Josh Mission Email Apr 30 2026: Plus près de toi, mon Dieu
That’s right, an email on a Thursday 🤯. We’re going to the temple today with our adjusted P day so I’m trying to knock this out now so I can make sure it gets sent out. Things are still chill out here in Maryland, it’s good. To be honest though, it’s starting to feel a little claustrophobic, I miss my mountains :(. There are big trees here and it’s green and gorgeous, the only problem is that the trees are EVERYWHERE. Yesterday I was walking through a huge park and I think it was the first time in 3 weeks I’ve been able to see for even a mile into the distance. I’ve still only seen the horizon once. However, they do actually have a spring here. I feel like back home we just go straight from freaking cold to freaking hot, but the weather has been great. Except when it rains – then it becomes a competition to see who can make the worst choices while driving at freeway speeds 🙂↕️.
This week I got to go on two exchanges, one with a guy in my district and another one with one of the assistants to the president. They were both a lot of fun, I got to go to their areas and basically just do English work for the day. It’s definitely a lot different than Chinese work, and lowkey ragebait. Talking to and teaching people is apparently a lot less confusing when you speak their language??? That’s not to say english work is easy by any means, these were some of the most intense days I’ve had so far. I think the language is coming, it’s so hard to measure progress though because it’s so gradual. I’m confident I know a lot more, but once I know something I don’t remember not knowing it so it just feels like I’ve known it for a while.
This week we were talking to a super old Chinese guy in the asian grocery store and we tried to invite him to church. He looked at us, raised his hands, and proceeded to sing “Nearer My God To Thee” to us. In FRENCH. He spoke basically no English, but apparently went to a Catholic school so he knows French Hymns. We tried to talk to him some more after our beautiful serenade but he just smiled at us, said something in either Chinese or French (your guess is as good as mine) and walked away. My comp and I were left stunned next to the tub of fish heads.
Homework assignment for you guys‼️ Look up the 6 degrees of separation theory or 6 handshakes theory. I was pretty excited to come out here and meet people who knew and were involved with some big names/organizations, but I thought I was cooked because I’m a little far from DC at the moment. NOPE 🤑 I’ll tell you guys the story next week, have a good one!
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT🚨
Ether 12:8-9
“8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.”
Low key don’t have a ton to add to this one, I feel like it says it perfectly. I’ll add my own testimony that faith is what brings miracles into our lives. As we trust and rely on the Lord, we gain access to His power and strength instead of our own, which always brings better results.
Love y’all!
Elder Banks
