Hey fam! How was everyone's week?
It was my first full week on the island, and it was super fun! The work here has just picked up miraculously fast, lots of members and potentials to work with, and Elder Garcia and I had a really great first week. Elder Garcia is awesome, he has a great desire to be a good missionary and is a really fun guy to be around, we are having a great time together and working hard! I feel like I have so much more time to focus on the work than I did before in the office, and I just get to apply everything I have learned about the work so far into this great area, we are expecting great things!
We are working with a lot of potentials and members, I am so glad I got to stay in Vic 3 branch despite the move of area, I love vVic 3! I love seeing all those great members every Sunday, they are so wonderful. I just want to help them so bad, help them and grow Vic 3 into a more powerful and fully functional unit. We are working well with the members, we are great friends with everyone, I am so proud when they go to talk to our investigators, or when they bring friends! These are big steps. It is amazing to see how far it has come, and to see all the great additions to the branch throughout all the time I have been there. The work is not slow! It is not easy, but it is definitely not slow! Even in just one years time there have been lots of baptisms and reactivations, it is great to be part of the process and work of the Lord.
Our friend May, Scott's referral is doing well, she was previously baptized into a different Christian church, but kind of lost her religious habits after that time. It has been great helping her get on the right path. She has great potential! We were talking to her on the phone the other day and she was telling us how happy she is when she prays, and that she feels really peaceful afterword. I don't know why but I was just so happy when she said that. It is a simple thing, but it is truly a big step in her progression, and I love to see it. There is something very special about people's first prayers. She is our greatest potential right now, though there are many more on their way! It is fun rebuilding an area, one, it is humbling, and helps us start from the basics and really work our way up, and it is so rewarding, we celebrate and cheer on our investigators for every little step, and for every scheduled person. I can't remember being so happy and grateful for someone telling me that they were enjoying prayers. Change is always a good thing, I'm glad that I could be out on the island, and be stretched by the change. I do love it here, it is so fun building it up, Elder Garcia has a great attitude too and we are doing some great work! I can't wait to see where it goes!
We got to baptize a Philippina sister into one of the everyday branches because they have no men in the branch, and her testimony was so wonderful. She was very humble, and kept expressing how she wants to learn more! It was a great reminder to me to continue to value learning in the gospel, take studies seriously and make them a habit of life, to always treasure up the words of Christ. We have had so many experiences this week when scriptures would just be coming to my mind every time anyone said anything, it is amazing to see the Spirit just bringing up scriptures and conference quotes to my mind all the time, I love the words of Christ! "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." 2Nephi 32:3- I have found this principle to be so very true on my mission, so many times the scriptures have directed me in a course of action or given me very clear council on what to do or say in order to bless myself and those around me. I am so grateful for scriptures!
We had an opportunity to teach a lesson this week in English which was fun and kinda hard at first haha we're not so used to it, but we taught the restoration to this Chinese woman who grew up in the states. It was really enjoyable to teach it in my mother tongue and the Spirit was very strong. I love hearing my companion's testimony. He is a newer convert, his testimony is always so simple and sincere. I love how the gospel is the same. It is complicated, but really at it's core it is so simple. As we taught the restoration it just felt so clear and simple to me, again the Spirit, as it has many times in the past, confirmed my testimony to me, and to our investigator. We really saw it click in her mind, and the desire to learn grew. What a great thing it is to see the light in someone grow and grow as they attain more knowledge, Spirit, and understanding, as it says in D&C 50:24 -" That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."It is really cool to feel it form others, and see it in myself, as their light and happiness really grow from the Gospel. I love sharing light with others, and know that we as church members really can be a light. People feel it! I have heard so many stories from mainland China, where they are not allowed to proselyte, where members are approached because the people can see and feel a difference, and want it too. I love the gospel, and feeling light all the time. I love seeing it spread through everyones lives. Hope everyone has a great week!
胡長老
ps. I forgot my camera, so I only have this one pic courtesy of Elder Stratford , so more to come next week!
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