English class is exploding with 39 people attending this week! Our numbers are on the rise! Woohoo! With some advice from my Zone Leaders, I've started doing some new things with my district, including Tuesday night follow-ups on each of the teacher's lesson plans. As I've put more effort in being accountable to my fellow missionaries, I've noticed that the overall quality of my lessons have become much more professional, and I ended last Wednesday with students coming up to me and telling me what they had learned.
In fact, we're seeing some miracles come out of English class as of late. Richard, a student in my class, was originally Atheist but while meeting with the other Elders in Gangshan, he told them that "the spiritual shares in English class have changed [his] life," and that "because of the things [he's] learned, [he has] started to have personal prayers every day." English class truly is an effective tool in finding prepared souls.
But he's not the only one who was touched. Another one of my students, Kim, talked with my companion Elder Erekson last Wednesday and asked him if we could meet with his family. "I'm really impressed with you guys," he said. "I want my two kids to be like you. I want them to be independent to be able to learn a language and grow their talents. I want them to have the happiness and confidence you guys have." So on Saturday, we came to his house and sat down with him, his wife, and his two teenage children. They had a lot of interest, and they are a very cool, happy family. After some time, the doorbell rang, and in walked two other students in my class, who happen to be related to the wife of the family. Apparently Kim had called them and told them he was having the missionaries over, and they wanted to learn about the church as well. So now we are teaching a beautiful family of six people, and we have high hopes for them. They weren't able to come to church this Sunday (the daughter has a big test in high school, and the family wants to support her), but they committed to coming the following week. I'm so excited!!!
This week was our last Zone Conference with President and Sister Bishop. It was bittersweet: the whole conference was focused on getting ready for the transition from President Bishop to President Blickenstaff, so we were sad to see our "dad" go, but we were also looking forward to being able to build this new relationship with our next Mission President.
President Bishop has been a terrific role model for me. When Elder Evans and Elder Wilson of the seventy came to tour the mission, they told us that they had never seen another Mission President with as much love for their missionaries as they saw President Bishop love us. He truly loves and cares for each and every one of his missionaries. I looked forward to the times when I could sit down with him for ten minutes and talk with him about how things were going, and receive instruction from him. He is a hero to me, and I hope I can become a man like him someday.
I love you all, have a fantastic week!
-Elder Jorgensen
“Freak rainstorm. It rained buckets for about ten minutes, and then blue skies!”
“I'm getting tired of oatmeal, so I tried my hand at bacon and hash browns.”
“That child of the devil, that demon, that cockroach hiding behind my sink.”
“Elder Erekson diligently studying his Chinese.”
“Our office.”
“Birthday pictures! Me and Elder Davis's birthday.”
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