Week 99: Testimony: May 31, 2021

 We had zone conference on Friday and normally I get pretty bored because a lot of the time it's logistics and all the fun stuff haha. So I had a hard time the first half, but the 2nd half was a complete turnaround. President Maurer gave a fire training that I dont remember what it was about because I just wrote down feelings and thoughts that came to mind, and then we had the opportunity to hear the departing testimonies of quite a couple missionaries who will be going home at the end of the transfer. It was touching to hear simple testimony, almost like when a child gets up to bear testimony in a fast and testimony meeting. There's something special about hearing someone testify of things that they know, rather than filling their "testimony" with experiences and things they are grateful for. With fast Sunday in a week, this is certainly something to reflect on.

All in all not too much else happened. It has been wickedly hot and humid this past week but today is only going to get to about to 75 which will be nice. We have done a lot of service out under the hot sun which has made the work interesting for sure haha.  

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

Pics:

Tennis with Can

Aron

Logan

Week 98: 1 year in the 919: May 24, 2021

 A year ago this last Friday I hit a full 365 days in the Raleigh NC mission. It's been pretty crazy and a good time. I will miss it when I go home for sure. Just trying to stay strong for these last parts of the mission!!

This transfer is gonna be a good one, i can already feel it. My new comp is Elder Grey Sligting from Sandy Utah, he went to Brighton, played tennis, basketball, pickleball, the works. We hit it off from the start and are having a good time, and it's nice having someone who is good at all the same sports as me and shares the same general interests! He's the first person I've played in NC at pickleball that has given me a run for my money, but I haven't lost yet 

We've also been playing tennis with a heap of non members and found 3 people this week from it! It's been fun to grind tennis and talk with everyone. Watch out Thatcher ima smack you when I get home. 

I read a verse in 3 Nephi 22 this week, verse 17. I love the power in this verse, and would just like to echo the words of Joseph Smith: "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing".

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

Pics:

Rip the district

Rip Lucas 2019-2021

Sligting and I's cookout Jersey swap

Week 97: thats my girl : May 17, 2021

 This was a week for the books for sure. The big news of transfers this week are your boy is staying in the Green Level Ward for his 9th transfer in a row. I'm getting an English comp so it appears that for my last transfer I will be grinding Chinese work all by myself. But its not gonna be too much of a jump anyway hah. More news on that next week!

More often than not the last week of the transfer is kinda trash because everyone is nervous about transfers and gets distracted. This week I had a focus to work hard and grind to the end! We were definitely blessed for it, so it was pretty refreshing to hear about the success not only in our area this week but also in lots of other areas of the zone.

I woke up Friday literally so confused, people were throwing rocks at our window, i thought i slept in past 6:30, and was tripping out. Turns out the sisters in our district heard about Elder Gollaher's birthday and got him some birthday stuff and thought it would be funny to wake us up at 6 am. 

Someone I found through cold calling (the covid equivalent of door knocking) is soo sick. She lives in chapel hill unfortunately but she is super prepared to hear the gospel. I've taught her only over the phone but she accepted the restoration so fast and told me she even wondered why there were so many churches, and read 6 chapters in the book of Mormon in a week, with 0 experience reading the bible or anything! She took the time to go back over those chapters several tines until she understood it well. Its just awesome to see God lead us to the people who need the gospel in their lives, even through means which arent necessarily always effective.

I liked going back through conference and reading President Nelson's address as to what we have learned and how we have grown in the pandemic. Really made me ponder how I have been blessed during these times despite having some of the hardest trials of my life. It's worth a read!


高长老 (Elder Ensign)
2 Nephi 22:2
Pics:
Favorite doggo

Week 96: May 10, 2021

 Happy mothers day to my awesome mom yesterday! To raise a dummy like me for 18 years, I just couldn't imagine doing that haha thanks for forcing me to go to church when i hated primary and yelling at me to wake up for school everyday in high school momma!

This week was a good week as well. So 2 weeks ago we met a guy named Jerome who randomly walked into church for the first time. He just moved to the area and came to the closest church to him! We started teaching him and had a powerful pass off lesson with the sister missionaries in his actual area (sad elder hours). 3 Nephi 11 is so powerful, especially trying to imagine yourself as one of the nephites experiencing this life changing event.

We have been meeting with the same 3 older Chinese people for quite a while, and its funny because they all are just classic older chinese people. Extending simple invites such as praying and reading the scriptures for 5 minutes a day is almost overwhelming to them. Im truly blessed to be in habit of daily scripture study and prayer, because i know that even 5 minutes can make such a difference in your life.

I titled this email "last dance" because Dwyane Wade played 16 seasons in the NBA and in his final season everyone called it his "one last dance". I am creeping up on my final season in the mission, my last dance. I hope to end on a high note and play my heart out. Shout out to the 2 boys who retired this last week  @博长老 and @ElderDamuni

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

Pics:no pics

Week 95: May 3, 2021

 1 year ago tomorrow I received my call to the Raleigh North Carolina mission.... where has the time gone?

This week was pretty long, it really didnt feel like I was a missionary. A majority of this week was spent cleaning, moving, cleaning, unpacking, getting our car from the shop, and getting our 2nd dose of the vaccine! It was a busy week, just not as filled with missionary work as I would've liked. But it is ok because this next week is gonna be good! 
We got all settled into our new apartment, it's a 1 bed 1 bath, our last was 2 bed 2 bath, but its pretty spacious and we even got a garage with it, and that may sound irrelevant, but I fr don't think theres any other apartments in our mission that have a garage haha. We got a ping pong table too so we will be grinding some ping pong in the garage . Its been a new experience for sure being actually in my area but it's pretty nice. 
In Sacrament meeting yesterday, the sacramental hymn was #192, and in verse 2 it says these words. 
Come, Saints, and drop a tear or two
For him who groaned beneath your load;
He shed a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of precious blood.
These words really moved me, and to think that every time we partake of the sacrament we are doing it in remembrance of his suffering for us is really overwhelming. Christ loves you all, so whenever you face a difficulty, remember that Christ suffered and died for you. 
高长老 (Elder Ensign)
2 Nephi 22:2

Week 94: April 26, 2021

This week was pretty fun! Something really funny I've started to do is send out nightly "snapchat streaks" to the district. It definitely helps me end my day with a laugh. I'll put some pics down below of our snapchat streaks haha.

I went to a chinese members place and we made some dumplings. It was kinda lit and he was impressed by my dumpling folding skills, I guess mom teaching me how to pleat the dumpling when I fold it really paid off 🧧

I reread Elder Christofferson's talk from a few weeks ago and obviously loved his tennis analogy. I think it's great to ponder how we can get rid of those unforced errors in our own life, and help us win this match  it was a timely read too because I just got finished giving the sisters in my district THE WORK at tennis 

Besides that not much is going on except after 10 months of chilling in the same apartment, we are downsizing into a new 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment that's actually in my area. So that'll be a breath of fresh air. We move tomorrow!


高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

Pics:

Streak

RIP Roy  🦶

Goodberrys with the district

 

Week 93: April 19, 2021

So the first 2 days of this last week were pretty sick! I got to go to a place called Zebulon, a small little town about 40 minutes away from my area. It was a nice breath of fresh air going there, I havent even gone on exchanges outside of my area since august, so its been about 6 months. Then we went and picked our comps up from the airport late tuesday night, like midnight. It was pretty wild staying up that late with a curfew of 10:30 lol it was pretty much "overnighter with the Damunis" status.
The week went by pretty average after that- I beat someone at tennis and invited him to church (didn't come cuz he got the vaccine and got sick after rip), did some service as always, the same old same old stuff!

Also dont have much time so heres the spiritual nourishment of the week: D&C 43. Look for the requirements and the blessings! Have a good week... quick 2 🤩

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

5060 Six Forks Rd

Raleigh, NC 27609 

Week 92: 打疫苗了: April 12, 2021

This week was a pretty sick week so we will get right into it!
I tried the popeyes chicken sandwich for the first time last week and just want to testify that I know that the popeyes chicken sandwich tastes better... but makes you feel worse after, chick fil a is still the Lord's chicken and nothing can beat a #2 combo large (if I'm feeling rich) with a lemonade (no ice) and 3 chick fil a sauces.

I got the vaccine on friday! Just the 1st dose for the pfizer shot. It was crazy because we signed up for the johnson and Johnson shot, then the day before an abnormal amount of people started reacting bad to the J&J at the place we were going, so they shut it down and replaced it with the pfizer.

Transfer day was last Tuesday, and I ended up getting to see an old pal from Ridgeline HS Tennis; Elder Harrison Low! We got to catch up for a couple minutes and then he was off to the promised land, the beach, which is 2.5 hours away from me rest in peace.

The weather this week was crazy too! It was all in the 80's, and almost hit 90 a day or 2. I was for sure sweating up a storm. The members also warned me beforehand about how bad the pollen was here, I didnt really know what that meant until I woke up one day and looked outside, and there was a fresh coat of pollen on the ground. Like not even kidding a whole coat of pollen. I'm really surprised I havent gotten bad allergies yet but there is soooo much pollen everywhere. Its almost like snow in utah, except green. Everyday we wake up and theres even more on the ground hahaha.

My comp is also flying out to Utah today to get some testing, and same with my mission son Elder Bennion, they are going to be able to go to Taiwan soon so I'm excited for them! I will have a new comp and area for the next 2 days so it will be interesting for sure!

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

5060 Six Forks Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609

Pics:

vaccine

this hazy stuff is all pollen....

Elder Low

 

Week 91: 肉加馍: April 5, 2021

 Last week of the transfer! The big transfer news are.... for the 8th transfer Elder Ensign will stay in the green level ward... 9 months already notched out, and a 100% probability I will stay in the area for a full year straight. It's really weird not going to lie. Its definitely a mission record for longest in a row in 1 area 

Also a moment of silence... one year ago 2 days ago (saturday) I left Australia and arrived in the SLC airport. It's been a crazy year for sure. I sure do miss Australia and a lot of the trunkiness I'm going through right now is probably me being homesick for australia hahaha. It really doesn't feel like I was home in april and then left end of May. On another note one year ago FOUR days ago I pranked everyone that I got Covid for approximately 5 minutes until some lame guy decided to hit reply all and tell everyone I was joking. Good times good times haha.

This week we got to go over to my favorite chinese members house, Jimmy, and play some ping pong with him in his garage along with have dinner with him. Hes suuuuper good at ping pong, but I almost beat him every time we played. I'll get him next time 🤧. His wife and son arent members but I have a super good relationship with them because we have played tennis together, so once his son finishes up at UNCG for the year I will have to start teaching them more .

I guess I can now address the big elephant in the room- conference! It was sooo good. On Saturday we cooked a huge brunch with another companionship, like 25 big pancakes, 12 eggs, a pack of bacon, and 5 potatoes made into hashed browns. It was super good and all 4 of us ate like kings. Sunday we went to a members house and watched on their dock to their boathouse . This one was one that really stuck out to me, and mainly for 2 reasons. Before, I would never really WRITE down questions I had in advance and when I took notes I would just take notes of things they said. This isnt necessarily bad but this time I had a bigger focus- I would only write down things the spirit taught me, and feelings and impressions. In the wise words of Elder Bednar concerning note taking "truth be known, do you ever use the notes? No. A month from now, could you find the notes. No. 3rd question- how stupid is that? If however, you record the impressions that come to you by the power of the Holy Ghost... you'll always know where they are. You will use them, and they'll be a treasure to you.... focus on what the Holy Ghost is teaching you, and put down just enough so that He can bring all things to your remberance." I invite you all to re listen to the talks, and really have these 2 strategies in play as you do so, and I promise you will be blessed in it. I always found myself saying "they talk about the same stuff everytime" but when I took it with this attitude, I was able to apply it a lot more. Anyways sorry this weeks email was an essay and a half but does anyone really read these anymore?

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

5060 Six Forks Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609

Pics:

Ping pong and jimmy

Conference vibes

My last pday in australia looked something like this

My last sunrise in australia was this 

Week 90: WE GOT INTO A CAR WRECK?? GONE WRONG (hospital for 3 days?!): March 29, 2021

 Thank you all for the birthday wishes this past week, it's great to be 20. My last birthday went a lot differently than this one, something along the lines of "dear Mission Presidents and wives serving in New Zealand and Australia: with regret, this email is to inform you that all young foreign missionaries serving in your respective missions, are to return home as soon as travel can be arranged." So much has happened in the last year of my life, but I am extremely grateful for the growth and the experiences!

This was a pretty normal week. We got into a car accident this last Monday, but I wasnt driving and no one was hurt. I'll put some pics down below. We had a lot of meetings which was pretty rough but filled up a lot of time and we got some cool insights and new ways to do the work from them. Our mission has been doing a big focus on facebook work and cold calling people, but me and my comp decided to go with a different approach to finding members. The statistics are something like 1 in 1000 people from door knocking get baptized, but 3 in 5 people who are taught with members present get baptized. It's like pre covid- why would you waste time door knocking all day if you knew you werent going to have much success, when you could go visit members and build relationships and seek their help in finding and teaching? All members are missionaries, so I'd invite you all to look for opportunities and pray for people you think could use the gospel in their life!

In Alma 36:2 it says "he surely did deliver them in their afflictions." I love this verse. Often in the scriptures we see them use the phrase "save them from their sins" not "save them in their sins". Its awesome to see how 1 word can make such a difference, could you imagine if Alma said "did deliver them from their afflictions"? We will still have afflictions despite trusting in the Lord. But we will be delivered FROM our sins, and we will also have the comfort of the Holy Ghost that comes from trusting in The Lord.

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

5060 Six Forks Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609

Pics:

Week 89: 100 😯: March 22, 2021

 The weather this week kinda sloppy and we had another severe weather warning which they claimed NC was gonna get ravaged by tornados, so the mission had us stay inside all day Thursday. The best weather of the week was actually Thursday, it didnt rain a drop. we did have a good lesson with our friend Yusen who is on date for April 2nd- it was pretty funny because we were talking about knowing how the Book of Mormon is true and I asked if he knows if it is true, and he said "why does that matter" for a second I thought we were about to drop him but when asking some follow up questions he said "there is no reason for me to doubt that it is not true." Guess there was just a little misunderstanding there haha, but his faith is so strong, especially for someone starting out not ever hearing about Jesus Christ. 

My studies as of late have been focused on the Atonement especially because of Easter creeping up. There are really 3 aspects of the gospel that I am extremely passionate about: The Atonement and missionary work being 2 of them. It is really amazing how the atonement is the centerpiece of every part of our religion, and we can really see a piece of the atonement in anything. My probably favorite chapter of scripture for the past 21 months has been Alma 26. The reason for this is because of how much it talks about the atonement bringing their brethren to the gospel. These ordinary people had gone through everything to help bring the Lamanites to a knowledge of the gospel, and repeatedly talk about being stoned, persecuted, spit upon, and other unfathomable things. There is a great correlation in this, as they were also some of the greatest missionaries to ever live. I know that to be able to preach and testify to anyone of the cleansing and changing power of the atonement, that you yourself will have to live through the prolonged periods of repentance, remorse, and sacrifice. These steps ultimately made them successful in the work, and although I have not gone through but a small portion of what they experienced these past 21 months, I have grown to a greater appreciation of Christ's atonement than I ever would have in my whole lifetime. I think there is always a great misunderstanding of Christ's Atonement, people tend to believe his suffering for us was only in the garden and on the cross. He in reality suffered for everyone his whole life; he was persecuted and tempted all throughout his minstry. Christ's greatest moment of suffering was, yes, in the Garden and on the cross, because in that moment he did something for us that was the most amazing of all miracles he did on the earth. Theres somewhat of a parallel of this to us. We have periods of time where we are tempted, hurt, and tested. But there will be 1 point in life where you will experience the most temptation, the most hurt, and be tested the most. When we allow Christ's atonement to flood our lives, it can turn the most dark and dreary situation into the biggest miracle of our life. How are you going to apply the Atonement in your life?
高长老 (Elder Ensign)
5060 Six Forks Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609
2 Nephi 22:2
Pics:
Happy hundo today! 

Week 88: March 15, 2021

Good week! The highlight this week for sure was getting to meet with our friend named Yusen who is going to NC state, and putting him on date! Hes super diligent in the gospel and loves analyzing every chapter of scripture we invite him to read, it's insane. We will invite him to read 2 Nephi 31, and he will end up reading 3 chapters before and after just to gain a bigger understanding of what's going on. What a stud.

The weather this week was splendid which is great and all buttttt I think I got covid or it may have been a cold. Basically wednesday I started wanting to die and I got some pretty crappy covid like symptoms, thursday we had some appointments but we cancelled those because we didnt wanna infect anyone and we called the mission nurse who was super stubborn and said "yall dont have covid it's just a cold" which is pretty irrational in my opinion because the symptoms are like pretty much the same are they not? So to be a good citizen I quarantined myself so yeah Utah take a page out of this book  so for the rest of the week I spent my days living in agony inside when it was 75 and sunny outside. But anyway now that I'm feeling better its gonna be cold(er) and rainy this week 

In all honesty though it wasn't the worst thing ever. Ever since Covid started hitting in australia I've been working hard on a goal of not complaining about things I cant control. Whenever I let myself be ungrateful, or complain in any way, I immediately remember someone much greater than I, who has gone through unfathomable things that he didnt necessarily want to go through. And he did it all, for people who complain, who are ungrateful, who take his name in vain, who reject him (see Mosiah 3:7). In my studies I was reading from the account of Alma, when Alma the younger is beginning his ministry. My favorite part of this whole ministry is his testifying of the Savior coming to take the sins of the world upon himself. Alma 7:11 reads "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people." I always tear up thinking of His perfect love for us, for him understanding our every pain and sorrow. 

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

Pics:

Weather

We got us some comp pics

Quarantine got me like

 

Week 87: Recruiting Season: March 8, 2021

 2 years ago this past Friday I got my mission call to serve in Brisbane Australia! I would also like to congratulate Elder Jovesa Damuni on receiving his mission call to the Santiago Chile North Mission let's gooo! Godspeed brother . 

Also, if you don't read my emails,

*LISTEN TO THE ATTACHMENT BELOW! I PROMISE IT WILL NOT BE A WASTE OF TIME*

In listening to a talk by Ezra Taft Benson, I was struck hard by something he said. In his remarks, he said:

"All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. Now is the great day of the devil’s power, with the greatest mass murderers of all time living among us. But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power, with the greatest number ever of priesthood holders on the earth. And the showdown is fast approaching." And then in a question shortly after he questions: 

"Will we be true to our last-days, foreordained mission?"

Its recruiting season and I'm here to encourage those who are of age, those who are debating whether or not serving a mission is right for them, or even those who have decided it is not the right thing for them. There has never been a more important time to serve the Lord and to preach the gospel, than now. There is absolutely nothing you could be doing now that would be more important than serving a mission. 

And dont think I'm leaving everyone else out  every member is a missionary, so if you have already served or just are past that point, you still should be serving God first, and then yourself.

I could talk all about the blessings and help I've received in the past 20 months, and all about how much I've grown from my old self, but it really is something you can't put into words. I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. 

高长老 (Elder Ensign)

2 Nephi 22:2

Pics:

How far away is that airplane?