Language change!! - week 46

HELLOOOO!!

This week was a really crazy week, but one of the best weeks of my mission! 

First things, I got a surprise move in the middle of the week, switched over to Cantonese work in the Sham Shui Po ward! It was a big surprise, I'me excited to work with a strong ward, but the language switch will be a little challenging. 

I am really sad to leave Kowloon Mandarin, it was a huge period of growth for me as a missionary, and as a disciple of Christ. In this area I learned a lot about Christ-like service, and loved every minute of our wonderful crazy mandarin branch. It was somewhere where I truly saw the missionaries efforts really make a difference in the feel and happiness of the branch. It is truly a rewarding work. Our investigator, Guo dx got baptized on Sunday!! I was unable to be there :( but I am so happy with his desire and commitment, I will be sure to be keeping tabs on him throughout my mission and life. He is an amazing man! I feel like I left Kowloon at an amazing time for the area, we were just on fire! But I know the Lord has great plans for me in Sham Shui Po! 

My new companion is Elder Hui and temporarily Elder Ng, we are the Assistants to President Lam which is really exciting but really stressful at the same time.  On my first day in the field, Elder Hui and I went finding and teaching together, he is a great Elder and I respect him a lot. Very diligent, focused, and driven, we already have a great relationship!  It is a great service opportunity, very overwhelming and humbling, but I am happy to be a tool of the Lord in this mission.  Fun fact, Elder Ng is the grandson of the first temple president in Hong Kong, who is also a great family friend of ours, and is also probably my long lost relative because we have the same chinese xing and his family comes from the same small village of Tai Shan in Guang Dong!

Elder Ng, Elder Hui and Elder Woolley in the Mission Office

Earlier this week after my first day of training and I was pretty tired and stressed with it all, when we got a call from President Lam who asked us to attend a function in one of the wards. When we got there, we learned that it was a function for all of the members of the original Tsim Sha Tsui Branch, which my grandpa was the president of back in the day. It was so amazing to see all these powerful and wonderful saints, it was very moving to meet them. We talked to them, shared some testimonies, and they talked all about our family and little baby Ming Ju (my mom) haha it was a touching experience and a blessing to be a part of it. It helped me pull my head out of myself and see all my weaknesses and all the stresses of the recent changes, and helped me remember again that this work is about the Lord, and Heavenly Father's children. We all need that perspective change, to lift our outlook to the higher plane. I'm glad Heavenly Father sends me so many reminders and opportunities to forget about myself, and lose myself completely in the cause of others, and He has certainly given me a great cause and opportunity now to do so. I can't wait to see where we go in our new area and investigators, and to serve the Hong Kong Mission! The Lord has much for me to learn!

Thank you everyone for the prayers and support, I truly feel the prayers of faith helping out over here, sorry this email is short, next one will be better :-) 

Looove,

Elder Wooolllleyyy

Happy Father's Day! - week 45

HELLOO

This week was a miraculous week! Our transfer is winding down, only a week until moves calls, and we had really been praying for a few of our investigators to have some big improvements for this transfer and the next, and the Lord truly answered our prayers!

This last week we were able to get out 2 more baptismal dates and have 2 more getting set this week, it was just amazing seeing these people readily accept a goal, and look forward to setting this commitment with God. One of our new investigators is so golden, he is named Tan Yang Yang, when we first met he told me he believes that Christ can help him work through some of his current personal issues. We read the Book of Mormon with him this last week, and when I called him on the phone last night, he asked if we could meet all the time and just read the book together, he told me how it brought a feeling of peace that he had never felt before, and he wants more! It is really so amazing how, even though he didn't understand much of the scripture, he could feel the spirit bearing witness to him of it's truth, and telling him simply that it is something he wants more of in his life. He readily set a date for July, he is prepared!

The other miracle of this week is our investigator Guo Dx. His date was set for this next Sunday, but I had my doubts about the date going through due to his past of a hard time with the Book of Mormon and a few Word of Wisdom issues, I also wasn't able to see him at his last lesson because of exchanges. When we met with him I was shocked with his change, faith, and preparedness. Apparently he had dropped smoking on his own two weeks ago because it felt like the right thing to do, and had no problem committing to the other parts of it. Amazing! He also told us he believes the Book of Mormon is the word of God. He has been studying and praying over the book diligently since we met him, and the converting power of the Book of Mormon is real. The promise of the book is real. I know that because he read and prayed with real intent he felt the truth of it. We met with him again on Sunday and he is just cruising through the last of the lessons with no problems, the change is amazing. He will be able to make his date this Sunday! I am so excited for him, he is so very earnest and sincere. He is always asking how he can prepare better, and how he can increase faith. So humble. He will be an amazing member!

Happy Father's day to all! I think about my own father, and how much I learned from him, I sometimes feel like a father for my investigators haha especially the younger ones, and I think of my Heavenly Father. The basis of my own faith, and what must be the basis of everyone's faith, is our relationship with Heavenly Father. I love the hymn O My Father, here are the lyrics: 

• 1. O my Father, thou that dwellest
  In the high and glorious place,
  When shall I regain thy presence
  And again behold thy face?
  In thy holy habitation,
  Did my spirit once reside?
  In my first primeval childhood
  Was I nurtured near thy side?
• 2. For a wise and glorious purpose
  Thou hast placed me here on earth
  And withheld the recollection
  Of my former friends and birth;
  Yet ofttimes a secret something
  Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"
  And I felt that I had wandered
  From a more exalted sphere.
• 3. I had learned to call thee Father,
  Thru thy Spirit from on high,
  But, until the key of knowledge
  Was restored, I knew not why.
  In the heav'ns are parents single?
  No, the thought makes reason stare!
  Truth is reason; truth eternal
  Tells me I've a mother there.
• 4. When I leave this frail existence,
  When I lay this mortal by,
  Father, Mother, may I meet you
  In your royal courts on high?
  Then, at length, when I've completed
  All you sent me forth to do,
  With your mutual approbation
  Let me come and dwell with you.

The foundation of my own testimony came when I was thinking about these questions, is there a Father, did I dwell with him before, will I feel the Spirit tell me, am I a stranger here, does He love me? With all these questions in mind I read Mosiah 4:9 which is on my plaque, "believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom , and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. "

I felt deeply moved by the verse, and with a believing heart full of desire I knelt and prayed. I remember feeling an overwhelming feeling of the Spirit, unbelievably strong, and unmistakably real. I felt the feeling of a Father, talking to a son, saying, I am here, I am real, I do know who you are, and I do love you. I'm grateful for a Father in heaven. The knowledge is precious to me, and I want to share it with everybody possible, so that they can know they have a Father in heaven, we dwelt with Him before, our life has purpose and direction, and if we so choose we may qualify to be with him again. What a wonderful message of love and hope. "Of all the names given to  deity, He asks us to call Him Father." I know He is real, and that He loves us. I invite everyone to humbly ask Him in prayer to remind you of His love, I promise He will answer you through the Comforter. 

I love this mission! I love the change that comes over people as they realize their divine identity and potential, and as they feel God's love in their lives. It is a privilege.

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers especially my own!

Love,

Elder Woolley

View from their apartment - They live in the temple building!

Many Miracles - Week 44

DA JIA HAO!!

We had another killer week out here in Kowloon! The work has just been progressing so rapidly these past 2-3 weeks, it really is a testament to me of the importance in unity and spirit within the companionship. With Elder Shukis and I really teaching well together and working in the Spirit for the work, we have been blessed so much recently! I am very grateful for it. 

We had many miracles this week, we were briefly street finding for an hour in the afternoon, and we ran into this girl who will only be in Hong Kong for two weeks, and she was very interested. We were able to give her a tour of the chapel, teach her two lessons, and she came to an activity with her brother as well! It is amazing how we are guided to find prepared people. We were able to give her a good foundation, and I pray that in the future she can continue to be guided to continue to find the truths of the Gospel. 

Chen Guo Wu gave us his last pack of cigarettes just yesterday, he is so amazing! He told us before, when he would smell someone smoking and he would just pull out a cigarette and start smoking too, and now he thinks it smells terrible! At the end of the lesson we gave him ma blessing to help over come and stay away from the cigarettes, and it was a very powerful experience. I fully felt the love of the Lord for this man, and I was overcome with a desire for him to just be happy, and to fully understand the gospel, I can't wait for the next month when he is set to be baptized! 

Our other investigator Guo dx is progressing very well, I have never met an investigator who reads scripture so diligently. He loves reading different scripture and comparing it all. He has great faith! He should be good for his date later this month!

We have lots of new people to work with and I am super excited, they have amazing potential, recently it has just been a testament to me of how just loving and immersing ourselves in lives of members and investigators eventually pays off. A great example is Qin Jm, we helped give her friend a blessing a few weeks ago, then helped her move this week. As we left we asked her if she had any friends to ring to church and she said I think so ya. And then the next day she brought in 7 friends! so ging(powerful)! Our branch also hosted another activity, it was fantastic! We had a lot of investigator families come, and it was great for the kids. The missionary spirit really has picked up, and I was so touched to see the change in our branch since when I first arrived here in December. I was quite emotional, so touching to see the progress. 

There is just too much this week to talk about! Time is too fast.

I don't have time to type much of a spiritual thought at the end, but the Lord certainly has blessed us to see the fruits of our labors. It's simple, but everything we do has consequences, every good acts we do has corresponding blessings, and all the love and work we put in always pays off. Things always work together for good for those that love the Lord, and we truly love the Lord. I know it's his work and it's in his hands.

Thank you all!

Love,

Elder Woolley

PS- Happy Birthday Dad! I realize the longer I serve how much he has influenced my teaching, thoughts on doctrines, and the way that I work and approach a lot of aspects of missionary work. I am truly grateful for you! 

Wrapping Zhong Zi for Dragon Boat Festival!

Aberdeen

Hong Kong stake splits! - week 43

Hello everybody!

We had a really busy and crazy week, it's hard to really know where to begin! 

 Our investigator Guo dx is doing great. I don't think I have ever worked with someone who has searched so intensely for answers before. He really enjoys religious literature, he just reads everything and loves finding connections between the Book of Mormon and the Bible. He still has a little problem with trusting the Book of Mormon, but we have been encouraging him to take his questions to God in prayer, as we all should. I have complete trust in the promise of the book, and I know that he will get an answer. He has a baptismal date for June 26th so we are really hoping it goes through!

Our investigator Chen Guo Wu has been working on quitting smoking, this is his last week of smoking, and this Saturday he gave us some packs of his cigarettes to throw away, he is almost there! He has great faith, and has the most hilarious old man chuckle. I have definitely seen changes in him ever since we called him all those months back. His heart has softened and he has real determination to change. We are hoping he will be baptized in July! 

Our other investigators are all coming along, we have some new people with great potential, the Lord has blessed our efforts recently, it is good to see the hard work paying off. The work never ends, but it is good to be feeling on top of things and having things going a little smoother again. We had a particular fun activity that we Kowloon Missionaries hosted this weekend that was the product of many many calls and hard work from us all, and I was pleased with the outcome! For the past month or so we have been working pretty hard with the other missionaries and bishops and other leaders of the 13 or so other wards that we cover to try and get contact of all the mandarin people scattered about here. After that we invited all of them to an FHE activity, not as many came as had confirmed as these things often go, but it had a decent turnout, and just had the greatest feeling of community and unity with all these people from the mainland! I'm excited for next months when everyone will bring friends and hopefully more members will come! I was so happy to be there with them all, I know this activity and working with all these people will really bless our work here.

FHE activity

3 branch members going through the temple

This weekend Hong Kong just split from 4 stakes to 6 stakes, which is a huge deal! It's part of church history here, and the meeting was just amazing. So many powerful leaders and members were there, I just loved seeing all the faithful Chinese leaders of the church here, the Hong Kong people are powerful! It gets me excited to have more change in the organization here, and hastening of the work. Mandarin work here is growing as well, there are great things to come in Hong Kong for the faithful saints from the mainland as well. It's fills my heart to see growth and just to have the privilege to be a part of it. I look forward to see how this will change our mission organization in the future, but I now we are all prepared of it. The Lord is preparing lots of people to keep the work changing!

We had an opportunity to teach a man from mainland this last week as well, and I loved how much he listened and thought about everything we told him. His whole life has just been a life full of questions, about why him, what truth is, why certain things happened, who he can trust, what he should do etc. It was amazing to just be a part of his process of finding answers, answers to questions he had asked for a very long time. After his baptismal interview I talked to him right before I was to baptize him, and he was just so

calmly determined and ready, without anymore questions, doubts, or fears. I know the gospel answers questions, removes doubts, confusion, and fear. This is the Lords work and his gospel. This next year will certainly be a year of answers, changes, and miracles!

P day hike with Elder Sy and Xi Gong

Love,

Elder Woolley