Saying Goodbye

 Hey everybody, this past little while has been pretty great. Elder Yang and I have gotten into a great rhythm and started teaching a lot. We've also put 3 people on date for baptism and we're really excited about them.

It's crazy because even though we are stuck inside I'm literally teaching and baptizing more than I ever did in Australia. The Lord has it all planned out and I am starting to see it unfold recently. Elder Yang and I sat down on Saturday for 8 hours straight and taught lessons through the phone. It really is a huge difference in missionary work and it seems like we didn't need the Covid situation to change in order to be successful, we just needed to change. 

Focusing on positivity and keeping a balance of work and fun has really helped during this time. There's still some craziness from the roommates - recent events have included shaving their legs from ankle to thigh, throwing up after eating straight peanut butter, and setting armpits on fire with a lighter. In these situations I have become a quiet observer and only step in when someone is about to die.

I have seriously grown to love the Chinese people here so much. Forming real friendships and having an impact on the people is one of the most fulfilling aspects of missionary work for me. We are teaching a woman named Amanda who is preparing for baptism. The gospel means a lot to her as it changes her heart and lets her feel more love for herself and others. We are also teaching her seven year old daughter who has some behavior issues, but as we have taught her about Jesus Christ she has been changing a lot.

My love for the people was really clear to me when I realized I was leaving. Originally I had expected to serve in this area for at least another 3 months and probably more. But on Saturday night our mission president called us and asked me to be his next assistant. So tonight I'll be moving in and learning the ropes of being an AP. I definitely wasn't expecting that call since I've just been in this mission for 3 months but I figured I'll send it. I'm sad in some ways because I'll probably have much less opportunity to speak Chinese and I'm going to be leaving all the friends I've made here. Saying goodbye was really hard, we went to visit a few families and I just felt so blessed to have the opportunity to serve them and learn with them. But I'm excited to have some new experiences and hopefully do some good as I serve in this next assignment.

I know the gospel brings joy, I hope everyone is taking advantage of the great gift Jesus Christ offers us through His Atonement- to be happy, to feel peace, to overcome challenges and weaknesses, and to eventually become like Him.


Elder Halverson 







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