Sept 6, 1991
Today was kind of a frustrating day. We saw a lot of people, but we didn’t have a chance to teach very much. A lot of the people that we went to teach weren’t home or weren’t free. We were able to talk to Tsee Vang. He told us that we could schedule a baptism for him on the 21st. He said that it was a tentative thing, but that he would work toward it. I really hope that he can stick to it.
Things with Elder Taylor are going well. i just wish that he would take a little control of what we are doing. When we run out of appointments, he will simply sit down and read until I come up with something else to do.
Sept 8, 1991
Grandpa Hansen called me last night from Reno, Nevada to ask if he could come and visit. I talk to the zone leaders and they called the AP’s and said that it would be okay. So tonight they came to see me! It was so good to see them. It was kind of a relief for me to see that we could still sit down and talk just like before my mission. It really made me feel a lot less tension about what it will be like when I get home. Grandpa and Grandma are both doing really well. They look just great. I still wish that I could be just like Grandpa. He has always been such a tole model for me. He and Grandma are seriously considering serving a mission. I wish they would hurry up and do it. I think that they would absolutely love that.
Church today was kind of discouraging. We didn’t get very many people out to church at all. i don’t really know why, but I guess it was just one of those weeks.
I was really touched today to see some of the real changes that have taken place in some of the members with whom I have been working closely. Tsee has really solidified his decision to be baptized. I am really excited to see him take that step. We still have a lot of teaching to do with him, but definite progress is being made.
I feel quite empty inside now that G&G have gone. I’m not to sure why. I guess it’s just a matter of being kho siab.
Sept 10, 1991
Well, I went on team-ups with Elder crook today. He is working with the Lao people and has been out of the MTC for two months. His Lao is not very good at all, so today was kind of a chance for him to practice without his senior comp around to help him. The only problem was that he kept trying to speak English to them instead of Lao. Anyway, as the day went on, he relaxed a little and started to do quite a bit better.
My companion went with Elder Bedell, the Zone Leader. In talking with Elder Badell tonight, my comp has committed to make some changes, and I hope he will. I have really been struggling with what to do to help my comp in the best way. Anyway, I think that the best way for me to really help him is to kind of give him the space to change. I think that I also need to push him into the forefront more and let him struggle a little on his own.
I can tell right now that one of the hardest things for me to do as a husband and parent is going to be knowing how much help to give my wife and my children and how much to let them learn on their own. I guess that my relationships with my companions are helping me to leaner some important lessons about fatherhood. I just hope that I can learn all of the things that I need to in time for me to be a good husband and father.
Sept 11, 1991
Today was kind of a slow day for missionary work. We had a really hard time finding anyone at home. All of the Hmong men have started to learn how to speak English, so it is kind of hard to catch them at home.
We did mange to catch a few people at home today. Her Thao is a lady we met the other day. She just moved up here from Fresno. She was baptized a number of years ago, but has been inactive for a long time. Her husband died recently, leaving her with 9 kids and one on the way. Anyway, we are tacking them, and they are extremely eager to learn. There are 4 children of baptismal age that we plan to baptize on the 28th of this month. I hope that all will go according to schedule.
Sept 12, 1991
We taught quite a few discussions today. We picked up a really good family this morning. They are the one that we helped move last week. Anyway, we went this morig and taught them a first discussion. It went really well. They are really a neat family. Hopefully we can baptize them sometime soon. I really love what I am doing here. I just wish that I wouldn’t get so homesick. I got a letter from home today. It sounds as though all is well there I also heard from Eric. He is absolutely loving life at BYU.
Sept 13, 1991
Today was surely a long day. It was Elder taylor’s first experience at planning a day by himself. It didn’t go so well. In fact, the only people we saw today were the people that I scheduled appointments with earlier in the week. i guess that planning a day’s worth of missionary work takes a little more practice than I had realized. That means that Elder Taylor will just have to keep practicing. I think that we will try alternating every other day. We’ll just have to see how it goes.
I got a letter from Kristin today. She is really doing well, She has really got things straight in her mind as far as what she wants out of the rest of her life and how she’s going to get it. She is really a wonderful girl. I can’t wait to see her! I am excited about the nest time I see her, but I am also somewhat apprehensive about what the next year has in store. have you ever wanted something so bad for so long that when you were about to get it you were scared to actually have it? That’s how I felt before college, before my first date with Kristin, before my mission, and now I feel that way about marrying Kristin. I’m scared. i guess I need to say a prayer and make sure that we are on the right track and then just go for it. That’s what I will do.
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