Does He Trust Us? and other Random Thoughts...

This week was just one of those weeks where EVERYTHING happens and you sit down to write about it and you don't even know where to begin or what to say! I really  have no idea how to connect these in any way so I'll just share some random thoughts!

1. Last Monday we went over to TST and rode the Star Ferry (a boat that goes across Hong Kong Harbor) to Wan Chai to eat pizza. It was simply wonderful. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

2. We had Zone Training this week so I'll share a few thoughts from that:

It was shared by another missionary that we know that God loves us, but does He trust us? I've thought a lot about that and truly pondered that question. Just something to get you thinking.
An analogy was shared about growing bamboo. Now I can't get on google to actually check the validity of this analogy, so don't let the fact of whether it's actually correct or not detract from the principle. So apparently when you grow bamboo you plant the seed and it needs to be watered consistently and nourished. So the farmer plants it and waters it and nourishes it, and waters and nourishes it for 10 or 40 years before it actually sprouts and grows up. (I've heard it both ways - but regardless, you get the point. It's a long time.) After is sprouts it shoots up super fast and becomes this super tall bamboo tree. The point is, sometimes we're like this farmer. We're working hard. We're watering our tree and nourishing it and we can't see it's growth. It's just not sprouting. And we're sitting here and working hard and wondering when we're going to see results from all the hard work. But when we're patient, diligent and consistent, those results always come. Maybe it's just because I'm in Asia, but I thought that was cool.
We talked about sacrifice last month and consecration this month. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what the difference is. In my very limited understanding thus far I've come to this conclusion. The difference is the pure love of Christ. You can sacrifice something, but unless you do it with true charity - having a true love for God and a love for His children - then there's no way it can become consecrated, nor will it do you much good.
3. We we able to attend a funeral this week for a less active man in our ward. His son is active and half of his family are members and the other half aren't. It was a very interesting experience. I really haven't been to a whole lot of funerals in my life, and I've never been to a Chinese funeral before. So that was different in and of itself. But I can't recall being to a funeral where a large majority of the people there are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We were asked to sit up in the choir seats on the stand and sang a musical number with some other ward members. Obviously everyone there was very sad, but it was interesting to look out and you could kind of tell of those who attended who had a testimony of the plan of salvation and those that didn't. It made me really think and truly appreciate how grateful I am for this gospel. I get to think about that on a daily basis as I have the opportunity to share my testimony with everyone here, but this experience put it in a new perspective for me. Families are forever. Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ we will see our loved ones again and we can be with our families forever. I'm overwhelmingly grateful for the love that Jesus Christ has for us and for showing us that love through restoring His true church on the Earth.

Sorry to be short and random, but there you have it! The Church is true! It just is. Zone Conference is next week, so hopefully next week I'll make a little more sense.

Have a great week! Nogh hou ngoi leih deih!

Love,
SisMoRob

Indoor S'mores!!