Seeking to Improve

Hey everyone!
Happy Easter! How was General Conference?! I cant wait to see it! How's Tommy?! I'm so excited to hear about his awesome life! How's Camilla feeling? I've been praying for her. Lots coming up for her. Abbey, you're right! That picture does look so much like what I looked like a few years ago haha. I'm trying to maintain it, but not having much success haha. I hope Danny and Jack are doing good. I love those boys.

Well, it's been a great week! We had a picnic at a park last p-day and sat IN GRASS! it was amazing! very pokey, but still....loved it. And I ate a subway sandwhich. It was a good day. It's been getting suuuuper hot and humid suuuuuper fast. I got a little burnt while finding this weekend. but nothing bad. You wont be able to tell in the pictures I send you. the flash was on in some of them, and it makes me look a like a ghost. mhganyiu la! not important!

Lately me and my companion, Gou Kiuh Jimuih, have been making a real effort to visit certain people in our ward. We love our ward. The Sham Shui Po ward is special and it is the mission home and temple presidency ward as well. So I get to meet amazing people. And when people visit the temple from wherever they're visiting from, they stay in patron housing which is in our church building on the top floor. So it's been incredible to meet so many people with such different backgrounds. They sacrifice a lot to come to the temple. We get to see all sorts of beautiful but very simple humble weddings here. Beautiful Indian or indonesian brides. Malaysia. and you'll take a picture of their special day together on their camera phone for them. in the parking lot of the church, trying to fit the temple into the background. I love these people. I love all people. The idea that we're children of God has become much more meaningful to me after meeting these people with such great purpose. completely grateful for the opportunites God gives them.

But we serve in this ward with 2 sets of Elders because we serve with the Assistants, and with the Office Elders. two struggles there. Not the elders haha! But the AP's are incredible missionaries who have been out pretty long, so their langauge is awesome. And the Office Elders are Bundei's (Natives). And I'm the only one in our district who isn't asian of some sort. Long story short, they have super fluent cantonese. So the sisters here have always seemed to struggle with gaining huge trust with the ward, just because if I had a family member or friend I wanted to introduce to the missionaries, I'ld probably want the AP's or someone who knows the language to teach them too! Can't blame them. and it works out because the Office elders and AP's dont have much time to go finding, so it's good for them to visit ward members and have that relationship there. BUT, Sister Takahashi and I have been making huge progress. and it's been a lot of fun. Especially since Elder Ballard told us we needed to teach a full lesson every day. That means once or twice or three times a week we need to visit a member and teach them. And they love it because they get to pretend to be an investigator and throw some really tough questions at us. I think they secretly love to torture us haha. but it's fun. This week we visited the leung family. I'm getting really good at eating sea food, by the way. with chopsticks. who knew. But she made some prawns, and we had to eat them whole...which was crunchy and actually super difficult. anything you couldn't get down, you spit onto the table. please take note of the chicken claw in the bowl. You would love the food here. Eating is essentially a hobby. a really fun hobby everyone does all the time. And then we visited Jennifer and her mom. Which was a little scary in all honesty. I got an entire fish to myself. but they're good. Our ward has incredible people, but there are some misfits that we thought perhaps missionaries don't visit very often - if not ever. So we're trying to visit them and share a message. And it turns out a lot of them have some solid referrals for other areas, so that was exciting.

I got a picture of Stanley and Theresa for you - our neighbors that I've mentioned before. I love them. Sorry, a little mission inappropriate with him touching my shoulder, but it was the only one we could get!

I'm not sure what to send to bishop - I'll work on that. I did a zone training this week on this idea of faith, and it helped me. I just pondered on how, as a missionary, we are constantly evaluating, improving, striving to change and be better. I admire, especially the missioanries I serve with, always have this striving and improving attitude. We are trying our best and want to give the Lord the best. But it still feels like goals aren't accomplished and dates aren't met and miracles are postponed. And to be honest, it's exhausting. How many times do we honestly give our best at something and then have to ask the automatic question..ok, how can I improve. and then graciously be told things you did that weren't that great haha. I appreciate it because of course I want this work to suceed, but it's not that fun haha. But I think it applies to any person who is honestly seeking the Savior and living the gospel. And few times do I think other people sometimes imply the need for our personal improvement more than we do ourselves. I read a title in this months liahona titled it isn't a sin to be weak. And I thought back to the talk I gave before I left. I read the story about Christ healing the father's son, who pled with the Savior to "help thou my unbelief." Sure that applies to faith, but I think it can apply to a lot of other shortcomings. And the thing that brought at least myself this peace of mind is what I thought a lot about this easter season. "He is not here, but he is risen." I sincerely believe that. Christ lives and He is here. He is with us, and he will always help our unbelief, as long as we first prove to the faith or the strengths we already possess. So that's what I think. But I guess that is in response to your own desire to keep improving, keep striving, I guess I'm trying to be hopefull with the idea that Christ is truly with us, and is our biggest fan. I love you.

love hannah