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!