Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Very Best Birthday of My Life

Hello Wonderful People!
 
I love you all! I am so glad to be related to you. Oh, how it makes me joyful.
 
First of all, I want to thank you all for making my birthday such a happy, wonderful day. I got a batch of mail the day before my birthday, and I finally opened that big birthday package you sent, and there was just so much joy and love therein that I nearly fainted. Thank you so much. There are few birthdays filled with so many miracles as was this one, and I will forever remember it.
 
Well, here is the basic summary of this week: wonderful. There is way too much to be able to tell you it all, but this week included our mission tour, in which we got to hear inspired members of the 70 teach us plain and precious truths of the gospel, it included giving baptismal dates and meeting people and sharing this gospel, and it also included the most memorable birthday of my life! It was the best day. Ever.
 
So, I just want to give you the basic summary of what happened on my birthday to give you a little taste of the day. Well, in the morning, the mission president and his wife called to wish me a happy birthday, and to wish us a miracle. And we got one! But before that, Leung Leung Jimuih and her daughter, who live really close to us, had us come pick up some things they said were cluttering up their apartment...turned out to be a huge birthday card, and a birthday cake! I was absolutely overwhelmed. I love these people so much. Inside the card were tons of pictures with ward members and investigators whom I have come to love. It was amazing. I am sending a picture with me, the cake, the card, and my awed expression after this incredible experience. BUT, anyway, after that we went on our way to go and find a less-active's home. She doesn't have a phone, and we were just given an address, and she lives in a rural bit of Yuen Long. SO we knew that we would need a miracle to find it. And we had one. But this is how it went first: we went to the area (I am sending a picture of it so you can get an idea of the place sorta), saw how random the house numbering was, and decided to pray. Found a house with the right number, but no one answered. So we decided to go tracting in the area instead. Through this process, we eventually ended up talking with this popo who wasn't interested in our message, and didn't know the name of this less active we were finding, but she knew that her neighbor was religious. Upon wandering a bit and looking more carefully, we saw that her neighbor's home was the right number! But after ringing, no one answered. SO the popo just yelled up to the windows....and this woman looked out and said, "oh! the missionaries!" It was the less active. She goes by her husband's last name, which made for confusion on our part. But, the main point is that, despite the impossibility of it at first, we found her. And she's willing to see us again :).
 
And then, to top off a wonderful day, the other sisters who live with us bought ice cream, and we all ate cake and ice cream and wore the lovely tiaras that you sent us. Picture included. In summary, it was the best day ever.
 
But I suppose I should tell you a little but about the other things that happened this week too, right? Well, one of the people we gave a baptismal date to is Bessie. She is so sweet, and we are trying to help her keep doing her part to gain her own testimony. Her goal is for Oct 14, and I really think she can make it.
 
On a sadder note, do you remember Sherman and his mom? Well, the father of the family doesn't want them to become Christian and stop baai sahn-ing, so he won't let them see us. Not even to teach Sherman English :( But we have not given up, and will still call Sherman's mom to chat now and again and to give her scriptures to read. She believes and wants to keep learning, but her husband's heart will need to be softened a bit first. Sigh. We have faith that we will be able to teach families though.
 
One last happy note: In Yuen Long 1st ward, I just met a member who studied Food Science at BYU at almost the same time as me! Crazy! We are new best friends. The thing is that her husband is less active, and so we are going to try to help him. We are having an FHE this Sunday at their home. By the way, this sister's father-in-law volunteers at the MTC, and I totally met him. Their last name is Wai. Small world. I know that we are called where we are called for a reason.
 
Well, I know that this work is the most important I could be doing right now, and I'm so grateful to be here. I'm also grateful for such wonderful family in my life who let me know that I am loved. I love you back.
 
Love,
Sister Nielsen


 

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