Conference

Dear all,

Well, I hear a bunch of stuff changed in Conference this year. Unfortunately, I watched most of it in Chinese, so I'm still not 100% filled in on all the changes. I'll just wait for the Ensign to really get filled in. It was a good experience though. We only got a good amount of people from the branch to watch the Sunday morning session, but at least some people came. 

In other news, we were really busy on Friday because we had a lunch appointment with Sharon (I feel like I've mentioned her before, but I'm not sure. She's from Shang Hai, in her thirties, and has a teenage daughter. She's super cool and very willing to learn). We went over with Alice and Cedric,  ate some crazy good Shang Hai cuisine, and taught her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Cedric sort of hi-jacked the lesson, even though he doesn't speak Chinese. It was a little tricky, but we got the information across. She accepted what is known as a "soft baptismal invitation" (she said she would prepare to be, but we didn't give her a date) and seemed really excited about it. It was a really good appointment.

Friday night was the annual Stake Easter Concert. A lot of people came. A lot of Chinese non-members came to sing with the "Chinese community Choir." They even sang a song from the children's hymn book, but they're all pretty anti[Mormon], so there isn't a lot of hope trying to preach to them. It's good they get the exposure though. One day maybe they will be ready. I sang in the missionary choir and the Branch choir. 

Alice moved to a newer, fancier apartment yesterday, so now she lives more than a block away from us, but still not that far. We probably won't get as much food anymore. :(

Oh, also, transfer call is this Saturday. I might move, but probably not.

That's pretty much it for me. Things go on.

Elder Hadden

Mormonspeak:

Conference:  General Conference.  General conferences are the semiannual worldwide gatherings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church members gather to receive guidance and encouragement from Church leaders about gospel living based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. There are five sessions:  Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Priesthood or Women's session on Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon.

Ensign:  The monthly publication for church members.  The Ensign magazine provides spiritual messages for adults, youth, and children. Contents also include church news and briefs.

Stake:  The stake is an intermediate level in the organizational hierarchy of the LDS Church. The lowest level, consisting of a single congregation, is known as a ward or branch. Stakes are organized from a group of contiguous wards or branches. To be created, a stake must be composed of at least five wards.

non-members:  people who are not LDS church members.

transfer:  every six weeks, missionaries in a mission are rearranged.  Sometimes they get moved to a new apartment, sometimes they get a new companion, and sometimes nothing changes.