{One year in New York} 2/10/2015

"Let your faith show!" -Russell M. Nelson 

February 10, 2014. I left

the MTC at 3:30 that cold winter morning. I got on a bus filled with

other missionaries. We drove to the airport. I got out of the bus. We

went inside. I was alone. I was the only one going to New York. I was

afraid. I called my family. I wake them up. They are so excited to

hear from me. I cry. I call my grandmother. It's the day of my

grandfathers funeral. She is happy to hear from me. I fly to Georgia.

I wait. I fly to New York. I walk outside. I don't know who I should

look for. It's my first time in New York. "Taxi! You need a taxi?" So

much smoke. So many people. I wait. I don't know what to do. In the

distance I see people walking toward me. They look friendly. They

wave. There are five of them. They come up to me. "Hello sister lee,

I'm your trainer sister Dean!" We hug. We go get in the car. She is

wearing a Spanish name tag. I'm confused. "I thought you were my

trainer?" I saidShe laughs, "yes I am, I used to be Spanish but since

you are the first Chinese speaking sister I was chosen to train you.

We will be learning Chinese together." The missionaries up front are

laughing. "I didn't know I was the first."We go to the mission

president's house. Him and his wife are so loving. We go out to

dinner. P.F. Changs. We go to the high school. There is a basketball

game. Their daughter is singing the national anthem. We leave. We go

to their house. I'm the only new missionary. We watch our mission

video. This is so real. We share our testimonies. I say the closing

prayer. In Chinese. We get ready for bed. We go to bed. "I love you

sister Lee," says sister Dean. I roll over and close my eyes.

  *                                 *                                       *

One of my favorite singers recently released a song that goes a

little something like this, "when we first dropped our bags on

apartment floors. Took our broken hearts put them in a drawer.

Everybody here wants something more." I couldn't help but think this

is what I have experienced the last year of my life. I came to a

foreign place I had always dreamed of coming to. New York City. I was

put into an apartment to live with different people I have just barely

known. These people are now my best-friends. I took my broken heart

and put it away. Focusing on the people surrounding me. Helping them

search for and find what it is they have been looking for. I love this

work and I am so grateful and blessed to have been here for the last

year of my life. I look forward to what the future holds!

{God is LOVE} 1/13/15

Sometimes it's so easy to lose sight of the big picture. Something goes wrong and you feel like giving up. I already messed up so what's the point in fixing it? Nobody cares about me. I remember feeling this way just a few times throughout my life. I felt hopeless. I didn't know where to turn. I had people that loved me. A lot. But I felt like giving up. I remember reading my scriptures once in a while. But never consistently. Maybe that one Sunday I would go to church every few months. I had a friend. A very close friend. I remember my junior year of high school she would start texting me every night. All she would send me was a scripture. Those scriptures pushed me through. They helped me strive to be better. Because she shared with me I wanted to share with others. When I would receive these texts I felt gods love. I knew it was always there but I didn't feel worthy enough to accept it. Now from this friends example to me I have the opportunity to help others. I can share with them the scriptures she shared with me. I can help them know how much God loves them. For God is love. I know I am a

daughter of God. No matter how far away we may feel. He always loves

us. He sent his son to take away our pains and sorrows. To help us

become all that we can be. We weren't sent here to be perfect. But we were sent here to improve. If you want to know more about gods love for you, ask below! <3