"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.
* * *
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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!
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