Editor's note: Please don't forget Rebecca's birthday! If you email her by 3:00pm MDT next Sunday, September 30th, she will get it on her birthday! Her email is rebecca.winters@myldsmail.net. Thank you!!
Dear family,
Time is short but the stuff that I want to write is long so we'll see what happens. Thank you for all of the great emails (and birthday stuff) this week! I'm really excited for next Monday. Not quite sure where we'll go yet but I know it'll be a party.
This week, like all weeks in missionary work, and its ups and downs. :) But there were some pretty awesome ups, so I'll tell you about those. Number one is there's this mountain behind our apartment that we hike sometimes in the morning - we always go there the first morning after everyone's moved to Taidong and then introduce ourselves and say a dedicatory prayer. Well, I'd heard that monkeys live on that mountain but had never in my almost seven months here seen one. Until last week! We were hiking and then saw two monkeys! Right in our backyard! How cool is that? It was really funny because Sister Marler hadn't seen one since she had been here and someone explained it was all about not hoping to see a monkey... and then you'd see one. Well, he was right! We didn't expect it, and then we saw it. Too fun.
Yesterday I got to go to Hualian for their district conference - a church meeting with the church members from Hualian, Yuli, and Taidong. There are two each year, and I was actually in Taidong for the last district conference! Wow. Anyway, I had the opportunity to play violin for the meeting's prelude (some things never change, right?) and look out at everyone. I teared up a little bit as I saw so many people that I love and that I've been so blessed to serve, all sitting in the same room together. I love Taidong and Hualian, and I love the Lord for sending me here. And I love that I've had the opportunity to touch some lives while I've been here. One of my converts in Taidong was sitting next to my convert in Hualian in one of the meetings and she turned around and said, "Wei Jiemei, you're in both of our baptism pictures! Thank you for all that you do." I was so happy, it was hard to contain it! Wow. So great.
I asked Sister Marler what she's learned the most this transfer, and she said it's been faith. I feel the same way. I've felt very inadequate - more than usual - this transfer, which has meant that I've felt like I've needed the Lord's help more than ever this transfer. Now, I always need the Lord's help, so I shouldn't have that attitude, but still - I know more than ever what Alma was talking about in Alma 32 when he said that humility had prepared the people for having faith. I've had a few "being ground into the dirt" experiences this transfer, which has made me more ready to have faith and rely on the Lord. So it's really good. :) Anyway, this past week we had a really cool one with Becky. We were trying to help her get baptized next Thursday - probably not going to happen. She had a mood swing and said that she didn't want to get baptized and that she didn't want to go to church and she felt like we were forcing her to do things that she didn't want to do. This was on the day of her baptismal interview. We were already fasting for her and praying with all of our hearts that she would be able to have spiritual experiences to prepare for baptism. I know you were praying too, so I relied on those prayers as I pleaded with Heavenly Father to help Becky. It was interesting to get Becky's call and have it seem like it was all for nothing. After Becky hung up, I turned to PMG pg. 10 and read to Sister Marler: "Remember that people have agency to choose whether to accept your message. Your responsibility is to teach clearly and powerfully so they can make a correct choice. Some may not accept your message even when they have received a spiritual witness that it is true. You will be saddened because you love them and desire their salvation. You should not, however, become discouraged; discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, your effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the Spirit... When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself. You can feel certain the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you." I then looked up and asked, "Do you feel the Spirit?" Sister Marler half-smiled and nodded. I looked at her and gave her a small smile back and said, "I do, too." We decided to keep fasting, even though Becky had given us an obvious answer of NO. But then, that night, we had a miracle. Becky called! She said that she wasn't able to return her tickets to the train station since nobody was there. I asked if there was anything we could do to help, and she said no. I said, "Well... why did you call us, then?" She said she didn't know. I said, "Well, maybe it's a sign that you weren't able to return your tickets." We chatted about it more, and she said that she was sorry for how she had acted, and said that she would think about whether or not she wanted to go the next morning. I knelt by my bed and thanked Heavenly Father for helping Becky change her mind and pleaded with Him to let her go with us to church the next day. Well, it worked. Becky was there at 6:15 the next morning, ready to go on the train to Hualian. And there was such a strong spirit in the meeting. I'm not sure if Becky will get baptized next week, but I AM sure that when we have faith, Heavenly Father will work miracles. And I'm so grateful He's letting me see so many.
Okay, I really do need to go, but I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much! I've felt that love for me so much, especially this past year as I've served as a missionary. I'm so grateful I can do His work. Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Winters
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