Aloha!

Sister Domingo is a great missionary! We have so many similarities and she's willing to work hard to improve her Korean, and other skills. I couldn't have asked for a better trainee! I'm so grateful that we're working as a team and always striving for improvement. We're having so much fun together and sometimes I feel like I need to stop talking so much! Hahahaha. She really is super cute and diligent. Her Korean is fluent, but she's working on teaching the gospel in Korean. 

Sister Lin, Sister Sicotte, and I, gave a short little training to the new Chinese sisters (Sister Lin2 and Sister Lam). But there's really no way of explaining the experience when Chinese tour buses come in. Later that day, we had a group of 30 Chinese guests that swarmed to the front desk for their own copy of the Book of Mormon. It's a rare occasion to see so my face was like this: 😁😯! The two sisters both received guest cards back! So fun. 

VC:

1) Training a new missionary is super fun, and it makes me really appreciate knowing little things. For example, how to call someone on the phone when we confirm their request for a free scripture, or how to continue a conversation from the temple grounds to inside the VC. I've loved sharing with Sister Domingo from my personal experience, but she has a powerful testimony of the Savior that is more important than anything else. 

2) I met a Chinese family from Markham! They came on the tram tour but didn't have any interest going inside the VC. Turns out the girl, about my age, is dating a guy who's an inactive member of the church. Her mom asked me how I joined the church, so I shared my testimony with her, but mostly talked to the girl my age. Hopefully her visit here to the temple will spark an interest both in her and her inactive boyfriend...

3) Elder Zwick and Sister Zwick, a General Authority Seventy, came to speak to our zone yesterday afternoon. "If you stay close to Jesus, He will stay close to you." "A new sense of commitment means more accountability." We can do hard things in life, with Heavenly Father's help, and I truly have a testimony of that! Elder Zwick 

4) We talked to a woman named Helen on chat on morning (evening in the UK though), and she asked us how she could overcome addiction. We taught her about the power of Christ's Atonement, and she knew that she was going on a wrong path. Turns out, some missionaries visited her home, but she wasn't comfortable talking to them because her housemates were there. That's why she came on chat, and we invited her to call those missionaries to learn more. She'll be meeting with them this week!  We're all in this work together, to bring others peace from the Atonement, but really help us change so we can have eternal happiness.

5) We also chatted with a member named Annabelle, who felt like her faith was stuck and she wasn't growing even though she was doing all the right things, like reading scriptures, listening to general conference talks, etc. She felt like she wasn't receiving the promises in her patriarchal blessing. We encouraged her to have faith and to serve others as Christ did, because that will help her find happiness when she doesn't know Heavenly Father's timing yet. This conversation taught me that as a member of the church, we may lose faith sometimes, but talking to good friends who will lift you, or missionaries, or your bishop, can always remind you that God really does have a perfect plan for you. 

4) Sister Domingo and I took a really intense tour with a couple from Vancouver and Australia. It was her first day being on shift at the VC! Sam (the woman) asked for our beliefs on same-sex marriage, church organization, and she had so many doubts about man REALLY knowing the will of God. We believe that the prophet receives direction from God to lead and guide the church, so that we can follow Jesus Christ better in our lives, but Sam popped one question after another! I taught and testified, and the miracle was, she really could believe in Joseph Smith's experience, and loved the symbolism of what we do in temples. I didn't feel overwhelmed at all with her challenging questions, because I knew in my heart and mind that what we believe are truths, given from God to modern prophets. And I knew the Spirit bore testimony of the things we've taught. At the end, they were really appreciative of the time we spent teaching them, and took a few pamphlets. I realized that there was no way I could've handled this situation without the Spirit's guidance!

5) We ate dinner with two married couples recently and they announced that they were both pregnant!!! We were also one of the first people they've revealed the news to. This is kind of irrelevant, but I loved hearing their testimonies of Heavenly Father's perfect timing, and showing their faith in Him. Sister Domingo is loving our area too haha.

6) Timothy, our investigator online, is progressing with the missionary lessons! He's a single dad with two young daughters, and is excited to bring them to church on Sunday. The more I do missionary work, the more I love these people, and know that we really are brothers and sisters in God's great family. It's easy to talk to others when you truly care, and it's easy to have confidence in the guidance of the Spirit when you do your best to live the gospel. I know that we interact with so many people each day, but what increases their desire to learn more is the special spirit they feel from our interactions. And that is from God. Not us!

7) Marshall, the super golden guy I met here at the VC with Sister Lor, has set an appointment with the local missionaries. :)

And other news! I got a haircut! I cut it short! Time for a change-up! (not in pictures) Some of the newer sisters are not used to seeing me leave leadership haha. I learned so much the last few transfers, and I know that it's prepared me to train and love Sister Domingo to the best I can. I think I'm ending my mission on a high, every day is a fresh day, to get down to work, and to love love love! Sister Domingo is a quick learner and I know she will blossom to be a wonderful missionary! :)

Scripture of the week: 1 Peter 1:7

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ"

​Sister Domingo and I in front of the temple :)

​A sweet sweet Vietnamese lady from Australia visited on the tram tours. She's been through a lot of trials in her life but had an unshaken faith in Jesus Christ. Always sweet to see that.

​Valentine's Day was transfer day, and Sister Domingo's first day! So we cooked kimchi fried rice together. :) So glad we both like Korean food!