Sunday, August 2, 2020

Week 55: July 28, 2020

Hey yall

Well transfers are tomorrow! And after spending 7 of my 8 transfers in England in the Manchester YSA ward/Chinese group, I will be here yet another! This'll be my 8th transfer in the same area, in the same flat, in the same bed, walking the same roads to the same chapel 😂 But I'm super excited, I'll be with Elder Cheang another transfer so that'll be interesting. We will also say goodbye to elder chen tomorrow which will for sure be sad! And then he'll be flying back to taiwan on Thursday. What a legend haha

This week we went out and recorded a video about family history with a bunch of well-known places in Manchester and it was honestly just fun to walk around. It's been quite a while since we've been to city centre and whatnot which was nice! We also had a tea appointment sunday night and on the way was some other fun things to look at (including the Man United stadium, lucky us) so we stopped and took a couple pics on our way haha

Also this week we taught two of our friends in a park! Those have been the first in person lessons we've had in 4 months so it was super nice! Also I was totally awkward at first cause I hadn't had human interaction or made eye contact for several months outside of my companionship haha. But we got to see Wangyue in person for the first time in like 4 months which was exciting!

We've been teaching a weekly chinese institute class every week since lockdown started like 4 months ago. Well to spice it up since not many people would go, we've turned it into a game night haha. So we share a short spiritual message and then we play a bunch of games in chinese over zoom. Literally so fun, we played Spyfall (a game some youtubers would play a lot that I used to watch haha) which was so good! Plus we like doubled institute attendance which was nice

I keep thinking I'm finally understanding missionary work and what it means. But every now and then I get a pretty big jolt back to reality that shows me how little of missionary work I understand. As I was listening to the Character of Christ a couple weeks ago, it talked a lot about how we need to be looking outwards rather than inwards, not making anything about ourselves. Well the past couple months without realizing it, I've really just been belly aching to myself about how I just want to go serve in a different area. Or how I've been in manchester for so long and I havent had the opportunity to experience work outside of manchester. Or how bored I am in the same flat, or how tiring it is for me walking the same street everyday for 10 months now. I was really just thinking about myself which I realize now is so selfish. Well on sunday we got a surprise tea appointment from Jared & Christina, who lead the Chinese group. And they told us that with everything going on right now, the chinese group isnt feasible anymore, and that they're probably going to have to close it down.

Which honestly is just super devastating. I remember coming to Manchester being super excited to hear that there was going to be a chinese group meeting on sundays, in england of all places. And now that's all crashing down to the ground, theres not enough chinese members - especially right now with the virus and everything going on. With all the missionaries going home and no new missionaries able to come to England, they're getting rid of the chinese sisters area in YSA, so we will be the only companionship in charge of chinese people in Manchester. 2 chinese speaking missionaries in Manchester, which will be the lowest it's been in several years

With everything going on, I've just realized that I would honestly prefer to stay in manchester the rest of my mission now and work with the Chinese people here. As boring as that may seem, theres not really any other chinese missionaries to do that.

We have been given a little bit of time before they completely close the group, a big reason is that Jared & Christina wont be able to stay in Manchester forever to help, and that most members are students who come and go back to China so fast. They've made the decision to get rid of the chinese sacrament service, but still have a sunday school class in chinese. We have probably until I go home next year to save the group. So everyone please pray we find lots of chinese people!!

-Elder Ensign 高长老
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Altrincham Road
Manchester M22 4BJ 
England 

Since I got my hair cut last week, I took pictures everywhere now I actually look like a missionary. So I actually got some pics this week. It's not letting me attach them all so heres a couple pics

Man United stadium

The Salford Quays

Post box haha

Chinatown

And oreo dairymilks 😍🔥

BYU??









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