An Indian And An Aussie
Well, well, well another crazzy week down! I am exhausted! I thought maybe the last couple weeks would be a little slower, but the Lord had another plan in store haha. He is using every last bit of energy in me!
-We were going nonstop this week! Elder Hu is such a great missionary and we are probably the most united and hardworking companionship I have ever had during my mission! We just understand each other so well and are both so experienced so we can just work at a top level all day everyday! I have never gotten so much accomplished with a companion then in the last couple weeks! We are getting record high numbers each week and so many of our friends are progressing!
There was one day that went crazy this week! It was Saturday and after lunch we found 5 new friends in an hour. Then we had 2 back-to-back lessons with LMPs. One was a Chinese couple and another was a Brazilian that we put on date for baptism in August! Then we had another friend show up right after those lessons. We literally have people lined up waiting to be taught haha. It is a dream come true!! Then as Elder Hu and I went down the elevator again to pick up another friend, we said a quick prayer and just looked at each other and laughed in giddy excitement. We then said at the exact same time..."now this is missionary work!" Ahhh my joy was full! We then taught a white South African! He was super interested and very intellectual! So amazing!
After that lesson we took a bus with a Chinese couple we are teaching (Cedric and Sherry) to the chapel for a baptism of our friend Souvik! It was a crazy day!
-On Friday we had a temple night with all the new members! The temple is closing for renovations for 10 months, and so it was the last final effort to get everyone to the temple! And we got so many friends there! It was a special experience to watch all the friends we have baptized get back into the water at the temple and baptize each other! They were all very happy and proud! Bishop was at the temple and asked me to speak on Sunday. He wanted a 10 minute talk haha. Very late notice, but hey I had at least 1 day to prepare haha. But then Saturday turned out to be a wild day!
-Now this is the other crazy part of the week! On Monday we found out that our friend from India named Souvik forgot to put his work roster in for Sunday. So he would miss his baptism. We were devastated but he was even more devastated. We told him that we would have to push his baptism back 3 weeks. He begged us if any other day or time would work even if there were only a couple people that could come. We said no because our ward has been having so many baptisms and they were getting a little overwhelmed and expressed their concerns to us the previous Sunday. Souvik accepted reality and was determined to be baptized in July. We then moved on with the week as usual.
However, come Friday we had the AP’s and President call us along with the Bishop telling us that we shouldn't push Souviks' baptism date back and that we should make something happen! We were like okay....we can try.
We put something together for the very next day! Saturday night! We told everyone we could, but forgot there was a YSA dance happening at the same time as the baptism. But we still decided to go for it!
Thankfully, the Lord made everything work out! The baptism was small, but very spirit filled! I was a little stressed, but it was worth all the hassle in the end! We had Jason Yu, a new member, baptize Souvik and it was a tender experience and a cool memory to make! A small service in a small little room made it feel like a small little family celebrating the big desire of a child wanting to achieve their goal! Souvik had changed so much! It has been incredible to watch! A completely different person than when I had met him! I don't know how - other than that God changed him!
-Sunday was also crazy. I woke up and practiced my talk and then went to church! We ended up having 9 friends at church this week! I gave my talk and that went well! I had fun with it! Bishop Raeside gave me a shout out before my talk haha. He told everyone that I had been in the ward since it had been created! Since the very first day over a year ago! I used my giving a talk to get any members that hadn't come in a while to come and listen to me!
After church, we had the baptism of Jaiden and Tommy! They are both Aussies! It was incredible! Bishop was like, “Wow, it has been so multicultural lately so having this baptismal service all in english will be weird.”
We had taught Jaiden! He is a cool guy! He is 29 years old and wants to follow Jesus Christ! Very untypical for an Aussie! The best part was that his mom and dad showed up to support him! His dad owns a million dollar worldwide yogurt shop! It was a spirit filled baptismal service and the members were so happy to see some Aussies baptized! Having baptisms back-to-back days was very special! An Indian and an Aussie...a little different from the usual Chinese that we baptize!
-Our friend Chen is working towards baptism in August and he is completely changing his life! When we first met he was a complete atheist. Now he completely believes in God and has had some cool experiences! He was on high level drugs, then transitioned to marijuana, then nicotine, and now he is only on nicotine gum. He was drinking 8 cups of coffee a day, but now he is drinking 0. He was working as a high level chef every Sunday, but now he put in papers to quit his job so he can come to church!! He wasn't in our ward boundaries before, but now he moved houses so he lives in the ward boundaries! He literally has made so many changes! He is visibly happier! So incredible to watch friends change because of their faith in Jesus Christ! It is that simple: faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, endure to the end. This cycle is powerful!!
-We have almost gotten a triple double again the last 2 weeks!
-Members are teasing me about going home and having me over to eat a lot haha. Such a weird feeling. The worst part is putting friends on date for baptism, but knowing that I won't be there to see them baptized!! Ahhh!
Spiritual thought:
I shared this quote in my talk on Sunday! It touched me!
Elder Uchtdorf said in his most recent talk:
"God does not view things the way people do.
From Gods perspective, there is one category that comes before all others: child of God. And we all fit perfectly in this one.
In the Savior’s Church, we gather all of God’s children who are willing to be gathered and who seek the truth.
It is not our physical appearance, our political views, our culture, or our ethnicity that brings us together.
It is not our common background that unites us. It is our common objective, our love for God and love for our neighbor, our commitment to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.
We are “one in Christ.” The unity we seek is not to have everyone stand in the same place; it is to have everyone face in the same direction—toward Jesus Christ. We are one not because of where we’ve been but where we are striving to go, not because of who we are but who we seek to become.
That is what Christ’s true Church is all about."
Isn't that amazing! We are all children of God all working and helping each other become better!
It is incredible to see the multicultural church service and all the different opinions and nationalities meshed together! But we are all one in Christ! We are all happy! We are all striving to work towards becoming like Jesus Christ! I am really going to miss Marden ward!
I know I say this every week, but wow missionary work is so much fun! It is so exhausting, but so rewarding! Anything worthwhile and valuable in life requires work! Lots of hard work! And this is why the mission is so worthwhile and valuable! It takes work! But oh man, I can’t express how much joy it brings me! Working all day everyday for everyone else is just so exhilarating! Everyday I wake up just so excited! This week stretched me to my limits again and it was so fun! So fun to watch the Lord teach me, shape me, and help me experience things all for my benefit and growth!
The Lord is doing His work at an unprecedented rate! For Jaiden and Souvik to be baptized it was a miracle! I don't even know how it happened! I testify the Lord is doing His work! I am but just a humble and grateful instrument! I feel so blessed to be a part of what has been happening!
"The standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
I am receiving so many little witnesses that God lives, He is our Loving Heavenly Father, Jesus is the Christ, He is our Savior and Redeemer! How grateful I am to serve Him! It's not easy, but it is worth it! I testify that they Live and Love you!!
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
Hope you all have a great week!
Here are the pictures! https://photos.app.
Cheers,
-Elder Jones (zhang zhanglao)
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