IT'S TRUE! Life is crazy over here! It's been amazing to see the changes that have happened this week, in our finding, in our teaching, in everything. Ah I just can't even believe it. Heavenly Father loves us so much!
Finding
So. Ever since last week when Sister Pearl and I did a training on following the Spirit, Sister Tidwell and I have been trying to do it. IT'S BEEN WORKING! Not even kidding you. One day we had 30 minutes to find -- that's it! -- and so we said a prayer and went to work. Every time we had to choose which direction to go, we stopped. I would say, "Right or left?" and then we'd just listen. After we chose a direction -- EVERY SINGLE TIME -- we would talk to a super prepared person, or get a phone number, or something. It was one of the coolest things that's happened on my mission. That half hour was so amazing! The Spirit really will guide us! It's been cool to learn how to listen for it and follow it.
At the end of our half hour, we saw this lady. At first she totally ignored us. Then we kept on bugging her and talking to her, and finally just offered her a flier with Joseph Smith on it. She started talking to us, we started sharing.... she ended up crying and telling us she had some hard circumstances in her life and how good she felt talking to us. It was so awesome! We were able to teach her a street lesson and say a prayer with her. Blessings!!
Teaching
F is TOTALLY making her January 26 baptismal date. I'm so excited! She went from thinking that Heavenly Father is a demon, to repenting and feeling the power of the Atonement and wanting to come closer to God. She's been such a testimony builder for me. We actually saw her this morning and taught her the Law of Chastity. It was so good! We're so excited for her! On her BIRTHDAY, even! Ah! It's just so amazing!
We haven't seen J JM in a while and we've been a little bit worried about her. Sister Tidwell miraculously scheduled her for Saturday and we went over with our RS president, Sister Lee. We started the lesson (we planned to teach about baptism) and followed up with her, asking her if she was reading the BOM and praying. She said she was but it wasn't really helping her. She said when she feels sad, she'll just drink so she won't have to think about it anymore. It was really sad. I bore testimony that every time she had a problem she didn't want to think about, she needed to get on her knees and give it to the Lord. I told her that I knew He would take it away for her. The Spirit was so strong. But wait, it gets better!! So then we showed her a clip of the District (those missionary training things I was supposed to watch before I went into the MTC, ya know?) about the Robles Family, a family that gets baptized and IT WAS THE BEST. Seriously. So awesome. J JM was feeling the Spirit so strong. We committed her to be baptized onMarch 9 and SHE ACCEPTED! But wait. She hasn't been able to come to church yet because of H Y (her 8-year-old daughter)'s dance every Sunday morning. We've been praying and fasting like CRAZY for her to find a way to come to church. So I said, "We know you haven't been able to come to church because of H Y's dance..." and she says, "Oh, she doesn't have dance tomorrow." And we're like OKAY THAT'S AWESOME! And then Sister Tidwell says, "So does she have it next week?" And J JM says, "She doesn't have it on Sundays anymore!" THE SPIRIT SMACKED ME IN THE FACE. That is a straight up miracle! Nothing short of a miracle! I gasped and just started crying right away. I didn't even know what to say... "J JM! That is so wonderful! I can't believe it! What a miracle!" We told her how we'd been praying and fasting for her and she started crying too. Sister Lee had to pass around tissues haha :) It was probably the coolest lesson I've had on my mission. Heavenly Father answers prayers. I knew it before, I know it now. I know it with everything I am. Ah! I'm so excited for her little family to be eternal!!!
Well... there are like 1200 more miracles this week but I don't have time to write them all. I LOVE this work! I am so happy to be a missionary. It really is the best kind of life. I'm learning so much and loving every single second. The Lord is blessing us so much! I couldn't be more thankful or more happy!
Have a great day and a great week! Smile! Look for the miracles! Love every second! Love everyone! :) Remember I love you!!!
All my love,
Sister Gwok
xoxoxo
1.16.2014
1.06.2014
Learning Lessons - over and over :)
Leih hou! How are you all this week? I bet it's hard going from Mexico/Christmas break to school and work and boring stuff like that. But ga yauh! (add oil!) Remember that Heavenly Father wants our success!
This week was another slow week. We had a LOT of meetings to attend because this week was Mission Leadership Council and Zone Training Meeting, so we went on exchanges a LOT (because Sister Pearl and I are STLs together, but we're not companions). It was kinda crazy but really great. I learned so much at MLC.... I always do.... and I liked doing exchanges with Sister Pearl. I learn a lot from her. I'm so lucky I've lived with her my whole time in HK! Craziness! We did a good training for our meeting on Friday. It was based on a talk that I AM DEFINITELY sending to all of you. It's so good. It's on personal revelation and it CHANGED MY LIFE. So look forward to that in the mail :) and make copies of it, and give it to all your friends, and use it in your lessons, and read it over and over and over again.
We haven't seen a lot of investigators this week.... everyone's coming back from Mainland slowly but surely.... so we went finding a lot. Sister Pearl and I's training in ZTM was on finding and doing it by the Spirit. A lot of times I feel like a headless chicken, running around, trying to contact people and get them interested in what I have to say. Street contacting is hard. But if I walk slower, follow the promptings in my heart, and remember to "be still", then Heavenly Father will bless us with promptings that will lead us to prepared people.
I had a conversation on the phone with my district leader last night when I was reporting our numbers. We were talking about that, and he said, "you know, it's funny. In the MTC they pounded this into our heads, so by the end of the MTC, i was like 'i know, i get it, i get it.' And then I get out here and I forget it all. And I have to learn the same lessons over and over again. Why don't we just get it the first time?!" I was thinking... probably because we're mortals. Mortals are dumb. Ha. I feel like I'll be learning lessons for my whole life over and over again. The only thing I can say is, Heavenly Father is SO patient with us. I used to think He was up there, slamming his forehead, going, "Oh Shaylee.... you just learned that a few months ago! Why are you messing it up again?!" But then I remind myself, He is my perfect Father. Which means He's perfectly patient. And when I mess stuff up over and over again, He just smiles and helps me learn the lesson again. What a great blessing :)
Pray for F! Idk if I told you about this cool story. A few weeks before Christmas, she thought that Heavenly Father was a demon, right? Remember that? Well, after that we helped her resolve that concern, and then we had a great lesson with her where we talked about baptism. We extended her a date: February 23. And then we read Alma 7 together. By the end of reading/discussing, I was feeling like Feb 23 was a long way away for her. She said it too: "hou yuhn!" (so far!) So then we knelt together and prayed about a new date. At the end of the prayer, we were pondering about it, and we said, "What about January 26?" and she said, "That's my birthday!" And I almost started CRYING. How happy is that?! What a perfect birthday gift and the perfect day to start her new life! Pray for her that she can make it! :)
I love you all so much! Sorry time is short! Until next week! :)
Love,
Shay
xoxoxo
This week was another slow week. We had a LOT of meetings to attend because this week was Mission Leadership Council and Zone Training Meeting, so we went on exchanges a LOT (because Sister Pearl and I are STLs together, but we're not companions). It was kinda crazy but really great. I learned so much at MLC.... I always do.... and I liked doing exchanges with Sister Pearl. I learn a lot from her. I'm so lucky I've lived with her my whole time in HK! Craziness! We did a good training for our meeting on Friday. It was based on a talk that I AM DEFINITELY sending to all of you. It's so good. It's on personal revelation and it CHANGED MY LIFE. So look forward to that in the mail :) and make copies of it, and give it to all your friends, and use it in your lessons, and read it over and over and over again.
We haven't seen a lot of investigators this week.... everyone's coming back from Mainland slowly but surely.... so we went finding a lot. Sister Pearl and I's training in ZTM was on finding and doing it by the Spirit. A lot of times I feel like a headless chicken, running around, trying to contact people and get them interested in what I have to say. Street contacting is hard. But if I walk slower, follow the promptings in my heart, and remember to "be still", then Heavenly Father will bless us with promptings that will lead us to prepared people.
I had a conversation on the phone with my district leader last night when I was reporting our numbers. We were talking about that, and he said, "you know, it's funny. In the MTC they pounded this into our heads, so by the end of the MTC, i was like 'i know, i get it, i get it.' And then I get out here and I forget it all. And I have to learn the same lessons over and over again. Why don't we just get it the first time?!" I was thinking... probably because we're mortals. Mortals are dumb. Ha. I feel like I'll be learning lessons for my whole life over and over again. The only thing I can say is, Heavenly Father is SO patient with us. I used to think He was up there, slamming his forehead, going, "Oh Shaylee.... you just learned that a few months ago! Why are you messing it up again?!" But then I remind myself, He is my perfect Father. Which means He's perfectly patient. And when I mess stuff up over and over again, He just smiles and helps me learn the lesson again. What a great blessing :)
Pray for F! Idk if I told you about this cool story. A few weeks before Christmas, she thought that Heavenly Father was a demon, right? Remember that? Well, after that we helped her resolve that concern, and then we had a great lesson with her where we talked about baptism. We extended her a date: February 23. And then we read Alma 7 together. By the end of reading/discussing, I was feeling like Feb 23 was a long way away for her. She said it too: "hou yuhn!" (so far!) So then we knelt together and prayed about a new date. At the end of the prayer, we were pondering about it, and we said, "What about January 26?" and she said, "That's my birthday!" And I almost started CRYING. How happy is that?! What a perfect birthday gift and the perfect day to start her new life! Pray for her that she can make it! :)
I love you all so much! Sorry time is short! Until next week! :)
Love,
Shay
xoxoxo
1.02.2014
Food Poisoning!!! :(
Dearest family and friends,
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2014. I was thinking about how weird that is. Somewhere at home I have a time capsule that I made in Primary that says, "Do not open until 2014." And now.... it's 2014. I still have to wait until October to open that time capsule haha. But I can't believe that it's already here! Time is FLYING. It's insane.
Sooo.... I guess I'd better tell you about the subject of my email first, yeah? So Friday, we went to lunch with the elders and their recent convert, Steven Lau. Steven is loaded so he took us to an American restaurant -- a steakhouse. I was STOKED out of my mind to eat steak. The elders ordered halibut and us sisters ordered steaks. So they bring the steaks out, right? And they bring out what looks like half a cow to EACH of us. We were like, uhh.... elders? Help a sista out! haha :) so we split up our steaks. I gave half of mine to Elder Arrington, and Sister Tidwell gave half of hers to Elder Liu. Life was great. The steak was delicious. And all was well in Zion.
But THEN.... Friday night rolled around. Literally spent half the night in the bathroom. I felt HORRIBLE. It was the worst night I've ever had. When we got up in the morning, Sister Tidwell said she felt totally fine but I've never felt so awful. I called the elders and guess what? Elder Arrington was sick too! But not Elder Liu. DANG IT STEAK. :( so we had a slow weekend to say the least. I took a nap and spent my Saturday in the bathroom and Sister Tidwell did a bunch of calls and records, poor girl. We went to a Christmas concerton Saturday night but I wasn't feeling so hot. I drank some "tummy mint" herbal tea -- I'm turning Chinese and I think herbal tea is the BEST THING EVER. And it helped my stomach feel lots better. The end :)
So Christmas was AWESOME! I loved being able to talk to you guys!!!!!!!!!!! We have the best family in the world. I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you .... :)
Christmas was wonderful! We opened up all of our presents together on Christmas morning and it was so much fun :) went to our ward Christmas party and had an AWESOME time! We had a lot of people there -- investigators and potentials -- which made us really happy. Us missionaries did a skit... Elder Arrington dressed up like Santa and played his guitar, and the rest of us hung upside down from a table with a curtain over our bodies/faces and sang Christmas songs as chin people. The ward LOVED it; they were laughing so hard. Ah Christmas :)
We've been having some slow weeks the past few weeks. It's been hard for me, to be senior companion, to see our dips in numbers. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. But then I look back at the rest of my mission and remember.... the Lord gives us ups and downs all the time. He is trusting me with some challenges right now so that I can improve myself and grow. It's been hard, but good, to have to rely on Him and remember that there's no way I can do this work without Him. It humbles me so much. I love what I'm doing. The good and the bad -- it's all the best experience I've ever had.
Can you believe it? This week marks my HALFWAY POINT. Whaaaaa?? I've been out 9 months. I have 9 months to go.I can't believe it! I don't want to go home. I want to stay and serve here FOREVER. I love this mission. I love these people. I want to help them my whole life. I want to serve my Savior like this my whole life. I can't believe it's going so fast!
I love you, fam! and friends! You are what keeps me going! Thank you for your support, your love, your encouragement, your smiles, your prayers, your jokes, your righteous examples. I love you all so much!
Have the best week and HAPPY 2014!
Love always,
Shay
xoxoxo
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2014. I was thinking about how weird that is. Somewhere at home I have a time capsule that I made in Primary that says, "Do not open until 2014." And now.... it's 2014. I still have to wait until October to open that time capsule haha. But I can't believe that it's already here! Time is FLYING. It's insane.
Sooo.... I guess I'd better tell you about the subject of my email first, yeah? So Friday, we went to lunch with the elders and their recent convert, Steven Lau. Steven is loaded so he took us to an American restaurant -- a steakhouse. I was STOKED out of my mind to eat steak. The elders ordered halibut and us sisters ordered steaks. So they bring the steaks out, right? And they bring out what looks like half a cow to EACH of us. We were like, uhh.... elders? Help a sista out! haha :) so we split up our steaks. I gave half of mine to Elder Arrington, and Sister Tidwell gave half of hers to Elder Liu. Life was great. The steak was delicious. And all was well in Zion.
But THEN.... Friday night rolled around. Literally spent half the night in the bathroom. I felt HORRIBLE. It was the worst night I've ever had. When we got up in the morning, Sister Tidwell said she felt totally fine but I've never felt so awful. I called the elders and guess what? Elder Arrington was sick too! But not Elder Liu. DANG IT STEAK. :( so we had a slow weekend to say the least. I took a nap and spent my Saturday in the bathroom and Sister Tidwell did a bunch of calls and records, poor girl. We went to a Christmas concerton Saturday night but I wasn't feeling so hot. I drank some "tummy mint" herbal tea -- I'm turning Chinese and I think herbal tea is the BEST THING EVER. And it helped my stomach feel lots better. The end :)
So Christmas was AWESOME! I loved being able to talk to you guys!!!!!!!!!!! We have the best family in the world. I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you .... :)
Christmas was wonderful! We opened up all of our presents together on Christmas morning and it was so much fun :) went to our ward Christmas party and had an AWESOME time! We had a lot of people there -- investigators and potentials -- which made us really happy. Us missionaries did a skit... Elder Arrington dressed up like Santa and played his guitar, and the rest of us hung upside down from a table with a curtain over our bodies/faces and sang Christmas songs as chin people. The ward LOVED it; they were laughing so hard. Ah Christmas :)
We've been having some slow weeks the past few weeks. It's been hard for me, to be senior companion, to see our dips in numbers. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. But then I look back at the rest of my mission and remember.... the Lord gives us ups and downs all the time. He is trusting me with some challenges right now so that I can improve myself and grow. It's been hard, but good, to have to rely on Him and remember that there's no way I can do this work without Him. It humbles me so much. I love what I'm doing. The good and the bad -- it's all the best experience I've ever had.
Can you believe it? This week marks my HALFWAY POINT. Whaaaaa?? I've been out 9 months. I have 9 months to go.I can't believe it! I don't want to go home. I want to stay and serve here FOREVER. I love this mission. I love these people. I want to help them my whole life. I want to serve my Savior like this my whole life. I can't believe it's going so fast!
I love you, fam! and friends! You are what keeps me going! Thank you for your support, your love, your encouragement, your smiles, your prayers, your jokes, your righteous examples. I love you all so much!
Have the best week and HAPPY 2014!
Love always,
Shay
xoxoxo
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