Your Brother Is Really Happy

    Bloomington is bumpin. We have had some interesting experiences this past week. First, I got to use my landscaping skills that I learned from doing that for like 3 weeks before the mish. There is a part member in our ward who have been taught by missionaries for quite awhile but we had a neat opportunity to help them progress this past week. They are redoing their house because they want to move do a different area in the city and so I told her that I used to do landscaping before my mission, (I didn't say that all I did was pretty much dig holes and mow lawns,) and she took that to mean that I am an expert tradesman. So we built a big cement retaining wall for her garden, replaced a window well, and are planning to rebuild the deck this next week. I'm learning a lot but the bad thing is I have to learn by experience which can cause some roadblocks. The cool thing is that the dad came to church this Sunday, (he is the nonmember) and he stayed for all 3 hours which he has never before done, even though his wife has been a member her whole life. Pretty sweet.

     Here are some other highlights of the week:

       I drank chocolate covered maple smoked bacon flavored soda. It blew my mind.

       A less active who is my favorite guy in the world came to church this past sunday and prayed with us in our lesson. 

     We are teaching a man who is a quadripolegic, and he has a date set for an     August 9th baptism. He has been taught by missionaries for 3 years but finally read the book of mormon and feels that it is true. Gotta love that book.

     Elder Crapo and I, along with our current calling, are now duel training a missionary as well. His name is Elder Fabrizio. He is a super stud kid. He is also ginormous. He is 6' 4" and 215lbs. He has a scholarship to Utah to play safety. I love him. 

     This Tuesday my MTC teacher is getting sealed in the temple in Minnesota so I get to go see him.

     Tomorrow the kids in the family of 7 that I taught in Minneapolis are getting baptized:)!!!!!!!!

     There is a lot going on at this time with transfers coming up as well so I appreciate all the prayers I can get. 

     Almost forgot. This last Friday was 9 years since James passed away and I had a really neat miracle that day. When I woke up in the morning in my prayer I said something along the lines of, "Dear God, I know the church is true and all, but it would be pretty sweet if you sent me a message that James is happy and doing well, thanks, Amen."

     So we headed off to a zone training that went well. But after the meeting, one of the missionaries, Elder Morgan, came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, I don't know why but I feel like I just need to tell you that your brother is really happy and is doing a great work for God right now. My jaw literally dropped through the floor. It was so cool. I will love him forever for that. 

   

                                                                               Love,

                                                                                  Koj tus Phooj Ywg 

I Don't Know If I Have Ever Felt So Much Love For A Complete Stranger

 That's right everybody. I finally get to go to the temple this week after like a 9 month absence. I am pumpeddd!!!!! But even better is that this week, I am not going for the usual but get to witness the sealing of a family that Elder Moss and I have been teaching for the past 4 months. They were less active and all of a sudden in just 4 short months, the father became the 2nd counselor in the branch, the wife is in primary, and their daughter was baptized. They are probably one of the favorite families on my whole mission and I can't wait for this Saturday. Also T is the dad's brother and he is returning to activity and is preparing for the melchezidek priesthood in a few months and J our recent convert just got called to be the Secratary in young womens which is awesome. So to wrap it up, things are pretty much as sweet as the Utes crushing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

     This past week Elder Moss and I saw many miracles and one in particular built my testimony of fasting a lot. The Spanish Elders that live near us were struggling to find people to teach and were having a hard time so I decided to do a fast with them that things would begin to improve. Elder Moss was out on exchanges at the time and one of the Karen missionaries was with me. But anyways during the exchange we ended up finding a young man named Jose on the street and set up an appointment the next day and at the time I didn't really think anything about it. But then the next day when we went back we met the coolest Spanish family who is so prepared to hear the gospel. The mom was raised Catholic and it was the first time she had prayed without reciting words and the Spirit was so strong even though she was speaking in Spanish and I had no idea what she said in her prayer, I know the Lord answered her. The Spanish missionaries are now teaching them. God really does answer when we fast.

      This second miracle was a little bit of a sadder note but still really cool. A family in our branch has a father that has cancer and they called us over to give him a priesthood blessing. Before the blessing we asked them to share some of their favorite memories about their dad. The oldest daughter shared a story that I will never forget. She said, " I remember when I was around 11 years old living in Laos and we were running away from the soldiers and guards who were trying to kill us. There was about 100 of us in the group and my dad was the leader. Many of the younger people in the group would often go hungry and my dad would give them his food and go days without eating. I remember watching him eat the grass that would grow because he was so hungry and there was nothing left to eat. My dad led us through the hardest things anyone could imagine and he never complained once. If that's not a true father, then I don't know what is." Her father was never a member of the church and still hasn't accepted the gospel, but before I said the prayer for them, I looked over at the man, who was skinny to the bone and looked frailer than anyone I've ever seen, I felt in my heart that he was one of the most Christlike people I had ever met. I learned a really good lesson that day.        

        Yes, this is the true church, and yes you do need the ordinances performed by the priesthood, but the more important thing is that we are Christlike. I don't know if I have ever felt so much love for a complete stranger but I will be grateful forever the example that he set for me that day.

       Hope we all strive to do something a little more Christlike today.

                                           

 

                                                                   Elder Muaj Zoo

I Will Probably Never Forget That Night

      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.