Happy Ways

I need to start this blog back up again. I stopped because I was using other's computers and it was so hard to find a private place where I could write down my feelings. But it gave me something to keep me studying the scriptures, or the Ensign or conference talks everyday and I really need to be better at that. I am now a nursery worker in the branch and that means that I miss out on Sunday School and Relief Society. So in other words it is up to me to do my own spiritual study!

I have been thinking a lot these past couple days about Sister Beck's conference talk from this past Conference and in particular this quote:

"Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world. . . ."

Being in China I feel some frustrations about the inability to be able to share my testimony or even talk about the church or my beliefs with others. I'm not saying that I was the best at it in the States, but just knowing that you are forbidden to do so is aggravating.

I've been thinking about what I can do while I am here and I keep coming back to this quote. I think that one thing I can do is project the "happy ways" of my life. So when I ride the subway or the bus, when I play with my children in public, or try to communicate in what little Mandarin I know, I try to do it all with a positive attitude and and a cheerfulness that might make people stop and take notice. It may not be much but at this time I feel like I'm doing what I can to "be an example of the believers." It helps me as well to moderate my reactions to frustrating things when I realize that I'm being watched all of the time. I hope I can reflect Christlike love and kindness to the Chinese people around me.