Happy Chinese New Year everyone!
Ours was pretty lame, mostly because we don't go to a Chinese ward and all of our members were working through it. But we caught a pretty cool show from our balcony. The people who live across the street from us hired a sweet group who did acrobatics and had one of those huge dragon things. You know like in Mulan, when the Huns pop out of that dragon thing? Yeah, I saw one of those. Except it lit up with colorful lights. It was sweet.
We knew the Chinese Sisters were being transferred (their transfer cycle is weird because of their visas), so we might have stayed up a little late and eaten junk food and had a good time... Pictures coming soon. We saw sweet fireworks from our apartment at Marina Bay again. We also had interviews with President Mains this week, it was so good for me because we had TWO MORE investigators drop us, but we got one of them back. The one who builds super computers. President always is so inspired, and he said everything I needed to hear. The Mains always make you feel like you're their own kid, but they trust us so much and treat us like friends too. Kind of like how my parents treat me. It's nice.
That night, Sister Tai called President Mains to schedule her interview, but she had him on speaker and the rest of us were listening. She said, "President, can you tell me where my new area is? Pleaaase?"
He said, "I'll tell you during your interview... Okay I'll just tell you now. You're going to Miri."
All four of us yelled, and I think it surprised him because he didn't know we could hear the conversation, haha. As he said goodbye, I yelled "Oh my gosh!" one more time. Mission presidents have got to love their missionaries. We dropped Sister Tai off at the airport this morning and maybe cried a little, but I'm so excited because she's going to my old area. I love her love her love her. As she left, she said, "I've never been so sad to leave my roommates. We're all like a family."
I love the Singapore airport. It's one of the most beautiful and artistic. Well I just love airports in general. Partly because all the guys in my family are obsessed with planes, but I think it's also because I feel so secure. My earliest memories are of being on planes with my family, flying back and forth between Japan and the US, and Maryland and Idaho. I associate my biggest milestones with airports. I associate them with my greatest adventures. I'm so blessed we get to FLY to our new areas when we get transferred.
Anyway, now Sister Zhang is in a trio with us! I love her and I'm glad she doesn't have to move. To be honest, I'm a little nervous, but we are going to DO WORK in 3rd ward. We told our ward members yesterday we're getting a new companion and they're so excited. Sister Zhang's conversion story is INCREDIBLE. Ask me about it sometime, but it's not one of those things you can just type in an email.
Frisbee was awesome last P-Day. We split up into districts and had four teams, but the Chinese Elders adopted us. Not that we were keeping score because we're not supposed to be competitive...but we rocked it. My favorite part of the day though was when Sister Zhang and Sister Tai arrived. Sister Zhang had a suitcase she bought from Mustafa's, and when Elder Frey and Elder Black saw that she was carrying a ton of stuff, they immediately stopped playing Frisbee and RAN to help her. They took her bags and I ran up to her and gave her a huge sweaty hug. Mad respect to the elders in this mission. We take care of our own.
That night, we had a dinner appointment with Sister Noemi and Brother Dino and Elder Toney and Elder Robinson. It was way less awkward than our last dinner appointment with them, and we kind of made it home on time haha. The Elders were in KL this week, Sister Hansen and I missed them (in a totally professional and platonic way (I have to be careful what I say or we'll get the Lock Your Heart talk again haha)). On the way back to Singapore, their flight was delayed so they got upgraded to Singapore Air (those punks) and Elder Robinson ended up sitting next to the president of Louis Vuitton Asia. Fancy people live in Singapore...
That reminds me, I got peed on by a dog this week. It was this little annoying white dog wandering around our street so I picked him up to find the owner. In my mind, I was thinking this would be a great contacting opportunity. Sister Hansen and I went to the fancy houses across the street from us, and went to the parking garage under the condos and saw Ferraris and Mercedes and other cars that are worth more than anything I'll ever own. We ended up finding the owners, it was these three Filipino maids who work at there so we gave them our card. They were so grateful because they'd been looking for their boss's dog for a while. It paid me back by peeing on me, but good deeds go unpunished, right?
This week was hard. I was talking to Elder Hunsaker last night during weekly reporting and he said a lot of things I needed to hear. I was asking him how he stays motivated, because I was really lacking due to our area not doing very well. All of our investigators who aren't in the Philippines over Chinese New Year dropped us. It's like a punch to the gut. He said you just start by acting. He also asked, "Well, what do you think Heavenly Father is trying to teach you?" I said patience, and being a good missionary despite challenges (aka enduring to the end). I feel pretty guilty because I feel like I didn't take the opportunities to grow this week. Some days I just wish I could be in Malaysia again. Missionary work is hard everywhere, but Singapore wears on me. But then I tell myself I can be a good missionary anywhere, and if I'm not good here, then I won't be in Malaysia either.
I also got to talk to Elder Jackson on the phone because he had a referral for me! Its always great to hear from my MTC elders, he's so much more chatty than he was. He loves being a trainer and he's doing good work in JB. Not going to lie, I love getting referrals for my MTC Elders so I have an excuse to chat with them and see how they're doing.
This week I was thinking about all of the wonderful opportunities I have. I'm on a mission in the first place, which is the best thing I can be doing right now. Not everyone gets this opportunity, and I've gotten to serve in beautiful jungles, and now in a beautiful city. But I think about other opportunities I've been given within my mission. For example, I get to serve with the APs. Elder Toney and Elder Robinson are incredible missionaries, and there's so much I learn from watching them teach. Not only that, because they have to jaga all the other missionaries (unfortunately more than they should), I get to see how Christlike and kind they are. They are charity personified. I try to tell them that as much as I can. They really are men of God. I also had Sister LeBaron as my trainer. Everyone should be jealous of me (but thou shalt not covet, haha). It came as no surprise to me that she became STL. I was thinking about her and reading her letters last week, wondering if I was really bratty to her and if I was a good enough companion to her. Right then, she called me to see how I was doing and to tell me she misses me. What an answer to my prayers. I also got to live with Sister Tai, a native Malay (and Tamil and Chinese) speaker, even though I'm serving in an English speaking area, which has really helped me with my accent. Sister Hansen and I rode the MRT with a recent convert, Collin, from another ward, so I decided to ask him about his conversion, what he liked about the missionaries who taught him and what he thinks us missionaries can do better in teaching. He told us to always find investigators a friend in the ward as fast as you can. And to love and be patient.
I also get to serve in a wonderful ward with receptive and loving people. I don't know what it is, but Filipinos are so warm and loving and accepting. I do feel like I belong to a family when I go to church. And they understand how important they as members are to missionary work. I think maybe I've been given this opportunity to see how ward auxiliaries and missionaries can work together, because in my old area, the church is so new that we're still trying to build the foundation. Anyway, consider me half Filipina. I love them with my whole heart.
I guess I'm trying to say I'm really grateful for all of the opportunities I've had to serve with such amazing people and to learn from them so I can be a better missionary and a better person. My advice to any prospective missionary is to take advantage of those opportunities. This week, my luck is going to turn around. We haven't swept our floors since New Years because supposedly if you sweep right after New Years, you sweep your luck away. I'm not superstitious, I'm just trying to embrace the culture. And it's not luck at all, I've got God on my side.
Wo ai ni (love you),
Sister Wynn
P.S. Go Seahawks
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