Decision Made - 20th email from Macau

Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm going to Leeds. Decision made.

While I'm still a little hesitant about it because I'm still not quite sure exactly what the course entails or where I'm going to go after it, I've prayed long and hard and I feel that Leeds is the right choice. I guess that in the end, I've just got to take a leap of faith into the dark and trust that the Lord has my best interests at heart.

Now, as far as the most worrying part of your email, please kindly and lovingly tell Jess that I understand how she feels, I know a little of what she must be going through. I know from experience that if you don't feel like going to church, the best method of overcoming this is going to church every week until you DO feel like going to church. What's more, it says very plainly in the True to the Faith book, and in Preach My Gospel, that if you don't want to praying, you should pray until you do want to.

Also please tell Tim that he is my hero. Tell him to read the scriptures and pray (tell Jess to do that too) and that he needs to set a good example for Jess and for his other friends at church.

Anyway, now that those two problems are dealt with, let me tell you a little about our visit from Elder Nelson. We all arrived early at the Wan Chai chapel on Hong Kong island. This particular chapel is huge - a giant 11 floor red brick building in the middle of the busiest part of Hong Kong. We were all seated early, and I had a particularly nice seat about three rows back, right in the middle. When the speakers spoke from the pulpit, they were speaking right to me.

We all took a Mission picture with Elder Nelson, and then he shook each of our hands personally. I'll never forget the moment that Elder Nelson walked into the room where we were taking the picture - we were all standing, waiting for him. Some of us (including myself) were taking the chance to chat and joke with some missionaries we hadn't seen in a while. Then Elder Nelson entered the room. The entire place was silent immediately. I could feel the power Elder Nelson had - the only possible way to describe it is: electrifying. After the picture, he shook all of our hands. We also shook hands with the Asia Area Presidency, who live in the Wan Chai building, so we've seen all seen fair amount of them. Elder and Sister Watson asked me if I was still mad about him teasing me and calling me Elder Log Cabin last year. I told them I was over it.

Then we all went back to our seats and the meeting started. All of the Area Presidency and their wives addressed us first, then Sister Nelson, the Elder Nelson. It was like General Conference. And I assume that a prerequisite to marrying an apostle is being a good speaker, because Sister Nelson gave an amazing talk. Then Elder Nelson got up to speak. He said that he felt that some of us were fasting that day to recieve spiritual inspiration and answers to certain problems (at that point, I wished that I'd thought of fasting, because it seemed like a good idea) and so he was going to give us a little time for questions before he gave his talk. After Elder Rasband, I was ready with a question in mind. Another Elder beat me to the punch of asking the first question, but I was there with the second. I stood up and asked how I could find more focus as a missionary and avoid the distractions of the world. It occurs to me right now as I type this, that this question is actually mentioned in my Patriarchal Blessing. Elder Nelson smiled, and said "Great question." Then he said something that pretty much decided my university choice for me. He said, "What do you want more than anything else in life?" He wasn't expecting me to answer, but had I needed to, I would have said that I didn't know. But without any clear reason, the topic of universities jumped to my mind, and I felt that whatever it was that I wanted, the only place that could offer it to me was Leeds. Elder Nelson had answered the question in my heart and the question in my head both at the same time. He then went on to talk about something that had very little to do with my question - I'm sure the Spirit was prompting him to answer somebody else's personal question. I've come to understand that in these question and answer sessions, the General Authorities seem to use the questions asked to speak on more general points that teach to a wider audience. It's interesting to watch.

Elder Nelson's meeting was amazing - a real spiritual booster. He taught us so much that I don't have time to mention here, and I've found myself still, a week later, thinking back on the nuggets of wisdom I learned from him. It really was like General Conference had come to the Wan Chai building (that was something Elder Nelson pointed out as well).

My new companion, Elder Jackson, is really amazing. He and I are having a lot of fun together. Yesterday, because of his inspiration, we shared a conference talk called You Know Enough by Elder Neil L Anderson with one of our investigators, C B. As a result of the lesson, he committed to be baptized two weeks earlier than planned, because he realised that he didn't know everything, but he knew enough. Perhaps that's a good talk to review during FHE for Jess.

I love you all lots. Have fun looking for the cheapest possible option for housing in Leeds!

Love,

Elder Matthew Loffhagen