Riverside/Dows Lake Week 13

This week was good. Elder Wai is really cool. He is from California and will also go to BYU. We have been running which is great. Today we are actually going to go running with someone we are teaching. Should be really fun. Yesterday, we did several hours of talking to people on the street. No one was really interested. So, nothing really to talk about much. The guy we are going to go running with is doing really well. He has made friends with a lot of the members. One member who was joining us for the lessons invited him to go rock climbing and then they became good friends. have been to church 3 times. This past week he stayed 4 hours at church because there was a devotional and potluck that added to the normal 2 hours. He has also come to the Monday night activities, the Tuesday English class, and Wednesday institute, so he has been to a lot of church activities in just the past few weeks. Other than him, not really anyone else who is too interested. We had someone cancel a lesson with on Saturday and someone else tell us that the lessons were "theological brainwashing". He apologized after I texted him, but still dropped us all the same. So.... life is pretty fun! I think my favorite part of the day is eating. The snow is fine. We shovel the church sidewalks a lot. I know being on a mission is supposed to be a very spiritual experience. I definitely try to be in tune with what the Holy Ghost is saying. There's been a couple of times where I stop the car or tell Elder Wai to stop and we go talk to someone we see on the street just hoping that we are being led to this person. I have actually ran to chase some people down too. But, none of these instances have turned out to be the miracles you expect missionaries to have or that you pray for to have. I figured it would be like this, it just makes miracles more miraculous when they finally happen. We can only do what we can. Can't force anyone accept the blessings and goodness of the gospel. If only they could understand what they were missing! If only they would give a few minutes to listen! Just as the Israelites with Moses only needed to look to the Brazen serpent to be saved, people today only need to take a small portion of time to begin their journey on the true path! 

I have really surprised how far my Chinese has come given how much we do not speak it. I have been watching videos the church has made of Chinese missionaries teaching lessons and it been really effective. I feel like I remember words and grammar easier than before. I can definitely credit that to Heavenly Father and the Gift of Tongues. 

Love 

Elder Pinkney