HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
Hello my loving family!
How are you this fine week? I am feeling wonderful! Dad I found this one card that I know you would really like a couple of weeks ago but I didn't get it. I have been feeling sorry since but just so you know... I LOVE YOU! You are a wonderful father and I want you to study all the songs in the children's songbook and think of me telling you each one with a heartfelt sincere attitude. Honestly you have been a large part of my foundation and I would be nothing without your wonderful example and help. I only wish I could tell you this in person so that you could feel the things I am feeling as well.
This week has been funny :)
We looked through the Area Book here and I found a few names of people I felt we should visit. That was about one or two weeks ago. Then, this week I thought I would go plan to go to one of them. Her name was Yang Dai and she had been taking lessons with the Mandarin Elders for a while and then stopped because she was a little busy. She was married to a Less Active member and so we went by. We talked with her. She had still been going to church with her husband. We answered a few good questions that she had and helped her to know that we are encouraged to ask questions so that we can continue to grow in our knowledge of the Gospel. At the end of our discussion she said to us that she had been thinking about being baptized soon and we said, "Great" the discussion didn't go on to that subject but stayed on her questions and we then left. The next day Yang Dai called and said, "I have an interview on Tuesday and I am wondering if you think I am ready for baptism." I was shocked and excited and said, "I know that you are ready. Do you feel ready?" She said, "I don't know that is why I ask you." I said again, "I know you are ready for it." She is going to have her interview on Tuesday and then call us back about a few more things. She will be baptized into the local ward where she lives by the English speaking Elders but I am pretty sure that something was helped from our visit. I don't know what but I don't need to. The important thing is that she is ready to make a covenant with her Heavenly Father and work with Him in this life until she receives eternal life in the world to come.
Recently we have taught a less active family and the mother introduced us to a friend named Jin Jing Hao. He and his family are from a special tribe in Shen Yang province that speaks Korean. I never knew they had one but they do ;) The mother doesn't really understand a whole lot of Mandarin but the Father and son can speak and understand both languages. Their Korean though isn't the same as Korean in Korea though. Anyway, we have taught the son, Jin Jing Hao, for about three weeks. We have taught through the plan of salvation and the decided to commit him to baptism. We went and taught him about baptism and all the details of this sacred covenant and then asked if he would commit to being baptized on July 17th. He said... YES!! Elder Wang and I are both very excited to work with him more and teach him about the wonderful commandments God has given us to enable us to become better every day. He has been reading The Book of Mormon a little and praying as well. All I ask is that you pray for him,and I will too, to help him to gain a personal testimony of this gospel and its truth. His name is Jing Hao 京浩.
Now about all that I have learned. I don't have enough time to type it all but I will share with you the thing I think is the most important. First, I need to thank Mom for her sharing of how she and Dad work together and if you like to can read that before reading this next part as a family :) Her goes:
I have learned so much about support and how companions are to work together. Also I have learned about the wonderful way in which our Heavenly Father is an example to us. I just read in Moses Chapter 1 about the time when Moses saw God and talked to Him face to face. As I read through the chapter I learned a great deal through the example of my Heavenly Father how we should always work with others and talk about those we know. In the conversation between God and Moses God constantly complements Moses in many ways. One, by calling Moses His son. What better complement is there than to be called the son or daughter of a perfected and glorified being. It shows that we have the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father. Two, God tells Moses that he was created after the image of His Only Begotten. God loves His Only Begotten Son very much and shows His love for us by creating us in the same image. Ultimately we are all created after our Heavenly Father as well and so we can see that our Heavenly Father took the time, effort, and love to create us as His equals. Third, God calls Moses to be a prophet and tells Moses his full potential. Never, does our Heavenly Father criticize Moses or point out any of Moses' defects or problems. Before Moses is called to be a prophet God's presence is withdrawn and Satan is allowed to come into the scene. The first thing that Satan says to Moses is, "Moses, son of man worship me." Satan immediately points out Moses' biggest defect and trys to make Moses feel worthless so that he worships Satan. This of course doesn't work after being visted by Heavenly Father and Moses says to him "who art thou? for I am a son of God... and I was created after the image of His Only Begotten..." We see here that complements are what enable others to find the strength and courage to change. Why can no unclean thing dwell in the presence of God? Most likely because God will give it the strength to change. This is what we are called to do on a mission. We are not here to tell others their problems! They all have the Light of Christ and see those faults every day. WE are here to let others know what they are good at, just as you have helped me, and thus we give them the power to believe, to hope, and to change. Look for the good in others. Such an easy thing to do but a hard thing to accomplish at first. I believe that a man or woman can accomplish anything they put their minds to. Thomas Edison made a lightbulb. Benjamin Franklin made glasses. The Wright Brothers learned how to fly. Moses made the Red Sea part! All because they had a hope, a dream, and a belief in themselves and/or in God. We gain faith and trust in our Heavenly Father as we read His scriptures and obey His commandments. We are strengthened as our Heavenly Father then helps us to see our true potential and constantly points out our good points and traits. We then see our faults and are able to trust in the Atonement to make up for those shortcomings and change them into strengths. As I said before, I have learned so much that I cannot write it all down but I have shared what I can and leave to you to learn more. I love this gospel. I know that the things I have written can be expounded upon more and more but for now this is what I know and will begin to apply. I love you all and pray for you often. I leave you my testimony. I know this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that the priesthood has true power. I know that we can receive personal revelation from our Heavenly Father and I know that through our pondering on the things we hear and see we will be taught and our mind will make connections of truth for us. I have seen it happen in my own life. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet today. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sincerely,
Elder Christensen
