"Charlie Mike" = "Continue Mission"

It is a practice among military personnel to use the phonetic alphabet to send messages that are unmistakable by the unique words chosen to represent letters. The letters "CM" represent the message "Continue the Mission" and since the phonetic code for C is Charlie and for M is Mike, it can be communicated by saying the words "Charlie Mike." Since President Cooke has a military background, about a year ago he started using this slogan for our mission, and I think it has a profound meaning to recognizing the purpose of a full-time mission. The first message that it sends is that we truly are on a mission. We have been called and set apart by ordained servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and have been directed to spend every ounce of effort that we can muster to invite others to come unto Christ by receiving the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. It is the most joyful, difficult, heartbreaking work that we can be engaged in, but we are called to do it nonetheless. The second message that Charlie Mike sends is to continue on. Two years might seem like such a long time to serve as a missionary all day every day, and so it requires daily insistence that we continue onward in a persistent and diligent effort to share the gospel. I've done all I can to Charlie Mike by leaving my home, returning to the mission field after returning home, giving up every personal affair possible, being obedient every day, giving all my strength and talents to help improve the lives of others, and accepting the tasks and trials with which the Lord has seen fit to grant to me. But I'm not done.

     To me the purpose of a mission is to take a Latter-day Saint and set them apart even farther from the world in order to help them become an instrument of the Lord. I am not retiring from that ideal. I haven't come so far to decide that I'm done serving the Lord through serving my brothers and sisters. I want to share my desires with whoever might read this because I want to be accountable and reminded of the lessons I learned as an ordained minister of Jesus Christ. I don't want to stop until every nation has had the gospel declared to them and had the opportunity to receive the fulness of the gospel. It has blessed my family so much, how could I not want that for everyone? It isn't time to take a break and slow down, today is a day for us to pick up our pace and speed up! I want to share with you my testimony of the blessings of missionary work. There is no wonder why there is so much preached and prophesied about the marvelous work and wonder that will take place in our day, it is amazing! It has been a great privilege of mine to meet some of the best people alive today, and to see them grow as  I grew as a disciple of Christ.
     This past week was not without tender mercies and miracles. We started our Chinese Sunday School class and although few came, I felt the spirit confirm to me that the direction we are headed is not just my will but it is His also so we don't need to fear. I got to teach an investigator that I have worked with for a long time now about fasting and felt the Lord's help in communicating my feelings in Chinese. I recognized divine help in performing the cello again for the first time in years at the visitor center. I got to help the Feng family prepare names for the temple which they were able to do on Tuesday. There is so much work to do on both sides of the veil, it is such an exciting prospect to me.

     I can't find the right words within me to express how I feel, but I hope that through this blog you have been able to feel the spirit, recognize the hand of the Lord working among us, and felt inspired to help others come to Christ. Let's join together and Charlie Mike!!!
Elder John Hosack Lim
September 26th, 2012 - April 15th, 2015

The Voice of God

     What would it be like to sit and listen to the voice of our Father in Heaven or our brother Jesus Christ? What would we want to ask them? What would they want to tell us? The amazing thing is that they love us so much that they want to send us messages and tell us what we can do to be happy. They speak to us through very special people called prophets and apostles. One of the general authorities this weekend quoted the scriptures by saying, "God said..." We can quote the words of God through the scriptures and conference talks because the Lord has declared, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all befulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." I have found that to be the truth. The morning before conference I had a special study session where I searched my own thoughts and feelings for questions I had that needed answering, and I found a few. The first talk given spoke to a need that I didn't even realize that I had. I've become really casual about my fasting and often have skipped the duty to pay fast offerings. What a great reminder this was to show my love to the Lord through sacrifice. The next talk was a beautiful sermon from the senior apostle on his experience with marriage and counsel on righteous dating, I guess that is something I need to start thinking about soon! Then there was Elder Bednar's talk on facing fear with faith. I think that when facing uncertain events in the future it is always best to put all your trust in the Lord and expect his blessings as you decide to make Him your highest priority. That's my plan! I don't know what I will be doing next month or next  year, but I know that serving the Lord will be my next priority.
     On Sunday morning I heard one of the most touching talks I've ever listened to. The story of the brothers in Elder Holland's talk struck a special chord with me. An older brother was willing to give his life for the younger, and didn't want the younger brother to feel any blame for his fall. Miraculously, the younger brother stuck around to save his life. I think this story is so powerful because we can see ourselves on both sides of the situation. We, because of our mortal state, are fallen and in absolute need of saving. Like the younger brother, we were helpless to save Jesus Christ from the price he paid for our salvation. The tender feelings that I have for my brothers teaches me of the love that Jesus Christ has for me. It is the only reason that he underwent the agony that He did, because He loves who I am. I wish to offer my life to him, not because of an obligation or because anyone told me that is the right thing to do, but because I love Him and I love my brothers and sisters. He asks so little of us, and at the same time he asks for our all. President Monson said that the best decision that he made was to give something he loved to the God that he loved more, I want to make those kinds of decisions. I hope that we can all remember and honor Jesus Christ through our lives by hearkening to the words of the prophets and seeking to do God's will.
     This past week was a blur! I feel like time is going by so quickly. I got to work with Ivan again and explain some of the principles that he hasn't learned clearly yet. I guess he was interviewed for the priesthood without knowing what was going on, but he passed! He showed us around George Washington University where we plan to advertise an English class to service the Chinese students.  I also have gotten to know another graduate student that has been investigating for some time now. He is concerned that if he joins the church it might affect his chances of getting a job if he ends up in China. I shared with him the stories of faith from my family and my personal decision to put gymnastics aside to serve the Lord. It helped me to recognize that this is something that I believe is true. My affirmation of the truthfulness of the gospel grows ever stronger. I love the Lord and I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to serve every day. Here we go last week! In the words of Dersely, "Let's finish strong!"

Because He Lives

     I've never really thought about what Christ did on Palm Sunday. It's not a holiday that we observe as latter-day saints, but that doesn't change the significance of what Jesus Christ did on that day. It wasn't like he had gone on a two year mission to Washington DC and was finally coming home. He was going to a city ripe with iniquity that lusted after his blood. He willingly entered into the mouth of the lion as it were and in the words of Joseph Smith going "like a lamb to the slaughter." The way that Christ faces opposition and a most fearful situation is well deserving of our admiration and attention. There are a lot of changes coming in my life in the days ahead, but I want to choose to respond with acts of faith rather than cower in fear. A few verses after entering Jerusalem the Savior teaches this; "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." John 12:25 We have nothing to fear when we are striving to do the will of Heavenly Father and face our trials with an eternal perspective. Jesus knew that following his entry into Jerusalem he would face anguish, betrayal, abandonment, ultimate suffering, but He also knew that at the end of the week there would be a resurrection and the fulfillment of all the prophecies that had been made of Him. I look to Him in my hours of fear and discomfort and hope that you can do the same, because He lives today.

     This past week I had the opportunity to go on exchange with my district leader from the Ivory Coast. I've spoken a few times of him throughout my entries, but something he shared with me changed my perspective on my entire mission. Once upon a time when I was still being trained in the DC 3rd Ward with Elder Synelnikov, I was really struggling to contact people and talk to people on the street. I went on exchange with my zone leader Elder Ferugen from Japan and he asked me what I wanted to work on. He told me how he finds joy in talking to people and told me to watch him and be fearless. He said that no matter what the world might try to tell me, Heavenly Father appreciates what we are doing more than we can imagine. We set out and I saw how he would just ask people about their day and take down their contact information. As we biked down Longfellow I noticed a lady approaching the crosswalk. I stopped and talked with her and set up a return appointment for the first time! She was from Cameroon and I remember teaching her a few times before I was transferred. Elder Monsia told me this week that after 2 years, they have started teaching her again! She says that she remembers the first Elder that talked to her was named Elder Lim. I looked back in my journal and matched up her name, isn't that amazing? When you think that what you do in the service of God is small and seemingly insignificant, reconsider that the Lord is in charge and will magnify your efforts.

      I want to especially devote this Easter week to studying the resurrection and better understanding what my Savior did to me. My challenge is to spend time watching the Bible Videos "Lazarus is Raised from the Dead" and "Because He Lives." Think about what role Jesus will play when you have the opportunity to one day live again, and be united with your family once again.

桃李不言 下自成蹊

     This past week was so stressful!!! We had tons of planning and preparing to do. We wanted to start teaching our Sunday School class in Chinese but that is still in the works, and I was asked to speak at the branch on Sunday! It's been so long since I've really spoken in Chinese that this was kind of a rude awakening. I made sure to type it out for the translator though. One miracle to share. So last week we invited an investigator to come watch Senator Orrin Hatch at the Visitor Center, and he ended up leaving halfway through because he didn't understand what was being said. I felt bad for inviting him. We met with him a few days later and he said that a miracle happened. The previous weeks he had been asking his boss for a few days of vacation and his boss continually said no. After the event his boss called and told him that he wanted to give him a few days of vacation! The investigator considered that to be a miracle. We taught him about faith and miracles and told him that as he continues to accept our invitations he will continue to experience miracles. The ultimate miracle is the opportunity to return to live with Heavenly Father with our eternal families.

Sacrament Meeting Talk 3/22/15 Montgomery Chinese Branch
Brothers and Sisters,
        It is a merciful blessing from the Lord that Elder Ng and I have the opportunity to return here to be in the branch with you. Missionary life is simple and fulfilling but there is one thing that makes it especially difficult, you have to move a lot! I've heard that there are just a few very traumatic experiences that people face - death, divorce, and moving. On a mission we have to move over and over again. Many missionaries have a difficult time when they leave home for the first time because they don't have any family to be with or support them. It was difficult for me to leave home, but I was able to find a family here in the branch. I am so grateful for the extraordinary examples of saints in this congregation, I would love to live my life here with you.
        I've spent most of the past year serving in English Wards in Maryland in DC. I’ve forgotten a lot of my Chinese, but I also had the opportunity to learn a lot about missionary work and experience different approaches. I hope that today I can share with you a few of the principles that I feel are very important to missionary work and can give you ideas and inspiration for your personal efforts to do missionary work. Did you know that our dispensation has a special mission? We call ourselves Latter-Day Saints and we have been called to do a special work. In the topical guide there is a large study section called, “Mission of Latter-Day Saints.” I invite you to look at that list of scriptures and I will share a few of them with you now. In the last verses of the gospel of Matthew we were given a special commandment. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The Lord repeats that invitation repeatedly. Another one is found in Doctrine and Covenants 29:7 “And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;”
        It isn’t easy to fulfill our mission to gather the elect and build up the church, but we are commanded to do so. There is a Chinese saying that beautiful trees don't need to talk, people will naturally form a path by them. (桃李不言 下自成蹊) Jesus Christ is our perfect example of living in a way that brought people to God. On some occasions He didn’t even need to invite people to come. He had a good reputation and people simply flocked to where He was. In John 6:2 it says that “a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did.” We can also help a great multitude come closer to Jesus as we become a people more like Jesus together. Moses 7:18 says, “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.”
I have three suggestion for ways that we can become a Zion like people that naturally attracts the Chinese elect of God to come join with us. First, we look for ways to help people spiritually. Something that my Dad would always do when I was growing up was come to church early and spend time going around to different families in the chapel and visiting with them. He would always do his home teaching and always take me with him even when I was little. On my mission I have had many opportunities to get to know people and their life concerns. One evening we felt that we needed to visit someone that was a new convert to the church. My companion had the idea to share a scripture about trials and how they make us stronger. In the closing prayer she said that she did not know how, but that we taught her exactly what she needed to hear. We later found out that she was being forced to leave her house. Every single person alive has a need and a concern today. God knows those concerns for every person, and we should seek out chances to help resolve concerns and strengthen others.
My second suggestion is to make new friends every day. My dad is also a great example of living this behavior. He writes me a letter every week and he always tells me of the experiences he has in sharing the gospel. At the gym he likes to talk to people and get to know them. Recently there was another man in the sauna with his eyes closed. My dad wasn’t sure if he was sleeping, but he felt that he should talk to him. They got to know each other and my dad asked him if he knew anything about the church. The man was interested to learn and said that he was closing his eyes because he was praying for guidance. My dad invited him to come to church and he accepted a pass-along card. At the beginning of my mission my trainer and I received a referral for a man in Rockville and he said we could come visit. We shared the Book of Mormon with him and he was a little interested. Over a year later I was able to visit him again, but this time I decided to try and get to know his mother. We stopped by during the early afternoon and offered to teach her English. If we didn’t make the effort to make a new friend we would never have been blessed to get to know her.
My final suggestion to help people come to church is to develop the behavior of never saying anything negative about anyone. James said, “For in many things we offend all. [But] if anyman offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” It is tempting to talk about others and to gossip about what we think of them. Satan wants to turn us against each other rather than allow us to become unified and powerful. We can counteract this by choosing to avoid saying anything negative about anyone.
These three behaviors to look for ways to spiritually help others, make new friends every day, and not say anything negative about anyone are a major way that we can build the church and receive the blessings of missionary work. President Uchtdorf said that one of the greatest sermons ever pronounced on missionary work is this simple thought attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”
God gives us this promise in D&C 84:88 and I have seen it to be true. “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” This is the Lord's work. As we work at it together we will change and experience the blessings of building the Lord's Kingdom.

Redeemer

Why I Believe

     Why I Believe is a special event held by our mission in the Temple Visitor Center. Every third Sunday we invite recent converts from the mission to come share their conversion story with members and investigators as well as a special key note speaker to address us. We are so lucky to have valiant saints that live in our area. From professional athletes to presidential hospital staff to US senators they all live here. Yesterday we had the privilege of hearing from the father of someone who has had a great influence on my life. Sister Catron was my seminary teacher my sophomore year of high school and taught me how to love the Book of Mormon. It was no surprise then that the main focus of her father Senator Orrin Hatch's address about why he believes was on the Book of Mormon. He shared his experience of how he gained a sure witness when he was 17 and how that has guided him the rest of his life. That made me reflect on my powerful experiences with the same book and I must agree with its significance. It has brought a powerful spirit into my life, it helped me understand repentance and the atonement so I could overcome my weaknesses and become a better person. It has brought me spiritual comfort in times of great distress. It has provided support to my testimony when others have rejected and despised it, I know it is a true record.

     On another note, our first Sunday working with the singles ward was a success! They were having ward conference so the schedule was different, but it couldn't have been a better meeting. The stake president spoke about the lessons he learned as a Chinese speaking missionary in Taiwan, very relevant right?? We had one nonmember there that has been having special spiritual experiences lately and he said he had some questions for us so we stayed a little after church. I also invited Ivan who was baptized not too long ago to come join the discussion, it was awesome! He inspires me and strengthens my testimony with how quickly his has grown. At the conclusion of the discussion I told them our plans to start a Chinese group in the ward and they were both very enthusiastic about supporting the idea and helping out. At that moment I felt like this effort was no longer just mine, it is God's and it is the effort of the Chinese saints that live here. Elder Fowler the director of the Visitor Center had a special meeting with us to share his feelings that he has about the work in China. He is a former mission president and general authority and said that when he came to the Chinese new year party he had a profound feeling of the future of the church involving the Chinese people.
     I was studying "Our Search for Happiness" by Elder M. Russell Ballard this week and I found some of the experiences he shared especially interesting. When he was on his mission in England at the age of 20 he was called as a leader of not only the mission but the church in that area as well. After a day of contacting in the street square he was walking home and he had this overwhelming feeling that Jesus Christ knew him and received revelation to strengthen his testimony. His grandfather obtained his witness on his mission in Northwestern US after much struggle in his area. He was praying and he envisioned the Savior coming to embrace him. I have this gospel art book that was given to me by Sister Matsumori at the beginning of my mission. She was involved in compiling the book when she was in the primary general presidency. She said that they obtained different pictures of Jesus Christ and submitted them to the first presidency and quorum of the twelve to choose one that most closely represented the Savior. They picked one by Heinrich Hoffman. I often look at that picture and wonder what it will be like to meet Him. I believe that there will be such a day because He lives. I hope by that day I will know Him so well that it will be more like a happy reunion than a first encounter.

A New Age

I'M BACK!!! I was so elated to find out that I would be transferring back to the Chinese program, what a journey it has been. One of the Elders told me that they were praying so hard that I could come back, that fills me with such great purpose. I have to say that this is not the same branch I met two and a half years ago. The people are different, the momentum is different, the level of faith feels different. Maybe it's just my change in perspective, but there is an entirely different leadership as well. One of the Elders described the lifestyle of the branch in terms of ages. There was a beginning age when they met in the basement of the Potomac chapel when they were just getting started. There was an age of re-establishment when the branch was moved to the Kentlands and there was an adjustment that had to be made. Now is the age of expansion. When members and missionaries work together in a powerful way to bring the gospel into the lives of Chinese families. The playing field is different, the tools that we use have changed, and the message that we share is more relevant to challenges and concerns of the Chinese community than ever. We have to do something big! My idea is to reach out to the Chinese students of the DC area by forming a small group in the building that I served in last transfer. We got approval from the Stake Presidency and get to start working to build that this week. I have so little time left, this will be a sprint effort to establish a critical mass to form a group that can service the Chinese demographic in the city. 

I can't say how grateful I am for the experience I've gained outside the branch this past year. On one hand I feel that I missed time that could have been used to start this effort a long time ago, but on the other hand I wouldn't know how to lead at all if I wasn't transferred out. I always need to remind myself that all I can do is the best I can with what the Lord has blessed me with. Luckily the weather is turning up, we have a great crew of Chinese speaking missionaries, and the Lord is on our side! This work would be an impossible one if it wasn't His. On Saturday we had an extra hour to fill, and so instead of going to our meeting early I decided we should go spend some time on the American University campus. We wandered for a while and found the student activities center, then as we were leaving I saw the back of someone that looked familiar, so we sped around the building to try and catch up with him. It turned out to be one of the Chinese investigators I worked with in my last area! It was such a miracle that we ran into him, I couldn't believe it. We had a great chat with him and he wants to come to church next week. We just need to show the Lord that we are willing to do hard things and he blesses us to be in the right place at the right time. This transfer is a special blessing to me. I could have gone home last week, but I'm grateful for the extra opportunity I have to give all that I've learned to the Chinese program. I'm excited to serve once again with Elder Spencer Ng from San Diego, we've been friends for such a long time now, and both have experienced going home and coming back. Stay tuned for the miracles to come!

The 18th Transfer

To say the very least, this week was an emotional roller coaster. Still recovering from the last snow storm, there were more snow days meaning our transportation was restricted again. Then my companion contracted strep throat! That means a few hours at a clinic and then many more hours of rest. Luckily I haven't gotten sick, we've been really careful to keep everything clean. Yesterday there was this freezing rain storm that covered everything including the roads with a quarter inch of ice. We were walking on the sidewalk on Connecticut and you have to walk over the snow banks on the side of the road. At one curb we discovered that it wasn't a snow bank but a six inch puddle so we got wet up to our ankles in freezing water! We learned that looks can be deceiving. Even something that looks ok to stand on could be a treacherous pool of freezing water! My most powerful experiences this week occurred on the weekend.

I've been waiting to hear back from BYU for several months now. Ever since I decided not to defer my enrollment I've regretted the decision. After going home, I felt that I had lost good chances of getting a good education. I trusted that God would help me to get to the best place that I could be, but I didn't know if that was where I hoped to be able to go to. When the admission decision came that I've been admitted to BYU, I was overcome with joy and gratitude. I don't feel like that's my accomplishment, but a tremendous blessing from Heavenly Father. I promised with Him that I would not let that blessing go in vain, I will do all that I can to do well in school and contribute back.

That evening President gave special permission to Elder Fuller and I to attend the Chinese Branch's New Year celebration! What a fantastic opportunity! I felt like I was going home to family. They had me lead the lion dance performance since this is my third year attending, and I felt like it was the best one yet! I got to see so many of the people that I have such great relationships with. I realized that at the beginning of my mission my vision for the branch was to help it increase in size. Instead of accomplishing that, by submitting to the will of the Lord I think I fulfilled an even greater mission. I became part of the branch family and served to the point that I can give my life and my heart to the members and to their cause.

Then the transfer call-out came. I expected to stay here in the  DC 2nd ward since I've only been here for six weeks, and I looked forward to the work that still needs to be done. I found out that I'm leaving! I can't express how confused and discouraged I was about that decision. How could I have accomplished or contributed anything substantial in such a short amount of time? I prayed for understanding and none came. The next day at Sacrament after telling one of the members the ruling, he immediately smiled and told me that I accomplished what I was supposed to here. I was filled with comfort as the spirit bore witness of that to me, I know that the Lord has a plan. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3)

My invitation this week is to trust that the Lord is preparing a path for each one of us to accomplish His purpose. As you go into this week and I go into this transfer, let's pray for understanding and seek to do His will!

Siberian Winter in DC

This week took our winter to a whole new level here in the District. As I was typing my last blog entry we got hit with our first storm Monday evening and we were told to stay inside our apartments and not drive. The ban wasn't lifted until Wednesday when most of the roads were cleared. On Wednesday I got to go on exchange with my old companion Elder Spencer Ng! I can't believe a year and a half has passed already, we are now two very different missionaries. We got to visit with some my favorite families in the mission and catch up on the past year. Those are the kind of sweet experiences I've been having lately, to go back to the places that you have lived and served in before. When you give something of yourself to the people and return to visit there is a special love and joy that you feel. That inspires me to choose to participate in opportunities to help out others no matter where I live or how old I am. There is a sense of fulfillment and peace that is unlike anything else. I also had the privilege to go back into the city ward I served in my second transfer with Elder Synelnikov. I miss that guy! We visited the same couple that I went and visited with my
zone leader when I was on exchange with him as a new missionary. I was surprised that after these two years they still remembered me! They said that they remembered my face. At first she said the same thing she said when I first met them, "welcome to the third ward!" I forgot how fun and exhilarating it is to ride around on a bike and just talk with people. Sure it's cold, but it makes me feel like I'm on an important mission. The next morning we were riding back from the church and we started getting pounded with snow. It stung my face try and ride a bike through it, and I could hardly see anything! Before 3 pm there was already more than 4 inches accumulation so we were grounded once again. We spent another day studying and planning, it
was tough to stay motivated. I was trapped there for an extra day and the singles ward cancelled their sacrament meeting. Elder Fuller and I met back up and decided to attend the third ward church service! It's
a very unique congregation because among  the saints are many converts from traditional baptist congregations so when the speaker says "good morning" the audience will respond good morning! I miss that ward a lot so it was such a pleasure to go there. Every year I think I appreciate more and more the time that I'm blessed to spend with people. Sure we might get snowed in, stranded, or left behind but it's
fine if you make the most of it with the people around you. I definitely won't forget these days on my mission in the best mission in the history of life!

Blessings for Patience

There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can--working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! -President Uchtdorf
 I didn't know how I was going to get through this week. Not sure if you've ever felt that way before, but I felt this dreading in my heart to work through everything that needed to be done last week. If I do something I want to do it well, and the chances of that go way down when you have more and more things to do. The first big stress was the zone training that Elder Fuller and I were supposed to plan and put together. It's like a district meeting for over 50 people, so we want the meeting to be well worth the time of everyone that attends. The first training was done by some of the sister training leaders of the mission and they covered the plan that President Cooke has for the mission this year. To intro one of the Sisters stormed in and slammed a white board on the table which scared everyone, especially me and even President, it was great. Then she started yelling about members and missionaries working together like she was a coach. Then we had a training on using the spirit of discernment in our teaching which went much better than I expected. We used the Preach My Gospel videos to show where the spirit of discernment is used, and I felt the spirit testify of the principles that we were teaching, that the Lord knows every single person and if we ask Him, He will reveal something about the person to us. I got to give a training on using the gospel library application to our zone and every zone after that throughout the week.
On Tuesday I also got to go on exchange back into Chinese! Our first stop of course had to be to go visit the Fengs! I ran up to Paul and gave him a big hug, I forgot how much I missed him. I can hardly believe it's been a year since I met him and his wife. We have so many good memories together. I was overjoyed to hear that he taught Sunday School last week and is preparing to go to the temple to be sealed next month. Ah! I would serve another two years just to help a family have those blessings. Elder Yang said that he has not seen a missionary have that kind of relationship with the members and that it's something he wants. In the evening I got to see the Azucenas, which we both took as a sign because we ran into each other at the store the same week. Elder Yang is such a great missionary, he loves the branch and wants to serve there, that puts me at peace.
The biggest stress for the week was the missionary stake coordination meeting that we needed to prepare for. The Washington DC Stake leadership has men of a lot of power and influence in it, so of course we want to prepare a meaningful report. We are hoping to change the system a little to improve the accountability of members working with missionaries. We spent ten hours on Saturday preparing the report the next day, and then a killer snow storm hit and the meeting got postponed until next month which means that the information we collected is all obsolete! I can't express how frustrated I felt. I felt like all my sacrifices and my work went to waste and I felt hateful for it not going to any use. I had a hard time showing any gratitude and feeling the spirit in my prayers that night. But when I opened the Book of Mormon I found verses that told me to trust in God, and that you can't know that you are unsuccessful because God sees the bigger picture. The first talk at sacrament meeting was on patience, that was a message definitely just for me. Then 6 investigators showed up to church! We got to teach three of them separately, then there was a baptism after church! Ivan moved his baptism from Valentines day to Sunday so we had to rearrange everything. Then we tried to fill the font an hour early and it was filling in super slowly. But we got the water high enough and he got baptized and it was amazing! I love my mission. My experiences are teaching me that if we hold on and trust in god, even though we don't see the whole picture all things will work together for our good.

All Creatures of Our God and King

For the Winn

I have a new companion! His name is Elder Clayton Winn from Ogden, Utah and has been serving in the French program for about 6 months now. His companion Elder Monsia entered the field the same week that I returned to the mission in 2013 and had to go back to the Ivory Coast for a few weeks to renew some paperwork to be in the states. So Elder Winn gets to hang out with us for a while! He is a great young missionary who knows his purpose and likes to work hard. The teaching appointments that we've had so far have been outstanding and I'm glad we get to work together in a trio.
This week has been off the wall crazy. There are twice as many missionaries in this zone than in my last and President Cooke has a lot of initiatives going on. Just to give you an idea, I know this is really boring but here goes. We had two 24 hour exchanges to go on, five district meetings, a specialized training for new missionaries, we taught 17 lessons to both nonmembers and members, young adult activities, interviews for the zone with President, reports on baptisms and baptismal dates, an upcoming baptism to plan, following up with ever referral in the zone, an a cappella performance at the visitor center with my Elder Fuller, Elder Fisher, and Elder Jamais, and we had to start preparing for stake coordination meeting next week as well as zone training, finding activities, and exchanges. Oh and we put together a big zone activity for today. Whew. There is so many things going on at once I'm just trying to keep up! There are so many more things to think about here than in my last area and I want everything to go well. I am really grateful for Elder Fuller and his talents. We work well together and have been taking care of things tactfully and efficiently. I'm really satisfied with everything that has been accomplished up to this point. The total new referrals that haven't been updated for the zone dropped from over 150 to 10, the zone activity this morning was one of the best I've had. We planned a missionary murder mystery! We cast 12 missionaries to be part of a talent show where a murder occurred and the audience had to ask us questions to find out who killed the President Cooke impersonator. The performance last night was a great experience for me. I don't have a very good voice at all, but I love to sing. I am so grateful that there were a few Elders that were willing to give me the chance to sing with them I really enjoyed performing! That's one thing I'm coming to truly feel, that I have a family here and that we love one another and look out for each other. It's such a unique and wonderful blessing that you have for serving a mission.
This week we taught Ivan once again and figured it would be the make it or break it lesson since he told me he likes to drink. After teaching the word of wisdom with the perspective that it will be something that will invite the spirit and the presence of God into his life he accepted to never drink alcohol again! I felt that it was almost too good to be true, but he is genuine. He came to church late, because he attended the baptism of his friend in Virginia before coming to our 3 hour church block! Again, he is a fantastic guy. Also one of the members brought their friend from China to Sacrament Meeting and he had a great experience as well, this ward is fantastic. The Jewish investigator texted us and said he doesn't want to meet with us again, that was pretty harsh but it happens. I'm glad we got to teach him once. We also met with a born again traveling minister that just left for England after our lesson. As I taught him about the atonement he told me that he disagreed. That grace works differently than our understanding and that the Book of Mormon prophets write in a manner where they glorify themselves. I just continued to control my emotions and testify that I know it is the truth.
I think the lesson that I'm taking away from this week is that we may be asked to do a lot more than we can handle, but the Lord will help you if you rely on Him and ask for His guidance. Oh and I got into BYU Hawaii! I'm glad that's an option, it would be great to go to school where my parents did. Living the dream! Elder Lim

Lovest Thou Me?

Peter didn't know what to do. Have you ever felt that way before? His Savior, leader and guide had left him for the third time and he sat there upon the shores and didn't know what to do with himself and so he said, "I go a fishing." Then after an entire night of not catching any fish (that always happens to me when I go fishing, AJ catches all the fish) the Lord comes to them and tells them where they can find fish. They immediately recognized the Lord, they must have felt dejavu from the first time he called out to them in their boat. Christ prepared a meal for them and had an interaction with Peter that I think is depicted very well by the new bible video made by the church called Feed My Sheep. The Lord asks, "Simon, son of Jonas, Lovest thou me more than these?" Peter fakes a smile and says "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." The Lord commands him, "Feed my lambs." The next time the Lord repeats the question Peter musters up a little more conviction to show that he loves the Lord. The command he receives is the same. The final time Christ asks him the same question Peter seems to be pleading with the Lord, "Isn't it true that I love you??" The risen Christ commands him, "Take care of your brothers and sisters." 

Even as a missionary, when life is simple and you have a single purpose, I feel like I get lost along the way. After the 50th time that someone has told you that they don't care if you want to share something amazing with them, it's freezing cold outside, and people are giving you condemning looks, it is hard to accept the command to feed His sheep. This was a moment that I experienced last week while we were contacting at a metro stop. I stopped for a moment to consider how ridiculous this was, and how I could be so much more comfortable now. Then a voice came to my mind, and called me by name saying, "John, do you love me?" No one knows me by that name here. But to me it sounded like, do you love me more than you love being comfortable? Do you love me more than you love doing your own things? And I had to pause to re-evaluate myself and my intentions. A sweet spirit entered my heart and filled me with a desire to be closer to God, and keep trying to help others do the same. I think we all can receive that assurance if we forget ourselves and get lost in others.

We had some amazing teaching opportunities and miracle this week. The first one is an investigator from ShangHai that I mentioned in my last entry. He committed to and came to church, and he brought two of his chinese friends! What a blessing that was to sit with them for fast and testimony meeting. The next investigator is currently attending American University and is one of the deepest thinkers that I have met. I felt genuine curiosity from him as we talked about the convictions we have about the truthfulness of the gospel. He is seeking for something to answer all his questions and I'm excited for him to find the answers in what we have to share with him. We are also working with a student at George Washington that is studying law and business, super smart. He was raised Jewish but said he didn't find the fulfillment he is looking for. He heard that Mormonism is a good transition for those that are Jewish background and so he referred himself on mormon.org. Sister missionaries were at his door within 12 hours, and he called us to set up the appointment. We had one of the best restoration lessons I've been a part of, I love being a part of such a great work!

Where we can grow

I didn't realize how comfortable I was getting in the White Plains 2nd ward until I attended the DC 2nd young single adult ward this past Sunday. I have been way out of my comfort zone this entire week. I was overwhelmed at church with the difference in the feel and culture of the ward, everyone is my age! It's weird talking to girls again and it's intimidating to talk to these great return missionaries. They all do so well at fellowshipping all that is required of me is to teach. The Ward is so amazing that people will just show up after hearing about it. There were two young adults from American University that just came to check it out, how cool is that? If every Ward was able to build such a dynamic congregation, I wouldn't be surprised if people in the community just showed up for church as well. Living in the district once again is a blast from the past, but I have an entirely different perspective now. I drive the streets I once rode my bike with Elder Synelnikov in our caravan, and I can almost see a young Elder Lim peddling up 14th street trying to keep up. We had to stop by several apartments and one of them is the very first one I lived in with Elder Mclane. The Washington DC zone has been such a big part of my mission life, it's good to be back where I began. I think I have come here because there are more ways that I need to grow, and I have to get out of my comfort zone to do that.

Last night we had a few extra minutes at the end of the night so we started making our way down to the metro to contact people. The First person we met was a visiting Japanese student that has been here for 3 months. She was so nice to us, but we couldn't communicate very well. So we called another missionary that speaks Japanese and got her info, it was so cool! Another reason I might have been sent here is to teach the new investigator we met this week. His name is Ivan and just moved here from Virginia. He has been in the U.S. for a few months and is originally from ShangHai! A Chinese person to teach in the district! He is one of the most choice Chinese people I have ever met and taught. He sincerely wants to learn the truth and come closer to God. A lot of times when I teach Chinese people it's just to satisfy their curiosity, I had a different feeling about this guy. Another extraordinary individual we met is a recent convert in the Ward from Sri Lanka. After many years of exposure to the church, Heavenly Father continued to reach out to him until he accepted the gospel. He is now the most passionate person about the gospel that I have ever met. He is infamous in the Ward for being a missionary and doing service for others. We all got emotional as he talks about bringing the gospel back to his home country. I can imagine both these men one day becoming significant leaders in the church.

I have so many plans and ideas for how I want to work this next transfer. My new companion's name is Elder Grant Fuller from Indianapolis. He is a great missionary that I have revered for a long time now. It's been so much fun to be his companion this week, I can tell we're going to do great work here. This week has been a shock to my system, but that's good for you! The Lord won't let us stop growing. 

That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. D&C 50:24

The Path of Peace

WML Brother Heath

"As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see that it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life." President Monson
A few nights ago I learned that I will be transferred this week to a new area. My immediate reaction was to panic as I realized that would mean leaving all the people that I have grown so close to here. I can't begin to say how much I love the members of the ward and the investigators I have worked here in the White Plains 2nd Ward, they feel like family to me. I didn't know I could care so much and so deeply for an area after leaving the Patuxent Ward just a few months ago. The hardest part of missionary life for me is the separation from those that you grow to love. I like the way Elder Hansen put it to me once, that we go on missions and have our hearts broken over and over again. There is pain of leaving family, pain of rejection, pain of broken commitments, and then pain of leaving again. How are we supposed to enjoy and endure a mission?
Last night we attended the Why I Believe fireside at the temple visitor center with a recent convert of the ward. The speakers were a very impressive couple just called to be Stake President in one of the stakes in the mission. They told of how they have lost two of their six children, and what a difficult tribulation that was to bear. He said that six weeks after their son had been born, the baby needed to have open heart surgery. Brother Denna needed to return to his studies in school so he went and collected all the assignments he had missed in the previous week. As he sat down to complete them, he could not focus at all, his heart was with his family. So he went to the temple. He doesn't remember the words spoken there at all, but as he sat in the celestial room he heard the words, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

This week I was very nervous about changing the reporting system that we use to coordinate missionary efforts with the Stake Presidency. I didn't quite know what they wanted, and I'm not sure they did either. That's the nature of work projects I guess. But when the time came to put the information together we prayed for divine assistance. I had a vague image in my mind of a good way to present the information. As the Stake President examined our report he remarked, "I really like this," and that sweet peace hit me again.

That is what Jesus Christ does for us --through His miraculous atonement, he provided means for us to find peace. Not a calmness that fleets away after your concentration is broken, but a powerful assurance that carries us through the darkest trials. I felt that peace as I knelt before my Father and asked Him why my heart was to be broken again. The thoughts that came to my mind were that I don't understand why I need to move now, but that the Lord has a purpose and if I trust Him He will provide another great experience for me. I am so glad the Christ lived the hard life that He did so that he can walk with me through my mission and through my life. Let's do all we can to follow Him and find His peace along the way.

The Struggle is Real

Prophets Among Us

I never thought I would have the privilege of meeting a member of the first presidency in my life, let alone on my mission. Elder Harden Eyring has served as the director of the visitor center for 2 years, and his older brother President Henry Eyring came to present the culmination of his brother's service. I remember when Elder Eyring first arrived and he had a fireside while I was serving in the city. Over his mission he has been working to get a scale model of the Washington DC Temple that shows off the interior. There is only one other model for the Salt Lake temple and they are now planning to make one for the Rome, Italy temple. It is a remarkable object. It stands 9 feet tall and shows every part of the temple with exactness. Every piece of furniture, the color of the walls and the upholstery are all exactly replicated by a 3D printer. President Eyring came to introduce the model to the community, and to also address our mission personally.


The first thing that impressed me was his relationship with his brother. People ask Elder Eyring if it's weird to see his older brother address the world in general conference. He said that when he was 19 in a job interview he was asked who his hero was, and he immediately responded his older brother Hal. All growing up the 6 years age difference did not affect their closeness. The 16 year old President Eyring would always spend time with his 10 year old brother Harden. I want to be that kind of family man, I want to be that kind of brother.

I thought that President Eyring would start out his remarks with some sentiments about his brother, but no, he is all about His Father's business. He started looking at us deeply, scanning the audience left to right. He asked them to turn the lights up brighter so that he could see into our eyes. He explained that he wants to help us to be better teachers, and that teaching has the greatest impact when it's done on an individual basis. He said that to teach with power you need to be able to use the spirit of discernment and that is something you must pray for. He didn't just tell us that though, he showed us with real power. He immediately began to address the needs of our mission based upon his spiritual promptings. He said that we're not loving the people like we should. We need to trust that Heavenly Father knows every person on this earth. He stated that he doesn't know how it's possible, but he knows that He does. Every person we meet is not by chance, and we should ask for the love that Father has for them. He continued to look at us and go to different topics, and I reached out to him with my eyes. I didn't know what my concern is, but I know I have one. Then in a moment I felt his eyes lock with mine, and he proclaimed, "You're having a hard time knowing that you have been forgiven." I felt like he was talking directly to me. That's something I've been franticly studying my entire mission. He declared, you need to trust the atonement. The Holy Ghost is the cleanser and if he is your companion, you have been forgiven and you need to move on. I felt the spirit burn within me and I knew it was an answer to my prayer. Perhaps it took so long to receive that answer, because Father wanted me to receive it through a prophet of God. That took my testimony of prophets to another level. I know he is a prophet, there is no other way he could have known my struggle and be able to minister to me personally. Trust that the Lord is in control, and that he leads the church through inspired righteous men. Remember that the Lord knows you, and that he will send his messengers to answer your prayers. I am so grateful that I got to be on my mission at this time and not in school. I'm having experiences that are just so special and out of this world.

A Mission Year

If a young man is able to begin his mission by his 18th year, then serves faithfully for 2 years, he will have dedicated 10% of his life to the Lord. In every mission, there will be one full Gregorian calendar year that he serves as a full time missionary. Missionaries refer to that as their "blackout" year. 2014 was the complete year dedicated to my full time mission. At the beginning of this New Year, I have great desires to continue to do the work of the Lord. Even though I won't be able to spend another complete year in full time service, I want to do all I can to make it another blackout year to be engaged in missionary work! 

This past weekend we had a zone conference that we were asked to give a training in. The topic was on becoming converted as a missionary. That's something that I am earnestly trying to achieve. Elder Thornton discovered the story of Peter's conversion. In Matthew 16 we read that Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God. But in Luke 22, Christ commands him that when he is converted, then he can strengthen his brethren. After 3 years of walking with the Savior, Peter still had not been converted! Yes I've been a missionary for a while now, but even 2 years does not guarantee that we are converted! We invited our mission mom Sister Cooke to teach us about effective prayer because we really feel that is the beginning and changing force in conversion. As we taught about conversion, I realized that we can tell we are converted the more we think and act like the Savior. We are trying to change to become the kind of person that He is. I asked the missionaries to imagine if Christ was their companion, what His attitude would be towards them and towards the people. In all aspects of who I am, I want to be more like Him. The closer we are to following His example, the happier we will be. It takes effective prayer and total submission to the will of Heavenly Father, but it turns out to be the easier way to live.

I don't know how to express it, but I feel this anticipation and excitement boiling up inside me about missionary work. It makes me want to try new things and meet more people. I think that is an indicator that the atonement is changing me into a more converted person. Sharing the gospel is tough, salvation is easy, but we can receive the strength and the motivation to do it as we submit our will to the Lord. Let's give Him 2015 to do good and share the gospel!