"That area is so OP"

Quote of the week explanation

This was actually said several weeks ago, but I felt now would be an appropriate time to make it public seeing how the truthfulness of the statement is surely being realized.  It was uttered by one of the Cantonese elders who were reassigned from the Hong Kong mission back when the whole COVID thing was only starting to ramp up. He spent three weeks serving in the Golden Gate and Bay (the English) wards before they created the Cantonese area, and he said that all they would ever do is go from lesson to lesson. It was as if people found themselves.

And oh my, how true that sometimes seems to be. Prior to coming here, each area that I served in was more standard in terms of this mission, in order to make things happen you had to be working pretty dang hard. In this area, people just seem to come out of the woodwork. Oh, you're still working hard alright, but instead of that work being knocking on doors until your knuckles are white and cracked like the rocky peaks of the Himalayas (or in true shelter in place fashion making phone calls until the phone dies and then switching the sim card to the other phone and making phone calls until that one dies (OK, that might be a little dramatic, but you get the picture), your hard work is all concentrated on teaching. And then teaching some more. And then teaching some more.

It's crazy. If you were to come to this area and didn't work hard I imagine things would still find ways to happen, so when you are actually "laboring in the vineyard with all your might" (as the companionships in this area have all been doing for some time) the growth is insane.

Already we have three people who are almost literally clamoring to be baptized, and another who has accepted that invitation as well. We just had a second lesson with another guy who told us he believes the Book of Mormon is true, and we have numerous appointments scattered throughout next week with people who we've found via phone calling. Insane.

One guy who I'll highlight in particular this week is known by us as Mr. Li. He's been meeting with missionaries for some time now, and is ready to be baptized except for the one lingering issue of kicking a smoking habit. While that sounds like, and is indeed, a formidable hurdle to conquer, as of the present he has reduced from smoking 10 cigarette a day down to 2. We're working with him right now to make it 1 and then after that the goal of total abstinence. 

But anyway, I'll leave it like that. I can't go getting too righteous on you, now. You'd not recognize me.

So yeah, enough from little old me.

Bye.

-Ben

P.S. Oh man, we also went to drop off a baptismal record to a guy who lives just outside of the tenderloin and we had to park right in the middle of that storied part of town. I will say this: it's not for the faint of heart.

P.P.S. And I thought I had seen a lot of illicit needle work during my tenure in Oakland.

P.P.P.S. We did witness a rather interesting public rap battle though.