So one day this week as we were waiting for a large tour group of Chinese people to come we were learning Mandarin from a sister here. Lets just say she laughed at us all but we were all ready when they came off the bus. My companion stood outside and said Ne Hao! To this girl who responded, "Hello"... awkward. Anyway I passed off giving tours so we can now do "motor coaches" or really big tour groups, equipped with microphones and flags. They are way different than normal tours becuase you can't personalize it so you just talk and we are so used to asking them questions and answering them. When we ended the tour I thought that there was no way that they would want to know more because it felt so short and unpersonal. But at the end of it we had 4!!!! I was amazed because it felt too easy. Usually you have to encourage them to take that leap of faith and just go for it. This week has been hard too when it comes to people. Just a lot of interesting people who are so closed to hearing anything. I talked with a lady who was a born again christian aka super hard core and she was trying to convince me that I was wrong and to actually think for myself and not be a blind follower of a false church. I have grown very bold this week. Probably because I have been here for a while now and also because I am sick of beating around the bush. Most people you just need to be straight up with so for example that lady said, "Beware of following a church that's run by man" and I just flat out said, "Its not, its run by god" she shook her head and said ok conversation done we are going no where and she said she would pray for my eyes to be opened to the truth and I said I would do the same for her. Other times people will say if you believe in God you will go to heaven it doesn't matter which denomination you are. So I just respond, "Actually Christ only established one church and we are that church so everyone has the basics down but we have the rest and you really need to know it" It gets the point across so much better than looking for ways to make it sound nicer. We are that church why do we have to hide it? I am nice too though, don't think I have gotten rude 0:D
But since I have had people like that all week we do get to see so many people that are prepared to hear the gospel. The hardest part of being a missionary I decided was that you meet these people, spend time with them, and you really love them. When they say no to us after we have literally poured out our souls to them we feel devistated. I don't feel bad like they are rejecting me but I feel bad for them becuase they don't understand. It only makes me want to be better so I can help them see why they need this knowledge in their life. We talked a lot on "planting seeds" this week and even if they don't want the missionaries we left them with a positive experience that will hopefully open their hearts later in life. I know a lot of people we talk to feel something and they will look up the church when they get home. So I always keep that in mind when they say no. Most of the time its because they don't like the thought of missionaries which is understandable (stupid Jehovah's witnesses). Other hard situations are when 3 of them flat out don't want it but 1 person does but because everyone else says no they do too. We try to split groups a lot and sift out the potentials and convince them to allow missionaries in their homes. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. But really after every tour I have to prepare myself for either heartache or joy but that is how we really discern their needs is if we love them because if we don't than we really don't care about their needs so we can't teach them by spirit. Gah this is so complicated :) Its hard work but so rewarding when we find people. We took this couple to the conference center the other day and they were cancer survivors and so happy. They accepted Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon without hesitation and I was shocked because usually those people who are so happy don't feel they need more, but when people are really prepared they don't need much convincing.
I am keeping a list of all the countries I have shared my testimony with up in the 20s by now. But summer is ending and I heard Winter is really slow so they have lots of service activities for us and we will actually have 2 full hours of study time (yay!)
Oh good news! I am going to become a driver. They only allow American and Canadian sisters to drive and since a lot of them are going home this next transfer they more or less pleaded with my fellow 1st transfer sisters, because 20 of us are American, to drive. So hopefully I will be passed off next week. I have to take a written test and a driving test- I hoped never to go through that experience again but they need me so hopefully I pass my first time. Anyway P-day is here so I must go but being here is amazing and I learn so much every day. We work all day and come back exhausted (so yes family it IS a real mission) but every night I am so happy so hopefully the next 16 months will be just as good, until next week! Karly
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