4-23-14

Hello! Da Jia Hao!

This was another great week. I think one of the biggest miracles I've seen has been working with LAs and using the Book of Mormon this last week. I love the power of the Book of Mormon and I'm so glad we're focusing on learning how to better use it so much this month in our mission! Last Tuesday was especially amazing. We met with an LA that has really frustrated me. He's been really hard to work with and has no desire to keep commitments. He also is usually complaining about something when we meet with him. However, I was amazed last Tuesday as we sat in a 7 reading and discussing the Book of Mormon with him. I was amazed that sitting in a loud 7, I was eventually able to tune out all the noise, all the distractions and focus on these 2 sweet children of God (our LA and our peike). I was overwhelmed by how powerfully I could feel the spirit. It's true! The Book of Mormon really does help to feel the spirit more powerfully, as does bearing testimony. I have felt it so much this last week as I've been reading with LAs and investigators alike. It really does have more power in conversion, combined with the Spirit than anything else. I think that's the biggest miracle I've seen this last week, seeing my own testimony grow as I've read 1 Nephi 1 repeatedly with everyone!!!

There was also a really cool experience with that on exchanges on Monday. We were meeting with one of NanKan's investigators and decided to read 1 Nephi 1 since he's not one for keeping commitments. I really loved as we were reading with him and it says Lehi was given a book and told to read it. Then I had us stop on the next verse that tells us when he read it he was filled with the Spirit. I especially loved as I asked him a question and he turned around "yea, I get it. Read the book." haha I guess we'll just have to see if he actually does it now.

This last week I've also been really blessed by Heavenly Father. Saturday I had temple tours and saw many of my members from TuCheng and XiZhi. It touched my heart that so many of them remembered me and were so excited to see me. Many of them also worried that I'd been sick or something since I've lost so much weight. I'm starting to really see it myself, haha. Also, I've countlessly heard how much my Chinese has progressed, guess that's what happens when the last time they heard you speak you're freshly on this beautiful island. haha. Also a really cool experience at temple tours: we had this guy walk in towards the end of our time and ask who was doing tours because they needed someone to do a tour for 28 people! It ended up only being 22 (10 in our group, 12 in the other sisters's group) but it was an awesome experience. We were able to give out copies of the Book of Mormon to over half of them. I just hope they go home and read it! But we also had this kid come up to us and told us Santa Claus was in town then pulled out this huge pack of REESE'S!!!!! Seriously, I have craved Reese's sooo bad since probably February. Soooo yummy! haha then right after since all of us sisters were going to eat, we invited him and his friend. They then decided to treat us. Shenme dongxi? So cool. It was such a blast. We were still normal obedient missionaries but it felt good to just be so normal for a little bit, joking around, eating good food and spending time with friends. Definitely so awesome. I don't have words for it. He's also just waiting for his mission call so I'm super excited to find out where he goes. He speaks 4 languages already!!! 4!!! How crazy cool is that?!

So yea, I think that's about it for today. I know, just a brief glimpse but I feel like this is enough of a novel for the week. Especially after last week... Know that I love you all. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Jiayou!!!

Wo ai ni-o!

Sister Thomsen