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