Hi everybody!
For everyone always asking about the Coronavirus, my mission is still okay! Taiwan and the mission are doing a great job at keeping us safe. We wash our hands all the time and wear super cute face masks. We still go outside to teach lessons, proselytize, and hold church meetings. Keep praying that it can stay this way!
That being said, this week was a busy one!
My favorite thought of the week comes from the movie Princess Bride. There’s a scene where Wesley is sword fighting, and he’s not doing super well; however, he’s grinning. His opponent asks him why he is smiling, to which he responds, “I know something you do not know…I am not left-handed!” He proceeds to switch his sword to his right hand and fight incredibly well.
Now for the analogy…in our lives we are doing the best we can. If we had to do this by ourselves, we might fight well and overcome some hardships, but we wouldn’t be fighting to the best of our abilities. We have a lot of weaknesses. Most of the world looks at life as if we have to handle it by ourselves. But we know something they don’t know. We have the right to smile in the face of adversity because we know something a lot of people don’t…we are not alone! We have Jesus Christ. He is there with us in the darkness. He completely understands. He makes up for all of our weaknesses. With Jesus Christ we can fight incredibly well and overcome everything because Christ has already overcome the world!
On exchanges in YiLan this week we met a woman who was convinced that God wasn’t going to hear her prayer because she has turned away from Him in the past. How amazing it was to testify that He welcomes us back with open arms. We don’t have to do this alone. We get to smile, humble ourselves a little, and go running back to Him. We know something others don’t. God is our loving Heavenly Father! Key word there…loving. He loves you so much!
This week we videocalled with our friend Guo JM. Now prayer works and God has an interesting sense of humor. Because we were praying for her to be able to find time to read the scriptures. Well she got quarantined to her house for two weeks. Guess who now has all day to read the BoM haha. We were always saying that we knew something she didn’t about the scriptures. She loves the Bible, so I’m hoping she will find the same love for the Book of Mormon.
Lastly, our friend Tina. Tina has changed so much since we started sharing the Gosepl with her. Her approach to facing challenges has completely changed. She feels inspired to be a better person. She has become spiritually stronger. She is more loving and open to others. Now we know something we are trying to help her understand. She has been touched by the Spirit. She doesn’t have to wonder if it’s true; she just has to accept that she has received a personal witness of the goodness of this Gospel.
We know so many glorious restored truths that people don’t know! How can you not want to share that?!
President George Albert Smith said it best:
“I told him I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was amazed and he looked at me with astonishment. He said, ‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself to belong to such a group?’
“I smiled at him and said, ‘My brother, I would be ashamed of myself not to belong to that group, knowing what I know.’ Then that gave me the opportunity I desired to talk to him and explain to him some of the things we believe. …
“There was a good man who had no conception of what we were trying to do. We were not there to give him sorrow nor distress; we were trying to help him. And as we talked the situation through I said to him: ‘You have a misconception of the purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this land. I am here as one of its representatives, and if you will just let me tell you a few things, I think you will feel better towards us.’ I said, ‘First of all, we are asking all you fine people over here to keep all the glorious truths that you have acquired in your churches, that you have absorbed from your scriptures, keep all that, keep all the fine training that you have received in your educational institutions, all the knowledge and truth that you have gained from every source, keep … everything that is good in your character that has come to you as a result of your lovely home; keep all the love and the beauty that is in your heart from having lived in so beautiful and wonderful a land. … That is all a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then let us sit down and share with you some of the things that have not yet come into your lives that have enriched our lives and made us happy. We offer it to you without money and without price. All we ask you to do is hear what we have to say, and if it appeals to you, accept it freely. …”
We as members of the church have the privilege to help people hear and feel the things they don’t know. I love being a missionary!
I love you all so so so much!!!
安姐妹
Sister Kara Andersen 