Today was awesome!! We just got back
from going on an adventure downtown with sister Spackman and sister Olsen. We
went to the navy pier and went on the Ferris wheel and shopped around and
visited Garrett's popcorn. It was a blast :)
This week was easily one of the best
weeks of my entire mission. I just don't even understand how I ended up being
so lucky. The Lord has blessed me far more than I could ever hope to
deserve.
Ha I just loved it so much!!
Simone and Haisu were both baptized
on Saturday, on my birthday. That was awesome. I couldn't have asked for
anything better!
Simone had a really rough week this
week, leading up to her baptism. Just in general. But to add to it, she told
two of her closest friends that she was being baptized and they refused to
support her. And they asked her a ton of random questions that Simone didn't
know he answers to and she got a little flustered about it. Mostly Simone was
just sad that her closest friends would react that way to something so dear to
her.
She's been receiving answers that
this is true, but somehow, doubts were making their way in and she began to
question.
But ultimately, Simone knew what was
right and she decided she'd just stick with it. God has told her it was right
on many occasions, and he would never send her mixed signals. So she moved
forward with her tiny seed of faith that has been being attacked all
week.
Right before the baptism, she
started to cry. She was just so nervous and mostly sad that her friends weren't
there to support her.
But she kept putting one faithful
footstep in front of the next. Rig into the baptismal font, where brother Judd,
our institute teacher, baptized her. She came out and gave him such a big hug
and then just started to cry.
It took her a really long time to
get changed.
We found out why when she came back
out.
She asked if she could share her
testimony.
It was one of the sweetest, most
heart-felt testimonies I've ever heard. She was SO HAPPY and she couldn't stop
saying it the whole time! She shared her experience of coming to that point,
and it was incredible. She told of all the trials she had faced that week, and
how it was all so worth it and she was so happy because she just knew it was
true!
After the services, three of her
member friends gave her a quad that they had all pitched in and bought for her.
So sweet.
Simone was just so incredibly happy
and grateful and excited. She is a sincere seeker of truth, and she found it.
And words will never be able to describe the feelings I had.
The next day (sunday), she was
confirmed by elder Berhow, and it was an incredible sweet blessing that
mentioned what a big impact she will have on the lives of others. I'm so
humbled to have even been able to associate with her, much less, teach her!!
She was sustained with Haisu as one
of the newest members of the branch. Then she sat down. Then she was
immediately asked to stand again, where she was called and sustained as our new
gospel principles teacher. YES. She will be amazing. She is a rock. So solid,
so set, so strong. I admire her so much.
During the testimony meeting, she
shared one of the most incredible stories I have ever heard. She's been through
so much. But she fought her way to this point. Wow I'm so impressed and so
humbled by her.
Haisu has pretty much been ready for
us to baptize him since day one.
He was contacted by a sister
missionary on temple square (on a trip with his parents), and after teaching
him the first three lessons (in Chinese over the phone), and realizing he was ready
to progress and meet with his local missionaries, she referred him to us. When
we taught him, he was just so ready. But we had to at least review the lessons
in English. Ha he was just so ready.
Over time, he told us how he quit
drinking and smoking after he was taught the word of wisdom. He had been clean
for four weeks, cold turkey, no problem. His favorite thing about the gospel is
the aspect of change and how we can become better
Haisu expressed to is after a while
that he was having a hard time figuring whether he wanted to stay here and find
a job or move back to china. He was really struggling with it, but we gave him
some suggestions on receiving personal revelation and did hear too much of it
again after.
We continued to teach him, and he
progressed so much and loves the gospel so much. He reads and prepares and
loves to learn and is always so excited about it!!
Well, the time came, and he had his
baptismal interview (also with elder Berhow). He passed with flying colors! We
met with him afterwards for a mini lesson, and he told us he had decided to
move back to china at the beginning of September... What? Ha I almost cried, I
was surprised! I realized how much I had grown to love him and how much I would
miss him. Sister Bradley made the observation that it wasn't a coincidence that
he was going back right after his baptism. We know that he fulfilled the lords
purpose for being in the states. Now he's going to prepare to move back and
continue on in his journey there in China. Man, he's going to accomplish
amazing things there we are so excited for him.
Anyways, he was baptized Saturday.
There was a physical difference we saw. He glowed. He was just so happy. It was
awesome.
Then he was confirmed in church, and
bore a powerful testimony about believing in God. My favorite part was near the
end where he simply said, "I know this gospel is true"... Oh
man!
Then, an hour and a half after his
baptism, we were in a lesson with him with a new investigator! She lives down
he hall from him in his apartment building, and she is also Chinese. He invited
us all to meet in his apartment, and he bore the best testimony ever about the
Book of Mormon, and was able to speak to her in Chinese for us (sounds so
cool!!) and explain to her about church. He did so great and he was so excited
to be a missionary :) SO AWESOME!! And just the day earlier, HE was on the
other side of that-- being taught. Now, not even two hours after his
confirmation, he is teaching with us and bringing others to he happiness he has
found.
I LOVE IT. I can't even describe in
words how I feel about this whole experience. It's crazy. The Lord totally
knows. He knows these people. He knows them because they are his children. I
have participated in the conversion of some of the most incredible people I've
met in my life. And I hardly did anything- they were so elect, so prepared. I
just let the spirit guide. The Lord knew them and knew what they needed- I just
needed to be humble enough to follow his guidance and counsel on their behalf.
I'm so truly incredibly humbled by these incredible lives. I'm pretty sure
they've done far more for me than I have for them!! Wow. They will accomplish
incredible things- The Lord has so much prepared for them to do.
On exchanges Wednesday, we went
contacting in the city :) it was so fun!
One of our other investigators has
not really been progressing lately. But idk what exactly changed this week- now
she's doing so wonderfully and progressing great! She came to Haisu and
Simone's baptism and loved it. Then she came to church the next day. She's
feeling the spirit and the truthfulness of our message and is finally starting
to act on it! I love to see it :D
We had a big sisters conference this
past Thursday with all the sisters in the mission. It was so awesome. I loved
it.
We got locked out of the baptismal
jumpsuits closet and no one had the keys. Luckily the elders showed up for a
cancelled appointment and two companionships of them broke in to the closet. So
awesome and funny. They took the hinges off the closet door... And a whole
bunch of other stuff haha :)
And for my birthday, we went to a
Mexican restaurant downtown with Kyle and his grandma :)
That's pretty much it. I'm doing
good and staying busy. Love you all!! :)
Sister Walton
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