March 11, 2013

When the Wind Blows, the Work is Moving

Hello Family and friends!

Wow can it really be another week already! This is the last week of the transfer! My first two months on the island are almost up.  Time truly does fly! This week has been busy with so many good things!

Our investigators our just golden. They truly are making a change in their lives and you can see it in their countenance.

Lai jie mei is doing great. In all of her prayers she thanks god that her kids our being more well behaved. It is great because she notices it and is thanking God for it. She went to a baptism the other day in her ward. She liked the feeling. She then started talking about her own baptism and asked all these good questions. She even talked about how she wished her husband was doing this with her. This is a huge change from what she used to feel. The gospel has really made all the difference in her life.

Ding Jie mei is doing great! We had awesome pei kes who were able to help explain better. We went through the baptismal interview questions yesterday and for our pei ke we brought the gospel doctrine teacher. She was super great. You could tell that she really cared about her and took the time to explain to her. She did it in such a clear and simple way. I was so grateful that she was there.

Zhou Jie mei is slowly coming. She told us how she just feels so overwhelmed and how she feels that every day she has so many things to do and she always feels like she never does anything well enough. She then asked why everyone in the church is so happy. We were able to talk with her in depth about the atonement. We read with her the sacrament prayer and just talked about why we need to partake of the sacrament meeting. She has so much potential I hope that we can do a good job of expressing that to her. .

A miracle was on Saturday. We had a lesson scheduled for 4:30 and then we had to go to a baptism at 5:30. Our investigator did not come until 5:15. We gave a quick lesson then we told her about her the baptism and invited her to go. She came and told us she liked the feeling there. She also thought that there were so many young people. She was like I am too old to join. We explained that this person was a youth so a lot of his friends came. She was not able to come but told us that she will read the BOM.

Last Thursday was the temple tour training for all the sisters. A little background. There is a temple in my mission and the sisters do a tour there just like any other temple mission. We don't know who will be there but we all get trained every so often. Also once a transfer every companionship goes for a day and does the tours for the day. Sister Cisney and I go this Friday!!! It was a great training. A lot of it was about passing the spiritual ball to your companion. They talked a lot about companionship unity and how you should switch off every 2-3 sentences.

Then Sister Day talked! I love this women she is great! She gets up and does a quick change into sweats and tennis shoes. She then told us I am not doing this to be disrespectful I am doing this because I just want to be me and when I am me this is what I wear when I want to relax and be me. We then talked about how there are days on a mission that are hard and all you want to do is be you--which would be getting into a nice comfy outfit and sitting and watching a good movie for me. We talked about the joys and trials we face as sister missionaries. It was really great and just what I needed to hear. At the end though I came to the realization I am always me whether I am in a dress with a name tag or in my jeans at the end of the day I am me and that is all anyone else can expect of me.

I really feel that I am growing in ways that I never thought were possible. My heart is being molded by God and at times it is hard but at the end of the day/week I realize that I am becoming the person God wants me to become and that is what matters. I have been able this past week to really reflect on Christ life through my reading/ studying of Jesus the Christ. I realize how much he really does love and care for me.

We saw one of our recent converts yesterday. I meet with her my first 3 weeks on island. I was so happy to see her. She turns to me and asked has your Chinese progressed a lot. I was happy to turn to her and be like a little. I feel for the first time that this is true. I can see how much more confidence I have in lessons and with members. I am no longer afraid to talk to people. If I don't understand I just ask them to repeat.

It will be interesting what changes lay ahead with transfers. Four of us are locked in here because of training! Which I am really happy about I do not want to move. I told everyone here I want to be born and die here. (mission terms) This is the place where God wants me to be and I truly feel that. The wind is constantly here but the work is also constantly moving here.

I love you all! Hurrah for Israel! The work is hastening and it is such a joy to be a small part of it here in Taiwan.

Sister Latimer