I'm so glad to hear that you all have been having a great fun-filled summer with lots of great activities! It's crazy for me to think that summer vacation is coming to a close, cuz as a missionary there's no such thing as a holiday. The time just passes so quickly and it's hard to keep track! I hope that as the new school year starts (especially these monumental years of the start of HIGH SCHOOL and COLLEGE!! How did that happen?!?) that you can build on your experiences this summer and keep the priorities straight. I got to share yesterday with an 18-year-old investigator about my experiences in college about putting scripture study first and how it completely transformed my life. Blessings were poured out, a long with unmeasurable happiness; strength, abilities, and capabilities beyond my own; and even a little extra time for myself since my productivity was increased :) The Lord truly blesses those who put Him first in their lives. I know that first hand.
I decided that I'm going to start titling my emails for fun. Sister Brownell was the inspiration for this one :) One day as we were riding to a recent convert's house she turned to me and asked, "Sister Morey, can you teach me how to sing?" I was delighted and we started practicing how to recognize intervals and pick out harmony lines. So fun :) Then Sister Brownell said, I think I"m just going to have to start using "do re mi..." after which she started singing the song and cleverly pointed out that "mi" really is the name I call myself (Mi JieMei) ! We had a good time laughing about that one :)
This week was crazy and filled with blessings as 5 of our investigators passed their baptismal interviews and are preparing to get baptized next Saturday!! Sister Brownell and I are thrilled and are so grateful for the way the Lord helped these investigators gain their testimonies. Four of the 5 are a mother with 3 daughters and it was a challenge to help them all get ready because they don't all live together so we didn't always know which one of the daughters was going to show up to the lesson. But it was a miracle and a tender mercy to see them near the end when they all started comingtogether. I remember the first time we saw all 4 of them together I thought it was the most beautiful and joyful thing. Sister Brownell and I have been trying so hard to teach them about the importance of family, and we definitely felt the truth of it as we've seen them together more often. The Relief Society President has also offered them a place to rent for cheap where they can all live together. That would be a miracle. We're praying that they take it.
Lu jiemei is our other dear friend who is preparing to be baptized this coming Saturday. We've only known her for almost 3 weeks, but because she is so receptive and willing to follow the Savior (indicated by her willingness to accept our invitations) that she has been able to progress really fast. I remember the second time meeting with her and throughout the lesson she would make such profound comments and give such correct answers that we asked, "How do you know all this?" She replied, "I don't know, I just speak what comes to my mind and heart--it's just given to me." We knew that the Spirit was teaching her that night. She has an innate ability to listen to and respond to the Spirit. I feel so blessed to be her fuyin jiemei!
Another special experience this week was during District Training Meeting and our District Leader, Elder Wyatt, asked each of us what it meant to be a successful missionary. After a few missionaries shared, Sister Brownell nudged me and urged me to share mine. I realized as I was speaking really how the Lord wanted me to define my success.
I shared that I've been very blessed throughout my life that to have had 2 parents who carefully recorded monumental Priesthood Blessings. As I've looked back and re-read those blessings I have seen how they have been fulfilled in miraculous ways throughout my life. Because I have records of my Setting Apart as a missionary and the Father's Blessing immediately following, I have a clearer understanding of what the Lord expects from me as a missionary. If by the end of my mission I can read those blessings and every point has been fulfilled, I will know I have done what the Lord wanted me to do and become the person He wanted me to become--I will have been successful. Therefore it's my job to work in faith to make them come to pass--and that is how I define my success as a missionary. It's been a sweet experience as I've recently reviewed those blessings and have seen how many of the points have already been coming to pass, even though there were times during my service that I thought they were unattainable. I know the Lord has been by my side the whole time. I'm so incredibly grateful and hopeful (and excited!) for the opportunity to work for the rest of my time here to reach for what the Lord expects of me. I just love being a missionary!!
I love each one of you!!! I'm so grateful you've been having such a wonderful summer! Don't get too busy to forget to write me! :P
All my love,
Sister Morey
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