Almost 1 Transfer Down!

Dear Friends and Family,

Things are going pretty well here on my end! Glad to hear that Grace had a good birthday and that she got the gifts! The Wooden hanging one says "Ping On" which translates to peace. And the book mark was just cool and I'm not sure what it says but I'm deciding that it says, "Gah Yow" which literally translates to "add Oil" meaning continue on or good luck. And clovers are lucky. Duh! 

Hope that Sterling's ACT went well. I was writing in my journal on my Saturday evening and it occurred to me that he was taking it at that moment! I'm sure he did well. 

Thanks for the emails and the letters I received. This week I received letters that where sent to me in the MTC but I wasn't there to pick them up. Sorry for the delay. No pictures today--in the same computer lab with the locked up hardware. Oh, and I'm just not going to tell you guys what could happen anymore. I mentioned 2 typhoons that never amounted to anything, and then moving--didn't happen. They have the apartment and everything so my thoughts are that they didn't find it necessary for us to all move over there when there are missionaries that will leave next week and go to new areas. Not moving this week saves them double packing and moving.

This week has been interesting because we've actually had a few opportunities to teach lessons in the middle of the day so we have not gone street contacting yet this week. We've taught English, played Basketball with potential investigators, and played a Chinese card game with other investigators. The mission just sounds like a party doesn't it??? It's been a wonderful week though because one of the days we met with our Mission Corellator's inactive son and now that we've built that relationship he is coming to church this week! That same day K spent just about the whole day with us. We had lunch with him at 12. A lesson at 1. The card game that afternoon, and then he stuck around to help out Fellowshipping!!!! He has a testimony and was interested in sitting in on another lesson! That evening we got a light snack and then had music night from 6-8. I left with my companion at that time to go visit a member and when we got back 1.5 hours later he was still there! Finally we had dinner at 9:30 and he came with us to that! Super good day!

Yesterday (Wednesday) is Sports night from7-9 so we invite investigators and play around and try to build relationships and teach them afterwards. We had 2 boys come early (right after school) and they stayed all the way until 9 playing basketball and eating dinner with us. Yesterday we also contacted a former investigator named A. Neither of us had met him, but he showed up, played basketball and in the lesson afterwards he expressed interest in baptism! He has been taught all the lessons before, recognized the spirit when he was once given a priesthood blessing, and the only reason he was not baptized previously was because he had tutoring on Sundays. He now doesn't have tutoring! We told him that in 3 weeks he can be baptized and he is preparing! The amazing part of all this, really the miracle, is that on August 1 when we set our companionship goals for this month we put down 1 baptism. We've been working hard the last 13 days and time was really running out for potential this month. However we kept feeling very strongly that it was going to happen, we just didn't know how! And then last night we figured it all out! He still has agency though, and I don't want to jynx myself by relaying this story, but I'm stoked! And humbled of course because of this answer, this miracle.

On Monday we went to a remote town called Shek O. It's on the Southeast side of the island and you have to take a mini bus through the mountains to get to it. It was beautiful scenary and I wish that I had taken my camera. Nonetheless, we will make a return trip at some point and I will then. This town is a hodge-podge of the rich and the poor. It's basically the people who can't afford to live in the city, as well as the ones that can afford not to live in it. We went there to try and contact a less active. We had their address but not a phone number. Turns out that after a couple hours of searching there is no address either... Oh, well. We tried. I bring up Shek O though because we did a little bit of contacting while we were there and actually ran into a British man. He, in a very jolly manner, forced us to come with him and to meet with his friends. He was very nice and said we could drink water though. haha. We wound up at an outdoor restaurant/bar and there sat with him and 8 other Brits that are living in tiny Shek O. They were very positive and not trying to disprove Mormonism. They just had questions. For some reason they thought we couldn't use elevators. And they asked about our 'magic underwear'. The night just got better as they got drunk. We left an hour later and felt really good about a positive discussion and may have planted the starts of seeds in some of these men before the alcohol affected them.

Last Thursday I said that we were going to go get Pizza Hut. And that we did! Super good. And even enjoyed the squid meat that was on it! At church we had 4 investigators there so that was awesome! Probably will have more this week too! This past Saturday we taught a 28 year old woman named S. She's a really nice woman and actually a referral from one of our current investigators. We taught her the first lesson and she said the closing prayer. She's golden. She's been praying for years to find the true church and recognizes the Spirit in her life in answer to her prayers! Really excited and hopeful about her progress.

Tangent: I talked to Elder R on the phone about three weeks ago. And then a few days later the Mandarin Elders were on exchanges and he was down here on the island. Saw him in the church and talked with him for a while. Looks really good and seems to be doing well! His area is up in the New Territories.

Another tangent: Switching thoughts to the package: I very rarely go to the mission office. I've been 2 times in the six weeks that I have been here. If need be I could try to make it up there but it's unlikely. Once in a while missionaries will come down from Kowloon Tong and will bring mail and packages with them that are then dropped off in our church building. I couldn't make promises on that either. So yeah... and I don't know what I want in it. Whatever you guys think I would appreciate and like.

This week I have been thinking a lot about the different meanings of faithful as they relate to faith. I can't say that I have come to any concrete conclusions, but it's been interesting for me to make circle diagrams and try to figure out the root of faithful as it relates to faith.

I'm sorry to say that today I also left my planner that has all my notes and scripture references but I also thought a lot about Sterling's question about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. I can't remember the scripture but it's in Alma 30-40 and says that the Lord would not suffer that the people of Ammon should die. I fully believe that the Lord is capable of all things and could have saved them himself. However, I think this whole thing boils down to roles. The people of Ammon would not have been in the wrong morally if they had taken up arms. However, we also learn that the Lamanites, when they are converted to the Lord are more converted than the Nephites and show forth more faith than the Nephites. I think that the Nephites needed a trial of their faith. Would they trust in God? Would they call upon him when they went to battle? They did both. But maybe it would have been different had they had the extra strength of the people of Ammon. The Nephites role was to be protectors. The people of Ammon were refugees and also providers. They gave of the substance to the Nephites to support them. You may say that going to war and that providing are very different but actually both are very much needed. Just like the roles of fathers and mothers are needed but different. I will make one concession and say that the Nephites had it harder since their lives were on the line. But actually think about it from God's perspective. The atonement makes up for all of this. All the unfairness of life. How some people seem to get it 'easy' while others don't. The atonement compensates. The Nephites will be free partakers of Salvation and Eternal Life just as the People of Ammon--and everyone else for that matter. All will be exalted and so these problems of protector and provider all seem petty when you look at it through the lens of God. Anyway, I consider this to be my personal revelation for the week.

Today for P-day we stayed in our area. Ate breakfast with a member who got his mission call yesterday! He's coming the the Hong Kong mission! Woot Woot! Then we did a little church pants shopping, played basketball, that Chinese card game, currently are writing and I'm about to get my first haircut in China! It's badly needed so I'm looking forward to that.

Hope school, work, and everything else is going well for everyone! And thanks for your prayers in my behalf.

Sincerely,

Elder Siebach