"Faith isn't what you demonstrate to get what you want, it's what you demonstrate no matter what you get."

This was the day the Elder's saved us! We almost missed our train, but the Elders grabbed our bikes and put them on the train and we made it on just in time:) haha. Then it poured rain on us as we visited the members in Luye!

Elder Stevens & Elder Elliot after saving our bikes and us!

The other day we heard some incredibly loud baibai music and went to see where it was coming from. We found this awesome truck, with no one to be found anywhere around it:) So, of course we had to take a picture!!

Well... this was an amazing week filled with learning :) haha

I've been thinking this week a lot about why we fast. 

Story time...

So on my mission... I've done a lot of special fasts. For investigators, Less-Actives, Wards, etc. And every time I have fasted for a specific purpose... the exact opposite of what I fasted and prayed for has happened. 

This last month we have been fasting for Wu Jiemei She's one of our investigators. She's 17 and she's GOLDEN. She's been an investigator since August of last year. She reads her scriptures every day and really believes in prayer. She attends church every week consistently. She's ready to be baptized. So we've been super excited for her. We set the date of 5/9 for her to be baptized. Her only problem is her parents. They're not to keen to let her be baptized. 

So on Saturday we set up to meet with her parents. We met with Wu Jiemei and then walked with her to her house. We had originally hoped that we could talk with her for a bit before we went in there and talked with her parents... but then she got home late and we didn't have that option. So then once we got to her house, I had imagined we would all sit down together and then she could share why she wanted to be baptized and then the spirit would take it from there! But once we got there... Wu Jiemei disappeared into a back room and we didn't see her for 15 minutes. Here's how my conversation with her dad went...

Baba:   "Why are you here?"

Me:   "Well let's wait for Wu Jiemei to get here and then we can all discuss together."

Baba:  "Don't mind her, we can just talk now."

*awkward silence*

Me:  "Um... Ok. So we're really hoping that Wu Jiemei will be able to be baptized next Saturday. We've been meeting with her and we really believe she's ready."

Baba:  "I absolutely will not let her be baptized until she's 20. Then she can make her own decision."

The conversation proceeded and Baba  basically had 2 concerns. The first was that Wu Jiemei's homework has been failing lately and the second was that she's not old enough to make this decision on her own. I didn't know what to say.

Then Wu Jiemei came in. H DX (our MM leader and peike) looked at Wu JIemei and said, "Your father's right." I WAS SO MAD. haha. Our purpose is not to tell people it's ok to delay their baptisms! Then H DX did something great. He invited Wu JIemei's dad to church. Guess what Baba said? "I would love to come. When is it?" I was blown away! I was so sure that this was the answer to our fasting and prayer for Wu Jiemei. And Even better! Yesterday was Fast and Testimony meeting! So Wu Jiemei would have a chance to share her testimony so her dad could hear it! I was so excited. After we left her house, we reviewed with Wu Jiemei how she could share her testimony. She was all set up for the next day.

That Sunday Morning I called Wu Jiemei to make sure she was already to go and she dropped the bomb... her dad wouldn't be able to come. He had already gone to work. What's more, she wouldn't be able to make it to Fast and Testimony meeting to share her testimony.

I was crushed. I was upset. We had fasted. And prayed. And really strived to get this done for her. But nothing had happened. But I was reminded of a quote on my Uncle Mark's tombstone;

"Faith isn't what you demonstrate to get what you want, it's what you demonstrate no matter what you get."

I know this is true. I know the church is true. I know that we fast, not because we can change the will of God, but so that we can show the Lord that we are listening. So that we can show the Lord we want our will to be the same as His. I know that God gives us trials to help us.

We can do this! 

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Gu Jiemei

Our front door has a mirror on it! 

Sister Pieper one of our Sister Training Leaders

The view off of our balcony

This is an awesome Pancake House. We set a goal and met it, so we decided to treat ourselves to some pancakes:) We ended up surrounded by this big family! It was awesome:)