This week's shout out
goes out to the Native Americans. I'm pretty sure they all got the short end of
the stick, but it's alright. Sort of.
It's been crazy. I'm
running short on a lot of sleep and it's just been crazy. Our apartment is
still super cool. The picture a day challenge is still going except... I forgot
my camera cord. Man. We've had some pretty funny pictures this week, I'm kind of
bummed I forgot!
Laymon is doing great!
He has been meeting with us pretty consistently. Did not make it to church, but
he did meet with us three times this week. He said once he knows the church is
true, he'll be baptized. Pretty stoked.
Rose, who got baptized
a little bit ago, has been meeting with us weekly. She's only 18 but she's
super mature. We have really good talks with her and recently we found out
about her love for One Direction. And cats. We love her, and she's really
growing in her testimony every week. She's striving to read her scriptures and
do the right things.
Went on exchanges this
week in San Ramon! Had dinner with the Cooks, and turns out it's Bishop Cook's
son and it's even crazier because I was there a year ago! We also did the
Chinese class, which was super fun. Talking about things that are good for our
body. We had a really hard time talking about vitamins. How do you even explain
that in English? Could not do it in Chinese. Visited a lot of really sweet,
really prepared people. Talk about tender mercies. They are so prepared, it
blows my mind. Lots of miracles. And it's been raining a ton! Which brings me
to the bad news- we are on bike part time again. However, we just found out
that there's not enough bikes for us to rent out and borrow. So I guess we will
be part time walking. Which is ok, there's a smaller possibility of me hurting
myself if I'm walking haha
Finally met with
Chauntel! She's super sweet. She has been engaged for awhile now and should be
getting married soon, but she quit one of her jobs at iHop. We are hoping to
figure out how we can get her to church, because she ALWAYS works Sundays. It's
kind of a bummer. We are working on it. She also has the cutest kids, Larisa
and Vince, and they are a little rowdy but it's all good. Hopefully we will get
to meet with them more and continue to strengthen them spiritually.
Well, this week's
Christlike attribute was patience, and I sure did learn some of that this week.
I always have a hard time studying things like that because I know it's just
going to make things really hard. And it did, this week was definitely
difficult. But I've learned a lot about relying on the Lord and the atonement
of Jesus Christ. We had a meeting with our stake president and all the missionaries
in the stake last night and the spirit was so strong. And just about everyone
talked about the atonement. I put my own personal spin on it because that's
what's been on my mind lately, but it brought my to 1 Corinthians 10:13.
And I looked at the footnote for "escape" because that sure does
sound good. It took me to D&C 95:1 which I really liked.
1 Verily, thus
saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their
sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their
deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you—
I feel like a lot of
times we wonder why we go through hard times. Well, here is the answer. Because
He loves us. Which sometimes I still don't really understand, but I'm working
on it. Especially during this Thanksgiving season, I know that is one thing
that I am really grateful for- that continuous love that is not based upon
anything that I do.
If you've forgotten
what I look like, this is not the week of good pictures for you.
Love you all!
Sister Kwan
This
week's shout out goes out to my scriptures. I don't know where you are and I'm
so bummed out. I had them at church yesterday and I left them in the sacrament
room and I accidentally forgot them there but I went back and they were gone!
My name tag and my name is on them too. So whoever it was, stole scriptures in
God's house from a servant of the Lord. What's funny, is I got a prompting
before church not to take my scriptures. I thought that wasn't a prompting
because it sounded really strange but now I know why. Bummer :(
It's been real guys. This week has been really strange because I
guess I'm coping with this whole idea of going home. For 18 months, home has
been from apartment to apartment, ward to ward, and my real home with my
biological family has been like a dream. Just doesn't seem real. Or possible.
It's so bittersweet. It feels like I just left yesterday for my mission, but it
also feels like I've been here forever. But luckily, I can go home after 18
months with no regrets. It still amazes me that I made it this long hahaha but
it's. I'm really just lacking the words to express myself. I've learned so much
and I know I'm not going to return the same person as when I left. And I'm 99%
sure it's for the better. I know God loves all of us. He has made me aware of all
the tender mercies we receive each day, things we take fore granted, but things
that are so intricately woven into the fabric of our lives. It's incredible.
The doctrine taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
Christ's gospel that was taught when He was on the earth, and the Book of
Mormon testifies of it. There is no greater work this His. And this is
it. 
