(Oct 14, 2014)
Hi all,
This past week wasn't an easy week. I feel like all we did was finding. We still haven't found any new investigators though. And in Preach My Gospel page 156 states clearly that "nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach". We definitely went to visit a few members to encourage them to prayerfully consider with whom they could share the gospel. I know that member missionary work is important. But until members find people for us to teach, we will be finding everyday. I definitely like teaching more than finding, but I can certainly say that I enjoy knocking on doors. At the beginning of my mission, I had a horrible attitude about tracting. I often got frustrated or mad when people slammed the door on our face or tried to bash with us. When I was serving in downtown Bellevue with Sister Capener, she suggested us praying for charity each day, and we did. After I left that area, I still prayed for that often. Now, I have greater charity and love for the people I come in contact with each day, even when they are not very nice to us. I believe that lots of people reject us because they can't see the need of this gospel right now, but someday when their circumstance changes, they may accept it. And there is lots of anti-material online, who knows how many people misunderstand our beliefs because of it? I know that Heavenly Father is pleased with us when we do our part to share the gospel with His children, regardless the outcome. All of us have our own agency, the ability to choose, and Heavenly Father would never take it away because He loves us. I have committed myself that I will bear my testimony to everyone I see. If they are only willing to listen for 5 seconds, then they will hear my testimony for 5 seconds. we had a great Zone Conference last Tuesday. What stood out to me the most was "the language of the Spirit". We are here to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and need to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost because it is the only way that our investigators will be truly converted to the gospel. It doesn't matter if we can speak our assigned mission language well or not. Yes, we should strive to study the language because it is our responsibility to be diligent, but I know that the Lord always helps those who rely on Him instead of their own wisdom. I was the only one in my MTC District that was coming to the Washington Seattle Mission, so I was looking around at the airport trying to find a companion for myself so that I wouldn't be walking to the gate alone. I saw a Japanese sister missionary who seemed a bit lost in the airport. I didn't see any sister missionary around her, so I went up to ask her if she would want to be companions with me until we got our trainers, and she said yes. We were having training at the mission home before meeting our trainers. Training always involved role-plays. When it was her turn to be the "missionary" in that role-play, she told me that she couldn't speak English very well. I told her that she just needed to take the time and to speak slowly. When she started teaching me the Restoration, I felt the Spirit so strongly. Even though it was 16 months ago, I still remember how I felt as she bore her testimony in very simple English. At that moment, I just knew that she would do great things on her mission. And I was right. She has trained great missionaries and has been a Sister Training Leader for a few transfers now. We never served around each other, but I saw her at this conference and got to talk with her for a few minutes. Her English was A LOT better than last year. I'm sure she has worked really hard to learn the language but could also tell that she knows how to rely on the Lord.
We visited Brother T. (from Africa) last night. He got baptized last December, three months after he first came to America. His wife and his only child are still in Africa. He came here to find a better job to support his family. He was living in a distant relative's house when he first got here, but he got kicked out when he started taking lessons from missionaries. Isn't it terrible? He has been living with a couple in our ward. I just can't imagine all the trials that he has had. He hasn't even met his baby girl because she was born a month after he left home. However, he has great trust in the Lord. He was telling us that God had already blessed him a lot. My companion and I both had tears in our eyes as he shared his conversion story with us. Lots of people think that giving up 18 months to 2 years to serve a mission is a sacrifice, and that was my thought at the beginning of my mission. I really wasn't quite happy when I received the answer that I had to go on a mission. When I now look back, I can honestly say that it's a BLESSING to be able to serve a full-time mission. I have grown a lot these past 16 months. And this mission has helped me understand what matters most in life. I know that the lessons I have learned on my mission will bless the rest of my life.
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Hi all,
This past week wasn't an easy week. I feel like all we did was finding. We still haven't found any new investigators though. And in Preach My Gospel page 156 states clearly that "nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach". We definitely went to visit a few members to encourage them to prayerfully consider with whom they could share the gospel. I know that member missionary work is important. But until members find people for us to teach, we will be finding everyday. I definitely like teaching more than finding, but I can certainly say that I enjoy knocking on doors. At the beginning of my mission, I had a horrible attitude about tracting. I often got frustrated or mad when people slammed the door on our face or tried to bash with us. When I was serving in downtown Bellevue with Sister Capener, she suggested us praying for charity each day, and we did. After I left that area, I still prayed for that often. Now, I have greater charity and love for the people I come in contact with each day, even when they are not very nice to us. I believe that lots of people reject us because they can't see the need of this gospel right now, but someday when their circumstance changes, they may accept it. And there is lots of anti-material online, who knows how many people misunderstand our beliefs because of it? I know that Heavenly Father is pleased with us when we do our part to share the gospel with His children, regardless the outcome. All of us have our own agency, the ability to choose, and Heavenly Father would never take it away because He loves us. I have committed myself that I will bear my testimony to everyone I see. If they are only willing to listen for 5 seconds, then they will hear my testimony for 5 seconds. we had a great Zone Conference last Tuesday. What stood out to me the most was "the language of the Spirit". We are here to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and need to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost because it is the only way that our investigators will be truly converted to the gospel. It doesn't matter if we can speak our assigned mission language well or not. Yes, we should strive to study the language because it is our responsibility to be diligent, but I know that the Lord always helps those who rely on Him instead of their own wisdom. I was the only one in my MTC District that was coming to the Washington Seattle Mission, so I was looking around at the airport trying to find a companion for myself so that I wouldn't be walking to the gate alone. I saw a Japanese sister missionary who seemed a bit lost in the airport. I didn't see any sister missionary around her, so I went up to ask her if she would want to be companions with me until we got our trainers, and she said yes. We were having training at the mission home before meeting our trainers. Training always involved role-plays. When it was her turn to be the "missionary" in that role-play, she told me that she couldn't speak English very well. I told her that she just needed to take the time and to speak slowly. When she started teaching me the Restoration, I felt the Spirit so strongly. Even though it was 16 months ago, I still remember how I felt as she bore her testimony in very simple English. At that moment, I just knew that she would do great things on her mission. And I was right. She has trained great missionaries and has been a Sister Training Leader for a few transfers now. We never served around each other, but I saw her at this conference and got to talk with her for a few minutes. Her English was A LOT better than last year. I'm sure she has worked really hard to learn the language but could also tell that she knows how to rely on the Lord.
We visited Brother T. (from Africa) last night. He got baptized last December, three months after he first came to America. His wife and his only child are still in Africa. He came here to find a better job to support his family. He was living in a distant relative's house when he first got here, but he got kicked out when he started taking lessons from missionaries. Isn't it terrible? He has been living with a couple in our ward. I just can't imagine all the trials that he has had. He hasn't even met his baby girl because she was born a month after he left home. However, he has great trust in the Lord. He was telling us that God had already blessed him a lot. My companion and I both had tears in our eyes as he shared his conversion story with us. Lots of people think that giving up 18 months to 2 years to serve a mission is a sacrifice, and that was my thought at the beginning of my mission. I really wasn't quite happy when I received the answer that I had to go on a mission. When I now look back, I can honestly say that it's a BLESSING to be able to serve a full-time mission. I have grown a lot these past 16 months. And this mission has helped me understand what matters most in life. I know that the lessons I have learned on my mission will bless the rest of my life.
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Sister Leung
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