MENTAL WORK, THE BIGGEST ANTS I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE & WARD TALENT SHOW "THING"

We've been working hard and have a few good investigators. I'm learning that just because someone is interested in the gospel or is willing to hear what you have to say, doesn't mean they are automatically going to get baptized, haha. It's a lot of hard work. Mental work, to really try and understand their needs, concerns, thoughts and feelings, as well as be in tune with the Spirit enough to know how to help them with those concerns, then have the diligence and patience to qualify for the gift of tongues to express all of what you've worked on. Investigators have no idea how much the missionaries care, love, think about constantly, ponder, and pray about them. It gives me a glimpse of Christ's charity towards all mankind. But, it's definitely worth it. Those hours and hours and sometimes days spent in preparation for 20 minutes of a quality, spiritual edifying lesson. I have sooo much to learn about how to do that effectively, but that's okay because I also have a lot of time to practice.

Its rained every day for about a week, but yesterday the sun came out for a little bit and it was beautiful. If it wasn't for all the concrete, this place would be a crazy jungle. Because I'm farther out in the most secluded spot in the mission, I get way more of that than any other missionary. I've never seen so much green, heard such crazy loud bugs, seen as many slugs, snails, centipedes, millipedes, spiders and some of the biggest ants ever in my entire life!

http://mormon.org/people

On another note! So, we were at a ward activity the other night, kind of like a talent show thing, but some people just did presentations. I'm actually not sure what it was, which is normal because I don't EVER know what's going on, haha. Anyway, one of our members showed us her "I'm a Mormon" video. It was like being hit with a ton of bricks! I had watched that video a dozen times before my mission and at the MTC, and I didn't even make the connection! I don't know why, she doesn't look any different. I just didn't recognize her. It's weird, though, because watching it now, I've walked those same streets in Yuen Long, and been to her house, met her husband (the guy with the sax, super funny and a pretty good soccer player). I also remember watching it for the first time in my living room and thinking, "THAT'S the language I'm supposed to learn?" And now, even though I still don't understand a lot of what is being said, I'm surprised at how much I do know. It was pretty cool. Another guy showed the music video for "Seasons in the Sun" by... I think his name is Terry Jackson or something. It was suppper funny and reminded me of dad, haha, the good oldies stuff.

So, next week is our last week of this move, but I think I'll stay in Kam Tin for at least another move. That's what the norm is anyway, or so I've been told, so we'll see. We've been working hard, and God has blessed us with a greater abundance of faith, and for that, I'm thankful. Thanks for all those who write to me. It means so much. I love you all. Keep the faith.

Love,
Elder Mikesell

INVESTIGATORS COMING TO CHURCH, CHASING DOWN A MOM WITH FOUR KIDS & ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE SCENARIOS

Hey! I know I wrote you last Wednesday, but we have our normal P-day this week, so here I am again!! haha. Not too much to report on. We did get a couple investigators to church yesterday which was awesome! Elder Kwan is making me do more calls now which I hate cuz I can't understand people when they talk to me face to face, so why would I understand them over the phone? haha But sometimes I'm surprised at how much I sik tang. Thanks Kelly for the letter to Jyu. I will have Kwan read /translate to her when she gets back from mainland if we are still in this area. Things this week have been ok. We helped a member move which was a different experience in Hong Kong than it is in America, let me tell you haha. 

Last night Elder Ward and I went over every possible zombie apocalypse scenario we could think of and planned accordingly, so no need to worry about that. If it does break out here, we will be at either 1- the mission office 2- Shek Kong air force base or 3- Big Buddha, within 48 hours of a break out depending on what goes down. So now you know where to look for me haha. We have moves creeping up on us soon. I guess they used to have 6 week moves, but lately they have been doing 9 week moves because that is when new missionaries come in. I think next Monday will be my last email in this move, but I have a good chance of staying in Kam Tin, so it probably doesn't matter. 

 

Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)

 

The other day we had been finding for a few hours with no luck when Kwan saw a mom with four kids, he chased after her and we started to talk, she seemed really interested, and I'm excited to see what happens. That was right before we had to leave, so after the trial of our faith haha. I understand that this is a process, not an event which is something my mission president says all the time. This process may seem to be going slow but when I look back it seems like I've made more progress than I think. Well that's it for today! I love you all. Stay safe :) Keep the faith. 

 

Elder Mikesell

 

 

HONG KONG TEMPLE AWESOME, WORKING HARD & I LOVE YOU ALL!

Hey!!!!! So, this week we were able to go to the temple!!! It was my first session in the Hong Kong temple, so awesome. Anyways, our p-day was changed to today (Wednesday) instead of the usual Monday, so that's why this email is late. Not a whole lot has changed. We are still working hard to find people to teach, and we've been doing a lot of less active work as well. The mission is really focusing in on this. We've been trying to get our members more fired up about missionary work and rescue work. Did you see in the work of salvation devotional, when Elder Anderson was in Hong Kong he was talking to that bishop? That's my companion's bishop, hahaha. I still think it would be weird to serve in the same mission you live.. how it would feel if I got called to the Las Vegas West Mission, haha. But it's good cuz we need the bundeih super bad haha. I saw that the Las Vegas West Mission got a new president! That's cool. I think we set like a record or something for new mission presidents called. Awesome. 

Well, I would like to thank all who have written me, thank you soooo much. Keep doing it!! I may not be able to write you back all the time, but I'll try. I heard that Mt. Charleston is on fire.. that's horrible. If it rained half as much there, as it does here you wouldn't have that problem haha. But Mt. Charleston would be under water... so i don't know if that would work haha. It's like a jungle here, so much different than I expected. Well, my area, at least. I actually really like it. It's not nearly as crowded as any other area, and we are the only missionaries in the mission who have bikes haha. I'm liking the small village life :) Though moves are coming up in a couple weeks, I have a feeling I'll stay here. Kam Tin needs a clueless gwai louh like me haha. 



Well, I hope everything is going well back home. I hear it's hot. Sorry. It's not as hot here, but it's wet. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I haven't been dry since I got off the plane haha, but you get use to it. I sweat so much that my hands turn to raisins, hahaha, that's a first :p I've heard it gets really nice in the winter though, I'm looking forward to that. I saw that they have a Despicable Me 2!!!! First movie I want to watch when I get back haha, but I'm not dwelling on that :p 


Well, I'll be emailing again on Monday, so it won't be too long before I write again. Hopefully I'll have something good to report!! If anybody wants to talk, email me Sunday night at around 9ish and wait for me to respond! It will be around 11 in the morning here in Hong Kong (cuz I'm a time traveler haha) and that's around the time we get to the library most of the time, depending on what we have going on. Well I love you all! Thanks for the love and support, the prayers and fasting, the letters and packages, and everything else! gai yauh!!!

justin.mikesell@myldsmail.net

SLEEPING ON OUR ROOF, INVESTIGATORS, PAC MUHNS & "GO OUT AND HELP THE MISSIONARIES"!

Now you can practice while I'm gone!

Hello!!!

So this week went by pretty fast, actually. The more I focus on the work, the faster it goes. It's been a trial of faith, but we have some investigators with some potential, so have faith that we can bring them unto Christ! They need it. Obviously everyone needs the gospel, but I didn't realize it like I do now. We met a single mom with two 8 year old kids, twins, and one of them is autistic and has ADHD, so he's pretty crazy. I was wondering Kelly, if you could send me a letter with just a quick testimony about how the gospel has blessed you in your life and with raising Brandon. I think you can relate to her. She is really receptive, but she is leaving for the mainland for about a month, so we have to wait and pray that she still wants to meet with us when she gets back.. anyways, other than that, things have been pretty normal. We just keep chuggin along! haha I learn a few new words of Chinese everyday! 

We got to see the Work of Salvation broadcast the other day. It was awesome, about 2 weeks late, but it's cool haha. I really hope it gets the members fired up about missionary work in our area. We need the help, and I hope everyone else watched it!!! Go out and help the missionaries!!! I love the part where they said that missionaries should not have time to pac muhns (knock doors) because the members give them so much to do hahaha. We went tracting for 6 hours after watching that hahahaha, so do your part!! 

Okay, so the other night some of us decided to have a camp out and sleep on the roof of our apartment.. it was cool to see a few stars and stuff and to be outside... until it rained at 4 in the morning hahahahaha, but that's our own stupid fault :p Oh, and I'm not sure if I told you this already or not, but we also have two shiu keihs (summer missionaries) living with us for two weeks, so it gets pretty crowded, but it's fun too. I wish they had something like that back home. It would be awesome to be able to do that before my mission. Well, I hope you're all doing well. Thanks everyone for all the prayers and love and support. Until next week!!

FISHING WITH A PIECE OF BREAD AND A SPOOL & PREACHING THE GOSPEL AT THE MTR

Kam Tin is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong.

Hey, everyone!! So, I don't have a lot of time, but I just want to let you know that I was still alive and kicking!! We've been working hard this week, and the Lord has blessed us with real living investigators!!! Whaaaaaa, haha, so that's been the best thing. The language is still coming, slowly but surely, and we are about half way through this move, so hopefully, I can stay here next move and continue to build up the church in our area cuz they need it bad. There are only 6-8 active priesthood holders, so in Elders Quorum, the four of us elders almost double it sometimes, haha. 


We went fishing today which was cool. I don't have my card reader, but I'll send the pics next week. All they do is put a piece of bread on a hook, tie it to a fishing line, wrap it around a spool or kite reel and throw it in! And the fish didn't taste too bad, haha. We also got two summer missionaries living with us for two weeks. Summer missionaries are kids from Hong Kong who are preparing to go on missions. They are comped up with the real missionaries and live the mission life for two weeks over the summer break from school. It's pretty awesome. I wish we had that back home!! The only down side is now we have 8 people living in our apartment which is pretty small, but we make it work. What elseeee? 

Kam Tim MTR Station

I think I should start bringing my journal to the library cuz I always forget things that happen. Oh, we had a ward finding activity yesterday that turned out pretty good. We all just met up at the mtr station and preached the gospel! That's how we do it in Hong Kong mostly, just trying to stop people coming out of the mtr or walking on the street. I felt weird at first cuz it felt like I was a salesman or something, but I've gotten over it now cuz I know that all we are trying to sell is salvation. We actually get to pac muhns too (knock doors) in our area which a lot of missionaries don't get to do, so that's cool. 

I've heard it's pretty hot back home! It's hot here, too, I don't think it's Vegas heat, but it doesn't matter cuz the humidity is ridiculous, hahaha. Constantly wet - either from sweat, rain or both, haha. I love the rain, though. Sometimes it comes in for just a few minutes of just crazy, typhoon style rain, and then it's sunny again. Kind of cool.

I'm getting a little more used to living in Hong Kong now, though I have a long way to go... I don't wake up and think "Where am I? Oh, yeah, China." The biggest obstacle still obviously is the language. I can't believe I'm not completely fluent by now!!! Haha, but then it's not like it's Chinese or anything. :p Well, I love you. I'm so grateful for your emails and letters. I promise to write back if you write me, so do it!! Haha. Alec, Chase, Kayla, Kelly and Brandon, I got your letters!! And the package!!!! Thank you so much! Those oreos were gone before we got home, haha. I am writing you back!! I promise!! I just need to find the time, haha. Anyways, I love all of you, keep the faith. Have fun, read your scriptures! Stay safe.

Love,
Elder Mikesell

TYPHOON WARNING, PROGRESSING INVESTIGATOR & MY ATTEMPT AT A GIANT PANCAKE!

My attempt at a giant pancake, haha!

Hey! So this week has gone by fairly quickly. Everyone keeps telling me the longer you're in the mission, the faster it goes. I haven't been here for long. (Believe me, I know haha), but it does seem to go by faster the harder you work. We are still here in Kam Tin. We had a stake youth finding activity which was really cool to see all the youth get excited for missionary work. 

Sister Moody is in my zone, so I see her every once in a while. She told me last time she saw me that her parents ask more about me than her, haha, so thanks Brother and Sister Moody :) She's a rock, though. Training after 9 weeks is absolutely insane, not even joking, but there are too many new missionaries!

It's been raining here for a few days. We got a typhoon warning which was cool, but I don't think it came. :( I really want to be here when a typhoon comes just to say that, haha.

We actually might have a progressing investigator, too!!! So stoked. I was on 24's with Elder Ward, who is from Tennessee, our district leader. Total stud. He only has like 4 more months. His Chinese is like bundeih status, too. One day, I'm going to be like that, haha. Anyway, we found her (well, he found her) and we taught her the restoration that night, at the mtr station. It was awesome, and we met with her again a few days ago. She couldn't come to church yesterday, cuz she had to work, but she wants to come next week, so I'll let you know how it goes. 

Thanks everyone! Pleeeeease write me! I love letters! Thank you so much Sister Mecham for writing me without fail every week, and also Kelly and everyone else. It really is nice. I only  have a little time on the computer, so emails are good, but letters are better, haha, even if they are dear elders. Love you all. Continue to pray for me! I pray for you every night.

Love,
Elder Mikesell

A lot of these cheuns (villages) have rivers running all through them. It's pretty cool.

It's basically a jungle here.

 

Meat Market

Coolest looking dog ever!!

I TRIED MY FIRST CHICKEN FOOT, OPENING A NEW AREA & MILK FROM LOGAN UTAH!

 

There are four generations in this picture: Me, my trainer Elder Kwan who was trained by Elder Jackson who was trained by Elder Tiu

Hey, everyone! So, this week has gone by pretty fast. We've been doing our best to establish the Church here in Kam Tin. It's hard work, but we always seem to have the energy to do what needs to get done. I taught an English class today. We invite potential investigators to come to English class, and we always have a spiritual message at the end. Anyway, it was good. Oh, and we had a chang out (to feed someone) a couple days ago which was fun. A family took us to a restaurant with way good food. I tried my first chicken foot which was okay, and apparently some intestines of an unknown animal, haha, but I didn't find out until after, but it was good! Haha. 

I bore my testimony at both the yuenlong first and yuenlong second wards. It went okay. Everyone lied and told me how good my Chinese was, haha. I'm starting to siktang (hearing understanding) more than I used to in normal conversations, and I siktang most all of simple gospel conversations, but my sikgong (speaking understanding) is in need of improvement, haha. It's funny because I surprise people when they talk about me in the mtr (train station), and I know a little of what they're saying. Elder Ward, who is from Tennessee and almost going home, he is our district leader and loves to do that to people when he contacts. Because his Chinese is fluent, he understands everything people are saying when they talk about him right in front of him. Then he shares a message about the gospel, hahahaha, it's so funny to see their reaction. 

Other than that, things are going well. Though, actually being here makes me feel like I'll die in China, haha. I know it will go by faster than I think. That's what the older missionaries keep saying, but looking forward gets me overwhelmed sometimes, so I take it one day at a time! Being that we're opening a new area, in the new territories, we need to work that much harder for everything. But, I'm actually grateful for it because I'll be used to it, and it can only get better from here! 

It's funny because the other day we went crazy and bought some milk which was pretty expensive, and on the label it says it comes from Logan, Utah hahahahahaha! Everything we get is from China, and they get there stuff from Logan :) 

I love you all. Keep the faith. Pray for all the missionaries in the field. I promise you they need it, no matter where they are. Feed them if possible, hahaha. I love and miss you! 

Our Backyard (hahaha)

Q&A

What was the flight like to Hong Kong? 
What is your apartment like?
Are there more than just you and your companion living together?
What is the area like you are trying to open?
Is Hong Kong different than you expected?
Do the members feed you often?
Are you on your own for food?
What are your thoughts about the food?
How are you doing with it all?

The flight was looooooong, and it was all one big giant day because we were following the sun. It took me like a week to get rid of the jet lag. My apartment is nice and big compared to others. It's hot and humid, and we only get to use the A/C 12 hours a day, haha, so we use fans. There are 6 of us in the apartment. The area we're opening is in the new territories, so it's rural. We walk hours sometimes to get to the next village. Hong Kong isn't too different than I expected, but my area isn't what I expected. Downtown Hong Kong is what you would expect with all the buildings and people. It's really dirty, though. But, I'm in the middle of nowhere, hahah. Um, they feed us sometimes. I've been fed twice since I got here, but yeah most of the time we buy and make our own food. The Chinese food is different, but it's what I'm going to be eating for a while, so I better get used to it, haha. It's really not that bad, though. I'm doing okay. It will take time to adjust, but I'll be okay. I know I'm supposed to be here. :)