Rob Qeei and Elder Strong's Birthday

So, I forgot my journal so I will do the best I can to recap the week!

So, this week we visited a lot of people! One guy let me play his Rab Qeej, a really cool Hmong instrument. They use it for a lot of Hmong ceremonies and stuff. The ceremony it is most used for is at a funeral. It is played in a swinging motion and sometimes they dance and they use it to guide the deceased person's spirit to the next life. Pretty cool!

Also, it was Elder Strong's birthday so we decorated his wall. It was fun. 

On Saturday, we saw a huge ghetto party with like 150 people blocking a whole street so we weren't able to get to our appointment. That was a bummer. 

Yup not too much else happened. We were able to find some new investigators and we have one investigator who plans to be baptized soon so that is exciting! Hope everyone has a good week!

Also, the last picture is of a Hmong door. Not too sure what the goat horns are for but the knives kill evil spirits as they try to come inside so that is helpful. 

-Elder Yskes

A Trip to Madera and Our Flooded Parking Lot

Feb 5: Today was awesome! We were able to have some awesome lessons with different people and 3 of them said they wanted to get baptized! Sweet!

 Feb 6: Today we got an oil change. We had some meetings as well. Pretty normal day. 

Feb 7: Today was another really good day. Pretty normal though. Not too much happened except I totally saw a drug deal go down. We were on the top floor of an apartment complex. A door below us has a lot of people walking up to it and walking away. Look down. There is a hole in their door grate. Saw money go in and then a few seconds later a dime bag come out! Sweet! Next time we might drop a picture of Jesus off on the door if the druggies aren't home hahaha. 

Feb 8: Had another good day. Again, not too much happened. 

Feb 9: Today we went to Madera! It is a city about 20 miles north of Fresno. We had some addresses of Hmong people who supposedly lived there. Hmong speaking missionaries hadn't gone up there in at least a year though so we went to go check it out. Met some cool Hmong people. Mostly saw Mexicans and got to practice my Spanish that I learned back in high school. It was super fun though. 

Feb 10: Another normal day. Found some cool people to teach. A member and his wife had a barbecue and invited us over. Ate duck for the first time. It was pretty good! 

Feb 11: Church was really good today. We had our Ward Conference so that was fun! Also, when we got back to our apartment tonight the entire parking lot was flooded. Looked over and there was a geyser shooting water 30ft in the air. Turns out someone knocked over a fire hydrant then left hahaha. It was pretty insane!  

Love y'all have a great week!

Pictures

1 - 2: Fire hydrant explosion

3: Egg rolls!!

4: This dog in Madera was at least 4ft tall and could have eaten us!!

5: Pizza Party in the apartment

-- 

-Elder Yskes

Blown Tire!

Jan 30: Today I went on an exchange with Elder Strong! It was fun! We drew a diagram about the importance of the atonement of Jesus Christ in God's plan for us. Pretty fun haha. Then we blew a tire so we were walking around for a good bit but that's all good! It was a fun day!

Jan 31: Went out teaching with a member. That was fun except our appointment fell through. He is planning on going on a mission though so we just knocked on some nearby doors instead.  

Feb 1: Had a good day today. We were able to teach a lot of people after dinner so that was good! 

Feb 2: We were able to have some more lessons and went out with our Bishop's son to teach some of them so that was pretty fun! 

Feb 3: Today we had dinner with the family that gave me my Hmong last name. Pretty cool because a year ago today was when I first met them and they gave me my Hmong last name. Pretty cool! 

Feb 4: Today was super cool! So, we had a lesson yesterday with someone and invited him to church but we weren't expecting him to come then 10 minutes after church started here he comes walking on into church! Pretty cool! Also, a couple we have been teaching just bought a new house so they invited us and some members of the church over to tour their new house and pray for it and stuff. Pretty cool! 

Have a nice week yall! 

–Elder Yskes