We've had a pretty good week this week. The weather got a little bit crazy and we were supposed to have hurricane force winds but instead we just had a few ugly storms. The streets of Eugene were a bit flooded but we still went out and worked through it regardless. We were very blessed that the weather wasn't worse so we could still get work done. 

Things are still a bit slow in Eugene third but Elder Wheldon and I have been working super hard to build up a teaching pool. At the beginning of the week we went and replaced a radiator for this lady named Candy. She had gotten a refurbished one and we told her that we could take the old one out and put the new one in no problem at all. So with a really cheap tool kit we got to work and replaced it in no time at all. It was pretty fun to work on a car. Kind of made me thing I shouldn't have taken for granted all of the times that I had the opportunity to help fix cars at my dad's shop back home. 

Most of the week was spent contacting formers and potential investigators in our areabook. It was pretty intense and we just went hard at it all week. We met a guy name Chaka who was baptized a few years back. He is from Zimbabwe and loved getting baptized and even had pictures of his baptism in his home. He had been really busy lately and couldn't make it to church so we invited him and got him a ride. He came yesterday and everyone was so happy to see him. We could tell he was grateful that he came. 

After district meeting this week we went on exchanges with the Chinese Elders that serve on campus. I went with Elder Kung who is on his last transfer and is a hilarious guy. Elder Wheldon went with Elder Chiu who is super awesome but doesn't speak very good english. Elder Kung and I taught a few lessons that day... well actually he taught them. Haha it was so weird just sitting there being useless. I hadn't been in that situation since I went on a Spanish exchange like 8 months ago. In one lesson they were talking and I had an amazing experience where I couldn't understand them but there was a spirit that entered the room and I knew that they were talking about prayer. Elder Kung turned to me mid lesson and asked, "Do you feel that?" And when I said yes he told them that even though I didn't understand I still could understand the spirit and how it speaks. It was a neat experience. 

We also taught a less active who spoke pretty good english so Elder Kung kept trying to get her to speak english but she kept saying that she was too embarrassed because I would think her english was bad. It was pretty funny but after a bit she started speaking English and she was really good at it. We talked about the importance of church and scripture study and committed her to do those things. Then she asked us to help her with her English study for a bit haha so that was interesting. After the Lesson she told me that I was the whitest person she ever met so that made me feel great. That night one of the Chinese Recent Converts took us out to Buffalo Wild Wings and we ate a ton of food. Afterward Elder Kung and I went to the institute to do some more stuff and then walked through a crazy storm to get back to the apartment. Elder Kung for some reason had Harry Potter robes and a wand that he had gotten from an investigator for no reason so I lounged around in those all night. Elder Kung told me a bit about Hong Kong and tried to teach me how to play a little bit on the piano because they have a keyboard in their apartment. 

The next day for lunch a member took us to an Asian market and bought a bunch of stuff to make hot pot. Now if you don't know what hot pot is you must try it. Basically we boiled some broth and had it on the table and then you take your chop sticks and dip dumplings, beef, fish balls, pork, whatever it may be and it cooks it! It was crazy good! Y'all should look it up! 

We exchanged back and Elder Wheldon and I hit the streets again and tried to contact people. Elder Wheldon said it was neat because him and Elder Chiu had randomly run into some Chinese people and Elder Chiu talked to them about the Gospel. It was neat. Yesterday was great as well. Elder Wheldon and I felt prompted at one point to go visit an investigator so we went to see her and she wasn't home. We left a note on the door and got a text last night saying that she got the note and she thanked us for coming by and it made her night. That made us feel pretty good. 

Yep it's been a great week. Good times in the hood and they are getting better! We will keep working hard out here! Love y'all 

~Elder S. Jackson Martin