Here at the Computer again!

Dear Friends and Family,

How are you? Still in awe and fear about the recent election? It was kind of a hot item here. We found out almost immediately after it was announced, but no one has really mentioned anything about it. One man whom we have befriended who works next to our apartment asked us jokingly why we were in Hong Kong and not back home in America helping Mitt. I may have been the only one in the mission who wanted to send in an absentee ballot and who was unable to get one, so oh well. This week, besides unusually hot days, has been pretty good. I've made it a goal of mine in the past couple weeks to try some strange food and I finally had an opportunity this week! On Tuesday after District meeting, my district of five went on brisk walk to a noodle shop. I got my customary rice noodles, chicken, and lettuce soup, except this time I also ordered a side of what is called "Century Egg" or "Thousand-Year Egg". This is an unfertilized chicken egg that the Chinese people bury in the ground and then dig up a couple months later--it might be buried in animal manure or that is just a wives tale. Anyway, when you dig it up and remove the shell the egg inside has hardened similarly to a hard-boiled egg, except that what should be white is now a partially opaque brown jello substance, and the yolk of the egg is gray. Pretty unappetizing to look at, but I got it served cold and garnished with hot pepper sauce. The taste was not too unlike a hard-boiled egg but it was just stronger and I was grateful for the sauce that made part of the noxious taste go away... I didn't love it. But I also don't like hard boiled eggs so go figure. Definitely worth a try if you find yourself in Mainland or Hong Kong. Its a delicacy here. Now I have to find some other weird food to try this next week. Maybe I'll try the thinly sliced deer antler.

Century Egg. Ummm, no.

My companion Elder B has recently started reading the New Era and Ensign from apps that we have on our I-touches. The beauty of the app is that you can go all the way back to the 1970's and read those talks. Pretty interesting. I too have joined him in these new found readings and this week read articles about Aliens, Hippies, the Drug Culture, and other such things. It's highly entertaining and many of them read more like stories than actual doctrinal discussions. Also each month in the 1971 Ensigns there is an article about a different world religion so those are neat to read.

This past Friday night the Sister Cook and Sister Reeves of the Young Women's Presidency and General Relief Society Presidency came through Hong Kong and delivered messages of strength to the local members. It was neat to hear some of their stories as well as they explained the new manuals and style of teaching that the church will adopt starting in January, as was discussed in General Conference. For these meetings they always have to have interpreters to translate the words and so it's a really good way for me to pick up on new words when I understand the context that they are used in. I still can't say that my Cantonese is flawless as was pointed out to me this past Sunday when in our Gospel Principles class the teacher asked me numerous questions to which I had to have someone help translate them fully. It's kind of embarassing especially since my companion seems pretty much like a native and everyone else is a native. Time and Patience is what I always tell myself. I'm definitely putting in the work, no doubts in my mind about that, but gee whiz, it's not fast enough for me. I offer a lot of silent prayers for patience and love so that I can take their, and my own criticism.

I got a letter in the mail this week. Turns out it was a letter that I had sent 2 months ago and has since been sent back because I guess the address was wrong... It was to Abby Meldau, sorry, I'll try again this week.

This past Friday we spent the first 4 hours of the day at a special Zone Training Meeting. We spent a lot of time talking about how to reach our goal of 50 baptisms and how to do less-active work better. If a missionary wanted to, they could spend every day of their mission working with just less-actives. It's really sad to me. Our Chaiwan ward, which is more of a branch with 40 people or so, has a binder with about 500+ names of inactives. Hong Kong has among the worst retention rate. Mostly due to everyone's busy schedule, religion takes a real back-burner, and then the new convert's families and friends are never in support of Christianity, especially Mormonism. At the conference we were taught something interesting though which is that calling a less active should be our last means of contact since it's almost guaranteed that they will hang up. We are encouraged to now make visits to their apartments and try to contact that way. If that doesn't work, send a letter, then call. For the last twelve weeks Elder B and I have been focusing on getting an investigator pool and progressing investigators. Now that we have these we are also throwing less-active work into the mix. On Saturday it was a cool 88...not really all that cool, especially since we were in suits and the sun was beating down. We spent most of the day inside writing letters that we will send out this week to the less-actives we will contact. So this week will be my first experience knocking on people's doors. Wish me luck.

I think I have told you that each Wednesday we meet with two ladies who are investigating churches. They have been just about every religion in the book, and Mormonism is their new interest. Turns out that one of the ladies was unable to come this week so we taught just the other one with Sister N from our ward as the fellowshipper. The lesson was 2 hours, and we just focused on this lady, developing her faith, and answering her questions. The lesson went so well and the spirit was the strongest I've felt it in any lesson. I just felt so much love for this lady. Not creepy love:), but I truly saw her as my sister and was able to bear testimony to her of our purpose and how what we teach and invite her to do have lasting impact and happiness. She is also so sweet to us. She often treats us to dinner during these lessons, and somehow during one of the lessons she found out our blood types and so this week she brought Gluten-free food for Elder Bingham, and spared no money buying me this special rice milk which should help me as an O-Negative blood carrier. :)  She was never married and we feel like she has somewhat adopted us as her children. Very sweet lady, needs the gospel.

I mentioned the scripture Mosiah 8:18 last week which talks about priesthood. I've really come to appreciate this scripture and what it says. If you read the preceding verses we learn that it is talking about seers. I like to change this to priesthood holders. I'm not a seer, but I am a priesthood holder, and as I have mentioned before, my study this time as I read the book of Mormon is faith and power. I love how it says through FAITH, we WORK MIGHTY miracles. And that all this is for the BENEFIT of our fellowman. Missionary work is a priesthood calling, though women are always welcome. And we spend two years giving of ourselves freely for others. The priesthood we hold if we are righteous of it, gives us power and authority and we can benefit our fellowmen--for me that is the people of Hong Kong. I love the implications of this verse. The selfless nature, the need for faith and works both, and then the miracles come. I know this verse is true and am grateful for it. It motivates me to be better and work harder and be more prayerful.

I hope you all are having a great week wherever you are in the world. Continue to pray and read the word!

Love,

Elder Siebach