[Editor's note: Again this week the section to the family was too good not to be included! Sounds like he is doing so well.]
Hello family! It's been another great week! We are really being blessed and this is one of the busiest times on my mission - just how I want it to be. We are seeing miracles and we are being led to all sorts of people. I also think we're working in greater unity with the members. Just something simple as calling a member and seeing if we can have a lesson at their house brings great dividends. It's also wonderful that so many members are willing to help out and give of their time freely to progress the work of salvation. Thank you! And we have found that having investigators over at members' houses for dinner is really amazing. So next time you have the missionaries over for dinner, ask if they have any investigators they can invite! They'll be so happy.
Here's the update on the investigators!
The work in our area is going really well. The most exciting thing to report is that Ying Kuan's wife has consented to let him be baptized on October 12th!! It really is a miracle! Heavenly Father has heard our prayers to soften her heart. Emily is doing really well - she is progressing so quickly! The members are all embracing her and helping her out in understanding the gospel. We had a lesson with her at our branch president's house on Saturday and she basically taught us afterwards when she summarized what she had learned. She actually moved her date up to the 12th! She has attended two baptisms already and she talks about how she is excited for her own. She is truly elect! Other than that, there have been a few more people we have set up with so we'll see how things turn out after we teach them for the first time this week.
The work is really cruising. And I finally acquired my glasses on Friday, so I've had the following conversation many times in the past few days:
"I didn't know you wore glasses!"
"I didn't."
Okay, so many not that abrupt, but it's pretty amazing to see the world in sharper focus. It's pretty cool also how looking at the world through the lens of the gospel allows us to see things with greater clarity and view them as they really are.
We had an experience this last week wherein we taught a guy named Brother Thunder. Well, at least that's what the translation is of his last name - pretty cool if you ask me. Anyway, this guy wasn't interested in our message, but he was interested in us missionaries. He kept talking about how great we were and how much effort and sacrifice we put into our work and how China doesn't have missionaries like us, etc. It was a little disappointing for us, because missionaries don't want the attention focused on them. We tried explaining to Brother Thunder that it was the message we share that has made us into the people we are and it is worth the sacrifice to share it, but with no avail. I just want everyone to know that I know Jesus Christ and His gospel and Atonement have the power to transform hearts and people. We see it on a daily basis and I have felt it in my own life as well.
Have a great week, don't do anything I wouldn't do unless it's P-day.
- Elder Winters
Photos taken by one of the members in the branch: