Well this week we had Zone Conference. The church is rolling out some BIG changes for us! 1. We have a new focus/vision for the year. "Teaching repentance, and baptizing converts". I think as we teach repentance more and help people to see the blessings of repentance, they'll be more fully converted and then be able to better endure to the end. This will definitely be something we want to emphasize more with our investigators now. I know that my own personal repentance and conversion has meant all the world to me. This week I've been focusing on D&C 20:37. I've broken it down into the different requirements and everyday I've studied one of the requirements it talks about and why it is an important prerequisite for baptism. I've had some really great studies about baptism and I'm not done yet, so I'm excited for next week. Next change, 2. When we go on exchanges, both missionaries leave their area and go work in the leader's area! So weird. and 3. the last, possibly biggest change this mission's seen in a LOONG time. Also the reason for my subject line today, NO MORE TRANSFER MEETINGS! Anyone that has served under President Day knows how awesome transfer meetings are. So full of energy and tradition. But now instead of meeting up with everyone in Taipei, having a big meeting with a slideshow and a 100 clapping crazy missionaries, we just get on a train and go right to our next area and meet our new companion. I literally had to pray to know that not having transfer meetings was the Lord's will. I know I'm crazy. But it's going to be so weird for our mission to adjust to that. haha #missionarylife I think it just shows how the work is hastening and the Lord needs us at our best to bring about His great work of salvation. Getting close the end has also taught me how precious time is. I'm a little sad that I'm coming down to the final months of my mission, but I'm comforted... and overwhelmed.. by the fact that His "work and glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." is an ETERNAL work that will never end.
Our biggest focus for the next week will be on Chao Wen Jing and Xiao Su Qin. It's the Mom and her 19 year old daughter I've been talking about the last few weeks. Their interviews are scheduled for this Saturday and we will be finishing up the commandments with them tonight. We taught the Law of Chastity to them yesterday after church and it went... not as smoothly as we'd hoped. We knew the daughter, Wen Jing, has had some chastity problems in the past, but she REALLY was not accepting yesterday. She was going on about how if it's love and two people are together then it's fine. She is going to need a lot of faith to overcome this. We're trying to help her understand that living the law of chastity helps us see what true love really is and it helps us respect ourselves so much more. Then her mom said, "Oh it's okay she's just young. She'll grow out of it." So that was a little bit scary. But other than that, we are pretty certain that the mom will be baptized next Saturday. Wen Jing might need a little bit more work. Keep praying for them!! They are our two most progressing and promising investigators right now, so they will be a big focus of our efforts this week.
We're still trying to get a good balance between retaining and strengthening the investigators we have and then going out and finding new ones to keep our pool fresh. Yesterday we did find a really promising new investigator while finding, though! He is a fairly young dad with a daughter who isn't even 1 yet. We were able to share with him how the gospel has blessed our families and how it will help his. He was really excited to hear the message of the gospel and to pray with us. He set up with us for next week to meet with him and his wife almost without hesitation. :) I feel like there are a lot of good things going on here in Zhudong! Lots of people coming unto Christ, including me.
Thanks for the love and prayers and support. They are felt!!! :)
-Sister Oviatt
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