week #55 Monday, March 23, 2014

Hey everyone,

     So shockingly, another week flew by. But that's not to say nothing happened this week, because it was filled with miracles and lots of growth. So first off, Tuesday we had zone conference with the Jiayi. It was so great. I got to see Elder Gummow again, he's doing great, rocking it up in douliu. At the meeting we discussed a ton, like the doctrine of Christ, the vision of the area presidency, we got new rules and clarifications. Something we also discussed that I want to implement more, is President Blickenstaff told us a bit about how talking about our families brings in the spirit. I want to start using that at the beginning of lessons by having them talk about their families more. Hope it will help. Then we had a meeting after with the district leaders and the mission president. It was really great, we discussed Baptismal interviews, exchanges, and a bunch of other things. In the end I was super pumped to go and do stuff, unfortunately we didn't get back until.....8:30, so we didn't get to use our energy that night. But the next day we had Elder Yang, one of the assistants with us, and it was a great day.

     We started off by meeting with Sister C, taught her a bit, made sure she was prepared for her interview and then she had an interview w/ Elder Yang and......SHE PASSED!!!! so she's gonna get baptized this Saturday night. woot woot!

We had a few other lessons that were both very chaotic, our peike's (investigators) were not on focus, and we just were not on game, it was pretty sad, but Elder Yang didn't judge us too hard (he's too nice, he doesn't judge). We had advanced english class that week. It was super fun. We also got one of our english students to come to church, so that's going great!

Thursday was crazy, we had a flood.....in our apartment......So about 8:30 during personal study Elder Lieske says "well I gotta go to the bathroom" and then yells "Elder Bean, there's water everywhere!" I was pretty confused, so I came out and there was a huge puddle in our guitar room, changing room, and in front of the bathroom. We called our land lord and our office. They came and tried to fix it, but it was pretty all over the place. Most of everything was soaked (we had to use all our clothes, rags, and mop to try and soak up water, and it still didn't do the job, so we just built a wall of soaked clothes around the puddle so it wouldn't spread. Took up a ton of time Thursday. But it didn't distract the work too bad. 

We are looking to rescue quite a few of less actives, it's so exciting. I don't know what happened, but they are all changing their hearts. It's great! They're starting to read and pray daily, come to church, now we just have to help them receive a calling/assignment and they'll be set. Sometimes I feel less active saving is so much fun. I really hope it builds up the ward. I think we are seeing a revolution in the ward. 

     Sunday after church we had a lesson with that english student who also just happens to be a student of Chen Jiemei. She's super excited, loved church, has a ton of friends now, and already accpeted a date to be baptized. The works rolling. 

     Well I'm excited for this week. Thing's I'll be doing this week include but are not limited to another set of exchanges with the seconders. They've dropped a ton lately in their work and I've been asked to try and figure out what's going on, exchanges with the zone leaders, chen jiemei getting baptized, a musical concert our ward is putting on, oh ya and a ton of miracles. I know This is God's work, Elder Lieske and I constantly are amazed how we don't have the skills required, we lack in a ton of ability, but it just shows that we aren't the ones doing this work, it's all on the Lord. It reminds me about the scripture where the jews go to war and the leader is told to cut down their forces so that there is very very few present to fight. It helps them know the Lord is the one who won the war. I definitely feel right now the Lord is the one finding, teaching, and helping people prepare for baptism because for some reason  it's happening. 

I love the work and all of you,

Elder Bean

week #54 Monday, March 16, 2014

Hey everyone,

     This week zoomed by. I really don't feel I just experienced a week but I'll try my best to relate this weeks events. Here's the rundown. So Monday night we went to go visit one of our investigator's and his family came to the door and told us that he wasn't home and that we shouldn't come back because they'll kick him out if he comes to church....ya that was awkward and sad, but then he texted us later and said he still wants to meet us, we just need a better place to meet. He's such a pioneer, I'm so happy! Then Tuesday I went on exchanges with the 2nder's it was a good exchange. My focus with him is they can find at anytime and they can have a ton of success. I think there were a lot of learning moments. Then Wednesday our English class doubled, that's right we have double the people we are teaching, so this week we are gonna try and do an advanced class in addition to our beginner class. We've been doing pretty good on the streets. Been talking to a ton of people. I'm really starting to feel the streets just recognize us and everyone has seen us before. It's fun when it starts getting to that point. 

     We went tracting the other day and ran into a guy who was so prepared. He is blind, so he's been trying to find the purpose of life. Such a great meet, he says he's met other church people and they all have the problem of just trying to share, no one listens to what he's gone through. It'll be a great time teaching him. 

We went to ward council, it was pretty good. The ward just showed us how involved they are in the work. I was so pumped. I want to help this ward so much have the success they deserve. That's pretty much what happened this week. 

     I know this is God's work. I know the possibilities are endless here in the mission. It's really just a giant 神安排(God organized) time. We just happen to run into the people who are asking the questions. We are able to find the members that need strengthening. God really does lead this work, he doesn't let us fail for nothing. I know Jesus Christ Lives. I know he's my Savior and I know that he loves the people of Guiren, I'm so grateful to serve them!

With love,

Elder Bean

week #53 Monday, March 9, 2014

Family,

 

So the new move call has already started and it's definitely gonna be an interesting one. So first thing that's new is I have to do my DTM's (district training meetings) completely in Chinese now because one of the Elders is a native, and it's a new rule so that'll be fun, get to practice my Chinese....But DTM's still seem to be good, I'm still feeling pumped to go chuanjiao(go do mission stuff...bad translation). We have been trying to work really hard and hit the standards in our mission. Sadly, Elder Lieske and I failed this week. It was the first week since Chinese New Years that we messed up. We didn't do so hot on finding this week. We called a ton of people, we contacted a ton, but in the end everyone was willing to set up this next week, instead of last....so we messed up is that the end? No. Are we gonna give up hopes this movecall? NO. Is Guiren still amazing and I love every second of it? YES!!!

We definitely hit a few road bumps this week. Our new recent convert came and told us he had a problem with the Bishop and wanted to leave. We were heart broken, but after a few days of cooling down, and someone in the bishopric talking to him, he's all good. He's gonna be fine. I feel like recent converts are even more stressful then investigator's because you really don't want your recent converts to decide to drop the church. 

This week we tried tracting, found a really cool miracle, we were tracting near an less active and a familly motions for us to come in before we even knock on the door. We went in and the family was really not interested at all, they just wanted to talk to some foreigners. However, they invited there son to come down, who was 26 and we met with him and he was so golden. He wanted to understand more about Jesus Christ and was asking all the right questions. So that was great. 

Saturday we were able to help the sisters do an interview, super great interview, their investigator is really ready to be baptized, it'll be great for our sisters. Then that's pretty much it for the week. Oh ya, today (this morning) we met with a new investigator that we found on the streets. She seemed not too interested at first, but ended up being super into the idea of prayer, was asking a ton of questions about it. I'm excited to see if she still has interest at the end of the week. If so, I'd say she'd get baptized in the next month....

Well I want to share my testimony, I know that God is with us. I know that every trial he puts us through makes us stronger. I know that sometimes we need a little wall to stop us so we stretch ourselves, reach higher than we've reached before. I know that this is his works, I'm his servant. I love everyday and I look forward to see the miracles that happen in the next year.

Love you all,

Elder Bean

week #52 Monday, March 2, 2014

Hey,

 So another week has happenend, what's even weirder the movecall ended. And here's the results,,,drumroll please......ELDER LIESKE AND I ARE TOGETHER FOR YET ANOTHER MOVECALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were super excited when we got the call, I'm still district leader, the zone leaders and sisters in our area aren't changing either. The other elders are switching out, but other than that, our distircs pretty much the same.

So this week, we started off with a ton set up, we were just meeting with a ton of people, it was crazy. We had no idea why, but on p-day we had about 4 lessons, and we were like...ok that's cool. Then Wednesday we had 5 or 6 and we were like, yes! It was all going pretty good. Wednesday we had an English party, we did a birthday party, played games like duck duck goose, musical chairs, had cake, it was really fun, I think our class enjoyed it. This Thursday we had our DTM (district training meeting) on finding, Elder Sumsion said it was really good, which is a good sign. I'm really excited when the zone leaders have a good opinion of the DTM's. 

 

Then for some reason, no one was setting up to meet. It was super weird....but then we found out this weekend is a three day holiday, so a lot of guiren people went out of town. So we were pushing really hard to get our new investigator's because that's all we needed to hit our standards this week. Sadly we had nothing set up, so we tried the alternate way. We went tracting, and despite the fact Elder Lieske and I aren't that good at tracting we got into the houses we needed to. Got the new investigator's for the week. It's so crazy how a prayer of faith can put our abilities over the top. 

We've also been trying new things to help the ward invite their friends to hear more about the church. We've been giving everyone our tracts and inviting them to give it to a friend. We'll see how that works. Yesterday both Elder Lieske and I bore our testimonies in sacrement meeting. I talked about one of my favorite scriptures Alma 26:27 (have that one memorized now). And how the Lord has his hand in the work here in Guirren, I told them that I knew he's prepared plenty of people here in Guiren, I told them I know that he lives and he's been helping the work so much in Guiren. I really do know that this is true. I know that Christ lives and he has called me to serve here. I know that this is not a work inspired of man, but of God. 

 

Until next week,

Elder Bean

p.s.1 year down, crazy how time flies!