Hello family!
I cannot believe this is the final letter that I will be sending home. After all the many weeks of letters it is almost coming to an end. I wanted to make this one more special, so I am going to write as if I were giving advice to myself as a young missionary.
However, first the miracles of the week.
Last Thursday we had about an hour to contact before lunch. We went out and no sooner had we walked out of our apartment then we run into this cute lady, Gu3 XJ. She is one of the happiest people I have EVER meet. We talked with her about our church. She set up to meet with us the next day. We met with her Friday and it was great! She is so golden. She told us, “I have been looking for something that will bring me happiness the past 3 years. This is the first time I have ever contacted a Christian church.” I testified to her that I knew that this was God's planning that she run into us. She has some really interesting views. I can't wait to meet with her again this Thursday!
Saturday we were able to meet a cute girl, Hong JM. It turns out that she is also Christian too. We give her a tract and she asks, “Where is your church located?” We were also able to share with her a little bit about the Bible and BOM.
We were able to meet with our less-active Tang JM and her daughter. She wants her daughter to be baptized, so we are helping teach her daughter. It was a really good lesson. He daughter is so precious.
On our way home we ran into a Li3 XJ. She was so cute! We shared with her a little about the BOM. She told us that she likes to pray because she finds answers when she prays!! I love hearing that!
Saturday night we called a former investigator and invited her to church. She came with her two daughters!! We accompanied them to Primary. The girls participated in the games and it was awesome. We are meeting with them this Wednesday. I am so excited to meet with them.
Now on to reflections about missionary life.
First off, all the clichés about a mission are true. You will feel all the emotions possible on a mission. There is no emotion you will not feel. The highs and the lows will all be there. The lows will seem to last forever and the highs will seem to be but a small moment. Learn to embrace the highs and push through the lows!
Always remember why you came on a mission! You should have come on a mission because you love Jesus Christ! This work is all about HIM!! He loved us so much that he came here and suffered for us.
I have truly come to know my Savior through my mission. My relationship with Jesus Christ was good before my mission, but it is 200 times better because of my mission. I have felt a little little bit of the pain that he bore while on earth.
Your family really does have you on a pedestal. I realized how much your family looks up to you. They picture you every day working your hardest to do this work. Your job is to fulfill their dream! I love to picture the faces of my family members and imagine them praying for my success. This pushes me to be better.
You feel the Spirit more than you think you do! I think a lot of the time we doubt whether it is the Spirit or us. I believe that if it inspires you to do good, then it is the Spirit. A good idea is a good idea--don't question it! If you are obeying the commandments and doing your best then God will not allow you to go down the wrong road. He wants you to succeed because this is HIS work!
There is nothing better you can be doing right now than this. Nothing at home is better than this. On tough days (there will be many) remember that this is the best thing you could be doing! You will be grateful for the challenges in the end. Just focus on the work, and everything else will take care of itself.
The atonement is real. You need to learn to really apply the Atonement in your life. You will need it for when you make mistakes (which you will). You will have to learn to wrestle with God in mighty pray to receive a remission of your sins. There is also another part of the Atonement that I think a lot of us forget. The Atonement will also comfort us. When you feel no one understands you and you have nowhere/no one to turn to, THAT is when you need to turn to the Lord! The Savior will know EXACTLY how to comfort you!
Obedience brings blessings. If you want to see miracles, you have to pay the price. That price is obedience. I believe more than that you need to have a good attitude about the commandments. It is a lot easier to be obedient when you have a desire to do it. I mean a sincere desire!
Allow the Lord to shape you. I feel like being on a mission is being put it a refiner's fire over, over, and over again! It is hard. There will be many nights of tear-stained pillows. There may be days when you break out into tears on the street or in sacrament meeting. These trials are meant to push you to your limit. They will stretch you in ways that you never imagined possible. As you look back you will be grateful God saw it fit that he put you in the refiner’s fire!
Notice the miracles big and small. We cannot tell God the exact miracle we want. Our job is to be grateful for whatever he allows us to see. At the end of every day I love to have my companion and I say 3 miracles from the day. Some days it is harder than others, but once we get started, miracles just start flowing out of our lips.
I have loved being a representative of Jesus Christ these past 18 months. I have loved sharing the gospel with the people of Taiwan. I am grateful God let me come on a mission. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I know that he did see God and Jesus Christ. I know that because of his vision he restored Christ’s church again on the earth. I know that we have all the truth in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that we can all return to live in God's presence if we obey the commandments! The scriptures are the word of God. I love the power that comes from reading the scriptures. I know that the power I feel is the spirit of God.
I love Taiwan. I really am torn in two because this land truly does have a piece of my heart! I will always be ever grateful for the people I have meet on my mission. They have touched my heart and changed my life!
I have so much more to say but no time. :( Love you all with ALL my heart!
Love always and forever!
Sister Latimer
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