9 months!
11:35:00 PM
Psyche! My preparation day changed to today because we're going to Pearl Harbor for service tomorrow. Yay! And happy half-way mark for me! 9/18 months done. I can't even believe how quickly time has gone.
Transfer week always goes by super quickly, especially when most of our time was at the VC or on tram shift haha. I'm back in Laie 6th ward but last time when I served here, I didn't really get a chance to get to know the ward well. They have ward camp this week, which is where all of them go camping and have really fun activities to strengthen their testimony of the gospel too! The theme this year is Helaman 5:12 "Ward camp is super big here in Hawaii, and they do a lot of preparation for this event, because the less-active member families and non-members come as well. So it's a great missionary tool :)
Last week we didn't have much time to visit the members of the ward here, but we got to teach a cute little girl named Stanlyn, she's preparing for her baptism!
At the visitors center, I've already mentioned in previous emails but loads of Chinese tourists have been coming (I'm sure not as many as in Temple Square though in SLC). On Sunday, I was the only Chinese sister on shift, so one tour got off and I tried to make casual conversation with them, just asking where in China they're from, etc. But none of them bothered to reply (I assume the driver must have said something about us). At that point I was super annoyed because I wanted to help them feel welcomed, and ultimately to feel of Heavenly Father's love for all of them(most are really interested to see that there's Chinese sisters here). So after my failed attempt of communicating with them, I prayed super hard in my heart for charity, for the Chinese people who will come later on. And sure enough, the next tour, the tour guide was super good and gathered them all in the visitors center, and invited me to introduce the temple and our beliefs. It was actually the first time I've done that by myself; it's rare for them to all be gathered together (they're everywhere on the grounds taking a million photos at a time, understandable). It was so fun to share with them about God, Jesus Christ, and more about why the temple is so special to us, and the promises we make in them. I took them back to the temple corner to see the pictures of inside the temple, and at the end, they were all so sweet and even applauded...one old senior asked if my teeth were a gift from God...I just answered "probably...but more like my dad's genetics" hahahaha.
Anyway, such an answer to my prayer! It's not easy to have charity for everyone sometimes, but Heavenly Father definitely helps us. Because the gospel is news of great joy and we can only do our part to help others feel that. I definitely know my Chinese has improved a toon in terms of gospel terminology, and thank goodness for that. Sister Lee and I had the same shift yesterday and gave a tour on the temple grounds with a Chinese couple from Shanghai for the first time! So fun.
We have three new sisters that joined us here at the VC too! Sister Yi from Chicago, Sister Hernandez from Cali, and Sister De Leon from the Philippines. It's actually been my first time seeing new sisters join us (I was in full-field when the past few came to the VC). Totally reminds me of how I felt when I first arrived. So many things to learn! But I know they have great trainers to help them.
Scripture of the week: D&C 38:30
"If ye are prepared ye shall not fear." (our transfer theme, "Be Ye Therefore Ready")
Pictures:
Elder Swinton bought us all fries from the fish and chips food truck, soo good. Don't judge our food choices...
We met Sebastian(Elder Jo)'s previous companion from the California Ventura Mission. Fun!
Last pday, Sister Ting and I had a fun little photoshoot,She's a super good photographer (Y)
Sister Ting and I from our last day on tram together!
Love,
Sister Wu
(my next preparation day will actually be Wednesday though)
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