Blog Post #14 Twins!

There were two AmAzInG things that happened this week!


First; our investigator Jarvin (Wu Tiu Hei) got baptized on Sunday! I'm so happy for Him because I know that he is going to be so happy in the Church! He is such a good guy, and after he finishes jung haahk (kinda high school, but not exactly) he wants to serve a Mission! That would take him about a year, so if he gets called to HK it's possible that I could train him! that would DEFINITELY make me the happiest Missionary in the universe! He is so good!


Second; The Mandarins ( who are also our Zone Leaders [in charge of the 16 Elders and 4 Sisters that serve in the Kowloon Zone]) that I live with are going to get 2 Summer Missionaries! Twins! Not only is it rare to get a Mandarin-Speaking Summer Missionary, it's even less likely to get 2! The shortest person in the Apartment (either a Summer Missionary or Elder Li from Singapore) will get the couch, and someone else will get a bed. Six men in one apartment! Lemme tell you; that bathroom is going to need a VERY deep clean after the Summer Missionaries leave in 2 weeks! They get here on the 20th, tomorrow.


In other news; it's still hot, it's still humid, and there's still too much good food for me to lose the weight I want to! It really is SO good! I drink 3-5 litres of water a day, so I'm in no danger of dehydration, and there's half a dozen food stores and Asian markets in our area, so I am in no danger of starving either! I have noodles for breakfast every day, with lots of ginger and red Thai peppers, it's so good!


Today for P-Day we hiked 10,000 Buddhas, [Click HERE to see photos                
(Editor's note: Elder O'Gara requested a photo showing the steepness of the trail be inserted here. I  recommend pictures 62, 97, and 123  ~ Elder O'Gara's Mom) ]
 which is about a mile up a trail lined with statues to a Monastery. There is so much to see! Every Buddha is a little different, and I absolutely loved the hike! I also got a picture with the Monkey statue, which is my Zodiac animal! You'll be getting that after this move is over. It was a really quiet and peaceful place, and there was an amazing view that overlooked Sha Tin, which is the area of town nearest to where it is.


Other than that it's just been standard (which is to say; AMAZING) Missionary work! We went out street contacting the other day, and got some numbers, which is so good! It's so nice how many people there are here willing to talk to us! We've also been teaching some great people, all of whom are so good! It's amazing how you can find one scripture that covers the needs of so many people! It's so good to be a Missionary! I can feel the guidance of Heavenly Father every day, and I know that when I find a scripture that is super powerful, or understand how to explain a principle with greater clarity that it's Him guiding me. Let's be honest; I'm a pretty smart guy, but not even I can explain in Chinese how one paragraph about a king can help you make good choices in your life. I'm good, but not that good.


I love that I can feel close to Heavenly Father all the time! I'm able to recognize His hand in my life more, from helping me know what to do, to helping me sleep better, to helping me learn Characters so I can read with my friends, to even just helping me see something that makes me happy when I'm having a (rare) bad day! If you are not sure you want to go on a mission; do it! Nothing else can help you out as much as the things you learn out in the field! Sure I miss my friends back home, I miss going to school, I miss sleeping in, but I have new friends to focus on, new things to learn, and so many responsibilities that I have to carefully budget my time. I am not only learning good Spiritual principles, I'm learning the discipline to keep a schedule, the determination to follow up when I'd rather sleep, and I'm also gaining a better sense of who I am, who I want to become, and how I can do that.


For all of you who are preparing to become Missionaries, whether you are a young man or young woman, here's all I can say to you; Go and Do!


I love y'all, and I hope that everyone is happy and good! If you want to send me stuff they don't really have stick deodorant here, and I don't like the spray kind, so a tiny Flat Rate box with a stick of Old Spice Classic: Original Scent would be great! It HAS to be the one in the all red tube with the white hexagon, everything else is junk! I love y'all have a great week!