Week 53

A year? Neat. CAN YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES?This week was pretty cool, lots of good experiences as always. I might even go as far as to say that it was better than last week.

Monday we finished weekly planning (sorry President). Then the fireworks started. Literally all around our house!  It sounded like there was a war. Guns and tons and tons of illegal fireworks in every direction. It looked like it does when you play a level at night time on Call of Duty. That is the only visual I can think of to describe the Fourth of July in Oakland.

Tuesday we had COMBINED DISTRICT MEETING. It was cool, we talked about members and how to get to know them better, because apparently missionaries don't know how to have normal conversation with members of the church, who knew! After that we went TRACTING and had a record number of doors slammed on us, so we felt like we worked pretty hard.

Wednesday we had a bunch of time to tract, and we met a guy named Samuel and he was a Pentecostal. He told us that we didn't realize that he should be the one teaching us about Christ and proceeded to tell us how we were wrong. Pretty normal. But this time, I felt like we needed to teach this guy. I cut him short while he was telling us all about what he called the "glove theory" (long story) and told him that the only reason we were there is because God wants him to be humble and learn about Christ's true church. He was totally and completely shocked. He responded after what seemed like a minute or two, and said that he felt like we were honestly serving God and that that is all anyone can do, trying to avoid the fact that he had been touched by the spirit, and he asked Elder Ey if he had ever spoken in Tongues. of Course Elder Ey Said "Ya! A lot!" and then the man looked at me, and I just shook my head, and then he got really loud and yelled, CAN YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES??  and he tilted his head back a little bit, and started saying crazy man gibberish. I had no idea what was going on, but what I did know was that this guy was standing there yelling gibberish, and I started to laugh a little bit, I couldn't help it, it was hilarious, and he stopped and said "what are you laughing at this is revelation?" and he said that everything we believe is wrong and shut the door.  It was so random and hilarious. It was sad he didn't act on the truth we shared, but I am confident he will remember that, plus we gave him a book of Mormon at the beginning, so he has that if he has questions.

later we taught Pream, then went home.

Thursday was good too we got to go see Ming Sambath and Ming Savorn! Then, that night, Siphal and Jessica called us and asked if we could stop by their house, so we did, and they gave me new shoes!!! Jessica remembered me talking to elder Ey about the holes in my shoes, and we all thought that I was going to get transferred, so they got me a goodbye gift, it was awesome. Then we drove to Concord to sleep at our zl's house, cause our house has cockroaches like none other.

Friday we woke up, went to sports, did studies, went to lunch at a Chinese buffet, then went home and did weekly planning and taught a lesson with a man named Taweedee from Burma, he will go to the Oakland 9th ward. Then there was a big protest right by our house, so we stayed in, it was crazy. I didn't know what was going on, so we asked someone in our apartments what it was for, and then we found out about what happened in Dallas.

Saturday nothing happened until later when we went to a concert at the visitors center. There was a quartet from the Tongan stake that was singing, it was beautiful, Pream, Siphals family, and Peng Try all came, it was fun.
Sunday nothing happened except that 9 Less active members came to church, I almost cried looking out in sacrament I was so happy. I have no idea what happened, but three of them I had never seen at church, and haven't visited in weeks, It was an awesome miracle!

The thing that stuck out to me the most this week was patience. I have wondered a whole lot about what exactly the Lord wants me to do here. We consistently don't meet our goals despite praying and working in faith to the best extent that we can, we do not often find investigators, daily we are told how much people hate us and what awful people we are, and despite all of that we are so so so blessed for the area that we serve in. I've learned a lot about the timing of Gods plan, not that I necessarily know how it works and whats going to happen, but more what he expects of me when I reach a particularly rough part of that plan. No matter what, God wants me to remember my Purpose and do everything I can to share the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ with his children, even if they choose to use their agency incorrectly, I still have to do it. Fulfilling that purpose has time and time again tried my patience to the very edge, but so long as I am focused on the Savior, things work out, and I see the love that our Heavenly Father truly has for all his children. I love being a missionary, and I am savoring every single moment of trial our Heavenly Father sends my way, because in those moments I am able to become living proof of the power that the Atonement has in the lives of our fathers children. I know the church is true, and I invite you all to look into the scriptures and see how often someone experiences trials and the Lord tells them to just be patient, it's a pretty prevalent response, and then ponder about why. I love you all and hope the next week is incredible!!