Email Home April 18th --8 more days!

It's hard to focus when I'm being taken out or going to a members home for 2 or 3 meals a day! But we're still working. We'll be meeting with a new investigator tonight :) We only know her as Mary. She's from English class.

So, I went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead... turns out my recommend was expired. So I sat on a bench by the entrance by the guy who checks your recommend while everyone else went in. It made me think, I've got to remember to keep everything in check because I don't wanna be waiting outside the Celestial Kingdom when everyone else is headed in.

On Sunday I decided I didn't feel like wearing my glasses... Then when I got into sacrament meeting I realized there were too many faces and I couldn't distinguish who was who. And then the Bishop came down during the congregational hymn and asked me to give a farewell talk at the end of sacrament meeting. I talked about how just like I need my glasses to get through everyday, we all need the Lord every day. We can't go one day thinking we'll be fine without him.

Well, LOve ya! see ya soon!

--

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy
• 狄俊明长老

Email Home April 11th 2011

Well, going home doesn't seem like a big looming scary thing to me anymore. In fact, it feels that that's just what I'm supposed to do. I guess the way my mind was thinking was that on my mission I can give full attention to serving the Lord but afterwards I have to switch my focus to other things. But as I've been praying and studying I've realized that I have serve the Lord just as well off my mission as I can on. The Lord wants me to get and education, to prepare to get married, to get a job. All of those are still ways of fulfilling his commandments. My focus is still gonna be finding what God wants me to do and doing it.

The greatest thing I think I've learned is that being obedient and working hard is not for myself. It's to help me become the person God wnats me to be so I can help others. That knowledge is going to be a springboard for everything I do. All the skills and tools I gain in school and the success I have in work are all to acheive that. I'm staying focused and helping the other missionaries too.

I don't know when I need to go to DC. I tihnk I'll wait until I'm home to figure that out. But maybe the end of may. There's still lots of details about teh work I don't have yet and asked Cui Xiao Feng about it last week but he hasn't had a chance to email me back yet. I got the suit.

I attached some pictures from Jing's baptism, and Chen Yi Di's from the weeks before. Chen Yi Di wasn't in our teaching pool but he wanted to take some pictures. He's also from Chang Le (lots of people I really like are from there)... It's too bad it's really far from Xi'an. Hope I can go there someday :)

Let Grandma and Grandpa know I love them and pray for them!

Love you all!

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

Email Home April 4th 2011

Conference was great! and Jing, who's been investigating since September, was baptized. The testimony she shared at her baptism was amazing. The Relief Society Presidency was there and they were SO impressed and happy to welcome her. She tends to have a hard time making new friends but everybody was SO willing to take her in.

I feel a lot better about going home now. Even excited. I think a lot of it is because Dillon Maughan sent me a letter and it just helped me realize that no matter where I am God has something for me to do and people for me to help.

Making marriage a priority, like they said in conference, kinda worries me a little. I still feel so young and unprepared... But it is what the Lord wants me to do. I also really loved all the talks about service. Conference really inspired me to be like Captain Moroni who used all his power and influence to glorify God and help his fellow-man.

I have to go to DC because we live in Idaho (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmzlglj/t84229.htm) or else I'd pick New York or LA. And I'll probably want to visit the family in California.

Thank you for all your support and love! I'll see you in a few weeks!Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

(To Elizabeth)

Yeah, the General authorities have been called 'to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant' (Jeremiah 1:10)

and they do their job. It definitely makes me want to really be productive after my mission. It's hard not to be now but I know how easy it was for me to be lazy back home. But I'm excited to go and try. Scared that marriage needs to be a priority for me now... Really scared. 23 days? crazy. I guess it's 22 now right? well, see ya soon!

--

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy
• 狄俊明长老

Email Home March 21st 2011

An other's week's gone by. We had transfers and for my last transfer I'll be staying with Elder Hanson. Elder Long and Elder Kwok came from Brooklyn after nearly a year of service there for the two of them. It was the first time for either of them to leave an area or teaching pool. But the two of them are exited to be here and working hard.

Jing's doing great and set to be baptized on General Conference Sunday.

I had a dream last night that us missionaries were in a hospital trying to rescue Elder Greiner who went home last week because he got cancer. The hospital we were in was full of lasers and ninja security guards. After we got out we ran to a house that was under construction and I fell asleep on a mattress there. I peed the bed in it and was really embarrassed because everyone saw. Then I woke up and thought I had really wet the bed but turns out I hadn't... A few nights ago I was being chased by wolves in my dream and found out they could speak Fuchowese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuzhou_dialect), so, in my broken fuchow I told them to eat someone else and they left me alone I got away.

Sang Yanf Yang got the aaronic priesthood yesterday. Kevin Lin, Jason An, and Bob Tut are starting melch. priesthood prep classes. woo!

My time is short but I'll let you know I love you and see ya in a few weeks!

Email Home March 14th 2011

That's awesome about Megan. I hope I'll be home for that! Thanks for that email about trusting people. I know I've just gotta focus on doing the right thing and not worry about the consequences. Thanks.

I wish I could know a little bit more about the tsunami and what not but I'll find out soon enough.
I still haven't got the extension... Hopefully it'll come soon.Matt's in London? Cool. I'd really love to go to the British Isles. People in New York love to ask where you're from, usually meaning your forebearers. I'll have to head to France, Sweden, and Switzerland too then. I wanna see my ancestral homeland. Chinese people have a great love for their ancestors and even members of the church will maintain traditions of burning fake money and clothes for them on New Years. In Confucius thought, like the restored gospel, the family is the most basic and most important unit of society. Confucius taught that to spread peace around the earth you must first cultivate yourself, then your family, then your community, then the world. But If you succeed in self and family the rest just naturally follows. Brigham Young taught if you want Zion it has to first exist in your heart and then your home. The President of Taiwan quoted (I don't remember which prophet)'s saying 'no success can compensate for failure in the home'. It's no wonder that the KMT wanted to eliminate the organization of family. I watched a video on mormon.org about an artist. he said 'some people think family is a good way/good thing. I think it's the only way'. I love the gospel and I love you all. I don't have to question your intentions but have full faith and trust in you and I'm glad we're all in this together. The sealing power is amazing.

I love you all!

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy
• 狄俊明长老

Pictures March 7th 2011

Email Home February 28th 2011

(General)

I still don't know anything about China. Sorry. ONce I do I'll be sure to let you know.

Something that's been tough on my mission since... last spring or summer. Is my ability to trust in others. A lot of it had to do with the whole green card thing (people joining the church to get a green card)... But I guess it hurt most last summer when it was an investigator that I felt I really gave my all to help him come unto Christ turned out to ... initially be for a green card. It's something that's kind of left me very weary of trusting others. My patriarchal blessing has a line that says 'some who you've trusted may prove to be false'. My hope is that no matter what people's initial intentions are that I can be an instrument in bringing the atonement into their lives and that in doing that their hearts will change... I feel if they no I care and feel God's love thay will change. That's the aatonement.

Today Chen Long and Chace will be coming from Brooklyn to visit me. I told Elizabeth this too, but I feel before my mission I was a pretty prideful and self righteously exclusive person. But my mission has helped me so much to see the good in others. In everyone. And also to see the good I can when I recognize the good in myself. That's one reason I'm just a little worried to leave. I think I've had more friends here than I've had most of my life and I don't wanna leave them. I guess it's a good thing that modern technology makes keeping in touch easier. And there will be people for me to love and help nomatter where I am.

I can't wait to go home and see you all and Cami. I love you all!

--

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy

(To Elizabeth)

I'm a horse, so maybe it was because this year's the year of the rabbit?

Yeah... I'm almost done. It's super super super weird. I feel so torn sometimes between here and there. But it's not a desire to go home as much of a desire to stay here. Looking back I tihnk I was a pretty exclusive person - pharasaic if you will. I honestly feel I've overcome a lot of personal flaws for other people and in doing so I've been able to make a lot of friends. I think I have a lot more friends here (not just missionaries but members and investigators) than I did back home... But on the other hand it'll be fun to try out my new self back home. Like the Hobbits going back at the end of the Lord of the Rings.

Good luck with everything going on. Maybe we can learn how to cook chinese food together when I get home. I need something to fill up my time. I'm scared of laziness!

We have an investigator, Jing. She used to be pretty scary to teach but she's changed so much. She's become such an optimistic and cheerful person. I love seeing people change. I gave a talk yesterday and read the 13th article of faith. One of the best things I've learned to do in my mission is look for the things that are 'virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy' in others and helping them bring that out. In doing so I've also found that it helps me sort through the good and bad within myself. Have a great day!

I love you,

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

Email Home February 14th 2011

Yesturday 桑洋洋 Sang Yang Yang was baptized! He's a pretty cool guy. Oh, and we found some new investigators; Sun Er Bo (Rob), Andy, and Leo. They've all came to the US pretty recently and we set baptizmal dates for Rob and Andy for next month. Also, another investigator, Jing, who's been investigating for a few months now, finally set a date last night. She's changed a whole lot. She's gone from curious, to condemning, and now to converting. It's been a crazy ride teaching her but she's one of the most honest investigators and really thinks about thinks a WHOLE lot before she does them. I forgot to bring my camera today - It's been a while since I've sent pictures! I'll try to get on that next week :)

Let's see. President Nelson said I could go have lunch with Uncle Steve. Could I get his phone number? I'm thinking I'll have lunch with him then maybe have him help me pick out a suit.

I still am more and more amazed about how you and Dad do the whole parent thing. It can sometimes be so hard to confront district members/investigators about things they're doing wrong in a Christlike way and to help them grow. But I am learning. Thank you for your examples. Sometimes I get stressed about things and I have to remember to control my stress so the Spirit can guide me in getting through the situation.

Thanks for everything. Love ya!

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

(To Elizabeth)

Hey sis, I don't know how you do it! I think I would be scared to death to have another person inside of me... I find it scary enough to have somewhat of a responsibility in heling people learn the gospel... 你很厉害！(ni hen lihai) What I just said doesn't make much sense in English... You're very formidable... But it's used A LOT in chinese to just let somebody know that what you're doing is awesome.

My birthday went by pretty well. It was the same week as 春节 (chun jie)Chinese New Year so there was a lot of celebrating and dinner appointments. On me birthday we had a combined party with Yang Yang and Qing Qing (my first converts) because their birthday was the day after. It was fun. I got a rabbit clock. Being 21 doesn't make me feel any different, just that I need to get to school soon before I start getting older...

Well, love ya much! Can't wait to see ya!

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

Email Home February 7th 2011

Well, I haven't had anybody respond to any job applications yet so I still don't know. If I don't get any sort of response by June/July I'm probably not going... Guess we'll see.

This week was pretty exciting. Chinese New Year and my Birthday made for a LOT of Dinner appointments. On wednesday and thursday we had members invite us over for new years. On Saturday we had a ward party for new years and on sunday all the missionaries went to a combined birthday party for Yang Yang. Qing Qing and I. An investigator gave my a really touching birthday card. A member gave me a really nice watch. Another member went around filming missionaries and members in flushing and brooklyn all wishing me happy birthday. I felt really spoiled and touched by all the gifts.

Steve Wang is worried that he won't have time for church responsiblities and wants to put ALL of his efforts into learning english for an entire year before he gets baptized. Elder Hanson and I really don't see how the two of those conflict... So we hope he can just have faith in God and realize that this is what He wants him to do and he'll provide a way to do both.

My session is gonna end real quick here so I'll get back on soon.

Love ya

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

We also got to see some performances on new years. People playing the erhu (two stringed violinish thing), the guzhang (Chinese harp), the traditional Sichuan (szechuan) bianlian (change-face) dance, some gongfu (kung fu), and singing. We also sang some Malaysian, Cantonese and mandarin new years songs at a members house. And my stuffed/wrapped dumplings. It was lots of fun.

Love ya
--

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy
• 狄俊明长老

Email Home January 31st 2011

'Steve' Wang Shao Yu, has a baptismal date of February 27th. He's so willing to do everything we invite him to do. He thinks he should be baptized right away. Our other investigator, his friend, Sang Yang Yang, will be baptized on the 13th, and if everything goes smoothly he should get the aaronic priesthood in the 3rd hour of church and baptize Steve right after church.

We were sitting with Sang Yang Yang planning his baptism and asked him "who would you like to baptize you?" he said me. Then Elder Hanson asked "Can I perform a musical number" "sure". Then I asked him "Who would you like to give a talk" he said "Elder Hanson" I said "he's already singing. So Sang Yang Yang looks at Kevin (Lin Zeng Guang) and says "How about you?" Kevin gets super nervous about being the center of attention and he looks at me and says "You did that on purpose!" haha. I did. Kevin's great.

Transfers are this week and everything in the Chinese program is staying the same. Usually I have to go to the mission office to plan transfers in an hour long meeting but this transfer was a ten minute conference call. It's great to see how everybody is maturing. There's no way we could have made a decision that quick a few months ago.

I've been thinking a lot about BYU Idaho and I tihnk I wanna try to start going next January. I've been looking around at the majors they offer and I'm thinking of a International Studies major with an emphasis in Political Science or Business and a minor in Chinese. What do you think? Chace also wants to go to BYUI next year so maybe we'll be roommates...? He asked if he could live at our house, I said no, it's a half an hour away. he said 'but my school in Manhattan is a half an hour away too' ... 'I had to explain to him that a half an hour by subway is a lot different than a half an hour by rural highways, especially in the winter... I don't know if he's ever been anywhere but a big city.

I've tried to fax those papers but they didn't go through. I'll try again today.

I'm not sure about birthday stuff. I wouldn't mind getting a new suit so I can wear it when I go home. There's a place in Astoria that is selling $50 suits. Some other missionaries got some there and they're pretty nice. Other things... I don't know. I thought I had thought of some stuff by I guess I forgot :(

Well, that's what's going on in my life. I'm scared to death to go home but also extremely excited to try out real life.

Love ya!

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy
• 狄俊明长老

Email Home January 24th 2010

Last week we started teaching Sang Yang Yang's friend Steve Wang. He's really exited to learn and wants to know EVERYTHING. We tried to set a baptismal date with him yesterday but he wants to know all the commandments before he can commit himself to anything. But he also really wants to be baptized - he just wants to know what he has to change to do so. The two of them are from Hebei (huh-bay). We have another investigator, Jing, who is actually kinda intimidating to teach, share a good testimony of prayer in Gospel Principles yesterday - and she gave the closing prayer. Our pool is building up - just pray that we can have more member present lessons. Our companionship goal is to not have more than 2 'other' ie non-member-present lessons a week.

I got a book for studying HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - china's Chinese language test (hawn-you shway-ping cow-sure)) to study from and it's been a challenge. Not because I don't understand the words... If I hear them. But I'm having to look up characters ALL the time when I study it. Thankfully most of the vocabulary is stuff I already know so it's just attaching sounds I understand to characters.

On Saturday I donated red blood cells. It was a cool experience. But they should tell you that when they pump the plasma back into your arm it's gonna feel like the crook of your elbow is swallowing ice water! It was so weird. That same day one of my district members went to the doctors to check on a nasty-huge bug bite he got. This thing was about the size of a quarter and his leg was swelling up real big. They had to cut into his leg and now his companion gets to stick a long I-forget-which-medicine-it-was coated cotton swab into his leg to keep it clean every day.

Things are going pretty good. President wants me to be thinking of a replacement district leader now that things are wrapping up for me - CRAZY. well... Talk to you later

Love ya!

• Elder Benjamin James Eddy
• 狄俊明长老

Email Home January 10th 2011

Sorry about last week. We had somebody call us because they wanted to give us some dumplings and they were already running late for an appointment (she's looking to start her own a doctors clinic in flushing) so it would have been rude of us to not come, we had scheduled it with her and I had forgotten! But I did get a chance to read your email and don't worry too much about telling stuff like that. I find it extremely easy to look at things in an eternal perspective when it comes to people back home. It's the people here in New York that I sometimes worry about too much. A sense of urgency in the work is, of course, vital. But, I'll admit, we missionaries sometimes stress too much when we can't completely change our ward's/recent converts'/investigators' lives in a two year period. I need to learn to keep in mind that if I want to, which I do, I can be a part of these people's life for more than these two years and that there are others besides me to watch out for them. That's what's so great about the church - we're all here for each other. That's what's so great about family. You can never go too far without having SOMEBODY who loves you.

Yes I've still got my white feather mine feather, I'm not sure where the story is but the feather stays on my dresser on top of Totoro's head. And yes, I'd love to figure out the driver's license stuff.... Gotta get that done quick!

Sang Yang Yang is trying hard to quit smoking so pray for him. He's a great guy but he thinks he angers too easily and is really prone to making the same mistakes over and over. We taught him yesterday after church and it went pretty well. He has a baptismal date for February 6th.

Elder Hanson is really great. He's a perfect companion for me. He works hard, he's obedient and he's got a similar sense of humor - this transfer's going by way too fast.

Thank you for all the love and support. As far as going to college right after I get home ... well, we'll have to see. I wanna put a lot of this off until May... I think I'll be in shock for some time and if you know any chinese people/speakers back home I would appreciate you introducing them. Can you even buy real chinese food in Idaho Falls? Are you gonna find it weird that when I go to get a drink of water I have to think 'do I wanna drink hot or cold water?' ... It's gonna be weird. But it's gotta happen sometime.

Love you all so much!

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老

Email Home December 28th 2010

That's really cool about Dan. I remember him sharing his testimony after he got out of rehab. That's amazing. The atonement is more powerful and amazing then we can imagine.

I don't know the difference between than and then.....

The weather has been crazy. We spent hours yesterday helping New Yorkers get their cars out of the snow.... They were pretty helpless. Zong Zuo Ling's girlfriend/fiancee will be coming from china in a few months and he wants us to teach her and get married. woo.

Elder Hanson, my new companion, is great! It's a lot of fun to be with him. We're working hard whenever we're not laughing at/with each other... which happens a lot. We've really been enjoying the natalie cole cd... maybe too much. We've been making up new lyrics to the songs on it while we're walking around.

We're working on finding new investigators and reavtivating less actives. We split the ward into areas for people who have been baptized for more than one year and we'll be trying lots of member work.

Ummm... I just talked to you a few days ago and will email you again next week. Love ya!

Email Home December 20th 2010

Was Grammy's package the tree? If so I got it and love it... and was totally suprised by it :)

Wow... that's weird thinking they've moved from Fullerton and I probably won't see their house again... It's a big part of my childhood. But it'll be good for them to be closer to the rest of the family.

Yang Yang and Qing Qing's mom is going to be baptized on Christmas. She's been investigating on and off for the last year or so. Christmas is gonna be a busy day.

We've got transfers tomorrow. My companion, Elder Graham, who's spent his entire mission (over one year) in Flushing is finally going to Brooklyn. He's taking it pretty well. I was a little worried about it. See, the Chinese district leaders are kind of the APs of the Chinese program. We help plan transfers and make special rules for the Chinese program and we've been talking about sending Elder Graham to Brooklyn for about 3 transfers now but it now finally feels right. It'll be good for him. I didn't have the easiest time leaving Brooklyn after one year but I've learned a lot in doing so.

Ummmm... Merry Christmas! Talk to you on Saturday!

Elder Benjamin James Eddy

• 狄俊明长老