大家好! Wowww it feels like forever since I have written a real weekly email and I am so sorry!! These weeks of training have been the busiest of my...well yeah probably of my LIFE! and half the time I feel like a wild turkey. Not even a chicken because this is next level stuff. But it has been the busiest as well as some of the best weeks of my whole life. I have seen more miracles and the grace of Heavenly Father so clearly in every single day. The past weeks have really strengthened me and my testimony of this gospel. Sooo I am going to share with you the biggeesssssttt miracle that has ever happened: 龔姐妹 (gong jiemei) is getting baptized next Sunday, the 13 at 12:00pm!!!!!!!! Okay okay okay I will try to be calm about this but I literally cannot contain my excitement for her! Here's how it happened: 龔姐妹 walked into the chapel about a month ago and she did a little tour with the tour sisters that are at the chapel. She started meeting with those sisters, the Jin Hua sisters, but later found out that she lived in our ward's area (which she was STOKED about because she thought that everyone in the Jin Hua ward was too old and boring which is hilarious because she is 65 years old. But she is in no way boring so yes...it worked out). Then one day, Sister Rhynard and I met her as she was coming out of the chapel and she stops us and asks us a question about one of the stories in the book of Alma. After we answered her question she tells us that she loves the Book of Mormon and says, "我相信這是神的話" (I believe it is the word of God.)
龔姐妹 had already met with the Jin Hua sisters a couple times and set a baptismal date for 11/27. [Back story: the Jin Hua sisters are Sister Chang and Sister LeFevre and we go running with them sometimes in the morning at 大安公. 園 & I had heard about 龔姐妹 during morning runs.) Sister Chang told me the first time they met with her, they could not get a word in and 龔姐妹 was constantly telling them how bad their Mandarin was. hahah
Fast forward to us finding out she is now our investigator: The first time we met with 龔姐妹 it was pretty much just as Sister Chang had described. But finally our peike (member helping us teach) was like "龔姐妹 you came here to hear their message so listen to what they prepared for you and if you don't want to listen you have the choice to leave." I WAS FREAKED OUT!! I was like oh my gosh you're going to offend her and then she really will leave! BUT after the member said this, 龔姐妹 just stopped and stared at her for a couple seconds and then said, "Thank you for reminding me." Then she looked at Sister Rhynard and I and said, "Please teach me." It was the coolest thing ever. Since that point, 龔姐妹 has been the most incredible listener and learner. But I feel like at the same time I have learned just as much from her. After every lesson with her, 龔姐妹 writes down what we invite her to do and sits in the chapel reading the Book of Mormon and praying because she "likes the Spirit in there." She is already in the second to last book of the Book of Mormon and has one of the strongest testimonies I have ever seen!
Okay so how is she getting baptized next Sunday then??? Gewd question ---> We have met with her many times since finding out she was our investigator. Then last week after meeting with 龔姐妹, Sister Rhynard and I were talking and felt, "she is so ready to be baptized. we gotta move her date up." We prayed about it and were like yup, she can get baptized on the 13th! Then two days later when we met with 龔姐妹, the lesson really was not going well as in Sister Rhynard and I really did not have any direction and it was all over the place. The peike and 龔姐妹 were chatting about something way off topic and I had no idea what to do to bring it back so finally I was just like, "龔姐妹, we know this is completely 100% your decision but Sister Rhynard and I have been praying about your baptism on the 27th and we think that you are ready to be baptized on the 13th." After I said that she was silent for the longest I have seen her not speak. Finally she spoke and said "How did you do that?" She told us that she almost called us the night before to tell us that she wouldn't be meeting with us and that she wouldn't be baptized or learn anymore, but, she said, "I felt like I needed to come to one last lesson." I was thinking "what? how could she have changed so quickly and forget how she had felt before?" But luckily I didn't say that because 龔姐妹 went on to say, "That is the answer I have been looking for. I have been praying too, but felt like the 27th was not when I should be baptized so I was going to just stop meeting anymore but when you said the 13th, it does feel right and I now know that is the day for me to be baptized.
BIGGEST MIRACLE EVER!!!!!!!!!
Sister Rhynard, 龔姐妹, and I have all been in awe at this experience and Heavenly Father's awareness of everyone. It's also been helping Sister Rhynard and I be more brave in doing and saying things we feel like we need to because it is so clear that those promptings come for a goooood reason. 龔姐妹 is getting baptized!!!! And every time I think about that I feel this insane happiness and gratefulness for how Heavenly Father knows and loves her. :')
Other 奇蹟!
1. We went to the beach....words don't do justice just check the pics #REJUVENATION
1. We went to the beach....words don't do justice just check the pics #REJUVENATION
2. Sister Rhynard got hit by a motorcycle but she is OK.<3 The motorcycle T-boned her front tire and messed it up. If it had been like a millisecond later it would have hit her leg and done some serious damage but both people came out completely fine. Also I watched it happened and I am telling you it was an insanely huge miracle- like watching Heavenly Father put a force field around her. MY CHILD IS OKAY!
3. President Jergensen continues to be the greatest and coolest mission president ever and changed the time we wake up from 6:30 to............7:00!!!!!!!! YAY!!! Also, now we go to bed a half an hour later but I would take waking up later any day. holla holla!!
Well this time next week I will be emailing you pictures of the one and only 龔姐妹 at her baptism! Life in XinAn is the best. I wish I could ship all of you over here to show you a day in the life! I love you and tanksszzz for reading this bad boy...kinda long. You are a champion.
ALL MA LOVE!!!
莫
p.s. sorry if any of this was super confusing ain't nobody got time for proof-reading
p.p.s. xoxoxox
Breathtaking
when you have way too much hair + wind
we went to a lighthouse #momyouwoulddie
lunch with Ye Mama! love her more than 包子
