Representing Christ on Christmas

This week was AMAZING! I express to you how special Christmas was to me. I have never felt so close to my savior, who gave everything. The reason we celebrate Christmas, the purpose of His life, is my purpose. The purpose of my every action and every exertion. It brings me so much happiness! Just trying to do what he did, being imperfect, is such a journey! It's more fulfilling than anything I've yet done in my life. I feel closer to Him than ever, and Christmas isn't about much more than that. I feel like the family is a catalyst to feel that love. We have people that we are so closely related to, that we are more willing to be Christlike for them. To give and to love. To have patience and long suffering for. That is such a beautiful thing, and I appreciate my family, and the opportunity to have a family of my own someday all the more. So on Monday we taught a 23 year old girl who just came to the US this year. Her father is an inactive member, and she goes to college at MC. She first met with the elders a couple months ago when a member of the presidency brought her to the branch. They scared her with things they taught her about and so she backed off. But she continued to attend church weekly. Last month she started meeting with the missionaries again and said she wanted to be baptized and serve a mission. Then she told them she was too busy to meet until after her finals on the 19th. So I got to first meet with her last week. This week, we extended the invitation to be baptized the 19th, but she wants to do it the 12th! And she wants to be taught all the lessons this week! So she is progressing really fast. Also that other girl I told you about on the phone wants to be baptized soon as well. We are building great relationships with members and less actives. I'm starting to get to know everyone! I'm excited for the Elder at met at the MTC to come next week, and hope that we all stay here in a trio! I would be soooo lost without Elder Mclane.
It snowed a lot this morning! And then RAINED, as we went to DC.. So I got to go to the city and check out the American history museum. Not a lot of pictures though.. It was raining so hard!

Mission Tour with Elder Packer

I cannot believe it is one week until Christmas! Today I've been in the field for a month. It has literally passed in the blink of an eye. I got to go to the temple today! All I can say is wow.. It's so big and beautiful! Truly a house of the Lord. Our session was full of missionaries and the mission president. I was hoping he could take me through for the first time.. And he did! That was truly special. So my interview with Elder Packer. President just picked 5 missionaries from different points in their missions and different programs. I guess I represented the fresh Elders. We of course started speaking about the language. He told me that when he left the MTC, his teacher told him that he had the worst spanish that the teacher had ever sent out! Later in life, Elder Packer served as president over a spanish speaking mission.. He said that you learn little by little, and then you hit a wall. I feel like I hit that wall last last Sunday. Where I felt like I didn't know anything. He told me that is the very point that you start breaking through, and fluency starts coming, so I  have hope! I got a lot out of that interview, it was such a privilege. I also got to talk to Sister Packer about working with members of the branch to help them develop teaching skills. I am concerned about our investigators not getting a lot out of church. The Packers told me that this new youth curriculum is centered around that purpose. Getting people to teach the way that we do, the way that the Savior would. That is really the only way that the Lord will direct the teaching of the Saints. So I'm really siked to implement that. On Saturday we found a golden family. He has a 3 year old son and a mother interested in learning english. I am so excited to start working with them and helping them receive the restored gospel. They mentioned that they have actually been searching for a church to join. So exciting! Our Christmas party was very fun. We had a lot of investigators there, and Elder Mclane was an angel that popped out of an attic door! I feel like I am more centered around Christ this December, than I ever have been before at the Christmas season. It's truly wonderful..

Buddhist to disciple of Christ

I'm excited for Christmas! We have a mission conference and we get to watch a disney movie in the VC! The baptism this week was truly was a miracle. A famous finger painter from China, in the US on a green-card to teach art, and then not teaching because he doesn't know any English, CRAZY! We've been using the beginning of second nephi to teach a lot of Chinese people. You come from China, we come from the US West coast, yet here we are in the nations capitol, and America. They do not disagree that it is not by chance. It's not chance that I started my mission when I did! Elder Mclane was the last Elder with the same mission call as me. It's been 17 months! It's just us two, covering the whole mission. We got 9 new investigators last week, and there are so many people, so many families that we want to bring unto Christ. The most humbling experience of my life was watching an 83 year old man enter the waters of baptism.. It was so difficult. The water wasn't so warm, and he can barely walk.. yet he was immersed, and went from being a buddhist for 40 years, to being a disciple of Christ. What faith that takes.. It definitely strengthened mine. I am so excited for Ray to come join the ranks. There are so many miracles he has yet to behold. Tell him that I love him, and that he has no idea how excited I am for him. Just as Elder Anderson told me, tell him not to waste a minute. Just as Elder Brazil told me, tell him not to lose his amazing personality. And to add to that, tell him to let true love guide his every action. He will see people in every circumstance, active, inactive, nonmember, newmember. They all need his love to get to know their savior's love. Even in the MTC ;)

Run-In With Elder Russell M Nelson

I seriously cannot believe it's December already! But it truly feels like Christmas. I love the spirit of Christmas. Especially now. People are thinking about the Savior and what he taught. I think people are so much happier at this time of year because they unconsciously make an effort to be more like the Savior, just through the motions of the holidays. What a great blessing! People excercise charity, and love as they celebrate the birth of the Savior. We got to watch the Christmas devotional with an eternigator named Guillermo. I have such a strong desire to help those part member families. I can't imagine if a member of our family wasn't in this continual conversion process like we are. I am so grateful that you and Dad set the pattern and example for us to live the gospel and become more like Christ. Last Wednesday I got to do parking for a lot of ambassadors! Elder Nelson was there, and I just got a glimpse of him! That filled me with the spirit so much, I was content. Then the next day, the Assistants to the President had an investigator they wanted to take to our weekly basketball meeting, so we did an exchange. I got to go with an AP to do parking AGAIN! Super cold! But they let me do doors. And guess who walked in from the temple?? Elder Russell M Nelson! He shook my hand and looked me in the eyes and greeted me as Elder Lim! That was such a powerful experience. I know he is a special witness of Christ. I know he is a true servant. I just do. Amazing. The next day we took some nonmembers to the festival of lights performance. It was Jenny Oaks Baker, and it was so awesome! I LOVE this mission! We also did service for a nonmember Chinese! Which lead us to a contact for someone who taught English in China! So many miracles! We can't keep up with all these people to teach! We seriously need another set of missionaries. I got to get a lot closer to the Branch President too on Sunday. Last night, we got a call from the APs, they said that I would be interviewed by Elder Packer of the 70 next wednesday before the mission tour! Crazy Right?? I can't believe all the things that are happening to me. How great is God? I love teaching, even though I am super struggling to communicate, I just keep trying.

Thanksgiving week!

This week felt so LONG, and yet it has passed in the blink of an eye. Things started out slow, getting into the routine, but they are reaaally picking up! Dawn to Dusk, even on preparation day, we are busy! I am so grateful for it. I feel like things I've done in the past few months have qualified me to receive that blessing. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to do much missionary work because no one knew me yet! Sacrament meeting was awesome!! And I am so excited to get to every member of the branch. It's overwhelming right now because there's so many people at once, but their hearts are so put and I am just ecstatic to serve them and to work with them to build the kingdom. Thanksgiving was awesome!! We went to the former branch president's house for lunch, the family of the guy I met at the MTC, and then the branch president's house for dinner. Great food!! That wasn't even the best part though. Two weeks ago we had a baptism. On thanksgiving night, her husband told us he wanted to be baptized! He feels like it's the next step in coming closer to Christ and to God. He's been Buddhist for 40 years! Talk about miracles.. It's pretty set that he will be baptized on the 9th.. two days before I was originally going to get here! They are going back to China next month too.. So good thing this area didn't close! Elder Mclane's Chinese is sooo good! I don't know how he can understand! But he does. It's so difficult because everyone has a different accent depending on where they're from. But he always tells me, man man lai! Come slowly ;) Learning lots of patience with myself!
We also have two new investigators! One of them we were inspired to call on Saturday. It turned out, he was heading up to Baltimore the next day for School! He has no background with god, but we will teach him when he comes back for Christmas break. And then there was another lady who we got from other missionaries. We get so many referrals! It's awesome! I just hope we can keep up with it all! Tonight we're directing parking for ambassador night at the temple. I can't wait to see the 700,000 lights! We've been doing a lot of service for a taiwanese man in the branch. He has tons of projects for us! He has sooo much stuff in his backyard! Someone complained about it, and so he has an inspection tomorrow. We're going to do our very best to help.
We've also been visiting a lady in the hospital. She got a stomach hernia on Thanksgiving. Everyday we give her a spiritual thought to give her strength. It's so crazy really administering to real people's needs.. She is going to be baptized on the 8th of next month.

Finally in DC!

     I made it!! I'm here in DC with my new companion Elder Mclane. I can already tell he is a fantastic missionary and I am sooo excited because I know there is so much good we can do. I just smile because of how pumped I am to get to work. These people don't even know what they're in for ;) It's funny because the Chinese name they gave him is the same as mine! So we're both Lin Zhang Lao! My night at the mission home was amazing. I love my mission President and his wife so much! I can't believe how much they love and care. The other Elders and Sisters I came out with are very excited as well. Today we met our companions, and Elder Mclane and I went straight to DC to help feed thousands of homeless people at a safeway sponsored event. It was fantastic! I can't believe how the MTC feeds so many more people so much more food and how it's so much higher quality. So I am getting settled in, my travels were just fine, and we're getting ready to get to work! I know that the trials are on their way, but I am so ready for them. Rejection, persecution, it doesn't matter. Because it's true. Heavenly Father loves his children and he wants them back. Miracles are brewing.

Surprise of my life! 3 weeks early

WOW. I can tell you that was the surprise of my life. I had worked this out and planned on being here for another four weeks! But it's time to go, the Lord had a plan, and I know it. Right when President Seamons told me, I immediately recognized all the ways the Lord has prepared me for this. It's unusual, and it's difficult, but I have so much trust in the Lord. It's so nice that my whole zone is expressing so much love and support for me. And I guess this is how long the next transfer of Chinese Elders is getting anyways. Even though I've been scared and worried, I just keep thinking how much my faith has grown in the Lord. Through his grace, his atonement has transformed me into something that he can use. Quick to listen and to learn. I am reaching out to him with all my strength so I can be ready to teach the people of Washington DC in one week! This is so exciting! And what a blessing! I hope I have an awesome trainer, I'll need it! I'm not sure if they explained the situation, but I'm sure they did.. My teachers think I'm ready though, so here I go!

"Allelujah" -Being grateful

I really feel the blessings already that are coming from missionary service. It sounds like my family is being well watched over. Over here I am learning so much about being a good missionary. I want to be like the missionaries of the Book of Mormon. Alma and Ammon are such great examples to me, and I know that I have access to the same power, the same spirit of revelation that they needed during their ministry. Something really important that I learned a lot about this week is gratitude. How important for November? I watched Elder Nelson's address here from last Thanksgiving on Sunday, and it was just so inspiring. Hallel, means praise, and hallelujah means praise to Jehovah. Elder Nelson played "allelujah' by the men's motab while showing pictures of the Savior. It moved me.. It changed my heart. I owe him so much, and he was so great. Music has that profound influence of helping us recognize those things. He then talked about how he was able to do the impossible, open up Russia for missionary work! He gave thanks and dedicated the land in the perfect spot... It is not Joy that leads us to gratitude, but gratitude that leads us to joy. I am so grateful for you mom. I always have been, but we don't often take the time to express it. I know that it is your righteous example and faith in the Savior that raised me to where I am today. And I am exactly where I am supposed to be! the Lord confirms that to me everyday. Learning this language, loving people, it feels so right, and I feel so whole. I am so excited to welcome in new Chinese Elders tomorrow! Elder Fisher and I get to be their examples as zone leaders! I remember our first zone leaders just seemed untouchable, and now I am to be that example!

ZL in the MTC

SO. Elder Fisher and I have been called as the new Zone Leaders. What a responsibility!! I am so excited for the opportunity to love and get to know our zone, and to welcome in the new missionaries next week, but leadership is hard! It's hard when you care about people, and you know what's good for them, but they're not committed to being obedient. We're counseling and planning to help lift our zone and take them to a higher level. I know that the Lord wants that, so I have faith he'll help us out! Teaching in Chinese is going much better. As long as I do my part on preparing FOR people, not for myself, the Lord is at my side. That is one skill that I'd suggest the young men develop. Learning the doctrine of Christ with others in mind, not just yourself. I feel like my studies were for my own understanding. Which is good! But for missionary work, you need to learn how to look outwards, and learn how to seek out the needs of others, and find how the doctrine of Christ meets those needs. As you do so, the Lord can make more out of you than a natural human. That's why Joseph Smith was super human! His work wasn't his own, it was his Father's.

Halfway through the MTC

Things over here are pounding through! We are approaching the halfway week, and it feels like I just got here! Sometimes it feels as though I've been here forever, then I realize it's been a month this week! I feel the 24 months burning away already! There is not enough time to prepare myself to teach these people in this very different language! But I have really grown to trust and depend on the Lord to help me in that aspect. This last saturday at the TRC, where we teach people real lessons, I met a man from my mission! He invited me over for dinner on Christmas! I wish I asked him more about the branch there and about the progress of the work and the area, but I could hardly understand anything! They speak so fast! My teachers are amazing though. I struggled at first here, because there is so much to learn to know how to prepare well for all the tasks that need to be done as a missionary, but practice has helped me really to get them down. My district is doing very well though. Elder Everett is now district leader and doing a great job! We're learning together and keeping our time and living spaces in order. Other Elders struggle with that a lot! I am so excited to get out into the field!

Visit from Elder Bednar

This week has been so special. Tuesday night, our fireside was graced by the presence of David A Bednar! He is such an amazing servant of the Lord! He taught how we can implement the powerful words of the apostles into our lives. Tomorrow begins week 4! I cannot believe it! So much is happening and my learning is being enhanced by the Lord. I know that my whole life has been blessed, my mind and body, to qualify me for what he needs me to do. I feel him sharpening my mind where it lacks. I am so reliant on him! I need him by my side to learn this language, because it's so different! But Elder Fisher and I are thoroughly enjoying the journey. Miracles are happening in our learning everyday! There are times when it's difficult to work out teaching plans, but through the spirit, we become unified. I didn't realized what an emphasis there would be on learning to teach. I am so grateful for all the practice and preparation I got before my mission. I can't imagine having to completely learn that and Chinese! The Lord needs a full bucket to draw from. It's so essential for young men to qualify to be the missionaries that Elder Nelson speaks of. The ones that can answer any question of life. It is such an honor to be part of this work! The Lord is truly hastening it. More than ever in the history of the world, and I feel so much confidence on his side!

A Landmark Announcement

     The spirit tells the same message faithfully, even through us imperfect beings. I got to watch the christmas devotional talk here from Elder Bednar on the character of Christ. It was so inspiring! The natural man thinks inwardly, while Christ always acted and thought outwardly, I am focusing on adopting that into my every action. This week was amazing. I never understood the gift of tongues until now. I realized early that I myself can't learn this language sufficient to communicate. I'll be studying so hard and it just doesn't stick! Everything fades out of my memory so fast. But most of our preparation and study is actually focused on preparing to teach investigators lessons. As I focus on their needs, even though they aren't really investigating the church, the spirit still speaks to my heart, because they are playing the roles of real people they know. When teaching, Chinese just comes to me. Principles and vocabulary just flood into my mind. I thought I'd only realize this gift out in the field! It's helping my learning so much. It was so frustrating at first because I had all these impressions that I wanted to share, but there were no words for them. Diligent study and obedience is binding the Lord to my work. He is so merciful to me, I just cannot believe it most of the time! It's still really hard to learn, but the Lord is doing wonders and miracles, and it's giving me hope. It's crazy how busy I am! Every second of these three months cannot be wasted! There are too many souls at stake that I am accountable for that I cannot bear to lose because I didn't do my best. I feel the adrenaline of getting up onto the highbar at a meet before a lesson, and then the spirit guides me, and I feel like I stuck the landing! I reaaaally miss doing gymnastics, and there's a bunch of missionaries that do handstands all the time and it makes me laugh! Some even do standing backs :O but I don't want to risk hurting myself AT ALL. There are tons of missionaries in crutchs!

     I'm sure you can imagine the reaction to Pres Monson's announcement on Saturday. At first I was like, Why now?? I could've left sooner! But then the spirit bore witness to my heart that things worked out for the very best for me, because I was willing to submit to the will of the Father. What a blessing, what an exciting time! I feel so excited to be a missionary!

First Week of My Mission!

     The missionary TRAINING center is literally that. All I could think of is how Scott Self had already gone through all this, but when I got to my district, all anyone would speak is Mandarin! It was so frustrating, and I wished that I could've taken more classes! But I started to catch on to everything I could. It's an immersion program, and I guess that's the only way possible to learn in 3 months! I thought it would be forever, until we tried to teach our first lesson. Me and my companion only had a day and a half of study, and we had to teach a guy who only spoke Chinese! We weren't actually able to teach him anything... or barely carry out a conversation. It was really motivating to increase my efforts. But my district is very unified. We are all focused on the purpose of being missionaries, and are doing all we can to prepare to teach. Everyone tells us that the language will come though, which is comforting. They said we should focus on our teaching ability, and the Lord would help us with the rest. I have complete faith in that. I cannot learn chinese in these months, but the Lord can, and it's his will, so I will do it. I got to go to the Provo temple for the first time! It was HUGE, and so busy! It's hard to get used to all these new things at the MTC, but I'm bearing through it, and looking forward to taking full advantage of every minute of these two years.