Youth Conference Sequel

So last night I got a call from the missionaries... a late call actually. It was almost 10:00pm. They had spent the entire day trying to figure out who I was and how to get a hold of me. Actually-- interestingly enough, they weren't the first random person for our stake to try and find me this week. Anyway... They hoped they had finally figured out which sister helped translate for Yuge at Youth Conference and gave me a call. Their first question was,

Missionaries: "Hello, are you sister orton?"
Me: "yes"
Missionaries: "Did you go to Youth Conference last week?"
Me: "Yes" -- and in my head I'm thinking, uh oh... what did i do wrong. :)
Missionaries: "Do speak chinese?"
Me: "yes"
Missionaries: " Did you help translate for yuge?"
Me: "yes, why?"
Missionaries: "OH GOOD, we finally found the right number! Hi we're the missionaries for the aqua fria ward"

hahah... poor guys. Anyway, Yuge (which I still don't know if that's the correct name for her) had talked a lot about me to her parents and the missionaries. They were 1, glad that they found someone who spoke chinese and could help at Youth Conference and 2, glad that someone was willing to befriend her.

They asked me if I was planning on coming to her baptism. I said, that I had not been invited and did not know when she was going to be baptised but that I would love to go. And so they invited me to her baptism. Unfortunately, we're supposed to be in California that day.

Then the next day (that was today actually), I got a call from Yuge's step father. He said that the missionaries were supposed to ask me if I could give a talk at yuge's baptism and was wondering if I had accepted. I said, that they had not asked me. So he formally asked me and I couldn't tell him no that I would be in California. After I accepted, I realized that I didn't know what language I should do my talk in. I asked and he said "chinese of course!" ..... which is not so great. Seeing as i'm STRUGGLING IN CHINESE and i don't know ANY church lingo! I don't even know how to say the church's name or how to say baptism in Chinese because we're not allowed to preach the gospel in China yet. This is going to be very interesting, by far the hardest most challenging talk I've ever given in my life. Apart from never giving a talk at a baptism and having not gone to a baptism in a very very long time... that alone isn't so great but to have to do it in CHINESE!? I am in way over my head.

Though, I feel honored that I made that big of an impression in her life that they wanted me to talk at her and her mother's baptism. Her having not very many friends and such, I feel that it's very important that I go. Plus, this is nice, I've never really had a missionary moment. SO we're leaving our vacation early to go to a baptism.

Now I just have to give a talk in chinese.... sigh. And my chinese side kick who ALWAYS helps me in Chinese... is off in Taiwan on a mission so I can't turn to her for help, because it'll be january by the time she gets my letter. Fortunately my life has been surrounded by RM who went on chinese speaking missions. I've gathered them in and told them they have to help me! Hopefully things will go smoothly....

hopefully. I won't say I'm not nervous... because I am.