The Spirit is Very Quiet

Dear Family and Friends,

Hey guys!!! How are things going back home?? This week has been another great week.  Mom, to answer your question about the skype... it went really well!  We have another one today around 5:30! haha... they are always a little scary going in because it’s really hard, but they are always so rewarding.  A quick update on the Visa!  We received a notice last week in the mail that our Visa has not come yet and that we would receive our temporary call assignment next Thursday or Friday!  So in a few days I will get to open a whole new mission call! ;) haha kinda cool!  Also, that day I get to email you guys and let you know what the plan is and when I am scheduled to leave and where!! So look forward to that this week!  

This week has been great.  It has been a big learning week in Chinese.  Learning Chinese is full of HUGE ups and downs.  When you are learning this language you have to learn to not be hard on yourself and not compare.  Only work hard and trust in the Lord.  This last week has been a really good one with the language.  I had a cool experience in one of our lessons, WuJieMei was giving us a lesson and she only speaks in Chinese.  By now... I usually know what is going on... there are always words that she throws in that I haven't heard, but usually I am able to guess the meaning based on the context and the other words I understand. but.. back to the story!  She was giving us a lesson on putting the world behind us.  She told us to get out a pen and paper and draw ourselves holding an arrow.  We did and then she began to tell us that we need to bury our weapons of war (the things that might hold us back) just like in the Book of Mormon.  She asked us to list those weapons that we haven't buried yet and told us that we needed to bury them now!  I was able to list a lot more than I thought.  I was only being honest with myself and my Heavenly Father.  He let me know what I still needed to bury.  It was really neat though, because it was all in Chinese and I truly felt the Spirit. My Chinese may not be perfect, but I know that the Holy Ghosts Chinese is amazing.  ( Wo de zhongwen bu wanmei de, danshi shengling de zhongwen feichanghao!) It gave me confidence in learning this language and burying anything that is holding me back.  

 

Elder Redding and Elder Stuart - Selfie on a Rare Outdoor Moment!

Another cool experience this week!  Last week as we came back from dropping Elder Varvel's package off from the room and were heading to class we passed TangZhangLao and ShiZhangLao (Elder Tatton and Elder Shurtleff)  Elder Shurtleff was in the Army, so we gave him this funny little salute! haha Then this guy came up to us and was laughing because he was in the military before. This guy is a Gold Tag investigator, meaning that his job is to just wander around and missionaries can teach them and set up appt. with him.  Gold Tag investigators are not Members, so this is a real life opportunity.  We got talking to him, and I had the impression to ask him if we could meet with him and shared that we are probably going to serve in the states first and need some practice teaching in English.  He said that would be awesome!  (Usually foreign speakers don't teach Gold tags because they are just too busy with the language)  So we went to the appt. and he wasn't there.  It was kinda sad, because i knew we only had 2 weeks left and probably wouldn’t be able to meet with him again or see him.  I really thought that Elder Varvel and I could help him... haha just like every missionary does.  So that happened last Monday, later that week we were going back to the classroom from lunch and went a different way... we never go this way.  We ran into him!  We saw him and set up another lesson.  We got to the lesson and shared about our loving Heavenly Father and he told us that he was atheist most of his life but got really messed up in a bunch of stuff and went to the Catholic Church.  So we built on that and built on feelings that had helped that dealt with God.  We then shared about the restoration and that many churches even now days have great truths, but we were able to testify that this church has the fullness of truth and that it literally is the exact same church that Christ set up while he was on this earth.  He asked us if we always knew we wanted to come on a mission... I don't know why, but I knew I had to share a scripture with him... I didn't know what one.  In my mind popped, "fear not little flock, do good."  I didn't know where it was... but I needed to share it.  I thought I remembered that it was in the D&C, so i flipped there and I went right to it. I had it highlighted and everything.  I shared it, and told him that I realize I didn't know why I came at first.  I thought I did when I came out, but I told him once I read this scripture, I knew why I came.  I knew because it helped me so much in a time where I felt at the low of lows.  Right after he asked where that was and said, "that is so interesting you share that right now."  He then opened up to us for like 10 minutes about his life and hard things in it. He shared some experiences and I hurt for him when he shared with us because I could see he was hurt.  He began to cry and thanked me for sharing the scripture.  I learned that the spirit is very quiet.  I am working harder to better understand it.  Sometimes we don't even realize it is speaking to us until after. 

I love you guys, and love this work.  I will let you know in a few days with my new call :D

Love, 

Elder Redding