Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote you all. I have been extremely busy with the work in Causeway Bay. Two weeks ago there was a typhoon in Hong Kong, I remember staying indoors because eventually the storm turned into a typhoon Level 10. The following day I went out to do missionary work, and down one whole block there were planted trees spaced out on the concrete. Of all the ten trees, two of them were standing; the rest were uprooted and toppled. This had a large impact on me because the trees looked pretty strong, but, the roots were only about two feet deep into the soil. Unfortunately this reminded me of the people of Hong Kong and Jacob chapter 5. How in the Lord's vineyard some seeds were planted in rich ground and others in stony ground. It didn't really matter where the seeds were planted, even the ones planted in the richest part of the soil had corruption, but it is when the branches takes strength in themselves and not the roots that the tree whithers. If we do not exercise our faith, if we do not humble ourselves, as James said in Chapter 2 verse 26, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." We need the spirit for all things good, we are nothing without it. With the spirit we are also nothing, unless we have works with our faith. We cannot expect to survive the storms nonetheless the Level 10 Typhoons of Satan if we do not enrich our roots in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and "humble ourselves to the dust." Sometimes it is hard, but we must always look for ways to grow in the gospel. We cannot be those eight trees out of the ten to fall. We must endure, we must remember "whence our blessings come from." I know this is the only way to be happy, nothing else.

Love,
Elder Liu August 2, 2012