Before I say anything at all....... HAPPYYYYYYYYYYYYY BIRTHDAYYYYYYYYYYY MOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!! and hello to everybody else-
Happy Birthday Mom. From everyones letters it sounds like you are doing awesome. Thanks so much for all that you have done for me these past 18 years. I have noticed so many times on my mission that the things you have taught me have been a great blessing to me and to those that I serve. Also because of you I actually do the laundry and clean my dishes. Not a skill that every missionary has mastered but because of you I'm getting the hang of it.
When I think of all that I have learned from you I think of the story of the 2,000 strippling warriors and there faith which they had because of their mothers. In Alma Chapter 56 verses 47-48 it talks about how although the strippling warriors had never fought in war (or served a mission in this case) they did not fear because of the things their mothers taught them.
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.
Mom I would say that you are comparable to the mothers of the strippling warriors but I think I would have to say that you are even better. You raised me which I'm sure was a much harder task then the moms of those warriors. And not only did you raise me but you did it in a way that you really can't describe. It's like you knew the person that you wanted me to become when I was just a wee little lad and then you did everything and more to make sure I became that person. Because of that I'm not sure I'll ever be able to thank you enough. One more thing that you tried to teach me before I left on my mission was writing thank you notes. I realized that I never said thanks for the Christmas packages... sorry. But now I am officially giving you a huge thanks.
I hope that this week was awesome for you and that your birthday was bodacious. Also when you see all of my friends moms at lunch if you could tell them two things then I think that'll do. 1. Tell them thank you for feeding me all the times that I was over at their house. 2. Tell them thank you for raising me like a son of their own. I looked up to all of their kids so much(since I was the youngest of all the boys) and I really will never forget all that their sons did for me.
So this week has been a really good week and I have learned so much from all that happened. One of the families who we are teaching (I will put a picture in this time) was really struggling and my companion and I had an awesome lesson with them this week. There family has been struggling to get along and to have peace in their home so my companion and I decided to go over eat some pie, watch some mormon messages, and play some games. The lesson was going ok but it wasn't quite the spiritual bomb that we were hoping for. Before we left my companion asked them to all sit down on the couch together and he would take a picture of them. After he took the picture he handed the camera to the mom and said, "What do you see?" She paused for about 30 seconds and didn't say anything. Then she started crying and said, "I see a happy family." After that my companion and I both bore powerful testimonies on the plan of salvation (I think that since Chandler's death, and with my companions cousin and grandpa passing away both of us have gained such a sure knowledge that we will live forever) and I have never felt the spirit like that before. All of us in that room were quiet for a little bit and we just sat there and listened to the Spirit. I think it's safe to say that they know now what they need to do to be a happy family. I will probably never forget that night for as long as I live. Just the look on the mom's face when she looked at my companion and I and she knew that her family could be happy through the gospel. If I never do another thing on my whole mission, I could say that it was worth it just for that.
That's all for this week and things are going really well. I love all you guys and hope that you've been keeping busy. It is spring time here in Minnesota and it's been really nice. Yesterday I think it got up in the forties so my companion and I decided to bust out the short sleeves and the Hmong ties. Peace out
Love Elder Muaj Zoo Vwj
P.P.S. Dad thanks for those scriptures, they are so awesome.
A pic of a little p day activity that I chose for me and the other elders. Best P Day of all time.
This is the family that we taught and this is the picture that we showed them.
