Email #18

Soooo I just figured out the e-mail from last week didn't send through for some reason, so here is the first one from last week and I'm typing this week's right now! And I had to take the pictures off too for some reason :( I'll try attaching them in a separate e-mail. 

KUV... HLUB... NEJ!!!        { I... Love... You!!! }

Highlights from this week...

• As you can see in the lovely attached picture, we had dinner at a super-Hmong sister's house for dinner the other night. And unfortunately, she ran out of plates so all the meat was placed on a Frisbee... funny thing is that we're pretty sure she really thinks the Frisbee is a plate - It was so funny!
• Speaking of crazy food experiences, guess what animal I ate the other night - A Bear! Some members surprised Elder Allen and I with dinner when we came to teach them and sure enough, we had bear! It was actually really good. I kinda-thought eating bear was illegal or something, but I guess not... :)
• This last Wednesday Elder Allen and myself were, for no reason known to me, chosen to help with the incoming new missionaries! It was so weird because I've literally only been here for one transfer (6 weeks) so it was weird to already be helping with new missionaries because it literally feels like that was me yesterday. Anyways, we each took out a missionary on 'Open-your-mouth', which is basically we each take the missionaries out to a specific area and go tract and talk to everyone we see to get the 'jitters' and hesitancy to talk out of the new missionaries. I don't know if you remember one of my first e-mails out here, when I went out on 'open-your-mouth' it was when I saw that little girl get hit by the car.... so freaky...... anyways, it was so interesting because what ended up happening was Elder Ennis and myself tracted into a minister for another church and it basically turned into him wanting to bible bash. He made lots of sense logically, but it was so painfully obvious that there was ZERO spirit there as we talked about our varying beliefs. It really just made me so much more grateful for what we had. It really stood in stark contrast to...
• Elder Allen and I had a GREAT lesson this week with two recent convert sisters. They are amazing. Straight up. The lesson we taught was about how the Lord is preparing people in their lives right now to learn about the gospel and the Spirit was sostrong, especially as they bore testimony of how they had felt the Holy Ghost during their conversion and continue to want to feel it more fully in their lives. It was somewhat of an epiphany of me to compare these two experiences and just realize how true the gospel is. 
• This week has been filled with the most AMAZING sunsets! About once a month we drive out to Madera (about a 45 minute drive from Fresno) to visit some members out there, and it is awesome just to drive through the country side and soak up the California sun. I LOVE BEING IN THIS MISSION!
• Another unexpected perk of being in this mission is that I get to play the piano in primary about every other week. I included a picture because it shows my nice part really well. Did I tell you that we're required to have parts in this mission? Anyways, I think I've been pulled into playing for the primary program... I LOVE BEING IN THIS MISSION! (take ii)
• In last week's e-mail I mentioned that I was going to a baptism that night for our neighbor - It was such an INCREDIBLE experience. I honestly can't think of many situations that i have felt the Spirit stronger. Elder Allen and I got to be the witnesses and help in giving him the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and I'm honestly just grateful to be here in Fresno just to witness these miracles unfold before me.

To be honest, this week has been hard because our teaching pool has been dropping, but I KNOW there are Hmong people here in Fresno that are being prepared for ME to share the gospel with. I love being a missionary. I love you all so much. You drive me to be a better representative of the Lord and to make you proud of the man I am becoming. Continue to pray for me, but more importantly for the people being prepared for me to teach, and I'll continue to pray for you!

Sib Ntsib Dua!

- Hlub,      ( Love, )

  Tub Txib Tshaj Lug Vwj       ( Elder Matthew David Doane)

I always feel like I'm leaving out so much when I send these.... Anyways, Until Next Week!