WEEK 70

I don't want to sound like I am counting down, but today marks the first day of my final transfer here on the mission. Six weeks from now it will be another chapter of my life. Time is working its way faster and faster and here in the California Oakland Mission, we like to use the word "sprint" as we are in a hurry to do everything the Lord would have us do in 18 months - 2 years. This final transfer, I have the opportunity to "run" with Sister Hui (Sister Leung, Hui, and I were companions for the past 6 weeks). Sister Leung will still be serving in our Chinese branch and she will be companions with Sister Hsiao and Sister Qiao (from mainland China) for her and Sister Qiao's final transfer as well!

This past Sunday was a memorable day in the history of our Chinese branch and in our Mission. We held the 1st ever Chinese "Why I Believe" fireside. The Chinese Branches from our neighboring missions (San Fransisco & San Jose) were invited to attend and speak at this fireside. There was a good turn out and many of our Oakland Mission Chinese investigators attended this fireside. This was an event dreamed by all the Chinese missionaries for many moons...The Chinese Elders in our mission made this event possible as they planned,organized,invited, and coordinated with the leaders and missionaries from the other missions. I also had the opportunity to do a musical number at this fireside. Elder Kaluhiokalani (from Hawaii) and I sang a duet. It was a really nice arrangement of the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" and we sang it in Mandarin. I have an electronic recording device but I don't have the input-output wires that would allow me to transfer the recording to the computer. Maybe we'll figure it out when I get home ;-)
Oh, before I forget to mention, also serving at the San Fransisco mission is Elder Lim, Kheng Saik! He was called Mandarin speaking to the San Fransisco Mission and is currently serving in the San Fransisco Chinese branch in Sunset Chapel. He and the other Chinese missionaries from his mission also attended the fireside =) It's wonderful to be able to see another fellow Malaysian serving a full-time mission. Did you know that Sister Jane Ragu also served in that mission about a year ago? I am excited to also meet Sister Low, Li Mei in Temple Square mission when I get back to BYU!

Yes, it has been a wonderful week and a great transfer! Thank you for your prayers and for your awesome letters! I enjoyed the last letter I got in the mail from The Boys. Ray always has cool drawings in his letters =) It looks like he is the next cartoonist in our family!

I love you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!