黃靖容 IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!
we love her so much and her adorable son Simon
HI! WHAT A WEEK!
First, President Jergensen called telling Sister Nielsen she was needed in Hualian for 2 weeks because a Sister there has medical problems, so Sister Nielsen left us this past week and it was SO BITTER! Sister Birch and I miss her tons but she will do great things there and Heavenly Father has a plan in all things. LOVE YOU SISTER NIELSEN! #longlivethetrio
I am so excited to tell you about the miracles that happened this past week. There have been SO MANY!! Heavenly Father went to work in Zhubei haha this is about to get wild so 加油
Last Monday night my comps and I had a serious reflection/evaluation and we all three felt that we needed to do better about exercising more faith in the Lord with our invitation for baptism to those we teach. We decided to say a prayer to ask Heavenly Father's forgiveness and for His help as we go forward. We committed to using exact Preach My Gospel words in our teaching, focusing on the invitation of baptism and how it would personally bless each individual investigator. The very next day we had lesson with a member referral, 張閔琇Zhang Min Xiu, who committed to be baptized on 11/18 after only a 4 minute lesson on the Restoration of the gospel, focused on baptism! The Spirit was so strong. Also, Zhang Min Xiu came to General Conference yesterday!!
(Moment of appreciation for General Conference and living Prophets! SO GOOD!! I learned so much in the talks that were given in General Conference. I'm so grateful that God loves us so much that He gives us the chance to hear His words every year twice! I hope you all got to watch it. If not go to lds.org :) )
THEN during Zhang Min Xiu's lesson we got 5 calls from an unknown number. Toward the end of the lesson the call came again and this time I knew I should answer it. It was a former investigator from a year and a half ago named 陳怡君 (ChenYiJun) and she asked if we were at the church. I said, "Yes come!" And she goes, "I am coming right now, don't leave!" HUGE miracle because we have been trying to meet with 陳怡君 for 4 weeks, calling a different number. Back story on 陳怡君: she has made some really crazy decisions in life that led her down some dangerous paths and because of it she feels really unworthy before God. She came to the church parking lot 4 weeks ago and a member was luckily there. The member hugged her and Chen Yi Jun just cried and told the member how much she wished she could come to church on Sunday's, but that she is too much of a sinner for God. Ever since then, we have tried to contact her to come but I guess she wasn't quiiiiiteeee ready....until this past week!! So when she got to the church at the end of Zhang Min Xiu's lesson, ChenYiJun said, to me "Are you Mo JieMei?" I said yes and she just hugged me and started crying. We all hugged her and then she said to us that she was in a bad place and basically, to put it short, if we hadn't answered the phone right then and given her an out she would've been in a pretty bad situation for herself. As we talked to her we realized how desperately she wants a new start and her desire to be baptized and follow Christ. She is one of the most humble, incredible people I have ever met. She showed us that her phone screensaver was a picture of the chapel here in Zhubei and she said that she comes to be near the chapel often when she needs peace. We ended the lesson with Zhang Min Xiu by singing "Our Savior's Love" and ChenYiiJun had tears rolling down her cheeks the entire time. We asked Chen JM if she would like to say a prayer and as she prayed everyone could feel God's love for her. Then....after she said she would like to prepare to be baptized and set a date for December 2nd!
THEN Tuesday night we got a call from another person named Zhang, a member. Her mother-in-law is learning the gospel. Two weeks ago, Zhang JM accepted an invitation from us to read the Book of Mormon with her mother-in -law every day and as they have been doing it, Zhang JM has testified how miraculously powerful the Book of Mormon is. Zhang JM told us that as soon as they started reading the Book of Mormon together daily, her mother and law's heart began changing!! They will read and discuss the Book of Mormon for about an hour together every day! The coolest thing is that her mother-in-law really understands the Book of Mormon and she is always sharing how it answers her heart's questions. God's really been working on Zhang JM mom-in-law's heart as she has been willing to open it. On Tuesday night, Zhang JM called us and told us that during their reading that day, her mother-in-law turned to Zhang JM and told her "I want to be baptized." Zhang JM was speechless and asked her to repeat that 3 times. Then she made sure the her mother-in-law wasn't crazy and explained what would need to happen in order for her to be baptized. Zhang JM has been praying for her mother-in-law for 20 years and AFTER 20 YEARS, ZHANG JM'S MOTHER-IN-LAW IS READY TO BE BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!
Okay the miracles are NOT DONE YET!
The next day...
Wednesday 10:30 AM:
Huang Jing Rong passed her baptismal interview and is SET FOR HER BAPTISM ON 10/14 AND CONFIRMATION ON 10/15!!!!! Ahhh the faith of 黃姊妹－ it blows my mind!! She came to General Conference on Saturday and Sunday for all the sessions and she loved it so much. She learned a lot about how to continue as a disciple of Christ and said, "wow, every time I learn more about the doctrine of Jesus Christ's gospel it just gets more and more awesome!"
THEN Wednesday 1:30 pm:
We met with an investigator named 鄧秀芸Deng Xiu Yun who has been on the fence about baptism because of family opposition. We used the wording of the Preach My Gospel baptismal invite after teaching her about the Plan of Salvation and she set a solid baptismal goal for 11/25! She said that she had read the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 3:7 and if Nephi can do what God wants him to, so can she. So incredible. AHHHHH
THEN Wednesday 4:00 pm:
We met with the wonderful 李怡慧Li Yi Hui- have I told you about her? We met her on the street a couple weeks ago and she is so psyched about learning the gospel of Jesus Christ. After teaching her about the prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration, she felt amazed that God really answers prayers and told us that she felt God really has been hearing her prayers. When we asked her is she would be willing to follow Christ's example and be baptized, she responded, "Yes, I am willing!" She set a goal to be baptized on November 25!
OH THE MIRACLES!
I hope you are feeling STOKED by all the miracles because we are! We are constantly speechless at how Heavenly Father hand was seen here in ZhuBei this past week!!! We've been on our knees a lot this past week, so grateful.
This is His work.
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true.
There is nothing more miraculous than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love my Savior with my whole heart and I love how He loves us all so mercilessly! It's so beautiful. Because of all the miracles I have seen on my mission, this past week I have been thinking about the Book of Mormon. I want everyone to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God- everything I understand about my relationship to God and Jesus Christ is largely because God restored His gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon teaches us that families are forever and it helps me find answers to questions of my soul that nothing else can seem to answer. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon! It was and could only have been given to us by the power of God.
It you have never read the Book of Mormon I invite you to open it.
Start from the introduction, have a question in mind and do as it invites: read it, ponder what it says, and ask God if it is true. I have done it and it and I continue doing it daily and have felt my faith in Christ strengthened. I have felt the new start that comes through Jesus Christ. I have found a true direction and purpose in my life. I know that God hears all our prayers and answers a majority of my personal prayers so often through scripture, especially in His words in the Book of Mormon.
I thought of something this past week as I was watching Conference: I have regretted when I trusted the world and looked for a sense of belonging and happiness from the world, but whenever I decide to let go of my pride and fears and doubt and trust God, I can't think of a time in my life when I have ever regretted it. And I know that is because God truly has a greater plan for us that we could have for ourselves. We only need humble ourself and trust in Him and Christ MORE!
I love you all soo much
sending you hugs and prayers
xoxox
Sister Armstrong
I wuv seeester birch
Dinner with the 尤家庭！& Fangon family and Brother Lee. I love the Taiwan fam
taiwan has my heart<33333
