Chinese New Year

Dear Friends and Family,

Things this past week were good; and we got more to look forward to this week! Its Chinese New Year! What that means for missionary work is essentially the same thing; however, we just have half the people to work with. Hong Kong people may not always like Mainland--and they sure do trash-talk it--however, they spend long weekends up there. So with Chinese New Year this weekend we will be working on finding some new investigators from the dregs that are left in Hong Kong. Should be a really good opportunity to contact families! The whole mission will also use one of the days to "Deep Clean" our apartments. Basically an 8-10 hour day of cleaning EVERYTHING in the apartment and purging old missionary trash and treasures. Last year we made it fun by blasting MOTAB and EFY music and going out for all three meals that day.

So, since I last got on like 4 days ago, honestly not a ton has happened. I did get a nice package from my family though! Complete with Christmas cookie and a personal mini carrot cake! Thank you to my parents' friends, the Baughmans, for bringing it all the way over and basically dropping it right at my door (not quite, but almost!) I'm taking my time and relishing it, so it's still not gone! Nothing like a good taste of home amid all the rice and stir-fries I eat. :) Let's be honest, if I were home I would be wanting Chinese food so I might as well get it while I can.

Yesterday at church we had a pretty poor turn-out from ward members and investigators. Kinda low numbers, however, it was still a great opportunity because on Saturday we went to the church with our recent convert, A-F, and we had a role play on how to pass the sacrament. He passed with flying colors and so then when he did it the next day in a nice white shirt that Elder P gave him, he pretty much radiated. He was one of two YM at church yesterday and by the time YM class came around he was the only one there. So we hopped into YM with him. We had him, two missionaries, the bishop, and the YM President all in there talking about the Priesthood and its blessings. I can't think of a better way to spend that hour! The Spirit was strong, we had a good discussion, and lots of good insights were brought out. A-F has been called as the new Priest Quorum 1st Assistant, so right after church he went into a BYC style meeting and came out an hour later telling us about the newest YM/YW activities that are coming up. He's responsible for one of them and promised us that he will try his hardest to bring referrals for us! :) Haha you pretty much wouldn't have guessed he was baptized less than a month ago!

I love you all! Keep up the good work!

Love,

Elder Siebach

So Many Things...Lead Us to Know There is a God

Things have been absolutely phenomenal this past week and a half.  Seriously, such good things happening! The greatest of all was that we had a baptism for Al-- this past week! He has been investigating on and off for 2-3 years. Tithing and negative literature from his long-term girlfriend kept him from being baptized back then. But as we've been meeting with him for the last couple months there has been a noticeable change in Al--. He seems more at peace, happy, and good-natured! Not to say he wasn't before. But, really, he's expressed to us multiple personal testimony growing experience--specifically in regards to prayer and reading in the Book of Mormon. It's been a blessing for me to see him go from reading and praying a few times a week to the point that now, when he has questions at work, he opens his desk drawer and reads a passage from the Book Of Mormon. He mentioned that every time he does this, he feels like what he reads is inspired for that moment and gives him the courage and lift that he needs! I swear I learn more than he does when we meet with together!

About 2 weeks ago Al-- graduated from the Accounting program he was in and now is looking for a full-time job and some financial security so that he can get married and move into his own apartment. So you can imagine my concern as we've been telling him these past weeks to read daily, come to church weekly, and give tithing! I was a little stressed to say the least. But as usual, faith overcame his fears and I'm happy to say that this past Sunday, at his request, I was able to help baptize him! It was a small meeting, not a ton of members and none of the food like there was at A-F and An--'s baptism, however, it was as it needed to be. The Spirit was there, the close friends and ward members he knew were there too.

Its been a really humbling experience for me to realize that I'm the one that is receiving these blessings but not really doing all that much for it. The Lord has been working on these people long before I ever got to Tuen Mun. I'm just harvesting the fruits of it. I'm the simple laborer.

These past 3 baptisms in the ward have really emptied our teaching/progressing investigator pool and so we are pretty determined to hit the streets hard and bring in new people. Maybe we can get some ward referrals too! That hasn't happened since I've been here...

This past week we were able to meet with An-- and answer some of the questions she has about the temple and what she needs to do to help her deceased ancestors. It's really been on her mind lately. She came to us earlier this week expressing fear over having seen her mother and father in dreams recently. She has a lot of desire to get started on their work and expressed that that's what she knows her parents want done as well! What a cool thing to hear about! I've never had these kinds of dreams, but it really is the Lord working and gently leading her along!

A-F is doing incredible! We had a new member fireside last Sunday and he was asked to bear his testimony and I think its the most I've ever heard him speak! He spoke for 5-7 minutes explaining that he had seen the missionaries so many times and the Spirit had impressed him to learn more but that he was always to scared and shy to approach them. Finally he resolved that he would reach out and contacted the church through Mormon.org. Two months later he is now baptized, ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, and this coming week will be passing the Sacrament!

Lots and lots of miracles happening! Lots to be excited about! The only thing I'm dreading is transfers when Elder P goes home! We're working really well together and our lessons feel pretty boss (the ones we plan for that is--ha!).

This past week I also had the opportunity to go to Butterfly area with Elder F and conduct an exchange. We had a full day of finding and almost walked the entire Butterfly area. But it proved to be very fruitful as we got 10 or 11 numbers, taught a couple street lessons, and found 2 new investigators! Butterfly hasn't had a baptism in over 2 years but those Elders have expressed that they really feel that the area is different than it was even 2 months ago! I think it's the Lord working! Good things to come!

It really is such an incredible thing to be a missionary! So many things come up each day that just lead us to know that there is a God. He does care. This is is work. 

Unfortunately we had an investigator drop us this week. Rather we dropped him because he wouldn't keep commitments and tried to argue that God and Christ couldn't possibly exist. You had to be there to know that there was no Spirit in that meeting. However, I felt totally calm as we listened to him and Elder P testified, our fellowshipper testified, and then I testified and there was a powerful spiritual manifestation for the 3 of us; but not for the investigator. It caused me to reflect on the Lamanites when they were in the prison and looking at the faces of Nephi and Lehi as they conversed with angels. Each Lamanite had to pray to believe. They had to invite the Spirit and then each one had an individual pillar of fire around them. I think that's how the Spirit is. It envelops the one. Not the mass. It can testify and impact me but that won't translate to others unless they are willing to exercise faith, or 'even desire to believe'.

I feel like I'm learning so much right now as a missionary. I'm so happy to hear about your missionary experiences too and see how the Lord is guiding his work in your wards and stakes. Keep up the good work! I love you all! I gotta go get changed into temple clothes! 

Love, 

Elder Siebach

Midwinter Message

Dear Friends and Family,
Another solid week here in Tuen Mun. Elder P and I really worked hard to meet with some of our harder-to-schedule investigators and amazingly were able to keep ourselves busy for a lot of the week. 

On Monday Elder P and I were feeling a little home-sick for KwaiFong and so we took a spontaneous trip down on our P-Day and relived the area where we lived while I served KwaiChung and he served TsingYi. It was a lot of fun and we were able to rope the Butterfly Elders into going down with us and met up with Elder B who is still in KwaiChung!!! He's going to be there at least 8 months! We also met up with L who had just gotten out of school for the day and came to hang out with us. It was a wonderful time that was only dampened by some sickness that struck me. Minor chills and headaches. It was all great though. We came home afterwards and I took some medicine and went to bed about 30 minutes earlier than usual. 

We had a great opportunity on Tuesday to go to the Yuen Long district for ZL/DL exchanges and I ended up staying in Tuen Mun and Elder O'G (the DL in Yuen Long) came up for the day. We had a great exchange and were able to teach a street lesson, contact a few people, and taught our new investigator, E. It was fun to be with Elder O'G -- we actually were in the MTC at the same time and got to be good friends there. 

On Wednesday we met with An- and were able to continue with her ABL (After Baptism Lessons). On Wednesday we were also able to go with one of our High Priests and visit some less actives in one of the Estates in our area. That night we had our "games night" which is just an opportunity for investigators who want to to come to the chapel and play UNO or ping pong and see the missionaries outside of typical lessons. We always try to get YM and YW there to fellowship them as well. Super fun! And recently one of the YW in our ward has been bringing and German foreign exchange student, C, to the activities we have. She is really pretty interested in the gospel and is meeting with the sister missionaries right now. Well this past week C brought another friend, R, to the games night and so it was fun for me to resurrect my German and try to translate a Chinese mormon message that we watched. Great stuff! I knew those 3 years in German would eventually pay off! 

Towards the end of the week we were able to go as a District to a place called Crossroads and get a tour of their facilities. Crossroads is basically a Goodwill, GRACE or DI (community outreach/donation center) in Hong Kong where we are looking into volunteering so that we can get out and serve the community. We start next Wednesday! 

Friday we were able to meet with And- and had a great lesson on why we have commandments and the blessings of them. We had a High Priest fellowshipper with us and it really was a great lesson. And- doesn't really want to come to church right now but he has so much genuine desire to change and he often expresses how the things that he feels and hears when he is with us are impacting him and really helping him change. I love that I can be just a small part of that! He was going to come to church this past week but got sick rather suddenly and was unable to make it. 

On Saturday we met with A-F and reviewed the Plan of Salvation. We had a YW fellowshipper named M with us. (I tease and say we are trying to set them up, however, she is just super solid and really wanted to help us.) It was great. M bore a great testimony and A-F is really opening up more and expressing his thoughts and feelings. Doing really well. Later that day we met with Al- along with another member, K. to fellowship. Another great lesson where we talked about the reason for commandments and the blessings of them. Al- is SO good! His baptism date is set for this next week and we've already scheduled his interview for this week! Ahhh--life is so great!

Right after these lessons we had the ward FHE and Elder P and I shared a message on Mosiah 2:17. I love King Benjamin so much! We decided to illustrate his point by having a "fireman's carry" relay race to show the principles of working together and serving. Lots of fun!

Sunday was great as usual, but I'm running out of time so I apologize I can't write more about the great things I felt and heard there! They're all in my journal! I hope you all have a great week! Read the scriptures and be a missionary this week!

Love you all,
Elder Siebach

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO STERLING AND DAD THIS WEEK AND NEXT!! 

Juggling January

Dear Friends and Family,

Great week here in Hong Kong. We started and ended very busy. At the start of the week we had a lot of lessons scheduled but not many fellowshippers since so many people were out of town for the long weekend. That proved to be a blessing though, as we were able to meet with A-F and An- and get started on their ABLs' ( After Baptism Lessons). We also were able to schedule to meet with some of our other investigators. Al- is doing wonderfully and making great strides to be baptized on the 19th of January. And- is also doing great. He's got a lot of genuine interest and desire to do what is right; it's just a matter of getting him out of bed for the 9:30 sacrament meeting:-/ We're chipping away at that and there are no other real problems. 

Thursday was Mission Leadership Council so we spent the day in Kowloon Tong reporting on December successes and sharing plans/actions for the New Territories this January. I love those meetings! Get to be with President, learn from each other, and basically all my MTC mates are in leadership positions so it's a bit of a reunion. That night we met once again with President Hawks and our Stake President to report on the New Territories Stake successes of 2013 and goals for 2014. Lots of great things happened this year with 35+ baptisms and 15+ LA's-now-active. It's so fun to be able to brainstorm and share!

Friday morning we were scrambling to put together our zone training meeting which we then delivered flawlessly--haha!; ok, maybe not flawlessly, but we filled the 2.5 hours and the zone seems PUMPED about January. It kinda reminds me of Senior Year when I did CREW and tried to get the crowd excited.

New Years Eve we were able to do a little bit of finding and really quite miraculously stumbled across a mountain home that I had contacted with Elder L one of my first weeks here in this area. I'd been unable to locate it since. The first time I was there we had left a Book of Mormon. When we came back I asked about it and they said they've been reading a little bit from it each day!!!! Miracle! The other miracle was that prior to that moment I had completely forgotten the names of those we had contacted--then as they came out to greet us at the door the names came right back! Such a miracle and really showed me that God is mindful of everyone. I may not remember every one I contact, but God can reveal it to me in the very moment I need it.

Doctrine and Covenants 100:6 - 

For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

To end that night we decided to treat ourselves to something a little different for dinner. We went and got snake soup. A little expensive but well worth it! Yum!

On Sunday we had a really special day as we got to watch A-F and An- get confirmed. We didn't participate, but we were sitting in the congregation with a few of our investigators and it was just a great moment of reflection. Not to mention that a newborn baby was also blessed. It kinda felt like An- and A-F's rebirth and this newborn's birth. Both parts are absolutely necessary for God's plan of Happiness:-)

That evening Elder P and I were able to pull ourselves away for an hour or so to go have dinner at the Li's home (my last companion who's home now). It was an FHE evening and they invited the 4 missionaries, An-, A-F, two investigators, and the Bishop. The 12 of us were crammed into this little apartment, but it just felt like home. Everyone really could feel the Spirit and the love that was in that room. One thing that particularly touched me was that one of the investigators who showed up is a German foreign exchange student named Caroline. She doesn't speak a word of Chinese; however, she wants to learn the gospel and the Spirit is the only language you need for that. (Also Sister Li translated the message into English for her). That was incredible though--to see Sister Li explain the gospel in her non-native tongue to Caroline who was trying to understand in her non-native tongue--Wow!

An- and A-F are doing incredibly well and the ward is really supportive of them. Lots of good feelings here in Tuen Mun! Sorry this letter is short, however, I'm low on time! Enjoy your week! Read the scriptures!

Love,

Elder Siebach

Christmas Eve Subway sandwich run!

P.S. I finished the Book of Mormon this week for the 6th time on my mission. It's not a race though. I'm going to try and take it a little slower this time around and try and delve into it a bit more. Maybe even use PMG as a companion study aid like you suggested mom.

Here's the photo we sent that made him say this...

P.P.S. Sterling--are you trying to grow a beard? WIMPY WIMPY WIMPY! Go on a mission! That'll put some hair on your chest and face!