Lately

Last couple weeks here in Changzhou have been just great. This past week I realized how much I’m loving the kids more and more each time I teach them. I used to almost dread teaching (getting the lesson prepared, disciplining the kids) but now I look forward to it because I just love being around them. I love making them smile and laugh and they love doing the same for me. Makes me excited to be a mom someday. But that’s a loooooooooooooooong way down the road. Ha. Today I’ll be teaching the kidlets how to play hangman. Hope they like it .

Had a couple of our church friends visit us here in Changzhou. We showed them a little around the town and also passed by the TALLEST pagoda in ASIA. Who would've thought??? In Changzhou? Crazy, I know. It was a good time.

Stayed home this weekend to watch General Conference (we got it on disks from our branch president). LOVED IT. I can honestly say that I have never been so engaged in listening to every word the speakers had to say. We did it the normal way, watching Saturday and then the Sunday sessions the next day. The whole time I kept thinking to myself that I could easily watch all 4 sessions together. That good. Maybe it’s because I’m so far from home and conference reminded me of that? Maybe the speakers were just exceptionally good? Maybe I need more direction in my life? Who knows…. But bottom line, I really enjoyed it. So awesome also to see a few of my peeps from Bountiful singing in the choir on Saturday (Teresa Crapo, Karyn Alvey, Julie Warren)! Here were some of my favorite parts:

“Knowing God and making efforts to know Him will be eternally worthwhile and will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have.” –Robert D. Hales

“God will not require more than the best we can give.” –Jorge Zeballos

“Repentance always means that there is greater happiness ahead.” –Neil L. Anderson

“No matter who you are, or what you may have done, you can always pray.” –Boyd K. Packer

“Prayer is your personal key to heaven, and the lock is on your side of the veil.” –Boyd K. Packer

“What we know is not always reflected in what we do.” –David A. Bednar

“What we love determines what we seek, what we seek determines what we think, which determines who we are and what we will become.” –Dieter F. Uchdorf

“We can and must expect to become better as long as we live.” –Henry B. Eyering

“Each of us can do something to help someone.” –Thomas S. Monson

“One day, the gospel will be heard by every ear.” –Brent H. Nielson

So anyway, great conference. I kind of sound like a missionary ha. But it was “so good” (my dad used to always say this after reading Gordon B. Hinckley’s ‘Standing for Something’….. and we relentlessly gave him a hard time about it :) . Hope all is well in the USA, Mexico, Israel, or wherever you are.

Wo Ai Ni!