Week 32: February 18, 2020

大家好！

Hey all! Transfers came again, I'm getting moved back to the Manchester YSA ward tomorrow!!! My new companion is gonna be Elder Stayner, but get this! We're both gonna be training a new Chinese elder from Orem Utah! So we're gonna be in a trio! It's really a trio just cause Elder stayner is leaving after next transfer so I'm needed in YSA and the Chinese group right now! I'm gonna be sad to leave Kendal, the members here are amazing! And the tea appointments every night haha. But I'm even more excited to go back to Manchester and start working with Chinese people again! It'll be nice to see all the people I worked with before! Itll be nice to speak Chinese again, since my chinese is actually horrible right now haha

This last week was a little rough. We didnt have many teaching appointments, so we spent a lot of our time finding. Also, there was another storm this week! Last week was Storm Ciara, this week was Storm Dennis, which was even worse! Luckily the river went down enough before church, so it didnt get cancelled. But Saturday was rough! We ended up tracting most of the day since people didn't wanna stop on the street. And we got absolutely dumped on. I've never been so wet in my entire life haha. My shoes literally got soaked through and through. My rain coat turned into not so waterproof haha. That night we went to our branch president's house for tea, but he lives about a 45 minute bus ride away. So we took the train there since it's faster. We were sopping wet when we finally got there. And my umbrella got destroyed because of the wind haha. Our branch president tried to help us dry off, he gave us some of his slippers and socks and then stuffed our shoes full of newspapers haha. After tea, we realized that all the trains had been cancelled because of the storm! And all the busses except for 1 had been cancelled as well. So we hurried to the bus stop to get that one bus. But after riding for like 10 minutes, we ran into a traffic jam. There had been so much rain that the road had literally turned into a pool in one point, so it was almost impossible to get through. A car had already gotten stuck there. Luckily like half an hour later it cleared up just enough for us to drive through haha. So we survived!

Yesterday at train the trainers, the mission presidents wife told us something her dad used to say. “If you were accused of being a member of the church of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I want to invite you all to think and ponder a little about that, and see how you can do better! The church is true! We're all representatives of Jesus Christ!

-Elder Ensign

Us wearing the branch presidents slippers and very bright red socks

Photogenic picture in the lakes

My old comp and my future comp haha (RIP ELDER CHEN! He just went home yesterday. If you're going to BYU-I say hi to him for me :))

The river flooding over again

Week 31: February 10, 2020

It was an interesting week to say the least!

This past week we didnt really spend much time in Kendal, the zone leaders in Lancaster had us go down to Lancaster for 3 days this week. They had me teaching a bunch of Chinese lessons by myself which was fun. I'm also going down on Tuesday, wednesday, and saturday this next week to teach more of their Chinese friends haha. But exchanges was sooo fun! I love serving in Lancaster, it's so similar to serving back in Manchester. Except the chapel in Lancaster isnt as convenient as the YSA building. But it's so fun to go and talk to Chinese people and students! I lowkey miss teaching Chinese people everyday.

Last Monday for pday, some members in the Barrow ward as well as the sisters there went with us to explore the Lake district! We got to see some lakes and explore some caves which was so fun. England is way more interesting than I thought haha. 

Church got cancelled yesterday! Storm Ciara absolutely dumped rain saturday night and sunday morning, enough so that the river which is right next to the chapel, raised like 10-15 feet, and was starting to flood the river path. So in fear of flooding, and also the fact that it would be dangerous for many members just outside kendal to drive to church, they closed church! But everything's ok, the church didnt end up flooding so we're all good. Also I was scheduled to give a talk but didnt have to because of it so that's a plus I guess haha.

Had a couple funny if not weird experiences this week:

-I found out they play classical music in McDonald's at night to keep the chaffs out haha. Chaffs are basically just 小屁孩 

-Some drunk people in Kendal sang really loudly and unashamedly to us at 8 PM haha

-Someone asked us for a pass-along card and immediately started rolling it into a blunt 

-Elder Ensign

Week 30: February 3, 2020

Hey all!

We worked really hard this past week! And it paid off, we found 7 new friends! It's the highest this area has found in a long time. Unfortunately a lot of the returning appointments didnt end up happening but we're hoping we can meet with them soon!

So i was teaching our Chinese friend some English the other day, and she seemed a little sick so I asked her if she was sick. And I don't know why, but she mentioned something about the Corona Virus. So me being paranoid I asked her if she had it, and she said yes! So I freaked out cause I thought I had just contracted a highly infectious incurable disease. Obviously she was just kidding though haha

We ate an insane amount of food this week. We had tea appointments everyday except for pday and tuesday. And the members here give us sooooo much food. Also, John took us out for tea three times. We got Indian food the day the members didnt feed us. And then he fed us McDonalds before our tea appointment on saturday and got us more Indian food after our tea appointment on sunday. I've never been so full in my life, I'm pretty chubby right now haha. Also I finally went to a Chinese takeout and got to practice my Chinese. I also got some pretty tasty soup so lets goooo haha

-Elder Ensign 

Some pics of the Kendal castle

Plus some pics from today, I'll send more next week

Week 29: January 27, 2020

Hey all,

Seriously not a ton happened this week but I'll make some short bullet points 

-First, the mission office address changed so if you send me any letter or packages here you go:

Elder Mark Ensign

Altrincham Road

Manchester M22 4BJ

-Had a meeting down in Manchester with all the Chinese missionaries last pday! We set some good goals and I'm excited for the chinese work here in England!

-Went on exchanges with the zone leaders in Lancaster. Found a Chinese man who's super interested in the Gospel! So I'll be teaching him every once in a while either over video chat or on exchanges 

-Met a man on the street who's a huge fan of “Elder Romney”(Mitt Romney haha)

-Found out I'm the only Chinese speaking missionary in my zone right now so if anyone in the zone has a Chinese friend, I'm gonna video call and teach them (no pressure haha)

-Chinese New Year started and I missed all the parties cause I'm in Kendal where theres literally 5 Chinese people (not salty at all)

-The chinese friend I'm teaching English to is gonna make us fried rice and dumplings so I'm pretty excited. Also I finally showed her a video about Jesus Christ and she didn't freak out so let's go

-Tracted like 400 houses 

-Got sworn at by random people on the street like 5 times, and got rained on everyday (yay England :) )

 

-Elder Ensign

One of our many tea appointments, just looked really good so why not take a pic

Heres a picture of all 9 chinese missionaries in the mission :)