Hola mi familia y amigos(as)!
How has your new years' been? And how are everyone's new year's resolutions?
This week has been C.R.A.Z.Y! And right now I'm trying to squeeze my brain juices to remember things that has happened this past week. Things have been pretty busy as the last weeks of the Christmas lights came and there were a LOT of people on the square. Then a few days ago, Sister Lau and I ALMOST separated because there was a companionship that were supposedly emergecy transferred. We were quite happy it didn't happen. Then we've thought of the lessons we can learn from the experience. My mom actually taught me how to do that! Last Tuesday when we were calling Vicky Wang, 我的同伴劉姊妹讓我祈禱在中文。I freaked out and that was the first time I ever prayed in Mandarin! She said I did well and was proud of me for doing so. I nearly died out of anxiety!
Something that I had failed to mention in the last email was that "Meet the Mormons" is already out in the Visitors' Centers worldwide and will probably be out on the internet some time. Not sure when though but the missionary department has been working on it. The movie in the Legacy Theater of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building is ticketed but you can get free tickets to lds.org/events (you can click the link). So tell the people back at home for those who are still currently on their missions! While at the North Visitors' Center, you can ask the Sisters to play it by request. We are very excited! It's being advertised in Kiosks all over Temple Square! We had a training last week regarding that on how we will be introducing the movie and making it as a teaching opportunity for us as visitors' center missionaries. WE ARE PUMPED!
We were able to teach a lot of lessons this week and were able to reach most of our goals, but what makes it worthwhile is that we did the all that we could to achieve them. We still felt happy and proud of ourselves for doing so. We are just quite sad that an investigator who was supposed to get baptized last Sunday wasn't able to do so because she went on a vacation, but WE DID HAVE A MIRACLE BAPTISM! We called our investigator who we never gotten a hold of ever since 6 weeks ago (4 weeks for me) and he was on date for the 22nd. He finally answered the phone and he told us that he got baptized last December 20th and he loves the church. He is struggling though after that but don't we all?
These past few weeks, the Zone Leaders followed-up on what we needed to do as a zone to become more effective, more consecrated, more passionate missionaries especially during the winter season when the square does not have that many people. After the lights, the Beehive house has quieted down a little bit and our teaching pool has dropped since those the we are teaching were making commitments to baptism and we are back in the finding stage. The Lord has blessed Sister Lau and I as we have been praying to find those that have prepared and luckily, we have one on date for next transfer and we met someone from Ghana who is willing to make that step. We also met a couple of people just recently who is willing to make changes and become closer to Christ. In fact, one of the had almost the same past as I did and so I am so blessed to meet someone that I could help because of my experiences. I was able to do that with Michael. Speaking of which, I received sad news from Sister Hulme today and we hope that everything will turn out alright before we leave our missions (in the Lord's will and time). Sister Lau and I will be praying for him.
These past few weeks, the Zone Leaders followed-up on what we needed to do as a zone to become more effective, more consecrated, more passionate missionaries especially during the winter season when the square does not have that many people. After the lights, the Beehive house has quieted down a little bit and our teaching pool has dropped since those the we are teaching were making commitments to baptism and we are back in the finding stage. The Lord has blessed Sister Lau and I as we have been praying to find those that have prepared and luckily, we have one on date for next transfer and we met someone from Ghana who is willing to make that step. We also met a couple of people just recently who is willing to make changes and become closer to Christ. In fact, one of the had almost the same past as I did and so I am so blessed to meet someone that I could help because of my experiences. I was able to do that with Michael. Speaking of which, I received sad news from Sister Hulme today and we hope that everything will turn out alright before we leave our missions (in the Lord's will and time). Sister Lau and I will be praying for him.
Of to the spiritual side, I was reading through Elder Ballard's talk during a CES Devotional this past year and something he said caught my eye. He said, "As an Apostle, I now ask you a question: Do you have any personal quiet time?...Everyone needs time to meditate and contemplate...We all need time to ask ourselves questions or to have a regular personal interview with ourselves. We are often so busy and the world is so loud that it is difficult to hear the heavenly words 'be still, and know that I am God.'" I've took that statement to heart and last night, I felt that there was this weight on my shoulders and thoughts of negativity and doubt came into my head. I followed the apostle's counsel and I asked myself and had some self-evaluation. I've thought of the blessings and the miracles that I had received that day. I was able to have a really good sleep last night because of it. Sometimes, it is good to pause, ponder and contemplate to hear the still, small voice of our Father in Heaven and to have that confirmation that He is there, that He is mindful of us, and that He loves us.
The blessings and the tender mercies that I have definitely seen this week have been a testimony of God's love for me as His daughter, especially now that I am striving to work on Individual Worth of the Young Women's Personal Progress. In fact, last Sunday, after contemplating on the sacrament hymn "Where can I turn for peace?" for this new year, I met a couple on the Square who was willing to send me two of the Nashville Tribute Band's albums "Trek: A tribute to the Pioneers" and "Redeemer". I was so happy! Then we found out that one of the recent converts that a Taiwanese Sister transferred to Sister Lau was from Zamboanga, Phils.! I got to talk to her in Cebuano and I cried because she was talking about homesickness and how much she missed her family in the Philippines but she's currently in Florida. We are also helping her getting ready to enter the Temple.
Well, so much for the LONG email. Sorry about that. But always know that I love you all and I am glad to have shared this wonderful experiences with you. I am looking forward to the remaining time I have in my mission and I am definitely going to do all that I can to leave it better than I found it.
"Yea, for this cause I have said: Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee. And if thou art faithful in keeping my commandments, thou shalt be lifted up at the last day. Amen." - Doctrine and Covenants 5:34-35
"Yea, for this cause I have said: Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee. And if thou art faithful in keeping my commandments, thou shalt be lifted up at the last day. Amen." - Doctrine and Covenants 5:34-35
Sister Kristel Marie Cruz Ngo (吳姐妹)
Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission/
p.s. My "trunky papers" (pre-release form) came. I haven't finished filling it up yet because I am waiting for Missionary Department's approval. :)
And we passed clean checks! Spotless Kitchen supervised by yours truly.
