February 21, 2016

This week was one of the longest most tiring weeks of my mission, but a very fruitful week. Every ounce of pain was worth it! We had exchanges on Monday, went to the temple on Wednesday, and then on Saturday we went to the temple again with our RC, then her daughter got baptized in the afternoon. We were only working in our area for 4 days this week. Plus the fact that we're old missionaries, in a huge, hilly area, with weak, breaking bodies, that added up to us using lots of rice socks, ibuprofen, back braces, ankle braces, and icy hot. We now have a testimony that God works through the weak and simple. D&C 1:23, "The fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." He is a God of miracles!

The greatest stories of the week came from Xiao JM and Chao JM. On Friday we were meeting with them one last time before Xiao JM went to the temple and Chao JM got baptized. Xiao JM had a really interesting insight into the difference between her past as a Buddhist and her life now as a Christian. She said that before when she would pray to her Gods she would always just ask the God to do things for her and give things to her and then just wait for the Gods to make it happen. She said that she's felt our church is different because she prays, but then has to go work for those results she wants. Faith includes action. We were so impressed that someone who has only had contact with Christianity for a little over 3 months had that kind of a testimony of prayer. She's so amazing and such a great example to us!
Saturday was another day on my mission that I'll never forget. We woke up dark and early at 4:30 to get on the 5:30 bus with our members to go up to the temple. When we got to the temple our RC, Xiao JM, was so nervous! She kept asking us what was going to happen, how she was going to remember the names of the people she was helping, what she would wear, how she would do it, if the people were going to accept her service, etc. She was taking it really seriously and wanted to know that she was pleasing Heavenly Father. She said that on the bus up to Taipei she felt her ancestors saying to her, "Hurry! Help us get baptized!" It was pretty amazing. We weren't able to help her get her family history done in time, but now that she's been once and has gotten the nerves out of the way, we hope that next month when she goes back up with her family names it will be a really special experience. When I opened the door for her to walk into the temple, I had the feeling come over me that I was opening the door for the salvation of many more souls than just Xiao JM. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to go to the temple twice this week.
When we got back to Zhudong we held Chao Wen Jing's baptism. It was a great baptismal service. She has had to overcome a lot in the last few months to get to where she is now. She's learned a lot about humbling herself before God, keeping His commandments, and loving herself. She bore a sweet simple testimony after her baptism and in Relief Society yesterday, about humbling ourselves and how good it felt to be baptized and confirmed. These two sisters have really been a testimony to me that the gospel changes lives, and it changes families. It was great to see them after church yesterday together with such a different light in their eyes than the first time I met them 2 months ago. I am truly involved in such a great work. I don't want it to end!

-Sister Oviatt

新年快樂!

Happy New Year! This weekend was the start of Chinese New Year! There have been CRAZY fireworks all weekend. Saturday night the Buddhist temple next to our house was doing fireworks the whole night. It was SO LOUD.

Also there was a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in the southern part of Taiwan. Pray for the people in Tainan!! This is basically the Chinese people's Christmas today, and some people have to spend it mourning. :( YES, We felt it all they way up here! It was super early in the morning and it felt like it lasted for a while. It was kinda freaky! ...mostly cuz it was so early. A few nights before I felt a little one while I was brushing my teeth. Pretty crazy living on an island! :) I love it. 

Last week we went to XinZhu to get a charger for my camera and they threw in a card reader for free! YES. But when we were getting off the bus, the heels of my boots broke off because the glue got wet from the rain. Ratchet shoes. SO. I had to go drop $60 to buy new boots for the cold Zhudong winter. :/ It was a weird PDay. But today we are gonna have a good pday cuz we're going to get cheese stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut. HAPPY NEW YEAR. It's gonna be a good p(izza)day. (that was all Sister Tan. I promise.)

We had a surprisingly good week, despite the crazy guonian(new year) activities and the fact that we're the oldest companionship in the mission with breaking bodies. We were able to use whatever healthy time we had to our advantage. This week we're going to be healthy ALL week and use every single minute. We don't have any time to waste! The hardest part of this week was probably getting a call from our MM leader on Wednesday night. He said that he'd been talking with the bishop and were going to postpone our investigators baptism 2 weeks later than we'd planned. They said because this weekend is the start of guonian no one would be in Zhudong for her baptism and that next week would be the same. So Wen Jing's new date is for the 20th of February.

I was so sad and frustrated when I got of the phone with him, because we've been working so hard with her to get her ready for that date. She was also planning on going to the temple with her Mom on the 20th to do baptisms for her Grandma. But as Sister Tan and I have been talking about it more, we know that it was actually according to God's plan for her. We've been helping her through her repentance process. We found this week that for her to really be converted and have a "full baptism" she needed to completely finish her repentance process. She has some things she needs to confess and talk over with her mom in order for her to be completely forgiven. We'd told her to pray about making restitution with her mom a few weeks ago, but she decided she didn't want to. Then this week whenever we've asked how she feels about repentance she just says it's really painful and hard. She obviously hadn't fully repented or "felt to sing the song of redeeming love". (Alma 5:26) Now we're grateful that we have an extra 2 weeks to make sure that Wen Jing really understands the Atonement and repentance. I don't want to baptize just anyone who has finished all 5 missionary lessons and says they love Jesus. I want to Baptize Converts!

Have a good week! Don't forget to REMEMBER! (Helaman 5:12; Alma 5:26)

-Sister Oviatt

The temple brings blessings!

What a week. Transfer week always brings surprises! I am grateful to be staying with Sister Tan in Zhudong for her last transfer. I know this is where we're both supposed to be right now. 

I had no idea what to expect going in to this week. Part of me thought I'd train in Zhudong, part of me thought I'd whitewash train somewhere in Taibei, and another part thought I'd stay in Zhudong and kill Sister Tan. 

Then Wednesday came and we got no texts. I felt really weird all day on Wednesday after that. I was just a little confused and it started sinking in that I was probably gonna die in Zhudong and never train. Then on Thursday morning when I opened my Personal Study, I prayed to have strength, to know what my purpose was in these last 2 transfers, and to know that He still had a plan for me. I felt prompted to first read my favorite hymn, How Firm a Foundation, then to read pages 1 and 47 of Preach my Gospel. 

How Firm a Foundation has always comforted me my whole mission. My favorite verse is verse 3, "Fear not I am with thee, oh be not dismayed. For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand, upheld by righteous omnipotent hand." It has taught me that God is always with me. He will not forsake me. This time though, verse 6 stood out to me. " E'en down to old age, all my people shall prove my sov'reign, eternal, unchangeable love; And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn, Like lambs shall they still, in my bosom be borne." I'm old. I've been feeling old ever since I moved here, physically and just in the work. It doesn't matter where I am, what I'm doing, how far I am in to the mission. He is with me. 

Then I opened up to page 1 of Preach my Gospel. My eyes immediately jumped to the first box, "Your Purpose". "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." Then I heard the spirit tell me, "Sister Oviatt, your purpose is the same no matter what. It has not changed." Immediately tears started to come to my eyes. I knew that I am still a Full-Time Missionary for the Lord. It doesn't matter where, when, or who I'm with. I'm still a missionary. 

Next I turned to page 47. It was lesson 2, the Plan of Salvation. It was confirmation there is still a plan for me. It is an ETERNAL PLAN OF HAPPINESS. Then I read the box at the bottom of the page, "Helping others learn about Christ". "Missionaries are to testify of Jesus Christ and invite all to come unto Him that they might be saved." The spirit came to me again and said, "Sister Oviatt, this is also part of your purpose. Testify of Me. Teach them who I am. You know me." My purpose is still the same. Teach & testify of Him. The picture at the top of the page is of the Christus. It reminded me of my Christus statue that Sister Farr gave me and all of the times in the last year He's saved me. He LIVES! I need to use my testimony and my experiences to help others come unto Him. I am so grateful for the Spirit's guidance and the peace He gave me. I am so lucky to get to just focus on His work for the next 12 weeks and nothing else. I get to be a normal missionary!

This week our investigator, Amy, passed her baptismal interview! Her baptism is this Saturday and her theme will be John 15:13-14, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." She's really had to change a lot in her life and repent to get to the point where she is today. She's had some issues with a few different commandments, but she's humbled herself a lot. It has all been motivated by love. Love for her Mom, love for Christ, and love for her Father in Heaven. We're so excited to see her take this next big step in her progression to her goal of the Celestial Kingdom.

On Saturday we got to go to the temple with one of our LA's and her son who just turned 12. On car ride up they didn't talk to each other at all. Her son just played on his phone and didn't say a word. She asked us to sing hymns for her on the way up. We went and did baptisms with him and he was really nervous. He probably felt a little awkward and out of place. But of course the temple workers and the other youth doing baptisms there were so patient towards him. He seemed to like the peace and calm in the temple, though. Then after, we did a temple tour with him. He talked more than Sister Tan and I had ever heard before! He seemed a bit more confident and knew the gospel better than we thought. Then his Mom finished at the temple and they went out to dinner together. When we all got back to the car, they were talking and smiling together. They chatted the whole way home, and he even offered to share his fries with her! It was such a great testament to us that the temple really brings families together. It literally changed their relationship. It showed us how important it is to get these RC's and LA's to the temple. And our own families. :) Next up is Xiao JM and Amy on the 20th! :)

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-002-temples-are-a-beacon?lang=eng

Well there's your quick rundown of our week in Zhudong!

Love you!

-Sister Oviatt