Week 49: Ocean Park, President Phillips Interviews, Victor!!!!!

Leih hou Muiyatgoyahn!!!!

I can't believe how fast the weeks do go by! This weekend, the 4th, is transfer calls yet again! I can't believe how fast this one came!!! It was just felt like I just got back with elder Newbold in the beginning of July!!! Now its almost August wow!!!! This week was super cool cause we finally got a new Friend with interest!!! It has been a long time and this one is truly prepared and has been prepared for a long time!!! I will not stall any more so we can get to it then.

This weeks Episode of Elder Connor R. Duersch(Stan Theman/Dahng jeunglouh) Saving Hong Kong One at a Time!

Ocean Park:

So this P-Day was elder Newbolds 20th birthday and we went to Ocean Park! I recommend you all to look up pictures on  line but i did take a lot so I will try to send a good amount. The park was so cool! There is a train you have to take to it and since it was Elder Newbolds Birthday he got in for free and I got a nice discount! There was a huge aquarium and it has been so long since i have seen animal life. All I get to see daily is rats, roaches, and pigeons. So seeing all the aquatic life was so great and it was really weird to smell salt water and hear moving water and animals! I saw a Panda!!!! I saw a Panda in China!!!! My life is now complete! The rides were so cool and there was one that really thrashed my head around and it was at the last part of the day so all was good on the way back. There was so many shops and nick-knacks. The food there was amusement park food so it was pretty expensive! We kind of got dumped on as well from the rain. We had 3 typhoons coming in and then the rain just hit us hard! We then took a sky tram back to the other side of the park ,and it was so scary with the rain and the wind on a cable car! When we got to the other side the announcement came on that said we are now closing the cable car so please take the train. That was the lord helping us out alright hahaha. There was only 2 ways of transportation to the actual ride part of the park. There was also a really cool VR ride that you put goggles on and then you ride the ride while in VR It was so cool. I didn't get sick at all which was amazing. We went back home and then I made Elder Newbold a cake for his Birthday in a cup! So much fun!

President Phillips:

I keep running into President Phillips more and more often now! It is so cool. I feel the love he has for each of us every time I see him. I was able to talk to sister Phillips for a while while elder Newbold was in the meeting. She is the best!! She talked to me all about my family and then she asked how many areas i have been in and I just held up one finger and she screamed! She was so shocked with that answer! I love talking to her and she came to our ward games night and is so competitive and funny! My interview was so great and it was so comfortable talking to him. He really does care for us out here and you can just feel it. he also gives great feed back on how we can become better missionaries!!!

Victor:

So last week I told you all about Victor and we were able to meet with him this week. Turns out he went to temple square and he went and bore his testimony in Logan. He has a youtube video called "Victor shares his testimony in sacrament meeting". He knows our church so well and loves the people. He taught us how to make Indian style curry and it was so good! His house is super cool and he has a jacuzzi on his roof! He has a great spirit and has 2 Book of Mormons already! We are meeting him tomorrow and are teaching  the restoration and I am really excited!

The lord has seen our efforts with our finding each day and our calls and has blessed us to have met Victor! I know that the Lord lives and that he is leading the church along! I love the work out here and as time is ticking away I love it even more. I look back at all the miracles in my life and I know this mission is going to change my future!

Thanks to all of you and for all your prayers. I want to remind us of President Nelsons invitation to receive revelation and write it down and act. We cant survive without revelation in these latter days!

Thanks again for all your love! See you next week with more news and my fate if i move or stay!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 48: Always good to go to the house of the Lord, Exhcange with Elder Siddoway, They Find Us!!!

Lieh Hou Muiyatgoyahn!!!!

I can't wait to tell you all about this week because it was so much fun! There was so many miracles that happened this week and the work is now starting to pick up. There are also 3 Typhoons surrounding Honk Kong and if you aren't familiar with a Typhoon, when they are coming this way to Hong Kong they suck all the air away and the weather just gets super insane! Before they arrive the weather gets even more hot!!! Then when they hit near us they cause so much rain and stuff! I have only been in a level 3 and those aren't to bad, but the people here say the past couple of years have been incredibly weird for them because of Global Warming and the weather pattern has been really messed up! The weather will continue to get hotter and then we will see what happens later on this year for more typhoon action. If it is a level 8 we are not aloud to go out and have to stay inside. 

Right then lets get this show going shall we!

Elder Connor R. Duersch.(Stan Theman/Dahng Jeunglouh) Saving Hong Kong One person at a Time!

Temple Day:

   So this past week was temple day for our district. Because of some people moving around this transfer our district is now a 10 person district! We have the Mandarin Sisters in our district now and they are amazing! We have So much fun as a district and I love it! The temple here in Hong Kong is so amazing! I love going to the temple. I wish we could go more because of how amazing it is to go inside and to feel the spirit and to get answers to our questions. I would invite you all to please go to the temple more! It is such a great place to go to and there is work that needs to be done for those who are now gone. I love the temple and am so grateful for the restoration of the Gospel to bless us with such a wonderful place.

Exchanges in Ma On Shan:

    I had the opportunity this week to leave my baby area for a bit to go to Ma On Shan for an exchange with my District leader Elder Siddoway. He was with my MTC district back in the day and it was really fun to be with him for a day. Their apartment is really nice and it holds six elders. One of which was my MTC companion Elder Arnold and it was really fun to catch up with all of them to see how he has been. We talked a lot during the night and in the morning during Comp Elder Arnold and Taylor started singing a really funny song and I got a video and hope I can send it to you all.  We went around Ma On Shan and did some finding and met with some of their People With Interest.

Speaking of which for those of you who don't know The missionary Vocab has now been changed by the First Presidency and the 12. Preach my Gospel now is different with new things added and new updates so I advise you all to go and take a look with an old one and a digital one to find the new things. Investigators are now called People With Interest(Friends) and Less actives are now called Returning to Church Members. I am so glad for this change. It never really set right with me how we called our friends. Our church is getting new things added left and right by our new Prophet and I love him and Sustain him! he is here to help us along in the affairs of life.

They Find Us!!!:

    For a while now we have been struggling for the past 5-6 weeks to find a new Friend. So we made a goal every prayer we have to ask the Lord to put people in our path who are ready to hear our message of the gospel. One my way home from the exchange a man came up to me and Elder Newbold and said, "You guys look hungry!" It was in English and we were so curious why. A man from India came and talked to us while we walked home. Turns out that he lives in Hong Kong  and he has been here for 26 years. He is super familiar with our church and went to temple square a long time ago. He also got up during a Testimony meeting in Logan Utah and bore his testimony. He is on Youtube because of it. He really supports the church and was really excited when he saw us. We invited him to church this Sunday and we exchanged phone numbers. We talked all week and when church came along he came!!! he sat next to a member who speak English and it turns out Victor can speak about 50% Chinese!! He said he loved Sacrament meeting and that he had issues going to church because he has to travel all the way down to Hong Kong Island for church. But now he is going to start coming because of our ward and the convenient time. He isn't even a member and he is so great!!! He asked if we could have lunch with him this week and talk some more. He is also coming to church again next week!

I testify that the lord is preparing people in this world to hear the message of the gospel! We can pray for missionary opportunities for us to find them and if we can't we can pray to have them find us. I am so grateful and honored to have this answer to my prayer and to have a New Friend to have. I love this work more and more as time now comes closer to my year mark and I am pushing hard to keep doing as the Lord expects of me! So grateful for all of you and for you love and support and Prayers! 

Have a great a spirit filled week and in the words of a wise old man that once told me...

"Stay Strong and Keep Smilling!!!"

Love you all!

   

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 47: Water War!, Elder Newbold helped a soul come to God! Try!

Lieh Hou Muiyatgoyahn

The typhoon season has begun and thanks to Global Warming the weather here in Hong Kong is different these past 5 years than ever before in history. The typhoons have been coming later in the year and it is getting cold. The Rain has been completely nuts out here and I have never before been soaked to the bone from just rain from the sky! I guess God just wants to clean us even better hahaha. I honest and truly can't ever remember I time in my life when I have been so wet before hahaha. Well then, there was a lot of fun and a great blessing this week for us here in Hong Kong!

Elder Connor R. Duersch(Stan Theman) Saving Hong Kong One at a Time. 

Water War:

 We had our water war this week for the kids activities and it was a total blast! We got everything ready at the church and Elder Newbold and I had to come in clutch to find  a hose and more water balloons and we did it! Then when we were on the way back it started to rain like I have never felt. I thought we were going to have to cancel the activity. But this was a faith tester right here cause one of our sisters (Sister Schade) Prayed for the rain to stop and right when the clock hit 12 it did just so! We filled balloons and then all the kids came! We had about 20 kids come to the party and it was amazing. There was a blow up pool and squirt guns all around. I was manning the hose and spraying people all over the place! I took lots of pictures with my phone and I was trying really hard to keep it from not dying hahaha. Then I guess heavenly Father wanted to play with us so he sent another huge rain storm and it made every one so happy and then we were all just so wet! We played duck duck goose with a water rag and then at the end of it all we had snacks and juice with the kids! These activities are really bringing in new people and it will take time but soon some of them will be new Friends! There was a little English class in the beginning as well and all the kids were having a great time. Elder Newbold and I had balloons and he taught them how to say please if they wanted one. He is so tall that he just holds up the bucket away from them and waits for them to say please. If they just reach and tried to grab one, I had a little water pistol i sprayed them with and they laughed! It was so cute and great! I love the summer activities we are doing and they are so much fun!

Betty's Baptism:

 A little clarity first. When Elder Newbold left Tai Wo a while ago he went to MaOnShaan and he met a woman by the name of Betty. He taught her for 3 transfers and then he came back with me. Then a couple of weeks ago she called him and asked him to baptize her!!!! So on Sunday we went to the Sha Tin Chapel and had the baptismal service! President and Sister Phillips came and there was also a 81 year old lady from main land that got baptized as well and when she bore her testimony at the end she started to walk around the Pulpit and dance!! A 81 year old lady walking around and dancing talking about how she came in contact with the church through a friend in dance class! I was sitting next to the Phillips and I asked do you understand what just happened and they smiled and said Nope! It was so much fun and really great to see Betty get baptized and for Elder Newbold to be the one to do so! 

Try!:

 We have been having a little difficulty with meeting our investigators and finding new ones. We know that the lord is testing us and it is all in his will and his timing! Preach my Gospel has been updated by the way for those of you who do not know. We don't call investigators investigators any more or less actives. They are called, People interested in the Church, and returning members. I love seeing the new change that is taking place a lot with our church and it is so invigorating to see it all happening! President Nelson is called of God and he is ready to make us even better than we were before!

That is all for this week and I am loving my mission even more now that I am coming up on my year mark very soon. Time fly's and I have to make the best of it!

Love you all and have an uplifting spirit filled week!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 46: Birthday of a Legend!, Washer Chaos!, Kids English class, President Phillips.

Lieh hou muiyatgoyahn!!!!

This week went by really quick as most do and not to much happened but lets get right on with it!

On this weeks episode of Elder Stan Theman China Hong Kong Adventure!

Legend Birthday!

So there was a birthday today and it was the birth of some one who has been with me all my life and will be through eternity. It is my Dad! He is the coolest guy in the world and is my Hero! I love my dad so much and he has done so much for me in my life. He is my best friend and the most amazing man in the world! Happy birthday dad! I love ya!

Washer Chaos! 

So you know the sound of a jet taking off and you have no idea why that is!? If you hear that, it could mean 1.) there is a jet over head. or 2.) Your washer just took of and is now dead. We had our washer just go nuts this week and it flooded our kitchen!!!! We came home after Church and the kitchen was in 1 inch of water. I got to work and started to bail and mop the whole kitchen! It was a blast I is one of my new favorite mission stories. We are getting a new one soon and that will be the end of it. It was really fun to try and get it all to work and then it just puked all over the place I was laughing so hard!

Kids English class

Over the past 6 months our kids English class hasn't been doing so hot and so for summer we are doing little workshops! We did a little arts and crafts one this week and 9 kids came!!! Super fun and then we got numbers from the parents and it should be great this week with a water war we are putting on! I am really excited for the water war and I hope it doesn't Rain!

President Phillips!

Real quick while I have time, he is the coolest President ever and he is ready to serve the lord and to help us out in any way he can. He is called of God and knows each of our needs! I am very excited to work with him the next year and to have a bunch of laughs and miracles. 

Here are some pics I have to go! Love you all and hope you have a spirit filled week!

Happy 4th of July Yallll!!!!!

"America!!!!​

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman