WEEK 10 - Texas Chinese Women's Society

🚨If I don't answer you I have no idea what is happening, my phone is deleting some of the things people send me, so if I don't answer I beg of you: send it again. I love you so much thank you to everyone who reaches out to me.🚨 The mission definitely started off as a like a -2/10, but I am happy to report I now have it at like 10/10. I am so happy and it is so fun. It's not like a branding myself on dare night type of fun and happy though, it is just a pure joy and love for the work I am doing and for the people I am teaching type of happy and fun. Everyday waking up and knowing your only purpose that day is to make the world a little brighter, gosh darn it, I love it. On paper a mission sounds absolutely horrid, but I am a firm believer of: you can choose to be happy in any circumstance. Yes, of course, being away from my family and friends, and living without the ability to flock and mingle, and having to go to bed at 10:30 and having to wake up at 6:30 does not sound fun at all. But if you choose to make it fun, and make it something you care about, it can be the literal best thing ever. Lots of people have been like: "Henry what is your biggest advice for me on my mission?" This is it. Not just mission advice but life advice. Choose to let yourself be happy. Sorry for absolutely overwhelming your soul with the everlasting joy and happiness of the gospel right there, let me start my email: - Last week Pday ended and I was sad because I had to wait another 7 days to speak to you all again. I immediately disregarded all of my emotions though, and dove head first into the work of the Lord. We had a dinner with Eernie and XiaoMei (Sh-e-ow M-ay) Eernie has not been to church in about 20 years, so naturally he referred his wife and scheduled a dinner appointment with us. I was originally concerned because Elder Campbell enlightened me on the fact that XiaoMei is another word for prostitute in Taiwan, so I wasn't quite sure what we were getting ourselves into. All I knew is that we were getting hot pot, and according to my father it is really good. It was not really good (this time). But anyways, we got there and we met Eernie and XiaoMei. They decided to start the night off right and order the delicious chinese delicacy known as marinated pig ear. The sad part was, is that was the only thing that I recognized that we ate for dinner (definitely our hardest meal). XiaoMei and Elder Campbell are both not the biggest talkers, but me and Eernie were, so it worked out great. Eernie is a cool dude, he was a navy seal and also he went on a mission because his Mom thought she was a failure because none of her sons went on missions. He said he went out for her, but stayed because of the testimony he gained, and even in all of his years of inactivity he has never lost his testimony. Eernie's Mom died on his mission (which if you know me that is actually my worst nightmare) but he was strong and finished it for her. This guy was way cool. Things were going swimmingly, we started moving things to like a more gospel type conversation, and then Eernie decided that this was his moment to drop probably the most racist thing I have ever heard. I'm not gonna say what it was, but oh heavens, it was hefty. So we were on that topic for a second and then we finally got back to a gospel topic, and now we are gonna meet again. Both very nice people, I really really really hope we don't go to the same place next time. But I assure you, this XiaoMei will be following me into the Waters of Mormon. - Next interesting thing (because it is always interesting) was our service at Hope's restored. This is my favorite service I have done before and on my mission. It is such a good cause. I always work up front with two ladies named Lisa and Tenita. They are literally my best friends. They are insanely Christian, so with all 3 of us at front everybody who comes in is getting a snack pack, a water, clothes, and a message about Jesus Christ. I mean usually Lisa handles it, this lady LOVES Jesus. Such a good example. She will be like: "Ok Sharon, we will call you Wednesday with an update on your housing situation. Remember the Only Begotten above is cheering for you Sharon, Praise Him. Oh Praises we sing!" That's probably Lisa's most mellow message she has left with one of our clients haha. Elder Campbell has made it clear that we cannot hug women, and I have tried my absolute hardest to convey this message to the ladies that work there. But any funny comment or any spiritual message from me always results in me receiving a big hug from one of them. It's kinda stressing me out everytime they do it because I get a sassy side eye from Elder Campbell but I am genuinely stuck here. I guess they are not very concerned with the mission standards lol. I look forward to seeing them every week though, and not just them, all of the homeless people we help it is so awesome. I see tons of hard things everytime I volunteer there, like kids coming in who don't get to go to school and are super malnourished. Or asking 20 people for their emergency contact, and these people having no one who cares if something bad happens to them. It really makes me appreciative of all of the things I have been given in my life. - Speaking of hard things we had a lesson with Will and Lauryn. We found Will the other day just riding a golf cart through a neighborhood so we set up an appointment with him and his wife and his 8 month old son for later in the week. Will and Lauryn are a super young couple that have had some really really hard things in their lives: A company cheated Will out on tons of money for work he did (he is having trouble providing for his wife, son, and one more kid on the way), Lauryn has Lupus disease, and something horrible happened to them that I don't think I can include in this email. But the lesson was actually great. We asked them where they wanted to meet and they chose this coffee shop. Will's wife Lauryn could not fathom that we did not drink coffee, but I got a peach smoothie and it was wondrous. While we were waiting for their coffee, we found a table outside and Will went off on a huge tangent about the cut throat industry of roofing in Dallas Texas, and then he started talking about his wife's disease in the most scientific of terms. I was super lost but then eventually we got back on track. It was beautiful telling these people how Jesus Christ has felt all of these hard things for them. Watching them light up at the idea that someone actually cared for them was so cool. I see that literally everyday here it is amazing. I've learned that even if 55 minutes of the meal is spent on the topic of the unethical business practices of many roofers in the Dallas Fort Worth area, and then 5 minutes of it is about Jesus Christ, Then it is a beautiful usage of my time. And plus, I now know more then the average expert about the roofing game down here. - There is a very very small Elder in my zone now which is fantastic - Elders Quorum on Sunday is usually very strange. Elders Quorum yearly activities are even stranger. It was hot pot. But this time actually good hot pot. Like really good hot pot. Thoroughly enjoyed. Peter Chen (82) broke 6 of his ribs like a week ago, but he is such a warrior. He might be my favorite person I have met out here. I could sit in a room and listen to him talk for 3 days straight and feel amazing about the use of my time. I was trying to bait him into letting me help him and mow his lawn (he is very intent on mowing his lawn, because he believes if he stops he is not a hard worker). He said no he will not let me. I said "well Peter can your grandson help?" He said "No my grandson is unathletic and terrible. He weighs 110 pounds!" This prompted him to ask Jeff (who's house the activity was at) if he could borrow the scale. He then beckoned me to get on this scale. I came in at a nice 197, and Peter had some comments. "So tall and almost 200 pounds! Wow! He is like me! (Peter is like 5' 3" and probably 120) Now he could mow my lawn! My Grandson. No. Very small, and not good at school. Very disappointed." His poor Grandson, bless his heart. That was but a taste of what the Elders Quorum activity consisted of. Just a bunch of dudes, a hot pot, and completely out of pocket comments every 30 seconds. We had a cool phone lesson with the Elders Quorum and dude named GuangFeng Ju after, so a 15/10 night. Any night with Peter Chen is a night to be remembered. - The next morning we did the least gratifying service I have ever participated in. I was told I was going to be helping at a multicultural festival with translating and helping people with health and wellness check ups. I got there and put on a green vest and walked around with a sign that said: "visit the food court." Maybe 3 people wanted more information on this food court out of the 2 hours that we served but oh well. About 1 and a half hours through I was fighting some demons. Wanting to give up. Thinking I wasn't good enough to serve in such a critical service position. But there was a light at the end of this tunnel. And its name is the TCWS. The Texas Chinese Women's Society. And I am proud to say I am the newest member. Not Elder Campbell. Just me. It is very exclusive. But I am a member. I am not sure what being a member of such a exclusive group entails. But they accepted me. I thought they accepted everyone. But I watched as they declined like 5 others. But I am a member. As far as my identity goes, I'd say first I am a Son of God, but a close second is my newfound membership in the Texas Chinese Women's Society. Again, I am not 100% certain of what my membership entails, but I can assure you that I will be forgetting myself and going to work with in this exclusive society. Also there was a solar eclipse and someone let me borrow their glasses. But ya other then that the service was not my favorite thing ever. - I'm sorry my emails are long. I just want to have a laminated binder of them in like 30 years and read them and laugh at myself. So ya they are probably gonna stay long sorry. - That is all for this week, thank you to everyone who reads my emails, and once again THANK YOU to all that reach out to me, it keeps me going! Keep reaching out if you have the kindness in your heart to. I love you all infinitely, have the best week of your life. See you next time!!! I try to take a lot of videos but I can't attach them to the email, they are on this join if you want: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qwGY1QhS99ne5wGy8 Pictures: 1. Me spreading the good word 2. Sunset 3. One of many delicious meals we had this week 4. Me watching the solar eclipse 5. These antique dumplings were to die for 6. Another sunset