Okay so I've had a pretty crazy week this week with a lot of ups and downs but it all turned out good. So one big downer was that our baptism planned for the 28th of December fell through. My companion and I went over to Tswv Tuam's house last night and he was there all alone.(He is the one with a wife and two step daughters.) He told us this whole story about how his wife and him have really been struggling to get along and a lot of other stuff about how his wife is kind of taking advantage of him so they have decided not to get married the legal way and just stay hmong culture married. It was pretty heart breaking. But after we talked for him for about 40 minutes his wife and kids came home and so we had a pretty good chat with all of them. I have thought this whole time that Tswv Tuam was the reason that they weren't getting married but after this last lesson I realized how wrong I was. His wife right now has a pretty hard heart. She finally came out and told us after like 10 lessons that she really doesn't want to get baptized and that she hates her life right now. She told us that since she's the wife she expects Tswv Tuam to take care of her kids and provide for the family and take care of the house... So basically do everything. She also told us that she feels like he just keeps messing up and can't be a good husband.(Not true... even though Tswv Tuam is like 5 feet tall I look up to him so much) So we told her about forgiveness and that a husband and wife are equal in responsibility. Tswv Tuam apologized to her and said that he would do better and then he sang a song for his family. He sang O My Father and it was super spiritual for my companion and I and also the 2 girls. But the mom just pulled out her phone while he was singing and she started texting. Tswv Tuam started crying after he sang and it was probably the saddest thing I've ever seen. So after that we realized that really the problem was just the wife and that was really hard for me this week but we will keep teaching her and hopefully try and work their marriage out for them.
I think that God knew that this one got me down pretty bad because I was super pumped for their baptisms but He made up for it by giving me the coolest miracle so far on the mish. My companion and I were tracting down in West St. Paul and had been walking for a couple of hours and hadn't gotten in a house yet :'(. (Minnesota is really cold by the way I learned that this past week.) It was about time for us to head back up towards our house and we saw this big apartment building. We walk up to it but the door was locked and I couldn't get in. I was really tired and really wanted to teach so I just said to my companion "You know what we are getting in this building I don't care what it takes." So I started just ringing all the doorbells for the whole building and holding each of them down for like 5 seconds. After a couple of tries, finally someone answered and she said she would come down and see us. Her name is Txhiab and she is probably the coolest lady ever. She opened the door and we told her that God sent us to bring her a message and she let us right in. Anyways long story short we taught her the restoration, she came to watch a baptism of another recent convert, and has been committed to be baptized on January 18! She also has 6 daughters so I think we might have hit the jackpot. She does all of the commitments we extend to her and always asks what else she can do to get ready to be baptized. Before my mission I always heard stories about these kind of investigators but I didn't know that they were actually real until I met Txhiab. I'll send a picture of her next week.
So yeah those are the two big stories for the week. Also one of the members invited my companion and I to dinner this week and he told me he is feeding me something that makes even a lot of Hmong people throw up... Pretty Excited. Apparently it's some kind of ginormous bug that they have in Thailand so we'll see how that goes. But after a month of eating frog legs, pig brain, and boiled goat hooves, I think my stomach is ready for The Big Leagues. I loved that picture of the treehouse by the way mom that is so awesome. I'm totally taking that as my room when I get back. Also dad I hope your ready for some awesome mountain biking in two years. I thought that slickrock trail in Moab was heard but then I started biking in Minnesota. The roads are just pure ice and me and my companion fall like five times a day. Don't worry we wear a helmet and also there's nothing like watching your companion fall to give you a good laugh. But everytime he falls and I start laughing I always end up falling harder than he did...Karma.
So I love you all and Merry Christmas like three weeks early.(I'll probably say that every week for the next couple emails since Christmas is that awesome.)
-Elder Muaj Zoo
P.S. I forgot to tell you this week one of the speakers didn't show up in sacrament meeting and so I had to give a 12 minute talk on the blessings of the sacrament in Hmong... and I thought my farewell talk was hard.
The picture is of me and the boys at Hmong New Years, the most awesome crazy party ever. The other one is of me and Elder Xyooj gettin ready for some below zero biking :)
Answers to Mom's questions:
Yes we have our gear, we drive about 3 times a week, yes it is cold, and if you think the food I've talked about sounds bad... You should see the pictures :) Im healthy don't worry
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