Week 16

Wow!! Hi Family. :)

What a fun week. :) Cleaning and relaxing sounds like the perfect way to start out the summer. Mom I'm excited to see pictures of the desk and of the boys buzz cuts, and Dad from your activity. Delan I'm excited to hear about Basketball camp. I wanna see pictures of all of your cool stuff ok!

Today was sooo much fun! We woke up at 5 to get on the train, to get on the bus, to take a boat, to ride a bike around this beautiful island. We went with our district, and all the single young adults in our area. They are all so amazing! They planned this whole thing for us, and it was fun getting to take pictures with them and playing.

While on the island, we went and saw the beach, had some home made ice cream, went cave crawling, and went on a hike in the mountains. The island was really pretty, and really hilly. ha The bikes we rode were so way too small for all of us, but it was all apart of the experience.

The Office Elders called us on the way home, and we are moving into our new apartment tomorrow. That's kinda exciting. The 4 sister apt was fun while it lasted, but now its time to get our own place. It’s right next to the church and so that will be really convenient.

This week was a really good week. I was in a way better mood from last week, and so I feel like I was able to be a more effective missionary. It’s so crazy to think that I'm a missionary. For how great my calling is, I feel ridiculously inadequate, but I think that's supposed to go like that because it keeps me prayerful and humble.

**Random side note.

Sister Lew and I have decided to start a little 2-man band when I get home. ha "Something that starts with an L. " is the name that they other sisters gave us. We already have 2 CDs. #1Mission Music. #2 Stuff for when we get home. So far we just have 5 tracks on CD #1. It’s been so fun riding around on our bikes singing our own versions of our favorite hymns. Phina-One of our new members got sick on the boat, and so we sang to keep her occupied. Kinda silly but actually really fun.

We had a lot of good lessons this week. Here are little tidbits from them.

Last Sunday we went to visit less-actives, but none of them were home. We left notes and so this week we went by to follow up. We knocked on a ladies door and long story short, she hasn't been to church in 25 years. She has two adorable little kids, and is willing to come to church. We taught about Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. She had really really good English and she kept saying Wow. Oh yeah. Oh I get it. Wow. It was really cute. There is no denying the message of the restoration. It’s incredibly powerful.

We got a random referral on the phone, and so we set up with this mystery family. We stopped by their house, and inside were the most beautiful dolls. Her front room was kinda like a craft room, and there was this one ballerina doll that made me think of Paige. :) Anyways, she was an old 70 yr old lady who was totally excited to see us, and kept mentioning that she had a missionary from America. We were confused at first, and then she brought out the letters, address cards, and the pictures, and it all started coming together. She has been an investigator for 41 years. When she was young she met with the missionaries a ton, and all of their little notes all said stuff about her getting baptized. I guess she didn't want to upset her parents when she was young so she never got baptized, but now she is ready. Can you believe it? So cool huh. She has a family now, 5 kids and a couple grandkids. From what we got one of her sons is a member. She still had such a strong testimony of prayer and that God is our loving Heavenly Father. It was such a walk back in time seeing all the letters, but it just strengthened my testimony of how "God is the same yesterday today, and forever". I'm excited to baptize her and then send letters to all those sets of missionaries that taught her.

We contacted another lady last week in the rain, she was under an umbrella getting food, and so we started talking to her. We set up to meet with her, and during the lesson we found out that she met with the missionaries as a young girl as well. She said that now that she has a family of her own she wants to teach her kids right so they can grow up to be like us. It was cool because when she said that I heard… "I’m so ready to prepare my self for baptism, so my family and I can be blessed from living the principles of the Gospel." ha Such a cool story.

It was good to have all these investigators who talked about missionaries from a long time ago... It gave me hope because we had an amazing family drop us this week. Dad opposes and so that means we can’t have any contact with them anymore. Really sad! Especially because we were done teaching them, and they were ready to get baptized next week. :( Even though I'm really bummed out I personally don't get to see them get baptized its ok. Maybe someday in the future another set of missionaries will bump into them and get to teach them again. Investigators and member might forget about the missionaries, and missionaries might forget about investigators, but I know the Lord doesn't forget, and that he is preparing these people. It’s not a matter of if, but when. As a missionary I still have to work my hardest and try my best, all the while trusting in the Lords timing. It’s sad, and frustrating, but ok in end.

Probably the best part of the week was last night. Brother Shi committed to baptism and is having his baptismal interview in just a couple of hours! He is such an amazing man. His wife is a recent convert of 6 months, and the Primary President. We LOVE her. She is always helping us teach lessons, and follow up with our investigators. I have really come to love this family, and so having Brother Shi get baptized. Is such an amazing feeling!! If they prepare to go to the temple. I could go and see them get sealed before coming home from my mission. How cool is that? :) This is the reason why I came on a mission; to invited people and families to come unto Christ through baptism so they can receive all the earthy and eternal blessings our Father in Heaven has in store. I'm so grateful I got to learn and grow with him. I can’t wait to tell you how it goes!!

I love you guys so so much! Thanks for the emails, it was so great hearing from everyone as always. I am learning so much, and having so much fun. "There is no greater work than this". It’s still really annoying I cant speak Chinese, but I'm learning how to study better and I am so grateful to Sister Lew for studying with me. I passed off Lesson 2 of Phase One on Saturday… 5 more tests to go. ha Elder Adams was really nice, and I'm really grateful to him. ha

Ok family. I better go. Thanks for all your love and support!!

Love Sister Lee