Sister Birch and I are currently freaking out because SOMEHOW we have already been together for over a month and that means the transfer ends next week and I just don't understand how time is going SO DANG FAST. Seriously it is not ok.
But the Lord's work is just not slowing down at all! Surprise surprise, this week was FULL of miracles. What's new?! I never cease to be amazed at all that the Lord does for us every single day. He sure does not disappoint! This week's miracles came in many different shapes and sizes. Some as free watermelon (EVERYONE gives us watermelon and pineapple and I am so full of it I could pop), others as surviving torrential rain storms/flooding, and a great one that my old investigator from XinZhu (my first area) finally getting baptized this week!!!- So so proud of Ruby, other miracles of finding some new people to teach, and others of seeing our sweet investigators take some of those leaps of faith that prepare them for baptism.
Two main things I want to report on this week:
The first is about our new friend Yu JieMei. Let me tell you guys how we met her. At the beginning of this year, we had a big worldwide mission broadcast where the brethren gave us a great training, and made a lot of changes in our missionary schedule- one being the fact that we now study outside of the apartment and at any time of the afternoon/morning. Big change that brought a lot of results! Good things- we are out in the work a lot earlier, able to have more chances to meet people, talk to people, and just to allow people to see us and for the Lord to have more opportunities to put His prepared people in our path. Bad thing- there are lots of days that studies don't quite happen because we just get so busy doing the work! Also, studies often get interrupted by talking to people around us. Which really is the best thing, but isn't necessarily helping me learn Chinese. But, it is all in the Lord's plan. Anyways, so this is our new life and it is the best. One thing Sister Birch and I have been working on lately is really trying to say specific prayers when doing finding of any kind, so always, and putting our faith that the Lord will help us find that specific person He needs us to find. We had a really cool experience with this this past week. We said a prayer as we left our apartment to be able to be led to a mom that was looking for something to help her family relationships. Someone who would be very open to our message and would feel the Savior's love through us. As we closed our prayer and headed out, we had the idea to go study at the McDonald's in our area. Not any huge prompting here, just a little thought, and we have learned to follow all of those. So we went and sat down, and didn't think much of it. We started doing some language study, and I came upon a character that I didn't recognize/ didn't know how to use it, so I turned to the lady sitting at the table next to us and asked her to explain a little. We didn't talk for long, but she helped me, and we were able to get a little conversation going. After talking, I turned back to restart my studies when she started asking us more questions about what we were doing and so we were able to start talking to her. We shared with her many things about our message and her eyes just lit up. She shared that she didn't have any religion, but has always believed that religion was so important and helps everyone. She expressed that she was looking for something to bring her more happiness and peace in her life because her daughter lives far away, and that she and her husband didn't have a great relationship, and she just felt very alone in her life.... She was exactly what we had just prayed to find. Literally, fit the bill exactly! I had one of those *take a step back and realize how dang cool this work is and the Lord is* moments, and Sister Birch and I lost our minds after she left. We were able to share with her much more, set up with her, and meet with her two days after we met her! She is so prepared and we are SO pumped to keep teaching her. SHE IS SO PREPARED. Specific prayers people. Listening to the counsel of leaders. Faith that the Lord can perform miracles. So cool.
The next miracle is something LONG anticipated. This is about our dear girl Cindy. Cindy is so amazing and so prepared, but has had a hard time taking that leap of faith. She believes everything we have taught her, keeps the commandments, reads and prays everyday, but feels like she needs a 100% understanding and knowledge before being able to commit. She is a super sciency kind of person, and likes to know the results before she goes and tries things out. She likes to have the evidence in order to make a conclusion. We have probably shared Ether 6:12 and Alma 32 with her a million times and have done all we can to help her, and somehow it just clicked for her this week. She shared with us that she REALLY wants to receive an answer. She believes it, but wants to know. Which is important. But she feels like she is not receiving an answer yet. We reminded her that as she lives the gospel and lives all the principles that God has taught us, we will be able to have the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives and be able to more easily feel of Gods influence and receive His answers. So, we all three came up with a plan. Her baptismal date is for June 10th, and until that day, all three of us are going to have perfect obedience to all the commandments, and my comp and I to the mission rules, and we know that as we obey, the Lord WILL bless us. There is no way that He can't! With it being fast Sunday this past Sunday as well, we all 3 fasted for her to receive the answer she is looking for, and we have so much faith that the Lord will grant unto her what she desires. What changed this week was Cindy finally understood that sometimes you have to take that leap of faith into the dark, even when you don't know what will be there on the other side. She wants to be baptized and is going to go forward with it and hope that the Lord will grant unto her her desires according to her faith (Enos 1:12). She has a baptismal interview tonight and we have SO much faith that she will be baptized this coming week! I can't wait to see all the miracles that lay ahead this next week!
So yep, so many amazing things are happening, and we are feeling so blessed here in sweet Hualian. I know the Lord is looking out for us, and is guiding us every step of the way!
I know the Lord is looking out for every single one of you, and He is just waiting to bless you. With the challenge that my companion and I and Cindy are taking this week, I was reminded of the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21. Every single blessing we receive comes from our obedience and willingness to act on God's word. We don't receive blessings by any other way. I invite you all to think about that, and maybe think of your own personal obedience. Think about the blessings you hope to receive and make the necessary changes to allow the Lord to give you those specific blessings. I know that He will do for you what He has done for so many of us before! If we are obedient, we have the same promise that the Lord gave to Enos. "I will grant unto you your desires according to your faith."
I love you all. I love this work. I love this place. I love Taiwanese curry. I love that grandma and grandpas here get up at 6am and go to the park to dance for exercise. I love that the garbage truck has music that sounds like the ice cream truck to tell people that it is there. I love that I get to ride a bike around in a skirt in the pouring rain or blazing heat every day. I love Chinese. I love that we meet people everyday that want to learn more about Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. I love this gospel. I know it is true.
I wish you all a wonderful week and most of all, I wish my sweet Momma HAPPY BIRTHDAY and happy anniversary to my parents! I can't even begin to express how much I love you both and how grateful I am for you and your examples. I too have been born of such goodly parents. Someone please give them huge hugs for me. LOVE YOU ALL.
xoxo
Sister Richards
李姐妹
Lǐ Jǐemeì
Taiwan Taipei Mission
4/F, #24, Lane 183
Jin Hua Street
Taipei, Taiwan 106
1- Our (my) FHE last week haha--(The Heftel family from Provo who are visiting with their children were there too.)
2- My old investigator Ruby who just got baptized!! She was baptized in Yilan.
3- our girl Cindy just being so awesome as usual- literally was at the church a total of 10 hours the past two days in lessons, church, attending every activity, and just talking to members... hah
Our last weeks P-day all going to the dragon boat festival! A big holiday here in Taiwan!
More P-day: the Taiwanese yuanzhumin- aboriginals raced these dragon boats and performed some of their native dances! SO SO sick. They are our heroes.
The rainiest days always + me trying so hard to write notes to members and investigators and it's just a party. so sorry to anyone who can actually read that and sees how zaogao my Chinese writing is. haha!
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