So, I hope your week went well for all of you. Your notes sounded generally happy.
As for me, I have a had a week of lots of very good things. And also of
just lots of things. So, here's the latest news: I found out that I will
be training in June! The transfer after next. Aaaaiya! I am excited yet
... nervous. I am glad I get this next transfer to prepare! So
President Chan called me on Wednesday night and told me that he was
going to entrust me with "the greatest trust a mission president can
give" and that the next morning I had to be in Kowloon Tong at 8:30 am
for leadership training. Yup. Just like that. Missions are so efficient.
So, even though we had a full day planned of seeing 3 referrals from
members! I found a way to exchange companions and go. It was good. I am
really grateful that Sister Cook is super competent and capable and
generally amazing. She took care of everything while I was away.
But let's start at the beginning:
This
week we've been helping Stella a lot, who has suddenly had a bunch of
doubts and fears come up about being baptized. She was going to be
baptized on the 6th of May, but now her date is for the 13th. Well, we
didn't really know how to help her at first, but we found some inspired
fellowshippers to help us (the YW president and Jennifer), and had some
very amazing lessons (the Spirit was so thick I swear you could cut it),
and she's doing a little better. Basically, this amazing little 15 year
old girl comes from a very humble background, and though she is really
really smart and good at school stuff, she has no friends there. She
hates going to school so much that it gives her headaches just to think
about seeing her classmates. So, lately she's been doubting Heavenly
Father's care. But, seeing the love these fellowshippers have for her,
and seeing that Jennifer once went through the same thing, has helped
her so much. In fact, after seeing Jennifer's baptism this Sunday,
Stella said she was wondering, "why isn't this my baptism?" We were
wondering too :) So, she's on her way.
But, as I so subtly just mentioned, this Sunday we
had a baptism!!! Two people actually got baptized, a boy named Jason and
then Jennifer! This was Sister Cook's first time seeing a baptism in
her mission, and everyone was super duper excited. Jennifer has come a
long way and you can tell she's truly converted. Her willingness to
already help us missionaries teach is evidence of that. And, there is
nothing happier than hearing a new convert bear his or her testimony.
It's so powerful. Wow.
So, the story of the baptism itself is pretty
amazing. On that morning, we woke up to thunder and lightning. And
pouring rain. It was raining so hard, there were even storm warnings.
Well, we headed out to church and got completely soaked on the way. We
didn't mind that, but we were worried about people not coming to church
and to the baptism. Well, we were all praying really hard. In fact, one
family in the ward had prayed together before they set out to church,
and they had even specifically prayed for sunshiney weather. Well, by
the time of the baptism after church, the rain had stopped and the sun
was shining. Yup. Heavenly Father hears prayers. It was an incredible
day of happiness and joy, is what. It was amazing to hear these
converts' testimonies after the meeting, and also to see all of the
support they're going to get from the wards here.
Well, the fun didn't stop there. After Sunday's
amazingness, I started my week-long English fast, in which I only speak
Cantonese (our language program encourages a few of these), which has
made everything even more exciting and difficult to express. But also
good. I get to speak English on Monday. Thank goodness.
But I got to practice my Cantonese a lot on Tuesday
because we went on a ward trip (Yuen Long 1st Ward) to Victoria Peak
then to Stanley Bay. It was a holiday, so we spent the whole day with
the members and one of the elders' investigators, getting to know
people, asking referrals like crazy, and having a good time in these
lovely places. I have to admit, it was weird to see so many tourists,
especially after being in Yuen Long. Kinda funny. It's amazing how much I
feel like I am with family, though, when I am with these ward members,
who are so very Chinese. They are just really accepting people, and I
love them. The pictures I sent of that trip also have two of the ward's
YW in them, Eve (in pink) and Yeun Ting. They are really really helpful
and nice YW. Eve's family, in general, actually, is just really chill
and willing to help us. Thank goodness, since we missionaries need it. [See photos below.]
In fact, what I'm realizing lately is that it's all
about the members' help. Especially when we're all such new
missionaries, we cannot do this without them. In fact, Sister Cook and I
have been focusing a lot more lately on referrals (specifically calling
members we've prayed about and inviting them to pray with us to find a
friend they can introduce to the church and to us). And it's actually
been working really well. Referrals are interesting because they usually
take more time to slowly start to teach, but they are the ones who
usually actually stay. So it's an exciting investment.
Well, that's all for this week. More is surely to come.
Just remember that I love you all so very very much.
Oh,
by the way, when I went to the leadership training meeting yesterday,
guess who walked in to the chapel! Sister Daniels, our MTC teacher!!!
She was on a trip with her family to visit Hong Kong and some other
places in Asia. It was crazy. Especially since I am serving in her
previous area. Very neat.
Well, I know that this work I'm doing is definitely the Lord's, because He's helping us a lot. I'm so grateful to be here.
I love you all!
Love,
Sister Nielsen
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