Hsinchu - Week 51 - God Is Mindful of All His People
This WEEK. So awesome. We went on two exchanges, one with the 竹北Zhubei sisters, one with the other 新竹Xinzhu sisters. Learned lots from them! Also, many of our friends are progressing so well. One of them is just waiting for her husband's permission to be baptized. We are holding our breath but actively trying to help this guy's heart to be softened. Another friend, Camille, set a baptismal date because since she started reading the Book of Mormon, she has been receiving answers to her questions that she's had as a member of the Catholic faith for years. She also came to a session of General Conference.
I want to share another small miracle from this week.
We and the members were in the chapel on Saturday to finally watch the broadcast of General Conference. It was SO great, BTW.
During the lunch break in between sessions, Sister Phillips and I were in a small room near the entrance eating our 便當 boxed lunches and we heard a woman's voice coming from outside. She was speaking English, asking if this chapel offered English services. One of our members directed her to us, so she walked into the room. She knew we were the missionaries and when we asked her if she was a member she said "No, but you all seem to just show up in my life time and time again." She began to tell us a smidgen of her story.
Her name is Tonya, she is from the United States but she moved to Taiwan years ago and loves it. She lives alone and takes care of a few dogs, which brings her joy. She met with missionaries in 台中Taizhong several years ago. When she told the sister missionaries she wasn't going to join the church--she just couldn't bring herself completely in harmony with the Savior's teachings--they wept. They were heartbroken for her. But when she was sitting with us in that little room, she started to cry. She told us
"Every time I come into one of your chapels, I feel it. It hits me so strong. I never knew I could feel something like this. I have been to other churches but none of them have this same feeling. I didn't know what the Holy Spirit was before but I know that's what this is. There it is."
I am familiar with the feeling she was talking about. I have felt it as I bear testimony of truth or hear others' conviction and witness of the truthfulness of the gospel of Christ. I have felt it while participating in prayer, spoken or sung or played on an instrument. The feeling is still, quiet, and like all the world is safe and sound. Sometimes there is a burning inside me. Sometimes it's simply calm, as if the fire is simmering out.This is a feeling you could hold in your hands.
As this woman was speaking I was filled with a love for her. How can I feel so much love for someone I met three minutes ago when she walked into the room? She then said, "And I can just see the look in both of your eyes. It's exactly the look other missionaries I met with before had. Full of love." We told her "We already love you," and she said "I know! I can feel it. And I know it's because of the Savior that you can already love me."
This experience is precious to me because I pray that I may be able to love selflessly, unconditionally, and more fully every day. I can't do it on my own. I need the Savior's grace. As we strive to emulate the example of Jesus Christ and earnestly pray for the gift of charity, we may be filled with the pure love of Christ (see Moroni 7:48).
We don't know what kept Tonya from being baptized those years ago. We do know that she hasn't opened the Book of Mormon since then, but deep down she has a testimony of the restored gospel. The Spirit has witnessed to her the truthfulness of these things. We invited her to come watch General Conference with us yesterday, and she came! We also asked her if she would like to meet with us again. She would. No matter what happens next, it was a miracle that she walked into the chapel this weekend, and that God sent her to meet us. I know that God is mindful of all His children (see Alma 26:37).
God is mindful of you! If you watched General Conference, I invite you to act on the impressions you received in order to minister to and bless others and help them to feel and know that God loves them too!
Love you all so much.---------------------------------------------------------
Received a package from one of my friends from Hualien...
...she owns a pastry shop and sent this... :-)
I want to share another small miracle from this week.
We and the members were in the chapel on Saturday to finally watch the broadcast of General Conference. It was SO great, BTW.
During the lunch break in between sessions, Sister Phillips and I were in a small room near the entrance eating our 便當 boxed lunches and we heard a woman's voice coming from outside. She was speaking English, asking if this chapel offered English services. One of our members directed her to us, so she walked into the room. She knew we were the missionaries and when we asked her if she was a member she said "No, but you all seem to just show up in my life time and time again." She began to tell us a smidgen of her story.
Her name is Tonya, she is from the United States but she moved to Taiwan years ago and loves it. She lives alone and takes care of a few dogs, which brings her joy. She met with missionaries in 台中Taizhong several years ago. When she told the sister missionaries she wasn't going to join the church--she just couldn't bring herself completely in harmony with the Savior's teachings--they wept. They were heartbroken for her. But when she was sitting with us in that little room, she started to cry. She told us
"Every time I come into one of your chapels, I feel it. It hits me so strong. I never knew I could feel something like this. I have been to other churches but none of them have this same feeling. I didn't know what the Holy Spirit was before but I know that's what this is. There it is."
I am familiar with the feeling she was talking about. I have felt it as I bear testimony of truth or hear others' conviction and witness of the truthfulness of the gospel of Christ. I have felt it while participating in prayer, spoken or sung or played on an instrument. The feeling is still, quiet, and like all the world is safe and sound. Sometimes there is a burning inside me. Sometimes it's simply calm, as if the fire is simmering out.This is a feeling you could hold in your hands.
As this woman was speaking I was filled with a love for her. How can I feel so much love for someone I met three minutes ago when she walked into the room? She then said, "And I can just see the look in both of your eyes. It's exactly the look other missionaries I met with before had. Full of love." We told her "We already love you," and she said "I know! I can feel it. And I know it's because of the Savior that you can already love me."
This experience is precious to me because I pray that I may be able to love selflessly, unconditionally, and more fully every day. I can't do it on my own. I need the Savior's grace. As we strive to emulate the example of Jesus Christ and earnestly pray for the gift of charity, we may be filled with the pure love of Christ (see Moroni 7:48).
We don't know what kept Tonya from being baptized those years ago. We do know that she hasn't opened the Book of Mormon since then, but deep down she has a testimony of the restored gospel. The Spirit has witnessed to her the truthfulness of these things. We invited her to come watch General Conference with us yesterday, and she came! We also asked her if she would like to meet with us again. She would. No matter what happens next, it was a miracle that she walked into the chapel this weekend, and that God sent her to meet us. I know that God is mindful of all His children (see Alma 26:37).
God is mindful of you! If you watched General Conference, I invite you to act on the impressions you received in order to minister to and bless others and help them to feel and know that God loves them too!
Love you all so much.---------------------------------------------------------
Received a package from one of my friends from Hualien...
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