Sister Cecily Roberts: Week 27: 6 Months & Amazing Baptism!!!

Hi Hi Hi!

This week was so awesome!!! To start off with, Huang JM was baptized!!! It was so crazy how it happened. We taught her the final commandments before her baptismal interview. She told us that she wouldn't be able to come to church for the next three weeks. Like from the 24th on. So we were like "oh zao gao, what are we going to do? can she get confirmed three weeks after her baptism?" But she told us that morning she drank coffee. She had a sip. She sat there and looked at it, and then took a sip. But then she went deaf in one ear. So she went and prayed and as soon as she said Amen, her hearing came back! Isn't that the coolest story? She's so amazing. She prays all the time.

I've just never seen someone so converted! Wow :) Anyway, she had her baptismal interview afterwards, and she passed her interview. But while she was in her interview we were talking to the zone leaders who asked why she couldn't get baptized today. We were like "well she drank coffee" and they told us to call President. So we did. She walks out of the interview and is like "Can I get baptized today?" And we were like "Um we think so!!!! :D " Then we talked to president, who tried to understand her situation better, and he said that she could get baptized. Because she hadn't drunk coffee or tea for a while before that!!!! So we spent the rest of the afternoon getting her ready for her baptism! And it all turned out!. She is so amazing and so prepared. She said that when she went under the water, it's like her worlds changed, and when she came out she's like "It's like I am in a different world!" So so awesome! Then at her confirmation, she put her hand on her heart and took a huge breath! So precious! I'm so so grateful to be a part of this work! I can't tell you how amazing it is to know that she is an official member of the church. She's so involved and is just so great!

We also had interviews with President Jergensen this week. He came all the way down to Tai Dong which was wonderful. And the interviews were amazing! Iwish I could share everything in our interview but it's a little too personal. Let me just say that it was very motivating and I'm so excited!!!

Other than that, the week was pretty normal. I just have too much to say and not enough time! We had another amazing week as far as key indicators go. I don't know what happened, but God has blessed us so much. I've been thinking about what makes an area successful, and what makes an area a "dead" area. And I think that it really comes down to the faith of the missionaries. I am determined to have faith. No matter how dead the area is, just like at the beginning of my mission, I am determined to make the most of every minute and to just have faith because I know that 99.999999999 of missionary work is faith.

I've also felt that I've had a lot more charity too. I just love more! And I'm just so much happier! I've been working on focusing on others! It's the only way to be happy! Seriously!

So we might have another baptism next week! Dora! We found that she had been drinking tea and we asked if she could make a goal to stop, and she said she would stop right now. And she has so far. I promised her that I also won't eat candy/chocolate. But her baptismal date is for this next Saturday but we feel there is still another problem, so we need to help her feel more prepared. I can't wait though! I just hope I'm here to see her be baptized!

We also have Maggie and her friend Kelly. They are both 14 and Kelly is Maggie's friend that she referred us to. So awesome! We met Maggie's mom and her mom is so awesome. She's like "Can you bring your brother to church?" And "if you wanna go on a mission I'd support you" So awesome! She (Maggie and now Kelly) come to all the church activities. She's just so amazing!

Oh and we met this other guy. Well Sister B and I met him, and he was like "yea you can come back" but we have people tell us that to just get us to go away. So we didn't think too much of it. But one night, I felt like we should go back to his house. So we did, and that wasn't our plan to go but I realized we were in the area so we went. He gave us his number and said we could comeback! So he set up with us this week and we met with him yesterday and it was awesome! He's so prepared! I'm just so glad I listened to the spirit. In his prayer, he said "Thank you for sending me the missionaries to teach me about the true church" Wow :) So amazing!!!

That's pretty much it! We have found a lot more people and I'm just happy! I'm looking forward to transfers though to see if I move. I would like to stay because of how beautiful Tai Dong is and how much the area has grown! I can't leave these people! Or the ward! But I would also like to see more of Taiwan. I have a feeling that I may move, and president hinted at it slightly. I don't know! We will see!!!!!!!

So I'm "obsessed" with learning how to cook. I want so badly to learn how to cook easy Taiwanese dishes because all their food is so simple. It has hardly any ingredients in it, and just yummy! So I always ask people to teach me :)

I learned this week that we need to listen to Heavenly Father. We were talking in district meeting about how we need to listen to our investigators before we talk. And one of the sisters made a comment about how Heavenly Father is the perfect listener and that if we listen well enough we will feel Him listening, and then we will feel His guidance. I know that's true. He cares about us and He wants to help us. But if we just call Him, tell Him everything, then hang up the phone (figuratively speaking of course), then we will never hear what He has to say! So take just a few extra minutes after you're prayer to listen. Miracles happen. Inspiration/revelation comes.

I love being a missionary and I love God and this work! And I'm learning on loving even more!

Love from Tai Dong,

Sister Roberts