Nimen hao!
I feel like this week has been long! Not that it wasn't a good
week--it was just a tiring one! Going on three exchanges a week can be a
little exhausting, but we'll get a little bit of a break from exchanges
this week.
This was the week I've been waiting for my entire mission... the
week when I got to go to the Chinese program! It was just for 24 hours,
but it was really cool. I even got to ride the train for the first
time here. It felt like Taiwan! We spent a couple hours teaching a
beginner's English class, which was interesting. I felt like I was back
in my Mandarin class at BYU, because everyone was speaking Chinese and I
couldn't understand anything! I really liked going on this exchange
because I was with a sister that's only been here in the field for about
12 weeks, and this was her first time ever being in charge of her
area. It was interesting to think back on my first experience leading
the area on an exchange, and then really weird to hear the same advice
I'd received coming out of my own mouth as I talked with this sister.
It's interesting to think about how much I've changed in such a short
time as I've come to understand my calling a little better and trust
more in the Lord to help me to do His work. I also loved being in
lessons on this exchange because it made me realize that the Spirit
speaks in a universal language. In one lesson, I couldn't understand a
single word of what was being taught (despite my 6 weeks of Mandarin
experience...because the lesson was in Cantonese :D) but I could
completely follow what was happening with the investigator. I could
tell that she felt the Spirit. After we got out of the lesson, I
commented to the missionary, "She knows it's true!" and the missionary
said, "How did you know she said she believes it?" I honestly could
tell just by looking at the investigator and feeling the Spirit myself!
The Spirit works amazing changes in people, no matter what language
we're speaking. It was a cool experience and a good reminder that I
need to do everything I can to teach by the Spirit and never rely on my
own words, no matter how much Spanish (or English) I think I can speak.
We've continued teaching the family that came to church last week.
Leslie, the aunt, is super prepared and I feel like she's really going
to progress a lot... as long as we can keep teaching her. We taught her
this week and invited her again to be baptized and she said that there
are things she wants to arrange in her life before she gets baptized.
She mentioned several changes she wants to make so she can feel worthy,
and several of them go right along with commandments we haven't even
taught her about yet. It's always so amazing to see people develop a
natural desire to live the commandments as they're taught by the
Spirit. Leslie's also doing great with the Book of Mormon. She told
one of the ward members, "Don't you just love how this book grabs you
and you want to read more and more?" She's so great! However, we were
really disappointed yesterday because she didn't come to church, and
neither did her cousin or nephews. We've been trying all weekend to
contact them but haven't been able to get a hold of them. We don't want
them to disappear! They're so special and so prepared, and we know
they can progress. We just have to track them down! We're praying hard
that we'll be able to find them again today.
We also had a really good experience with a recent convert here
who's been struggling with old temptations. This week he made huge
amounts of progress. He's re-started reading his scriptures every day
and praying, and the difference is amazing. He even carries the Book of
Mormon around in his pocked all day long to help him resist
temptations. It's absolutely beautiful to see how much of a difference
the "little" things like reading the scriptures, praying, and keeping
our thoughts clean can make. Those "little things" really are the big
things! It was so cool to see evidence of that in this recent convert.
He's made many changes in very little time, and has put forth a huge
effort to stay on the right path. His faith inspires me.
I hit 10 months yesterday.... Eek. That's extremely bizarre to
think about. Yesterday we ate dinner at a member's house. The daughter
and one of her old mission companions (they served in Washington DC
North!) were reminiscing about their missions. It was kind of a surreal
situation, to hear people talking about their missions as something in
the past. Sister Osborn and I looked at each other and had the same
thought--"What? Missions don't end!" We may both be in denial.... I
really would love this time to last forever, but it doesn't, so we have
to make the most of it! But that is all I will say about the "end"
because as far as I'm concerned, the end doesn't exist for me right now.
:)
Anyway, have a good week, everyone! Tomorrow we'll be hearing from
Elder Gay of the Seventy during zone conference, and we'll get to have a
special meeting with him as leadership of the mission. It should be a
really amazing week! Take care, and good luck with school! The house
is going to be so quiet! Weird! Love you!
Love,
Hermana Croft
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