Sister Richards takes Taiwan: Week 22: Baby No Longer/Jessica Got Baptized (January 1, 2017)

Well people buckle up for this one because it's a crazy one. ha Just kidding not really, just the busiest week ever!

First and foremost, we had transfers! For me this meant I have finished training (HOW?), Sister Cullen is no longer my comp :(( I have a new companion and I am staying in Zhongli! For my mother's sake, no, I am not training thank goodness! haha. But I am sticking around Zhongli a bit longer with a new comp! Her name is Sister Cooper and she is from Lindon, Utah! She is so so sweet, a little quiet, but I think we are going to work really well together! The crazy thing is that she is only one transfer ahead of me... so we are on very similar levels language and missionary wise... hah so these upcoming weeks are going to be a little nuts. But so fun! She is a great missionary and I think we will both grow a lot this transfer as we are both learning to establish ourselves more as missionaries! Being the one leading the area, knowing the people, and more willing to talk, I have been leading most everything, but it is incredible how much I feel the Lord qualifying me every day! He is going to push me a lot this transfer I know it, but I am so grateful for it! I am also so grateful for my sweet mission momma Sister Cullen and all that she taught me! But lucky for me, she got transferred to Taoyuan to be a Sister Training Leader! Taoyuan is still my zone, so I'll see her all the time at zone things and will even get to go on exchanges with her:)))

Our whole district is practically new minus three of us! And the three of us staying have only been here one transfer each, so we are all so new to Zhongli haha. We're trying hard to remember where everything is! hah ALSO SIDE NOTE** In our district we now have an Elder and Sister Cooper, and an Elder and Sister Richards! hahah man the Lord has a sense of humor. So good!

This week was so full of miracles. I feel like a broken record saying that, BUT IT'S TRUE. Everyday in fact is full of so many miracles. It's incredible to see. BUT, the biggest news of the week is that sweet Jessica or Lai Yi Jie got baptized! This is the 15 year old that I wrote about last week with the "Seventh Floor last Door" experience! She is just a bundle of miracles that one. I love her so much! But her baptism was all but smooth. hahah It was by far the craziest baptism I have ever experienced.

Ok first of all, Jessica is the world's SHYEST person. I'm serious. You have to REALLY know her to get her out of her shell. She has opened up to me a lot, but still it is rough sometimes. haha Anyways though, keep that in mind as I tell this. So, Saturday comes along, and we have her come early to share a little spiritual thought with her, get her pumped, get her ready to go, and just to not be rushed. All goes well, until our Ward Mission Leader tells her he is going to ask her to share her testimony after she gets baptized, so there comes stress #1. Next comes a million and a half people that want to attend. Normally, we would be pumped because there were so many people there to support her, but for sweet little Jessica it stressed her out even more. So all this is happening plus more, and the baptism starts and you can just see how nervous she is. She sat by me and her nonmember mom, and was clinging onto me for dear life. ha and she won't talk, so we had no idea how to help her. We were just trying to encourage her and love her and help her to feel less nervous, but not much was helping. After hearing talks and such, we all went down to the baptismal font. I was back behind helping her in, and she was STRESSED. Like verge of tears stressed. We were all worried for a sec that she was not going to get baptized. But I said a prayer with her, and it helped calm her down, but she was still hesitant. There were so many people in the room watching her, and she was so nervous. At this point, Sister Cullen comes back and offers to literally get in there with her clothes to help her get in the font. Luckily, it didn't get to that point, but it was all just so funny. She finally got in, and OF COURSE her foot came up so she had to be baptized twice, but AT LAST... She was baptized, and I have never seen a bigger change pre and post baptism.... I mean you can all see that pre-baptism she was stressed, nervous, anxious, and all those kind of feelings. But the moment she came out of the water, it was like she was a new person. She was smiling, calm, and just full of light. As her baptism came to a close and everyone crowded her to talk to her and congratulate her, where a previous Jessica would've shied away and been stressed, she was happy, thankful, and talking to everyone! She was smiling, laughing, and practically dancing around! We all could not believe our eyes! THE GOSPEL CHANGES PEOPLE. It is so incredible!

I am so grateful for miracles this week. In my personal study the other day, I read in Ether 12 about faith. We all know the "you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith," but Ether goes on to share that it is faith that brings miracles. Jessica is such a testament of this. Sister Cullen and I worked our TAILS off with this girl. We fasted many times, prayed, always were doing all we could to help her get here, and because we did this and kept the faith, the Lord showed unto us a miracle. How blessed I feel to be able to see that first hand everyday.

I testify that our Father in Heaven is a God of miracles. I see that every single day. I want to invite all of you to look for the miracles in your life, no matter how small. Look for the tender mercies, and give thanks to Heavenly Father. I know as you do this, he will pour out his blessings upon you, and you will see miracles everyday!

I love you all so so much, and wish you all a happy New Year! Keep being good:)

Also we have temple day next week, so next week I'll be emailing on Wednesday instead of Monday!

xoxo

Sister Richards

李姐妹

Lǐ Jiéměi

Sister Micah Richards

Taiwan Taipei Mission

4/F, #24, Lane 183

Jin Hua Street

Taipei, Taiwan 106

1- our girl jessica