3/16/11 The "Larry" Epidemic

What a dandy of a conversion story. (Mom sent me her conversion story) I am so upset that all these awesome family gatherings happen when I'm away. I think our family is so rad. How can we be so united? I hope I can be in on many future gatherings and reunions.

So anyways, the APs called me and told me that on Saturday I'm going back to Macau. I know that God hears prayers. I will probably end my mission there or get pretty close to ending it there.

I don't know what I should say. Acutally recently we had a brother from Brazil who lived in New Zealand come to have his Chinese citizen wife get baptised. Stressful situation. We had to go through a lot of authority checking and even had to call the seventy who covers Mainland up to get permission. All in all, I am so worried about how those two communicate. His wife was really prepared and somehow understood all the commandments ahead of time but she can't even really speak English at four year old level yet. I guess the spirit can help them. The Brazilian man was a high priest and obviously a powerful force in the Lord's kingdom and the language in his prayers sounded like patriarchal blessings, but I am so baffled why he married someone he can't really talk with.

Anyways, we call this sort of phenomenon being a "Larry" (marrying a Chinese lady when it would probably have been more ideal not to). I don't really want to be like that.

So I am so excited to be back with the Indonesian sisters and Mandarin speaking students over there in my home in Macau.

I know the restored gospel is true. It just makes so much sense, it gives me such a calm reassurance that any question I have about my existance on earth can be answered simply and beautifully. I just get such a peace in my heart to know that life is not an accidental occurance in the universe. I also am so comforted that our church has a clear organization and has no contradicting doctrines or systems of belief that were created by men. It helps to be made from a restoration and not a reformation, its the only way that logically makes sense to establish God's church that was once lost on the earth. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon that it is a true history and the word of God. Joseph Smith couldn't have written it and could only have been translated it through the power of God. I read it and feel the love of my Heavenly Father.

I also have a testimony of the atonement. While I am still very far from being perfect, I know that I can be, I know that I must be if I want eternal happiness. I am so happy for the changes that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father have helped me make so far in my life and I strive to continually better myself through repentance. I hope to be worthy to have an eternal family one day.

I love you guys and still want feedback on my hairbrained idea to be an elemenary school teacher at Wasatch. I appreciated Laura's encouragement for me to be a Larry.

Hua Zhanglao

p.s. Next time I write you, Im in Macau