February 28, 2011

Week 15

What a week!!!

So some big changes from last week....

Xiu Xiu dropped us... no interest.

Hao Mei dropped us.... she won't answer her phone. We left an article and a note last week but we haven't heard anything since last Monday. She didn't come to church. Won't answer members calls ... It breaks my heart... I still like to think that's its something with her phone and we'll talk to her soon but Sister Koay said this happens a lot and that we were dropped.... It makes me so sad...

Xu Jiemei is doing good... still progressing but very slowly.... Lai Dixiong is now meeting with the Elders...

I realized I haven't introduced you to all our investigators so here it goes...

We have a new investigator named Li Fen... We met here last week. She is so great! She came to a baptism on Sat and was talking to everyone... We tried to set up with her for tonight and she said she was going to a ward activity haha she said it was posted on the board so she thought she would go... turns out it's a different ward but oh well... she also asked us to meet her parents and brother... she planned it all herself... they just wanted us to sing hymns for them... yes they asked me to sing while Sister Koay played the piano... in Chinese... hahaha it was so funny and great... I love Li Fen! She is amazing!

One of our investigators Xing YIng is really starting to progress. Sister Koay has been meeting with her for 2 months and it seems like she's finally starting to really progress.. she also came to the baptism on Sat and I think that helped her a lot... She is so great!!!

Joyce is 15 and so cute!!! She would be baptized this week if her parents would let her... She is adorable and wonderful!!! We are hoping her parents come around but it looks like it will take some time....

You Jeimei has kind of hit a plateau... she's had all the lessons.. She loves the Book of Mormon and she prays everyday but she doesn't want to receive baptism... I think she has a fear of the unknown so we're are inviting her to another baptism this weekend :)

They are all so amazing in their own ways!!! I love them all so much!

That's one big thing that I'm realised this week... LOVE! My love for the people and the Lord's love for the people. We had a random with a lady outside of 7-11 and she was so great and so receptive... I could feel so strongly God's love for her... it was amazing... well we were supposed to meet with her again this week and we are our way to her house and we saw her walking so we stopped and talked to her and she said she wasn't interested but thank you so much for our kindness... my heart broke.... I could feel once again God's love for her and I tried my best to express it but she still has no interest.... It was really hard for me to ride away... but I realized something amazing... The Lord has already knocked on the door of everyones heart... everyone we talk to or teach the Lord has already made contact with them and HE does all the work...

Well I love it here and it's going great!!!!

Sorry if this email was confusing.....

I love you all!!!
Until next week!!!

February 20, 2011

Week 14

Ni hao!

Hello from Taiwan!

Its been a great week!

We had some wonderful experiences meeting people this week....

First, Xiu Xiu. We met her on the street by her house. She is so sweet. It turns out that one of our members has been praying for her to meet the missionaries. It was only a few minutes after we met her that he called and boy was he so excited to know that we met her and that we were going to start meeting with her! Such a beautiful tender mercy! She's so great. She has a lot of things to overcome so we know that it is going to take her quite a bit of time but I just love her!

Second, Xu Jiemei and Lai Dixiong! So Xu jiemei is an old investigator that we decided to call this week and set up an appointment with her. She's Christian and so sweet. She has a really strong testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and had wanted to get baptized but her parents didn't want her to until she was 20 (that's the adult age here) Well she is now 20 :) She doesn't remember a lot from her previous lessons, probably because it's been over a year, but she does remember that she enjoys reading the Book of Mormon! .... Now to Lai Dixiong... he is Xu jiemei's friend that she brought with her to our first lesson. We were explaining the Book of Mormon and had one to give to him and he was like "oh I already have one..." Turns out he is also a former investigator... It was so awesome. Another beautiful tender mercy!

Now to Hao Mei. I love this girl... She is so amazing! Right now her baptism is scheduled for March 5. She is still having a hard time understanding why she needs to be baptized... this week she realized why she needs a Savior. It was so amazing... It took a big scripture hunt but she finally got it. She is so sweet and truly golden. She just doesn't know it yet.

This week I have been thinking a lot about the atonement... the power of the atonement truly amazes me. I have been so blessed to know of the atonement and the Saviors love for me. To know that I don't have to do anything alone and to know that He not only suffered for my sins but for my every pain, affliction, trial, sickness, everything! As I understand the atonement of Jesus Christ more and more I realize why it is so important for everyone to know of this truth and how it will bless their lives... It is AMAZING!

It has been another great week full of tender mercies!

I love it here!

I love all of you!

Until next week!!!

Oh p.s. I'm pretty sure I ate chicken testicles this week.... not bad

February 13, 2011

Week 13

Ni Hao!!!!

I made it!!!

It was a long travel ... and a little stressful... but I'm finally here!!!

I'm going to try to go in chronological order...

We got in late Wed night and did short introductions and then hit the hay....

On Thurs we had a full day of training, food, and interviews. We really got to know President and Sister Bishop. They are amazing!!!  They are both so sweet! They both love the gospel very much and are quite passionate about missionary work. I love them!

 That afternoon they threw us right into contacting as we were walking to dinner. It was crazy!!!! I loved it! Sister Rigby and I got to be companions for a little bit (she is the sister I met before I left and I could probably write an email just about how amazing she is and how blessed I have been to have her as my roommate and dear friend... oh I love her!) Anywho we were contacting and we stop to talk to this sweet girl when we noticed we lost our group...... of course it would be us to get lost the first day here... we actually didn't start to panic... we said a prayer and within a few minutes we saw President Bishop walking aka storming down the other side of the street... we were so happy to seem... we thought he was going to be mad but once we walked over we could feel how much he cared and how worried he was even if we were only lost for 10 min. He is great!

After dinner we went to the night market... oh is that a crowded place! We found out that we would be doing what is called Dan Jones night haha...YEP! So we started with singing Love At Home and then the AP's and office Elders got on the boxes and started yelling... Oh did we get a crowd! Then we each had to get on the box one by one and yell our testimony.... once we stepped off an older missionary would grab our arm and take us into the crowd to contact.... It was awesome! It really was so fun! Both President and Sister Bishop Participated. It was crazy packed so we talked to a lot of people and all together we got almost 300 referrals!!! Such a fun night!

Friday was the day of goodbyes, find your trainer, and find your area.... i wasn't a fan of the goodbyes but the trainer part was really cool! I was the last one to find out who my trainer is... talk about a test of patience... Her name is Sister Koay. She is awesome! She is from Malaysia (so she is fluent in Mandarin and like 30 other languages... English being one of them) She plays the guitar and loves to sing. She loves cities and is not a fan of the outdoors so we are quite different in that way... she's pretty quiet. She mainly gives me correction and the rest I find out from asking her. She is an amazing missionary and she really loves the people! I'm in the Gaoxiong (Kaohsiung) area. It's down in the south and its a crazy, big, and beautiful city!... and yes the city does scare me a bit but I'm getting used to it.

Friday night was pretty hard.... the language is tough. The roads are crazy. I like the bike but I'm still getting used to it. I was having a really hard time contacting on my bike and was about in tears when i went up to a couple and they were like oh you are the new sister... Song Jiemei.... they told me there names which i didn't understand but then the lady said just call me Susan!... It totally changed my feelings...

Saturday we hit the ground running! We had 5 lessons!!! 3 were progressing investigators and 2 were 1st lessons. It was crazy... I didn't understand almost all of them but they were all kind and smiled when I tried to teach or share my testimony... one of our investigators, Hao Mei, is pretty close to getting baptized! They are all so great and I love them.. even if i can't pronounce all of their names :)

Sunday was amazing!!! I needed it even though I didn't understand almost all of what was being said, i needed the sacrament.We cover 2 wards and they are both so amazing! Members are so involved! They are all so sweet. I really wanted to get to know the members so I tried hard to talk to them and it mainly went well.. I didn't understand alot and they didn't understand me but the spirit was there and that's what matters.

After church I talked to a sweet girl and helped her fill out an application to BYU Hawaii. Her English name is Phoebe. She attended Snow college so her English is really good! It was so great to have someone to talk to. She helped me so much! I love her!

Tonight we are having FHE with a few of our investigators and the ward mission leader. It truly is amazing how the ward gets involved and it is so needed. I'm so excited...

Over all it has been a great but very hard week... the Lord has given me a tender mercy everyday to help me get along... I feel so blessed to know that He is with me ALL of the time. I love Him!

Well the field is white so I must be going!

I love you all!!!!

Until next week!

February 8, 2011

Week 12

Ni Hao!!!!!!

Wow! 12 weeks went by so fast!!! I can't believe it!

This week has been a little crazy but great! I'm not a huge fan of goodbyes but its time for them and i know there will be goodbyes my whole mission. Yesterday in sacrament we sang the efy medley (as sisters in Zion and we'll bring the world his truth and yes i might have helped recommended it) I cried my little eyes out. I always cry when i sing that song but yesterday was especially bad! The whole zone was in tears...

I have absolutely loved the mtc..... but i am very excited to get into the field! I'm so excited to meet people and try to talk but realize i don't understand them at all! :) Our branch president said that it's kind of like the plan of salvation... the mtc is pre-earth life and then when you get to Taiwan you'll realize that you went through the veil and that's why you can't understand the language!.. Funny guy! But that really is what i am expecting :)

So yesterday i was thinking about what areas my testimony has grown the most here at the mtc and i decided to mention just a few.... Prayer works- it truly amazes me. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers every prayer. I have felt that over and over again here and i am so grateful for it. You can find any answer in the Book of Mormon. My love for the Book of Mormon continues to grow every time i read. I am so grateful for it and other scriptures. The Saviors love for everyone. My testimony of the atonement continues to grow.... It is so amazing what the Lord has done for us. HE LIVES!!!! It is so amazing!

I love this gospel!!! It is truly amazing!!!

I am so excited to serve and represent the Lord!

I love you all!!!

Until next week!

P.S. I'm flying to Taiwan tomorrow!!!!! :)