hello all!
this week i feel like so much happened! that's how it is every week, i guess. i think back to last Monday and wonder...was that really THIS WEEK? the weeks go by so fast but they are full of so much!! i finished my language evaluations this week, only to realize how much i need to STUDY! haha i love speaking Chinese and i have many good examples of missionaries who master this language. something i really want to work on is being able to just be myself and not let the language stop me. i'm a pretty bold personality so it hasn't been too much of a problem. one of the new missionaries in our area has really inspired me to be better. we are all brought to these particular places because we have something personal to offer- we can't let anything get in the way of accomplishing God's will for us. i know sometimes His will for us may seem daunting (callings, assignments, goals), but with faith, we can do all things. He always provides the way. i want to be more faithful in my studying and teaching and finding. with faith and obedience, we can do so much good. i have been studying obedience this week. obedience develops faith and is the way that God is able to bless us. no happiness comes from disobedience. God has so many blessings He wants to pour out and He is just waiting for us to obey. He loves us so much and wants us to be happy. we will never regret obeying Him and His spirit.
i don't have much to report this week other than just loving being a missionary and doing the little things. i am really seeking the Lord's will to know how i can improve. i know there are so many things i need to change and i'm trying to find where the Lord wants me to start. i have faith and i'm learning patience as i seek His will.
i am learning the power of apathy. Satan is working just as hard as we are for the souls of these people. I need to make sure i am giving it my all to help them come unto Christ and have those spiritual experiences. satan will make us think, it's ok that you didn't read the Book of Mormon- you were SO busy. or it's ok that you didn't go to church- you were REALLY tired. apathy is one of His biggest weapons against us. it's really hard as a missionary to help people fight against that apathy, to give people a reason to want it. the blessings of the gospel are so wonderful and so vital. they are essential to our salvation. i am just feeling really determined to be a better missionary- to fight this war against sin like Christ would, with love and with the power of the spirit.
things with sister vandegrift are going well. we are good examples for one another. i enjoy working with her and we are determined to be better :) i love this area. our three wards are great and we are getting things rolling for a thanksgiving party. we want to prepare some traditional food and then have our members help bring more food. we really want to help them invite their friends. we have organized a church tour with stations for family history, relief society, youth programs, and sacrament/batism. we missionaries also want to put on a little play/musical about thanksgiving. we an elder with a guitar so we're excited. hopefully we can have this be a real success. we love our wards and i am making so many friends whom i love dearly.
we attended a meeting with sister cook and sister reeves of the general auxiliaries. they taught about the new resources for teaching the youth (SO COOL) and about personal worthiness and purity. it was great to learn from their wisdom and spirit. it is an amazing time to be a missionary and member of the church. we are excited about all the new missionaries that will start coming in the next few months. we are literally going to flood the earth with this message. their are so many people who are prepared and we are getting the reinforcements needed to find them and teach them and bring them to christ. i love it! at the meeting, i saw sister wang from tian jin!! it was so crazy to see her and think about how much i have changed since then ( not so much in height, but in testimony and...maturity...?...psh) she is a wonderful example of joy, faith, and love for the gospel.
mom- thank you so much for the pictures! wang ayi looks great. i love her so much and it was great to see pictures of her. i am glad you had a wonderful time. i missed hearing from you this week but i have felt your love and strength. i think about you all the time. thank you for the postcard!! it was a perfect surprise. HONG KONG. how i miss it.
i love you all very much. i know that this work is so important. i know that nothing is more important that our relationship with Christ and with God. They love us so much and They are waiting for us to come to them. all the blessings that God has can be ours if we choose to follow Him. do those little things that keep you on the Lords side of the line and He will bless and strengthen you. i love you all
forever yours
sister paige newman
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