Hello!
I deeply, deeply apologize that last week was a bit of a bummer...I got
caught up writing a big fat ol' report to President Hawks and then the next
thing I knew we were out of time... :( 對不起.
So speaking of things that are big, old, and fat, this missionary who
fulfills each one of the requirements to be described with those distinctive
adjectives is now going to write you a big fat ol' email.
Last week was Temple Week, so that was wonderful. I love the temple. I'm
excited to be able to go on a much more regular basis when I get home. Something
funny about the temple is that because I have light sensitive migraines and the
temple is always so white and bright, I always get headaches when I go through.
But that's ok. It's a good headache.
We got to play some tennis today with Benji, a Prince sponsored coach from
the Philippines. They had these carpet courts covered in sand, and it reminded
me of Dad playing on carpet courts in Germany all those years ago. Super cool,
super fun.
The Welcome Center is also bumpin'. We live right behind the chapel, so we
can be in our desks doing studies and then get a call from the security guards
that there are people in the church speaking Mandarin and we are in the building
in our suits in less than 3 minutes. It's pretty cool. This week there were
these 4 women who came down from Mainland China who wanted to learn more.
Now...the thing with Christians and Mainland, speaking on a general scale of
information gathered from 21 months as a Mandarin missionary, is they either
know absolutely nothing about anything...never seen a Bible before, don't know
anything about Christ other than his name....or they are absolutely straight out
of Asian Alabama and they're throwing their arms all around and singing
"Hallelujah's" and "Amens" after everything you say. We showed them to the
chapel and I offered a prayer for us, and I honestly felt like I was starting my
own cult there...they were like chanting and repeating everything I said and
shouting praises to the rooftops, and then as soon as I said "Amen" another
sister just picked it right up from where I left off and start swinging her arms
around and just kept the prayer going....yeah it was rad.
We also had an amazing man named Edison walk in, and we shared some really
special time. He is a humble, true Christian from India and felt a prompting to
walk to a music store a different way than he usually does, and then saw this
building and felt he should come in. After we met for a while, he told us he's
going back to India that same night and he wants to have missionaries come and
meet with him and his wife and two kids in their home. So we got that all
arranged, and here's praying that it all goes as it should.
We were walking down the street the other day, and started talking to this
white guy...when our contact was interrupted by about 30 people walking by in
banana suits with alcohol in their hands singing at the top of their lungs. They
walked past us and were like "Hey! Mormons! Come on a mission with us! Woohoo!"
But in the end we decided there are better kinds of missions to be on, so we
didn't go.
All in all, it was an awesome week and then some. I'm still loving every
second I've got here! Trying hard to kick some spiritual butt but lots of times
getting kicked in the butt, but it's all awesome. I love you all, thanks for
your support and your prayers. They are greatly needed and appreciated.
Love, Elder Hafen
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