Saturday, December 22, 2007

Elder Jon Pimentel 12/22/2007

Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 11:39 AM
Subject: Ua nej tsaug rau cov thawv!

Hello again!

The weather has been lovely the past few days, with temperatures climbing into the double digits (when it got to 20, I almost didn't wear a coat!), and yesterday it actually got above freezing! We were sweating quite a bit. The next few days are supposed to get colder than we've ever had so far, so we're enjoying a day of almost-freezing temperatures while it lasts. Humidity fluctuates quite a lot here. We get from 40% to 100%. Yesterday I thought it was raining, but I noticed that the tiny drops only hit me when I moved. Crazy.

The frog we ate was a big ol' bullfrog. The pictures were just of one bite on a fork, and me about to eat a leg. Elder Choua Vang ate most of the frog, but Elder Wilson and I tried some.

I got the 3rd package! Thanks loads! The Elders Vang had never before experienced such confections, and were astounded by the heavenly goodness thereof. Elder Richard Vang took two small bites of fudge and couldn't finish it. It overwhelmed him. He said it was too good--- too much flavor, too sweet. He loved it, but he said he couldn't handle the whole thing.

At the Christmas conference, we had a talent show, and I enlisted three other Elders to play "What are You Doing?" with me. None of them had ever seen it played before. It went well and got a terrific response. Those Elders are naturals. Elder Richard Vang got it on camera, but I don't know how I could send it to you so you can see it.

I will probably call in the afternoon on Christmas, but I don't know specifically when.

No more word on Meng or Mai Houa...Pa is getting a little more excited to be baptized especially when we assured her that the water won't be cold. Kong was doing well, but then his cousin started trying to convince him not to listen to us anymore. His cousin had showed him some anti-Mormon material on the internet, including something that claimed to be "10 contradictions of the Book of Mormon to the Bible". Kong was wise enough not to believe everything he hears, but he wanted us to go over those 10 things with him and give our side of the story. It was a really tough lesson, but lucky for us, our church is true, and so we were able to go through each accusation and demonstrate how the Book of Mormon does indeed teach the doctrine in the bible, just clearer. We've run into a lot of people that try to tell us that they don't need our message because they already know about Jesus and they have faith, so they're saved. We even had the son of a pastor tell us that the bible taught him that all you need in order to be saved is faith, and works are good too, but to say that they are necessary is to belittle the power of the atonement. It was VERY hard not to 'bible bash' with him, especially because it is SO clear in the bible that "Faith without works is dead" and not every man who cries 'Lord, Lord' can be saved, and if you hear the commandments but don't do them, you are like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and you won't be saved, and Jesus command us to do as we see him do, etc, etc. But I didn't contend. Luckily he asked me if 'the church of Mormon' believes that non-member won't go to heaven, and what we believe one must do to be saved. So I just told him that we must have faith in Jesus Christ in his atonement, repent of our sins and change our lives to be in line with Christ's teachings, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. I bore my testimony and was very grateful that I hadn't contended.

-Muaj Yeej

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