Sister Shiffert in Hong Kong : Happy 2016!

Leih Hou Leihdeih!

Happy New Year! It's a new year and a fresh start with life! So we have had some fun adventures this week. One of the first things Sister Redd told me is that Yuen Long is full of miracles and adventures. I didn't truly believe her until now!

We started the week by providing service with the elders in our ward. A woman needed help moving some of her things out of her friends house and into hers. We got it done relatively quickly, but she lived waaaaay out in the boonies. We were joking we were in mainland she lived so far away. However, it was also nice to see something other than buildings. You could see the mountains and there were a lot of trees and grass. Not the wealthiest of places, but it was super peaceful and a nice change of scenery.

Later that night, we found out the plumber locked us out of our apartment because he locked the actual doorknob and we didn't have a key to get in. So we were just chilling in the hallway with the other sisters for 2 1/2 hours waiting for the housing elders to come all the way from Kowloon and open the door for us. It was quite comical, but we were definitely exhausted by the end of the night.

The language is coming along little by little. Now I understand why people speaking a foreign language would always say once they entered the field, they had no idea what people were saying. There are a lot of words that are different from what we learned in the MTC (the more casual/slang phrases), but I am gradually learning them so I can communicate and sound more like a native. I still have trouble understanding what people say, but I keep reminding myself that it hasn't even been a full 3 weeks yet. I will admit that patience is not my best attribute, but I know the Lord is helping me work on it and that is one reason why he told me to serve a mission haha!

Even with this language barrier, I am surprised at how quickly I come to love the people I serve (investigators, less-actives, my companion, other missionaries, etc). I only meet an investigator or less-active once or twice, and I already care about them so much. Sometimes it's hard at first, but then I see Sister Redd and how she unconditionally loves all of them, flaws and all, so she is a great example to me. One of my goals this year to to really develop the Christ-like attributes, and charity is one of the most important because without charity, we are nothing.

I will end with the highlight of my week: We had a baptism! It was actually Sister Redd and her former companion who did all the work; I just happen to come at the right time. Her name is A-May and she is the sweetest lady. She's from Vietnam and had only heard of Jesus Christ once until the missionaries taught her. She has had a really hard life, but she was truly prepared by the Lord. Some of her past came up right before her baptism (darn Satan...) and we thought we would have to postpone her baptism. But God is a God of miracles, and she got baptized yesterday! I love her so much and she already has such a strong testimony. She is amazing! We haven't had any new investigators since I've been here, but I am so ready to find the people the Lord has prepared for us and be with them from the beginning of their journey to eternal happiness.

I hope all of you have a fantastic week and if you haven't come up with New Year's resolutions, start now! :)

Scirpture of the Week: Mosiah 2:41 - Keep ALL of God's commandments (not just the common 10) and you will be blessed both temporally and spiritually. He promises you will have never-ending happiness.

Quote of the Week: We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions (Jeffery R. Holland)

Sister Maggie Shiffert