This
week was a pretty big (wild) goose chase.
I was
looking through all of our files… since it seemed like they haven't been
touched in a while. I found a couple inactive members that I felt we could help
come back to activity. Their names were Em Phong and Chu Thang.
Em phong
was baptized when he was 14 and has been inactive for almost two years. There
was an old map of his house but no phone number or anything. Chu Thang is like
in his 60's and they didn't know anything about this guy other than that he was
baptized a long, long time ago.
We
started with Em Phong and went over to the building (the record) said he used
to live. We asked some people around the area if they had heard of him, and we
got a lead that a kid with that name worked as a delivery boy for an air
conditioning company. We followed said lead and went to his work.
The lady
in front said that he did (in fact) work there and that he should be coming
back from a delivery any minute. We waited creepily for the kid. He came back
and he was like, "Hey! I haven't seen you guys in a while." (haha) He said he was getting off work in like five
minutes and that we could come to his house if we wanted.
We went
to his house and he let us teach him a lesson. He said he was super glad to see
us, and that he will try and come to church again. We also asked him if he
would help us find other people who might be interested to hear about the Church,
and he said he would! That was so cool!
Then
there is Chu Thang, this old sucker was pretty hard to find. We managed to acquire
an old phone number of his and called there and got a lead to a little village
out in the boonies of the city. We asked around there and we got his number. We
called him and he said he would meet with us!
We found
him on his moto (motorcycle) and he said to follow him to his house. I thought
he would like drive slow or something, but he just took off! (haha) We were literally chasing this old dude around
these little roads! (haha) We finally caught up to him and he lives by a
different railroad in a group of little shacks on stilts over yet another
sludgy poop river. (haha) So nice.
We
started to teach him and a guy came in and asked Chu Thang who we were. He told
him we were missionaries and invited him to listen to our lesson. It quickly
turned into a lesson for this new guy and Chu Thang like taught him with us,
bearing his testimony and explaining hard concepts. It was truly amazing.
We
invited this guy to be baptized and he said he wasn't sure… but he wanted to
keep learning. Chu Thang also said that he wanted to try and come back to
church and that he would help us any time we need him to find other people to
teach. He is amazing.
We found
these people who haven't been found in years! I am grateful for that.
Next, we
got our investigator Chu Hai to come to church again, he had such a good time.
Everyone calls him the “Eternal Investigator” because he has been learning
forever! My teachers in the MTC even taught
him. (haha) But now he says is ready to try again for baptism and he says that this
time he is going to do it!
I gave
him a white shirt of mine and my favorite tie. I know he will do it this time.
We are now teaching the English class that was set up. Our Viet class last week
had a grand total of zero people come. This week, my companion and I made signs
and danced around and stuff in front of the church, and pulled people in. We
had 17 people in our class this week.
I talked
to one guy who shared an amazing experience with me. He said he has no money
and his family is too poor to support him. He has been praying to be able to
learn English so that he can get a better job and help his family. I bore my
testimony that God answers our prayers and will always listen. He took a Book of Mormon and said he wanted to
read it. That class alone resulted in 8 return appointments to learn about the Gospel.
This all
just shows that our Heavenly Father requires action and effort from us before
he can give us miracles.
Well this is by far the longest email ever so I
am going to be done. I have to go get a haircut and stuff.
Here's some more pics:
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