Original article posted by Greg:

CLA stands for Christ Like Attribute. In our misison, since I arrived in Taiwan, we have been asked to choose daily, weekly or however often an attribute we would like to develop to move us closer to the ideal of Christ. As I study and pray about my selected attribute, I find myself strengthened in that aspect every time. I usually go in weekly bouts. Sometimes it’s “Kindness” sometimes it’s “Dilligence” Sometimes I pick “Smile a lot.”

The thing you soon learn when doing Christlike Attributes is that the God of this world teaches by using the ‘hands on’ method. That is – he doesn’t just spurt ideals at you, but puts you in situations where you are forced to make choices that will make you stronger when the choice is made well.

For instance, when choosing Patience for a week, expect to happen to arrive at the bank at it’s busiest time. Expect lights to turn red in front of you. Expect people to misunderstand you. When choosing Charity, expect to cry when you see people make poor choices.

But if you keep the right attitude – that is of being willing to learn what God wants to teach you – you always come out better than you went in.

Last week my companion said he felt he needed to work on his Humility.

So we worked, as a companionship, on humility as our CLA this week.

And I will be happy to testify that the Lord is willing to humble us when we feel we are ready to be humbled. And there’s always plenty more room for humility.

So that’s my long version of “How the last week has been.” Both humiliating and humbling. But with some great successes as well.

We had a Mr. Li and a Mr. Fu both agree to get baptized. As well as taught some really great other people who are progressing well on the path to conversion. I have felt really blessed.

When I arrived in SheZi, I discovered that the apartment here has 2 turtles living in it. I don’t know whose they are or why they are in a missionary apartment, where they are not allowed. I’ve been wondering for a few weeks about what to do with them. (aside from feed and poke them)

Yesterday during morning studies, the words of David Byrne suddenly came into my mind. “Take me to the river. Drop me in the water. Take me to the river. Push me in the water. Washin’ me down. Washin’ me down.” And then as the thought took root in my mind, the lilting voice of a snotty englishman came to me, singing, “Free free, set them free. Free free, set them free.”

So as I write this email, a couple of turtles patiently wait in a big plastic bucket outside, and in a not too distant future, they will find themselves in a world larger than any they have ever known before.

Unless a dog finds them first. In which case it would probably be the smallest world they’ve ever known. And the briefest.

My area happens to enclose almost every museum and science center in taiwan. We have a habit of going to nerdy things as a district every p-day.

Not much else to report at this point. We’ve all gone on to the church website and are blasting hymns at eachother in the computer joint. I think it’s a first for this place.

My companion takes email pretty seriously.

Leo and Donnie say hello.

-Elder Hamblin