March 16, 2015

I was kindly reminded this week that my mood depends very much upon my physical condition. After catching a cold and feeling like my brain would explode I honestly did not feel like doing any work after Tuesday. A great way to start a week, right? But the appointments came regardless, new friends started to meet with us somehow, and there was something to do even when we planned in a little "recouperation resting time" for selfish recovery. I think Heavenly Father was teaching me just a little diligence and patience this week. Even when I'm sick it's not a time to rest! There are people to help!! It's an urgent work.

We have incredible friends here. We disovered that our friend Peng Ying had not been reading The Book of Mormon regularly and just hadn't been grasping the concepts because the missionaries who started teaching her (they were trasnferred out before I got here) had very briefly skimmed the message of the Restoration. She hadn't understood the truth of it, which we didn't know, but at a split-second decision before the lesson we felt the need to simply teach the Restoration. Boom. She gets it now. She wants to read now. Prayer has more purpose. She even wants to come to church; previously her biggest struggle. The truth changes peoples' desires and understanding restored truths brings us so much closer to God! It was cool to know that we were being guided.

We met a Japanese person on the bus yesterday. Twice. And I learned that when we say "What time is it" it sounds like a phrase in Japanese that means "Don't touch the potatoes." Similarly, when we tell a Japanese person "It's nice to meet you" in Japanese, the phrase sounds something like "Don't touch my moustache!"

Just to get some German in... Schmetterling means butterfly.

I have the cutest niece in the whole world! She looks like an angel. I can't wait to meet her someday.

I love you all! Do something good in the world today! And then do something tomorrow.

Liebe Grüße,

Elder Jack