Sorry I'm a day late!

Sorry! We ended up doing PDay today instead of yesterday... but I don't think it makes a big difference at this point right? ;)

I also don't really know what to write ... so this one's gonna be shortish hehe

Thanks for all the birthday emails! It didn't feel like my birthday AT ALL yesterday, just out working doin' what I've been doing for 18 months now. I think when I go home it will finally hit me that I turned 21 yesterday because I feel EXACTLY the same as I did on Sunday. On Sunday night we did have a missionary fireside where I got to share my "final" testimony for our ward. Well I'd already shared my testimony that morning in sacrament mtg., so I decided to sing my testimony instead. Yes. I sang a solo. in Chinese. in front of 30+ Taiwanese people. I sang "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul". It has been one of my favorite songs of my mission and has taught me a lot about my relationship with my Savior. More on that later(; Anyways, after I finished singing, my companion pulled a table in front of me with a HUGE birthday cake on it. Everyone started singing "Happy Birthday" in Chinese, then English. It was so crazy!!! Then I had to make 2 wishes out loud, and make one in my mind and keep it a secret, because that's what you do on your birthday in Taiwan apparently ... haha. So it was a pretty cool way to celebrate my birthday. :)

Sunday was also full of TONS of other miracles! Basically finding has been going really rough lately so when we got to Saturday and still had only 1 other lesson and no new investigators, we were getting a little bit stressed out. We also only had 2 hours planned for finding on Sunday afternoon, so I wasn't sure how our numbers were going to end up by the end of Sunday night. A few weeks ago on Fast Sunday, Sister Xiao and I didn't fast because of some sickness. So this Saturday I remembered that I hadn't fasted yet this month, and if there was a month that I and our area needed blessings it was this one. I fasted first that I'd be able to continue to 'press forward' after the mission and be bold and courageous in standing for the testimony I've gained these 18 months. I also fasted that our area would be taken care of and we'd know how to best help it. Well, fasting works and God loves His children. We had a really great Sunday. Our amazing golden family, Xu Jiating came to church, even the daughters! And an investigator I've been working with since I got here FINALLY came to church! Miraculous last Sacrament Meeting! Then in the afternoon, we decided to take our Ward List out finding with us Sunday afternoon. We picked a road that had a lot of LA's on it, then to knocked that road. We really felt that that was what the Lord wanted us to do. Well, we were able to teach 4 other lessons and find 2 new investigators, one of which is now on date for May 28th! Then later that night we got 2 referrals and one of them set up with us and became our new investigator. It was truly an amazing Sunday. I really felt like we were being personally led to do the things He needed us to do. I think it also blessed Sister Xiao with more faith in herself and this area moving forward. It was another witness to me that God hears His children and wants to help us. :)

Now some final thoughts about this thing we call a mission.

It has been quite a ride. 18 months. 2 missions. 3 mission presidents. 6 areas. 11 companions. Countless miracles. Countless tears. Countless people that I'll never forget.  All pieced together to createone perfect mission for one of Heavenly Father's imperfect daughters. I say "perfect mission", not because everything went exactly right or according to my plan, but because Heavenly Father put all these things together to create a perfect environment for my personal learning and growth. If I wouldn't have had just one of my companions, just one of my areas, I would've missed out on an opportunity to serve, learn, and progress. To quote Preach my Gospel, "There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of a [sister] when [s]he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent [her] to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children." This week I read a really beautiful verse in the Book of Mormon. It is Ether 3:18. It takes place just after Christ appears to the brother of Jared. "And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him." How did Christ minister to the Nephites? One by one. Personally. Individually. He did all this that thisone man might know that He was God. How has Christ ministered unto me? One day at a time. One experience at a time. One prayer at a time. One by one. Personally. Individually. He did all these things for my on my mission, so that just this one daughter might know that he was God. I say "imperfect daughter" because I have cried to Him as I've tried to overcome my weaknesses and temptations on my mission. I'm still not a perfect teacher. I'm still not exactly obedient everyday. I'm still not perfect at Chinese. I'm still not perfect at loving my companion and investigators. I've never been perfect and I won't be until the next life. But as I've learned on my mission, that's okay. He just wants us to turn to Him and use His Atonement to improve everyday. He is always there. Elder Kent F. Richards said, "Perhaps His most significant work is in the ongoing labor with each of us individually to lift, to bless, to strengthen, to sustain, to guide, and to forgive us." I know that His Atonement is both infinite and individual. Eternal and personal. Because of all of these experiences I've had, all of the lifting, blessing, strengthening, sustaining, guiding, and forgiving, Christ has done for me, I know that He lives. Our Father lives. They love me. They love you. Their church has been restored and is the ONLY way to return to live with them and our families forever. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

-Sister Oviatt

Fast week!!!

Well the week went by fast in my mind, but Sister Xiao was a little sick this week so the work was a little slower...

Even though this week was a little bit slower, we were still able to see some miracles. One of our investigators, Jim Lin DX, is currently doing his military service in the very southernmost part of Taiwan and only comes up to 竹東 every 3-4 weeks for a break. Last time we met with him was the beginning of March, when he said he wouldn't be back in 竹東 until the end of April for his next break. So I had his record in the area book and told Xiao JM about him. Guess what? He came to General Conference yesterday for 3 hours without us even inviting him! It was so amazing! He really wants this gospel and to know his Father at this time in his life. He quickly left right at 12 to get back to 屏東(PingDong), but he said he'd keep in contact and meet with us on his next break in 2 weeks. Jim is really prepared! I can't wait to hear what happens to him!

Another cool experience this week was going to the hospital, for the last time hallelujah, and giving Xiao JM a computer to watch General Conference on, and then watching two brethren from our ward give her the sacrament. When we told her last week that she may be missing General Conference, she was so sad and specially asked us to figure out a way for her to watch. She was so grateful to get to listen to the Prophet and Apostle's words. Then we also told her that because she didn't get to take the sacrament last week, we'd gotten special permission from our Bishop to give it to her that day. She was also pretty excited about that. It was kind of different, because we didn't have any bread, so we had to use cherry tomatoes, but the Lord doesn't care so much about the things, but about the spirit and the reason. Xiao JM was so cute. She really didn't want to take it alone, but we couldn't take it with her because of conference. Right when our member opened his mouth to say the sacrament prayer, I felt so full of the spirit and I started crying. I just had another HUGE witness that Heavenly Father really loves Xiao JM. This is probably the 3rd-4th time I've had that strong of a spiritual impression with Xiao JM. There is something really special about that spirit, and this time I'm not even talking about 竹東's special souls. I gained another witness yesterday that the Atonement was truly made one by one for each of us.
Then I think the last miracle of the week, at least a miracle to me, was a call with our Mission President last night. I actually had a few questions written in my planner I wanted to ask, but he answered the one in my heart, that I didn't want to talk about until my exit interview this week. We've had many experiences and confirmations this last week and a half-ish that have shown us the Lord's approval, our Bishop's and Xiao JM's gratitude, like the one in the last paragraph. But some of our leaders have been less than supportive of our decisions, so its taken it's toll on our companionship. Last night President gave me what I count as the last answer I needed. Last night he talked about how non coincidental it is that I have a 本地人(native) companion to help out and serve in this situation. He also talked about how grateful he was for our service. It really meant a lot and helped us feel, once again, that we've been doing what's right. When I told Sister Xiao what he said, it really meant a lot to her and she said she felt like the boulder put on her shoulders became a lot lighter. So even though I didn't get to ask him all the questions I'd planned on asking, he really answered the biggest question on my mind, "Is all of this sacrifice really worth it?". I learned through this experience that what the white handbook says is really important to remember, "Your loyalty is first to the Lord, then to your mission president, then to your companion." We are not loyal to any other missionaries, members, or investigators, besides these 3 people. Do not seek for the glory of man. Only do things that please Heavenly Father and everything will work out.

Lastly I want to add my thoughts about General Conference. WOW. I have to say that this conference one of the lessons I learned was about the relationship between preparation and personal revelation. On Thursday, my companion was resting, so I was reading the new April Liahona and read this quote in the First Presidency Message, "to gain the great benefits available from hearing living prophets and apostles, we must pay the price ourselves of receiving revelation." I felt like I really needed to prepare well for this conference, because I sure have a lot of questions right now. So on Friday I took some time to pray and ponder about what kinds of questions I needed to take to conference. Then in the same talk I received another answer, "We who listen to and watch the messages of general conference sometimes think afterward, “What do I remember best?” The Lord’s hope for each of us is that our answer will be: “I will never forget the moments when I felt the voice of the Spirit in my mind and heart telling me what I could do to please my Heavenly Father and the Savior.” The most important thing we can get out of conference is reminders or inspiration from the spirit about the things we need to do to please our Father in heaven and our Savior. So every time I received a specific prompting from the spirit, I wrote it down and put a "1" with a circle around it to show that it was specifically for me from the spirit. I was able to receive a lot more personal revelation and direction for my life by just asking that simple question. "What can I do to please thee, Father?" I received many different promptings that may not have even had anything to do with what the speaker was talking about. I want to testify that when we go to the Lord and ask in humility, He WILL give us what we need. His spirit will absolutely come testify to us the things the Lord would have us know, do, and become. We just have to stay worthy of the companionship of the spirit and do our part, keep the commandments, go to church, read the scriptures, attend the temple, etc., and He WILL lead us.

Very lastly, I want to steal another quote from Elder Holland. "The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life." I know this is true. 

HE LIVES AND LOVES US, TOO.

-Sister Oviatt

April 3, 2016

So basically this week was ridiculously long. And I love my companion Sister Xiao because she worked so hard this week under such high pressure.

Long story short, that I'll tell you more about when I get home, my recent convert, from January, Xiao Su Qin JM, got in a car accident on Thursday night. We had just met with her and her daughter Wen Jing, and gone off to our next lesson. They had just finished eating dinner and were walking home, when they were crossing the road and Xiao JM, who was behind Wen Jing, got hit by a truck that was bringing furniture from Taipei down to Zhudong. Somehow she made it out with just a gash on the back of her head, a concussion, and then has some blood clotting in her brain. No broken bones or anything else. MIRACLES. She got rushed off to the ER and the first person Wen Jing called for help after the ambulance was us. So we rushed out to XinZhu to help them, because 1. they are my RC's and I love them, 2. they have no family living within like 2 hours of here, and they're not willing to help at all. AND 3. this weekend is a huge holiday weekend in Taiwan, so all the members were all over the island, not in Zhudong.

So then life was crazy. She was immediately given 3 stitches in the back of her head and then rushed to the ICU where she'll be until probably Tuesday morning. (Pray that she is able to get out by then!) My Chinese is good... when I have to teach the gospel. But when you have to deal with car accidents and insurance and medical terms. NO. But luckily God has a plan and I have a Taiwanese companion. So from Thursday night to now she's had to answer ENDLESS phone calls from, the hospital, the bishop, their extended family members, the people who hit them, their social workers, random ward members who want to know what's going on, and others. She's had to figure out where they money's gonna come from to pay for all the medical bills, where Wen Jing will stay while her mom's in the ICU, and then go tell the family members, people who hit them, and the social workers everything that's going on. She's had an continual headache from Thursday til now. She is such a rock star though. She's been so helpful, patient, and loving to everyone through this high stress situation.

My head is hurting now. I don't know what else to say. It's been a crazy last 3-4 days. We have complained a lot about this dumb holiday, their dumb family, and other dumb things that have been completely out of our control. But this morning in comp study we talked about the assurances we've received from the Lord that we've been doing what He wants us to do. Sister Xiao told me about when we visited Xiao JM last night, she looked at Xiao JM and felt that all the stress and time and annoyance was worth it and that the Lord recognized our sacrifice and was proud of us. I had the same assurance as we visited her and I sang "There is a Green Hill Far Away" to help her still feel the spirit of the sacrament, even though she couldn't take it. Her eyes just glowed with the spirit yesterday, and we knew that Heavenly Father was taking care of her and watching over her. There were truly angels in the ICU this weekend.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 says, "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." I know that this promise is TRUE. It's true not only for Xiao JM, not just for me and my companion as we take care of all this stuff, but it's also true for YOU. I know He is always with us. He is always watching over us, working with us, and strengthening us. I hope we are all willing to recognize and accept His divine help.

Have a good week! :) (sorry this email may not have made a lot of sense. my head's still not quite right after this weekend.)

-Sister Oviatt