Sister Cecily Roberts: Week 13: Mosquitoes & Miracles Galore

Hi everyone!!!

So oh my goodness this week was amazing. And it also went by so fast! So where to start....

Monday: Holy smokes let me tell you about my day! So after I e-mailed you, a member (actually the stake president) had invited us to go to monkey mountain and to take us to a neighboring city. So all the missionaries in Tai Dong went. It was about an hour away, and it was basically like a zoo except you were a lot closer. I don't know how to explain it. There were so many cute baby monkeys and a lot of people feeding them. Monkey mountain. Gotta love it. So that was fun BUT THEN, we drove somewhere else, and no one knew where we were going, just cause we didn't ask, but we pull up to this fish market, and we are all like "what?" but we get out and see all these HUGE fish and sharks and we watched people pull the fish out of boats, and cut off the head of a shark and gut it, and there were just fish everywhere. It was actually so cool. I was so impressed with my Sisters cause they were all grossed out by it like most girls I know would be. It was a crazy day! But so fun! And I was so grateful for the stake president. What an awesome man.

That night, we were looking for less actives but ended up finding a member and it was kinda cool cause we needed to get into the building but we couldn't but then the RS president walks out and helps us in and we go visit this member cause she had just been there visiting her. Definitely Shen de an pai. (God's timing/will?). Yea then we went and had FHE with the ward mission leader and some YSA's, and we gave the lesson then left. Our ward really is amazing and the members are all so willing to help and are just such good people.

Tuesday: So Tuesday was a day full of miracles, and when I say miracles I just mean that there were so many potentials and awesome people that we met. We met this really cool army girl who loves women's soccer and loves the USA team. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get in touch with her again - YET - but she is awesome, and I really feel like from the things she said, that she will love the gospel. We also met another young man who was going to Australia for a masters program and who spoke pretty good English so I actually got to be a part of that contact, and we had a full lesson with him. He seemed pretty interested and it was great :) But he's in Australia now. We also met another family who just seemed so prepared. They were shelling peas and they said they were looking for a church. We had a lesson with them but I don't exactly know how interested they are because when we called them again, they were a little unsure but we will see. We met a lot more people but I don't know how to explain it to you haha. The day finished off with visiting a 16 year old LA and then seeing the Elders at a family mart and they were meeting with a recent convert and we teach her son in English class so she bought all of us ice cream :-). I was really involved in everything that day, and I just felt like Chinese flowed off my tongue, and I spoke so much more than I usually do. It was an amazing day!

Wednesday: We had zone meeting. Which was good but they decided to do it all in Chinese so I didn't really get much from it even though I had a couple sisters translating for me. But they are really emphasizing "teach repentance and baptize converts" in the mission field right now. And it's great because repentance is what will help people be converted for the rest of their lives. Repentance allows you to have a personal interaction with the Savior and His atonement. And it changes you. That's exactly what repentance is. awesome. The rest of the day was good. We met a cute Philippino woman who took a picture with us and we exchanged numbers and she seemed interested. We again, haven't been able to get in touch with her but we will see. The sisters in my apartment all say that if people just answered their phones that missionary work would go so much faster :-). Which is so true! People just need to answer their phones! Sister Beeston and I take 30 min in our day just to call people because we have so many potentials and if they would just answer their phones we would know if they wanted to meet. Anyway :)

Thursday: We had WPS (weekly planning session) which is 3 hours of straight planning. Which is very much needed but this week, by the end Sister Beeston and I were going a little crazy. That night was awesome. We had a great lesson with a new investigator and we had a pei ke (member) and they seemed to get along well. But on Sunday we had another lesson with him and he fang 'ed us (didn't show up). But he's great. Also, we got a call from a potential we met before the Christmas party (she is a 16 year old girl that we contacted at the library) well we had called her and her mom called us back. Which could have gone so bad but it was a miracle because the mom was like "yea let's meet" so we had a lesson with her I think Friday, and it was amazing. She was so open to everything, and literally that shouldn't have happened. This lady called some random Americans who met her daughter and then meets? Such a miracle. God works in such interesting ways. They actually also came to the first hour of church!!! BUT our schedule was changed around so we have RS first, which means they didn't get to come to sacrament meeting BUT they came! So awesome! They are the best!

Friday: We met some more amazing people. Seriously this week we just met so many people. And there were so many things that went well this week. I'm so grateful. I don't know what else to say about Friday. Good day :)

Saturday and Sunday: The weather was beautiful!!! This whole week was so beautiful! it was 70's and sunny and amazing! On Saturday we got to sing for these older handicapped people and it was amazing! We just sang two songs but they were so cute. They clapped, and by the second song, one man was crying! Gotta love it! The Spirit touches lives.

So this week was just awesome. Sorry I was more brief on Saturday and Sunday. This week something just changed for Sister Beeston and I. it just clicked. I think it was my attitude actually. I realized that every day is a new day and that I NEVER know what the Lord has in store. And I don't know. I've just felt discouraged because we didn't have any investigators but this week we have 4 new ones, which is just amazing and I really think something changed. I just don't know exactly what it was.

I finally felt the frustration of not being able to speak Chinese. Honestly I haven't been frustrated with myself because I just know that I will learn and I know that I'm doing what I can. Well this week, we were meeting with some less active members (both 16 year old girls) and I just wanted so badly to tell them how much this gospel means to me and how much it'll change their lives, and how much their Heavenly Father loves them. But I just couldn't. But I just trust that the Spirit will speak to their hearts. But I'm really excited to help them and to work with them.

Oh and about my title, I just woke up one morning with like 30 mosquito bites on my legs.... so it wasn't very fun all week. But a really nice lady who had a hot dog dog ;) gave me some ointment cause she saw my legs...haha. People are so nice here. Seriously every time we meet with a member and sometimes just random people give us things. I love these people!

Well that's about it. I am so grateful for the change in my perspective. It wasn't that I was negative before, or that I wasn't excited to be here, but I just felt stuck. Like I was at the beginning and just running and not getting anywhere. It didn't help we didn't have many investigators but I think I just realized how amazing it is to be a missionary. I'm just so grateful. I know this gospel is true. It all just makes sense. I don't know how else to say it. Everything just fits together, how we were created, why we are here, why we needed a restoration, where we are going, what we need to do to return to Heavenly Father. Everything just fits. I know with a burning testimony in my heart that God and His son Jesus Christ live. I KNOW that we are here for a purpose and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's church here on the Earth. I love this gospel so much. I love the Book of Mormon so much, and I can't wait to help others come to know this for themselves. I love you all and I just invite you to be positive. Know that God is there and is helping you. He will never leave you lonely. Ever. You are His child. You are HIS and He knows you. Just trust in Him.

I love you all!

Sister Roberts