6/12/11

This is a weird feeling, not going to lie.  I don't really like it.  There are still so many things I wish I could have done, but this is it.  It's weird.  I don't like to think about it, I don't really talk about it a lot, but it is getting more and more real, ew. Moving on... 

  

Li wan jing is a mom with a high school son we started seeing, she likes to get side-tracked a lot, but she reads and really knows it is scripture.  We met with the whole family on sat and the son has a huge desire to know if it's true, he has had a lot of Jehovah Witness missionary influence so it is fun :)  But he is interested and willing.  Wang hao xuan is still scared of enduring to the end, so I hope she will still keep doing those chi shou daodi things so that she can gain more of a testimony.  We also just want to let her have an interview and see that she is ready.  Wu rou zhen came to church for sacrament meeting, but we think her only desire is not to offend her friend who gave her a ride.  We shall see, she will return home after finals so hopefully she will keep meeting with missionaries.
 

Oh my goodness!  Lu yi jing came to church!  It was the most wonderful day ever.  I honestly couldn't keep my excitement in; not going to lie, her coming to church almost made me happier than any investigators that came to church.  She hasn't been to church in 10 years and it was so good--everyone loved her and remembered her and she is just so sweet that she even made new friends right away.  She can't come next week for work but is set on the week after for church.  I really think she's going to keep coming.  I think that one act of her deciding to come to church helped ward relations.  During ward council they thanked us so much for helping her.  It's so hard, and it's all about other people's agency, but when the ward sees us visiting and helping the people they ask us to, they know we care about the ward.  I always have fears about leaving an area worse than I found it, that page on PMG always haunts me a little bit, but I really feel good about it right now.  AND, Li yi zhen, is also a LA we have been working with and she totally came to church!  She went to Zhang hua, but totally went.  It just took teaching doctrine of Christ and the meaning of the sacrament to realize why it was important.  We still need to help her realize some doctrine and remind her of commandments, but she will be good too.  Our new members, other than one, are all answering their phones now, and came to church so things are good.
   

I have been reading PMG again this past move-call and finishing up the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time.  It's interesting for me.  I have totally different feelings and different thoughts as I've been reading this time.  I think the biggest thing is that as I read I actually have experienced and tried things out.  Done the activities and worked on better questions, or different lessons, different ways of teaching about the Book of Mormon, and its fun to read and think, wow, yes, I have a testimony that that fangfa works because I've tried it out.  I also have quotes and pieces from my wonderful mission leaders and I've been thinking about how much I have learned from all of them and their examples.  Wow, this mission is fantastic, isn't it? 

Wow, I guess this is it,... in a bit, all my Jiayi new members are going to be here and visiting--I am so so excited.  They all carpooled together and they're almost here!!! and I have never been so excited for a preparation day, and it's the last one.....

love you!

-sister ko

 

ps marcus let me know no one was going to be there to pick me up at the airport, should I call my own taxi and let myself in through the garage? :)

Missionary Experience

The mission asked for a missionary miracle story and this is what I shared with them:

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.

 

6/5/11 Email

 Not too much to report on, some of our investigators are not progressing too well at this point and we just need to find more investigators.  We did have quite a few first lessons this last week which was awesome, getting some more people into our teaching pool and progressing--but the holiday and other family emergencies made it so that people couldn't make it to church on Sunday.  But one of the things we specifically fasted for yesterday was to help more people come to church.  We are thinking about better ways to help more people come to church and realize the blessings from doing so.

  

Wang hao xuan is doing ok, didn't go to church because she went home, but when we meet with her we want to help her set a goal, she is done with her tests so she should be ready and not feel too stressed out to make the decision.
    

The Chen family, dad doesn't really seem too interested when we go over, but he randomly drops in and hears bits and pieces.  At first I wasn't sure if they were interested anymore because they didn't come to English and sounded busy when they answered the next day--but we went to see them on Sat and....when she came down to meet with us she brought her ziploc-bag-protected Book of Mormon and xiao pengyou Book of mormon :)  They pray as a family and are going to start reading from the Book of Mormon together at night.  She is a fantastic mom.  We were finally able to finish a first with her and the need for a restoration totally made sense to her. She heard about the WofW in English and when we were talking about apostasy she said, Yeah, other people changed the true church, like how we aren't supposed to drink tea and coffee. :)  She is still nervous about baptism but she knows that is what we want her to help her prepare for and next time we will explain more about why.
     

Lin li hui is a dream new member.  She loves being a peike and I think the most amazing part about it is that she wants to improve.  She will think she didn't do very well and ask for improvements, and then really take them to heart.  She has a beautiful testimony of the Book of Mormon and everyone she meets can feel that.  Li wen ting is doing good.  She got done with her test and has still been a little stressed out waiting for the results but she is doing good.  I was worried about her for a while because she didn't answer her phone the whole week before her test, but I think she's also recovering from a cold so her body is just under a lot of stress right now.
   

Ok, and I have to tell you about this one investigator we met this week.  So, I get this phone call one night from this girl that says, "Hey, is this sister ko?  this is xie jia ling, I met you on the street last week and you gave me your number.  I want to come to church."  I know.  Those are the words you live for as a missionary.  I asked her if she could meet with us beforehand, so we sat down with her on Sat night.  I love how the things you are prompted to emphasize are really what they need.  As we taught at first we focused a lot on the Spirit and what the spirit does and what it feels like.  When she came to church she was there on time, in a skirt, and had a fantastic experience.  We met with her after and she was talking about how she read the Book of Mormon the night before and had a special feeling when she read the book.  She doesn't have feelings when she reads other books, only this one :)  And, she was so awesome, she said, "And I felt that when I was in church, and I feel it right now, can you feel it?"  She is just so receptive to the message and to the spirit and I know it will keep testifying to her.  She just lives in another area so we have to give her up, but she has a goal to be baptized before the end of the month and I'm so excited for her.  Golden.

  

Oh!  And I'm excited for today, Momo and xiao jin (she got baptized after I left Nantou) are coming up to visit for lunch and next week everyone from Jiayi is coming to visit.  I am so excited to see them!

 

Well, I guess this is the inevitable part that I need to get to....I got the flight plans.  Not going to lie, I will probably not be in the best shape either and will have plenty of jet-lag to get over....Leave from Taibei on Jun21 4:40pm, then on the same day :)  from LA 4:20pm to Salt Lake, get to Salt Lake at 7:05.  Then from Salt Lake to Twin at 9:50 to 10:54pm on Tuesday June 21st.  So, yes, prepare for me to be at the Twin Falls airport on Tuesday night of the 21st.

Ok.

I love you all so much, please keep praying for this area and our investigators and the people that need to be found in the next couple weeks,

-sister ko

5/29/11 Email

 In one of our meetings they let the leaving missionaries have a few minutes to give a reflection of their mission.  We also were supposed to type it up and send it to the mission, so I sent mine to you as well.  I also didn't realize how much I would need to apply those principles I thought I had learned right now.  These last weeks haven't been easy.  But, I know more than ever that there is always a way to change and our Savior will always be right there to help us.  He gives us the opportunity to change because He loves us.  If I didn't change I would just keep doing the same silly things, don't worry, I'm just changing and becoming better, let Marcus know, he was worried I wasn't changing :)

  

This church week was amazing:  that wonderful Chen family came along with Haoxuan, her friend, xu ya ting and her friend.(inviting friends along really increases numbers now doesn't it? :) )  The family only came for sacrament and thought it was pretty long--but then they went and saw the other ward with the Primary section and want to come to all three hours next time.  The only thing is that usually they go home to Zhang hua on weekends--hopefully we can help them get to church there next weekend.  They also all love English class--have I told you about them?  They have five children from age 10-1.5 and they are the cutest and honestly very guai children.  We haven't been able to share very much because of work schedule and taking care of the kids, but they really like us and love English, like church.  Mom and children were also able to come to the RS activity on Sat.  It was so good, and the ward was really excited about them.
  

Wang hao xuan, done with her test and came to the activity on Sat as well.  It was amazing, she had a friend who was visiting for the weekend and so I thought she wouldn't want to meet with us--but she brought her friend to the activity AND met with us AND they both came to church.  I think that is one of the biggest indicators that she has really been moved by the gospel, she wants her friends to know what she is doing and what she is investigating.  I missed her so much when she was getting ready for her test!--I'm really excited to meet with her again and help her set a date to be baptized!  And, she is from jiayi and so I'm so excited to tell all my friends down there about her and have them help her when she goes home on the weekends.
    

One of the LA's we have been working with lately has said she can come to church next month!  Lu yi jing.  She has been reading every day since we met with her and praying.  Her lesson last week was one of the most memorable ones.  We watched the Joseph Smith DVD she said her heart wouldn't stop pounding.  Then when we were reviewing the Book of Mormon and random gospel topics I don't really remember exactly what it was I said, but something about how I love being able to have the gift of the Holy Ghost and she just stopped me and said, "Wow, I can really tell that this gospel has blessed your life and made you so happy.  You are just so happy whenever you share anything about church."  And, it stopped me for a minute and made me really think about it.  One thing I have also gained from bearing testimony all the time is that it really is realizing that it is every single part of the gospel that makes me happy.  I love bearing testimony of any piece of it because, simply put,  it is all a witness of a loving Heavenly Father and His true gospel.  But, I also just love that Sister Lu is really recognizing the spirit again and realizing how it can and does make her happier.

  

Oh my goodness, and Anne, Lin li hui, is such a superstar.  We taught her how to be a peike and she was so excited and willing.  She attended our ward coorelation meeting on Sat and then attended the nation-wide fireside that Elder Bednar spoke at.  I love seeing her all the time, she is such a little ball of energy and excitement all the time.  She loves her scriptures and always has something she wants to share with us from it.  She is such a little miracle girl and wow, she will do great things for the ward, I'm excited to watch her grow....

Have a wonderful week, please keep praying for me and this area,

Loves!

-sister ko

5/22/11 Pictures

Pictures from the baptism on Saturday.

So wonderful!

 The one with the glasses is li wen ting and the one with the fun hair is lin li hui (anne) :)

May 22, 2011 Email

 We just had a beautiful baptism for two of the most prepared souls ever: Li wen ting and Lin li hui--it was a fabulous service and the ward mission leader already knows them and wants them to be ward missionaries :)  It was just so natural that they got baptized.  There are some people you are worried about until they are in the water, but them, I had no worries about them at all.  And, especially for lin li hui, she wants baptism so badly that her coming out of the water was just the most exciting thing ever.  I've never seen her so happy.  I didn't care, I hugged her, gave her a big hug when she came out out the font.  She's just one of those people with the greatest amounts of faith that you just wish you could be like.  I wish I could be more like her.  It was a wonderful baptism.

    

Hao xuan is taking her final test on Thursday and then will be good to meet with us again, we have been doing daily follow-ups with her and she has been seeing miracles from prayer and the comfort from reading scriptures, she's great.

  

Still working hard, biking fast, talking with everyone, getting places, Heavenly Father is not letting me leave easily, that's all I've got to say :)  It's not being easy, but I know these moments will be worth it.

 

 I love you all so much!  Have a wonderful week!

-Sister Ko 
 

May 15, 2011

 That Lin li hui is doing so well.  She keeps telling everyone how the gospel has blessed her life and how she has felt our love and the love of the members and is so excited for baptism.  She comes to activities and is already set up to arrange the game in YSA next week :)  I just keep thinking about how one little bike ride up the mountain got her thinking again about what the church and what the Book of Mormon means to her--she agreed to keep meeting with us and we saw her on Tuesday.  She still brought up her tithing concern and the peike was fantastic, I was thinking we could help her set a later goal and help her develop the faith to keep the commandment, but the Lord had quicker plans in mind.  It was a miracle. Miracle peike, miracle investigator.  I went out really fast to make a phone call, came back in and she said: Ok, I've decided.  Meiyou guanxi, I'm going to get baptized this sat."  :)  It was one of the saddest things I had to do to tell her she needed to postpone it one more week so she could come to church and have it announced :)  But, she just decided on her own that she was going to go for it anyway; keep the commandments and let Heavenly Father bless her. 

  

Li wen ting is great too, I was so nervous the same thing was going to happen to her when she wouldn't answer her phone for two days after she got back (but no worries, her plane just came a day later :) ).  The ward already loves her and wants her to give a lesson on gardening for a RS activity.  She is getting busy with her tests and graduation, but she is just so ready for the blessings of baptism.
    

Xu yating has started telling us that she is not so sure about baptism anymore and not sure if she is ready.  She says she wants to read and understand more of the Book of Mormon first--I'm still not quite sure if that is her real concern or not--but she is still willing for a baptismal interview so on sat she will have one and we will see if any other concerns come up. (She had a test this week and wasn't able to have her interview this week)  Hopefully when she passes we can help her see that means she is ready, once she believes and is willing to keep the commandments.

  

It was such a great week, such great investigators to church and so many new members at church!  It was fantastic.  There were so many people at church they had to get more chairs out :)

  

-sister ko