How is it Already October?

Another week come and gone. But it's been a good week. Daylight savings...love it when summer is on it's way and it stays light so late. Now people won't tell us we're out so late at 7:00 pm since it'll still be light!

Highlight of the week: Hong from Cambodia! So Hong has been to church twice. A bit of language barrier, and we were trying to set up a lesson with him weeks ago & he kept saying, "Just come get me for church. Yeah, yeah, just come get me for church." So he's been to church twice, he's been to mutual the last two weeks and is planning on going on the camp with the YM in a couple weeks. So we went and saw him Saturday and he was keen to come to church, we dropped off a white shirt and tie...and now he's preparing for baptism this coming Saturday. He's 15 and skinny as and I just love the kid. So we've like hardly taught him, but we taught him Saturday after he agreed to prepare for baptism this week and again yesterday and he's just so sweet, humble, and keen to be good! He was telling us how his brother left yesterday but they don't know when he'll come back, and he said, "my brother is not very good, but I'm not like him, I'm good." Love it. And apparently one of the YM counselors took him to the VC on the way home one night from mutual and showed him President Monson. Yes, please! Only concern is the parents don't speak English, but we obviously have to get permission from them. So Hong is trying to talk to them and explain the situation. We'll see. Hopefully all goes well! Haha, the whole situation just makes me laugh. And whenever I call and Hong answers, all I say is, "Hi Hong!" and he knows right away it's me.

We had a lesson with our favorite couple, Kimi & Leesa (he's LA, she's the investigator...they're getting married in January, and unfortunately they don't want to live separately til then, so she'll get baptized then. PS was shocked when we found out she's only 19. I feel so old.) And we printed off a talk to read with them...and I felt so old school because they were using their phones/iPods to look up the talk on the gospel library app they have.

So we do "sisters trade offs" once a transfer now. I was with Sister Agavale, who Sister Chan is training. It was kind of funny when we were evaluating the day and seeing how we're almost at opposite ends of our missions. She's been out 3 weeks....and she thinks I know it all. HA! It's always different to have a "full proselyting" day, but it feels good. (We don't come into the VC when we have trade offs.) Sister Agavale is from Samoa and it's always humbling to serve with islanders. Different culture that us, proud, stubborn Americans have heaps to learn from. I definitely could feel how sincere she is when she talks with people and how she just wants to help people! ...including her companion.

Something that someone said in Sunday School the other week that has really affected me is that you can believe, have faith, and find evidence of God helping you out...OR you can not believe, not have faith, and find evidence to support your ideas thinking that you did things all on your own instead of recognizing a tender mercy from the Lord. I know that Heavenly Father really is there helping us out and having faith just makes things better and really can give you power and strength to do what the Lord wants & needs you to do. I feel like it's helped me a lot to react better to certain situations too. Like not getting defensive and think that people/missionaries think I can't do something or I won't remember to do it when they're just trying to help out or to remind me. Does that make sense? Maybe an example would be better: we went on splits for church yesterday and the Bishop told Sister Somma "make sure the parents know!" when talking about Hong getting baptized. And instead of saying, "Uh...yeah, Bishop! Of course we will...they have to sign the baptismal record!" I said, "Oh, yep, we definitely will make sure they're okay with it." I think that's something I've needed to work on lately: not refusing help. And I guess controlling my sass...which I have a lot of at different times. :)

Love you heaps! Ofa atu!
Sister Mullen

PS For those who don't know...Dad sent me a nun calendar for the year, and October's picture is the funniest I've seen so far and I just had to pass it on.

PPS Having a companion who knows English as a second language makes for some funny comments sometimes. She was always confused why people say, "oh, it's chilly," when it's not hot...because you eat chilis and they're hot. Valid concern, that doesn't make any sense, but it still makes me laugh.