12/1/13

This last week might not have been full of miracles in a lot of people's eyes. We didn't find anyone new, we didn't help anyone get baptized, our numbers aren't that impressive. But I felt like this last week was full of miracles. It was in the fact that almost daily we were able to give someone a copy of the Book of Mormon, give them a chance to read this incredible book that will change their lives if they only allow it to do so. It was being able to go visit the family of our MM leader that I'd had yet to be truly acquainted with since I came to Xizhi. It was in our investigator having a friend come visit and inviting her to meet with us. Then, as we're there and meeting with them, hearing my investigator more or less share her own testimony of how her friend should go to church and how it can help her, that the gospel really will help her. What missionary doesn't like that? To hear their investigator share how awesome church is and that it can help their friend's life. That truly is a miracle! On Wednesday, it was in hearing another investigator once again share her testimony with me, as she does every time we visit. But every time we visit it strengthens my own testimony. It was definitely in our temple tour day, getting to invite many people to come to the gospel, but most especially in the only tour we gave that day. It was for the WanDa Elders. They called Wednesday night seeing if we'd be willing to do it since it's earlier than usual. Well, Elder Teshima didn't not paint the guy in the best light, saying how the guy had no interest in the gospel and tends to be really unpredictable. But their investigator, Xie Dixiong came! This is the first time he's ever met with the elders. He asked good questions downstairs at the paintings, about Christ and about Church! Then we went to share the Temple Book with him and as I showed the baptismal font picture and started to talk about it, he turned around "should I get baptized?" (Rough translation...) So then and there, it was a miracle as we missionaries all worked in unity to help Xie Dixiong really have the desire to be baptized, and right then and there he set a baptismal date! For my mom's birthday! Super cool :) Probably my favorite miracle this week. On Saturday, the biggest miracle was that we only got fanged once of our 5 lessons, 4 of which were with investigators. And the 4 lessons we had were incredible. I truly felt the spirit in each and every one of them. It was also being able to try to strengthen an LA, help her want to come back to church. I still don't know her reasons for not coming to church, but it's always good to share my story, to try to help others with it. I really want her to come back, especially since she has 2 daughters that have not been baptized and a husband that's also LA. She can change the lives of 4 people right there, including herself. Who knows how many more she could change? So no, I probably didn't do anything impossible this week, anything that some people would be like "oh, you're so blessed, look at your miracles." But this week, I saw my miracles. This week, I've been blessed with miracles. This week, I'm still a Taiwan Taibei missionary, to me, that's always a blessing and a miracle!

Hope all is well with everyone! Jiayou!

我 愛 妳!!!

湯姐妹

Sister Thomsen