Another short one...

Sister Fernley's message from Feb. 22, 2015:

Sorry this email is going to be pretty short, I've got to get some things done for the mission and don't have a lot of time.

Thankfully there really isn't that much to report from this week. I've been in DongQu for most of the week, and because its the Chinese New Year all we've been doing is eating. Pretty much all everyone does during the new year is eat, worship in the Chinese temples and travel to visit family. Two out of those three activities are completely ruled out for missionaries, so we partake abundantly of the first. You know how it feels on Thanksgiving where you eat so much you feel uncomfortable and don't want to look at another piece of food for a few days? That's how Chinese New Year feel for a whole week! Luckily we have the elders around to help us out and take some of the heat.

And honestly that's about all we did this past week. We ate and when we weren't eating we were tracting or contacting. No one ever has time during the New Year so we didn't have many lessons. We ended up tracting yesterday and ended up talking to so many people! We met this cute 15 year old girl who gave us her information and said we could call later to set up a time to share more with her. As we were talking to her and Sister Jiang was bearing her testimony about how the gospel can help us I was watching their faces, and both of them were radiant. There's really no other way to describe it. They were both just glowing. One bearing her testimony of the gospel and the other one hearing it for the first time. This message really is incredible and brings a light that nothing else could.

I also had a miracle contact this week! I had been here in DongQu for a few days and honestly wasn't feel all that great. My area back in Anping has pretty much died as far as investigators goes and I can't spend the time I need to bring it back to life there right now. I wasn't really feeling like I was accomplishing my purpose and it wasn't a feeling that I wanted during my last move call on my mission. So anyway, I was wallowing in self pity and determining to talk to absolutely everyone when we got stopped at a red light. There was no one to talk to. 

Then a few seconds later this girl pulled up, with some distance between us. So according to my resolution made I awkwardly yelled at her (so she could hear me) and started talking to her about the gospel. She pulled over to the side and we talked for three or four red lights! She was actually really interested. She's seen missionaries before, but has never heard our message. And the best part is she lives in my area in Anping! She didn't have time this week because of the new year, but hopefully we will be able to contact her and teach her the gospel! Heavenly Father really does give us tender mercies just when we need them!

Can't wait to see what is in store for the next week! Sister Jiang and I are praying really hard for the new missionaries. They should be coming this week. Hopefully we will have a stable companion and a stable area in the next few weeks. We need to get Anping resurrected!

Love you all so much! Promise next week will be longer, maybe. :s

Sister Fernley