WEEK 30 - Tai Chi

Hello everyone I would just like to say that I love you all so much I would also like to declare that I love my mission so much and I would also like to give my spiritual thought today on a lot less depressing of a topic: seed planting. So seed planting is pretty much a small interaction that missionaries have with people that “plants a seed” in them, and then in the future that seed grows into something like meeting with the missionaries again or going to church or getting baptized or something. For those of you not following let me put this in Lorax terms: the city of Thneedville was living in great apostasy. The people were all brainwashed by the billionaire tycoon himself Aloysius O'hare. O’hare told the people that they didn’t need anything new and they just needed his cool hip air. And they believed him. Until Ted got sus of this whole brainwashing from O’hare so he decided to go talk to the Onceler. Then the Onceler helped him to see the great state of apostasy that his people were living in so he went back and preached to the city about why they needed the message that he had just learned. O’hare was not down with Ted’s message that he was sharing with the people so he did everything he could to stop it. Then Ted finally convinced his town through song and dance that they needed to let this seed grow. At the end of the movie it shows you the amazing effect that this one seed had on this entire town of Thneedville, and it all started by planting one seed. Ted is one of the greatest missionaries of our time if you really think about it. But the reason I share this thought is because sometimes a mission is just a grind and it feels like you're just seed planting. But for all of my friends out there who feel they are seed planting, remember that seed planting can take down billionaire tycoons and change hundreds of peoples lives if it is planted correctly. Welp Kung Fu Panda 4 comes out this week so it is gonna take all of my mortal determination within me to stop myself from watching this beautiful film. For all who see it if you would just tell me if you like it or not, I would sincerely appreciate that. But here is my week: - So this week we had a pretty interesting dinner with some members in our ward. They are like these amazing people that live pretty far out in the sticks and they have 7 kids. Their house is pretty small so it was insanely chaotic when we walked in. I got there and the kids were super excited to have the missionaries over to their house, so what felt like 14 children were pulling me to come to jump on the tramp with them, or see their turtle, or to sit by them at dinner. The kids were super nice but it was an intense welcoming. We sat down for dinner and they made this chinese noodle dish which was epic. Everyone figured out I am a chinese missionary here and now everywhere I go I am getting a ton of americanized chinese food, I think they are like trying to rehabilitate me back to American culture slowly, idk they are just very thoughtful people. But ya we are like 5 minutes into dinner and the baby starts crying so the Mom straight up just starts breastfeeding, and that shook me to my core. Honestly that might genuinely be at the bottom of the list of things I want to have happen during a member meal. But everyone just acted as if nothing happened. I was literally about to implode so I asked to use the bathroom and I literally just stood in there for 5 minutes and replenished my stamina. I was just blown away that the crowd of choice to breastfeed in front of was the missionaries, but I regained my strength within the bathroom and came out again and just ate dinner having a nice conversation with a lady just breastfeeding 4 feet away from me. I did not like that. But then the two little kids decided to go to the tramp that was visible from the place I was sitting and they hopped on that tramp and I thought they might do like tricks or something, but no, they just began all out brawling. It was like watching the UFC and it was super interesting for a good minute, then it got violent and the young one started bleeding and they came back in. Overall it was a good time just decently uncomfortable, but that family is such an amazing family and I am so grateful for them. - So I realized last week that I probably don’t have that long to be an english missionary here before they send me back to the chinese area, so I have been doing a couple of things to make sure that I am remembered. The guys in my apartment have never lived with a Chinese missionary because there are literally 4 in the mission (shoutout to my boys). They have no idea what to expect so I will just like randomly break out into Tai Chi or Kung Fu or something and they will straight up just sit there like out of respect for the culture or something. It is soooo hard not to laugh while doing this but I have kept a serious face. Just try to imagine just this random dude just stand up with no warning and start like yelling in chinese and doing Kung Fu, and all you can do is just like patiently sit there with your hands on your lap. Heavensss it takes all of my soul not to laugh it is so funny, but they just think it’s normal so that’s cool. Another thing that I have been doing is making sure at every single member meal I go to I make sure to drop that I watched a lot of HGTV back at home. Let me elaborate. Actually there isn’t that much to elaborate on but pretty much I see something I like about someone’s house and I always say like “ah funny enough I actually used to watch a lot of HGTV back in my day” and they always mention something about Fixer Upper and how they are close to them like everytime. I am hoping that someone brings up that I told them that I watch HGTV at like a ward activity or something then every single person in the entire ward is like “he told me that too what?” and then it just turns into pure chaos mwahaha. So ya I have also been doing a lot of missionary work, but I think it would be pretty neat to be remembered by HGTV. - So this week was good, we have been working super hard and hard work is super rewarding and I have really learned that out here. I love you all so much and I would be delighted to hear from you if you have time. Miss you all a lot have a splendid week! - Also good luck to everyone who got your mission calls that is like way dope good job. - Google photos join it is great: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qwGY1QhS99ne5wGy8