Switching it Up a Notch!

Here is SunnyBank, where sometimes I feel a little too familiar, we are trying to switch things up a notch. To kick it into gear and really hasten the work in our area. Sometimes this includes play pranks on the Elders and "stealing" their bikes! Sadly this prank didn't pan out as well as I'd hoped, but we sure had a laugh trying to ride their bikes in our skirts.

Honestly though, the work here is really starting to pick up as we exercise more and more faith and talk to more and more people. I was able to behold so many miracles this past week and I know that every miracle, big or small, is a sign from my Heavenly Father that He not only loves me, but the people that I am teaching.

The first thing we did this week to change up our week a bit we decided to put in some tracting (knocking on doors) (something quite unheard of in the Chinese-Program). This was my first time tracting in Australia where we had some real success. We ended up with a couple of houses inviting us back to share a message and we got a couple of numbers who didn't know when they would have free time.

That's when the week began to look very good and then it began so difficult. All the appointments we set up seemed to cancel or just not show up. It was cancellation after cancellation and my faith was beginning to shake. Thankfully, I have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ and I was able to hold on strong focusing on the weekend when I just knew all our appointments would follow through.

Lo and behold, the STL's called and said they wanted to do trade-offs on Saturday and I would be leaving the area! Oh how I weeped! All week we put in hard core tracting and GQ'ing to have a Saturday full of lessons and no GQ'ing. I did not want to go to another area and leave behind some of the only lessons we would have that week. I may or may not have thrown a little tantrum and flopped rather dramatically onto my bed before companionship prayer. The next day I woke up and pleaded with Heavenly Father to please cancel the trade-off. When I told Sister Cabamongan what I prayed for, she kindly reminded me that only prayers with a righteous desire would be answered. Dang-it.

At lunch I decided it was time to humble myself and take all my worries and concerns to the Lord. I asked my Heavenly Father to please help me have a good trade-off. To please help me understand what it was that I needed to learn from my leaders. MOST importantly I asked Heavenly Father to please humble me enough to have a good attitude during trade-offs.

Trade-offs were great! I saw miracles, learned much that I want to somehow try and apply to the Chinese program, and my biggest worry that my investigators in SunnyBank wouldn't be okay without me was erased as Sister Cabamongan and Sister Lai produced miracles without me there! What a blessing. And the Lord blessed me for putting it all in His hands.

Sunday, a guy was supposed to come to church and then didn't show up. I was heart-broken because I had chased after him in the parking lot behind the bus station because of a prompting from the Holy Ghost. I'd thought for sure this guy would become a solid investigator. I decided to send him a text saying I'd missed him at church. He replied quickly apologizing and saying he'd had some job interviews that morning. I asked if he would be free to meet that evening. He said yes.

His name is Peter and he has been in Australia for five years and is just so cool. He had a room-mate that was Mormon and a really good example. We had a lesson with Fan, a really solid member, and it just went amazing. Peter had so many great questions and was really open. We committed him to baptism on March 29th and he said yes! That's the weekend after my birthday and I can't imagine a better birthday present that seeing someone enter into a covenant with Heavenly Father.

The work is continuing on stronger and stronger each week. I feel so blessed to be here in SunnyBank. We are really pushing ourselves to the limit and are finally starting to see some fruits from all of our labor. God loves each and everyone of His children on earth and the longer I am here the stronger my testimony becomes.  Monday was Zone Conference and President Henderson just dug into our souls! It was amazing to learn from him. He is truly an inspired mad and I love serving the Lord under President Henderson's jurisdiction. I can't imagine having any other Mission President.

Say hello to the Largest Chinese District in the mission!