S5:E1 The One Where We're Assigned to Double Cover.

 

早安！

I only have 3 exciting news for this week 

☆ As you can read from the title of my email, we're now double covering the only 2 areas I've been assigned to hahaha. We are now Victoria 1st and Wan Chai Sisters! So crazy! But that was the dream lol I'm pretty sure we're going to be super busy and stressed this transfer trying to figure out how to double cover but I'm excited to work with more people and teach more! I'm grateful that I can go back and serve again in Victoria 1st and work with the members especially the youth and YSAs. I feel like I'm more ready and more courageous to face the foreigners and teach them. I also want to share how Heavenly Father does listen to our prayers and knows our circumstances. This whole transfer one of the things I've been struggling with was being in this area for too long that I run out of ideas on how to help and strengthen this difficult branch and area. And so Heavenly Father has answered my prayers in a way I didn't think He would haha I'm now going to back to the only other branch I've served in haha but this time serving both branches. I'm excited for all that I'm about to learn from the members and friends and I'm also excited for the growth! I feel like I'm going to learn lots about patience and diligence. It's gonna get crazy busy and soooo 

☆ This week we were really busy preparing for our friend's baptism. We had to work with so many people including senior missionaries which was really stressful trying to make both the Mandarin members and the senior missionaries happy. We had to coordinate with all 3 of them which was so stressful because they all wanted different outcomes for the baptism program and we had to figure out what to do. One thing that I kept repeating this week out loud was that "Sunday will come", and that "This is the Lord's work, not mine". These 2 statements that I've repeatedly been saying this week has really helped me! Knowing that I'm only the Lord's servant and that He already knows the outcome of whatever was going to happen helped me calm down so much. But I've done my best and gave my ALL literally. I woke up everyday this week more purposeful and more driven to get the work going. This really is the Lord's work and not mine, and Sunday really did come and everything went successful. Cindy's reaction and testimony was so precious. Her mom came to Hong Kong to visit her and her wish was to have her come to church and join her baptism but as soon as she came to Hong Kong and learned about her baptism she wasn't very happy about her decision and went back to China. It was so sad to hear that but also amazed that Cindy still continued on with the baptism. She is just so awesome and I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision for her because family relationship is so important to her. She got into the waters of baptism in the most graceful way ever. It was the most beautiful baptism I've ever seen. She exclaimed for joy when she got baptized haha I love her and her energy. She later received the gift of the Holy Ghost and shared her testimony which was so wonderful. She shared that the first time she met the missionaries she was very unhappy and wondered why they were so happy. She shared how yesterday was such a happy day for her and that her excitement was replaced with peace. She said she wishes she could always have that peaceful feeling everyday. It was such a sweet testimony. She is a powerful spirit and such a sweet spirit.

☆ This week our friend Grace went to the temple for the first time!!! She was able to perform baptisms for the dead for her grandma. It was the happiest day ever. I'm just so grateful we were able to meet her. Crazy how one simple "hello!" changed the course and direction of her life. I know this doesn't only apply to missionary work but that this applies to everyone. We all carry that responsibility to invite people to receive the blessings of the gospel. It can be as simple as "hey do you want to come sit by us in church this week?" There are many different normal and natural ways to share the gospel. Grace is so so cute :> she tells us all the time how grateful she is for the first interaction we had. Oh my goodness I saw her paying her tithing and I just felt in awe. She is the only one working for her family and she isn't just helping her husband and daughter, she's also helping her siblings go to school. She said "it's hard but I need to do it"

☆ We met with Baran and had a super cool time together! We shared similarities about Muslim and Christianity. She thought all Christian churches were the same. We taught her the Great Apostasy and she didn't entirely understand and so we had to use objects and draw it on paper and then she kind of understood it. We forget that English isn't her first language too! But it was so cool that she was actually interested to learn more and she knew our purpose, she knew why we were meeting. As we were sharing about each others religion she asked what happens when we break the commandments and we told her that we could repent and she didn't know what that word was and so we searched it in Persian (her native language) and she was like "oh return to God!" We do that too. I think that definition of repentance is so nice. Returning to God.

Well that was it for my week! Yay! I'd love to hear from you too. Here are some pictures that can better describe my week haha.

XUE JIEMEI

薛姐妹

SISTER SY

PICTURES:

• I drew that.. just saying  HAHAHA the Cantonese kids literally said "差不多" 

• Cindy's baptism woohoo!

• The cutest flowers evah

• Baran ☆☆ she's from IRAN :)

• Grace's temple day!

• Dropping a watermelon at a member's house