From Jon 6/6

Subject: Los nag es thiaj zoo siab

Nyob zoo!
Things are dandy as candy, and we've got a spot of rain to cool us down (at last).

I received what is known as "The Trunky Letter" this week. It is the letter they send to all missionaries who are on the final lap, asking them to write a big letter to the Mission President about what they've learned and how they've changed on their missions. *sigh*

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke this morning to the missionaries serving in the Twin Cities. It was stupendous. At the beginning, he had us all get up by rows and come shake his hand. He asked each of us where we were from, and had a remark---often quite funny---about each of our home towns. One elder said he was from a town in Idaho (I forget the name) which lies on the border of Utah. Elder Perry said, "Oh, that's the worst place in the world!" "You just stop there for gas, and they'll always try to sell you a lotto ticket!"
Most of the time when I tell people where I'm from, I just say "Salt Lake" because nobody's heard of East Millcrik. I figured Elder Perry would have heard of it, so I told him "East Millcreek". He raised his eyebrows in delight and said, "Oh, good!" It's good to know I come from a good town, as opposed to an Apostolically-dubbed "worst place in the world". ;) It's an exciting time to be alive, and an exciting time to be a full-time missionary. Great things are in store for the future. Elder Perry said that he was more successful as a member missionary in the marines after his mission than he was as a full-time missionary in the field, and encouraged us to continue to develop missionary skills even after our missions. He also made fun of the Navy because they wore bell-bottoms during WWII, and that's why he changed his mind and joined the Marines.

Elder Hill and I are doing great. Elder Hill served with me and Elder Vang in a threesome for a transfer last winter. He is the one who baptized Bao, Peter, and Lillian. He is the one who gets money from the government each month because he suffered some hearing damage while serving in the marines in Iraq firing artillery. He said those Howitzers are so loud, they'll make your heart skip a beat. He said the shock waves from all the explosions made his Game boy Advance SP go haywire and start turning on and off on its own. He has a lot of interesting stories. He is a good man. We get along great. :)

Still no change with Yer or Fu, but we made a breakthrough with Misty. We were teaching Tou Choua's parents the law of chastity, and explained that this is why Misty can't be baptized. They then told us that the reason they had not gotten the license papers done is not because they are flaky or lazy, but because Tou Choua doesn't want them done yet! He couldn't just tell us that, because any time we were with him, Misty was there too. He loves Misty, but doesn't feel ready to be married. It turns out Misty's parents kind of forced him to marry Misty culturally, and he would have rather waited. Chor and Mee are going to discuss with Tou Choua and Misty the possibility of Misty moving in with Cindy in Brooklyn Park for now, but we suspect Misty will not like the idea of being separated from Tou Choua.

Nouchi, Chor, and Mee are on track for baptism on the 13th. Brooklyn Park has a baptism on the 19th. It's a girl name Leanne, who has turned her life completely around.

We have a new investigator named Karen. Her Hmong name is "Kab Npaub", which mikafies into "Ka Bao" which is a fun, onomatapoetically explosive name in my opinion. She is pretty solid, and we may pick up her boyfriend, her mom, and her neighbor too.

Well, that's about all I've got for now. Hurrah for Israel!

-Elder Moua Ying