Sister Ko is my New Companion!

I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!! Today is move-call day and I just got my new companion, Sister Ko (Gao Jie Mei). She is absolutely incredible and I can already feel of her love and enthusiasm. Sister Chu moved to another part of Tai Zhong after being here for 5 move-calls (abnormally long). It was tender to see how many people cried when she left. She put her heart into the work, and I'm going to do all I can, with Sister Ko, to carry on her legacy.

Sister Ko is an American-born Chinese, half from Hong Kong, half from Idaho, and has 3 younger siblings about the same age as you guys (Adam, Jake and Jordan)! The only difference is that her littlest sibling is a girl :) I sent a picture of me and her, along with Sister Chu and her new companion, and one of the members in our area, Yuan Ling, who is preparing to serve a mission. SO HAPPY!!

We're looking forward to a few baptisms coming up in the next few weeks! This week Liu Yong Zhang, one of our recent convert's boyfriends, will be getting baptized, and next week a little 8-year old boy of a part-member family will be getting baptized as well. We are so excited for them! The work is moving forward here! Sister Ko will be an incredible strength, and has already expressed her excitement to work with the new members, less-actives, and investigators--and she hasn't even met them yet! Wow, she's such a good example. I know I am going to learn a lot from her this move-call.

Thank you for all your love and support, Mom, Dad, Adam, Jake and Jordan. Even though I haven't heard much from the boys, Mom and Dad have been telling me you've been praying for me. Thank you. I really feel your prayers have strengthened me, and every time I picture you all doing family prayer, I feel SO much love. The gospel has incredible strength to bring families close together, and I have felt of that influence. I love you all SOOOO much!

I know the gospel is true without a doubt. As we live it with a willing, loving heart, the blessings are rich. Jia you!!!

All my love,

Sister Morey

Miracles & Mexican Food :)

Today Sister Chu and I are going to eat Mexican food for lunch (her favorite) :) That should be really fun! We're not really sure, but we're expecting her to get transferred this next week because she's been here for 5 move-calls! I've really enjoyed serving with her. She's taught me a lot of Chinese, as well as a love for missionary work. She's helped me be happy through the hard times, and has laughed and sung songs with me through the joyous times! One of the miracles that has happened as we've been together is that even though at the end of the day it looks like our numbers are low, somehow by the end of the week we reach our goals (or at least get close!). Sister Chu has taught me that if you just do your best and get to work, the Lord helps you meet your goals.

We had a few miracles, one of which I already I told you about (the part-member family who we found someone to go visit them with and it ended up being the perfect match for them). Another miracle was that our investigator who is planning on getting baptized in 2 weeks said he wouldn't be able to come to church this week because of a special work conference, but he showed up to sacrament meeting yesterday! We were ecstatic! Sometimes it's really hard to see how things will all work out, but when little things like that happen I know that the Lord is working on our side and that we just have to be patient. We can do all we can, and then leave it in the hands of the Lord. He'll make the miracles happen. I just pray for them to happen more often :)

This week we also got to meet with a former investigator who has been on and off for about 2 years. She's a mother with 2 kids and has a strong desire to lead her family closer to God. Her concern is that she doesn't want to join on her own--she wants her whole family to be in the same church, especially her husband. The miracle was that by the end of the lesson, she decided on her own that she wanted to pray and read every day at a specific time in order to receive help from Heavenly Father--we didn't even have to tell her! We'll keep praying for her and that she will have the strength to lead her whole family to the church. I know the gospel blesses families immeasurably!

I know you've heard about the earthquake in Japan. I didn't feel it here, although yesterday there was a little tremmor during one of our lessons. Nothing big though. I'm glad to hear that all the missionaries in Japan are safe! My heart goes out to all those who are suffering because of this tragedy. Lots of people have been asking about our views about why things like that happen. There are many possible reasons, and it's impossible for us to know all the reasonings of the Lord, but this I know, that Heavenly Father loves His children. If anything, this tragedy is a way for people to be humble, turn to the Lord for healing and help, and has given an opportunity for many others to reach out and give service. The Lord works His miracles and shows His love through others--each of us. I hope that the poeple of Japan will be able to feel His love, and be able to re-build their lives on an even stronger foundation, Jesus Christ, the love and light of the world.

All my love,

Sister Morey :)

Stake Conference, Family, & Miracles

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It really gives me strength and hope to think of you doing that for me. I pray for each of you too.

This Sunday we had Stake Conference, which was all about "A House of God," how the gospel blesses families. I'm so grateful that I was "born of goodly parents" who have worked diligently to teach our family the principles of the gospel, and set an example that we can safely follow. Thank you, Mom and Dad. Your faith and hope and charity have inspired me many times, especially while I've been here on my mission.

One of the things that really impressed me during Stake Conference was how everything we do to create a strong family (family prayer, family scripture study, Family Home Evening, wholesome recreational activities, and lots more!) is to create an atmosphere in which the Spirit can reside. The Spirit is what brings all the blessings of the Gospel into our lives. We must do all we can to purify our homes, actions, and thoughts to let the Spirit more easily touch our lives both as individuals and as families.

As we drove up to the Stake Center, I was overwhelmed with a sense of strength from being with so many faithful saints. As I saw mothers and fathers with their children, dressed in their Sunday best walking on the streets and towards that building, I could feel the power that comes from being together with the saints. I don't think I've ever felt that so strongly before. Sometimes it's hard to remember you're not the only one out there when you're off in your own area facing the evils of the world every day. It was so refreshing to be back "home." The topic of the conference was fitting, and I thought of how our own homes should be a refuge and place of safety and relief after going out and facing the world as individuals each day. Hearing the prayers of our family members on our behalf is one of those reliefs that gives strength to face our individual challenges. Thank you for your prayers.

This week I've seen a few miracles :)  A few weeks ago we started teaching an Indonesian woman (and her friend) working here to care for an old amah (grandma). She can speak Chinese pretty well, but without much religious vocabulary it was hard for us to communicate the message of the Gospel. But we kept teaching, and she said she would keep praying. This week the Elders who work in the office gave us 2 copies of the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets of the first three lessons in Indonesian. It was a wonderful experience to have these teaching materials and to see their eyes light up as we read from the Book of Mormon and they were finally able to really understand what we were teaching! Just yesterday we found out that one of our new members can speak Indonesian, so he'll help us with the lessons too. What a miracle!

Mom and Dad, thanks for your letters. I love to hear the few snippets about what's going on with the family. Dad, thanks for the ice cream story--it really made me chuckle :) Mom, thanks for sharing your insights on talents. It was a good reminder that "talent and ability most often comes when we have a desire to bless others with those skills and to build up the Lord's kingdom."

I love you all soooooo much! I KNOW the gospel is true. I can feel it as I read the Book of Mormon. I can see it as I watch investigators apply the principles in their lives. I know it through a life-time of obedience and dedicated service. There's nothing that could ever get me to deny my testimony-- not when the "devil sends forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon [me]... because of the rock upon which I am built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12). I've felt more opposition here than I ever have in my life. But I KNOW the Savior lives and loves me. That sure knowledge gives me hope when there's nothing else. Build on that foundation. It brings more joy, hope and peace than anything else this world can offer.

All my love,

Sister Morey

PS. One of the pictures I sent last week was of my companion, me and two of our recent converts--they're sisters, and one of them is preparing to go on a mission!! They took us out to lunch at an awesome Italian restaurant and we had a lot of fun together. Just wanted to let you know cuz I forgot to say last week and it'd be weird to have no idea who the people in the picture were :) LOVE YOU!!