My Simple Testimony

Because of the new missionary schedule, every six weeks we have the opportunity to have zone conference with our mission president and another zone.  This zone conference seemed to just be about the Book of Mormon and how we can better utilize it in our teaching.  As preach my gospel says, The Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit is our most powerful tool as missionaries!  This is because the questions of life can be answered through the Book of Mormon and all it takes is a sincere prayer to know of its truthfulness and I can tell you it will change your life! Our mission president extended a challenge to us to read the book of mormon and highlight every time the Saviors name is used.  I have only just begun this challenge, but I can tell you that there is so much highlighted.  It truly is another Testament of Jesus Christ!

We had the opportunity this week to meet with a former investigator named Sonia.  She has been previously meeting with Jehovah's witnesses, but then also agreed to meet with us.  As we were explaining the Book of Mormon she got really confused because it was contrary to what she had been taught.  I realized how amazing it is that we have the whole truth, not just some of it, but the fullness of the gospel that can answer any question we may have, no confusion.

Later in the week I had a little bit of a cold and for the first time ever lost my voice because of the cold.  I never realized how annoying it is to not have a voice, especially when trying to do missionary work because you open your mouth and nothing.  But just like everything that happens in life there is blessings in everything!  So I was asked to give the closing prayer in sacrament meeting and basically had to whisper, but what was really nice and made me feel loved was all the branch members, especially the moms, told me or gave me medicine to take and told me what I should or should not be eating.  It was really nice to see their concern and love as often times Chinese people don't do that.

That was the excitement of the week!  I have a simple testimony of the Book of Mormon, but I have absolutely no doubt that it is the Word of God. Every day I look forward to personal study because it is a time for me to really search the scriptures and deepen my testimony and overtime, without fail, I learn something new. I know that Joseph Smith, through the Power of God translated this amazing book. It testifies of Christ and allows us to really know our Savior and Redeemer. I know that if we apply the principles into our lives, our lives will become "more full" and richer and we will find true happiness.

Thank you for your prayers and support!
I love you all,
Sister Loo

Trying Octopus or squid or something I am not really sure at KBQ (it wasn't good) 

Sunny, (members daughter) she is so cute and sassy :)

Plain & Simple...

So this week was pretty plain and I am not really sure why.. 

One tender mercy.  As we are in the midst of typhoon season and I always forget my umbrella we often have to run from covering to covering.  Well this was one of those days where I again forgot my umbrella and we finished a lesson with our investigator, came outside and it was pouring.  So what do we decide to do? Pray.  We ask for the rain to stop for just 5 minutes so we can get to the MTR without being drenched.  Well 5 seconds later.. the rain went to just a sprinkle.  Ahh so cool!

This week I have also committed to talk to more people on the MTR as we travel.  Well one day I was standing next to two ladies who were speaking Mandarin to each other well I could feel them staring at me and then assuming I did not speak Mandarin they begin talking about me.  Luckily, it was all good things, but imagine the look on their faces when they started talking about Jesus Christ and religion (as they had just seen my name tag) and I offered to tell them more.  They were not interested, but it was a funny experience.​​

Some funny (maybe blonde) moments because I am still me.

"How old are you when you are 12?"

So we decided to go hiking last week and the past couple days it had been raining but it wasn't raining when we got up that morning so we figured okay no problem.  We looked at the MTR TV (its like our personal weather app.. except not so personal) and it said T1.  Well me and sister Colombel looked at it and had no idea what that meant, but were happy because it also said it was only 26 degrees outside so we thought it was the perfect day for a hike.  Well during our hike we got drenched with rain and later found out that the T stands for typhoon and it got up that day to T8.  So another one of those moments where I was just not thinking, but hey grateful for the Lords protection!

Fun fact about Chinese people.. The older generation does not shave their armpits and there is no shame in wearing sleeveless things with hair.. long hair underneath their armpits.  So if they are 30+ they mostly don't shave!

Well I am so grateful for the privilege to wear this name tag and represent my Savior.  I am grateful for the priesthood authority that has been restored to this Earth.  What a blessing it is for me to have a father who is a worthy priesthood holder to know that I have access to Gods power!  Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers out there and especially my own Dad who has never failed to lead me, to love me and to help me reach my potential!

I love you all,
Sister Loo

SOOOO many humans!

Give Me More...

So of course more miracles this week!...  The biggest one of all that I will share is our eternagator Marlo has accepted a baptismal date!!! She has been investigating the church for 3 years and finally agreed that she will tell her husband, courageously and faithfully, that she will get baptized!  Faith is a principle of action and we must be willing to do something to change our situation.  I am so excited for her, after 3 years she will enter the waters of baptism :)

This week we had a missionary who is serving in Vietnam stay with us as she was having visa problems.  She of course loved Hong Kong and it was funny to see things that are different between the two missions. Some things like investigators, how "receptive and accepting" Vietnamese people are in comparison to Hong Kong and even little things to the traffic, the double decker busses, and the opportunity to take of the sacrament everyday! I realize that my calling to serve in Hong Kong as a Mandarin speaking missionary is not only special but divinely inspired.  I am so grateful to be serving in this mission!

And last, for the first time ever we got chang 3 times this week!  We really did not even know what to do with ourselves because usually no one ever feeds us haha but it was super nice and I was grateful for their service and kindness. It was nice to get to know the members in our branch a little bit better as well :)​​

Well that is all I have to share this week!  I realize it is not a lot, but today I for some reason have ran out of time..  I am grateful for the privilege it is to be a missionary and for the opportunity it gives me to strengthen my personal relationship with my Savior.  I might say this a lot, but it truly is one of the biggest blessings I have experienced.  To really get to know the love, the power of His atonement and the divine plan he has for me!  I (we) are never truly alone.

I love you all!Sister Loo

Elder Cook.. can you find me? :)

Visiting the Lee family (4 kids including twins) and Mo family (3 boys)

Snapchat game still strong even on the mission lol.. with our investigator Cherry!

Many Miracles This Week...

Many many miracles this week, but that is not really a surprise as everyday there are tons of miracles we just have to SEE them!

For starters, Sister Colombel and I have been praying very fervently to find an investigator that is prepared and ready to receive the gospel, someone that needs to hear the message of the restoration.

Well, we had plenty of opportunities to go finding and no one.  By Sunday we still had found no one that was even remotely interested.  Well at 4:30 we get a call from the security guards at the chapel that there was a walk-in that we need to call immediately.  Well we do and one of the first thing she says is, "I want to join your church".

We are so excited and will be meeting with her this Tuesday!  What an amazing answer to our prayers!  It reminds me of Alma 5:46.  We had fasted and prayed many hours and after the trial of our faith (Ether 12:6) in the fourth quarter after we kept pushing and working hard Heavenly Father gave us a huge blessing!

These past couple weeks I have struggled with feeling like "enough".  Feeling that the work I am doing was acceptable to the Lord.  I know that this time to have this sacred calling is short so I really just want to do everything I possibly can.

Well as I have been praying these past couple weeks for Heavenly Father to tell me how he feels, this week every time I thought about this question I felt peace, which was a blessing in of itself, but then as we were doing our transfer interviews with President he said in his prayer "Please help Sister Loo know that her offering is enough".

How crazy!!!  I didn't tell him at all that I was struggling with this, at all, and yet he knew and was inspired to say this.

I think often times our prayers are answered through people again after we have "prayed many days".  Prayer really works, you should try (or continue doing) it sometime :)

Last, Michelle came to church this week and sat in the very front row, which is very rare as everyone sits in the outer perimeter.  I love Michelle because I can truly see how much this gospel has changed her and it makes me so happy.  She knows how much joy, happiness and blessings come from living the gospel and being a member of this church and desperately wants it for her family.  So much so, that she tried bribing her son to come to church.  She sees the blessings of kids that have grown up in this church and wants that for her sons.

I reflected a lot about how big of a blessing this church really is.  The values that are taught, the knowledge that can give us confidence in who we are and the purpose that it gives each of us.  It is so easy for others to see when they come to church, but I do think it is something we as members take for granted.

I hope that we can all see the miracles in our everyday lives and the blessing that this gospel can and will bring if we are dilligently living the principles taught!  This gospel has truly been the biggest blessing in my life and I am so grateful to be a member of the true church, to know that I really am a Child of a loving Heavenly Father!

I love you all! ​​​​

It is really heating up in Hong Kong ahh!​​

You thought I was joking about the Umbrella/cane thing