kayla

I think I have learned more this past week than I have the rest of my entire mission. It was a huge growing week and I have a lot to say so I'll try to type fast.

This week Sister D and I decided we needed to visit some less actives in our wards, so we made a goal to see 3. The first two we saw on Friday, Kristy and Winnie Au. It was super neat. On our way to see Kristy we were getting off the bus, and i saw a white woman. and she was listing to her ipod and had huge hoop earrings in. I don't know why but I felt like I needed to wave at her. so I did, and then she waved back! then she started crossing the street to come talk to us and my companion started freaking out because i think she has completely forgotten how to speak English. So I took the reigns. This lady was awesome! she had just moved from England and has the most adorable accent! she was telling us how she was so lonely and that no Chinese people would talk to her, so when i waved at her she felt like she should come talk to me. We aren't allowed to proselyte in that neighborhood, but I gave her a pamphlet and got her number. And last night i spent quite a while talking to her on the phone, and we're meeting her on Tuesday for 'a spot o' tea'. She told me she's ''heard of the Mormons on the telly" and that she would love to talk to us more! Yay! I'm glad I can speak English. haha.
So the visits with Kristy and Winnie went well. I think Kristy really needed some encouragement for her to go to church, because her husband doesn't like it and it worked! she came on Sunday, with her whole family. She is also white and I got her a TALL book (language book us missionaries have) so she could learn more Cantonese and church would mean more to her. I like her a lot. Winnie didn't come to church but we had a really powerful testimony meeting at her house and she promised she would come next week. Yay for strengthening the ward!!
Ok, so get out your Kleenex for this next one. Sis D and I decided to visit this one lady, her name is Poon JI Muih. We knew that someone in her family recently passed away but we didn't know who, we just knew we needed to go see her. Poon is a pau pau. She's about 75, in a wheelchair, she has no teeth, and part of her jaw has been removed from bone cancer. She has some sort of arthritis, and she's had a really hard life. She lives alone with her helper (minda, from the Philippines). When we went over and started talking about our families, she showed us pictures of her kids and grand kids. she has two sons, and one really pretty daughter, who is a mother of two. It was then that we found out that the person who passed away was this beautiful 40 year old mother of two, Poon's daughter. She gave me a photo album of her to look at, and it was so sad. It started with a normal picture of her, and then as the pictures got more recent, her daughter got more sickly looking, until finally, the last picture that was ever taken of her, most of the muscle in her body had deteriorated, and she didn't have enough strength in her neck to hold up her head, and her little boy was on her lap.
It was then that I started to cry. I mean really cry. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that this mom had to die, or that poon, in her old sickly state, had to go through this alone. I couldn't get it through my head why on earth god would let that happen.

It was then that i think my mission changed forever. As I was crying, poon ji muih started to comfort ME. Then she started to bear testimony of eternal families. And how someday she knew she would have a perfect body, not the old broken one she has now. Someday she knew she would be with her daughter again, so it was no big deal, and she smiled at me, a toothless smile, and she said she was so glad to have these pictures to look at, so she could remember her daughters beautiful face.

It was then that I started to realize, that THIS is what Jesus Christ does for people. In hearing this dear sisters sweet testimony, and seeing her cheerful countenance, I realized that no matter what happens, we can still be comforted, we can still be ok. Because of Jesus Christ. My testimony and understanding of the savior grew. Because Jesus Christ overcame the world, and he overcame death, we have HOPE. Hope so bright that it banishes all the darkness.

This message I'm sharing with people is not just nice, or good. It's the truth, and it's powerful. And for someone like Poon, it's made all the difference.

Anyway, I'm glad I'm here. Sometimes I don't even feel like I deserve these people. My investigators are all doing wonderful. Stella is ready for baptism, She's totally on board (and not to mention, wore the new skirt we gave her to church on Sunday, after much argument, but she looked lovely). She needs to get permission still, but that is the only thing that's in the way, both for her and Winnie actually. I am going to the temple today and fasting that their mothers will understand how the gospel will bless their lives forever. Because they are almost there. It's so great to hear them bear testimony of the savior.

Also, I wanted to spend a little time talking about Jennifer. She is the one girl we taught in the hospital, when her grandpa died. She's doing so great! She's accepting everything and loves to learn more about the gospel, she is actually trying to get a new job right now so she can start going to church on Sunday's, to prepare for baptism.(which she wants to do! yay!) But she is sooo funny.  Actually last week, on the way home, for some reason, we all started singing the titanic theme song...because that is her favorite movie. And I told her I really liked it too. and we explained the whole thing to sister Darcey (Jennifer explained in Chinese, and i did in English) because she hasn't seen it before...then not 20 minutes later, after we had gotten home, she called us and said she bought a copy of titanic she wanted to give us! haha.Soooo cute. I had to then explain, in Chinese, that missionaries can't watch movies, but that i'd watch it when I get off my mission. She's hilarious.

Guitar class this week was awesome. Guitar class every week is awesome.I taught everyone how to play "you are my sunshine" and then we had a little talent show after. I think we're gonna make guitar class a permanent thing now. :) We have a lot of ward support. Brother lee helped me fix my guitar and actually got me a golden oldies song book, so i think i'm pretty much set forever. I don't know if i'm allowed to play the Beatles or the BeeJees, but I...uhhh....well....:) I have to teach these deprived children what good music is, right? yeah. Everyone loves guitar class and brings their friends, so I think it's ok.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the most awesome of awesome things that happened this week to help me grow! It's called COMPANION EXCHANGESSSSSS :) I got to stay in my area for today, and my mom (sister Darcey) left me. I got to be paired up with sister Mercado, who, like me, doesn't speak very good Chinese. You would think this is the scariest thing ever, because we had 3 appointments that day, all over yuen long, and i had never gone anywhere by myself before, and Mercado doesn't know the area....and you would be right! But you need to know that heavenly father is AWESOME, in the way that he helped me, for an entire day, speak almost understandable Chinese. hahaa. It was so awesome. We got lost once and I asked for directions from a really nice lady. I have never asked for directions before, and for some reason, then i could understand, and she could also understand me! That day we made cookies (another miracle, i didn't burn them) and brought them to brother lee and his non-member wife. I was able to talk to her for quite a while about stuff, and she wants to see us again! YEAHHH! I gained a testimony of when God calls, he enables. Everything I needed to do that day, I could do, because heavenly father was with me. It was awesome to spread my wings and know that I can do this missionary thing, even without sister Darcey.

Well, I think that's it. And it's chaamdou sihgan, so I have to go. I hope you are all doing wonderfully. I love you so much! Remember to read the scriptures, and pray! And eat your veggies.

Love,
Sister Cook.