Riley #6 - Another LA Mandarin Missionary, MTC Choir, 1 Corinthians 1

Hi Everyone!

  

     Thanks for the packages and photos. I got the sandwich the same day, so it was great! If you get it there before 5:00, I can usually pick it up the same day. 

     

    I stopped by the front desk to ask about your glasses, and they said that I might be able to get them to you through the mail system. I will let you know when I find out more.

     I ran into Mollie today, and she said that she might be able to upload the pictures for me before she goes. She said she'd get back with me.

Doing laundry together

    I will have 2 weeks left as of tomorrow. I should be getting my travel papers on Thursday. I'll let you know the details.

   We are getting three new Chinese districts tomorrow, so we are going to be getting a new teacher and losing one of the ones we have now. I heard that one of the new missionaries coming is going to LA, so I will finally be able to meet one of the missionaries I will be serving with.

     I met the Kesler's grandson. He actually entered before me, so I had seen him before, but didn't know his name.

    I have been going to the choir here and enjoy it a lot. The songs are good, and the director is great. He tells us a story or message associated with each song. Sometimes it is about how the song came about. Other times, he tells stories he associates with the message of the song. The stories are taken out of the lives of the presidents of the church, or other well-known church leaders.

MTC Missionary Choir

    While it is great to sing, I think I enjoy his message even more. Through his message, the song takes new meaning for us. Even though some of the people there have never sung in a choir before, they can sing wholeheartedly, because the song means something to them.

     This week I also read in 1 Corinthians 1. The end of chapter 1 was particularly meaningful. It describes our feelings as missionaries rather accurately.

    We aren't smarter or wiser than the people we are teaching; we have the same needs as them. However, through the gospel what we teach and how we teach comes from God. We are called by Him. It is only because of His gospel, only because of Him, that anyone can become converted.

     It is because of Him that we can teach, and that the people we teach can learn.

(Click to Enlarge)

     However incompetent we may feel sometimes, as it says in verse 25, so long as we are acting under the authority of God, we can teach.

Tell the Keslers I saw their grandson.

                                                                                       Love,
                                                                                       Elder Bowman