Sister Jarvis got to travel to Zone Conference and see more of the countryside of Taiwan. She also recognized some great lessons she is learning.
Hello Familia!!
I hope you had a stupendous week! Is it still snowing like crazy? Sometimes I really forget it is January here! This was quite a busy week with Zone Conferences :) I love Zone Conference. I receive so many answers and spiritual reminders.......it's so rejuvenating! I especially love being taught by President Bishop and other mission leaders.....it's awesome :) Our little teaching went ok too which we were really grateful for!
Investigators: Our dear sweet college P.H.D. student, ZJM is so great! Two weeks ago we taught her the Law of Chastity and after we taught her she told us that she already lived these standards and it made her so happy to know that it was the right thing :) This last week we talked about how we receive knowledge from God and she said the biggest thing she has learned from the Gospel is the importance of families. I feel that she is a really prepared soul......the Spirit has always been so strong in her lessons....and I really feel she could get baptized in the next month! Guo nian (Chinese New Year) is coming soon which is both awesome and kind of hard in regards to missionary week :D It's great because there are so many families at home and everyone is out of school so it is a great time to teach! But......all of your investigators go home :( Ok, not all of them, but about 3 of our awesome younger investigators.....but they'll be back in 3 weeks so they've got three weeks to read and pray and strengthen their testimonies! (That's our hope at least!)
Current lesson I am learning.........how to love and help your wayward child :) I obviously have not had previous experience with this kind of situation.....but as a missionary you kind of get to experience everything! Dear, sweet WJM has not been to church in awhile......her testimony is still solid....but she is having a hard time with coming to church. When I would pray for her this week, just praying that she would come.........it just made my soul ache. I had never felt that kind of an ache/worry before. I was reading through my old MTC notes the other day and came across a talk I heard that talked about when you serve a mission, you will have the opportunity to feel just a tiny, tiny bit of what the Atonement was like for the Savior. I think of how many children have turned away from the Savior and how many thousands of aches in His heart he must feel! I can't even fathom it..........but He continues to love them......He never stops loving them, He never gives up.
This week I was reading the Olive Tree Allegory in Jacob 5 and I had never noticed before that it also represents the Atonement. The Lord is working, sacrificing, pruning, and nourishing.......some of those trees grow and some of them die. In verse 41 of Jacob 5 it says, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?" Our Redeemer of mankind has already done everything He can for us.......He weeps when we turn away or do not let Him help us. He has given us righteous, clean roots and it is up to us whether we let them grow..........but as soon as we turn to the Lord of our vineyard for help, He will help us! He will help us to grow faster than we knew we could...pruning and nourishing us along the way. To every wayward child, He stands with arms open wide.........The Atonment is truly unfathomable, but it is not unbelieveable. I KNOW the Atonement is real and is real for everyone! I know that as we ask Christ for help though our own repentance and faith, He picks us up and helps us grow just a little bit higher. There are many souls here who have forgotten Him, but we can help them to remember Him and remember why He atoned for them........because He loves them :)
2nd lesson learned this week: a good attitude can change everything!!! Seriously! Try it, it's awesome :)
Zone Conference was also fun because we got to travel all over the mission! We rode the trains through the country side and this island is so beautiful! Palm trees....little farmers in their rice fields...... Sometimes I feel like we have so many missionaries here, but I don't think there are enough....for such a small island, it's quite a big place! On the train ride home from Taizhong the power went out in our car......so we had a little dark camp-out train ride on the way back with the conductor running wild and crazy up the aisles.....it was great :) I love Taiwan :)
Sorry this week's letter is a little random, but I Love you all so so much! Thank you for your love and prayers......we feel them every day! :D Have a super, happy, stellar week!
Love,
Sister J. :)
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