I think that there are so many experiences that happen everyday, so many emotions and so many events that it's hard to even describe how they all fit together to become what a missionary experience is. But, recently, teaching and seeing Lin Li Hui receive baptism has been an experience I will never forget. She was found on the road by my companion and at first she sounded really haihao. She didn't set up when my companion first met her and all she left was an english name and a cell-phone number. Then she showed up to the church. And she wanted to repent. Yes, she was golden. But, the next couple weeks were filled with various experiences where she would call us and tell us about all the negative things she was reading online about the church and asking us if it was true. Thankfully, she had started reading the Book of Mormon regardless. And, of course, that's all it really takes. She had felt of the spirit from that glorious testament of Christ and she knew that the things she felt when she came to church, when she prayed, when she met with us, were strongly different from the horrible feeling that came whenever she read the negative information about the church. She kept meeting with us.
She loved repentance, loved the Doctrine of Christ, and knew the Book of Mormon was true. She has a gift. She has so much faith and has such a good relationship with the spirit that she receives more immediate answers to her prayers than anyone I have ever met. And that also strengthened her faith, as she was meeting with us she would say that before she knew about the gospel she felt like she didn't have a soul and knowing God and feeling His love and helped her feel that she really does. That she really is a child of God. Every commandment that came up was a change, maybe a little bit hard, but it was nothing compared to the happiness that she received when she read the scriptures or when she prayed. Then tithing came up. It was going to be a hard one because she was already in debt, she was willing, she just wanted to wait until December to give a full 10%. I just had to tell her she couldn't get baptized unless she was willing to keep all the commandments.
She wanted to get baptized so bad. She had a testimony so committing to the commandments was not a hard thing--she ended up having her baptismal interview and passing with flying colors. We set up a time to meet with her the next day. She fanged us. It was weird, she had never fanged us. And her phone was off. Her phone stayed off for two whole days and when it was on again she still didn't answer. I felt so bad, I just got a new companion and it was her first week on the island, but I wanted to go find Lihui. I was so confused, she wanted to be baptized so bad, and when she didn't come to church I knew something was definitely up. I honestly thought she had been in an accident or some sort of family emergency.
So, we biked up the hill. Well, let's just say we biked up the hill, over the hill, and down the other side, then her road was on the map but there were no signs....it took a good little bit of time to get to her house. We got to her house, but before going in, I was still so scared, she had mentioned how her parents didn't have good feelings towards the church and I was so scared of making it worse. But, outside her house we said a prayer. It just felt good. We went in and knocked. She got up to the door, saw us and said, "Ko! I'm sorry!" (She was still learning that she needed to say 'sister' with our last names :) ). She was so gandong. We didn't say much, shared a scripture, but mostly I just got to see her and tell her how worried I was for her. She could tell. The problem was tithing, and she really thought she couldn't keep it and that if she didn't answer we would just find someone else and forget about her. No way, not someone with faith like Li hui. She agreed to come back and keep learning and keep coming to church. The next part of the miracle was on Tuesday, I still couldn't even tell you quite what happened, but our peike was amazing. All of a sudden she just turns to me and says, I don't care, I'm getting baptized anyway. Saturday, right? :) It was a fantastic moment. From then on, no worries whatsoever. She was baptized the week after on April 21st, and three weeks later she was getting baptized for other people in the temple. She loves to peike and is the most solid member ever. She is the miracle. She later told us more about her experience and decision to be baptized; when she saw us praying outside her house she was so gandong, and then when she saw the look on our faces she knew it was real concern and not just a "job" to help people join the church. She felt the love of the missionaries, the members, and Heavenly Father. I guess this story might not be that interesting to other people, but every time I meet with her and hear her testimony I have a certain feeling. It's the feeling of watching someone change and seeing someone be truely happy. It's a feeling I want to remember and keep having the rest of my life. This woman has come to know her Savior, uses the Atonement to repent, and loves the Lord. I love being a missionary.
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