How are you all? I am so grateful for you and I love you oodles and bunches! Really, I have had some epiphanies lately in which I realize more of what you really mean to me, and I just want to let you know that I love you. I also know that Heavenly Father is watching out for us all and will bless us as we work hard. I also want to thank you for your tireless service to me, in the form of all the letters and love you send. Thanks.
Well, as for us here in Yuen Long, well, things are dynamic. You remember how Stellar is supposed to get baptized this Sunday? Finally? Well, her mom suddenly won't give her permission. Again. Sigh. We thought we had solved that problem, but apparently not yet. Please pray for her. Lots. We will be too. We will actually see her tonight and talk with her about what to do. Sigh, when it's not one thing, it's another. But that makes baptism all the more sweet, in the end, for these people. And we have faith that, if the Lord approves of it, Stellar can still be baptized on Sunday. Prayers.
In fact, when we first got the news, we were traveling back from Kowloon Tong. I remember feeling a very heavy and sad feeling that Stellar had to go through this, and that maybe her faith wasn't up to it, etc. etc. So I was praying in my heart. And I very much remember, as we watched the cable car pull in, just suddenly feeling a big feeling of peace, and the thought "the Lord's work will go on" came to my mind. A very comforting experience. The thing is, as precious as each soul is, whether or not Stellar chooses to keep going, doesn't matter, because the work will go on. Because it's the Lord's. And I know that IF Stellar chooses to keep going, that she WILL be baptized. Maybe this week, maybe later. We missionaries love her to pieces, but we sometimes have to calm down and listen to what the Lord wants.
For example, do you remember Wun Ying in Kwai Fong? Well, her mom still hasn't given her permission to be baptized yet. BUT, this time has made Wun Ying's testimony so strong, from what I hear. And, slowly, miracles have happened. In fact, her mom is now meeting with the missionaries herself! So, slowly but surely, this work goes on. And in the Lord's way, too.
Anyway, that's not all that happened this week. Let's see, yesterday we had a multi-zone conference in Kowloon Tong in which we learned a lot more about working with members. It was excellent. Our goal is to baptize and retain more, and we just learned oodles and bunches about it. Sister Taylor and I actually had to do a 15 minute station about working with EQ and RS presidents, and we learned lots in the process (having known nothing about it before the assignment, you know).
And before that, we have been really busy trying to strengthen our wards more and find new people to teach. We have really started teaching and visiting LOTS more less actives and recent converts, and it feels good. I mean, we are here to serve our wards, because we can't do this work without them. In fact, reactivation is now a bigger focus of this mission, and I hope that we can help do that more. I think Heavenly Father wants to give us more chances than we probably ever thought we deserved, to choose to follow Him. So, we're here to help people come back, too.
But this doesn't stop the miracles of finding new people. This week, we met with a girl named Lemon, who we found through calling former investigators, and she is really interested in learning more! And we also met with a girl named Loon (yeah, names here), who was found during a zone find (accosting people on the street, you know), and took her 1/2 hour break in an 11 hour work day to meet with us and hear more about the gospel. Wowza, right? And that balances out the people who have blocked our phone number, you know.
Well, I recognize that we are very blessed here. Truly blessed. The weather is lovely (minus mosquitoes), the ward members are supportive and wonderful, and the investigators continue to learn. And so do we. I know that I've experienced more happies and more sads than usual on this mission, but I'm just grateful to get to participate. Did you know that I hit my half-way point on my mission next week? Weird.
Well, I just want to let you know that I have a testimony of this work. And of the Lord's love for families. I am grateful to you and your love and support. I am also grateful that I get to be here, serving. It means a lot to me.
Love,
Sister Nielsen
P.S. Picture is from about 3 weeks ago, eating at Stellar's house. Stellar is in the background, and her mom is in the middle.
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