Companion: Elder Harms from Saratoga Springs
Chinese Speakers
Bingham Brothers!
Name Tag
你好 Ni hao Everybody!!! I hope everyone is doing amazing back home! As for me here in Provo，I'm doing great! This place is honestly so cool. The spirit is so strong and I have learned so much not only about chinese but the gospel too. The Chinese is very difficult haha but I feel like I'm getting the hang of it! So on the first day we walked into class after getting here and I did not hear another word of English for like 3 or 4 hours. I was just thinking to myself, what did I just get myself into haha They've really got this learning a language thing down here at the MTC. I have learned how to pray, testify, and somewhat teach in Chinese which is so cool to see how quickly you can progress when you have the Lord on your side.
My companion is Elder Trevor Harms from Saratoga Springs, Utah. He's super cool and we're getting along great. He went to Westlake and ran track. He took four years of Chinese so I feel super dumb around him trying to speak Chinese haha. Oh and he's going to Arcadia, California on his mission. He sounds like squidward haha so we call him Squidward Zhang lao (Elder Squidward). Two Elders in my district are going to Edmonton, Canada and the rest are going to Taichung with me!! My zone is so cool and I'm starting to become really good friends with them. On Friday we taught our first lesson in FULL CHINESE. Wednesday and Thursday I was feeling pretty good about my Chinese skills until we got into that lesson. We got in and he started to talk and I almost bust out laughing because I did not understand a thing he was saying. Good thing I had Elder Harms with me, He could communicate pretty good. So I gave a couple memorized lines and let him do the rest of the talking. We have taught three lessons now and tonight is our fourth. I can already see a huge difference the first lesson until now. I am starting to understand my teacher and the investigator a lot more now!
We have had two devotionals since I've been here and I'm starting to realize it's what everybody looks forward to here. They are so awesome and the spirit is so strong. On Saturday night we watched the talk "Character of Christ" by David A. Bednar that he gave at an MTC devo a couple years ago. It is powerful. It teaches about how when we have trials a normal man would turn in and only think about himself but the Character of Christ is to turn outward and help others. So many times in the Savior's life he was going through so much pain, agony, affliction, and trial, and yet he turned outward to help others, not thinking about himself. He told a story about a women who went through many trials but ultimately showed the character of Christ and turned outward to others. I challenge all of you to read or watch it, you won't regret it!
The food isn't too bad, but nothing spectacular. There's a ton of it and you just sit in class all day so I feel like I've gained so much weight! haha
Monday night I was feeling really overwhelmed with trying to prepare for lessons and learn Chinese and I just had a lot of stuff I was trying to do. Hay Dixiong (Brother Hay) instead of giving us a lesson in Chinese, talked to us about our purpose as missionaries. He said a couple things that really stood out to me. He talked about how an ordinary man can become extraordinary through the power of God. We can study Chinese or the lesson as much as we want, but if we don't have the spirit with us, you lose the power to touch someone's heart and that is the whole purpose of missionary work, to bring spiritual service to the children of God. He said as long as you teach through the spirit, no matter how good your Chinese, your point will get across and they will feel the love of God.
If you're at a point in your life where you don't feel like you are feeling God's love, SEEK IT! Read out of the Book of Mormon and sincerely pray to God to know if it's true, I promise he will give you an answer. And the happiness it will bring to your life is indescribable.
The adjustment to class all day and living away from home hasn't been too bad so far, but I do miss all of you a ton! It makes it a lot easier when thinking about the importance of what I'm doing. Thank you all so much for the love and support. I really couldn't be doing this without you. Love you all and hope you have a great week!! Just remember me this week, as you do your normal routine, I'm in Provo trying to speak Chinese and making a fool of myself as I do it :)
我爱你们都 (I love you all!!)
何長老
He Zhang Lao
(Elder Henderson)
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