Elder Ryan Woolley in Hong Kong!: Living after the manner of happiness

HELLOOO EVERYBODY!!

Another week flew by, I can't believe how fast the weeks are. I don't know where to begin with this week.

We had a great P day this week, went on a beautiful hike in Dai Po, around my first area, it was fun to go back through there. We hiked with some mandarin branch members and mission friends, nice and relaxing. Hong Kong has beautiful nature once you get outside the city!

Our investigator pool seems to be at a little bit of a halt right now, a lot of our good potentials are out of town, and we are still working with a bunch of slow part member families. But it always feels good to meet with them in the family setting and share some gospel truths. I feel that for now, we are just nourishing there seeds, and I am ok with that! I know they'll turn around eventually. We have been loading up on potentials over the past few weeks though, some of them just seem to be out of nowhere! Children's English class has proven to be a gold mine, tons of families are attending every week now, and a good portion of them are attending church as well! I can see some of them really have some great potential, we just have to start meeting with them and keep the ball rolling! Our members have been doing a pretty good job at fellowshipping the English class moms at church, which is great. There is one particular women who invites tons of friends every time. I'm excited for our area, I feel that it is just about to get going! The members have been warming up to me more ever since the piano performance last week despite my mediocre cantonese, though I am still a little stressed about the fact that my companion Elder Hui goes home next week! But I feel prepared.

Remember the women I wrote about last week who we met on the train? Elder Hui and I had the chance to teach her this week! She is only in Hong Kong for a limited time, and wants to be taught every day while she is hear. The other missionaries couldn't teach her one night so we got to teach her, and it was such a blessing! She is amazing! So prepared! She just asked great questions, and was just hungry for the gospel. It is amazing to see the Lord putting prepared people in our paths. I'm grateful we opened our mouths and talked to her. When we asked why she was so interested in the gospel, I felt the Spirit very strongly as she basically testified that she knows it is good, and has felt a peace from it that she has never felt before. She said she was missing peace the nights where she didn't meet with the missionaries, and she just wants more! She recognizes us as servants of the Lord.

This week in scripture study I thought a lot about what Nephi calls living after the manner of happiness. There are a variety of great talks written about that scripture, and the verses themselves give a great and clear outline of how we can live after the manner of happiness, how we can have significant, fulfilling, and happy lives. Nephi talks of how the people made the temple a priority in their lives and as a society. They were industrious, productive, and know how to work hard. They obeyed the commandments, and hearkened to the prophets counsel. They remembered God, all He had done for them, and remembered their Savior. And something that I really like is that is says "I did for them all things according to that which was in my power." It reminds me of the verse in DC 123:17-"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all that lie in our power, and then we may stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." It is such great advice. I love the term cheerfully as well, it is easy to get overwhelmed or stressed out about things we can't control but that we wish we could control. But in the end all we can control is the things we do, and the attitude with which we do them. I can't think of a better attitude to do the work than cheerful! If we truly trust in God and have faith, then we can do all the things in our power cheerfully, because we will know "all things work for good for those that love God", and will have utmost assurance in His salvation. I have really been trying to work on trusting God, knowing that He hears my prayers, and that He will consecrate my efforts and my performance for the welfare of my soul and for those that I serve. Attitude and faith are crucial!

Thankyou everyone for the prayers and support!

Love,

Elder Woolley