Sanchong District - Week 18

When you feel your faith, hope, and/or expectations are at a low point, one thing that really really helps is to actively look for the miracles that have presented themselves in your life. 

I decided to take a moment and recognize the miracles in my mission when my faith started to plummet this week. I was just havin a bit of a hard time. There are things in life that you simply can't control. One of these things is people's agency. Sometimes no matter what you try in order to help people have spiritual experiences, no matter how careful you are about invitations you extend, and no matter how much you pray, people will choose the opposite of what you hoped for. And sometimes you just don't GET why!!

But as I was struggling with feelings of frustration and hopelessness for a little while, I decided to actively remember and acknowledge the good stuff that God has blessed me to experience. One of those miracles I shall share with you right now. 

Rewind to my second transfer on the island. It was in my days of following Sister Clyde around on the bikes. I was very incompetent at following a map and finding my way around (as we all know), but I was excited and ready to go out and find some less-active members of the church to visit. We came upon one home that happened to have people in it--a son named Brother Lin who is a less active member and his mom who isn't--and they let us in! I remember really feeling the Spirit in their home that night as Sis. Clyde and I both thought to share Christ's words in 3 Nephi 9:14 with them.

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

Now fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Guess who was at church, beaming with joy? Brother Lin. He expressed with the utmost gratitude to me how touched he was that Sister Clyde and I showed up to his house those weeks ago. He told us how much it meant to him, how he is fervently reading the Book of Mormon now, and how he never wants to stop coming to church again. Wow. Is that a miracle or what?

I almost forgot that my trainer and I went to visit him that night. He didn't come to church until a good while after that, so there was a chance that I could have been moved to a different area by now. There was a chance that I might never have known the impact of our visit. And that is how life is sometimes! So I feel extremely blessed to have been able to see Brother Lin in the chapel, returning to church. 

So. Things are not always easy, or you may never know the results that come from the good things you do. But that doesn't mean you should stop doing good. Never be weary of good works (see Alma 37:34) even when it is hard or you are tired of everything. Miracles will come and you'll be able to recognize them.

Lastly, I wanted to let you all know that our mission recently received permission to use Facebook as another way to fulfill our missionary purpose. So that's why I am on FB now if you were wondering, hahahaha. Anyway, we are allowed and encouraged to reach out to family and friends from home who are not members of the church. We can now invite to video chat with us, be taught the lessons, and be prepared to meet with local missionaries. It's pretty spectacular and missionaries already have seen some amazing things happen with it already.

I love you all and I hope you remember that God does too! He is always there.

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Here is a little taste of the hustle-bustle in Taiwan...

 Sister Maynard and I are floating, not sinking...