These 2 are the ministering gifts that I had prepared for Sister Sandy’s family for our ministering today. It is the framed Proclamation to the Word in both Chinese and Vietnamese language.
Today is the first day of Chinese New Year and it is a great time that our family can visit Sister Sandy and Brother Woon family. We had lunch at her house. She was preparing vegetarian meal and according to her this is their home tradition. We have a good time at her house.
We did not go back to Kuching celebrate Chinese New Year this year, we stay at Puchong to celebrate this Chinese New Year. In the morning, we went to Puteri Mart and bought some ingredients for our Chinese New Year Eve dinner.
Steamed Tiger Prawns with Egg White and Ginger
Braised Fish Maw with Mushroom and Broccoli
Baked Chicken Chops and Brown Sauce
Salted Vegetable Tofu Soup with Pork Ribs
We had our very own Chinese New Year eve dinner with their dearest daddy. Alvin back from Johor Bahru and will stay till 3rd day of Chinese New Year and he has to go to work.
At least our small family is together at least to have a reunion dinner. 一家人整整齐齐吃年夜团圆饭。
Today I was indeed really happy when I was going to the Church, because we went to the Church as a family. Alvin was back last night for this week Chinese New Year. He will be back to work on Thursday as he need to rush back to oversee his job site as the job site need to handover by March.
During the second hour of the Sunday School class, I was called to meet Branch President before the class ended. After I sat down, Branch President mentioned the purpose of meeting me was to extend a calling to me. I was calm until he continue and said that the calling as the Relief Society President. I was shocked and do not know how to respond to him.
I do not expect this at all… I can expect any callings but Relief Society? It is such a big and heavy weight calling! I told President that, there are so many sisters in the branch whom have more experienced and with the membership longer than me, more qualify than I do.
President told me that when he prayed for inspirations and my name came out. I was really really stunned and shocked. I know that I cannot say no on the spot that moment because I remembered that Sister Peggy did tell me not once but many times that accept the calling whatever calling which is come to you.
I still feel it is so amazed me and I asked President that is there any other recommendations from others that why I am the one whom been called for this position. President told me that it is the inspiration that he received.
President further expressed that, I am not the one whom will do all the works, as there are still counsellors sisters and secretary that will help me. As now Sister Annie is well worth in the gospel knowledge and she still can be assigned in helping the teaching in the Relief Society classes; whereby Sister Saffron is well worth in the activities and she is good doing it.
President said Relief Society President main job is ministering the sisters. When he told me that, suddenly at that point of time in my heart I know that the calling is really comes from the Lord, because I ‘asked’ for it.
Last November, after I have been released from the Primary, I felt that my burden have been lifted. I did pray to Heavenly Father that, I would want to focus more on ministering, reading the scriptures and prayer. I want to improve my ministering and want to do my best to minister the sisters in my care list. But I do not expect it come in such a big calling like this.
President asked me to go back to pray about it and discuss with Alvin on this and I can let him know by next week. I asked him who can I talk to besides Alvin. President said that I can talk with Sister Peggy as she is the current Relief Society President. She might can advise me on the things which I might need to do.
Deep down in my heart, I know that this is the work that the Lord wants me to do. I know that this is true because I indeed really feel the Lord lately as I want to draw near to Him, and He draws near to me. I can start to learn to open my eyes to see, my ears to hear and my heart to feel what the Lord wants me to do. It is really a precious learning experiences for me.
Last night I was preparing a journal for Sister Sandy. The reason being is I am thinking invite her to write and keep a gratitude journal. This might be good for her because when she write, she can relate to her own experiences, then she will start to feel, then hopefully the desire will come – the desire to draw near to the Savior.
I came across this scripture when I was browsing through the pages in My Foundation for Self-Reliance.
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
~ John 10:10
The next question is:
What is an abundant life?
The following question is:
Do you believe there are solutions to your problems? How can we qualify for the Lord’s power to assist us?
This is the first scripture and first two question that we discussed in our class, that we learned during our Personal Finances for Self-Reliance class last year in the church. I felt that she might get inspired and hope that she would really write and keep a journal.
Later around noon time, I received a message from Sister Annie that she have a lesson for me to teach in Relief Society on 10th February 2019, which is the following Sunday. It is a October 2018 General Conference talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf – Believe, Love, Do.
Sister Annie hope I will take the time to read, ponder over the message contains therein, pray and let her know if I am able to teach. She has prayed and know the Lord has inspired her to choose the right.Every sister in Relief Society will be given an opportunity to teach a lesson in Relief Society Meeting. She asked me do not worry if I can not or maybe next time only assign to me.
After that, I opened the Gospel Library App in my phone and listened to the talk. I was not sure whether I can do it or not. Suddenly, I heard the scripture John 10:10 in Elder Uchtdorf’s talk - “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
I was thinking about the scripture last night, then I heard it again in the talk. I think I might found some inspiration from this talk. These few weeks I have experienced things like this. So I think I should take up this teaching assignment from Sister Annie.
I messaged Sister Annie that I hope I able to do this because for the past 3 years I was teaching children, and now is sisters.. the approach is totally different!
Sister Annie messaged me that as she was thinking about who to teach this lesson, my name never fail to constantly came to her mind and heart, thus she just obeyed and asked me.
She consoled me that teaching sisters is much easier than children, none is better than the other but with humble hearts and humility we as sisters learn and grow together. She further said that we as sisters help each other. The Lord uses us for His righteous purposes. He wants us be faithful to bless someone within our reach.
I was reading Matthew Chapter 4 this morning. It talked about how Satan tempted Jesus. From that account, I know that Satan targets our weakest or most vulnerable areas and repeatedly tempted us.
Satan tried to appeal to the desire to satisfy physical appetite when tempted Jesus during fasting, to turn stones into bread; Satan promised rewards that were not his to give and that he could not provide when Satan’s offer to give Jesus the kingdom of the world.
In my case, that is Alvin is my weakest point, that is why the Satan keeps on disturb my emotion and my mind trying to distract my focus unto Jesus Christ. Satan keep on rise up my doubts towards Alvin, and of coarse I do not have the confident and trust in Alvin due to my previous experiences.
Now I know why my ministering sisters ask me to do and focus on the things I supposed to do and put my thoughts and feelings of Alvin aside. When I do not think much about him, I am really doing good and fine. When my thoughts and feelings start to shift to Alvin, then all the uneasy feelings, doubts, suspects mind will start to come back.
Another lesson I learned from this account, is that even Jesus Christ the Son of God too, responded to each of Satan’s temptations by quoting from the scriptures. When were call and apply truths taught in the scriptures, we can resist the devil’s temptations.
That is the reason why we need to read the scriptures daily, because scriptures are the word of God. And, that is the reason why our Prophets always asked us to feast upon the word of God and also the Book of Mormon.
I learned about this in the scripture study today. I can feel that as Heavenly Father wants me to know and learn about this. Suddenly as my eyes and mind is opened at once and see that. And I understand why my ministering sisters advice me all these while.
I can feel Heavenly Father’s love to me and my family. I know that what I learned today is true and I should learn to be like Jesus Christ to resist the temptations! And, try to become like Jesus Christ!
I had a sleepless night last night. My mind was distracted and I was emotionally disturbed I am not happy with my current state. I have given much thought to the tele-conversation with Alvin.
This morning I WhatsApp Alvin and apologized to him that if previously he had told me about dealing with Sister Sandy I did not listen to his words, as I did remember he mentioned before.
I called Sister Peggy this morning to tell her all about last night’s tele-conversation. I do feel troubled and not comfortable at all. She consoled me that it was normal and she had been through the same experience as I did.
She asked me to just follow my heart, do which is comfortable to me and do not push myself to do the thing which I do not want to. If that thing is beyond my limit, just say no and stop. I feel the same way too.
Sister Peggy counseled that there might be other things which I can do for Sister Sandy such as, give her an inspiring scripture verses or General Conference quotes, and some ideas about Self-Reliance too. After my tele-conversation with Sister Peggy, I felt better.
Around 110.00 am Sister E Chin texted me to check whether I am going back hometown to celebrate Chinese New Year. I just replied to her no and I gave her a call. I need to talk to her. It feels as if the Lord prompted E Chin to message me, and it is needed at the right time when I need someone to talk.
I shared with her what was happening last night and my uneasy feeling and fear when I want to do the ministering work further. E Chin advised me that I should not be fear. There is reason why one particular sister would placed under Alvin and my ministering assignment. May be I have something that other sisters do not have to help this particular sister.
It is just like how she and Chelsea minister me. E Chin gives me some advices and some ideas on how to minister and she asked me to pray to Heavenly Father seeking for His guidance in helping this particular sister. She asked me to suit up with bullet proof armour too!
I feel really much better after talked to E Chin. I really do believe that my ministering sisters do know my needs and they indeed are guided by the Spirit! It is just like I have been refill with the fresh spring of water and it is totally a different feelings, I have been lifted up!
I have been inspired by Sister Peggy’s ideas about the Self-Reliance. I prayed and there are some ideas came to my mind on how to minister Sister Sandy better. The ideas which she shared about Self-Reliance is really true.
After I have given much thoughts about it,three ministering sisters which we have Sister Yong Yong, Sister Hoor and myself are may be we attended the Self-Reliance classes. This might be the reason why we are put together. I do not know and still not sure and I still need to pray and discuss with both ministering sisters.
It is just like why and how Chelsea and E Chin are my ministering sisters. We too, can do the work like how they minister to me.
After what was happened yesterday, today is a peaceful day. I was communicating with Sister Yong Yong as she is Sister Sandy’s ministering sister to see how we can further assist her spiritually.
I decided to give her a call to check on her how is she doing after I have settled down in the home. It was almost 9pm. She was quite offensive during starting of the conversation, but eventually she became relaxed a bit and started to tell me the whole story of her workplace stuffs which I think I need to do is to listen what she has to say.
It took almost 45 minutes and I knew that Alvin must be calling me but unable to get through because I was engaged online. I ended the tele-conversation by telling her that I need to call Alvin as we always will call each other at the night during this time.
Then, I sensed that Sister Sandy’s tone changed and she said that if I need to tell the sisters in the Church about what she had been through and told me that if I am free find one day go to the Labour Department with her together.
At that point of time, I feel really uneasy and not comfortable at all because she was sort of commanding me to go and settled her problem with her. I said to her that, I would seek the counsel from the Branch President on this. She did not say anything and we just casually ended the call.
I feel exhausted after having the tele-conversation with her. I called Alvin after that, I just told him what was happening for the past 2 days and I just totally feel mind drained because of Sister Sandy’s attitude. After he listened to what I have to say, then Alvin told me that, that was exactly what was happening years back during she just baptised into our Church.
Alvin purposely applied half day leave to drive her to the Vietnam Embassy to apply some official documentation. In the end, she was not satisfied in what the Vietnamese Officers requested, even would want to ask Alvin to argue with the officers for her.
Thus, Alvin felt that was the most that he can assist, further more the matter he assist her was her personal matter. That is the reason why after her case, he less and less do his home teaching as it is sometimes so burdening.
He advised me that we strive to assist and do our part and do whatever we can, if the matters are beyond our limitation, we cannot further pursue anymore. Why doing ministering so difficult?
This is the first time I am putting thoughts into it and want to improve my ministering work, and such things happened. It would definitely make me think twice when I think of ministering further. I really feel a little bit scare off after this. I have a sleepless night…
