I Did My Best!

This week we had transfer calls and zone conference. It was a good week, but so many people are going home and it makes me a little sad . . . but it has to happen one day I guess.

I noticed this week I really am starting to love my mission!   I have loved Butterfly since I arrived, but I am finally falling in love with being a missionary. If only I would have figured that out 6 months ago. I heard something this week that describes this feeling perfectly: ' On a mission the veil between heaven and hell is very thin!'  This is so true!  You have days where you know the Holy Ghost is not with you. You have moments where you know Satan is right by your side doing everything he can to ruin you. But then you have days where God is there. (I personally enjoy His presence much better!). There is a distinct difference between the way the two talk to you.  I've noticed Satan’s voice can be quiet too and that can be troubling . . . especially when it’s easier to listen to Satan’s whisper over God’s whisper.  Then you’re in trouble. I think the very beginning of my mission here in Hong Kong, I experienced a pretty good mix of both. But as the days went on and I was able to distinguish the difference in voices, my days became much happier and I know I'm not even half way done!  There is definitely a difference between how I used to face the adversary compared to how I now face the adversary.

This week we had many, many miracles. Not anything that shows in numbers or improvement in our area, but in my mind they are miracles. We were asked by our mission president to visit his brother who lives in our area. We went out the other night to this area, which I had never been to.   It took us a good hour to find his house. When we finally found it, he wasn't even home. As we were walking out we ran into an English speaking man from Nepal. He doesn't know why he came to Hong Kong, but he knew he needed to find out who he was, what his purpose was, and which church God needs him to join.  If you have read the Ricardo letter, then you'll understand this story better. So we started talking to this man and he started to really listen and it seemed as though we were making progress.  Then we asked him if he felt different talking to us.  He said no. We tried again (cuz we could feel it, so we knew he could feel it) and he still denied it. I felt impressed to bear a powerful testimony and ended by saying that “the Holy Ghost that I am talking about is here with us right now, and He is the one giving you that feeling in your heart.” 

He went from this 'curious-to-find-out-which-church-is-true' kind of guy to a 'what-are-you-doing-to-me' kind of guy.  He got angry and defensive and tried to deny it, but the words that came out of his month made no sense and he knew it. At that moment I knew he had felt what he needed to feel.  He had heard what he needed to hear, so we invited him to do everything we previously invited him to do(pray, and read) and we left. When I walked onto the public bus I felt like I was on cloud nine, ready to baptize that whole bus. This moment changed a lot of things for me on my mission, as I'm sure you could imagine. I really do speak with the power of the Holy Ghost, and angels really are around us. This experience helped me gain the confidence and desire to start opening my mouth more, and to start trusting God to fill it, and He has!

Sister Flynn's last week with Amanda so they celebrated with ice cream!

Amanda loves her ward and this was a ward activity where the Bishop and his wife dressed up and participated in a skit

This is Kelly, a girl in their ward who just received her call to serve in the Laie, Hawaii Temple Visitors Center!