HAPPY P-DAY (PRESIDENT'S DAY)

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

Hey guys! Still alive and out here. It was a pretty typical week as far as missionary work goes, although we have been a lot busier now than when I first got here. I guess I'll kinda just go day by day.

Tuesday: So Tuesday, we tried contacting a lot of people, and a ton of them weren't home, but we had a bomb lesson with Michael and Jasmine. We taught about the law of tithing, which was like the last big hurdle before baptism this Saturday. Surprisingly, they were both super down to do it, and Jasmine really like the idea of fast offerings, so like I was amazed at how prepared they are and just their willingness to pay tithing, like they really don't have much money and they both live with Michael's grandma. So that was awesome! Then after that, we taught a lady we found last week named Leliha (pronounced Lee-la), and we taught the Restoration and then invited her to read the Book of Mormon and she was excited to read. We haven't had the chance to follow up yet. We also had dinner up in Yuba City that night with an old couple from the Hmong ward, the Smith's (they're white). She's in the Relief Society presidency. All of the Hmong people have been telling their stories to people and having them written down so that their history is not lost. Hmong people didn't have a writing system until like 1950, and a lot of older Hmong people don't even know how to read or write. They just lived in the mountains of Laos. But one of the stories she told us was of an old niam tais in the ward named Kawm. She is amazing. She was born in Laos and lived there and then got married and pretty much after the Vietnam War was moving around cities like every 3 months with her husband and family before going to a refugee camp in Thailand for 10 years I think. After that, they were given the choice to remain in Thailand or come to the U.S., so they decided to come here and it was really scary for them. They had no idea what it would be like or like what a stove or toilet or anything like that was. So she came here with her husband and kids. I think she had always believed in God, but then there was one day that she was praying to God asking to know which church to go to, and then within the next like 3 days the missionaries knocked on her door and the rest is history. She is super faithful and amazing and super active and does our dinner calendar. Her husband didn't convert though. I think what happened was he still did the Old Culture, but Kawm knew the church was true and he made her choose between him and God and she chose God and now lives by herself and comes to church by herself but oh my heck, I just love her so much and know that God is so happy with her. Anyway, sorry for the tangent, that is just such an amazing story of the Hmong people, and only one of like the thousands of stories like that from all the Hmong people. Everyone has an amazing, unique, powerful story. 

Wednesday: District meeting, talked about the Book of Mormon and what it is and how to explain it to people. It was cool because the few days after district meeting, we were able to really apply what we learned. We went and contacted and saw some people, nothing too crazy. Dinner was good. We ate with an old couple in the ward named the Xiong's. They are awesome, only speak Hmong though, haha. We had some boar and zaub (just green vegetable plant stuff) and some chicken. When Hmong people kill something, they eat the entire thing. Sister Xiong, the niam tais (grandma), really likes chicken head. So we were just eating and she's just like gnawing on this chicken head and its neck and then she bites into it and then eats the brain and I just laughed, haha. She's awesome.

Thursday: We helped Tim and went and saw some people and taught some lessons and it was a good day. Nothing too much to report on though. I'm going to skip ahead. Still worked hard though, don't worry.

Friday: Tried to contact a lot more people. Nothing was really panning out. Had a video lesson with Jasmine and Michael. We went over the interview questions, and they are all ready to be baptized!!! Super prepared, and they are gonna be baptized this Saturday, so that will be awesome!!! Also, we had dinner in Yuba because we were doing some work up there. We went to this Mexican food place, and I got a way good burrito. There are so many Hispanics in this area, so there are so many good Mexican places. Elder Gunsay just likes to try a bunch of different places and I think this was #7, probably the best burrito yet. I'm developing a love for a good burrito, haha. Also, it was Hermana Eppich's birthday on Sunday, so Elder Gunsay and I got her a present. She has literally been here since I got here, while everyone else is new, haha. 

Saturday: Had a lesson with Mai and Pheng in the morning... at 8:30... too early, haha, but it was a good lesson. We have finished everything so now we are kinda just going over the gospel principles book. Things went well, we had a good discussion, and at the end Mai was pretty emotional and the member we brought, Kang (she's my hero, I love her so much. Phab ej) was super good and knew just what to say, and it was awesome. Unfortunately, later in the day, Mai got the flu, and her two kids already had it, but somehow Elder Gunsay and I escaped unscathed, knock on wood. Later Saturday, we had a lesson with a  guy named Juan. He's from Mexico. He was a bible request a few weeks ago, and we have just been teaching him every week, and this past week he was a lot more promising! He had read the pamphlet and had lots of good questions, and he thought the Book of Mormon was about Joseph Smith, so it was fun setting that straight for him. His wife only speaks Spanish though... and like we have Hermana's, Hermana Eppich and Feveryear, who could teach him and his wife in Spanish, and the Spanish branch he could go to, but every time we bring it up, he just kinda says no. So anyway, more about Juan in a minute.

Sunday: This was by far the most crazy, stressful Sunday of my life. Like holy cow. So we had set a goal for 8 investigators to come to sacrament meeting, which was a pretty high goal. The Xiong family was sick though, so they couldn't make it and so we figured there was no way we would hit that goal. So church rolls around and Juan was able to bring his wife (who only speaks Spanish) and his 4 sons!! He is used to like churches with bands and clapping and high energy and what not, so this was a pretty new experience for him. Also, Michael and Jasmine came, and everyone had a good experience!! It was crazy! Elder Gunsay was like taking care of Michael and Jasmine, and then I was trying to help Juan and his family and it was just crazy. Meanless to say, we hit our goal of 8 investigators to church, and it was a miracle and the most people we've ever got so that was way cool! God is truly blessing us for our hard work! The best part of Sunday though was when bishop complimented us for our hard work. When I got here, he was not very friendly to us, and didn't like missionaries very much, but he told us we were doing a good job yesterday and it made me so happy, haha. 

Well, that's my week. It was another great week to do the Lord's work!! We're just stuck in Wheatland today for Preparation day, so Elder Gunsay and I baked some bread, haha. Love you guys. Thanks for all the love and support and for the Valentines package. I loved that!! Keep choosing the right and doing what God has told us to and you will have success!! That's one thing I am definitely coming to know out here, obedience brings blessings!! 

Love,

Elder Muaj Koob

SUNNY AND . . . WELL, ALMOST 75

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Hello family!! Thanks for all of the emails and love sent my way this past week, love you guys!! Looks like Grandma's 90th birthday party was a good time. Sad I missed it, haha. But this past week was AWESOME!!!! Like seriously, it was a great week, we had some awesome stuff happen. 

Tuesday: So Tuesday, an old lady in the ward needed us to fill up some gas cans for her, and she lives clear out in camp far west, which is like diamond ranch area if you're in St. George, like it's just the middle of nowhere. But it's super beautiful. So anyway, we went out there, picked up all the gas cans. I felt like I was back at the RV park just filling up gas cans, haha. We were filling them all up, but then the very last one had a hole in it, so gas just starting going everywhere, and our truck was already full of gas so we had no place to put it so we ended up just giving it to the people next to us... kinda sketchy, but it's all good. Then we had a lesson with Michael and Jasmine, and we taught about the commandments and obedience to set up for the big commandments like word of wisdom and law of chastity and what not. It was a good lesson.

Wednesday: We had district meeting. There are 2 new people in the district. So now, since the day I arrived, every single person is new except Elder Gunsay and one spanish sister, Hermana Eppich. Everyone else in the zone is new too, so I feel like a veteran even though I haven't been out that long, haha. After district meeting, we went back and taught Michael and Jasmine again because they were free and we need to crank through these lessons for them to get baptized. We taught them the Word of Wisdom... we were scared for this lesson because we knew that Michael liked to drink. But we taught it and everything went well. Michael said he would not drink, but Jasmine apparently drinks tea... we did not see that coming. Like who actually drinks tea?!?! But anyway, she committed to live the word of wisdom too, which was awesome, and Elder Gunsay and I committed to not eat sugar until after their baptism to kinda be supporting them too! So it's been fun not eating sugar. Actually, it gives us an excuse to not have desserts for dinner appointments which is nice, haha. Kinda bad timing right close to Valentines day, I guess, but hey, living the word of wisdom can be really hard for some people. Also, ate at In N Out Wednesday night because we were finding up in Yuba. OH ALSO, forgot to say, but Michael made the decision that he wants to be baptized with Jasmine too!!! So that was a miracle!! And he wants me to baptize him too, so that will be fun, haha.

Thursday: Thursday we helped Tim do some service around the house again. It was fun. He and his wife went to the stake Valentine's day dance, so that's a step in the right direction! He's still not open to the church, but he likes us a lot more now so that's good. After that, we had another lesson with Michael and Jasmine, because they usually just sit at home and don't really do anything haha. This time, we taught the law of chastity, which was easy because they just out of the blue decided to get married last like October, so that was nice. However, Jasmine has a potty mouth.. so swearing was a fun subject to cover, but she is working on it, and it is not something that can stop her from being baptized, so that's good. Also, had a good lesson with Dalton, the kid who we baptized first week in the mission. He's doing good. He did just break his arm and have ear surgery though... but he's doing good, haha. 

Friday: So Friday we had a lesson with Mai and Pheng. So that's their names, or if I say Maiv and Pheej it's the same people, just spelled in Hmong but pronounced the same. Their last name is Xyooj, but the English spelling is Xiong. So anyway, we thought that Mai's brother, SP (who we taught the past 2 weeks) would be there, so we prepared to teach the plan of salvation to him, but he wasn't there... we ended up just teaching about tithing without any preparation, but it was still a great lesson!! They are like so prepared for baptism. I just keep praying that something will work out. After that, we pretty much ended up just weekly planning for the day, and then going to Panda express for dinner with an old lady in the ward. She's like our grandma. Her name is Sis. Femling and she is so nice. We ate out a lot this week.

Saturday: Today was a good day. So Kennith and Carissa, Mai and Pheng's kids, are never able to be there for lessons because of school, so we made a video lesson and sent it to them, so that was pretty fun. I'll see if I can send the video, I probably won't be able to tho... then we went and tried to find people... it was kinda rough, like we spent an hour in the nicer part of town, and literally nobody talked to us. The best was when I said "hi, how are you, we're missionaries" and then boom they slammed the door just like that. People don't know what they are missing out on. 

Sunday: Sunday was great!! Jasmine and Michael came to church and really liked it! So that was cool. Jasmine didn't really like Relief Society, but that's ok, we're just taking it one step at a time. Then we hurried up to the Hmong branch, and got there after the last hour had ended, but made it just in time to see the Xiong family. They went to church too!! Then, this was a miracle, there was a random family from Fresno who came and brought their son who lives here, and the son is not a member, so we hit our goal of 7 people to sacrament!! This was the first week ever in the my whole mission we hit all of our goals in one week. We have just really seen a lot of miracles lately! Also, at the end of my training, beginning of last transfer, Elder Gunsay and I made a prayerful goal for the upcoming 2 transfers to baptize 5 people. With Allison last week and Jasmine and Michael this month, we just need 2 more people before the end of March. So we decided to fast on Sunday so that we might be able to find 2 new people who could enter into the covenant of baptism and we would hit our goal before Elder Gunsay leaves the area. So we're really hoping and have faith that we will see miracles this week!! It should be another great week!! 

As far as studies go, this past week I studied the allegory of the olive tree in  Jacob 5, man it is just so good. Like it's about missionary work too, and it got me so pumped to do missionary work. I've been trying to have more love for others too, and as I've been studying charity, I've realized it is literally the most important thing to have... if we don't have charity, nothing else matters. Granted, charity encompasses pretty much all other attributes, but still. So I've been trying to love others more, just like everyone regardless of what they do, and the Lord gave me a great chance to develop charity this past week. I was working out in the morning this past week, and I was running in place I think, and it was early, but I didn't think I was being very loud, and the guy in the downstairs apartment starts banging on the roof!! At first, I was super mad 1) because he always blasts his music late at night and it literally shakes our apartment and 2) because he didn't even come talk to us, just banged on the roof. But after thinking about it more, I changed what I was doing and decided to just let it go and forgive him. So my challenge for you guys this week is to try a little harder to be nicer to mom and dad, or to not be angry if some guy cuts you off, or to be a little more patient with the kids... you get the point. I promise you guys that as you love each other more that everything will go better!!

Sorry for the super long email, but there's a reason why I only send a long email to the family, haha. 

Love you guys! 

Love, 

Elder Muaj Koob

 Heres some pics of Michael and Jasmine... the sun was super bright.

Also, we hit all our goals

And I didn't have that many pictures, so here's a pic of my as I type this.

HELLO FAMILY

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Hey guys! Still alive, going strong out here!!! Had a great past week!! I'll just skip to the highlights!

Friday, I hit 6 months!! I don't really understand how, but it happened, haha. Didn't really do anything special, just made some pancakes in the morning, haha. Still a great day though.

So on Thursday, Allison had her baptismal interview, so a few days before we prepared her and were going over the questions, and we asked "do you believe the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith" and she immediately just says "No", and we were like WHAT?!?! hahaha. It was funny. She said she thought it was Nephi... so we had some explaining to do, but everything went well, haha. 

Saturday, Allison was baptized!!! It was so awesome!! She had a lot of family there, and Jasmine and Michael came, which was awesome. Elder Gunsay baptized her, and she will be confirmed next Sunday by the ward mission leader, so super excited and really happy for her! She was so excited and pretty nervous before, but it went well! Also, after that we had an awesome lesson with Michael and Jasmine. Michael is still a little hesitant about baptism, but Jasmine is all in and super excited for the 24th. This week, we're gonna go over some of the hard lessons, like Word of Wisdom and what not, so hopefully everything will go well and we won't have any problems.

Sunday, Michael and Jasmine came to church!! It was awesome, the first time they had come and they really liked it!! So that was great! Also, the Xiong family came to church too!! So that was so awesome! I love those guys. Mai recently started going back to college, so she has been SO busy, but they still came, and it was awesome. 

Friday, we had a good lesson with Pheng and Mai's brother SP. It was awesome. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and the message of the restoration. Surprisingly, he was pretty receptive. At the end, we were inviting SP to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true, and he agreed. Right when we were about to promise blessings, Pheng jumped in and was like "SP, I can promise you that if you ask sincerely and you really want to know, you can get an answer" and then just jumped right into how he knows the Book of Mormon is true, and I almost cried 1)because it was so funny he promised blessings right when we were about to, cuz that's how we teach, after we extend an invitation, then we promise blessings, and 2) because it was so amazing and Pheng's faith has grown so much and he's just amazing. I love him so much, haha. So that was another awesome experience. 

Oh, also I'm just staying here for another transfer with Elder Gunsay, so that'll be fun. We're seeing some really good stuff happening with the area! I keep hoping that something good will happen with Mai and Pheng and we will be able to help them be baptized, but we haven't brought it up for a while so nothing has changed. But they are reading and praying and going to church, so something's gonna work out!

Today we're going to meet up with everyone at the stake center again, except we might have to take the bus... cuz the rule is now that we can't use our car to drive there, haha. But when the Lord commands us to do something, He provides a way! Haha

This month I've decided to focus on charity and love, so if you guys have anything good, feel free to send it,  haha. Love you guys!

Love, Elder Muaj Koob 

Found a goat on top of a car, haha.

My District 

Me, Elder Fahrni and Elder Gunsay

I flew out with E. Fahrni and we've been serving in the same district the whole time. He is being transferred this week. I'm really going to miss him.

KEV ZOO SIAB

JANUARY 30, 2018

Hello family!! Sounds like everyone had a great week. I'm glad to hear it!! Things are good here in California. The weather has been super awesome! It has been like in the 50s and 60s lately, with not too much rain, so no complaints here.

This past Wednesday, we had zone conference up in Chico, and it was a great time!! I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. The topic of the conference was faith, and it was just under the direction of President Ward, but he did a great job even though he was sick, and I really learned a lot about how to have faith be a bigger part of my day. A big part of it is prayer, and it takes a lot of praying to be able to know what to do. And sometimes I will even pray and then have to just pray again and again before I receive an answer, but prayer really works! That was pretty much all of Wednesday, and I got to be with the other two Hmong elders a little bit more, so that was fun. The new elder, elder Kelsey gave a talk in Hmong, and he did pretty good! 

On Tuesday, we helped a member move, and that ended up taking like 4 hours. It was forever but was still good. 

Thursday, I went on exchanges with the other elders in the district. So Elder Gunsay went with the district leader, Elder Woodcox, and I went with Elder Farhni, who was the elder who I've been with since the MTC, so that was way fun! I love Elder Farhni, and with transfers coming up next week he will probably be leaving and it makes me really sad cuz Ill miss that guy. We had a good time though, tracted in the rain, didn't find anyone, but still had a fun time, haha.

Friday: So Friday was awesome! Mai and Pheng had us over for another lesson and Mai invited her brother named Xeeb Pov, or SP for short. We basically just like introduced him to Christianity, and invited him to read the Book of Mormon, but it was awesome, and he might not be the most interested now but it definitely seems like he is willing to learn. Also, what was amazing for me was that so I asked SP like "hey, so what is your understanding of Jesus Christ, and who He is?" And he just sat there for a minute and didn't really say anything. It was a bad question on my part, but I realized something: He didn't know who Jesus Christ was. Like maybe he had heard the name before, but he literally had no idea who Christ was or what he did. And this is America, he's lived here I would assume for his whole life, just such a different lifestyle. It really touched me that I made a difference and like just how many people actually don't know who Jesus Christ is. Also, on a different side note, Mai is awesome because she invited her brother out of her free will. We didn't even ask her or anything, like she just wants to share the gospel with her family, and Pheng is all in too, like they are going to be baptized soon. I just am really praying that things will work out and maybe Pheng's dad will allow them to because they are just amazing. 

Saturday, we tried contacting people and tons of people weren't home, but we did have a lesson with a less active who served a mission. He was super cool. 

Sunday: So yesterday was way cool, there was like a special broadcast to all the stakes in California or something, and it was for like stake conference, even though we just had stake conference. But anyway, Elder Christofferson spoke, which was cool. But if I'm being honest, I dont even remember what he spoke about. So Michael and Jasmine Booth, (the Jasmine we committed to be baptized a little while ago) finally came to church!!! It was awesome!! Only one problem: Jasmine has really bad anxiety, and the thought of interacting with or being around lots of new people scares her a lot, like she doesn't have a driver's license or even really leaves the house that much because of her anxiety, but they came to stake conference!!!!!!! She recently got medicine for her anxiety, and she took a step of faith and came!! It was tough for her though, all of the people. The first like 15 minutes she was really struggling and the entire time I was just praying, like "please, comfort Jasmine so she can enjoy church" and I was worried literally the entire meeting. But we came out of the meeting and walked them to their car and they said that they both really liked it and that they had a good time and were glad they came, and Jasmine was like "yeah at the start I was really struggling, but then everything was good after that and God just really helped me out" and I was in my mind like, YES GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS, THE CHURCH IS TRUE, THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!!!! So that was definitely a testimony builder. Also, another cool thing that happened, we've been meeting with this Pentecostal guy named Steve, who we somehow found like a month ago, it was a total fluke. I thought the house was Hmong cuz shoes on the doorstep, but he's from a small country in Europe and we had a talk on the doorstep and have just kept coming back since. We invited him to stake conference like just an hour before it started and HE SHOWED UP!!!! So that was awesome!!! And he thought it was cool!!! So that was awesome!!!

Funny stories: I'm including this new segment into my emails, prepare to be entertained. So on Sunday, with Michael and Jasmine, we had to go into the overflow's overflow, the relief society room. So I led us into the room and they have it on a TV, and the opening prayer is in Hmong, so Jasmine and Michael are already thinking like "what is going on" and then the room we were in was the room they were translating into SPANISH!!!!! Oh it was so funny cuz we walked to the very front of the room and sat down. The hermanas were laughing pretty hard at us as we were walking out, haha. 

Also, yesterday we had a ton of time to tract, and so we were going and came to a house with a gate that had a no soliciting sign. We usually just ignore those, cuz we're not selling anything. Anyway, after the gate there is this courtyard with another sign that says "what part of no soliciting do you not understand?" And Elder Gunsay was like "ok, were not doing this" but I was feeling brave and was like "if the church wasn't true, we could turn away, but it is and these people need it" so I knocked on the door. The dude who answered the door was not pleased to see us, and right off the bat i said we were missionaries and not selling anything, and he was just not having it and then from inside a voice yelled "read the sign!!!!" And so they yelled at us and it wasn't the first time, and actually not even the last time that night, but the church is true and if people wanna be rude they can. They're rejecting Christ, not me. So I was feeling good after that. haha.

That's pretty much my week. I have pics, but they are in the truck so I will send them later. 

Oh, other cool thing. At zone conference President Ward said there will be a new Hmong elder coming in in March!!! So that's way exciting!! Also, at my last interview, President kinda drilled me and was like "do you think you could train right now?" and then asked me my concerns and whatnot, but I answered yes and he was like "that's good. Now, unfortunately there's no new Hmong elders coming in this transfer, but that is good". So now there is someone coming in in 2 transfers, like middle of March, and I'm thinking I will probably train him... it kinda freaks me out. My language skills are still really bad, but hey if the Lord calls me, I will go and do it!! 

Lately, I've been really studying out of the Book of Mormon, and I made it through the Isaiah chapters to 2 Nephi 25, and holy cow, I love this chapter so much. Nephi is just like going off to the people and being an awesome missionary and teaching about Christ, and I just love him and that chapter, and plus vs. 23 and 26 are some of my favorite. Like all I'm trying to do is help people access Christ's gospel and His Atonement in their lives. It's awesome, and I am really loving the mission!! It is so much fun!! A different kind of fun, that is for sure, but I really do love being here. I love the members, I love the Hmong people, I love my comp, I'm learning to love the Ghetto, and I hope eventually I'll love the people of California more than they love me. But I know for a fact that this is Christ's church, and am so glad to be a part of His work!!

Love you guys so much!!!!

Love, 

Elder Muaj Koob

We went and saw the most interesting thing in Wheatland, this point of historical interest. It's literally just a field, haha.

At first glance this may just look like a poorly taken picture, which it is, but its super foggy and like super hard to see every morning.