Jan. 5, 2010

Subject: happy new year dawgs

Happy new year dad! sounds like it was fun. Shannon said you told her if
she got kissed she couldn't come home.... how do you ever expect your
daughters to be cool girls if you say things like that dad. :-) you keep
that up they are all going to end up on missions like me.

My new years was hysterical. I have three words that will sum it up nicely
for you "Asian Talent Show". Oh my goodness i about died. Can you just
picture a middle aged asian man singing a young womens song written in the
80s. It was awesome. Then we had a couple hip hop dances. And my personal
favorite were two African brothers who got up and did a rap entitled
"Radical for Jesus". What a nite (the signs put up said Talent Nite
everywhere, not sure if the misspell was intentional or not). We got home
very late because the trains were slow. I managed to see 4 different
firework shows from my bedroom window out over the city. But all in all New
Years didn't seem that big, they are saving it all for Chinese New Years in
February.

Oh I wanted to tell you Dad, be proud, I bowled a Turkey last P-day. The
Elders were ticked. Especially because my first game's total score was 55.
Haha they were so mad. I beat em all.

We had another wonderful baptism Saturday morning. Aite was baptized,
Kiran's friend. We held it Saturday morning because all the Nepali brothers
work nights. We had them come straight from work to the baptism and then
they could all go home and sleep after. Khem, who just got the priesthood
last week got to baptize Aite. I was so excited. And then we had Kiran and
Suran, another recent convert, share their testimonies. These guys get so
pumped for baptisms. And seeing Aite receive the Holy Ghost on Sunday was
awesome. He looked so happy.

Also on Sunday Kiran blessed the sacrament for the first time. He was so
nervous! I couldn't help but laugh a little. He looked like he was going
to throw up. His prayer was good though, no mess ups :-). It makes me so
happy to see these boys progress in the gospel and use the Priesthood they
are given.

Sunday was also excellent because some people came that we totally were not
expecting. A couple weeks ago we were knocking some flats and were not
having any luck at all. Nobody was home. We were heading back to the
trains and Sister Mccurdy decided she wanted to go into this random flat and
walk up the stairs. She is far more spiritually in tune that I am. While
walking up the stairs we met a Chinese lady named amber, who said she likes
to go with her two children to church on occasion. She said she was
interested but wouldn't give us her phone number. So we just gave her our
card and hoped she would contact us. She showed up at church on Sunday and
brought her two kids! It was awesome. I had actually forgotten about her.
I'm so happy she came. They came late and missed sacrament meeting but we
sent her daughter to Young Womens, her son to Priesthood, and took her with
us to Relief Society. They probably were a little overwhelmed but they
still came away smiling. And a chinese couple who were recently baptized
really welcomed them and talked to them for about 45 min after church. I
couldn't understand anything they were saying but they were laughing and
seemed to be getting along. I am so grateful for members who just walk up
and introduce themselves to people we bring to church. It means so much to
us missionaries and it helps our investigators feel so much more welcomed.
Sometimes it is like pulling teeth getting members to go talk to
investigators. So I was really grateful to this couple for being so nice
and welcoming.

This next week should be good. We have mission tour on Friday and this
weekend Som will hopefully be getting baptized. Keep your fingers crossed,
he is ready, but his work is Satan.

Oh! Nanda said he found an article from the Ensign about members in Nepal
is this true? we don't get the Ensign here. Nanda was pretty pumped about
it. He seems to know one of them and wants to get ahold of him to get
things rolling in Nepal. Nanda says one call from him and Missionaries will
be safe and bothered by no one in Nepal; I don't know how true that is but
he really wants it to happen. I have a feeling in the future the church
will open up there; I pray at least. Nanda also said he wants to play polo,
make millions of dollars doing it, and then with it all work for the church.
hahah he has some big dreams. He also said he wants to buy me a Volkswagon
Bug when I get married as a wedding present. He makes me laugh that one.
We were talking to some guards across the street from our church and
one of them pulled out a Nepali Bible. I instantly recognized it as Nanda's
from the torn cover and asked Nanda about it later that day. He said he has
no idea who the guard is or how he got his book. He also said he has given
out 60 Nepali Bibles here. hahah. he is awesome. He is begging us to be
called as a branch missionary. We are bothering the Branch Presidency about
it but things just are slow here. Hopefully he will get his dream calling
soon. Not that it will really make that much of a difference. He already
is a branch missionary.

I haven't read your letters yet but after skimming them it sounds like you
are all nice and busy. That's good.
I had forgotten that Kimberlee was going to Jerusalem, and I didn't know
Ryan was getting married. That is all so exciting.

I love you family
sis v