Diligence. Prayer. Miracle.

Hi all,

 

We finally got to meet with our Chinese investigator Lily last week! We didn't get to meet with her for over two weeks. We were so worried that she would drop us, but we continued to pray that she would have the desire to learn more as we really knew that she was ready to hear the gospel. This time I was so much prepared to teach. I got the permission to study Mandarin with Brother Fish from a different ward in our Stake the night before our appointment with Lily. Brother Fish is really awesome. He served his mission in Taiwan more than 10 years ago but could still speak really good Mandarin. He showed me the teaching material he got from the MTC. It was so helpful. Since most people in Taiwan didn't really have a Christian background, Brother Fish had learned how to teach in a different way than we normally do. He showed me how to do a door approach when the person didn't have a Christian background and taught me lots of gospel terms. And I got permission to study Mandarin by myself 30 minutes each day besides P-day and weekly planning day. The lesson with Lily went really well. I remember Elder Yeip gave me a Priesthood Blessing at my first transfer that I would be given the gift of tongues, and I really know that I was blessed with the ability to speak the language. Instead of teaching the Restoration, I went back to the basis - God and Jesus Christ. Lily didn't grow up with any religion but believed that there was a God. She knew a little about Jesus Christ since she started having bible study with her friends a couple months ago. I explained to her the role of Jesus Christ in the Plan of Salvation, and she liked it. My companion and I both bore testimony to her that she could only know if our message was true through prayers. She was really hesitant about it, so I extended the commitment at least 3 times in different ways throughout the whole lesson. I told her that our message was either true or not, and I didn't think that she would still want to meet with us if it wasn't true. And then she said " I think your message is true." I was like "Wow!". Still, we invited her to pray to gain a confirmation from the Spirit. She is going to China this Sunday and won't be back until January 14, but she said that she would read over the pamphlet and pray. It was totally a miracle. I'm grateful that I could teach her in her native language. I'm grateful for the Spirit's presence so that I could know what inspired questions I should ask and when should I bear testimony.

After the lesson, we drove to the Bothell Church building as we had a Christmas dinner with missionaries in 3 other zones. I was so happy that I got to talk with some missionaries that I served with before. It was just a very fun time. Each zone had to give a singing performance at the Chapel after dinner. Our Zone Leaders had invited missionaries in the zone to sing "I am a child of God" in their native language, so I sang it in Cantonese. I was nervous to death as I was singing in front of the Mission Presidency and over 100 missionaries. Lots of people complimented on my singing. Um... I guess the Spirit can really hide the sour notes.
 

We went to the Temple for Endowment this morning. I was so excited that I got to go back to my last area. I felt great peace inside the Temple. My Seminary teacher has told me that it is a privilege to be able to go inside the Temple, and now I really do understand that it's a blessing to be in the Temple. I love the Temple and know that it's the house of the Lord.
 

Our next P-day will be on December 25, but we are not going to email. We are still waiting for our leaders to tell us the details of skyping or calling family on that day. I wish you all have a wonderful Christmas. And may we all remember the true meaning of Christmas.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

 

They are the BEST cookies ever!

 

A challengin​g week

Hi all,

 

The past week has been pretty challenging! We were tracting under -3 degree Celsius all the time, and our toes were frozen! But that's okay, just like what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "Missionary work isn't easy because Salvation isn't a cheap experience". I believe that being a diligent worker even in a less pleasant situation can bring forth miracles! We learned that "miracles are not for us" in Zone Meeting last Friday. Miracles are for those people who are earnestly seeking the truth. We are only the instruments of the Lord. Talking about Zone Meeting, my companion and I were asked to give part of the training to the missionaries in our zone. It was a great experience. They didn't let us know until the night before, so we had to prepare everything within our study time. The training was about how diligence is related to high expectation and will help us reach our baptism goal for next year. Our mission has set 1663 baptisms as the goal for 2014. We couldn't have set this goal without having high expectation. But at the same time, if we don't make any changes, we won't be able to achieve this goal either. I have learned a lot by studying the Preach My Gospel. It talks about diligence is a Christlike attribute. And one of the things I didn't think of before is that if we are truly diligent servants, we are going to be more persistent when sharing the gospel with people. A lot of people would tell us that they are already Christian or are not interested, and I would just say "have a good day" when I first came out. But now I really know that there is more we can say. The Book of Mormon is what makes our Church unique, and we can always invite people to read and pray about it.

I was relieved after giving the training as I was quite nervous about it. But another challenge came on last Saturday. The Second counselor of the Bishopric called and invited me to give a 10-minute talk at Sacrament the next day. I was like "Um....". My companion thought that I would say no as I didn't like being asked to do something in last minute. But as a missionary, I don't really think that I can say no to any righteous request, so I said yes. I hadn't given a talk at Sacrament for years, and this time the topic was "The prophecies and birth of Christ". I was stressing out. I knew that I only had dinner time which was an hour to prepare, so I prayed to ask for help that I could be inspired to know what I should speak. My companion was helping to find some scripture references also. Even though I was prepared, I was still really nervous. I have always been nervous about speaking in public, and this time I had to give a talk in my second language. I prayed for help that I wouldn't speak with shaky voice as I thought it would be pretty embarrassing. And I wasn't shaking at all when giving the talk. Lots of members said that I spoke pretty naturally, and they did enjoy my talk. I am grateful for the power of prayers. I know that we can be strengthened if we pray sincerely to our Father in Heaven.

Love,
Sister Leung

Outside the Church building

I wrote 20 Christmas card last P-day. It's definitely a record!

Finally saw some snow!

First time giving a talk in English

Be bold and testify of truth

Hi all,

 

Today is transfer. Both my companion and I are staying. I know that there is still something we need to work on together in this area. I'm excited to see more miracles this transfer.

 

The past week has been a really good week. We learned a lot at District Meeting. I know that our District Leader was called by God and was inspired to lead us as a district. We discussed the importance of extending commitments and testifying of the Restored Gospel. Sometimes I might make our message sound too casual even though I knew for sure that it was important. And sometimes I didn't take the chance to testify when people said that our message and the Book of Mormon wasn't true. My companion and I set goals to work on our weaknesses. That evening, we got to talk with a Filipino during tracting. He told us that he had LDS friends and had been praying for them as he thought that they were misled. He was being very nice to us but was telling us that Mormonism was so wrong. He also asked a lot of doctrinal questions and did contradict himself a couple times. My companion did a good job in answering those questions without getting into Bible bashing, and I was standing there the whole time. That man just went on and on and on, and I started getting a bit impatient which I shouldn't have. I prayed in my heart that I would be given a chance to just testify to him of the Book of Mormon. After 30 minutes, my companion told him that we got to get going as we had an appointment. He then asked my companion if her parents were LDS. She said yes. He then asked me the same question. I told him that my grandpa joined the Church years ago, and I would eternally be grateful for his decision. I then testified to him that I knew the Book of Mormon was true as I had read and prayed about it. I told him that I was very grateful that I was born and raised in the Gospel. I told him that I knew without a doubt that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the only true Church on this earth and Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. To my surprise, he didn't try to argue with me or anything. He just said "Good luck" to us. I don't know everything in the Bible or the Book of Mormon, but it doesn't mean that I can't have a testimony of the restored gospel. And I know that people can choose not to believe in our message, but they can never deny our testimony. I'm very grateful that Heavenly Father answered my prayed immediately and gave me a minute to testify what I knew to be true.

 

I still can't believe that I have been out for 6 months already, which means I only have about a year left. I have been enjoying serving a mission and am grateful that I can be an instrument of God to share His Gospel. It's the most wonderful thing I have ever done. I'm grateful for all the good times and hard times I have had as they help me learn and grow. Serving a mission does require sacrifice, but I know that it's worth it as I have come to know my Savior more and have been able to share this with other people. I really know that eternal happiness can only be found in the Restored Gospel.

Love,

Sister Leung

 

With our Sister Trainers. Sister Murphy and Sister Prows

Missionaries in the Bothell Zone

With my companion getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving dinner with members!

 

Just a trial of faith

Hi all,

 

The past week has been a really SLOW week. We didn't get to meet with any of our investigators, and one of them dropped us. She was on date for baptism but said that she would just stick with her own church. We were really disappointed. But we also knew that we had already done everything that was required of us, and everyone had agency to choose whether to accept the gospel or not.  We have faith that we will be able to find some new people this week.

We were trying to find a member who could speak Mandarin to help teach Lily, our Chinese investigator. And we talked about that at District Meeting two weeks ago, and all missionaries in our district asked about it in their wards. And we finally got some good news. One set of the Elders told us several days ago that their Ward Mission Leader, Brother Fish, could speak Mandarin! We then texted him to see if he would be able to come to a lesson with us. He works during the day but Lily goes to school in the evening, so it's not going to happen. I then talked with the Zone Leaders that maybe I could go to have language study with Brother Fish once a week. I did know that it wasn't going to be easy and learning Mandarin wasn't something that I loved to do, but I knew that Lily really had to learn the gospel in her own language. Brother Fish told us last Saturday that we could have the language study today, but he also told us that he lived by himself so we couldn't just go into his house (According to the mission rule, we are not allowed to stay in the same room with someone of our opposite sex). I was like "Why? Why is it so hard". We really were praying that we would find a way to have language study but there was always something coming up. We then tried to talk with our Ward Missionary Sister Crandall to see if she could come with us. She has a baby girl, so we actually didn't really want to ask her. We did it anyways as we couldn't think of any better solution, and we were grateful that she was willing to come. We are going to learn and practice Mandarin tonight, and we have Lily on our plan for tomorrow, so hopefully the practice will help me with explaining the Restoration and the Book of Mormon clearer.

This transfer has been going by so fast. Next week is transfer week, and my companion and I are hoping that we will stay together. I wish you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Love,
Sister Leung

It has been cold here is Seattle finally! The temperature has been between -2 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius.



It was finally cold enough to have some frost on the grass. I'm still waiting for some snow:)

I love the Book of Mormon!

Hi all,

 

This past week has been pretty good. We went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. I was hoping that I would get to go with Sister Prows again, but I got to stay in my area with Sister Murphy. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed at first because I didn't know the area or Sister Murphy at all, but everything turned out great. Sister Murphy and I had a great time together. She told me that she was so excited to go on exchanges with me as she had heard of lots of great things about me. I was like "What? I bet you heard all these from Sister Prows right?". Sister Prows was just really nice. Sister Murphy helped me a lot with door approaches. We discussed how we could do better at talking about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon on doorsteps as they are something unique about our Church. We practiced and evaluated, and now I'm more confident in explaining the Book of Mormon to people on doorsteps. Everything we planned for that afternoon fell through and almost nobody answered the door. It was really weird but that was fine, just another trial of faith I guess. It was really fun to be with Sister Murphy, and I learned a lot from her. She is an amazing missionary and a great example of "turning your eye single to the glory of God".

 

We taught Lily (Chinese investigator) again last week. She didn't have the chance to read the Restoration pamphlet as her family from China came to visit. Her husband wasn't religious at all but said "Mormon is good" so we could continue to teach her. Again, we prayed really hard for the gift of tongues before we went visit with her. We read part of 2 Nephi Chapter 31 which was about baptism with her. She said that she agreed that baptism was really important, and it was why she hadn't been baptized yet because she didn't want to make such a big decision without gaining a clear understanding. We talked more about the Priesthood and the Book of Mormon, and she said that it made sense to her that we needed this "another testament of Jesus Christ". The Spirit was totally there. And even my companion who didn't know any Mandarin could understand briefly what I was saying. She knew when I was testifying and when I was talking about the Atonement. She couldn't explain how she was able to understand. It was all by the Spirit. We have been trying to find someone who can speak perfect Mandarin to help teach her, but we still haven't found anyone so far. I don't know how everything can work out, but I know that she is really ready for the Gospel, the Lord is going to provide a way for her to learn more about it.

 

I know that the Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ and is an evidence of the Restoration. I know that anyone who reads it and prays about it with a sincere heart and a real intent can gain a testimony that it is true. I know that it is true not because my parents told me, but it was because I have prayed to ask God. I love reading the Book of Mormon and am grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith, who translated this ancient record by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

I wish you all have a great week.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

 

P.S. I have less than 13 months left. I really feel like I'm running out of time. And I will be doing my very best to find, teach, and baptize.

Miracles are happening!

Hi all,

 

Last week has been a really great week. We found 2 new investigators! My companion and I have been getting along really well. And we both agree that it was the blessing from working in unity.

 

We street contacted a guy named Jesus at the beginning of this transfer. We set up an appointment, but he wasn't home when we went there. We decided to drop by again, and he invited us in. We taught him the Plan of Salvation. He felt good about what we shared with him. We invited him to attend Church last Sunday and found a member to pick him up. He wasn't home when the member went to pick him up though. We were a bit disappointed, but the member said that his son was pretty sure that he knew Jesus. And he was willing to go with us for another lesson this week. Another investigator was Lily. We tracted into her about two weeks ago. She was from China and just moved to the U.S. a few months ago. She couldn't really speak any English, but she was so nice that she asked us to come back another time. So I asked for the Chinese pamphlets and Chinese Book of Mormon from the Zone Leaders so that I could prepare to teach. I was really nervous about teaching in Mandarin. I asked my companion to pray for me that I would be given the gift of tongues before we knocked on her door. I believed that I could do everything with the Lord's help. Lily was really nice that she even treated us cake and juice. My companion was sitting there all the time as she couldn't speak the language. I started talking with Lily. The Spirit was definitely there, and words were just put into my mouth. I paid fully attention to her and could understand her perfectly even though Mandarin was my third language. I taught her the Restoration briefly as she didn't have a solid Christian background. She was willing to listen and thought what she was taught made sense. I taught her how to pray and offered a prayer at the end of the lesson. She said that she would read through the pamphlet and pray about it, and we could go back to teach her. In the whole lesson, I only struggled with pronouncing a few gospel terms, and since she could read traditional Chinese also, I could point at the words from the pamphlet, and she taught me how to read it. The lesson went really well. And I know that all these wouldn't have happened without the Lord's help.

 

I know that the Lord will continue to put people in our path if we truly have the desire to share the gospel with them. I know that the Atonement is real. I know that through exact obedience and constant repentance, we will be able to see even more miracles. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Missionary work isn't easy at all, and I wouldn't have chosen to come on a mission if I didn't know that these things are true. And there is no way that I would go on a mission for anyone besides the Lord. I hope you all have a fantastic week.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

It was all by the Spirit!

This past week has been really great. We had a baptism last Saturday. Brother Anderson was already on date for baptism before I got transferred to this area, but I'm glad that I still got to teach him most of the lessons. My companion and I both agree that we didn't really do much, and it was all by the Spirit. His wife is a member but has been less active for quite awhile as she couldn't find the Church building after she moved. They didn't talk about religion when they got married. Later, they decided to find a Church so that they could all go as a family. And Sister Anderson remembered her experiences at Church, so she asked her husband to try our Church, and he loved it. The missionaries stopped meeting him in August as he was too busy, but later he asked the counselor of the Bishopric how he could get baptized. And of course he was told that he had to talk to the missionaries. So he started the discussion again. Last Monday, we spent some of our P-day hours teaching him so that we could finish all the lessons before he had the baptismal interview. Even though I didn't get to finish the things that I wanted to because of the lesson, I knew for sure that helping people to come unto Christ was way more important than enjoying my P-day.

 

I will never forget the Spirit we all felt at the baptismal service. The Spirit was so strong. And Brother Anderson told us that he did feel something was different after he came out from the water. He was really a humble man. He knew that he still had a lot to learn. And he has been looking forward to receiving the Priesthood so that he can bless his family. I know that the Spirit can change people's hearts as it has already changed mine. I know that this work is NOT about us at all. We are the Lord's instruments only, and our responsibility is to teach the TRUTH with power and clarity. I know that people can't be truly converted unless they feel the Spirit, and if they are truly converted to the restored gospel, they will never fall away.

 

I still really miss the people in my last area, but I'm getting more used to serving in my current area. I have been getting along with my companion. We actually have lots of FUN together, and just like what President Choi said, missionary work should always be fun. We have been and will be working hard to find those who are ready to hear the gospel.

 

Many people have told me that missionary work is the hardest thing I will ever do in my whole life. But I just think that it is the most rewarding work ever. Tomorrow will be my click day #5. I will be out for 5 months. Time has been going by faster and faster. I don't know how many baptism I will have before I go home, but I know what matters most is that I have done everything that the Lord requires of me.

 

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a full-time mission. I know that through sincere repentance and the power of the Atonement, I can become a better missionary each day. And I'm grateful for everything that the Savior has done for each of us. I know that I will never be able to pay Him back, but at least I can share the gospel with other people.

 

Love,

Sister Leung



We were helping another ward of our Stake to ask members to write their testimony on a piece of paper and stick it inside, so that the missionaries can give them out to investigators.

Baptism

another Baptism picture

New area. New people.

Hi all,

 

This past week has been pretty good. I'm still trying to get used to this new area and my new companion. Having the experience of training last transfer, I felt like I have been doing a better job this time. At least I have been more patient. And I have been trying my best not to bring everything from my last area to here as they are different areas. I'm grateful that we have two awesome Sister Training Leaders to help us. Sister Prows is one of them. She has been my Sister Training Leader since I came on my mission. I'm so happy that we got transferred to the same zone. She knows me really well.

 

Every companion is different. And I know that Heavenly Father places them in my path for a reason. My new companion is a big worrier, and she admits it. I have been trying not to stress her out. I have learned to pray more often as I really had no idea about this new area. And I know that the Sister Training Leaders did receive inspiration from the Spirit that they called us about coming over to our apartment to help us with Weekly Planning. We were really struggling with planning the day before. But we are now doing better.

 

I had a hard time staying focus last Saturday. I was thinking that I wouldn't meet the people I used to the next day at Church. I have really been missing everyone in my last area. I felt really welcomed in the new ward though. A lot of members came to shake my hand and asked where I was from. And almost all of them had the same response when I told them that I was from Hong Kong. They said "Wooooooow! That's so cool". And some members shared with me their experiences of visiting Hong Kong. There is a member from Hong Kong also, so hopefully I will be able to speak my native language again by practicing it with her.

 

I'm still trying to focus on people in this area instead of thinking of people in my last area all the time. I'm willing to serve where the Lord wants me to, but making changes isn't easy at all. But I know that I can be a better missionary each day with the help of the Lord. We are going to have a baptism this Saturday. And I will write more about it next time. I hope you all have a good week.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

Another journey is about to begin

Hi all,

 

Today is transfer day. I got the call last night that I was being transferred out of the stake boundary... I already felt like I would leave so I gotta visited a couple of members yesterday. I was crying after the transfer call. There were sooooo many people that I wouldn't get to see again until after my mission. The Elders were both being transferred, which was kind of surprising. Only my last companion got to stay in the Somerset ward. I started packing yesterday morning because I felt like I would leave, and I was right. (It was the first time in my life that I hoped that I was WRONG) Still, I didn't finish packing until 1am.

 

This morning, I visited a less active old lady in our ward. I tried so hard not to cry, but I didn't make it. I really had lots of great memories at her house. She was always fun to talk with, and I just felt like she was a great-grandmother to me. She was already 93 years old. I truly hope that she will live so much longer that I can see her again after my mission. After that, we went to the Temple ground to take pictures with the Elders, which has been a tradition since I came in. It has been a pleasure to serve with Elder Atherley and Elder Larsen in the same ward.

 

We then drove to the mission office for transfer. I'm now in the Bothell zone. My new companion is Sister Matheney, and she has only been out for 6 weeks, which means I'm going to finish up her training. My first reaction was "Oh my goodness I don't want to train again", but then I realized that I wouldn't do well if I continued to have this kind of attitude, so I tried hard to be excited about it. Last transfer was really rough. It was sooooo rough that I don't even know how to describe it. I can't even remember how many times I cried or how often we fought....  but I have grown a lot with the last 6 weeks because of all those trials. And I know that the experiences I had last transfer can help me be a better missionary and trainer in this transfer. I really miss all the people in my last area, but I know that the Lord knows where I have to be. Also, I'm here to serve the Lord with all my heart, so I will always be willing to go where He wants me to go. Sister Matheney just told me that there were some Chinese people that I may be able to help with as I could speak Mandarin. And she told me that there were 2 members in the ward that spoke Cantonese, so I might be able to gain my native language back. Believe it or not, I lost it about 3 months ago... I can still read and listen, but I really can't speak any Cantonese right now, and I have been having a hard time writing it...

 

I know that it will take some time to get used to a new area, but I know that the Lord always qualifies those He calls. I know that He will help me be a better missionary if I put my trust in Him. I'm already one-fourth done with my mission. Time has been going by so fast. I seriously don't ever want to be released! Being a missionary has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. It is a privilege to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary. To those who are thinking about going on a mission, I would encourage you to pray about it to know if it is something that the Lord wants you to do. I know that He lives and always answers our prayers.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

Elder Atherley and Elder Larsen

Pictures before transfer

I saw my first companion at transfer:)

Hermana Pingree. We came out from the MTC together.

The night before transfer

Going on split is FUN

Hi all,

 

This last week... I really don't know how to describe it. It has been a super CRAZY week but with some good time. We finally went on split for the first time. I went with Rachel, who just got back from her mission. She studied Mandarin for a couple years so went to visit a few Chinese potentials, sadly they weren't really interested. The Relief Society President told me to visit a less active Taiwanese sister in our ward, but since she spoke broken English, I didn't want to go see her with my companion as I would the only one talking with the Taiwanese sister. Rachel and I went over to visit, and I was totally impressed my Rachel's Mandarin. We together were able to share a spiritual message in Mandarin, and Rachel give a prayer in Mandarin. It was such a great experience. After this visit, everything we planned to do fell through. Rachel tried to call some members to see if we could visit them, but none of them were available. I felt like I should call Sister Kim, so I did it. I asked her if we could go over to share a member missionary lesson with her, and she said "Sister Leung, guess what? I have an investigator at my house waiting for you. I just feel like I should call you, so just come". I was like "YES!". Sister Kim is just the BEST member missionary ever! She talked about the gospel with all her friends. This friend of hers was Korean, and she had already met with the Korean members. We shared with her about how the gospel has blessed our lives. We are going to do service for her this week by practicing English with her. It's going to be fun.

 

I talked with a few members in our ward last week, and they all told me that I had changed a lot since I came into this ward. They all remembered how quiet I used to be, and one of them said that she was quite worried about me at the beginning. They thought that I was homesick, but I was never. I'm glad that I went to BYU Hawaii before my mission. Even though I really didn't like it much, it really helped me prepare to serve a mission. There is no way I would have been on my mission if I hadn't studied in BYUH. Serving a mission has been a very humbling experience. I have been learning how to trust the Lord more, and I testify that He listens and answers our prayers. I had never been so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ before my mission, but now I understand so much more about it, and I have a stronger desire to share the gospel because I know that all people need to know how they can be blessed by the Atonement. Because of the Atonement of Christ, our sins can be forgiven through sincere repentance. We have to remember that repentance is a gift but not punishment.

 

Love,

Sister Leung


 First Starbucks (CHOCOLATE!) since I went on my mission. Emily is the BEST!

Emily is leaving for the MTC in 2 days.
 

General Conference weekend!

Hi all,

 

The past week has been a bit rough that nobody would listen to our message. I don't even know how many doors we knocked on. But it was still a pretty good week with General Conference.

 

I got sooooooo sick last Wednesday. I just got a really bad sore throat that I woke up in the middle of the night. I could hardly speak. Sister Choi told me to call the doctor, and the only thing the doctor told me was to use salt water. I was like "Are you kidding me?". I was dying, so I asked Edler Larsen to give me a Priesthood blessing. I wasn't healed immediately but was given strength to continue to work. I tried all the medicine that I had, but they didn't help. Elder Larsen gave me essential oil, supplement, honey stick, and a bottle of honey. The honey stick was totally a magic! My sore throat was completely gone after eating it.

 

Last Saturday was my click day #4! It has been 4 months since I went into the MTC. And it was General Conference day also. All the talks were great. When President Eyring announced that the next speaker would be Elder David A. Bednar. I was like "YES!". His talk was awesome!!!! Between the morning session and the afternoon session, the Asian family that we have been teaching took us out for lunch. A family in our ward went also. They remembered me saying in Testimony Meeting that I missed Chinese food, so we had lunch in a Chinese restaurant! DIM SUM! I was sooooooooo happy. I felt like home. Most people working there spoke Cantonese, and I enjoyed listening their conversation. But believe it or not, I've lost my Cantonese. Anyway, the lunch was great! I really do love this family a lot. I had never prayed that often for any of my investigators before, but I have been praying a lot that I will be inspired to know what I have to do to help them come closer to Christ.

 

General Conference was great! I'm looking forward to the next General Conference already. Even though I was born and raised in the Church, I didn't pay attention to any General Conference until 2 years ago. My mom used to say that I was "cold-blooded" just because of the face that I wouldn't cry when I listened to any talk. It was simply because my heart wasn't softened yet. Now I cry even when I read the Ensign because I can feel the Spirit strongly. While watching the General Conference, I could feel that the Spirit filled the whole chapel. And I know that President Thomas S. Monson is chosen by God to guide us in these latter-days. I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life. I'm grateful that my grandpa joined the Church years ago so that I was born and raised in the Church. I'm grateful that I can serve the Lord as a full-time missionary. I love the gospel. I love my Savior and Redeemer. And I love you all! Have a good week.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

The girl on my left is Emily, who goes out tracting with us often. She is leaving for her mission in less than 10 days. I'm gonna miss her so much.

Yay exchanges

Hi all,

The BEST thing happened last week was EXCHANGES! Since my first exchanges with Sister Prows, I always wanted to have exchanges. Last Tuesday night, we were told that I was assigned to go to Cougar Mountain for exchanges with Sister Crockett. But since I hurt my back later that night, I got an appointment to fix my back the next day, so I ended up staying in my own area with Sister Prows, and my companion went to Cougar Mountain. I was quite happy with hurting my back as I got to have exchanges with Sister Prows again, which I have been waiting for more than 2 months. We went on exchanges after having interview with President Choi on Wednesday afternoon. Being with Sister Prows is the BEST ever! She totally understood what I had been struggling with. She told me that she could tell I became much stronger because of the 3 rough months. She still clearly remembered how nervous I was about knocking on doors when I first went on exchanges with her. And I will never forget how she helped me overcome that fear in less than 24 hours. We went tracting with Emily that evening, and it was indeed a good time. We got some really interesting responses from people also. When we knocked on a door, a man came out and shouted at us "Don't you guys have something better to do?". He then slammed the door. We were kind of laughing actually, and we came up with different response that we could have given that man, such as "well... if you let us come in, you can teach us how to use our time more wisely" and "Nothing is more important than your Salvation". Tracting with Sister Prows and Emily was indeed FUN! We got 4 lessons in an hour. I usually loved having Ward Correlation, but that night I seriously hoped that I could spend all night knocking on doors. Since I became a trainer, I had been struggling with daily planning, so I told Sister Prows that I would need some help with it. That night we prayed and planned together, and amazingly we were able to plan out for 3 weeks in 30 minutes, and we went to bed on time. She was just soooooooo amazing! And I learned a lot from her during companion study the next morning. I wish that exchanges could last for a month instead of 24 hours...

I don't remember if I had ever mentioned about an Asian family, who was our eternal investigator. They first met missionaries years ago and were taught everything, but they still haven't been baptized. We talked with them and found out that the mom hadn't received an answer if the Book of Mormon was true yet, but she said that she would be baptized if she knew that it was true. I first met this family back in June, and I did develop great love for them. This family was amazing, and I actually thought that they were members when I first visited them. Their son has finished 4 years of Seminary and is now studying in BYU. They were just like a Mormon family. Since they loved both the Elders and us, we have been taking turn to visit them. We reviewed the Restoration with them last Moday, and the Elders followed up with them and invited them to Church last Friday. And they were at Church yesterday! They used to go to Church about once a month before I came out, but they later stopped attending Church. But I'm glad that they have lots of member friends and love missionaries. We will try to go by this evening to share with them "In His own time, in His own way" from August 2013 Ensign talking about how to receive personal revelation. I really have been praying for them that they will know the truth for themselves.

Yesterday was Fast Sunday. And I did share my testimony:)

I know that the Church is true. I know that the fulness of the Gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Sister Leung

P.S. The weather here in Seattle is PERFECT! It's about 14 degrees Celsius:) And I'm still wearing short sleeves!

 



The WORST week ever

Hi all,

 

As you read the title of this entry, I think you can tell that I had a really bad week. And I really think that it was the worst week since I came out. My companion and I did get along 2 weeks ago, but last week we had TONS of argument, more than I've ever had with my first companion.

 

Well... I'm not going to write what we argued about as I couldn't even remember. All I know is that we argued a couple times every single day. And I was frustrated with everything that I just wanted to go home. Last Thursday, I think I cried twice in the morning if not more, and I asked Elder Larsen for a Priesthood Blessing. I felt a bit better after that, but my companion and I still didn't talk to each other. And I have to admit that I really didn't want to talk to her at all. The only thing she said to me that afternoon was "Do you want to check the mail?" when we went home for dinner, and of course I said yes. That day was soooooooo bad that I really felt like I would get a letter from my cousin Elder Leung. His letters always came on the worst days! I opened the mailbox, and I saw a letter from him, and it put the first and the only smile on me for that day. I'm still wondering why all his letters came on my worst days. It can't be coincident. And in his letter, he shared with me his thought about being a trainer, and he told me that his trainee remembered that I complimented his Cantonese at the MTC. The world is so small.

 

Last Saturday was the 3rd Saturday of a month, so we had the "Why I Believe" breakfast at Brother Schiel's home again. This time we got so many people to come! It was a great time for investigators and less active members to get to interact with members, and of course the food was soooooooooooo delicious. It was definitely the best breakfast since I came on my mission. And the best part of this breakfast is that each time a member would share his or her conversion story with us. We as missionaries always teach people what the Restoration is, but sometimes hearing testimony from members is so much more powerful. I'm grateful for Brother Schiel's effort on hasting the missionary work in this area.

 

Well... I really don't have much to say about the last week except the word "FRUSTRATING". I still have lots of letter to reply, and I will try my best to write as many as I can today. But I will definitely 100% reply all letters. You all have a wonderful week.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

"Why I Believe" breakfast

Good things are happening!

Hi all,

 

I will be home 15 months from now! (Oh yea, I like counting down...) The time has been going by so fast. I'm grateful for all the experiences I have had on my mission. It is definitely a humbling experience for me.

 

The past week has been a really great week, probably the best one since I came out. Sister Whetten and I are getting along well. She is amazing! She has no problem with being exactly obedient and talking with people. And I saw lots of miracles happened in the last few days, and I know that it was the blessing from exact obedience.

 

Last Friday evening, Emily, who were soon leaving for her mission, went tracting with us. We only knocked on 5 doors that evening, but we taught 3 lessons. It was my first time since I came out that people actually invited us to go into their house. We taught a man named Dale the full Restoration, and he said that we could come back to share the Plan of Salvation with him this Saturday. Yay 1 new investigator!

 

We also got a referral from Salt Lake that a lady may be interested in learning more the Gospel after visiting Temple Square, so we dropped by. She said that she was Catholic already, so she actually wasn't interested in learning more our belief, but she didn't shut the door right away. So we continued to talk with her about the experience she had at Temple Square, and she let us in. And we taught the whole Restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon. She said that we helped her clear some of the misunderstanding she had about our religion, and she would definitely recommend her friends to go to Temple Square. She didn't say we could come back, but she said that she would read some of the Book of Mormon:)

 

Last week we finally met our weekly goals! I know that the key to finding people is boldness and exact obedience. The Lord would not guide us to those who are ready for the Gospel if we were not exactly obedient. We sometimes may complain that there are no people ready for the Gospel, but I would say that our unworthiness may be the reason why we are not able to find them. I just got a letter from my BEST friend Sister Leung, and I really like the scripture she shared with me, which is in Alma 26:22, and it says "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance". We as missionaries must always be mindful of ourselves as our conduct not only affects our Salvation but also our investigators' Salvation.

 

I know that the Church is true. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. I know that my life has been truly blessed by the Gospel, and I want to share it with other people. I know that miracles will happen in this area soon if we continue to be bold and exactly obedient. See ya next week!

 

Love,

Sister Leung

3rd transfer!

Hi all,

 

Today is transfer day! My companion got the phone call on Sunday night telling her that she would be transferred! So we have been trying to visit as many people as we can for both yesterday and this morning. This morning, we met up our Elders on the Temple ground to take pictures, and when we were about to leave, a man just came up to talk to us. He is from Federal way, and he told us that he would meet missionaries tomorrow for the first time. He has had some hard times in his life, and he came to the Temple to feel the peace. The Elders didn't really stay to talk with him as they thought it would be kind of weird for 4 of us talking with him at the same time. Sister Boyd and I stayed to talk with him and answer his questions. He told us that he has been baptized in another Church, but he still has been searching the truth. He also asked questions about where we came from, so we got to share a bit of the Plan of Salvation. He asked us if God loved everyone. We could tell that he was desperate. We testified to him that Heavenly Father loved us unconditionally, and we could always turn to Him even though we made mistakes in our lives. He appreciated for what we told him, and he was looking forward to talking with missionaries from the Federal Way mission tomorrow. I know that there are some people that are truly seeking the truth! I love being a missionary as I know how much joy the Gospel can bring us.

 

We got to the mission office at 2pm for transfer. I was told this morning that I would just get a new companion instead of training, but.... my new companion has just finished half of her training, so I'm training her this transfer!!!!!!! WOOHOO:) I'm very excited about it even though I'm a bit nervous. But I know that God will provide me a way to do it. And I know that I will be inspired by the Spirit to know what I should do. I don't have much time left as we have to do our groceries! Talk with you all next week.

 

Love,

Sister Leung

The Zone leaders said nobody got packages as often as I did :D

Taking pictures before transfer

 

In His own time, in His own way

Hi all,

 

Yesterday was Labor Day, so the library was closed. We were told the night before that we could go to the Church building for emailing yesterday in the afternoon, but since some missionaries were disobedient when using the computers, emailing of yesterday was cancelled! But later we were informed that we could email the next day, which means today:)

 

We worked super hard last week. My companion and I both agree that we had never worked that hard before. However, we got the least number on lessons last week within the whole transfer. We didn't get to teach any lesson during tracting. Still, I didn't get discouraged. I knew that there was something that the Lord wanted me to learn. I still don't know why we got so little done after working diligently for a week, but I am grateful that I could always feel the peace in my heart at the end of each day because I knew that I had done my best already, and I knew that Heavenly Father was happy with us as we worked hard despite rejection. And I know that the Lord can work miracles, but they will only happen in His own time and in His own way. In D&C 58:3-4, it says"Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand". I know that we don't fully understand God's plans, but we should know that He knows better than we do. So one of the most important things we should learn is to trust our Heavenly Father. He is aware of all his children's needs, and He knows when and how we can help them receive the Gospel. I know that because I have experienced it. Even though I was born and raised in the Church, I didn't gain a strong testimony of the Gospel until 17. Because of the hard time that I was going through, my heart was softened. And Heavenly Father helped me to gain a firm testimony of His Gospel by sending one of my friends to help me. My friend's example and his love for the gospel saved me. I know that Heavenly Father knows us perfectly, and He will place those who are ready in our path if we first put our trust in Him.

 

Even though we didn't get to teach lots of lessons last week, we had a wonderful lesson with a Korean lady. She was a referral from Sister Kim, a member of our ward. The Korean Elders from the Federal Way Mission have been teaching her since she didn't speak much English. However, Sister Kim still hoped that we could get to know more about this lady, so we met her in the Church building last Thursday. When we planned for her the night before, I was inspired to teach her how to receive personal revelation with the aid of the August 2013 Ensign ("In His own time, in His own way" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks). So we shared that article and some scriptures with her, and of course we used personal experiences to help her understand what she had to do to receive answers and how answers would come. The Spirit was there for sure, and she could understand us with no problem. And she said that she would continue to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it was true. I am very grateful for the Spirit guiding us what we should say and what inspired questions we should ask. I know that if we listen to our investigators with a real intent to understand, we don't need to worry about what to say next.

 

Hopefully I will have some wonderful experiences to share next time also. I'm sure I will:)

 

Love,

Sister Leung

 

Our District of this transfer (taken after Temple session on Aug 27)

Somerset ward missionari​es

 

 

Exact obedience brings miracles

Hi all,

 

Our P-day is on Tuesday this week as we are going to the Temple this afternoon for the 1pm Endowment session! I'm so excited about it. Hope I'll have some Temple pictures to share next week.

 

The past week we have been working on being exactly obedient. Both my companion and I are always obedient even before our mission; however, we were struggling with being exactly obedient. To me, the hardest part was going to bed by 10:30pm that sometimes I went to bed 5 minutes late. It was still not exactly obedient. I have been going on bed on time for the past week:) And it did help me to have more energy for the next day. We have been taught that "Obedience brings blessings, but EXACT obedience brings MIRACLES". Even though we haven't experienced the miracles from being exactly obedient yet, I'm grateful that I can feel the peace and joy in my heart at the end of each day. And I know that God does miracles in His own time and in His own way. In 1 Nephi 17:3, it says "... And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them..." I know that obeying the commandments of God is a way to show our love to Heavenly Father, and He will help us to get through our trials if we first do what He has asked us to do.

 

Besides exact obedience, we have been trying our best to have good attitudes on tracting despite rejection. We didn't have people to teach, so for one day we even tracted from noon until dinner time. And our whole area is a hill, so we had to walk uphill and downhill all day long. It was exhausting, but I know that we won't even remember the hard time we have had when we find one person willing to listen. It'll be worth it. I have been praying that the weather would be nice for tracting all day long, and nice weather to me is not too hot. I don't mind tracting in the rain, just not the heat. And the temperature for the past few days was close to perfect:) I didn't feel weak during tracting like I did 2 weeks ago because of the heat.

 

Last Saturday, our Sister Training Leaders called us that they would come over to tract with us for 30 minutes that evening. Both my companion were wondering the reason for that because we didn't think that 30 minutes would make any difference. Yet, I was excited to go on a 30 minute exchange with them. I went on exchange with Sister Prows last transfer already, so I doubted if I would still go with her, but I did hope to go with her again. I have been asking my companion when we would have exchange again. And I was still with Sister Prows this time. Yay! I was impressed by her boldness, and I wanted to be better at knocking at doors like her. We only knocked on 3 doors within that 30 minutes as people actually at least talked with us even though they were not interested in the Gospel. I was surprised by how friendly people were that evening, and I think the reason for that was Sister Prows did look excited when she knocked on doors. But us, we always looked tired, and perhaps it was why not many people would talk with us. After those 3 doors, Sister Prows started talking with a man on the street, and we ended up talking with him for 10 minutes, and we gave him a mormon.org card also. I was amazed by Sister Prows! She could just talk with people so naturally. And she said that we should have exchange the coming week, which means this week. I would be sooooooooo happy if I gotta go on exchange with her again. That 30 minutes did help a lot! And I did better on tracting yesterday thanks to that short exchange.

 

Two weeks from now will be transfer day. My companion will have been here for 6 months at the end of this transfer, so she probably will leave. And I will finish my 12 week training in 2 weeks, and who knows if I will be training someone next transfer. If I get to be a trainer, I will definitely want to be a great one, so I have been thinking of questions that I have to ask before I become a trainer. And I have been paying lots of attention when my companion is driving since I want to better recognize different places as our GPS never works!

 

I hope you all have a great week. See ya next Monday.

 

Love, Sister Leung

Never fear men over God

Hi all,

I don't really know what I can share this time. We had some really good days and some really bad days last week.

Last Wednesday was Zone Conference. The night before that (I meat at 9pm), the Zone leader called us to ask if I could do the musical number at Zone Conference. My companion was the one answering the phone, and she told that I couldn't as there was no way I could do that the next morning without any practice. But the Zone leader thought my companion said YES for some reasons... I don't know how he could get it wrong. About 15 minutes later, he sent us a text "Sister Leung plays the piano. Elder Flake will sing". I was like "What!?" Elder Flake said he was going to sing "I need Thee every hour", and he asked if we could get to the Church building a bit earlier to practice. Well, I knew that I really didn't have any choice, so I said we would do it.

We got to the Church building at 8:30am the next day, and we went to the Relief Society room to practice. Our whole district was there to support us, and our district leader gave us some suggestion on how we could arrange the music as I really thought that it would be kind of stupid to sing and play the hymn directly from the hymn book. Elder Flake really had a BEAUTIFUL voice, we were all amazed by it. He never sang during district meeting though. We only got to practice for three times before the Zone Conference started. However, we did really great on the musical number! It was definitely a success:)

Our Wednesday was really a great day because of all the spiritual messages we gotta listen to; however, we had a really bad Thursday. It was ALMOST the worst day since I came on my mission. Every appointment fell through. Everyone that we planned to visit wasn't home. We went tracting under the heat and the rain for hours yet didn't get to talk with anyone. We were really frustrated when we went home. My companion asked me if I wanted to check the mailbox, and of course I would want to. And I got a letter from my cousin Elder Leung:) I have noticed that I got all his letters when I was having a bad day or a hard time. Thanks to that letter, that day wasn't the worst day.

The next day was a bit better as we continued to strive for exact obedience. We were taught that we should knock on every door and talk with everyone, but we failed to do so often. We knocked on so may doors during tracting that evening, but we didn't get to talk with anyone. While waiting for someone to come to the door, I prayed in my heart that I wanted to have at least one lesson if it was Heavenly Father's will. Nobody came to that door. We then walked up to the next one, but we heard that a family was having a dinner, and my companion was walking away from that door since she didn't want people to think that we were annoying. Nevertheless, I was thinking that the evening was our only proselyting time, and yes people might hate us for knocking on their doors during dinner time, but they would only yell us at most. What if that family was ready for the gospel? If they missed the opportunity to hear the gospel because we were scared of being annoying, we won't be clean on Judgement day for the work we have done. So I insisted that we had to go back to knock on that door. We did. A guy came out, and he was a Christian. We talked about some doctrines of the Gospel, and though we had some differences on what we believed, he was respectful. He didn't want to read the Book of Mormon, but still he said that we helped him understand more about the LDS Church. That guy was the only person that we got to teach that day. I'm grateful for the courage I had to knock on his door, and I'm amazed by how fast Heavenly Father answered my prayer.

I don't have much time left, but I wanted to encourage you all to read the Ensign. I like what elder Dallin H. Oaks said "We will get promptings of the Spirit when we have done everything we can, when we are out in the sun working rather than sitting back in the shade praying for direction on the first step to take. Revelation comes when the children of God are on the move". I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers in His own time and His own way, and he requires us to try our best first. I know that we shouldn't have any fear when we are doing the right things.

Love,

Sister Leung



Learning to be patient, humble and teachable

Hi all,

The past week started off really bad, but I'm glad that it ended up a pretty good week. And I've learned so much in the past few days.

For the whole week, we spent the whole afternoon tracting as we didn't really have any investigators to teach. And I can't describe how hard it was to walk uphill and downhill for 4 hours under the heat. It has been pretty hot which was about 30 degrees Celsius, and everyone knows that anything above 20 would be too hot for me, so the heat has been killing me! And I lost my temper for the first time since I came on my mission. When my companion said that we would tract again if our evening appointment fell through, I just kind of shouted at her that I wouldn't tract again no matter what happened! It was the biggest mistake I have made for the past 2 months. And I knew that the Lord wouldn't help us with our work if I didn't repent, so I prayed for forgiveness that night that I wouldn't do that again.

Even though I'm not afraid of tracting anymore, it isn't my favorite thing to do as most people don't give us a chance to say anything. And almost every week, we would be told by some people that we were misled. This happened again on Saturday during tracting. A guy told us that Jesus Christ never lived, and the Bible was a fiction. and the Book of Mormon was a story that stolen and published by Joseph Smith. I was like "WHAT?!! What are you talking about?" I knew that the only thing we could say was to testify what we knew was true. He told us that we were totally misled, and he was there to teach us how to be smart. I admit that I was a bit mad when he said that we were misled, but 5 seconds later I didn't care about it. WE SHOULD NEVER CARE ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT US MORE THAN OUR HEAVENLY FATHER DOES. I know without any doubt that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and the fullness of the gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. There is no way I can deny that.

Last Saturday, we and our Elders did service for a family. The mom has been inactive for a long time, and she didn't really know much about Jesus Christ. So we talked with her about the Gospel while doing service. The dad wasn't a member, and the Elders has been teaching him. They were really nice people, but the problem was they never stopped working even while we were teaching them. Four of us said that we gotta be bold next time to let them know that the message we have to share is important that they have to stop doing anything during the lesson. I think I can be bold, and my companion and I are going to tell the mom that she must stay for the 3 hour of Church but not going home to work after Sacrament meeting. I know that keeping the Sabbath day holy is a commandment of God, and I have experienced the huge blessing coming from it. And I know that it is something God wants from her, so we need to help her understand the importance of keeping the commandment. It takes courage to do so, but I know that we should never fear men over God.

In my last email, I only mentioned that we had a new Elder named Elder Larson since I didn't know him much. We got to know him a bit more the past week. And he is really amazing. He always has something funny to tell, but he is super focus on his purpose, and he knows why he is on a mission. Last Fast Sunday was his first Sunday in our ward, and he just went up to bear his testimony. My companion and I said that we should do it next Fast Sunday:) And yesterday before the Sacrament meeting started, Elder Larson just walked around to get to know the members of the ward. My companion and I were amazed by it. It took me almost 8 weeks to get to know most members because I was shy... But now I really enjoy greeting members outside the chapel every Sunday, and I think I should learn from Elder Larson's example to get to know people when I get transferred to another ward.

I guess you may remember who Sister Kim is as I have mentioned her in my past two blog entries. She is the BEST friend of missionaries. She is always excited about missionary work, and she has been praying and fasting for missionary opportunity. Last Wednesday afternoon, Sister Kim told us that we should drop by her house in the evening as her Korean friend would come over to her house with her daughter. So we went by, and her friend was there as her daughter practiced piano at Sister Kim's house every other day. Sister Kim invited her friend to talk with us, and she said that she has been to a few Christian Churches before, but she never knew which one was true. And she asked some questions about the God Head. We didn't get to talk a lot since we had another appointment that evening, but we are going over to discuss more this evening. Sister Kim is definitely the BEST example of member missionary. If every member can be so into missionary work like her, I think we won't have to knock on doors to find people to teach. I know that members are important to missionary work, and I pray that you all will look for opportunity to share the gospel with your friends, non-member family members, and neighbors.

I'm running out of time, but I want to share a scripture that I applied to my life the past week. In Jacob 4:10, it says "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from His hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over his works". We should seek the Lord's will and act on it, and I know that He knows what is the BEST for us. And we can avoid making mistakes if we listen and follow His will. I know from experience that the more humble you are, the more the Lord is willing to help you.

Love,

Sister Leung