Dear Family,
Sorry this week's letter isn't going to be as long because we only have an hour to email this time. Sister Schultz and I are going to the Taibei temple on Wednesday so our email time is cut so we can go out and proselyte today.
This week was INSANE! And this next week is going to be even more crazy. We had an activity going throughout our mission called "no companionship left behind." For this whole week we had a mission goal of getting three new investigators for every companionship in our mission. So we were trying as hard as we could as well as trying to help out and find people and refer them to other areas for other missionaries. If we were nearing the end of the week and were looking like we weren't going to hit the standard our Sister Training Leaders or Zone leaders would come into our area and help out. It was really cool!
Unfortunately Sister Schultz and I got left behind....zao gao.
We tried really hard though! Throughout the week we had a total of seven new member lessons set up. All but one didn't show up or canceled. Agency is hard sometimes. We were a little discouraged, but hopefully these people will become new investigators in the future.
There's one contact that I remember in particular. Sister Schultz and I were sitting inside of a 7-11 eating lunch and the seats we were sitting at had a view looking out onto the street. I was enjoying people watching when I watched this girl come up to the bus stop right outside the 7-11 and look at the schedule to see when her bus was coming. I didn't think much at first besides I thought her outfit was cute and her hair was really pretty. I kept eating and about five minutes later I looked up at her again and had this picture of myself running out to contact her before her bus pulled up. I dismissed the thought because I thought that would be weird and not very like me. But as I waited I got more and more nervous that her bus would pull up and she would be gone. We finished eating and she was still out there, so as we walked out I motioned to Sister Schultz to come with me and went and contacted her. I was really nervous and thought it would be really weird at first, but she was really nice and gave me her number to call back later and try to set up. I walked away from that contact a little surprised. I've done this before and even turned around to talk to people I've already passed, but most of the time they don't talk back or wave us away. So I'm really grateful Heavenly Father allowed me to strengthen my testimony in contacting, even if this girl doesn't become an investigator right away maybe she will someday, and at least I was strengthened because of this experience.
As for the rest of the week we set a baptismal goal with Bonnie! She really thought about it too, so we feel like she was pretty genuine. Since then we haven't been able to meet with her, so we are hoping she is doing okay and won't disappear. Shi Yue hasn't had a lot of time this week either, but she has shifted from saying that "if God really exists she will think about becoming Christian" to "when I feel that this is true I will join the church." Its really cool because we have been able to she her attitude change and her perception toward what we are sharing has shifted from very logical to more spiritual. When we went and visited her this week she was breaking up the scriptures we were sharing and teaching herself from them, only looking at us to clarify what she was understanding was right. It was really cool!
We did go and visit Yang Jiemei again and almost lost and investigator. We walked in and as soon as we sat down she told us she feels like the Book of Mormon isn't right for her and that that would be the last time meeting with her. I've had this happen several times on my mission and every single time my heart just drops, you take a second and look at your companion, gather up all the faith you have and try to testify as hard as you can so they will feel the Spirit. Every other time nothing has come of it, but we found out with Yang Jiemei that she hasn't been reading and she has never asked God if the Book of Mormon is true. She also visits with the Jehovah's Witness missionaries so we have a sneaking suspicion that they saw her Book of Mormon and are influencing her decision. Anyway we committed her to read the Book of Mormon every day this week and pray after she read to know if it is true that God would give her an answer. We called her a few days ago and she still hadn't felt anything. We are going over tomorrow and I've never been more scared to go back and visit an investigator before. I hope and pray we will see miracles, but I also know whatever happens is God's will and all is in His timing.
I'm almost out of time, but I have some news to tell you. Saturday night Sister Schultz and I were just finished planning when President Blickenstaff called. He talked to Sister Schultz for a little while about how our new investigators were going, but then asked to talk to me. As soon as the phone rang my heart dropped and I knew what was going on. He asked me to TRAIN for the next two move calls! I didn't expect it at all because I haven't even gone senior yet, but I guess I'm just going to do it all at the same time. There is a trainers training meeting tomorrow morning, then the new missionaries come in on Wednesday and meet their trainers on Friday. So Sister Schultz will be leaving the area a little early so I can take my new trainee home and get to work! I'm really nervous, but super excited for the next two move calls and all that I can learn. I feel completely inadequate to train, but I'll try my best to do what the Lord and what President call me to do.
Well I'm almost out of time, we might write more on Wednesday we might not, I'm not sure. So next time we write I may have my new companion!
I love you all! Have a great week!
With all my love,
Sister Fernley
No comments:
Post a Comment