二十五周 - Week 25 - March 24, 2025 - 新店 - Xindian

 大家好！

Highlights

     -Zone Conference!

     -ET(emergency transfer) + New Companion!! (Sister Lewis)

     -Had to say goodbye to 林姐妹 ：/ (Sister Lin)

     -雪花冰 (Xue Hua Bing, Shaved ice with fruit)

     -One of our friends that we had to stop teaching came to church!!! Huge miracle!

     -Met a lot of formers on the street??

     -Met a member that hasn't been active for 10 years on the street--got her on the path to reactivation 

     -Never been more carried by the Lord in my entire life 

READ THIS PART

I've been thinking recently a lot about how to rely on the spirit more in my missionary work--here are some insights I gained this week:

In order to have power of the spirit we must 把 (take) our wills and align them with Divine Will.

Alma 5

19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

Think about what engraven means. For His image to be engraven upon our countenances, we have to be looking in his direction for a long, long time. 持守到底的意思 (that's what endure to the end means)

D&C 93

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

The only way that we will be able to see Him and begin this process of engraving is through repentance, prayer and obedience. These are all manifestations of faith!

But what does this process of engraving do for us? Why must we look towards Christ?

2 Corinthians 12

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Having His image engraven upon our countenances is how we receive the power to overcome in our lives. This is why we must align our will with His! Without His will, we are left to our own devices.

If we do our will instead of His, we are choosing to face this life alone. We are only alone when we are doing things that force the spirit to leave us.

As I have had to face the challenge of saying goodbye to a companion that I loved, become responsible for training a new missionary in an area that I've only been in for 3 weeks and keep doing missionary work I have realized that it is impossible to do it alone. If you look in His direction and allow his image to be engraven upon your countenance, He will carry you. I have experienced it. This is the Doctrine of Christ. I know that my Savior lives and that His hands will give us power to accomplish things that would be impossible on our own. All we have to do is give Him our will. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

再見!

Sister 吳ardle

Pictures: Sister Lewis, Moving Sister Lin, 雪花冰 (Xue Hua Bing, Shaved ice with fruit), Last day with Sister Lin

愛你

二是四周 Week 24 - March 17, 2025 - 新店 XinDian

 大家好！

Highlights:

      -Got to sing in the choir for the Asia Area Presidency meeting!

      -Exchanges in 板橋 (Banqiao)--this is cool because that was my Dads first area!

      -Got to meet 唐瑞欽 (Tang RuiQin)-- she is a missionary that my mom was supposed to train but then never got to train but knows her! She helps us 陪課 (Pei Ke, accompany us to teach). It was so awesome

      -Got to eat homemade curry：）

      -Gained knowledge

      -Went to 烏來 (WuLai) and rode a Gondola 

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Todays thought is about becoming like Jesus Christ!

2 Corinthians 10

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

As we hurt, we experience more of what Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

     But Christ did not suffer just to suffer.

He suffered "that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people" (Alma 7:12)

There is more to suffering than gained experience--it literally increases our ability to comfort others! Our hearts are opened, we feel deeper and the reach of our consolation extends. Are we not to become tools for our fellow men? Did we not covenant at baptism to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort? 

1 Corinthians 9 

19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

As we suffer, we become more like Christ. If we use this suffering to be partakers of salvation with our fellow men, will we not gain the more? 

Let us bring others with us on the path to salvation. Never let anyone live below their privileges. Become as He is!

Quotes:

-"一半Cheese" (yi ban Cheese)

-"Who is nu li???"

再見!

Sister 吳ardle

Pictures: Me and my Comp Sister Lin, Several Pictures of 烏來 (WuLai), 唐瑞欽 (Tang RuiQin), 新店 XinDian Sunset

二十三週 - Week 23 - March 10, 2025 - 新店 - Xindian

 大家好！

Highlights:

     -小後果 (small consequences)

     -Got to meet all of our progressing friends!

     -Got to go to 6 week follow up again! Seeing everyone was so fun :)

     -GOT MY NEW BIKE 

     -Crazy rain!

     -Finally got to meet 潘姐妹! (She is the Sister here in 新店 who was companions with my mom and gave me my Chinese name) She gave me the biggest hug ever and I almost cried <3

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This weeks thought is about the Atonement of Jesus Christ:

In one of my morning prayers, I felt impressed to read Mosiah 14. In that chapter, Abinadi recounts one of Isaiah's prophecies about the Messiah--one of my favorite descriptions of the Savior in all scripture. Here is one of my favorite parts from that chapter:

Mosiah 14:3

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief"

I can't even imagine nor begin to comprehend the sufferings of the Savior. As His disciples, we must always remember what it was He did for us and the kind of person he was. "How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?" (Elder Holland, Missionary Work and the Atonement)

I was so tired this week. The thought of going outside only to be rejected for hours was not very appealing. Remembering what the Savior did is what helped me go and do, and also feel joy in doing it! 

This is the enabling power of the Atonement. Just remembering Him gives us energy, motivation, strength and happiness! His Atonement can give us the strength to keep going. When we feel we deserve a rest, we must remember Him and press on.

I know that my Savior lives. I know that He carries me. I hope that my testimony can remind you of the premortal testimony of Him you had that gave you the confidence to come to earth :) 繼續加油～(Keep up the good work

再見

Sister 吳ardle

Pictures: Generational Photo, 潘姐妹 Sister Pan, And Sister Pan's family, 牛肉麵 Beef Noodles, Ninjago!, MY BIKE, 

二十二週 - Week 22 - March 3, 2025 - 竹北/新店 Zhubei/Xindian

 大家好！

Highlights 

     -Actually hung out with my district (We went to 烤肉 KaoRou) (It was crazy)

     -I won the card game (humbly)

     -One of the friends we passed to the Elders finally has a Baptismal date!!

     -Led training in District Council??

     -Sister Vranes got the plague on the day we had the most lessons RIP

     -MIRACLE: while eating dinner outside of the train station in 新豐 (XinFeng) we re-found one of our friends that vanished off the face of the planet! It was seriously one of those miracles where you just know that God placed both of us in that exact location at that exact time. The joy I felt when we found him again was the kind of eternal joy that only comes from doing Gods work :)

     -Transfers!! I moved to 新店 (XinDian) and my new companion is Sister Lin :) 林姐妹

     -Discovered Banana milk 

READ THIS PART

I have learned a lot of lessons this week.

Lesson 1: God does not wait for you to feel like you are prepared to throw you into the fire.

So when the transfer board came out I was quite surprised because I found out I am second transfer training (President did in fact not give me a call). What's more, my new companion is from Taiwan! I feel incredibly inadequate! I wanted to have a native companion at least once but I was hoping God would wait until I knew Chinese!

Lesson 2: The world is in fact very small!

For context: my mom also served in 新店! At church I found out that one of her old companions is in the 新店 1st ward! She gave me my chinese name, 吳俐安:) (她的名字是潘姐妹) I didn't get to meet her on Sunday, but it was miraculous to be so warmly welcomed into my new area. 

Lesson 3: God truly does make weaknesses become strong--I have experienced it firsthand and will every single day.

During the second testimony meeting of the day (we cover both wards), after I bore my testimony a member came up and bore one of the most meaningful testimonies I have ever heard. He said that my mom was his 福音姐妹 (she taught him the gospel when she was here) and that he knew it was not a coincidence that I was here in 新店. I'd been feeling so inadequate as a missionary that day; my Chinese isn't perfect, I don't know the area, I have no idea why God wants me to be responsible for a newer missionary 等等, but his words struck me so deeply. I needed to know that it was not a coincidence that I am here. 

I think I understood more Chinese yesterday than I have a single day in my entire mission. God is carrying me. He knows that I am supposed to be here and therefore will make my weaknesses become strong so that I can do exactly what He has called me to do here. 

I can't do it alone! But I don't have to. It is the same for every single one of Gods children. I don't think I've ever seen so many miracles in my life.

Ether 12:27  

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I know that God is my Father in Heaven, and I am truly coming to a greater understanding of what that means. I hope you all can continue to do the same :)

---‐-----------------

On a completely different topic--I was reading in Hebrews 11 today and thought I would share a fun insight I gained.

Hebrews 11

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The human eye can't even see the entire spectrum of light--who are we to assume that the things we cannot see with our eyes do not exist? 

I find it so interesting when people say they don't believe in God. We humans have yet to discover the fulness of the rules that govern the universe! We don't know anything! Satan really wants us to limit our vision. The more I study the gospel as a missionary the more I discover the nothingness of man and the pointlessness of relying on our own abilities! 

God is literally an all powerful being who's entire purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). Let us rely on His perfection instead of pridefully relying on our own limited knowledge and abilities. 

愛你們 (Love you)

再見

Sister 吳ardle

During a lesson one of our friends son drew his rendition of Heavenly Father on the board--fills my heart with joy. I love him

This is him and his mom:)

烤肉 with my district

Final picture of 竹北 (Zhubei)

Writing goodbye notes in Burmese?

I have no pictures of 新店 (Xindian) yet but here is a picture of my mom with some people from the 新店 ward! The brother on the far left is the one who bore his testimony yesterday:)