Merry Christmas! I can't believe it's coming so fast. It's here in about 2 1/2 weeks! It's going to be a great day when I get to really spread some Christmas cheer. I just sent off your Christmas package! It was highly exciting for me to spend last p-day wrapping presents. In fact, I loved it. Also, skyping time is coming!!! Or maybe phone call if I'm in Malaysia and it doesn't work well.
Anyways, this week was so good! We were able to have a lot of lessons, and I think the members can see that we are giving it our best. They really trust us - like really. It's amazing, and it makes me really ask myself what I'm doing to qualify myself for the trust they're giving me. I have the salvation of their friends and colleagues in my hands, and that's a very serious matter! Anyways, let me give you some highlights.
First of all, I had a couple of cute experiences these past couple weeks! First, I was able to go over to a less active's house for dinner, and she has two little kids that are twins! They are so cute. I had so much fun playing with them, and then during dinner, the little girl came up to me and pointed to my face. She got really close, and then touched my eyelashes. She was so intrigued by how long they were! I don't even really have great eyelashes, but it was so cute to enjoy a simple moment where something as simple as eyelashes intrigued her. Also, we were at a mall at Yishun, and a little Chinese girl kept looking at me, and then hiding behind her mom. I passed by her on my way out, and enjoyed taking a moment to talk to her, ask her name, and give her a high five. I think it honestly made her day, and it made me feel so happy to be able to spend a simple moment making her smile. It's little things like that, or the people that wave to me out of their windows as I walk through our blocks to get to the MRT, that make me realize that I am touching lives, even in simple ways.
Besides that, we had some great lessons. We've been working so hard all year to be able to have 545 baptisms as a mission, and we have been repenting, developing faith, and consecrating ourselves all year so we can see the miracles now! It's amazing what Heavenly Father is accomplishing, and it's more incredible that I realize that everything good is happening from Heavenly Father. I feel like I'm doing absolutely nothing. I'm realizing that this truly is Heavenly Father's work, and He can do it in His own way and in His own time. Our only job is to be worthy so He is able to do His work through us, and then trust Him and follow His counsel so we can accomplish His will. A lot of it is related to agency though, a wonderful principle of the gospel. It can be hard when people choose to not meet with us, or drop us, etc. However, if we weren't able to choose, we wouldn't be able to Become. And, since Heavenly Father knew we would mess up, He gave us a Savior, which allows Him to give us mercy, and endless second chances as long as we do our part.
This week, I had a couple experiences that I wanted to share!
First of all, our two member referrals are doing really well! They are both reading the Book of Mormon. One of them is named M and she is from China. She has more than a strong desire to know if God is there, and she really enjoys us being able to come over and chat about God. We taught her the Restoration this week, and were able to put her on date to be baptized by the end of the year (before she heads to New Jersey for work), if she can find an answer by then. We hope to be able to meet with her more frequently so we can help her find her answer. We had an incredible lesson, where I feel like I prepared really well, and then followed the promptings of the spirit better than I ever have before. When we did that, as a companionship, we were able to really see the spirit working through her, and I felt it stronger than I almost ever have felt it before. It's amazing - desire and trust are powerful principles in life. If we turn to God, and ask, and desire to do righteously, or desire to have our weaknesses shown unto us (see Ether 12:27 - COME and ASK for your weaknesses), then Heavenly Father can mold us into what He needs us to become.
The other lesson was also good, a simple Restoration, and the T couple are now reading the Book of Mormon and coming to the Christmas party! We have so much member support with these two, that hopefully good things are in store for them.
Besides that, we met with R, and she still has a lot of issues, although her testimony sounds really solid.
We were able to pick up 2 new investigators this week, which was a miracle in and of itself. One was a great experience. We were standing on the bus and I was praying, thinking who I needed to talk to, and I felt like I needed to talk to this man sitting to my right. We had a nice conversation about God, but before I had a chance to ask for his number, he had to alight the bus. I quickly asked Sister Fuglistaler for a card, because I was out, and we were barely able to get it to him before he got off. Miraculously, he texted us later that night to say "thank you" for sharing. We told him you're welcome, and were actually able to meet him in 2 days and share more. He really is curious about Jesus Christ. He is busy with work, but said if we're fast, we can meet him every week. Hopefully we can get him praying, and reading, and ready for baptism. Man, baptism invitations are so crucial right at the beginning as a missionary! Not only do they set expectations, but they give us a goal to work with people on. It's vital. Anyways, moral of the story, Heavenly Father is always putting people in our path, if we just listen and ask for who we need to talk to, He will tell us. Follow the spirit :). Sometimes simple thoughts seem unimportant, but I'm learning that even those simple thoughts are the spirit working with me. I've had a couple experiences where I think it's not important, but later in the day, I realize that if I had listened to that random thought, life would be much easier right now.
Finally, I put a coin in my shoe to remind me more of Christ, which was the absolute best! I loved remembering better who I represent, and how I should act. I am sometimes people's vision of Him, especially in a country where there is not a lot of Christian belief.
Also, we picked up an investigator who may be able to get baptized in 2 weeks. It was a complete miracle. We've been thinking and planning about her for weeks, because she comes to church all the time, and we finally had a lesson yesterday. She is so prepared. She wants to be baptized. I have a testimony of planning, because if we hadn't been thinking about her as a potential 'new investigator', we would probably not have been able to meet her this week. Pray that she can get her husband to let her be baptized! It's literally the only thing holding her back. She has a testimony, she knows this church is true.
I know this church is true without a doubt. I'm grateful I get to share it with so many people through my words and actions. At this Christmas season, I would invite you to try and become a little more Christlike. That's what makes Christmas the best anyways :). Look in PMG Ch 6, and find a trait you want to develop this season! I promise that as you do, you will have one of the best Christmas seasons, because you will be focusing more on the "true gift" of Christmas - our Savior. I would also encourage you to #sharethegift of Christ- because it's the only gift that can bring true, eternal happiness. Look up the video on lds.org.
Love you all! Have a fantastic week!!!
No pics this week, I will send some next week. I just didn't take any this week :)
Love,
Sister Crabb
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