Just Sing and Talk to Everyone...You'll Always Be Happy!

How are you guys doing!!! I love reading your email as usual and seeing how great you all are doing. I love my family so much, you guys are amazing. I’m so glad to have the amazing support system that I have from you guys. I’m glad to hear that everything is going great.

Things for me, are perfect. Not even kidding I’m loving my life. I know I say this every week but I swear every week it just gets better and better. But yeah to start off during a 4 day period I gained 6-7 pounds from eating so much over the Chinese New Year’s, haha it was amazing food but man I was full every single day. It was so weird, we went to a restaurant and we sat down. The only thing on the table was a clear glass bowl full of little fried fishies, with their beady little eyes staring at you. I guess we were supposed to eat it. Man it was disgusting, no actual eating part wasn't as bad, but just the thought that you knew you were eating fish brains, and eyes and everything. It was really weird. Haha, it was a funny thing. They all had to beg me to try it, but I did and it didn't kill me so it's all good.

But yeah this week was absolutely amazing. I’m not even kidding the blessings the Lord poured upon us were unbelievable. Especially because the mission has a thought process that during the Chinese New Year’s you can't get anything done. Well with faith, hard work, and the Lord's help we planned on crushing that thought process, and boy did me. The Lord knew we could meet our goals if we did our part. So we set good high goals and went and got it. We ended the week with 34 lessons, 14 people with baptismal dates, 11 people came to church, and 20 of those lessons were with members present. The last two days on Saturday and Sunday we saw miracle after miracle. We were able both days to teach 8 lessons, 5 of which were members present which is exactly what we needed to reach our goal. Everyone was crazy about the numbers, they asked us what we’re doing. All we can say is we have faith, were working hard, and the Lord is doing the rest. Really though it's that simple, if we have faith and do our part the Lord will help us have success and that goes for all aspects of life. But yeah it was an amazing week, the Lord leads this work I know it, without Him it wouldn't be impossible.

But we went on exchanges this week, a younger missionary came over with me, and I acted like the older missionary. it was sweet, I had the phone and everything. So we taught a lesson for the first time with this one kid who is catholic, he is 22 years old. We were way straight forward with him, and I challenged him to get baptized and he said yes. Then I set a date with him. It was a powerful lesson, I was so grateful for the Lord's help and guiding hand in all of this work. But it was cool, leading all the lessons, taking all the phone calls, and being in charge it is quite a different experience but really fun.

Monday to Thursday it poured rain, nonstop. It was funny, every single day we came home at the end of the night, soaking wet. It was so amazing, it was freezing and cold. But we just literally kept singing at the top of our lungs (church hymns) as we rode on the streets, all people like huddled under umbrellas and under cover thought we were crazy. There were no scooters on the road, so we resorted to contacting buses and cars. The people thought we were crazy, we would pull up to the stop light and knock on the windows of the cars and buses to try and get them to roll down the window. Haha it was funny, and really fun. The funny thing is, almost all the cars have tinted windows because it's legal here, so you can't see inside at all, it's pitch black, so you don't know who is inside the car, you just act like an idiot and try and get them to roll down the window so you can share the gospel with them, it was lots of fun....just sing and talk to everyone, you'll always be happy, haha. But we went to a members house one night, my hands were so numb I literally couldn't feel them, every single puddle an inch deep on the road would fill my shoes with water so my feet were getting numb, and every taxi of bus that would ride by us would hit a puddle and fill our laps and bosom with water. Man it was an interesting couple days. But boy oh boy was it fun. Gotta love serving a mission, I love it!

Our investigator, Wu Guan Chen, he's the 18 year old kid. He got his dad to sign the baptismal paper, he passed his interview, and next week he is getting baptized. So I’ll have picture next week for you guys about that. He came out of his interview and cried because he was so happy he can get baptized. He is such a stud, I love him so much. He's been memorizing scriptures lately, like his knowledge of the gospel is growing so much. Earlier this week, we were teaching two lessons at once, so I went with him and a member. I decided because we've taught him everything, and I mean everything, like temple, auxiliaries, priesthood everything and he's not even baptized yet which is amazing, but we went through the first lesson and taught the 8 principles to each other, we each took turns doing it. So we had a member who was baptized 3 months ago, and Him who is yet to be baptized and we, and we went around I started taught the first principle then she did, then he did. It was an amazing experience, the spirit was really strong. It was a really good opportunity, for them to teach, and find out their testimony on each principle. (God is our loving heavenly father, gospel blesses families, every dispensation he reveals gospel through prophets, Jesus Christ coming to earth, apostasy, Joseph Smith story, Book of Mormon, and pray to know) It was an amazing experience, the spirit was really strong, and it was fun. Meanwhile, in the other lesson my companion was teaching. The lord blessed us with another golden person, he set a baptism date in the first 10 minutes. We are dumb founded; we just don't understand how the Lord is blessing us so much. My companion was like, I didn't think it was possible he was in our area because we are getting amazing investigators left and right, but sure enough he is in our area.

The story behind this boy is sweet though. The other day we went out to lunch. My companion contacting this Christian lady pushing a stroller. So they were talking and he was like tomorrow at 4 can you meet. She said yes, then there was a random kid by his scooter right next to them. Then this lady randomly said hey that kid will want to come too. So she asked the kid, you want to learn about God and meet with them tomorrow. This random kid said yes, and we met with him and now he has a baptismal date. Haha it was amazing. The Lord has a sense of humor, and regardless of the way or strategy, he's going to get his work done. Haha it was awesome. After we asked the kid if he knew the lady, he was like nope. Haha it was cool.

But there was a funny episode with Wakini, our mom from Indonesia. We met with her getting her ready for baptism. She is golden, absolutely prepared and amazing. But she has one issue. The only issue from stopping her form wanting to get baptized is...Guess...yeah you probably didn't guess right because it's a ridiculous reason. Haha but it's funny, it's because she doesn't want to share her testimony after she get's baptized, she's way nervous to stand in front of everyone and do it. Haha we were laughing so hard, she was laughing, our member was laughing it was funny. She's the sweetest, cutest mom, she is 29 years old, and she is just shy I guess. She so cool though. So after we said the closing prayer, we were like ok you know what were going to go practice this after the baptism thing to get you ready. Haha it was kind of a joke at first but then we decided to really do it. So we went down to the second floor where the chapel is. I acted as the bishop, so I went up to the mic. We turned on the mic and acted like the real thing. I was like thanks for all coming to this amazing opportunity for Wakini to accept baptism, and I named off our member also. I was then like ok, it's time for the people that accepted baptism to share their testimonies. So I invited my companion first up, then our 18 year old kid, then I invited her up. Haha it was the same just like 5 people there who were at the lesson, but she still wouldn't get up in front of the mic and do it. Haha we had to like drag her up there and had our member hold her arm and they did it together, she was so nervous it was so funny. We were all laughing way hard the whole time. It was awesome. I love my life.

But yeah on Friday the Feb, 19th was my 6th month mark of my mission. It's crazy, I remember in the MTC when we were all saying we’re never going to get out of here. But I’m already half way through my 3rd transfer out here in the mission field. Its crazy time really does fly, we need to make the most of every second, because times not going to stop for us if were being unproductive. So it's up to us to make the most of it, and help us become like Christ. There's a quote by Abraham Lincoln that I like "The only way to predict the future, is to create it" It’s as simple as that, if we want to be happy we have to do those things that will make us happy. And the only thing that will make us or allow us to be truly happy, are the things that Christ asks' us to do. I’m making that choice, I hope everyone else will. I love my Savior.

But yeah, I’ve never been happy. I’ve never been closer to my Savior Jesus Christ, and my Creator. I’ve also never felt so close to you guys, my family. I’m so eternally grateful for the opportunity to bear witness of this gospel and Christ being the world’s Savior every single day. I know it, and nothing will take that knowledge away from me. I know it because I’ve received a remission of my sins, I know that because I’ve prayed and talked with God. He has forgiven me, and wants me to move forward and become the Servant and Man that he knows I can become. I know I have a purpose in life, to prepare to live with God, and help all those around me to do the same. This work is the most precious work on the face of the planet. I talk with everyone not because I’m told to by my leaders, but because I truly want to help everyone have a chance to receive the waters of baptism and have a chance at accepting eternal life. I’m so grateful everyday to have the Lord by my side to lift me up and give me the energy to submit my will to His and do His work, the way He wants it to be done. I love my life, my Savior and my family. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Ps. Today we have decided to go on a huge exploration of our area, so hopefully next time we'll have some way sweet pictures to send you guys.

Thanks Fam!! I Love you guys

Love-Elder Rasmussen