Sister Hendrick's Missionary Blog: Happy New Year!

Sister Haupt and I had this amazing opportunity to be with a recent convert that we taught together from MuZha when we went up to Taipei, and then again because her family came down to HuaLien to visit! It was a nice surprise :)

I didn't even realize that the year ended until I wrote January 1, 2016 in my journal entry that night. I have no idea where 2015 went. I'm just so happy and grateful that I get to say that I was able to spend all of 2015 as a full-time missionary. It's been the most challenging, yet most rewarding and happiest year of my life. I know it's because I've learned how to put my trust in God. His plan for me is better than I ever thought it would be. I'm grateful for that knowledge that will carry me throughout the rest of my life.

This week was very eventful. We were able to do exchanges with the sisters in YuLi, and I was able to be with my old companion Sister Peng! She came to HuaLien with me. I feel super blessed that I've had multiple opportunities to serve with my companions more than once. Later on in the week, we traveled to Taipei for a Missionary Leadership Council. It was a great meeting and I can't wait for Zone Meeting next week! Something they are really stressing is having all Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders to have "model" areas. This has been a little difficult seeing that our area has struggled for a very very long time. It goes in ups and downs. President Jergensen has always stressed that we have enough faith, energy, skills, and focus to do the work. He believes that if we aren't succeeding in a specific area, then we can narrow it down to one of those things to know how to improve. We've worked super super hard the past couple weeks to maintain all of those, yet we still can't seem to find people willing to listen.

I feel like on my mission, I've gone through different times of enjoying every phase of the work, and then also getting discouraged when things don't seem to go as planned. Maybe I compare myself to other missionaries for how many lessons they teach, or how many people's baptisms they're involved with, or something of the like, and then relating with with how successful of a missionary I am. But this week, I studied in the New Testament about when Christ asks Peter 3 times if he loves Him. I also studied the talk by Elder Holland where he references that story. Something that I learned is that Christ can catch fish for himself, he doesn't need Peter to do it. And He can do it perfectly, and get as many as he wants. But what Elder Holland's insight is, is that what He does need is disciples that love Him. And I feel like if there's anything I hope to learn from this, it's that I can show my Father in Heaven that I won't be discouraged when people don't set up with us, or I won't be discouraged if our "super golden amazing investigator" decides they don't want to be baptized a week before baptism, etc. If God wants people to be baptized, He'll send them to us, or us to them. What He needs is for us to love Him. To have faith in Him. My companion shared a quote with me when we were having one of those days.. "Faith isn't what you show when you get what you want. It's what you show no matter what you get." I couldn't say it any better myself.

Anyways, great week. Happy New Year everyone!!

Sister Hendricks