character of Christ talk Elder Bednar gave, and then he held a Q&A. It's amazing the depth of knowledge that man possesses. There were some great questions, and he gave such inspired answers. A few things he said though that I want to pass on...He said, "I prophesy that if you pray every day for the gift of tongues, and if you have your family pray for you every day for the gift of tongues, you will receive it." So...will you please keep me in your prayers? Because although I love this language, I do feel like I will never be able to know more than or bear witness better than a 6 year old. Which sometimes is good enough. But I am struggling with it, and could use all the help I can get.

On that note, this week when we met with Bobo, we had a great lesson. Bobo knows the church is true and wants to keep the commandments, but keeps falling short, and doesn't feel like she's good enough in one way or another. And when I step back and look at the feelings she is having, I can absolutely relate to those feelings. I struggle with things. I know what I should be doing. I have an image of this girl I want to be, and yet continue to fall short in one way or another. Sometimes I feel like maybe I just dont have it me. I remember specifically feeling this in one of my math classes, Topology. We had a small class, and all the guys in there were really so brilliant. I had never put so many hours or so much of my heart into anything, but I was falling behind. My proofs were never very sound, and I was constantly feeling disappointed in myself and my abilities. I honestly felt like an embarrassment to the math program haha. And I'm sure these are feelings everyone can relate to at some point in there lives. But I remember during general conference that year, Elder Holland gave an incredible talk called "Lord, I believe." He said, "The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue - it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know." That talk has really meant the world to me. It pushed me through the semester and rest of the math program. It pushed me on a mission. It gives me so much more confidence and helps me recognize the faith I already have. And it's given me a different perspective on what struggling means. I dont want to look at struggling in such a negative way. When we struggle, it doesn't mean we're failing. It shows that we haven't given up. Last night Elder Bednar said that the Lord's law is based on line upon line, precept upon precept. Just do a little better today than you did yesterday. So it's been a tender mercy to be reminded of all of this as I've been starting to struggle more and more with the language. Anyway, sorry for the long letter.  I just typed my little heart out haha. I love you! Tell Nana and Gump hi for me! I wish I could have been there for the fun family activities. But I'm glad I'm here :)

Love,

Hannah

Week 4 - MTC

Hey!
It was so great to talk to you yesterday! Happy Mother's day mom. You're the best mom ever. Other people might say that, but I'm convinced I'm right. But how cool they let us call home! You all sound great.

Congrats on finishing finals! and good luck to everyone else finishing up school. The last few weeks were always exciting. Please take full advantage of Lake Tahoe this summer in my behalf. I love that lake. Congrats to Abbey on her AP stuff. She's one impressive girl. I'm so proud of her. And Danny with driver's ed?! Are you serious?! I can't wrap my mind around that. Crazy. Tell Jack that the piano probably isn't fun now, but really is such a gift later on. I wish I could play like I used to. And not just a gift in the sense that you can play in church or it sounds nice to others, even though it is that, but I it's a gift to you too, Jack! I promise you'll miss it, so keep it up.  And yay for gardening!!! we have the best garden boxes in town. And the best dirt...sorry dad :) (Hannah and Tom - and all of us - worked hard on the garden boxes a few years ago, and we did the math wrong, and ordered alot of dirt.  We've been blaming the mathematician ever since!) I hope it goes well this summer.

Things here are just the same. We have another teacher, but she is actually from Hong Kong, so it's been nice to hear the tones from her. She's hilarious, and is actually dating one of my friends from the math program, so that was fun. I make her blush all the time by asking her about him. But she's having me memorize pi in gwong dung wa (Cantonese), so that's been  fun. She's so cute. And comes up to about my shoulder, if that. I think that's something I'll have to get used to. When I send pictures home, I'm going to look a lot bigger than I actually am, so dont be too surprised when I look like a giant.

Sister Tu'avao is our sister from Tonga in my district and she is absolutely hilarious. She is the most sassy person I have EVER met. Very blunt and honest, but one of the most loving people I have ever known. She hugs any stranger she meets and tells them how much she loves them on their first encounter haha. She calls me her twin, and is always checking up on me..."you ok tween?" My companion and her companion are always talking about boys and kissing and stuff, and it annoys her too, so that's why I'm her tween...because we have the same feelings haha. She's always copying my actions and posture (I'm trying to sit up straight dad), and when we sleep at night, she has to face the same wall as me haha. But she's great. Mom you cant take this next part out if you want, but I thought it was funny and you might think it's funny, even though it's a bit revealing haha. So we were all showering one morning, and sister adams and sister heaton were yelling across the bathroom and singing and being loud. So sister Tu'avao tells them to be quiet because they were "too noisy." I was shaving and not really paying attention. And then, I hear her shower go off, and I just assumed she was headed back to the room. But then I hear my curtain fling open, "Tween, are you ok?!" Hahaha I screamed and tried to cover up. She was just so worried and didn't think anything about seeing me in such a natural state. She's a funny girl. I love her. She has the biggest heart. I'm not sure the people in Hong Kong will know how to handle it in any other way other than accepting it haha.

Anyway, on a more serious note (a much more serious note) President Holland came and spoke to us last Tuesday. I have never heard someone speak with so much passion and intensity. Holy cow! I was about 5 rows from the pulpit, and was pushed to the back of my chair the entire hour from how powerful his words were. It was amazing! He spoke about his mission, and how it meant more to him than any mission has ever meant to anyone else. And then he said that our missions better mean just as much to us as it meant to him. I left my notes at the residence hall, so I'll just go from memory. We talked a lot about our purpose as missionaries. We invite others to come unto Christ, but you cant invite someone to a place where you haven't been. He said the problem about missions when he served was that by giving memorized lessons, the gospel and spirit would often go from the lesson, regurgitated by and over the missionary, and then to the heart of the investigator. The leadership of the church couldn't believe how many returned missionaries were falling away later on in life. He then talked about how holy and inspired Preach My Gospel is. The reason they compiled Preach My Gospel was to convert the missionary. Now the message hopefully goes through the missionary and then to the heart of the investigator. He was very direct and intense from then on. He said that not a single missionary should ever fall away from this gospel. He said, "I can't stand the thought of losing one of His (Christ's) sheep, but I can't conceive the thought of losing one of His shepherds. What kind of loyalty is that." He talked about the seriousness of missionary work, and the quality of the work expected. We dont hope our investigators will read scriptures, or hope they come to church. We show up at their door at 8 in the morning to bring them with us. We read scriptures and show them how to study. He didn't threaten us haha, but he essentially said that if we dont live up to the missionaries we are called to be or let it have the impact on our life that it should, he would be the one slitting our tires or kneeing us in the throat. But that shouldn't even compare to the fear we should have of our own conscience of being disappointed in or having regrets about our mission. Because every decision that meant anything to him later in life stemmed from his mission. Our missions will be hard, and they should be hard, because salvation isn't cheap. The road to salvation always goes through Gethsemane and Calvary. It shouldn't be easy for us, because it wasn't easy for the Savior. And as representatives as Jesus Christ, we are invited to identify with Him. We can walk at least one of those steps the Savior walked to Calvary. Salvation always costs everything. So we had better give it everything. This sounds a lot more brutal than it really was. Sorry, I'm just trying to type fast. But it was very intense and very powerful. So, I'm going to give it everything, because this is a privilege. And I dont want to get kneed in the throat ha.

And on that note, this life is a privilege, and in some sense, a mission. We should be giving it everything we got here. I need to just do a little better today than I did yesterday. Always doing my best to progress just a little. That's especially how I've been feeling with the language, and my personal characteristics I'm working on. It's kind of like dad's stock stuff...We're not looking for these huge gains. Just a little at time, and down the road we'll see how far we've come.

So...keep keeping on! Anyway, I love you all.

Hannah

Week 3 - MTC - Hey Family!!

Hello there!
So this week's been pretty much the same as all the others. We had our first TRC which is where we teach lessons to visitors. So they just have RM's come in and we teach them in Cantonese, but we teach them as returned missionaries, which is hard because we know a lot of really basic gospel things (I know...., I believe.....How do you feel when....  mihng mh mihnbaahk? = do you or do you not understand? haha we use that one a lot.) But sometimes the most simple testimonies can be the most powerful, so we did alright.

We've seen a lot of the missionaries we came in with leave already, so my districts getting a bit antsy.

One of our investigators is named Bobo, and she's great. She believes the church is true, but can't keep the commandments. So I asked her why not, and she said because she was homosexual. Which took us awhile to figure out what she was saying though, because that's not a word we've studied very much in class haha. But it was a great first lesson, and we decided to talk to her about it our next lesson. So we talked about God's love for her, and then the law of chastity, and then we showed her Suzanne's video on the mormonandgays.org website and translated it for her, and it was such a powerful lesson. So Bobo's really our teacher impersonating someone from her mission, and she was crying toward the end, and accepted our invite to church on Sunday. But after the lesson she pulled us aside and thanked us for the lesson, and had never heard of the website and couldn't wait to tell the real Bobo. It was just a really great, and really tender, and a good reminder to me that every one of us is working on becoming like the Savior in one way or another, and God loves us no matter what.

On that note, we got to hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson this past week (4 apostles in 3 weeks?...crazy!) And he said that God has infinite love for his children. He made a note not to say unconditionally though, which I thought was interesting, not because it wasn't true, but because nowhere that he has read in the scriptures has he ever seen unconditionally, only infinite. He then went on to say it is far better to be trusted than to be loved, and I really liked that. And it made me reflect a lot on my work here so far. I've always seemed concerned with trusting in Heavenly Father and being submissive to His will, but I never considered flipping it. Am I someone Heavenly Father trusts? Of course he loves me, but does He trust me? And to be honest, I think I need to work on that a lot. And maybe that's why I was so hard on myself this past week. But I want to be someone Heavenly Father trusts, especially a missionary He trusts. So anyway, that's something new I learned and what I'm working on...being more trustworthy to Heavenly Father.

OH!! and thanks so much for the package! I loved it! The cookies were SOOOO delicious :) My shoes are already broken in and the shirt has been worn, so thank you! And .....surprise!!! They're actually going to let us call home on Mothers day. I know it's only been 3 weeks, but still, I'm excited to talk to you. And I absolutely love the updates, no matter how boring you think they are :)  Anyway, I love you all!

Love Hannah