This last Friday/Saturday was Chinese New Year! Happy Year of the Rat everybody!!
The date of Chinese New Year changes every year depending on the moon so next year it will be a different date. Apparently on the day of the New Year, if it is the year of your Chinese Zodiac you wear red- so I'm looking forward to that in years to come. Also, apparently it’s tradition to watch this Chinese program of 'New Year's Eve' that is on TV for like 4 hours. I hope I'll have an opportunity to see it when I get home.
This week's positives:- Our branch had a New Year's activity and I also learned that its tradition to make heaps of dumplings! We had so much good food including dumplings, fried rice, noodles, etc, etc. Our members did a good job setting up the event and it was just really fun to have a holiday like it in the beginning of the year. I never love January too much because it's like the post-holiday crash month- so it's cool to have this holiday to celebrate. I was also able to connect well with someone that is currently being taught so that was really nice and fun for me.
- We were able to talk to some interesting people this week and learn more about their beliefs as Seventh Day Adventists. It was cool how interested in religion they really were and how they had so many questions for us. They were still pretty doubtful, but Sister Rich and I were able to testify to them about the truth of this church and the Book of Mormon. We were grateful to be able to represent and stand by truth
-We were tracting one day and the last door we knocked had people that were interested! We had just knocked into a member's house and asked her if she had any Chinese neighbors we could talk to (we do that sometimes just because we know we are the only missionaries who can communicate with them so we try our best to talk to Chinese speakers in particular). She told us a specific address to go to because 'Chinese' people just moved in. So we rocked up to the door and immediately saw the door decorations were Indian. So Sister Rich was thinking about leaving, but then we decided we might as well try anyways. The man who opened the door was indeed of a non Chinese background, but we continued to teach a principle, testify, and invite him to learn more, and he was so welcoming to us. He wanted missionaries to go back and he wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon to read. It was a small but very sweet miracle.
Negatives:- The area we are in is pretty slow, when we tract we on average talk to maybe 2 Chinese people in a few hours of just straight talking to people, and rarely meet people who have an interest or are even willing to hear part of our message. It’s part of the work, and I'm grateful to do it- I feel like I'm doing a good job, but I do wish we could do more actively to help those we are teaching to progress. I need to remember each day that as we learn more about our relationship with good, it's a slow process. I love the people we are teaching so much.
Simple Truths:God is our Loving Heavenly Father
This is the first principle we teach to those who are interested. God is the father of our spirits, and we are all his children. He has a body of flesh and bone, just like ours, except His is perfect. He loves us and He wants us to become like Him. This is why He made a perfect plan for each of us, and sent Jesus Christ, His son, our brother, to come to Earth and provide the way for us to overcome our weaknesses and make them strengths. God knows each one of us, He knows our struggles, and He will do anything to help us overcome those things holding us back from having joy in this life.
Mosiah 4:9
“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.”
Even though God has all knowledge and power, we need not be afraid as He also has infinite love for each and every one of us, as any Father would love His children.
I know that our Father loves every single one of you and knows you by name. I can promise all of you if you pray to Him and ask to feel His love, He will give you a great feeling of love and comfort, because He is there and He hears you. I would invite you all to take a couple minutes tonight to say that prayer, and feel His love for your selves.
I share that message in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all and I wish you all (again) a Happy New Year as January comes to a close.
马姐妹
Sister Martinez
Food :Tip-Top Ice Cream Wild Berry Trumpet
The ice cream is so much better here, and so is the berry flavoring. Think like berry smoothie from Costco flavor. So basically the combo is so yummy.
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Here is a photo of us visiting a member on Sunday. We visit her every week!
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