"More Sweat, More Spirit !"

How is it Monday again? This time next week will be transfers! I feel
like this transfer has gone by SO FAST! But it's not over yet...there
are still miracles that need to happen! Speaking of miracles...our
investigator Kimberly is getting baptized this Saturday! She is cuter
than any 10 year old you'll ever meet- guaranteed. We've been teaching
her for a while and finally got the parental OK to go through with it!
We didn't think that would be happening for a while, and all of a
sudden she got the green light- so we're throwing together a service
and making it happen with a week's notice...thov Vajtswv rau peb.
Sonny is actually really progressing! He agreed to be baptized!!! We
had a rap battle lesson with the elders where we chose random verses
from the Book of Mormon and rapped them- it was pretty legit. We
talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (or in Sonny's words, "the 5
guidelines to swag-tactic living") aka faith, repentance, baptism,
receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. This
week we picked up 3 new investigators, found a less-active family from
California who wasn't on our church records, and started up a new YSA
scripture study class! Definitely a week of miracles- obedience brings
blessings!

We had an awesome zone conference where our mission president gave us
a training on doctrine. He said something so cool! "Everything starts
with a belief in God the Eternal Father, His son Jesus Christ, and in
the Holy Ghost. The rest of the beliefs of the gospel fall into place
after that. Our testimonies are based off of our personal relationship
with Heavenly Father. How can we know, trust, and love God if we don't
get to know Him?" It rang so true. Our testimonies are based first and
foremost on Heavenly Father, but how can we believe in Him if we don't
have a relationship with Him? A habit you develop as a missionary is
constantly talking with God, whether it be praying for literally
everything, or talking to Him in your heart about the little random
things that come up throughout the day. I've come to cherish our
relationship so much, and I wouldn't trade it for the world! I don't
think I would have ever learned that lesson to the extent I have
without serving a mission.

On a different and slightly less spiritual note...our AC unit broke.
So while it's already baking hot inside the apartment with the
humidity coming in from the outside, now we have nothing to circulate
it. We dragged our mattresses to the living room and are currently
sleeping there where it seems to be the coolest. The elders always
say, "No sweat, no Spirit!" I think they're referring to working out,
but I'm hoping it applies to us too. #refinersfire #literally

Fun moments of the week: zone service at Feed My Starving Children
(hairnets for life), BBQ at a member's, and an egg roll extravaganza
at Tais Kia's.

Quotes of the week:

Elder Sele: "Sister Xiong, you look tired."
Sis Xiong: "That doesn't sound like a compliment."
Elder Sele: "It's not."

Me: "I think I spend 80% of our lessons hoping I don't accidentally
teach false doctrine. I really should have gone to seminary."
Sister Xiong: "After a whole year of seminary my bishop asked me what
I learned about Jesus Christ. You know what I said? That he had a
half-brother. That's IT! That's all I remembered. You didn't miss
anything."

President Forbes: "There's no one in this whole mission, actually
probably even in the state of Minnesota, who has less musical talent
than I do. So you know it's bad when I'm telling you elders you really
sang that song weak...I've heard CTRs come in with more power than
that. Do it again.