The past couple of weeks we've been working with our recent convert, A-Ting, because she has a desire to serve a mission! She was baptized in July and told us she wants to serve a mission. We've taken her finding and less active finding with us and she is such a good missionary. The only struggle is sometimes (okay, almost always) she has a hard time getting up in time for church. We're going to find a way to encourage her to come to church because when she comes, Kelly comes too.
We've also been working with a less active, Sister Tsang. She's really shy and kind of awkward, so it's taken some time to build a relationship with her. I think she is doing a lot better. She even called us on Monday night because she read something in the scriptures that she didn't understand. I am so grateful she'd think to call us and try to understand, rather than just keep reading or skip the passage.
Our investigator Cammy is doing amazing. Before, she wasn't sure she wanted to be baptized. She felt like November 30th was too fast. Her main concern is that her mom wouldn't let her be baptized. Cammy is in her thirties so we thought that was kind of strange, but she explained that she just doesn't want to commit to something until she knows it's true. This week we invited her to pray about her baptismal date. We know that her learning about the gospel is going to help her kids. When we followed up with her a couple of days later, Cammy said that A) she has been reading the Book of Mormon Stories book with her kids and she understands the scriptures so much better now, and B) she prayed about her baptismal date and felt really peaceful. I had the chance to teach her on an exchange with Sister Cook, and the spirit was so strong. God really does give help to those who need it- both of us aren't very good at speaking Cantonese. But that's okay, because Cammy is patient and super nice. We're going to keep working with her to make it to her baptismal date. She is an excellent example of faith. She does have a problem with one of the commandments, so we will continue to help her through the repentance process and make sure she has her interview with the proper authority.
Cherry is also doing well. Her baptismal date is for November 23rd and when we asked her what her feelings were about it, she said she was really looking forward to it and just wants the date to come faster. From the day we started teaching her to now we have seen such a big change in her. She has so much faith. After one of our lessons this week, she started to cry because she was having a hard time with her job. Then she told us that she prayed about her job and felt that she needed to stay there, even though she didn't know why. Cherry is exercising such incredible faith! She continues to pray and read, and is even reading scriptures with a family in the ward over the phone every couple of nights. She's going to be such a strong member.
I had the opportunity to go with Sister Cook (TST) to visit the bishop on Saturday, and we took Kelly with us. She is so eager to learn the things of the gospel. She asked us what we were going to do while there, and I told her the bishop invited us over for lunch so she can have a better opportunity to get to know him and his wife. I think it was really good for her. She started out pretty quiet but she quickly opened up. We taught the bishop about missionary work and gave him a packet of things to give away to a non-member friend or family member, and then we challenged Kelly to do the same with her own packet. She was so excited. I hope this gives her an opportunity to share the love of God that she's beginning to understand. She also has a lot of faith. We're working towards December 14th for her baptism.
The jeui daaih keihjik, though is Janda. There's just something special about her. I cannot express how much I love every one of my investigators- God's investigators that I am pleasured to help bring unto Christ. Anyway, Janda was the very first investigator I taught in Hong Kong. She's adorable and has shown so much faith. She reads and prays almost every day. The missionaries have been teaching her since July. She's very busy with work, so sometimes we go two or three weeks without being able to meet with her, so phone calls have to suffice. That's kind of hard, but I know that God has a plan for her. The past month or so she's really been unhappy at work and wants to start her own business. We've encouraged her to pray about her decision and she said she would quit her job in May and start her own business, since she's going to school now to get more certificates to be able to help her be more qualified. Anyways, because she's been so busy, Janda hasn't been able to come to church. She is literally the nicest person I have ever met. She just loves everyone and wants every person to be happy- which means she doesn't want to tell her boss that she can't come in to work on Sundays. We've been working so so so hard to help her understand the importance of the Sabbath Day, and the importance of partaking of the sacrament.
Well, this week our zone sent out a text for a couple of days and asked every member of the zone to pray for her and her situation by name and pray that she will, specifically, have the opportunity Sunday to come to church for one hour. We prayed morning and night and all throughout the day for this miracle, and I was so grateful to have the entire zone to support us. Well, on Tuesday I called her and told her what we were doing. We invited her to pray with us for this opportunity to and she was so excited. She eagerly said she would. Then we called the Relief Society president who is one of her fellowshippers and invited her to do the same. She also accepted. Friday night I followed up with her and she said she still wasn't sure if she could come to church. Saturday night, she called us and said she had a job interview and asked if we would pray for her to do well. She also prayed and didn't feel nervous for her interview.
The real miracle came Sunday morning. Sister Lubeck called her ten or so minutes before church started just to see if she could come. Lo and behold Janda answered the phone and said she was on her way!! Wow. The Lord truly blesses us with such miracles. We immediately went to a corner where we could pray and thank God for his mercy and miracles. When Janda walked in the doors of the chapel, Sister Lubeck and I almost cried. it was the most amazing, truly happy feeling I've ever felt. I have never felt the spirit so strong as I did in that testimony meeting, where Sister Kwan (RS president and good friend of Janda) got up to bear her testimony about the power of prayer. I may not understand everything that is said in church because of the language, but I know when the Spirit is talking to me. I am just so incredibly grateful for the miracles God has blessed us with this week!
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
Wow. what a week. love you all!
Also, I tried yam ice cream. that was fun.
-Kuk Jimuih
P.S.
(in regards to how good and fit Sister Crook is looking in her pictures): we just eat vegetables for all our meals and walk a lot. We're going to see the first baptismal site in Hong Kong (some river in Diamond Hill) today, so cool pics next week.
(Sister Crook wants physical mail): Seriously though, if you just sent me letters I'd be totally happy. letters, even when from totally random people, make my day. Grandma Pro sends me a letter almost every week about whatever she did that week. One page. Super simple. But I look forward to them because they're just so cute. Letters are the best.
P.P.S
President Hawks is the mission president.
Here's the excerpt from President Hawks' email to us this week about Janda. So cool!!
"This week a special text was sent out to our zone to pray for an investigator named Janda to come to church. She has been investigating close to 5 months and has never been able to attend to church because of work. This week Janda, the missionaries, and even ward members prayed that a miracle would happen to allow her to come to church. Before Sunday morning one of her clients that was scheduled for the morning of church called her up and told her they had to change times. This allowed her to leave work and come to Sacrament meeting for the first time. Heavenly Father hears our prayers. Miracles are real."
I don't expect you to understand... but wow. that is a huge miracle. I love this woman like my family. such an amazing experience. She's gonna be dressed in white by December. It just has to happen!
Love you all. have a good week! I'm gonna party it up at the temple next week. woop woop!!!
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| Made yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, and veggies wtih Cherry (I) and Penny (M) |
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