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!