The Baptism...and other amazing miracles in the Tai Wai area...week 32

Thursday, March 31, 2016

**This week Ian and his district went to the temple so their P day was pushed to Thursday. Pictures below.

First off, Brother Ng Chun Kuen was baptized and confirmed on the 27th of March. One of the happiest days of my life. No doubt about it. We had a lot of investigators there, and Brother Ng also brought many, MANY friends to see him enter into the waters of baptism. Brother Li did the confirmation. Brother Ma did the baptism.This is the first baptism in Tai Wai in 6 months, and we have quite a few more on the way. The work in this Zone is being hastened at quite a miraculous rate. SO exciting!

Also, I can't remember if I told you yet, but the Tai Wai ward is in the middle of a "40 day's of fasting" activity. The members all sign up one out of forty days where they will fast for the missionary work of the ward to progress. So many people have informed us of miracles that have been happening. The bishop's day was actually the day of Ng Chun Kuen's baptismal interview.

Allow me to tell you a special miracle that happened just a couple of days ago:
We were walking on the way to Mei Tin Chuen in order to find a former investigator from 2008 which we miraculously found his address. We stopped a Mrs. Li on the way. She initially wasn't very interested, and she was about to just walk away. Then, around the corner comes the hero in the store: Sister Han. She comes around the corner with her son Jacky and his friend Ben (all members) and immediately kicks off the contact by being best friends with her and inviting her to go to the women's session together. We went from a couple of white strangers with okay Chinese talking to a non-religious woman to having pictures shown to us of her 18 year old son who was in need of an English tutor once a week on Saturdays and decided that she would come with him with Sister Han. This goes to say that as powerful as some missionaries are, specific people need specific help, and Sister Han was that help. I'm just getting started though...she then gives us a bunch of food to take home, escorts us to the address, easily brushing off one of the guards with her local ID card, and utterly exclaims "I know these people! Their daughter is my daughter's best friend! I'll get them in contact with you and we'll get them to church on Sunday. Sound good?" Elder Powell and I were speechless. We made it down stairs and there she got a little teary eyed in telling us that she and her daughter had been the most recent members fasting, and they were praying for a missionary experience. She told us about how glad she was to see us, and the example that we provide for her son and Ben (she literally has taken Ben in as if he was her own because Ben's parents are abusive). She asked us for advice, which we told her she could talk to the Bishop about because advising members is not our job. We bore our testimonies though. I'm so grateful for this ward. The spirit is strong. The work is progressing. Miracles are happening daily. I wish I could show you my journal, but that will just have to wait until later I guess.

Keep the faith. Family, friends, anyone within the reach of this email. I know that God lives. I know his Son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world and overcame sin and death for all, and we must come unto Him to find peace and joy in any lasting aspect of our lives. Be sensitive, loving, spiritual, bold, and FULL OF CHARITY! It is truly the perfect love of Christ. I felt it today as I went through the beautiful temple of our God. I feel His presence there, as well as the companionship with us, His servants, as we strive to seek the elect and the few. I invite you all to strive to obey the commandments of God, and by so doing, gain a testimony of the Love and Grace of almighty God.

Joseph Smith was the tool and mouthpiece on this earth that brought about the restoration of the Gospel on this earth in these final days. Thomas S. Monson I sustain as the President of this Kingdom of God on earth, and as a Prophet, Seer and Revelator. Follow the Prophet, and you will doubtless be following God. His path is straight. His way is narrow. His patience and love are infinite, as well as his forgiveness and grace sufficient. Death hath no sting. The grave has no hold. Sin is conquered, and the righteous will be found at the right hand of God in that great and terrible day. I hope that we can be ready for that day. I bear my solemn and joyful testimony in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Brother Ng's baptism: Me, Brother Ma Chung Yeung, Ng Chun Kuen, Elder Powell, Sister Gamboa, Sister Fullmer (That's all the Tai Wai missionaries)


 Me, Brother Ma Chung Yeung, Ng Chung Kuen, Elder Powell, Elder Chen, Elder Walker


A close up of Ian with photo credits to Ange!



Griffin and Georgia with a darling Chinese baby at the Tai Wai Ward


Family photo with Griffin, Ian, Elder Powell, Jared, Ange, and Georgia.  
Explanation from Mom:  My sister Catharine and her family live in Saudi Arabia.  For their spring break they went to Hong Kong on vacation.  They attended Ian's ward on Easter Sunday, the same morning as the baptism.  They loved the ward and were so impressed at how welcoming the members were.  It was a great experience and I'm so glad she was able to see Ian and get some pictures!



 Elder Powell and Elder Chen wrestling with Elder Walker and Ian observing.


 Elder Chen, Elder Powell, Elder Walker, Me, Sister Gamboa, Sister Fullmer, Sister Alipao, Sister Nettles (That's our District, which is made up of the Sha Tin and Tai Wai wards).




Some additional stories from this week:  
My arm was bitten ALL OVER by these nasty black flies while is was weeding in a rice field. I'm better now though.  Elder Walker had this to add: "the Tai Wai elders (Powell and Taylor) came home from a service project where they were doing something with horse poop.  Turns out there was a lot of bugs and Elder Powell ended up with 214 bug bites on just his arms.  So they were not very comfortable." 

My arm was NASTY!


On a silly note:  Bishop Mak took some pictures with Ian and Elder Powell and emailed them to Ian.  Ian said, "This is the Bishop and I while we are waiting for Ng Chun Kuen's Baptismal interview to be over. We got distracted by the snapchat that he had...super funny. This is why apps like this are terrible though."
 Ian and Bishop Mak


"This is Elder Powell and I with our faces mixed. Sincerely, the bishop."



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