Monday, December 18, 2017

I get to spend another 7 weeks in Dublin with Sister Yu.  We are so happy to stay here.  I was really scared to leave because I really feel like I am needed here in Dublin.  I feel like I still have work to do with the members and with our friends.  I also really wanted to stay here for Christmas because I think it would've been hard to move to a new area the week before Christmas.  Also none of the sisters in the Republic moved and only 1 person from our district moved.  Very small moves.  

Highlight of this week:  On Friday the STLs called us and asked them to help them help one of their investigators move.  She had to move out of her home that day and had barely started packing because she had like 1 day notice.  We went with them and started packing everything in boxes so she could put it in storage before she moved back home to Australia.  When we got there it was only her and her sister doing the work.  We could tell they were completely overwhelmed and really sad to be moving out.  We were a huge help to her as well as another member that came, as well as the relief society president.  We both had lessons scheduled, but we decided to go on splits, so we could stay and help while Sister Kim and Yu went to teach our lessons.  She was so grateful we were there and we were so happy to help.  

We sacrificed a full day of "regular missionary work" which some of the missionaries here think is a waste of time.  I am so glad we went and there is no way that was a waste of time.  She was so grateful and we got the opportunity to serve.   Some emphasize numbers and not wasting time.  For me that is not what it is about.  We missed a whole day, but because of that sacrifice and the service, God still blessed us in being led to a lot of new people to teach this week and we still had "good numbers" by other people's standards, but that's not what it's about.   We made the decision to stay because we felt like that is what the Savior would do.  He  took time for the people who needed Him.  There was no need to be in a rush because the Savior wasn't in a rush.  We took the time necessary to show our love by our actions.  It felt so good to serve her and to see her gratitude through many tears.

Can't wait to talk to you and see your face on Christmas!  Love you lots.   

Monday, December 11, 2017

Highlights of this week:  Our friend, ___ , got back from holiday this week.  He was so solid when we met with him.  He talked about how he prayed during his whole trip.  The problem is still the word of wisdom.  We have been working with him and he talked about how he needed added strength from God.  We taught him about fasting and how that can help him and he was really excited to try it to help him receive that strength.  We reset him with a date of December 30, right before the end of the year.  We are hoping that all goes well with that and he can have the faith to keep the Word of Wisdom.

All-Ireland Conference:  All the missionaries in the Dublin, Limerick, and Belfast zones come together to receive instruction and to learn from one another.  This was Christmas conference, so we got to have a little bit of fun.  We talked a lot about Christmas, learned a new Christmas song (And His Name Shall be Called Wonderful), and had fun.  The "fun" included a proper Christmas dinner, skits of parts of the Book of Mormon, watching MOANA, and having a "snowball fight" with fake snowballs made of yarn.  It was nice to be surrounded by so many missionaries and to be able to have fun and relax a little.  It was funny watching Moana because a lot of the missionaries hadn't seen it yet, because it came out too recently.  And then there was me, who could (but didn't) sing all the songs and quote the movie.  It was a practice in self restraint for sure!

(Responding to question about lack of daylight - it is not light until 8:30 am.   Dark at 4 pm)

There is not a lot of daylight here, but it's okay because where we are is well lit.  It is getting to be verrrryyy cold here.  Today there was a bunch of frost on all the cars and it was like 30 degrees when we left the flat.  brrrrrrr.  I am doing my best to bundle up, but I need to buy some new gloves because mine don't do anything.

Love you lots! 

Monday, December 4, 2017

This week was kinda crazy.  We ended up going on exchange three times this week.  The STLs double booked appointments at the same time and needed our help to teach them.  The next was our real exchange (SLEEPOVER WOOHOO).  I spent the whole day with Sister Eggett.  She is amazing.  She only has one transfer left, so basically she's as perfect as a missionary can be.  Seriously she is so amazing and I want to be like her when I grow up.  She has so much love for everyone she meets and teaches.   The next exchange was so Sister Yu could teach a lesson in Chinese in the STLs' area.  It was a little bit of a crazy week and we didn't spend a ton of time in our own area.  

MIRACLE FROM LAST WEEK:  Juliane, from Brazil, got baptised.  She had been learning for 6 months or so and finally made the decision to be baptised.  I bawled the whole time at her baptism.  She has read the whole Book of Mormon and half of the D&C.  She is at church every week and feeds the missionaries after.  She is a little missionary herself.  She invited so many of her friends to her baptism and she even brought a less active man back to church this last week.  She has a special place in my heart and I would rank it the 3rd best baptism I've been to. (Mine, Jessie's, hers).  

Sister Yu loves the Christmas packages and is so excited everyday when we get to open a new one.  She also had never had a tootsie roll and got so excited to eat one. We filmed it and it was so funny.  She said "whoa.....that's good" and then a few minutes later she said "what even is this?" hahahha it was so funny.

We are still working hard with our investigators.  ____ should get back from America this week and hopefully he will be baptised this Saturday.  We are praying for him since we haven't been able to contact him for 3 weeks.

_____ is still working on believing in God and continues to progress even though he doesn't see it or recognize it in himself.  He is comfortable praying and continues to pray every day.  We are trying to find the balance of pushing him and letting him take his time to recognize the Spirit.  

I have developed so much love for all the people we work with and I really want this to be a part of their life.  I love each of them so much and get so excited when they keep commitments.

I love you and hope you have a great week!

Monday, November 27, 2017

One thing I will miss a lot this Christmas is all the decorations in our house.  I love them, especially the stairs.  BUT we have a few cute decorations in our flat from the Christmas package!!  Thank you and thanks to the Ratzlaff's for the delivery.  Sister Yu was super excited to see that there were presents for her too (because Christmas isn't really big in Taiwan).  She also loved the Santa hats and says thank you!   All the Elders were super jealous and asked for something in the package.  One of them crossed out my name on the package and wrote his own hahahaha. 

My companion and I get along pretty well.  She is a lot quieter than Sister Scheib was and is not fully confident in her English when we are on the streets, so I have to do a lot of talking, but it's good.  It is helping me learn a lot, especially of how to deal with bashers (there are way too many of them) and the people that just throw a bunch of questions and random facts at us.  She is really sweet though and we have a good time. 

This week was really good.  Our friend, William, was baptised on Saturday.  It was so nice!  He has been taught since the end of August/beginning of September.  He was actually supposed to be baptised the first week I was in Dublin, but he had some questions after he talked to a recent convert who actually removed her records from the church after finding some anti material.  That filled his head with lots of questions about Joseph Smith, but we continued to work with him to help him build his faith and resolve any questions he had.  He was super excited to be baptised (even though the water was cold).  (I thought I knew how to work the hot water from the last baptism, but apparently not hahahaha sorry William).  After his baptism he was so grateful.  He shook our hands and started crying as he said "thank you for all the meetings and all of your patience."  He is such a sweet Spirit and was so so grateful to have this opportunity to come closer to Christ.

Thanksgiving for us was just like every other day.  We did have a dinner appointment and the lady in our ward fed us fish pie.  Basically fish in mashed potatoes with cheese on top.  It wasn't horrible, but potatoes.....  She told us happy thanksgiving, but that was pretty much the only "thanksgivingish" thing we had.  We also got a text from one of the STLTs saying "Happy Thanksgiving we're grateful for you."  Woohoo happy thanksgiving.  They also have "black friday" here, but it's definitely not as crazy as the US.  There were definitely more people in the city center though.

Now that Thanksgiving is over we can officially enjoy the Christmas music and the lights that are all over Dublin.  There are lights all over and a giant Christmas tree and Nativity display right by the spire!  MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Weird Irish facts:  

curb is spelled kerb

tire is spelled tyre

Love you lots!