Holy Week Batman!

 March 25, 2024

大家好！Hey Everyone!

Happy Holy Week!    

Yesterday was Palm Sunday! Did anyone do anything cool? Read any cool scriptures? Listen to any cool talks? Eat any good food?

Our Palm Sunday was really good! We had two new faces show up to a linger-longer, as you will see:

We met a man named Steve while expanding our tactics at the train stations. He didn't speak a lick of English, but he did come to church on Sunday! He had a ton of questions which I didn't understand, but luckily Elder Tang helped me out. We also taught a lesson to a new friend that the south Elders had met. Somehow, we were assigned to give her an English evaluation, and then we were able to teach her a lesson, and then we saw her at church!

The members were really awesome this week! We had several members talking with these new friends at church and giving rides to some as well! We also had a member volunteer to visit a part member family that hadn't been to church in a long time! The Branch is doing cool stuff!

Ernest said he has been sharing the Illustrated Book of Mormon Stories book with the neighbor kids in the house. He also said he experienced some opposition while doing so, as one of the girls kept interrupting him (I think the struggles children face are often very similar to the ones adults do—mortality is the same no matter what age you are). It’s still incredible how he’s sharing the gospel as a 10-year-old! 

I’ve been thinking about how “Palm Sunday” is a cool name for the day commemorating Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem. Perhaps it’s been said a lot before, but I think it references the cool connection between the palm leaves and the palms of His hands. Just as the palm leaves were placed to provide a way for Christ to enter the holy city of Jerusalem, the marks in His palms are a reminder of the way provided for us to enter the holy presence of God. Palms provide the way for progression.

The rest of this week is Holy Week! This is a wonderful opportunity to study the life of the Savior, especially the events leading up to His atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection. The Church has provided an Easter Study guide that you can look at as well! This week I’d invite y’all to study something in the scriptures about the life of Christ and then do something that He would do. (I’ve stumbled and fallen some on my “no criticism” goal, but I’m gonna retry this week! 6 days! no sweat!) As we keep our focus on Christ this week, we can find a little more joy and meaning even in the mundane routine.

Easter is in 6 days!! Have a fantastic week! Enjoy the surprises that God gives you!

Love you all! 爱你们！

–熊长老

Photos:

 

Welcome Spring :P

Gem from Personal Study

Seniores Donair Pizza with the gang Elders

Costco’s “Vladmir Poutine” as I now call it due to the war crimes it committed against my bowels. Definitely Canada's Greatest Prank so far