Best Week! - week 82

Hello everyone!!

As you can tell by the title, this has been one of the best weeks of my mission, and probably my life! So many great things happened, we've just been so blessed! The work on the island is going great, we are seeing tons of blessings and meeting lots of great prepared people, my companion and I are getting along great, the work is really fun! The island is on fire right now!

HKEU

International Zone leadership :)

We had a mandarin missionary meeting this week it was very inspiring. It is great to be a part of this special work here in Hong Kong and involved with the amazing members in China. We are laying a great groundwork here and helping building foundations and future leaders of the church in China. The church in mainland is truly amazing. Elder James shared some great stories from his mission here in Hong Kong in the 60's, he knew my grandparents well. It is amazing to see the progression of the church, sometimes we do not get to see the blessings of the work we do, but the fruits do come. For example, my Grandfather didn't get too see all the fruits of them joining the church, but I'm sure he sees more and more now as our family grows in the gospel, and with each person that I am able to share the gospel with or baptize. I'm grateful for their examples and faith.

Zhao jm (sister Zhao)

This week we had two miracle baptisms! The first one is Angel, the daughter of one of our members Tan jm in Vic 3. I may have talked about this last summer, but I called Tan Jm who was less active at the time last summer, and happened to call on her daughters birthday. This triggered her interest in having missionaries over again and helped her decide to go back to church and get her daughter baptized. It has been awhile since then, and their family has been through a lot of trials financially and had a hard divorce since then, but she was finally able to bring her daughter to the gospel and be baptized! It was a simple baptism, she was still pretty shy, but it was touching to see them two united together in belief. I could really feel the love she has for her daughter. She gave a very touching talk for her daughter.

Angel's baptism

The other baptism was Livia! We have been working with them and praying for her for a very long time, it wasn't until a month or so ago when we met with her and President and Sister all together that she finally started to really progress and have her concerns resolved. It was a very touching baptism as well, she is a very prepared person, and it is great to see her and her husband also united fully in the gospel. Again it is hard to explain the feelings of joy in seeing these wonderful people who we love so much taking the step of faith into covenanting with God. They never realize how much God has in store for them, and how much he really does bless us. He always keeps his promises, and the promises in baptism really are wonderful.

Livia's baptism - they will be living in Colorado for the summer
- in my family's ward!!

We also had two amazing lessons this week, our Rc buddy Scott's referral, May accepted a baptismal date for April which is so exciting! She really connected with Joseph Smith' story, apparently the religious climate in China is similar to that of America during the great awakening, but with a communist twist. Lots of pastors of different faiths, lots of them making money etc. It really is a land of peoples searching for identity, purpose, and God. We are excited for her!

We were also able to start teaching Scott's wife this week too and I am really excited for her! It is a slow start, starting really at the basics, but again there is so much potential in helping unify them together in the fold.

Every since I got to the island, I had a feeling that I had to start meeting with and teaching Zhao jm and her sons, an eternigator of vic 3 that I have known well for a year or so, who has never been able to be baptized because of some opposition from her spouse. Anyways we met with her this week and just had an amazing lesson, we learned that she doesn't actually have much spouse opposition, just personal doubts and fears, a lots just stemming from thinking that she doesn't know enough/ hasn't had a100% for sure knowledge that it is true. It was just a great lesson, we were able to resolve the concerns and mostly just feel the Spirit and calm assurance from Heavenly Father, sometimes we all need to just"doubt not, fear not, look unto me (Him) in every thought" and doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith! I have met so many people, missionaries and investigators and members who let doubts and things they don't know scare them and keep them from committing or from being more! Living the faithful and believing life is certainly harder than living the cynical and doubting life, but so much more meaningful and filling.mI am so excited for her, she will be baptized before April! The Lord is in the work, and he truly knows the details of the details of our lives. I have felt so guided the more that I pray and pray for these people, for charity, and for the work.

It has been such a  blessing to be amongst so many people changing their lives and their natures and coming to know their Savior. I have felt so many times guided and sent to specific people, and I really feel a special connection especially to those that I have helped be baptized. I am grateful for charity, that has allowed me to love and pray for the people harder than I ever have before, and that has allowed me to see them as they are, as we all are, as children of God without end, and with divine potential. I love it, and know that we don't do the work alone! What a great work to be part of, " shall we not go on in so great a cause?  Go forward and not backward.  Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!  Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing.  Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free."

Love you all, have a great week, I am praying for you all!

Elder Woolley