Some updates on our area:

1) Hua Yi(12) got his baptismal interview done by our district leader, and I was able to translate it for him in Mandarin (so fun!). When I first met and started teaching him back on November, he didn't really know if God was there or loved him. But now, he doesn't hesitate at all when asked if he knows God is our Heavenly Father. I love how the Spirit works with children! His family and his friends at church are also great examples to him too :)

2) Royce(17) is our investigator and he was raised with wonderful parents who taught him what it means to work hard and to have a long-term perspective in life. He's a football player so he's often busy, but makes time for us to come by and share the gospel with him. We were so happy he came to church last Sunday for the first time! And we're praying that he continues to come so he can take the sacrament and feel the Spirit.

Visitors Center:

Usually when I go online, I try to call my contacts, text, or email. But sometimes I like to take chats too. So last Sunday, we took a chat from a person that was argumentative and wasn't really listening to anything we were sharing. Naturally I was stressed out, just because I feel like it was a waste of my time, and I totally prayed in my heart to talk to someone new who would actually listen. Right after, we talked to a young man named Clay, who really wanted to join a religion. And since he had some awesome LDS friends, he figured he wants to learn more from us. As I continued to talk with him about some of our beliefs, everything just made sense to him. I'm so grateful literally every time I come across a bad interaction, we are blessed to come across someone else really nice. I definitely felt the Spirit guide me in my words, and give me charity, especially for others who aren't respectful to us. 

Last Friday, every missionary in our mission fasted to find new investigators here. Our schedules were really busy with the VC and tram, so we didn't have time in our area, but I've definitely seen the miracles in the next few days. 

Just yesterday alone, Sister Furukawa and I met four new people that were willing to learn more in the VC! The one couple I met yesterday was definitely a miracle. We came on shift at 2:30 pm and Chinese tours came non-stop until about 4 pm. Thankfully, both Sister Lee and I were on shift together, so we could team up to talk to everyone. I saw a couple come in, and they were visiting from Lousiana, and I shared more with them about our beliefs, the restoration of the gospel, and the Book of Mormon. Dennis actually is Catholic and his wife Alexandria isn't really religious, but they were just super open to learning more, and even put a referral for his Catholic friend! Amidst the bustle, we had a wonderful tour and I definitely felt the Spirit when I shared the First Vision with them, and one of my favorite scriptures too. I've only ever shared the First Vision maybe less than 5 times on my mission, but it brings such a powerful Spirit that always testifies of the truthfulness of our message. I love love this gospel. I've never really been too bold with guests, but sometimes I have the courage to be. 

Lastly! I picked up an in-bound call online, and this guy wanted me to pray for him. As I got to know his background more, I found out that he was an alcoholic that wanted to change his life around, but he has no support, no family or friends, and nobody that believed that he could change. I testified about the power of the Atonement and the love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has for every person, including him, and encouraged him to rely on that power. I got teary when he said how I was the only person in a while to actually believe in him, and positively uplifted him. I can't say what happened after the call, because I'm not sure. But sometimes I am still amazed at the role that we have a missionaries, as servants of our Heavenly Father to reach out to His children, to help them feel of His love, so they can have eternal happiness - they can have hope. I just wanted to cry a little because there are so many people like him, that need to know that there is hope.

I'm always reminded that every interaction we have with others, whether it was bad or good, are all people that need to know this gospel and to hear of our testimonies. People that will understand this is truly what we believe and strive to live by. Sister Furukawa and I have made it a goal to really try and get to know more people in our ward, so we can work together. :)

Scripture of the week: Ether 4:12

"And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world."

​Nikki and Brother Keama (less-active) visiting from our ward in Kaneohe.

​Brother Long (ward mission leader from Kaneohe) was kind and packed us bento box lunches!

​Taking down the flags together with our roomies, Sister Kim and Sister Kim!

​Pink sunset outside the VC :)

Happy belated Father's Day! I love this video about Fatherhood. When we think of fathers, we can also think of the love our Heavenly Father has for each one of us. 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-002-earthly-father-heavenly-father?lang=eng

Last week we had a Zone Conference with President and Sister Warner training us! It was an emotional day because it was our last conference with them before they are released. We will have the new mission President, President Bekker, arriving soon with his wife. I am soo grateful for the Warners because they are literally our parents here in our mission, and they show so much love for us, and we'd be so lost without their guidance. I've learned so much from their example, and Sister Warner was so involved when we taught Vivian! 

The theme was on obedience, and President Warner shared some really great examples of obedience from the scriptures. Every blessing we receive is predicated on our obedience to Heavenly Father's commandments and the mission rules, and when we do all that we can to have the Spirit with us, then that's when He can perform miracles! Exact obedience is rough sometimes, but we continue to try our best. "A missionary will not rise to a potential in life above that which he carves out for him or herself on their mission." - David O. McKay 

That's why the commitment we show our our mission will continue(hopefully) in the future in everything that we do. We have to challenge ourselves to press forward even when we're tired, discouraged, have no clue what we're doing, in order to reach the potential Heavenly Father sees in us. The training we receive always is exactly what we need to hear. 

Yesterday was kind of a stressful day for Sister Furukawa and I. And we called President Warner and Sister Warner for some guidance with a special situation. Thankfully they saved the day and told us what we needed to do. Hua Yi, the boy that we taught for a while now, is planning to be baptized! It's truly a miracle that we didn't expect would happy soon, but he does! But he'll be getting baptized in California, where his parents have more family. We're sooo happy for them!

One of the struggles I have, especially in the afternoon, is when there are Chinese tour buses coming in, but there's also someone that really needs a tour(Chinese or not). The other day, a Chinese guy named Qiu Feng came, and I started giving him a tour, but then Chinese buses came, so thankfully Sister Lee was able to help with that. But then they wanted to take pictures with us, and poor Qiu Feng was just waiting, and I was afraid he would just leave...but thankfully I got back to him! And he's actually doing Bible Study back in Chicago, and he said he's not really ready to learn more, but I still gave him some pamphlets. The great blessing about serving here, is even without a guided tour, others can feel something special here, and it's because they're on dedicated ground. And feel the Spirit from the temple :)

I met someone from Wuhan the other day! That's close to my hometown in China. Kind of cool :)

We're finally getting a new ward mission leader (he helps us do missionary work with people in the congregation and how we can help them), and he'll be called and set apart this coming Sunday. It's going to help sooo much because although Sister Furukawa has been here for 6 months, there's still a lot we have to do in the area. 

Scripture of the week: John 7:17

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Pictures:

Brother Nihipali's granddaughter's 1st birthday luau! We couldn't stay long, but shared a spiritual thought :) So neat.

In our masks...it was literally so hot to breathe in. I felt like four-eyes...but I didn't wear those long, since my glasses could protect me anyway. Service at Pearl Harbor - USS Missouri

They used to eat in here! We dusted, but then the elders would dust the pipes on top, then that would fall, and we would re-dust/clean haha

Love,

Sister Wu

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

The lady we gave a tour to, never have I ever been on the same shift as Sister Lee!