Letter # 79

Sister Guo

Brother Guo

Okay Family,
Well things are really starting to feel weird. I know that my time is so short and it is with honesty making me a little sick. I think one reason is because I know that there is still so much I desire to do, and the other being the fact that I feel like I am just getting to my prime, and it hurts knowing that right as your the most focused, obedient, spiritual, and just overall prepared, the next step is the plane ride home. I remember what my trainer told me on one of my first days here. He told me that it takes about 2 years to figure out missionary work and by the time you do, it's time to go home. Ya well it's true. President Grimley told me that it is that way with every calling I will have in the Church. I guess it's just the learning process that Heavenly Father is constantly putting us all through.

Well this week was extremely trialsome. I feel like Heavenly Father is putting my companion and me in a very deep trial right now. He and I have been struggling to find new investigators for almost a month now. We still have the blessing of a few great investigators that are really progressing. But the thing that is hard is that we are spending so much time and effort outside trying to find them and it just seems that every single person we set up to meet with us, at the last second will not show up for the lesson. That is incredibly irritating. But because of this I have never been so fired up to go outside and contact everyone. This trial is starting to push me into competing with it. In a way, I guess in a that is a great thing. It could be possibly keeping me from turning into an old missionary that many Elders fall into. I believe that this will end and that great blessings are in store. That again is solely predicated on our obedience and our work. We believe we have that. Now its time to wait it out and endure.

Other than these things, there already is great blessings that we received this week. As far as right now we have 4 scheduled baptismal interviews for this Saturday, which means that the following week (My Last Weekend here) we would have 4 baptisms, which would be great and the most I have ever been able to see at one time. We are praying earnestly for those people and I sill give their names so that everyone can start praying for them too.

1. Wen Hong Lin
2. Hong Jia Yang
3. Zi Wen Lin
4. Zi Chen Lin

The bottom two are these two sisters that are amazing. One is 20 and the other 16. They have so much faith and I think they have more desire to be baptized than any other investigator I have ever worked with before. Their one problem right now is that they are getting a lot of opposition from the family for wanting to be baptized. For more than two months now their Mother had put her foot down and said absolutely NO. She told them they had to be mature and married before they were baptized. The Mother believes that the Church has brainwashed the two girls and that they had no idea what they are doing. The Mother originally gave permission saying that they were allowed to go to church. But they just could not be baptized. The girls have continued to meet with us and they have progressed so much. They have so much Faith. So about a month ago we set a goal with them saying that we wanted them to be baptized on the 20th of November and that we were going to pray every single night for this goal and we told them that if they were willing to put in the faith necessary that God would step in and soften the Mother's heart. As of right now we have seen that miracle starting to come to pass. As of two nights ago their Mom just gave permission for the older sister to be baptized. Saying that she had decided that they she was old enough to make her own decision. Right now we are just waiting on approval for the younger sister. Right now there is so many people praying for them and we really do need everyone's prayers. We believe its going to happen.

Well one of the other things that happened this week was my final Zone Conference. That was a very weird feeling especially when they have all the departing missionaries get up and bear their testimonies. That was not easy for me. The two things that I really talked about in my testimony was my love for the Gospel and my testimony in the change that comes from it, especially the Atonement. My Testimony is something that I hold on to so strongly.

I can solemnly testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes hearts. That I know because I have felt it first hand. This gospel has shown me what is really important in this life and the things that just really are not. I am so thankful for my family. Every time I think of any one of them my heart swells, and it does that because I know what the purpose of families are and how sacred they truly are. I love this Church and there is nothing in this world that can bring such goodness into a persons life than this Church. That I can say because I know it. It is true!

This next week is going to be a big one for us, and we need everyone's prayers. I love you all.

The Scripture I want to share this week is one of my favorites if not my favorite and I have probably shared it many times. Moroni 7:33

And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.