BIG NEWS! Tomorrow I will transfer for my first time ever and head off to Kitchener. Sister Willoughby and I will be whitewashing the Chinese area there together and we'll be the very first Chinese speaking sisters in that area which should be interesting. Apparently, the Kitchener zone is the "land of milk and honey", which has me excited for a really good transfer. It will also be my first real Chinese area, which with less than a year left on my mission, is good to see. HOWEVER (and this is a big but), I am really going to miss St. Catharine's. It's the only area I've ever been in, it's where I was "born" and it will always have a very special place in my heart. We've spent the morning saying goodbyes to some of the most awesome people I've ever met. Mike and Melissa, our landlords, even treated us to a morning brunch! I love them! But I'm confident that I'll feel that way about every place I serve, so I'm really excited to go and love the people in Kitchener just as much! We're leaving the Elders who are coming to replace us here with 13 investigators! And I really love them, so I'm praying that they will continue strong through the transfer. One of our really special investigators is named Rich. We contacted him on the street outside of his apartment building late one night, and while skeptical, he agreed to meet with us. He had been in a serious car accident about 15 years previous that left him severely handicapped, and as a result, he really didn't believe that God loved him. It's been amazing to watch his faith grow. Wednesday night we gave him a call and the first thing he told us was that he had prayed we would call him before Thursday. As we hung up the phone with him, he said "at least I know He's listening." It was a really touching experience, and was only strengthened when we saw him on Friday and he told us that we had called him only 30 minutes after he had finished saying his prayer. It's so cool to see instances where God uses us as tools in His hand. I hope to be able to continue having experiences like this wherever I serve. On a significantly less serious note, my companion and I spent the afternoon yesterday with a Baroness who happens to be a member of our ward. That's right, I visited with royalty. That is all. Take care and lots of love! (and wish me luck packing!) Love, Sister Makena Bauss
Bao Ailei Jiemei
Bao Ailei Jiemei