Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Letter # 75

Wow, What a great week that was filled with so many spiritual experiences.

Sister Guo was baptized and so was Brother Lin
. The baptism was one of the best that I have attended on my mission. The spirit was so strong. Another great part about it was that we had multiple investigators attending the baptism, including the Zhou family. All the investigators thought that it was a great experience, especially the Dad of the Zhou family. The most spiritual part for me personally was when, after they were baptized, they both shared their testimonies and shared with everyone their reasons for joining the Church.

It was so powerful, especially Sister Guo's testimony. She shared her testimony of how God helped her to be baptized and the miracles she saw before the baptism. I will share a couple of those miracles later in this letter. She also explained that the reason why she joined was for her family and that she wanted her two boys to grow up and be just like the missionaries. Obviously I was touched down to the core, and inspired to become even more Christ like to live up to the impression that we had given her. She also started to get a little teary when she talked about how religion had split her family before and, in other words, destroyed some relationships within the family and how she new that this was the right place for her family and the path she wanted for her children. It was a great testimony from an individual who has been completely prepared to receive the fullness of what God has to offer her.

This last weekend was overall a very uplifting and spiritual experience for me personally. In Sacrament meeting yesterday one of the members performed "Love at Home" on the piano and I just remember it hitting me so hard then that this gospel truly is the "ONLY" way to happiness, "REAL" happiness. That I can really testify of with all my heart. The Church is true. It takes any person regardless of circumstances and molds them and refines them into a person who is prepared for eternity. That is happiness! Wouldn't it make sense that Heavenly Father's way is the happiest. After all he did create happiness in itself. So the plan that he has given us, if followed, is guaranteed to work 100% of the time in spite of some temporary trials. Ah it's awesome! and there is nothing like it.

Well, so about the miracles that led up to Sister Guo's baptism. The first one is really cool. This was last Monday and we were still unsure if she was going to be able to be baptized because, like I said last week, she had not told her husband about her desire to be baptized. She told me on the phone that her original plan was just to just be baptized with her son and not let anyone know about it. When she told me that I told her that was not the right thing to do. I told her that we are not just teaching her for baptism but that it was for her and her family to be able to be together forever. She agreed and decided that she was willing to fast before she talked to her husband about it. That night I called her and she told me everything that had happened. She went on to tell me that her husband said that it was okay as long as she could still attend some of the traditional Taoist ceremonies, mainly because if she didn't the Mother-in-law would not be happy and the family situation would get even worse.  The members of our church in Taiwan have been given permission by the first presidency to be able to be in some of those religious ceremonies, as long as they obviously know that the ceremonies to worship those other Gods have no relevance. She was so thrilled on the phone when she talked to me. I know that it was because of prayer and fasting that the husband said it was okay. She had told me previously that she was certain that her husband would say no.

The next miracle was the day of her baptism. She wanted her husband to attend, but in all honesty he wanted nothing to do with it. She told us that she said a prayer and asked that the whole family would be able to make it to the baptism. She went on to say that when she tried to talk to him about it again he was willing this time and said that he would go with her. When we saw the whole family at the baptism together my companion and I were ecstatic. The baptism, like I said, was great and the Dad actually said that he liked it. I am certain that the seed has been well planted in his heart and he is being prepared. Now it is only a matter of time in my opinion. He will have the spirit that his wife carries with her now around him all of the time. Elder Clavel and I will be doing our best to include him in everything we can.

Elder Clavel and I broke our record again for church attendance. We were able to have 13 investigators at Church this last week. He and I are really happy about it. If anything it gets us to want to work harder and see even more next week. So we are really looking forward to everything coming up. Please pray for our investigators. They all need everyone's prayers, especially the Zhou family right now. They are supposed to be getting their interviews this coming Saturday. Okay, the scripture I want to share this week is in Alma 41:10.

Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.

Wo ai nimen
Wei Zhang Lao

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