Hello everybody, and Happy Belated Dragon Boat Festival Day. It's another one of those traditional Chinese holidays, and apparently its origins are as strange as other traditional holidays like St. Patrick's Day and Halloween. Apparently, there was a famous Chinese poet who got depressed and threw himself into a river and drowned himself. And then, in order to placate any fishes with the desire to nibble on his body, the village people threw elaborately-made rice cakes into the river. And that's why we race dragon boats on Dragon Boat Festival Day.
Despite its strangeness, the festival was a lot of fun, and it was a great missionary opportunity as well. There were a ton of nonmembers there that all seven of the Chinese missionaries just blitzed and talked to to help them feel the love, as our branch president always says. The "dragon boat racing game" turned out to be four people, all lined up, each sat on a skateboard and used two toilet plungers to propel him or herself across the gym floor. I don't want to brag here, but I won the race between the missionaries. My secret: grab the only board that doesn't wobble.
In spiritual news, there is a woman that we're teaching that sincerely wants to know that what we are teaching her is true. We missionaries always go to the Book of Mormon to answer this question. It truly is the keystone of our religion - it holds it up, and it is the evidence of the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know for myself that the Book of Mormon is true - I came to that knowledge by reading it and asking God Himself about its truthfulness. I also do know that every sincere person with a desire to know if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom on the earth can know by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. So that's my invitation to every one - read in the Book of Mormon, and pray. Regardless of whether or not you have received an answer in the past, you can and will receive another one.
This work is true, it's amazing, and I'm glad I can be a part of it.
Have a good week.
- Elder Winters
