Happy New Year, Everyone!
This week was awesome and full of
miracles! I got my new companion, Sister Bernhardt, who just got done training
(we call this breaking, and this is
the third time I'm breaking a
companion). She's just on fire and we are going to see a lot of miracles this
transfer. Before she came, I was with my member companion Liu Jie Mei. She is super
awesome! She's an RM who served in DC. She was such a great example to me and I
love her.
On Christmas, us missionaries went and
sang carols at the train station with a few members. It was fun! We
found a lot of cool new investigators! So many miracles.
On New Year’s Eve, we ate with the
Singletary's. Their son, Meng Xin, who served in my YSA ward in Indiana (he
told me he is the first Taiwanese missionary to serve in Indiana) came for
dinner. It was crazy, I then realized that the very last time I saw him before
my mission was at a New Year’s Eve Party in 2014 at the Purdue YSA ward when he
was a missionary, exactly two years ago.
Last week, I had an amazing miracle lesson
with Ding JM. She told us that she wouldn't have gotten baptized if it wasn't
for my companion, Sister Scharman, being sick. It was such a miracle, I called
President about it that night. He then told me to email this to her and email
him a copy of the email. Here's what I wrote to her:
Letter to My Former Companion:
Sister
Scharman! I have to tell you this miracle lesson with Ding JM last
Thursday night when we met her. I have
been dying to tell you all week. It was such an amazing lesson, and it made me
realize one big reason why Heavenly Father needed you to be sick on your
mission. Literally, it was all for Ding JM. We were all crying at that lesson,
the Spirit was so strong. So this is how the lesson went (you might want to get
the tissues out):
Last Thursday was the
first time we met with Ding JM since her baptism and confirmation. In that
lesson, she was telling us about another dream experience that was
fulfilled (You know about her awesome dreams that she's had lately). She said
she had a dream about a coworker who was sad, because on
Thursday (the day we met), she forgot to co-sign divorce papers, which
left her in a mess. Ding Jm didn't remember the day on the
contract, but she saw it was a Thursday. She then woke up. This dream
happened a few days before Thursday. On that day, she asked her coworker
about it, and her coworker was like, "I forgot to sign the papers!"
and then went to sign them before her ex-husband got everything. If it hadn’t
been for Ding JM having that dream to remind her coworker to sign the divorce
papers, her coworker would have been in a bad way. It was so cool.
So my companion,
Sister Bernhardt (I'm breaking her right now, she was in the trio with Sister Althoff
and Sister Munsee) talked a little about the Tree of Life, how Lehi had this
amazing dream that helped his family. It then caused her to remember a dream
that she had about you.
She said that one
night, she was reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know whether it was
true. That night, she had a dream that you and your great-great grandmother
appeared to her in the dream, and you both spoke perfect Chinese. Your
great-great grandmother looked middle-aged, was wearing a beautiful blue dress
and was holding your hand or shoulder as she introduced herself as your
great-great grandmother. She then proceeded to testify to Ding JM that the Book
of Mormon was true, and then you also testified that it was true. She then woke
up, and had a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon.
She
then proceeded to tell us something amazing. She said that if it wasn't for you
being sick, she wouldn't have taken the missionary lessons. Because she saw your pain, your sacrifice, your willingness to teach the
lessons despite your severe health problems, she was willing to listen. She saw
Christ's suffering and example from your willingness to do whatever it took to
teach her. She started crying as she was telling us this.
She
even told us that she saw Christ when she saw you. I asked what she meant. She
said that whenever she looked into your eyes, she saw
how much sacrifice, suffering and hard work you have done to help her come to
the gospel, kind of like Christ and His Atonement. She was so touched by it
that she was willing to continue the lessons for that reason. And the fact that
she was baptized the day before your birthday, confirmed on your birthday, (and
you left for Taipei to go home literally hours later after church) testifies to me that you were here for Heavenly Father and for her to the very
end.
Afterwards, I
testified that your suffering and sacrifice was for her salvation, as well
as for Christ. I admit, it was hard to fight back the tears. I then realized
that that was the reason why you were sick on your mission - to help Ding JM come
to the gospel. It was what she needed before she joined. She is so awesome, she
is so excited to start helping us Peike. She even brought her 17-year-old son
to the Christmas lunch after church last week. She is a true miracle, and I
believe she will be a doorway for more missionary work and baptisms here in
Yuli. Thank you for your example and your sacrifice.
I then ended by
giving her an English tract with your picture on it. She carefully picked it
up, gazed at the picture of you and started crying. I think that is one reason
why you were chosen to be on there - to remind her of you. She really misses and
loves you. You are her guardian angel. The first day we taught
her, she said she was concerned about her Buddhist boyfriend who protested her
listening to the gospel; I honestly thought that she wasn't going to progress.
I remember, though, that you were so determined to get her baptized, you kept
saying that she was going to get baptized before you left, which is exactly
what happened. I was amazed at how much you were willing to do for her.
Thank you for your
love and example. It was a privilege working with you. I felt so humbled and
grateful to serve with you.
Another Miracle was on New Year's Day after
church, we met with Meng Xin
and his younger sister, Chen JM. She is 13
and reminds me of my sister, Lydia. In Taiwan, whenever people divorce, the
kids live with the dad, so she has to live with her dad a little farther away,
and he doesn't like the church so he won't let her get baptized. Her home situation isn't the best. The only way she can get baptized is
having her dad's permission or if she can live with her mom and stepdad. Anyway, we talked about Christ and His Atonement,
and they could really feel the Spirit. I testified that it's hard right now,
but have faith and one day in God's timing she will be able to get baptized. We
then knelt down and I prayed. It was so hard, I prayed out loud and started
crying, I loved them so much and felt so sad about their trials and hardships. We
all felt the Spirit and God's love strongly.
Love you all! Happy New Year!
-Sister Brinkerhoff
No comments:
Post a Comment