11/30/15
I'm not 100% sure why this happened, but it did. Elder Boyce, my companion, likes to sing. His dad actually helped start Vocal Point. For some inexplicable reason, the 'Star-Spangled Banner' gets stuck in his head more often than you would expect. So we were casually leaving our apartment to start the day's work and he starts singing the national anthem. Naturally, I start singing the bass part from my 9th grade choir because... You know I'm not really sure. Anyway, he's singing the melody and I'm pounding out the harmony in the elevator. Our elevator is very sneaky. I close my eyes right for the 'and the rocket's red glare' part where you just gotta let your soul scream to the world those high shrilly notes, and a few notes in I realize that we aren't moving. As I open my eyes, I see this Taiwanese lady looking at me like a rock. No smile. Nothing. She walks in after I move out of the way a little bit, pushes the door close button, and just sits there in silence all the way down. Guaranteed most awkward thing of my whole life. Elder Boyce and I were just dying of laughter afterwards.
I'm not 100% sure why this happened, but it did. Elder Boyce, my companion, likes to sing. His dad actually helped start Vocal Point. For some inexplicable reason, the 'Star-Spangled Banner' gets stuck in his head more often than you would expect. So we were casually leaving our apartment to start the day's work and he starts singing the national anthem. Naturally, I start singing the bass part from my 9th grade choir because... You know I'm not really sure. Anyway, he's singing the melody and I'm pounding out the harmony in the elevator. Our elevator is very sneaky. I close my eyes right for the 'and the rocket's red glare' part where you just gotta let your soul scream to the world those high shrilly notes, and a few notes in I realize that we aren't moving. As I open my eyes, I see this Taiwanese lady looking at me like a rock. No smile. Nothing. She walks in after I move out of the way a little bit, pushes the door close button, and just sits there in silence all the way down. Guaranteed most awkward thing of my whole life. Elder Boyce and I were just dying of laughter afterwards.
Unfortunately I don't have very much time do to a Christmas choir rehearsal thing my companion got us into, but I wouldn't be a missionary if I didn't share about Elder Stevenson coming and speaking to our mission. He came last Tuesday because his son is in the other Taiwan mission and his nephew is in ours. It was so amazing. One of my favorite things he said was this equation: obedience brings blessings, and blessings bring happiness. It was so simple and the way he explained it was amazing. Every single rule we keep as missionaries or every commandment we keep as individuals brings a blessing. In bed by 10:30? Blessing. Socks are a plain, dark color? Blessing. Study only the missionary library? Blessing. The way he said it really stressed the fact that any rule or commandment we keep--no matter how small or seemingly insignificant--brings blessings, and through blessings we are happy. That simple! On the subject of Thanksgiving, I truly am grateful for the chance to have living prophets and apostles in these latter days. The testimony he bore at the meeting absolutely filled the entire chapel with overwhelming power. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving filled with lots of pie! I love you all!
--
--
Elder Hawkes
P.S. The picture is of me and my companion on Thanksgiving. Tell Sister McMillen that we weren't able to get burgers because a member bought us dinner, but we did have that chocolate cake and that her money went towards those little 'glutinous rice balls' on my plate that are super super tasty. They have peanut butter in them and they are super gooey.
No comments:
Post a Comment