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

Miracles Do Happen!

(Sent May 19 | New photos on Facebook)

K AND N WERE BAPTIZED! I got permission to go to their baptism and, lemme tell you, the baptismal service was just PACKED with people who wanted to witness their baptism. People had to stand in the back and outside the door. I expected that, though, because it was the first baptism(s) the Parkview Ward has had in 7 years! WAHOOOOOO! #miraclesdohappen

I'll never forget their baptism. I was able to see all the members of the Parkview Ward that I'd grown so close to. Everyone was just so excited for a new addition to the Parkview family. The Spirit was so strong during the service that anyone who attended would've felt His presence.

It was a weird feeling, though, because I didn't feel any bit accomplished; I just felt happy for them. I don't think I've ever really felt that kind of happiness before. It wasn't like the feeling of finally learning how to ride a bike, nor was it like getting accepted into BYU. Really, I was just happy they were making the decision to be baptized. They've been ready for a long time. Sister Hoynacki and I just happened to be the missionaries who taught them.

After they both immersed into the water and rose in symbolism of their spiritual rebirth, I went to the dressing room to congratulate them. Sister Hoynacki was there and she asked K and N how they felt. N, being 11, said, "Good," and her mother said, "Clean! Fresh! New!" And it was true! She was then a new person! She was able to put her past mistakes behind her. All that guilt washed away! In entering the waters of baptism, she officially made the covenant, the promise, with God that she will take upon herself the name of Christ, that she will always remember Him, and that she will keep His commandments.

All in all, it was a very humbling experience.

I testify that miracles do happen every single day in all of our lives as long as we have faith and as long as we act upon that faith by continually progressing in our commitment to God.

Loves,

Sister Wen

PARKER NATION

Guess what? I've been transferred! Guess where? Yeah, dat's raight. Parker, Colorado. #holla

So transfers are probably the most stressful events ever on the mission. You find out you're leaving Saturday night. You tell everyone in the ward Sunday morning. Then you cry your eyes out for the rest of the Sunday saying goodbye to families and individuals who became good friends. Oh, man. I was so tired by the end of the day.

I'm sad to be leaving K and N, too, the two super solid progressing investigators. I'll miss seeing their early progression in the gospel before their baptism on May 24. I was only able to teach K one time this past week because the other time, I was on exchanges in the Crestmoor ward, the heart of Denver. Let's just say, the people there are very much humbled. It was almost odd witnessing people who were so willing to listen to the message that we have. We usually would get a polite "No, thanks" or a simple slam of the door. But, in Denver, they recognize God's hand in their lives. They attribute all of their successes in life to God, even if there were few.

I also said goodbye to M and B this morning. M's been investigating and B, her boyfriend, is less active in the church. But I'm going to her baptism. No matter how far into the future it is. I'M GOING.

So, I'm in Parker now in probably the smallest ward geographically in the mission. A 3 mile diameter. It is also the southern-most ward in the mission so the ward boundaries are the Denver North and Colorado Springs Mission boundaries. We actually go into the Springs mission for grocery shopping. Like, what?

But I am so excited to begin the work in this ward. Apparently the sister before me would not go out to work, so Sister Billings and I basically have to rebuild the work in this ward again. It's like being swept into a ward again! Apparently the members are very missionary-minded so I'm excited to get started! In like an hour!

Bunnies. Chocolate. Eggs. Easter

(Sent April 14)

Missions are always exciting and something new happens each week. Sometimes I think the time's flown by so fast and, at the same time, it's gone by so slow because of how much has happened in so little time.

This week:

1. I helped paint the inside of a house as service. It was the closest thing I could get to an adrenaline rush for being on a ladder so high up to paint the walls. So that was exciting.

2. We were totally blind-sided by a couple investigating the church. He said that there is no way he will read the Book of Mormon. Then he sort of interrogated us for the next two hours. He said he tried not to be lawyer-y because he's a contract lawyer. All I can say is, he did his very best! But he and his wife are one of the nicest people we know here (and Coloradoans are pretty nice!). They said that when they were first in America, he didn't know any English but the only people who befriended him were members of the church and he will never forget that.

So, members of the church! You have no idea how influential you are in missionary work by simply just being an example! In fact, that was talked about quite a bit in the General Conference. A true disciple of Christ is one who loves and is an example to others and, yet, defends what he or she knows is right.