Elder Ryan Woolley in Hong Kong!: When one door closes, another opens

HELLOO!!

Hello everyone I hope everybody had a good week! We had a long and particularly exhausting week this week, but it has been rewarding. We had a cool experience earlier this week, I had to help drive a fridge over to an apartment, but the landlord was not there to take it as we had planned, and our phone was dead so we had no way to contact her. We were waiting outside the apartment door when the neighbors arrived, I felt we should talk to them, so we asked if we could use their phone charger to charge the phone. They kindly let us in to their house to charge the phone. They were super nice ladies from mainland who are also members of a charity organization. We had a great chat with them and I just felt so grateful for kindness and genuine good people. We shared a little about the gospel with them, something they had never heard about, and it was a great time. I really enjoyed it. I love how Heavenly Father always gives us opportunities wherever we are if we are prepared to receive them. It happened quite literally in this situation, but when one door closes (or won't be opened) another door opens! We had a prayer with them and they left for mainland the next day. You never know what happens with the seeds you plant!

We also had another cool experience this week, a member from one of the wards was talking to me about one of the girls that we baptized here from mainland, she was converted by the missionary emails of one of her friends, who is serving in the same ward as one of my friends from BYU over in the states. It is amazing to see the many ways that the Lord does his work, like I said before we really really can never know how much good we do, and how much we can help the work. But occasionally we are blessed with glimpses of the fruits of our labors. Those are the most rewarding moments! The small and simple moments and blessings from Heavenly Father are really eye opening, and every once in awhile they bring in the Spirit so strongly and the gospel and the work and all that we do seem so clear! It is great to be in the Lord's service.

I am so grateful for the Sabbath day. I am not sure why but I was just exhausted this week, couldn't seem to catch up on all that we needed to do, and couldn't seem to get a hold on all the work we are doing right now in Vic 3 and in turning over Shum Shui Po, and I felt a little bit off. Needless to say I was really looking forward to the Sabbath day, the day of rest. But not physical rest and naps like before haha, but 'the rest of the Lord', as He beckons unto all of us saying -

"28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest .

29.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30.For my yoke is easy , and my burden is light. " (Matthew 11:28-30)

I really felt the rest of the Lord this last Sabbath as I partook of the sacrament and strived to learn of him and take the yoke upon me, and just as it shows in verse 30, my burden, and all of our burdens become his burden, and his burden is light. I am grateful for the Sabbath day, where we can rest our souls in Him, transfer over our burdens to Him, and be recharged for the week! Elder Sy and I helped translate for some people for Sundays meeting and afterwords we talked about how wonderful it is to serve others in any way that we can, to be like Christ and think of others. I am grateful that the mission gives so many opportunities to serve and forget ourselves, we all need to.

I love the mission and the Savior Jesus Christ. He truly has provided rest to my soul on countless occasions, and I have seen him provide rest and peace to the souls of so many that I have been privileged to work with.

Thank you all for the love and support, I pray for you all!

Elder Woolley