From Jon 5/9

Subject: Vajtswv foom koob hmoov rau wb heev

Nyob zoo!
Thanks for the info about school, Dad.

Remember the experience we had with Zoua and Ia? This week we employed the "Holy Ghost-restoration-baptismal commitment maneuver" on Fwm (...um, I guess the closest way to pronounce that in English is "Foo", so I'll call him "Fu" from now on). Previously he had mostly been stuck on his own ideas and only regarding our visits as informative. During the lesson, he felt the spirit, and knew it. He committed to be baptized, and we set a date, but he has two or three things to get in order first, one being that he will have to marry his girlfriend, with whom he has lived for 3 years and has two children.

We were tracting a few days ago and as we were locking up our bikes, a young man came out of his house and asked us if we had any mini-bibles that we were giving out. He was a 19 -years-old African American attired in gangster garb, and half of his hair was braided, while the other half was a fluffy 'fro. We told him we didn't have any bibles at the time, but we had another book that we highly recommended. We told him a little about it and he seemed rather interested. He asked if he could have one, and we said we would like to come over the next day (when his rowdy cousins weren't over) and give him one, and explain a little more about it. We arrived at the appointed time the next day, and he invited us in. We followed the new pattern (the one we used for Fu), and when we got to the first vision, he was smiling big. "Wait, wait," he said, suddenly excited, "does the Holy Ghost---is it kind of like a-a...huuhaahuuh feeling---like light in your chest?" We were pretty sure we knew what he was talking about, so we said yes. "'Cuz that's what I'm feelin' right now, and it feels great!" We continued with the painting out the blessings and the baptismal commitment. We asked him how soon he wanted these blessings, and he said, "When can I have them?!" We set a date for the 30th. We said a closing prayer, and as we began to speak afterwards, he stopped us suddenly and said,
"Wait, wait...can the Holy Ghost also feel like...like kinda hot, like a fire inside your chest---but it feels good? 'Cuz that's what I feel like! This is the best I've ever felt in my life! I mean---I've felt the spirit a little bit before when my grandma read to me from the bible, but never like this! Excuse me---I gotta go outside!" He did so, and we followed. We found him breathing deeply and fanning his face, smiling, and laughing a little. We are going to have another lesson with the English speaking Elders, then they will take over from there. I hope we can attend his baptism. His name is Derek.

We are not positive when we will be able to call tomorrow. Anytime from 5-8 pm Minnesota time.

We are having a Mothars' Dee activity with the branch today, which the missionaries planned. The primary is going to sing a song as part of it, and the Elders will help. I think someone is going to record it; maybe I can get the clip to you.


I love you all, and I am sending a clap-hug 'cross the plains to ye. *clap*
-Elder Moua Ying