I LOVE YOUR EMAILS!!!

They fill my heart for the whole week:)

I won't be able to email about everything but I hope you know every word means so much to me.

This week was soooo hard.  Like sooo sooo hard.  Everything we had planned fell through.  Every investigator fanged us and no one would listen to us on the street.  It just became long and hard days. 

BUT

(there is always a but)

We had some INCREDIBLE miracles.  Last night Sister Smith and I were down and so I pulled out my journal and read all the miracles we saw this week.  We were so happy and full of gratitude as we talked about God's hand in our life this past week.  The little but beautiful pieces that helped us remember we aren't alone in this work. It was a sweet experience.  The rest of the night when we were out contacting, everytime something bad happened we would just laugh.  It changes everything when you see Gods hand in your life.

This week though... hahaha.

I had this woman be soooo rude to me.  Like so incredibly rude.  We knocked on her door and she ringed me about how terrible my Chinese is and how I shouldn't even try.  I tried not to be discouraged and kept trying to share our message and she kept shh'ing me and looking to Sister Smith.  It was a hard one to walk away from without being discouraged but Sister Smith helped me a lot.  We sat down and she allowed me to just pray.  Even though sometimes its hard because I am trying so hard.. I know that God hears every single one of my prayers.  EVERY SINGLE ONE.

So there were lots of things like this.. haha.  but Holy Cow there were so many miracles.. NUMBER ONE!

So this week Iron has told us every day he couldn't come to church on Sunday which would mean he couldn't be baptized on the 29th.  But I was not going to give in! I kept praying and praying that he would make it to church and be able to be baptized in November.  This continued up until sunday.  Sunday morning I prayed again he would come even though the night before he said he couldn't still.  So we go through RS and sunday school and as we walk into sacrament meeting I hear this man yell "SURPRISE!" (in english haha).  I turned and he was just standing there smiling at us!!!! I had to use every piece of me not to brake down in tears.  He CAME!! he came!! He didn't say why he changed his plans or anything he just said he decided to come.  I know that God hears our every prayer.  If I would have lost faith earlier this week I dont know if he would have come.. but he did!! And now (if we can finish teaching him the lessons) he will be baptized this saturday:) I am getting all chocked up thinking about it.  He is incredible... I have seen the light of christ really develop and burn within him as we have taught him.  It had nothing to do with us.. It was the power of the spirit. 

Also this week in English class we had an awesome spiritual share! we talked about how we can communicate with God.  Sister Smith and I sang "Nearer My God to Thee" and then asked them to write a letter to their earthly fathers.  After they wrote those, we then asked them to write a letter to their Heavenly Father.  To tell him about their worries and their concerns and to thank him.  It was so cool to watch them really think and allow the spirit to enter the room.  In a room full of 15 or so people only two were LDS.  We then taught them how to pray and gave them the last five minutes of class to pray personally what they wrote to their Heavenly Father.  I cant even explain how cool it was.... I will never forget the spirit that flooded into that room as I watched so many people say their first prayers to God.  They all really tried... The look on their faces were incredible as they said their first words to God.  It was one of the sweetest experiences of my mission this far.  After they were finished we all prayed together and this man that comes everytime offered to pray for all of us!! It was such a simple and beautiful prayer.  After it was over we had people come up to us and thank us and we got to explain about the Holy Ghost and God's love for his children.  When I went to get my bag, there was a not on it without a name that said "Thank you for all you have done for me"... I am not the one they need to be thanking... that is God.  As missionaries we are just the tools in the hands of God.  I would not change these experience for anything.  I miss you all soooo much and I miss you like crazy.. especially around this time of year.. but here.. here I get to be an instrument in the hands of God.  I get to witness miracles and see his hand.  I get to follow his spirit and help in bringing souls unto christ.  I am sooo far from perfect. Like so far. haha.  but everyday I feel gods love for meant him reminding me that I am His and that he loves me.  I felt that in sacrament meeting as we sang I know that my redeemer lives.  As I learn more Chinese, these songs mean more and more. 

I know this is so scattered but all in all, I LOVE IT HERE.

It is hard to be grateful at times but I promise that no matter how hard it is.  No matter how much rain falls, no matter how many bugs are in your house or if people are rude, you can ALWAYS see God's hand.  With Thanksgiving around the corner I just want to tell you how grateful I am to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I am grateful to be apart of this work and to know of his beautiful plan.  To know of a Savior and get  to share that incredible message everyday.  I am grateful for a beautiful family... I am so so grateful for you all.  I think about that every single day.  I hope you know how much I love you 5 griffins.  I will never be able to express the love I feel for you and from you.  I know that jia ting is shen sou zhi ding de.  And I am so grateful he gave me you. 

ALL MY LOVE AND MORE

geng jie mei