Punching my companion in the head

Hey everybody this week has been awesome. I picked up Elder Song from the train station and we hit it off right away. He's an awesome guy. He's about to finish his mission and he told the mission president that he wants to 'finish strong'. So he's here to give it his all and I'm so excited to have a companion that is motivated to do the Lord's work.

So let me tell you a little bit about Elder Song. For one thing, he gave up an Olympic boxing contract in China to come on a mission. His Wins and Losses are at 88/12. He went to college for boxing and then graduated and kept advancing. But the thing is he's so kind and smiles all the time, you'd never think he's a boxer. He's 27 but half the time he acts like a little kid which is so funny. Like one time I was studying in our room and then I hear a high pitched squeal "ahhh Elder help me!!" so I walk into our kitchen and see like 3 ants and Elder Song, this buff pro boxer is scared of them. And every night he insists on closing all the blinds all the way because "people will creeping us!". 

He's been teaching me about boxing and I've quickly come to realize that if you have the wrong technique you're pretty much useless against a real boxer. I learned this when one morning Elder Song came up to me while I was eating breakfast, gave me a boxing glove, and said "I need neck POWER" Then he told me to punch him in the head. He wanted to build strength in his neck by withstanding the blow. At first I did some light taps but he thought it wasn't hard enough. Finally I was literally punching him as hard as I could and he wasn't budging an inch. He's like a rock. Seriously I winded up and punched the guy in the head multiple times and it had no effect.  I was just hoping our mission president didn't stop by and see me wailing on my companion.

Also his mindset is so funny, sometimes I ask him stuff like "could you beat Floyd Mayweather in boxing" and he says something like "Elder he is from America I probably won't visit there and fight him" and I say "okay but if you did who would win" and he says "I won't visit there it's an impossible question" and I say "okay if you were walking down the street and Floyd Mayweather attacks you who would win" and he says "A boxer like him has too much control to attack me".

These kind of conversations are so funny to me but I'm pretty sure Elder Song just thinks I don't understand boxing (he's right).

From a spiritual side, Elder Song is also a pro. He's been out for a long time and is all about doing the Lord's work. It's been so nice to work with him because everything just feels easier when both of us are all-in. We talk about the miracles we see and he shares a lot of experiences from his mission and what he's learned. We say prayers together all the time throughout the day and I feel like we're working closely with God. We've been guided by the Spirit a lot and seen miracles together. Elder Song is just a pure and humble spirit and I'm blessed to have him as a companion. He's a funny guy. 

So this week we had a lot of great experiences. I'll share some:

We woke up one morning and went for a run through the nearby forest. It was so sweet, I felt like Bear Grylls just hurtling through the jungle. That was when I really felt like I was in Australia.

I am becoming better at finding people on the train. It's easier when I find more natural ways to start conversations. One way I've found to be really useful is getting on the train, looking for someone who looks Chinese and sitting next to them. I don't say anything at first and just get out my phone or a piece of paper and start practicing Chinese. Then after they notice I look over at them and 'realize' "oh do you speak Chinese? Can you help me?" Then they will always be so kind and help me with whatever I'm learning. Of course this leads to them asking about why I am studying Chinese which ends up in a good conversation about missionary work. I've learned that I'm a more effective missionary when I find more natural ways to share the gospel. Forming even the smallest of relationships first can work wonders.

The other day I met a Korean girl named Lee Su while on the train and later that week we met with her at the chapel in the city. We brought Elder Cho who is a native Korean speaker to help translate since I don't speak much Korean. I also invited another missionary named Elder Coleman from Utah to teach with us. He has been out one transfer and is learning Korean. I thought this would be an awesome opportunity for him to teach in Korean since he hasn't had many chances since the MTC (there aren't too many Korean people here). Lee Su brought her friend and we taught them in the chapel. I was able to involve the other missionaries a lot while I taught English, and Elder Coleman did an awesome job translating, bearing his testimony in Korean and saying a prayer. I could tell the girls thought it was really impressive that he was speaking Korean and it was so cool to help him have the experience of finally teaching in his mission language. I love how missionary work brings together so many different cultures and people and unites us all in knowing that we are children of God.

We had another miracle find while knocking doors and found a lady named Menik. She's from Sri Lanka and has 2 little girls. She was very open to our message and we came back the next day after managing to find a Book of Mormon in Sinhala (the language they speak in Sri Lanka). That lesson on her front porch ended up being one of the most powerful lessons I've taught on my mission so far. It felt perfect. Menik had so many good questions and really wanted to learn. We went through the Plan of Salvation step by step and helped her understand what this life is all about, as well as teaching about the Book of Mormon. Then at one point, Elder Song (who's English is still improving and was letting me do most of the teaching) started talking about angels and how they can support us. I was thinking 'uhhh that might be a little too complex' but it was immediately replaced by a feeling of peace and like 'this is what he needs to say'. I listened and then watched as Menik teared up and told us about how her dad passed away when she was 21 but that she had felt his spirit before and was so grateful to learn about angels. Elder Song followed the Spirit and I was just grateful I ended up listening too before I almost cut off that beautiful moment. Menik learned a lot and at the end we invited her to read the Book of Mormon. She looked at us like 'of course, why wouldn't I?' I was so happy to see that she knew that what we had shared was important and that she had the desire to know it's truthfulness for herself. I was able to bear my testimony and it was reaffirmed to me that the Book of Mormon is a gift from God that allows us to find guidance and direction back to Him. I'm really excited about Menik and the light that I saw enter her heart while we shared the gospel. It's hard to explain the joy I feel when I see someone else realize these beautiful truths such as the reality that she can see her father again.

In English class I always try to find ways to involve the gospel. We teach in the chapel and one day I saw some Primary posters lying around. Written in big letters were the words to Primary songs like 'I feel my Savior's love'. I told the students we would practice pronunciation using the song. It was awesome to hear all these old Chinese people saying the words to a Primary song that usually we only hear from little kids. Then I played it on the piano and they sang along. It was great since they got to practice speaking English and also learn some gospel truths. (Hey, they are learning English from a missionary, I can't help it if they learn about God too) 

Elder Song and I went to a big soccer field at one of the nearby universities in the morning to exercise. When we were heading back, I saw Elder Song across the field, looking for something on the ground. I came over and he told me he lost his 'name tag part' (magnet). I immediately felt we should say a prayer. We closed our eyes to say a prayer and Elder Song asked Heavenly Father to help us find the 'name tag part'. As SOON as I opened my eyes I saw it. My eyes were already looking in that exact direction- I didn't even have to move. It was a miracle and a testimony to me of the power of prayer. God sometimes gives us trials (big or small) so that He can show us what kind of blessings come from relying on Him.

We were in a neighborhood and while walking, we came across an old Aussie guy and his middle-aged son working in the front yard. We asked if we could help and they chuckled since we were wearing dress clothes. Then we started talking about the Book of Mormon. It began as a friendly conversation but these two Christian men slowly became more agitated and especially wanted to criticize Joseph Smith. First I answered some questions for them but I could see that they didn't want to hear it. Within 5 minutes they were yelling at us that we were wrong and we were probably going to hell. For several minutes they continued to berate us. I expected to be shaken by their rude comments and anger, but I felt like Samuel the Lamanite when he preached on the wall- all their arrows and piercing words seemed to go around me and I felt peace. I wanted to share this with the men, so I waited for them to take a breath and then said:

"Do you know why I am able to stand here and listen to you mock my prophet and ridicule my beliefs and not be upset? It is because I have read this book. I know that it is true and that it is the word of God. It has been confirmed to me by the Holy Spirit and I cannot deny it".

In that moment, I was supremely grateful for my testimony of the Book of Mormon. No matter they said to me, I still knew it was true. Elder Song and I then explained that we didn't want to argue or create contention and they were more pacified after that. I left the experience feeling glad that I had stood up for what I knew to be true in a calm and peaceful way.

We were about to head home one night, it was getting late and we had been out all day. I opened the car door and then shut it just as quickly. 

"One more" I told Elder Song, nodding at a house across the street. "I have a good feeling about this one".

We went to knock the door I had indicated and found it to be covered in cobwebs and definitely nobody home to answer the door. After we knocked a few times and got no answer, Elder Song looked at me, a little confused about why I felt like we needed to come here. I turned and walked off the porch, somehow already knowing what was about to happen. To get back to the street we had to walk down the driveway which was surrounded by tall hedges. Somehow, I knew that when we turned the corner of those hedges, we would meet someone that God wanted us to meet. Then, we passed the hedges and stepped onto the sidewalk and almost bumped into a Chinese dad with his wife and two kids. It was just as the Spirit had prompted me. We told the family who we were and they ended up wanting to come to church. They had no idea that they lived just down the street from an all-Chinese church. If we hadn't knocked on that door, we wouldn't have been in the perfect spot to meet this family. It was a testimony to me that sometimes we won't totally understand WHY the Lord asks us to do something, but if we do it we will always see blessings as a result of following His will.

Our friend Lily is progressing and I'm really excited to see her and her family learning about the gospel. I love teaching her kids to play the piano and speak English too. In our last lesson I realized how amazing it was to find her when we did. I had already told Lily about how I knocked on her door after driving for several minutes and turning wherever I felt I should, and being led to her house. During this last lesson, she talked about how the day before I knocked on her door, she had been thinking and wishing to be able to find someone to teach her daughter English and piano. Then the next day we showed up. This is an example of the Lord's timing and the miracles He creates. I think that's amazing.

I have loved giving my all to the people here and dedicating my time to serving the Lord. It makes me happy and seeing the miracles every day inspires me to know that we really do have a Heavenly Father who is so willing to help us. We just need to ask for help. I know prayers are heard and answered by our Father in Heaven and I'm grateful to be a missionary and have the chance to share that message with people from all over the world.

对我在加州的最喜欢的传教士：你很棒

Elder Halverson 

Pics:

Only important one is Elsa who drew a picture of me she's the cutest 

Also an old guy who was singing to us while holding a razor blade