Adam's First Week in New York!

Sooo first p-day out here in New York, and I haven't gotten stabbed! Woohoo. Right now I'm currently in Dyker Heights and I must say sometimes I forget that this is still America with all the Chinese people here. I found out why we have the most baptisms in our area is because that the Chinese people here want the baptism mostly for a Green Card, and so past missionaries would go ahead and baptize them anyways because they just want the numbers, our current district is trying hard to fix that so we have a term for "green" investigators and so we're working on that, as well as we're working on getting more overall ward activity just to yeah.

My new companion is Elder Wallis, a great guy, funny too. The weird thing is that our district is 8 people and we're all within the same apartment building so we have a lot of district unity going out and tracting sweet sweeping (advertising english class and what-not). A lot of the elders say that my Chinese is phoenomenal for the amount of time I've spent learning it and that it's great that I'm not like other greenies and are scared to use their chinese for the first week, but I just started talking right away. Our district was in kind of a lull because the past 5 weeks have all been service so we're working hard to get back into more diligent Church work.

One of our investigators name is Kelvin, he's 12 and his dad is a less active member, and oh my gosh this family situation is pretty terrible. 4 minutes into meeting the mother as she came home, started about an hour of criticizing their kid to us, basically the missionaries are something of therapists for this family. They shared many stories about how much of a liar he is and he's unwilling to change and can't focus, my heart was aching that these people had no reserves in railing on their kid with no problem. So, definitely praying hard for that family.

We also have Gao Di xiong Brother Tall, he's a "green" investigator but slowly and surely we're trying to help him get more interested in the gospel and give it more meaning to him to be baptized other than just receiving a green card.

Then we have Zhu Zai Kan, he's a bit of a quiet guy and we can really only meet with him on Sundays but he's progressing pretty well, and his baptism is set for the 23rd.

It's been a pretty easy adaptation into New York, it reminds me a lot of Los Angeles, so no real problems there, continuing to make strives in the Chinese language and I'm going to work harder on learning the written and reading portion of the language.

Not really anything else to share at this point other than I'm working hard to stay obedient and diligent, which is kind of tough since the older missionaries have kind of gotten relaxed so it's part of my duty to help get everyone back to working hard.

Love you all!

Mission Address is

85-69 60th drive
Elmhurst, New York 11373

it'll just get forwarded to me from there.

Elder Wong

MTC Week 6

> Family, the Lord blesses me so much its ridiculous. PUSH FORWARD WITH FAITH, such an easy concept and it's amazing. We watched a talk by Elder Bednar titled recognizing the spirit. Just don't even worry if it's the spirit or not, as long as it's in tune with the gospel principles you can't go wrong (obviously hahaha).

> The new Korean speaking missionaries arrived last week and I absolutely love them all, and they all really love hugs too. I think I've given out 600+ hugs in the time I've been here at the MTC and it's not stopping hahaha.
>
> I'm so happy to be serving a mission right now there's nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing right now than being here (well actually out in the field but I gotta learn the language first yah?

> I have been praying for the New York people daily and I am anxious to go out and serve them in any way possible, I know now that they need the gospel more than anything right now, and the plan of happiness.
>
> I'm thankful for you my family back at home and for your prayers and support.
>
> I keep a blessings list within my pocket, every Sunday I take time to update the list, it's really great, with more gratitude comes more happiness, and better feelings of the spirit.
>
> Take care everyone!
>
> Love, Elder Wong.

Pictures Please!

The Branch presidency has counseled us to have pictures of family and friends from home, for most missionaries it won't be a distraction it'll help lift their spirits and encourage them to work harder so if I could get some pictures from that'd be awesome. Email pictures to Kelliebarlow@gmail.com Thank you!

Brownie cake from The Lord?

The Lord blesses me so often it's ridiculous. This morning I was just thinking that I should make some Chinese flashcards to help me study and what do you know, I get some flash cards that people from the older generation left behind, among 3 pounds of so of candy and a brownie cake. I make it an effort to thank the Lord in all things because he's seriously just giving me all that I have and what better way to thank him is to work hard so that I might bring other people to know of his gospel.