Week 15 Christmas: He sent His Son 12/25/2019

Pictures:

-grocery shopping and we got bought only vegetables and it was the best thing ever

-every picture with us in red shirts is us when we went caroling on Christmas eve at nursing homes! The best!!!

-Me and my STL Sis. Blakely went to go eat froyo after our exchange. She is the best.

-me and Sis. Shay planned a zone pday for today. Let me just say, it was so fun.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🎄🎄🎄

I am in the Palos Verdes area and I am in the Peninsula branch which is the Chinese branch in our mission (actually, it is THE Chinese branch in our mission because it's the ONLY Chinese branch in our mission) and then me and my companion also cover the English ward in this area with another set of sisters. Members here are awesome!!!! My new companion is Sis. Shay from Vancouver Canada and she is the best. I have never met someone with as much capacity to love as she does. Every day it just feels like I'm going out on an errand for the Lord with my best friend. And we make up a different dance every day and whenever we get excited about something that day we do that dance. It is a BLAST. 

Thought time:

On the mission, I feel like every day is Christmas because every day we give, every day we celebrate Christ, and every day, we are trying to follow Christ's example. One of my favorite primary songs is "He Sent His Son." The lyrics goes like this: 

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?

He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.

How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?

He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?

He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.

What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?

Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.

What does he ask? Live like His Son.

So let us do as God asks. Let us live like His Son.

Story time:

This week we went and had dinner with a part member family. They are all members except for the nephew. We also got to teach them in Chinese! We shared a thought with all of them though, and we talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I talked about prayer and how when we pray, we can ask Heavenly Father to apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. And then we asked the nephew to pray. He doesn't believe in God or anything, but we asked him to try. He agreed to pray, and we all felt the spirit so strong. His aunt was crying and I just couldn't stop smiling. It was the best thing ever.

Remember Christ always!! 

Week 14 With Much Love, Culver City - Getting Transferred to Chinese branch 12/16/2019

I'm getting transferred to the Chinese branch! 
Not staying with Sis. Lee either ): but my new companion is Sis. Shay! I love her and am excited to serve with her! 

We forgot transfer calls were last night.

We got a call last night.

We're getting transferred. 

Ah.

After white washing an area (basically it means you are brand new missionaries in that area) for a transfer, me and Sis. Lee are both getting transferred to new areas. We for sure thought we were going to stay, but alas, the Lord has a plan. 

Before serving a mission, I knew what being transferred meant (you move to a different part of your mission and into a new area). But now that I'm actually experiencing what "getting transferred" is actually like, let me just tell you. It is wild. Me and Sis. Lee forgot that transfer calls (basically you find out if you are getting transferred or not) until we got a text from our zone leaders like an hour before, so I guess this concludes my first transfer. I'm sad to leave Sis. Lee, but I'll be with a Sister named Sis. Shay and I love her!!! And Sis. Lee served in this last area for 5 transfers, so she's excited for me too. Seriously still can't believe we're both getting transferred because when you're in the Chinese Zone, you tend to stay in the same place for a while.

A thought in closing: 

Thanksgiving was a couple weeks ago, people on the college campus finished finals (加油), Christmas is actually pretty soon now that I think about it, and it's almost 2020, the year we all have waited for. But on the mission, the days seem to just fly by and you tend to forget these things because every single day, you are just working and hoping for the Salvation of the people. The Savior taught (3 Nephi 13:25): "For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." That is why I love being on a mission. There is nothing more important than helping each other return to our Father. 

Sister Chou and Sister Lee teaching in the park

Sister Chou gets package from Asian ward and Chou family

Week 13 The Presence of God & Temple last week 12/9/2019

Culver City park? Why not. Another day of rain, another day of finding. Guess what we find? Not one, person this time, but 3! 3 that left before we got out of the car and got a chance to talk to them. . . . . . And then we see it, a car. And I leaned to my Sis. Lee and said, "that's her. She's here again. " Lo and behold, it is the same lady we saw 2 weeks ago at the park. The one we gave the Book of Mormon to. Remember that little spark of hope that we left a good impression? Well now imagine that spark being a full on 🔥🔥🔥 (yes, 3 fires to make up to the 3 people we didn't talk to) as we are walking to her car. Well, 3 sentences. 

1. She read the first chapter of 1 Nephi 

2. She wants to meet up again to discuss

3. She said she wants to read until  1 Nephi 5 by the time we meet!

Now why do I pick this story to tell out of all the ones that have happened this week? Because I know that the presence of God is real. He was there that day, I know we were meant to be there that day! And He is here today in every single one of our lives. He works miracles in our lives, don't be too stubborn to say that they're not from God. He sacrificed His only Son for us because He loves you! And He can be in your life if you let Him. 

Also side note, Culver City is making progress! I asked my mom to pray for this area and she emailed me and told me she prays for Culver City. Often, and hard. I am not just convinced, but I know that it's because of those prayers and because of faith that me and Sis. Lee are able to witness people being more receptive to the gospel! Thanks mom. 

I love you all! And I hope you are able to see the presence of God in your life! 

This week we went to the temple this week! I am halfway through my first transfer!

Week 12 pictures & The Presence of God

Culver City. Oh what a good place. But pouring rain. Pouring rain I was not a fan of. But pouring rain also will not stop us from the Salvation of the People. We (and by we I mean me and Sis. Lee) drove up to Culver City park. One person. Well 2 if you count the dog. 2 words: Perfect opportunity. Well, by the time we ended that conversation, I had 2 new words words: super awkward. We continued to walk around the park, and then we see another lady sitting on a bench. Reading. Well, you know us missionaries, if you're reading, that won't stop us from trying to share the happiest message on planet earth. And guess what she was reading? It was called "The Presence of God." We talked about God, and she told us, "Ladies, keep doing what you're doing. Keep being bold, and follow the Spirit!" And we left her with a Book of Mormon. We were so excited about it and texted her, but when text responses stopped coming, that excitement gradually became just a little hope, a little  希望, that we left a good impression and we left it at that.