Week 6
I can't believe I have been in Oakland for 12 days already! Everyday is filled –from 6:30am to 10:30pm, and I feel like I am an old missionary now…I feel like I've been here longer than a week and a half because we do SO MANY things in one day, it all goes by so fast…it is quite a satisfactory feeling.
The Oakland Visitor's Center is open everyday of the year, 9am to 9pm. During summer pageants and Christmas season, we stay open past 9pm, sometimes 10pm. I have met several Chinese people at the Visitors Center since I've been here. I have to say that Chinese people are the strangest people ever. Many of them come in the Visitor's Center to "look around." If you ever try to approach them or offer to show them around, they literally, I mean LITERALLY, run away from you. It's like I am a disease and they don't want me to come anywhere close to them =P I don't understand why…So when they start running away from us, we just leave them be and hope that they look at the displays and touch screens and learn something about our church on their own. I have however had the chance to talk with some of these Chinese people. Just yesterday I got meet 4 older people from China. They listened to the "Christus narration" and allowed me to share with them about what temples are, what we do inside, and finally we watched a short video called "Finding Happiness." For the first time in a week and a half, I had the opportunity to bear my testimony to Chinese people at the Visitor's Center!
The highlight of this past week was Saturday. I had the opportunity to enter the Oakland temple and do a session in mandarin! We were with our Chinese Branch and there were English subtitles on the screen. I understood what was said in Mandarin and didn't need the English subtitles as much as I thought I would…The good thing about doing a session in a second language is that it keeps me always alert and I pay full attention to what is being said because if I don't, I will miss out entirely.
One of the few traditions that we have in the Oakland Mission is "United in Prayer." Everyday at 9:50am the entire mission is down on our knees in prayer. Also, as a mission, we are working on Personal Purification. We do this individually, as a companionship, and as a Zone (My zone is made up of 12pairs of missionaries –English, Spanish and Chinese). The scripture Helaman 3:35 sums up our purpose in doing this: "Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." Our mission has taken up the challenge to purify ourselves in order to have the constant companionship of the spirit. For without the Spirit, missionary work is in vain.
In the attitude of fasting and prayer, we make a list of every behavior that pokes at our spirit. Once we have made that list, we then covenant with the Lord that we will fast from the things on that list for 40 days. In other words, for 40 days we will do nothing that appears on that list. So each morning we go to the Lord individually and specifically promise Him that we will avoid or start each item on the list. We ask for His help so we can have extra strength, and at night we go over the list with the Lord. This process is not easy, but it works. There have been many miracles in our mission because of the worthy young missionaries that are able to follow the promptings of the Spirit and are led to do the Lord's work.
As far as missionary work in my area, it is hard and much work needs to be done. As Visitor's Center sisters, Sister Scholl and I have very little time to proselyte and work in our area. We spend 6 hours a day everyday (except Preparation days) serving at the Visitor's Centre. This leaves us with approximately 30 hours a week LESS than the Full proselyting missionaries have to work in their area. We have 2 pairs of elders serving in our Chinese branch. Sister Scholl and I are the only pair of sisters in our branch. As we have come to be a little more familiar with our Chinese branch, we have felt the strong need to nurture and care for the recent converts and less active members….there are many of them. Of course teaching and baptizing is a big purpose in our missions, but sometimes, members and missionaries lack the emphasis on strengthening new converts and less active members. Our Chinese branch has its struggles, but we do the best we can as missionaries to keep things going and serve our Chinese Brothers and sisters.
There is a sister in our Branch that is originally from Malaysia. She is the most AWESOME sister in this branch! She is a single parent and has a daughter on a mission in Thailand and another daughter at BYU. This sister works crazy hours and takes language classes in college. She tries to help as many less active members as possible and is probably the only piano player in our branch! Sounds like SUPER mom? She is! Sister Scholl and I have gotten to know her a little more and we have gained much insight and help from her to know how we can better serve this Branch.
Sister Scholl and I visit a new convert Chinese sister. We help her with piano as she is taking piano lessons in college. We always slip in a spiritual thought along with the piano lessons so that she gets help in both temporal and spiritual matters. I just have to thank mom and dad for raising me with about 11 years of piano lessons. I always knew this skill would be important in the future, and it has been a blessing in my life even until now.
We visited an elderly sister from China yesterday. She is sick from old age and not very mobile. The elders usually go to her home to give her the sacrament. Yesterday she made Sister Scholl and I home made "meat bao" and rice porridge soup. It was the first time I was fed by a member since I've been on my mission. It was real Chinese food too!
Well, if you are wondering if I have anything else to say, I DO! Lots and lots more…but what I want to leave with you this week is a saying by President Hinckley. Elder Shumway of the seventy mentioned that every time he met President Hinckley, the prophet would always say: "This is the best time to be alive!" When I heard that, I thought to myself "why?" and "how?" The scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 45 talks about our day – The last days. It has been prophesied throughout the scripture of the chaos and destruction going on in these last days. However, in Verse 32 it says: "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved…" If we are standing in holy places, it is truly the best time to be alive! We are anticipating the second coming of Christ! We are privileged to live in a time where we are preparing this people to receive our Savior, Jesus Christ in his fullness and Glory! This IS the best time to be alive! What a blessing to be missionaries of the Lord and to be standing in holy places – ALL of us!
The Oakland Visitor's Center is open everyday of the year, 9am to 9pm. During summer pageants and Christmas season, we stay open past 9pm, sometimes 10pm. I have met several Chinese people at the Visitors Center since I've been here. I have to say that Chinese people are the strangest people ever. Many of them come in the Visitor's Center to "look around." If you ever try to approach them or offer to show them around, they literally, I mean LITERALLY, run away from you. It's like I am a disease and they don't want me to come anywhere close to them =P I don't understand why…So when they start running away from us, we just leave them be and hope that they look at the displays and touch screens and learn something about our church on their own. I have however had the chance to talk with some of these Chinese people. Just yesterday I got meet 4 older people from China. They listened to the "Christus narration" and allowed me to share with them about what temples are, what we do inside, and finally we watched a short video called "Finding Happiness." For the first time in a week and a half, I had the opportunity to bear my testimony to Chinese people at the Visitor's Center!
The highlight of this past week was Saturday. I had the opportunity to enter the Oakland temple and do a session in mandarin! We were with our Chinese Branch and there were English subtitles on the screen. I understood what was said in Mandarin and didn't need the English subtitles as much as I thought I would…The good thing about doing a session in a second language is that it keeps me always alert and I pay full attention to what is being said because if I don't, I will miss out entirely.
One of the few traditions that we have in the Oakland Mission is "United in Prayer." Everyday at 9:50am the entire mission is down on our knees in prayer. Also, as a mission, we are working on Personal Purification. We do this individually, as a companionship, and as a Zone (My zone is made up of 12pairs of missionaries –English, Spanish and Chinese). The scripture Helaman 3:35 sums up our purpose in doing this: "Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." Our mission has taken up the challenge to purify ourselves in order to have the constant companionship of the spirit. For without the Spirit, missionary work is in vain.
In the attitude of fasting and prayer, we make a list of every behavior that pokes at our spirit. Once we have made that list, we then covenant with the Lord that we will fast from the things on that list for 40 days. In other words, for 40 days we will do nothing that appears on that list. So each morning we go to the Lord individually and specifically promise Him that we will avoid or start each item on the list. We ask for His help so we can have extra strength, and at night we go over the list with the Lord. This process is not easy, but it works. There have been many miracles in our mission because of the worthy young missionaries that are able to follow the promptings of the Spirit and are led to do the Lord's work.
As far as missionary work in my area, it is hard and much work needs to be done. As Visitor's Center sisters, Sister Scholl and I have very little time to proselyte and work in our area. We spend 6 hours a day everyday (except Preparation days) serving at the Visitor's Centre. This leaves us with approximately 30 hours a week LESS than the Full proselyting missionaries have to work in their area. We have 2 pairs of elders serving in our Chinese branch. Sister Scholl and I are the only pair of sisters in our branch. As we have come to be a little more familiar with our Chinese branch, we have felt the strong need to nurture and care for the recent converts and less active members….there are many of them. Of course teaching and baptizing is a big purpose in our missions, but sometimes, members and missionaries lack the emphasis on strengthening new converts and less active members. Our Chinese branch has its struggles, but we do the best we can as missionaries to keep things going and serve our Chinese Brothers and sisters.
There is a sister in our Branch that is originally from Malaysia. She is the most AWESOME sister in this branch! She is a single parent and has a daughter on a mission in Thailand and another daughter at BYU. This sister works crazy hours and takes language classes in college. She tries to help as many less active members as possible and is probably the only piano player in our branch! Sounds like SUPER mom? She is! Sister Scholl and I have gotten to know her a little more and we have gained much insight and help from her to know how we can better serve this Branch.
Sister Scholl and I visit a new convert Chinese sister. We help her with piano as she is taking piano lessons in college. We always slip in a spiritual thought along with the piano lessons so that she gets help in both temporal and spiritual matters. I just have to thank mom and dad for raising me with about 11 years of piano lessons. I always knew this skill would be important in the future, and it has been a blessing in my life even until now.
We visited an elderly sister from China yesterday. She is sick from old age and not very mobile. The elders usually go to her home to give her the sacrament. Yesterday she made Sister Scholl and I home made "meat bao" and rice porridge soup. It was the first time I was fed by a member since I've been on my mission. It was real Chinese food too!
Well, if you are wondering if I have anything else to say, I DO! Lots and lots more…but what I want to leave with you this week is a saying by President Hinckley. Elder Shumway of the seventy mentioned that every time he met President Hinckley, the prophet would always say: "This is the best time to be alive!" When I heard that, I thought to myself "why?" and "how?" The scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 45 talks about our day – The last days. It has been prophesied throughout the scripture of the chaos and destruction going on in these last days. However, in Verse 32 it says: "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved…" If we are standing in holy places, it is truly the best time to be alive! We are anticipating the second coming of Christ! We are privileged to live in a time where we are preparing this people to receive our Savior, Jesus Christ in his fullness and Glory! This IS the best time to be alive! What a blessing to be missionaries of the Lord and to be standing in holy places – ALL of us!
Labels: mission
posted by Su Chong at 3/12/2007 02:03:00 PM
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