Week 101

WELCOME BACK TO SHALU!
This was definitely one of the most interesting weeks of my mission. It felt really weird. When you move to a different area you usually have a few things to deal with. One of them is a new companion. You have to learn who your new companion is and what they are like. Another thing you have to do is learn the way around your area. You have to learn what your area is like, what kind of proselyting would be most appropriate and where to proselyte. You then also have to learn about the ward members and which ward members are the best to work with. However, as I moved this time, I didn't have any of these normal issues. As I rode down the street in Shalu, it felt like I had been serving here just yesterday! I was amazed at how easily I was able to bike around and find places.  I was even able to find old investigators or members we had only visited once of twice when I was here before in Shalu! It was really fun to be back. I have also been able to contact a lot of people I had met here before. I have already met with some of the recent converts that I taught while I was here and some less-actives too.

But probably one of the biggest miracles was Praystone (Ke Jun Hong). I don't know if you remember him. When I first got to Shalu last year, we had an investigator named Praystone. He was a christian that was very interested in our church. Elder Fox and I began meeting with him regularly. However, he seemed to be very slow to progress. We gave him baptismal goal after baptismal goal, but by the time I left he still wasn't ready for baptism. However when I got back here last week, Elder Weatherford informed me of the current investigators and, believe it or not, one of them was Praystone! He has still been struggling to accept a baptismal goal. But on Sunday he came up to me after sacrament meeting and told me that it was time. He said he felt he was finally ready to get baptized and he wants to get baptized soon! I never imagined I would be able to attend his baptismal service... It is such a miracle!

We also found a miracle family this week. I arrived in Shalu and I realized we didn't have too many investigators, so we spent a lot of the last week finding. As a missionary, you talk to a lot of people. A LOT of people. However, the people who become new investigators are few. So, we worked really hard last week and talked to a lot of nice people. Among them was a family, the Chi family. We contacted them really close to the church. Apparently they had recently moved in to the area and they had seen our church. Since they live right across the street from the church, they were really willing to come and check it out. They came over on Sunday (the mom, dad, and their two small children) and they were a really awesome family! They seemed really interested! It was such a miracle. We have found a family to begin teaching!

Another great thing that happened this last week included Charles. Do you remember Charles? He is an investigator I taught who got baptized my last week in Shalu when I was here last time. He was the one who came to church the first week I went to church in Shalu and after that began investigating with us. Well, now he has been a member for quite some time and he gave a talk on Sunday. It was a tender mercy the Lord gave me, the chance to listen to his talk. He talked about how he was so grateful for Elder Fox and I and he was glad I got to be back in the area. I really do know that the Lord gives us what we need.

Last miracle to share with you... So yesterday while at church, Praystone wasn't the only one who came up to us and told us that he wanted to get baptized. We also had the primary president come up to us and tell us that there has been a young kid who has been coming to church lately. Apparently his cousin is a member, so this kid has been coming to church the last few months. Well, we didn't really know this, so she told us she felt it was time for him to get baptized. We talked to the kid and he told us we could go visit him and begin teaching him the lessons. His name is Chen Xin Hong. It was such a miraculous day yesterday! I am so grateful to be back here!

Love,
Elder Quist