Week 13: Goodbye Kitchener...

This week I got a little taste of the sweet and the bitter parts of missionary work. We had at least five different people bomb our appointments this week, which was really disappointing. However, something amazing did happen at the end of the week... Sid got baptized and confirmed!!! Elder Womack baptized Sid, our awesome investigator, on Saturday, and he was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday. It was amazing to see the work and effort from these past few weeks finally pay off. Sid has an amazing testimony, and hearing him bear it right after his baptism was a sweet experience. He also gave a talk the next day at another Chinese baptism the other Elders in our area had. It was awesome.

Pictures of Sid's baptism

At Tim Zhu's baptism the next day. He is the other mandarin elder's investigator

And then the bitter part... we got our transfer calls on Sunday, and I am leaving the Kitchener/Waterloo area. I was shocked at first, because I had just gotten to this area less than 4 weeks ago, not even a whole transfer, and now they were moving me somewhere else. It's really sad, because I feel like I was just starting to get to know all the members, especially the Chinese members. I was really looking forward to seeing Sid continue to progress in the gospel since he was just baptized and confirmed... but now I won't be able to. Everyone says it's weird that I'm leaving the area so soon. But as I was thinking about the reason I was put into this area, I think it had a lot to do with Sid. Not that I helped him a lot, but that he helped me a lot. Seeing Sid accept the gospel and being a part of bringing about this joyous change in his life has greatly strengthened my testimony of how this gospel, the happiness that it brings, and this missionary work is real. It's all real. I have also learned through working with Sid to love the people you teach. Sid wasn't just an investigator; he was my friend. And that's what this is all about. Friends bringing friends closer to Christ.

Also, as I was mourning over having to leave my first area, I realized that the area I am about to serve in has been an answer to my prayers. I have been praying for more opportunities to use and practice Chinese, since I don't feel like I am progressing much in the language, and I haven't had a ton of opportunities here. So I am going to Toronto, and I'll be in the Bayview ward, which is a completely Mandarin Chinese ward. Elder Jenkins has already served there, so he was telling me all about it, and how I'll have plenty of opportunities to use Chinese. Another good thing is that Elder Womack is coming with me to Bayview, so he will still be my trainer! And we will be in another tri-panionship with Elder Ikeda! and we get a car! 

Anyway, that's all the update for now. Still cold. Still lots of snow, haha. My favorite scripture this week, in light of the baptism and the friendships I've made with members and missionaries in this area, is Mosiah 18:8-10.

Just a normal day in Canada...

Hope everyone is having a safe winter and happy Valentines Day this week!

Elder Holt 
Hóng Zhǎnglǎo

洪長老

Chillin' like a villain

This is Elder Kendell. He is hilarious.




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Wesley's Valentine's package!