Wen Moving and Co.

(Sent Sept 8 | Photos on Facebook)

We're moving again!

"Wen" did we move in the first place you ask? (See what I did there?) Well, lemme explain:

So, the members that we live with were planning on housing missionaries until their oldest son returned from his mission. Well, because of medical reasons, he returned home a little early, and because of the mission rules of not living in the same house as any boy/man over the age of 12, we were kicked out. Luckily, a family in the ward opened up their house to us. Unfortunately, their oldest boy is almost 12 years-old; therefore, we were told we'd just live there for a week.

SO, this week we are moving to...*drum roll* an apartment! Wahoo! This'll be my first time living in an apartment on my mission #statesidemissions

Buuuuut, since our ward boundaries are ever so small, there are no apartments in our ward boundaries; only houses. (We even have to leave our proselyting area to get gas and to eat out!) SO, we are moving to apartments in another ward! By now, I've become an expert packer and mover.

Because we are moving this Wednesday, we decided to not buy any food until then. In other words, I've been thriving off of toast and jam every morning and a ham and cheese burrito every afternoon. I am just living the life.

I also caught a cold this past week. Considering how we visit so many families with so many children, it was bound to happen. I still wanted to work while I was all sickly and stuff but my companion told me I needed to sleep. Unfortunately, b/c of that, we had to have one of the other sisters go on a temporary mini exchange with Sister L to go teach J. I was so excited for them! He knows A-Z about the Latter-day Saint Church. They said the lesson was amazing and that they could feel the Spirit so strongly in that lesson.

The Spirit, A Missionary's Best Pal

(Sent August 25 | Pics on Facebook)

I got my hair cut today! Unfortunately, my mission president didn't allow me to fly out to New York to get my hair cut by my favorite hairdresser. Let down, I know, but it really took all my might to allow the hair school student to touch my hair. It's free for missionaries, though, so that was nice of them.

Anyway, on a more missionary-related note, we taught J this week and it was amazing, as usual. He shared a personal experience he had the week before when he was on his trip to New Orleans with his buddies. He realized how easy it was to neglect his routine of studying the scriptures, and he expressed how guilty he felt for not doing so. He noticed how neglecting that simple routine negatively affected him for that weekend.

And so we shared with him a scripture:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19, emphases added).

We explained to him that it is in our nature to not read our scriptures and pray every day because obeying the commandments of God really does take effort. Anytime we do something that brings us closer to God is, essentially, us acting upon our faith by doing works. Just like James said, faith without works is dead.

Here, J was given an experience last weekend to teach him about what kind of situations he wants to put himself in. It taught him the importance of scripture study. It taught him of the protection that studying the scriptures provides for him. It's these kinds of experiences that help him progress more than anything anyone could ever say. He needed a chance to notice lacking the Spirit in his life for a time in order to realize his need for Him.

We, as missionaries, are instruments in the Lord's Hands. We are placed to teach people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and create an environment where they can feel the Spirit. Then the Spirit takes it from there.

I love missionary work. I really do! What a fantastic blessing it is!

Love,
Sister Wen

We are our own prophets.

(Sent August 11)

Met with J! And even though he hasn't been able to come to church, he's still progressing. He's still studying the scriptures and he's even meeting up with the Ms, his former LDS neighbors who introduced him to the gospel, down in Texas! And, just like I said last week, we talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We explained how much more he would get out of studying the scriptures if he just had the gift of the Holy Ghost. And he says he wants it! He really has that desire to have His Spirit by his side! Just not right now. He's still adamant in finishing the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price before baptism. So at least we know the Newlin Meadows ward will always have at least one solid investigator! #thebrightsideofthings

On the other side (of Heaven #classic) of bringing someone closer to Christ is G, who I began talking about last week. When we met with him a couple Saturdays ago, we taught him about the gospel in every dispensation. We taught about how God sends his prophets, or men called by God to act in the name of Christ, to end periods of time where people rejected the gospel (aka. apostasies). Basically a little history lesson of how Adam, Noah, Moses, and Abraham, and all those guys were prophets of God.

Last Wednesday, he said, "You girls missed something big last time."

Uhm. What?

"I have a testimony now."

UHM. WHUT.

Reactivation = Baptism

(Sent August 4)

Something that we've been stressing a lot to the members here in the Parker stake is that bringing someone closer to Christ does not only mean baptisms. It also means bringing someone back to church and back to Christ.

So, today I will talk about G. He was baptized about 3 or 4 years ago and fell away from the church almost immediately after. The missionaries that taught him rushed him into baptism before he even gained a testimony just so they could get 1 baptism in their numbers. By the way, that is not the best way to bring someone unto Christ.

When Sister Billings and I both started meeting with him, he didn't have a testimony of God and His existence. Now, he's getting there. His favorite phrase is: "I'm an atheist and I thank God for it!" He looks around the world and can't help but think there is a higher power out there.

He claimed he never felt the Spirit. We shared scriptures but that didn't help. But we learned that he learns best through examples and analogies. (Makes sense, though, because I guess Jesus taught that way, too.) Both Sister Billings and I grew up in the church, so we had to figure it out ourselves. We both reached a point some time in high school where we had to decided whether this church and this whole gospel thing is true. And where's the best place to go with that in mind? Well, God, of course!

So we both shared our experiences of when we felt the Spirit in our lives and he says he's beginning to believe that God has been directing him throughout his life the whole time so that he could reach this point. He says he's beginning to recognize how the Spirit works.

And when I heard that, my heart leaped! It was the same feeling I had when both K and N accepted the invitation to baptism! I was just so happy for them!

Man, missionary work is fantabulous.

We weren't able to meet with J again this week because of his business traveling. We are planning on talking with him about the gift of the Holy Ghost and how much more he'll learn with that gift. We'll see!

Hope you all have a fantabulous week as well!
Love,
Sister Wen

J.W. Marriott at it again.

(Sent July 28 | Photos on Facebook)

So rough week again. BUT we have an awesome week/month coming up. Here's why:

The stake presidency here in the Parker stake are super missionary-minded and it really helps us out a lot. But, then again, the purpose of missionaries is really to help the members with the missionary work in their ward. We are simply guests.

But, the stake presidency has begun a program called the "Parker Plan" where we, the missionaries, teach six specific lessons to all the members in our ward with the objective of helping all the active members become better "finders," or be even more open and willing to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors! So, this way, we really are helping the members hasten the work of salvation in the area they live in! It's fabulous!

I absolutely love being a missionary. It's one of the greatest decisions I've ever made thus far in my short life of nineteen years. I've learned so much in the past 6 months and I still feel like I'm new to this whole thing. I kind of like having the Spirit with me all the time. It's a good feeling. And I have to admit, I've never felt closer to God than ever before.

We also were finally able to meet with J again. His job really has him working now....Is it a coincidence now that he's getting closer and closer to accepting baptism? Nope. I think that's the one thing that stumps a lot of people here in Parker. Work. Then life gets too busy and there's no time for the gospel.

But, fun fact! J had actually forgotten to bring his scriptures to study while on his business trip. BUT, luckily, he was staying at a Marriott hotel so he was still able to study from the Book of Mormon they have there! #marriottsavinglives

No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing!

Hope you have a marvelous week! (And get in your last-minute vacations before school starts up again! ha.)

Love,
Sister Wen

P.S. Oh, also, shout-out to Sister Hoynacki, my first companion/trainer! She's finished her mission and returned home with honor. I am also expecting a wedding invitation from her as well.

Fields of Sunshine and Butterflies!

(Sent July 21)

We both survived transfers! Both Sister Billings and I are staying here in Parkerrrrrr! This will be our third transfer together and everyone says there's something we need to learn from each other but I'm not sure what because we're like a power companionship.

But I do think it's the area that we need to learn from. I'm learning everyday!

Update on J: We haven't met with him for the past two weeks. His business trips take up the chunk of the week and then he got a call into work before our appointment last Friday. We encourage him to read the Book of Mormon frequently, but we're not entirely sure if he is. I'm sure he is, seeing as to how he's visiting his LDS friends on the side while on his business trips. He'll get there.

But, S. S is a referral from the Interwebz. Some missionaries are doing service for her friend and she requested service as well. We got out of our dinner appointment last Sunday and met a man with his daughter walking their dogs. He was very kind and friendly towards us and let us pet their dogs (cute little kids they were) whom they were fostering. We talked a little bit and parted ways. A couple days later, we met S to set up a time. But, (turn of events) S's husband was the man we met last Sunday!

From then on, both Sister Billings and I knew that something great's going to come from our service for S.

Faith and hope always succeed and lead to even more rewards like fields of sunshine and butterflies! That's how I see Colorado.

Guaranteed.

Comeback!

(Sent July 14 | Photos on Facebook)

So missionaries have fun all the time. When we talk about our daily routine, it seems pretty boring but, in reality, it's what you make of it.

Last Monday, after I emailed, I organized a water balloon fight with the other sisters in the zone. Only one other companionship showed up but it was still incredibly fun. I got wet from it.

Anyway, back to mish work. This past week has been pretty rough in terms of teaching but only up until the very last day of our week.

J's work has him going on business trips Sundays through Thursdays for the next few weeks sooooo that means we can only meet with him once a week (which is actually better than not at all). But, the worst of all, he won't be able to make it to church for the next couple of weeks.

So we went to church knowing that J wouldn't be there. We were talking with members, minding our business, when Sister S walks into the chapel with her neighbor, B! And for those of you who haven't read my past blog posts (which is probably most of you), B is a former investigator of the church! Since I've been here, I've only been able to meet with her once and that was almost 3 months ago. Work and vacation time came up so we haven't taught her any lessons since 3 months ago. But then she showed up at church! It was amazing!

During Sunday school and Relief Society, I saw her tearing up and wiping her eyes. The Spirit definitely testified to her as we talked about gospel topics. You can always count on the Spirit!

Not only that but some elders in another ward texted us with a referral from another zone, so we're going to contact her this week. I'll let you know what comes from that next week. Stay tuned! heh.

Love,
Sister Wen

P.S. Last night, my district leader told me he met someone that asked if he knows a "Sister Wen" (that's me, btw)....So, shout out to Nathan Oaks! It's a super small world!

Our Purpose. Our Purpose is to...

(Sent July 7 | Photos on Facebook)

Every morning for companionship study, we recite some missionary quotes. The very first one we recite is "Our Purpose" (found in chapter 1 in Preach My Gospel).

Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

Sometimes I wonder why on Earth I was sent to Parker, CO at this particular time out of all the other areas in the Denver North Mission. They always tell us to leave an area better than we found it. Buuuut we haven't found too many solid investigators in the area, and there aren't too many less active members that are willing to visit with us. So, since being here almost 3 months now, I thought about it. I thought about my purpose here in this ward. Maybe my purpose here isn't necessarily to build up the teaching pool. Maybe it's to strengthen the teaching pool that is already here. Either way, I'm inviting someone to come unto Christ.

One of the investigators here, named J, has been investigating the church since January. It's been 6 months and he still does not feel ready for baptism.

But, oh, he is getting closer and closer every week.

New Found Profession: Miracle Banking

(Sent June 23)

So last week, I talked about how Sister Billings and I changed our attitude and miracles began, right?

Well, lemme provide some examples from just this past week.

Last Monday, we had an appointment with D, who invited us back the Saturday previous. Turns out he's good friends with his neighbors who are members of the church so we invited them to join us. Apparently, he's been invited to take the missionary discussions since 2012, but never accepted...until now.

He told us that he's finally meeting with the missionaries because he wants to be more happy, more positive about life. I told him that he came to the right people! We taught him about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and by the end, he was very curious as to what the Book of Mormon is all about!

+1 heavenly addition to the Parker miracle bank.

Then, Tuesday morning, one of the Assistants to the Presidents (APs) called us. We thought that he was either bringing bad news to us or very bad news. He told us that some elders in some area other than Parker crashed their car and they needed a car. And they thought that they should take the car from the smallest area in the mission, namely, Newlin Meadows. They were going to take our car away.

Let's just say I was #speechless.

Sister Billings and I were beginning to think of how we were to rearrange our schedules to include walking from place to place. In the dead of heat. In Colorado, where civilization can't get any closer to the sun.

Gators that swim but don't bite

(Sent Monday, May 12

For those of you who don't know, missionaries are allowed to call/Skype home twice a year on Christmas and on Mother's Day. So yesterday was the best. It was weird, though, because I felt like I just said goodbye to my family last week...not 3, almost 4, months ago.

But it was a gloomy Mother's Day because it snowed. Yes. Exactly. It snowed in the middle of May. And guess what? It's still snowing right now.

Anyway I think the title of this post was pretty darn clever. Let me tell you why:

B. I've only met with her once since being here. She's progressing very slowly because she has quite a few questions about religion, life, and truths, and they are some very reasonable questions and concerns that she has. But she's only come to church once since February. She hasn't been to church since and her main concern is that since the church is so family-oriented (because the family unit is the most sacred of all units), she wants her family in on it as well. A legitimate concern.

J. We've met with him twice since I've been here the past two weeks. He's also progressing very slowly because he also has legitimate questions on the fullness of the truth that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just happens to hold. His main concern, however, is that he doesn't know quite yet if baptism is the thing God wants him to do right now. He says he's still waiting on an answer from God.

So, with a brief description of two of the investigators here, I'll go on to explain my brilliant title. A "gator" is simply an "investigator," or someone who is looking into the church and seeking for truth. J and B are these gators. They're swimming, moving forward, and progressing, but they're not biting onto anything that will provide food or nourishment or even just an anchor for them. They don't feel prepared to bite onto that one commitment of a baptismal date until they've received a sort of knowing that it's the right thing to do.