Sanchong District - Week 14
I love having the opportunity to teach people.
Whether it's over group video chat on Line (an app similar to Skype), in person at the chapel or at someone's workplace, or inside a home, I love being able to sit down with someone and discuss about Christ. I love when our investigators share what they've learned from the scriptures, or when I can hear them close a lesson by saying a prayer. These are some of the moments that bring me down to my knees every night expressing gratitude to my Father in Heaven.
Just yesterday, Sister Maynard and I decided to visit Sister Ye, an investigator who hasn't been answering our calls or texts for a few days, at her glasses store. We love meeting with her because she and her little daughter always welcome us with smiles and laughter. Luckily, this unannounced visit was no different. We sat down at the front desk with the two of them, and Sister Ye told us that she had just prayed with her daughter that day. The primary song, "A Child's Prayer," came to my mind and then Sister Maynard and I pulled out the Chinese lyrics on our phones (hooray for technology) and sang for them. The Spirit flooded into my heart and reminded me again that I am a daughter of God, and he hears my prayers. The best part of it all was hearing Sister Ye explain those simple truths to her daughter after we sang. Her daughter LOVED the song, and played it on repeat so she could learn the words. As Sister Maynard and I walked out the door, we were all uplifted and so happy that we got to teach. Despite the rain and cold outside, I was warm and light up to the brim.
This week, though, it hit me that I am not a teacher unless I am a learner.
My trainer, Sister Clyde, taught me a lot, but I know I could have learned more if I hadn't been so prideful during training. If I hadn't pretended like I already know how to correct my own mistakes, or if I hadn't wished that certain ideas were mine to claim, I may have been in a better position to soak up all the wisdom she was sharing with me. Sister Clyde, I'm sorry and I love you! I realized, too, that whether someone is sharing wisdom with me or not, I can still learn from them.
I can learn something from every single person I ever meet. What a concept! Everyone has different backgrounds and life experiences, stories that make them laugh or cry, things that keep them up at night, reasons for pursuing an education or reasons for spending a lot of time on their phone. Everyone is not me, and they have so much they could teach me. I thought, stop trying to know everything right now, just take a step back and learn things from people. As I was experiencing this earth-shattering realization, I stumbled upon a scripture in the Old Testament that seemed to match up perfectly with the rhythm of the cranking gears in my brain.
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:" (Job 5: 17).
What the? How did Heavenly Father know that I needed to read that very verse of scripture, and that it would immediately thereafter become the motto of my life? I just know that as I thirst after correction and seek to share the things I learn with others, I will develop the capacity to love everyone and see their unique, individual worth.
And I will become a better teacher, because I'll be letting those I teach teach me.
I love you all so much. Until next Monday! I'm sorry to make you wait for my next email for soooo longggg...
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Whether it's over group video chat on Line (an app similar to Skype), in person at the chapel or at someone's workplace, or inside a home, I love being able to sit down with someone and discuss about Christ. I love when our investigators share what they've learned from the scriptures, or when I can hear them close a lesson by saying a prayer. These are some of the moments that bring me down to my knees every night expressing gratitude to my Father in Heaven.
Just yesterday, Sister Maynard and I decided to visit Sister Ye, an investigator who hasn't been answering our calls or texts for a few days, at her glasses store. We love meeting with her because she and her little daughter always welcome us with smiles and laughter. Luckily, this unannounced visit was no different. We sat down at the front desk with the two of them, and Sister Ye told us that she had just prayed with her daughter that day. The primary song, "A Child's Prayer," came to my mind and then Sister Maynard and I pulled out the Chinese lyrics on our phones (hooray for technology) and sang for them. The Spirit flooded into my heart and reminded me again that I am a daughter of God, and he hears my prayers. The best part of it all was hearing Sister Ye explain those simple truths to her daughter after we sang. Her daughter LOVED the song, and played it on repeat so she could learn the words. As Sister Maynard and I walked out the door, we were all uplifted and so happy that we got to teach. Despite the rain and cold outside, I was warm and light up to the brim.
This week, though, it hit me that I am not a teacher unless I am a learner.
My trainer, Sister Clyde, taught me a lot, but I know I could have learned more if I hadn't been so prideful during training. If I hadn't pretended like I already know how to correct my own mistakes, or if I hadn't wished that certain ideas were mine to claim, I may have been in a better position to soak up all the wisdom she was sharing with me. Sister Clyde, I'm sorry and I love you! I realized, too, that whether someone is sharing wisdom with me or not, I can still learn from them.
I can learn something from every single person I ever meet. What a concept! Everyone has different backgrounds and life experiences, stories that make them laugh or cry, things that keep them up at night, reasons for pursuing an education or reasons for spending a lot of time on their phone. Everyone is not me, and they have so much they could teach me. I thought, stop trying to know everything right now, just take a step back and learn things from people. As I was experiencing this earth-shattering realization, I stumbled upon a scripture in the Old Testament that seemed to match up perfectly with the rhythm of the cranking gears in my brain.
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:" (Job 5: 17).
What the? How did Heavenly Father know that I needed to read that very verse of scripture, and that it would immediately thereafter become the motto of my life? I just know that as I thirst after correction and seek to share the things I learn with others, I will develop the capacity to love everyone and see their unique, individual worth.
And I will become a better teacher, because I'll be letting those I teach teach me.
I love you all so much. Until next Monday! I'm sorry to make you wait for my next email for soooo longggg...
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