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