Four new investigators, all with promise

February 8, 2006

Dear Family,
Sorry this letter is a day late. We had an appointment yesterday so we couldn't get all our p-day things done then.

Yesterday we went to the temple. It was nice, as usual. Afterwards, we had our appointment with a Chinese man who lives in the neighborhood of the temple and walks there all the time. He wants help with his English but he's also moderately interested in religion in general and our church specifically. We have another appointment with him soon.

We got some good news today that Elder Elkington will be replaced by a new missionary from the MTC. It's not 100% reliable news, but it's certainly good to think that it'll probably happen.
This week was good in some ways, but not completely terrific. I got sick again (I don't even know how many times I've been sick already on my mission) this time with the stomach flu. We had to cancel some of our appointments with recent converts because I just didn't feel up to biking across town to visit them. We did some work in the library making tracting cards instead.
On Wednesday, our stake president President Northcutt took all of us missionaries out to lunch at the China East Buffet. He payed for all of us which was very nice. He is very well-off and can afford it, but it was still a very big thing to do. He not only supports us like that, but also always brings donuts and fruit to the weekly study sessions with us, invites us over to his house once a transfer for lunch, and has a weekly meeting with the district leaders. He really gives everything of himself and magnifies his calling - he's more active with the missionary work in the stake than anyone with any other calling, and yet that's just a small facet of his calling. If there's any priesthood leader out here to look up to, it's president Northcutt.

Remember that guy we met at the bus stop? Well, we met with him, have a return appointment, and he's a new investigator. Hooray. Also, Mr. Dai and his wife? We met with them, have a return appointment, and they're new investigators. Darla stood us up on another appointment but we got her phone number and talked to her for a little while and she definitely still wants to investigate. Last Tuesday, Elder Jensen tracted into a guy on exchanges who let him in, and he's investigating now too. So, since last week, we've picked up four new investigators, all with promise. We're pretty excited about this. Also, we taught Henry again, and he wants to be baptized, but we've first got to get his parents more familiar and comfortable with the church. He wants to come, and we've nearly been able to pull off getting him a ride to church for the last two weeks; this week should happen successfully. We haven't met with his mom for a while because she got a new job at a restaurant and is never home. But we'll still work on it. So, things are going well with our area.

As for Yang Jie she is still reading and praying. she hasn't gotten an answer yet and she finds some of our beliefs hard because she originally became Christian in the Baptist church. But we have high hopes for her.

Annie is not progressing. She's not reading or praying, and she's still not taking it seriously like she should. so we're calling her every night to remind her to pray.

Mom, I'm really proud that you worked up the courage to share the gospel with the neighbors. You definitely did your part and I think you should consider that some of the blessings that the family has received recently may have come from that. I wish the people in the ward I am serving in could get up the courage to do that with their neighbors.

You said you have two new sisters in the ward. Does the one from Hong Kong speak Cantonese or Mandarin? I met a sister missionary from Hong Kong yesterday at the temple; she just arrived in the San Diego missionary yesterday.

That's a great story about praying and getting Michelle the $60 and camera. Keep telling me about stuff that continues to happen like that.

Well, I am out of time and better go. I love you all.
Love,
Elder Myers