Week 43: 3.2.1. Blast off!, Zone Conference, Fuhchan jit faailohk!!!

Lieh Hou Muiyatgoyahn!!!!

Well,  time just went by again and it is so good to hear from you all and to hear that you all are doing well!This week went by so quick and then when you aren't looking, bam! IT just sneaks up on you again! Not to much went down this week and I will make this one just a little shorter than usual but still a lot of fun that happened so..........LETS HIT IT!

On This weeks Episode of, Elder Connor R. Duersch: Hong Kong Mission Adventure!!!

3.2.1. BLAST OFF!!!:

This P-Day was so fun! We got a bunch of Elders and with Elder Beeson and Newbold! I love going with old Companions to do stuff! We went down to the southern part of the Island and went into the Space Museum and it was super cool! They had so many exhibits and things that we just had a blast playing with everything! There was so much fun with everyone and we went down to the harbor and got the cool pics of all the skyscrapers and famous buildings you see in movies! I love going and seeing that scene it is so cool! The museum was so much fun and it is always good to catch up with old companions and see how they are doing!

Zone Conference:

 This was President and Sister Lams last Zone Conference with us! It was so strong with president Lam talking to us about how are spirits, bodies, and weaknesses  are all by Divine design and how it is all meant for us as individuals! We are all made to be us! Our father in heaven has so much for all of us to accomplish and he makes our spirits and bodies the way they need to be in order to become great! There was a lot of talk about how obedience brings miracles and blessings. I was reading a lot in the war Chapters in the Book of Mormon this week and there is on every page a statement of how when they kept the commandments they were blessed in the land! It applies to us all in these times as missionaries and as Latter Day Saints! If we keep the commandments and are obedient, we will prosper in the land and have miracles in our lives! I am trying so hard to be obedient out here as a missionary because there is so many little rules that are in play and when we keep them, we get our rewards and when we don't we get another....ummmmm "reward" hahaha. They taught us so much about us being us and the things he also said was to love our weaknesses! Because they make us who we need to be. His final words were,"Be self reliant so that when the lord calls upon you to serve, you can drop everything and get to work! I love President and sister lam and look forward to staying in contact with them in the future! The Phillips are also gonna be really cool and I look forward to meeting with them!

FuhChanJit Faailohk!!!:

Well this is the last thing but it is fathers day!!! And it is so cool out here for it. They had all the members who were 18 and older stand and it was cool! I am not a father but I will be in the future! It was kinda funny when they all looked at me and Elder Riley and they said, "Soon!" It was really funny!

I am so grateful for my father in my life! He is the greatest roll model and my Hero! He has taught me so much and his testimony can't be comprehended because it is just that big. And because we are a short family, it is hard to hold all that power in us hahah! I love my dad and he is always there for me! I love him and can't wait to become a father! Shout out to all the fathers in the world and to all they sacrifice for us!

Also to our Father in Heaven who does so much for us because he is our father! Imagine how excited he is for us to learn and grow and become like him and return home!

I love you all and am so great full for all you do for me! If you all have questions and things to ask just send em my way and we can talk! Also my dad made a little blog thingy if you haven't been up to date so go check that out if you so desire!

Love ya all and have a spirit filled week!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 42: A little room to breath with Ricky, Referral Family, Games Night, RC testimony Meeting!

Lieh Hou Muiyatgoyahn!

Wow this week really did go by fast! There was a level 1 Typhoon that came and also it went to level 3! That isn't bad hahahaha. It was just so much rain you walk out 1 step and you are just dripping wet! You are wet from the rain here or just your own sweat it is just etch hahaha. When a typhoon gets to level 8 then you have to go home or if you are in the church you have to stay in the building until The Black Rain is over! There was a lot this week that happened and I know you all are probably wondering about some stuff that I hopefully can answer today for you all!

So lets get on with it then shall we!

On This weeks episode of Elder Connor R. Duersch, Hong Kong Adventures!

Investigators: 

 So we met with Ricky this week and we talked about his situation at his home with his wife. Unfortunately he can't be baptized because his wife is not open to any religion or church. Even when we tried to see if we could come over and play some board games and not talk religion she still wouldn't let us in. Ricky is trying to talk to her and let her know how great baptism is going to be for him. When he tries to talk about religion or anything to her they get in a huge argument and things go bad. So we are going to let him be for a bit and see what happens in a bout a week or so. He has a testimony of this church and truly wants to follow christ! I love this man and his example and the light I have seen grow in him! We will text him frequently to see how he is and send helpful scriptures and videos! The ward is also coming up with ideas on how to help him out!

Mr. Jehng(Chang is how it is spelled with British pinyin) is also doing really good! We went over to his house this week and taught the book of mormon and he really liked it. His son, who we named Lion cause he doesn't have an English name and his Chinese name sounds a lot like Lion, read the Book of Mormon with us and he is now a new investigator. We talked a bout baptism with Mr. Jehng and he said it would be hard cause he loves his tea and has some questions about the baptism stuff. He came to church this week and we were really excited for him!

Referral Family: 

 There is a sister in another ward who works for the LIahona and came and heard elder Riley give a talk about member referrals and how they are the key to this work. She came up to us and told us about her older sister and her family who could use the gospel. So we scheduled the family and the family consists of the Granmda(Sister) her son and his son. Judy, Jimmy, and Kenney! They like the message we shared about the restoration and they listened really intently to what we had to say. They fed us some macaroni and hot dogs so good hahaha! In china right hahaha. We are going to schedule them for this week as well and continue to keep teaching them! Really glad that sister Wong who helped us out with a referral is wanting her family to come closer to Christ!

Games Night: 

 With our Friday night games night going on we are getting more and more people to come and make it a more cozy place for non members to come and to have some fun. We had about 30-40 people come this Friday and it was super fun to play some card games and ping pong with my bishop! I am getting better at spinning the ball and doing some tricks ahahah. IT will be fun to come back home and play with you all! We had our new ward mission leaders wife share the message ad it went really well. With all the people in attendance a couple have come new investigators for the sisters and the other elders in the other ward! The work is going on and it is going on in a fun way!

RC Testimony Meeting!:

 We had a meeting with all the stake this Sunday with all the RC's this year and the last year to go and bear their testimony. Our RC Edith was able to go up and share her powerful testimony and also how much she really loved the gospel and how grateful she was for her Boy friend to introduce her to missionaries 2 years ago. Even though I taught 1 lesson to her before she got baptized, I am truly honored to know her and to be her friend! I was also in charge of coming up with a musical number for the even because people in the zone know I can conduct music. So I put together a quick little arrangement this week of Come Come Ye Saints and with some tweaking and some acopela parts, it turns out really well and the spirit was so strong and all the members loved! We also had other missionaries from our zone that brought investigators and it was so good for them. I was able to talk to a couple and they are so fun and love this gospel!

Well that was pretty much it for this week. I also was able to experience a new food from the 711's here in Hong Kong! Strawberry Lays chips! I know what you are thinking and yes......they were amazing! The strawberry was really there and it was not salty at all. I also was able to read the story of Captain Moroni and how he made the title of Liberty! I love this scripture because he wanted all in the land to remember their god and there families and to fight for what they now to be true. I invite us all to stand tall where ever we are to defend the faith and to let all know we love this church and our savior!

Thanks again for all your love and emails! Have an uplifting week!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 41:The Gathering fun, Investigators news, Make way for Moana!!!

Lieh Hou Muiyatgoyahn!!!

This week really did fly by fast and I can't believe that we are already in June!!! What happened to the time my goodness! The weather here was really intense this week with the hottest day of the year in Hong Kong at a whopping 38 Celsius with about 70% Humidity. All the natives here said that it was the strangest thing they had ever felt! They said that it shouldn't get to that type of heat until end of July and August time! I am so scared for what summer has to offer and it is really going to be a crazy! I hope that I will be able to survive the heat cause I sweat a lot. and I do mean A LOT! Every one here is baffled by how much I can sweat! It is kinda funny cause  I had no idea I could sweat that much as well hahaha.😅It is kinda gross but in the end I have already lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks form eating really healthy food and also sweating my guts out hahaha. It is really gonna help to be in the best physical shape I can be in order to serve the lord with every thing I got!

That was a long intro but I will not let that go on for any longer and get to the main meat of this weeks meal for you all!

On this weeks Episode of Elder Connor R. Duersch Hong Kong Adventure!

The Gathering Fun!:

 So for this weeks P-Day we went to Wong Kok to check out the Magic the Gathering Shop. Out here on this mission this game is huge and if you don't play it something is incorrect hahaha. My trainer Elder Besson got me into it when I was with him and it is just a blast to play with all the friends I have made here. We went to Kowloon and I was able to see Elder Beeson, Egen, and Newbold! We had a blast playing in the Church and also going to the shop and buying some cards and playing some more. SO much fun and laughs with all these guys out here on my mission! I will forever have eternal Friendships made with all of these wonderful people here and I will never forget them! I love all the Elders I have come in contact with and they make my day each time I see them! There are so many people out here I have come to love and can't wait to see what other fun adventures we have together!

Investigators: 

So we had some really good stuff happen this week with our investigators and some interesting things as well! We will start with my good pal, Ricky!

So I was on exchanges with Elder Paulsen when we met with Ricky cause it was our plan to have him do the Baptismal interview since Elder Paulsen is our DL. We finished teaching all of our lessons with him and he is now done with all of our lessons! I asked him, "DO you believe that Joseph smith was a true prophet of god?" and he looked me right in the eyes and said, "Oh YES!!!) This mans testimony has grown so big and I love teaching him! He had his interview and things went ok with him but it turns out that in PMG if a spouse doesn't give permission for their other to get baptized they have to figure somethings out. So Ricky is currently having some family matters with trying to help them understand how baptism is a good thing. We have invited his family to multiple events and they just don't want to come. We are looking into ways to help them and if all works out he will be baptized this Sunday the 10! We are working really hard to help his family and he said that he will always read and come to church and meet with us! I love this man with all my heart and he is so ready to follow our savior and he loves this gospel!

New up-swelling of our part member family we are working with! The wife is a member and her name is Bobo and she is the coolest! They all speak English and the husband is named Patrick! We went to their house a couple of weeks ago and we met with him this Sunday! We taught the Book of Mormon and I was able to share my personal experience with how I came to know the Book Of Mormon was true and how it felt like a truck on my chest when I felt the spirit. Bobo really liked that analogy and we also invited Patrick to get baptized when he knows these things are true. He said yes I will think about it and he will read and pray about it! Really excited for him!

The next one is Brother Jang(Tsang) who is the man who's wife passed away and he has come to church about 8 times! He loves the people and all the help he is getting from the ward! Bishop pulled us aside and had an idea to have the sisters come with us to his house so they could help the daughter feel happy and to bring a sister form the ward to help them out as well to have kinda a mother figure. We went to a members house this week with him and the member in the picture I will send is Brother Lauh and he helps us out a lot! But we went to his house and we went to talk to the kids and he has a 9 year old son and the daughter is 14. We talked to the kids for a while and made friends with them and then we taught the Plan of salvation! He was so relieved to know that his wife and the kids mother was in a great place and that the gospel will be brought to her and here Brother Jang can do things in the temple! I am so blessed to have these great people in my life to teach me and for me to help them. But it is never me doing the work, it is all the Lord!

Make Way for Moana!:

That is right we were able to watch a Disney movie in Cantonese and it was the best thing ever! It made me feel like i was right at home and it was so nice. We had a total of 51 people in attendance and also had 21 of them were not Members!! SO amazing! The culture here is very interesting when it comes to ward activities and such! But the ward here is great and I really don't want to leave here but I will go where you want me to go dear lord!

well that pretty much does it for this week and there is more good to come in this month of June! Still can't believe that it came this quick. 

I love the Lord and am grateful for all my blessings here and for all the trials I have gone through because if I didn't go through them I wouldn't become who I need to be and the Lord and our Heavenly Father know all of us and they will make us become the best we can be!

Thank you all again for your prayers and your love you send my way!

Have a great week and have fun!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

 Elder Connor R.Duersch

Elder Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 40: Cheung Hings, Elder Gong, Zone Conference, Ricky is almost there!

Lieh Hou Muiyatgoyahn!!!

Wow time really does fly by when you are doing the work of the Lord! This week went by so quick and I looked at the Calendar and it is almost June! Wow what happened with the time? It just shot right on by and it was so quick and full of so much spirit and fun! I love being out here every day and even though the times can be hard, they can also be soft and full of so much fun and love! I am so excited to tell you all the things for this week! So lets crack on shall we!

Cheung Hings: So this was what week we went to a cool suit place down in the Center of Hong Kong island and it was a little weird spot in a building and it was like walking into the wand shop in harry potter cause there was this table that was full of books and fabrics that you could have a suit made out of and custom fit to your body for only 1200 hong kong dollars! I didn't get one but elder Riley was in need of one and it was fun to see all the colors and styles! I will probably get one later on maybe around next year during suit season or before I leave home, but that isn't for a while so I have no need to worry now! I really like all the colors and every thing that is in that store!

Elder Gong: We had another blessing of the lord this week! We woke up at 5 in the morning to head down to Wan Chai to go and see and hear Elder Gong speak to us at 9 in the morning! We sang called to serve and Elder Gong walked in and it was the strongest thing every! He walked by a sister and shook her hand and then said "We would love to shake all your hands!" So he walked out and no one was following him. He came back in and said" We would like to shake all of your hands if that's ok?!" we felt so embarrassed and went out and shook his hand. I got to him and he was so funny and friendly to all of us! His wife gave a great talk on serving with all our heart might mind and strength and what each of those mean. I could tell you all the answers to the questions but where would the learning factor come into play! He asked President and Sister lam to come up with him and asked us if we loved them to put our hand up, then both hands, and then our feet! He is so funny and is so strong!  I had a cool experience the night before. I asked Heavenly father to help me feel the power that comes from an Apostle. He walked by me and The whole world seemed to go into slow mo and I was overwhelmed with the spirit letting me know that this is indeed a man called of god and that he can command the Elements if he so desired! I am so grateful for that answer to my prayer and to have that blessing!

Zone Conference: We had a really long zone conference this week as well with phone training and it really opened my eyes to what we will be able to do really soon in order to help our investigators and people we meet on the street. I am so excited to get all the cool things that come with phones and to help every one! We should be getting the little cards to call people soon in July and for now we just use the little nokias. Man the phones are so cool and watching all the videos are so good. I recommend you all to go and check out Gospel Media! It is the coolest thing every!

Ricky!!!: Ricky was able to come to church this week thanks to our ward members who live close by his house to give him a ride! He came to church in a Tie and he was so ready to learn! We had sacrament last because Tai Po ward was doing something so we had Priesthood first and the lesson involved Ricky to write stuff on the board and all the brethren love him! He loves telling people he is getting baptized and he is so excited for it! I love this man with all my heart and he is the nicest person in the world! He got me a little Fan to keep me cool cause it was about 35C in our apartment and also around 36 in the chapel! Echt so hot! We are having a movie night this week to watch a disney movie, probably Moana, and to get his wife and kids to come to meet the ward and to let them know we are nice people! Love this man and his choice to follow the savior!

Well that pretty much about does it for this week and I love you all! Stay strong and Keep smiling 

just as Papa Duersch always says!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 39: Phones, Ricky, another Apostle....

你好！

Yaaaay! My phone can draw characters! I am so happy now! Well I am so glad to hear that you all are doing well and that the week was good. The weather back home sounds like a great treat cause here IM MELTING!  The weather is getting hotter and I am sweating so much hahaha. The people here carry around towels to wipe all it off and it isn't even as hot as it is gonna get here in July and August blegh! 

Well......Shall we begin! this one may be a bit smaller of an email cause I am trying.to use this phone and not much this week happened, but good stuff did come!

On this week's Episode of Elder Stan Theman(Elder Duersch) Hong Kong Adventures!

Smart Phones: As I have mentioned earlier, we have now acquired smart phones! They are Samsung because of an app the church uses to make sure the phone is being used properly. I personally do not mind the Samsung and I also had to buy my own cause I will be here for a while but those missionaries who leave in August get a loaner phone and then they give it back when they "Die" which means they just leave the mission cause there service is now done! lots of funny missionary words out here you  meant and how they have been kept through a long time of missionaries. We are very blessed to have this to help hasten to work of the Lord here in Hong Kong. Also I made a little picture on the phone of our beloved prophet. 

Ricky: Ricky is doing really well and we just finished teaching the commandments to him and he is keeping all of them! His love for this church and the Savior is contagious and I love him to bits cause he is just such a great man! He loves the church and the ward members here! 

Another Apostle: We have just learned that Elder Gong is coming to Hong.Kong this week and we are super excited!! I have seen so many church leaders out here and it is such a blessing to have them come and talk to us!

Also another thing that happened this week was that our ward mission leader brother Hoh got released and we are sad to see him go but now we have the bishops brother in law as the new one! He is 25 and his name is mike! Really look forward to working with him.

Spiritual insight for the week was yesterday I prayed to receive revelation just like President Nelson has instructed us to do. I prayed to know am I currently a good missionary? The prompting came to go to Preach my Gospel in a successful missionary. I wrote down the prompting and then acted on it. I went on a search and the first scriptures I found was Helaman 10:1-5 and verse 4 had answered my prayer!

Prayer is so great out here and I love praying to heavenly father!

Thank you all for all you do and.all your prayers and love!

have a great week!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman

Week 38: Unique food!, Mini Mtc,Ricky, Skype, Full house at Church! Transfer Calls!

Lieh Hou Muigoyahn!

Hope you all had a great week cause I did and it was so much fun! Get some popcorn and a drink cause the show is about to start! Maybe some rice as well cause rice and fish are good!

On this weeks Episode of Elder Stan Theman, China Hong Kong Adventure!:

Unique food: So we went to a Korean BBQ and it was so good! So much meat and food and fruit! I also saw some interesting food! And i was just like, "Well I only get this chance once in a life so go fore it!" I ate Baby octopus, Squid Tentacle, Ox Tongue (MY favorite thing I have eaten here!), and Turkey Gizzard!!! Can't get that stuff in the states now can ya!

Mini MTC: So there was also a little Mini MTC in Kowloon for the youth who were gonna serve missions and we went down to help them out. I was to take a priest from the Tai Po ward who I know really well and we went out street finding for 2 hours and it was really fun! He liked it and asked a lot of questions about people on the street and how to approach them and talk to them. He was a native so talking with them was pretty easy for him! What a great guy! He will make a sweet missionary!

Ricky!: Wow Ricky is doing so well and I am so happy for him! We met with him on Thursday and taught the commandments of Prayer, Reading, 10 commandments, Sabbath day, and law of Chastity. He is a very smart man and was excited to keep all these commandments and follow our Savior. He is so great and is really wanting to make a change in his life and he feels that baptism the first step in his life to make a better change. He is really excited for when he gets baptized to have his family hopefully come and support him. He wants them to feel the same peace and joy that he has when he meets with us and wants to go to church. He is just the best guy in the world and is always happy to meet and to learn all he can. We will be meeting with him tomorrow at a members house for dinner and we will see what happens. Very excited for that!

Skype: I can't believe how fast time fly's. It feels like only a month ago I was Skyping home for Christmas and now it was mothers day! Time is so weird here on a mission let me tell ya. There are good days for time that just goes and goes and goes for hours. And then a couple months are gone and you are just like "What did I do again!?" So much fun! So good to see the family and to know that they are doing well and all is being taken care of on that front of the field.

Church: We knew that Ricky was going to church this week and we waited for him to come. As we waited for him our ward mission leader Ho Hing daaih told us that Chihng Hing daaih was down stairs. He is a less active I meet every Wednesday and he has yet to come to church in a long time because of his job as a taxi driver in the mornings. We ran downstairs and there he was tying his tie and with a smile on his face! He loves coming to church, but it is just hard with all the work schedule and things here in Kong Kong for him. We went upstairs into the chapel and he stopped and looked at me near the door and he just smiled and said, "We Will do this Together!" and so we walked in and had a great Mothers day sacrament meeting! He left after sacrament but what a true blessing to have him come! Ricky was also in the back with some members through the meeting and I didn't see him come in and he was just doing what he does, smiling and talking to everyone! When third hour rolled around we saw another less active we work with named A-Wing. He helps us out with our language and we really have been trying to get him to come to church with us. Finally he came and the Elders Quorum loved him there and he started to make friends. We also had a party for the moms up stairs in the Gym for mothers day and it was so fun! So much Chinese food and I aint talking Panda Express. Kinda funny I have been missing Mexican food and fake Chinese food lately hahahaha!

Transfer Calls!!!:  Guess what!!! I am still in Tai Wo. Wow another transfer in the bag and another one to add to it. I wonder how long I will be in this area for my mission? What if it is like a year! Wow that would be something. That has happened to some other elders in the past! Elder Riley will still be here as well with me.

I have a cool story real quick about Prayer. I was getting ready in the morning for the day and we started our day with daily planning. I know right who would think we did that first ha. We had planned to share a message about faith with a  ward family we were meeting that night. I started my personal study with a very heart felt prayer and I asked for help to find a scripture about faith. I opened my scriptures and turned right to Alma 32 which is about the people who were kicked out of their synagogues and couldn't pray and worship. Alma is glad for there humility and teaches them about faith! How faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things. And also having faith is hoping for that which is also not seen! I love that scripture a lot! So true how faith works by not seeing anything and having hope for the truth. My testimony has really grown out here on my mission and I am so grateful for all the great blessings I have received and also some trials along the way. For with out some trials how could we become great!

Well hope this was enough for you all and that you have a great and uplifting week! I will always be praying for you all and I will always have a smile on my face!

Have a good week!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman