March 28, 2011

Week 19

Ni hao

Thank you to everyone for all your love and support. I truly appreciate all of the words of encouragement and sweet prayers. I have felt so much love and comfort from Heaven helping me each day... It has been amazing. I know mom is one of the angels helping me and I have truly felt that this week.

So.... You Jiemei and Xu Jiemei's baptism was amazing.They had so many people there to support them. The room was full and there were people standing both inside the room and out in the hall. It was so great! They both bore such sweet testimonies. It was amazing to be a part of their special day!

Good news! The Xie FAMILY is getting baptized on Wednesday!!!! A FAMILY!!!! So wonderful! They are so great! They are former investigators and just wonderful. The family loves church. Both the mom and the dad are so strong. They had their own personal concerns and things they had to overcome but it has truly been a blessing to see them change... Seriously a miracle! They have 2 children. Angel 4 and Louis almost 2. So cute!!! I just love them and I'm so happy for them.... It is amazing! A FAMILY! This is the dream!

More news... move call! I have moved to a new area... I'm still in Gaoxiong (Koahsiung) I'm just in the area next door to my previous area (I hope that makes sense)  but I have a new companion that I just met today. Her name is Sister Chen and just is actually a local (aka native) She is so great and I love her already. I have heard so many good things about her and already showing me so much love and comfort... I was sad to leave our dear investigators and members (oh the amazing members) but I know that the Lord knows where He wants me so this change will be good!... I'm hoping to go to the Xie family's baptism because I'm so close and its a FAMILY!!!! So great!

Well I love you all so much!

Thank you again for the love, support, and prayers!

Until next week!

March 22, 2011

Week 18

This weeks letter home might be a little different... and I'm sorry if it doesn't all make sense...

I decided to share something from my personal study a few weeks ago that has brought me great peace at this time...

A few weeks ago, as I was studying the Plan of Salvation, I had a question... What happens to us after we die? What is the spirit world?... I would like to share a few things I learned and what I know to be true.... I learned that after we leave this life we are taken home to that God who gave us life. Those that are righteous live in a state of happiness, a state of rest from all troubles, cares, and sorrows. A state of peace... As I was studying there was a line that stood out to me in Preach My Gospel about the Atonement. It says, "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." I realized then how the Atonement truly makes the plan of salvation possible. It covers life and death and into eternity. The Savior suffered not only for our sins but for our every pain and sorrow. His Atonement stretches to those in the spirit world.. to give them comfort and peace and to also help them strengthen their relationships with the Savior and become more like Him.... "All that is unfair can be made right..." That includes us here as we cope with the loss of mom.... To know that this is part of Heavenly Father's plan... That she is in a place of peace and happiness. That she is with Missy and Grandpa Sonny and other loved ones that have passed before her... That she is watching over us and that she'll continue helping us through out our lives....... This loss is hard but I know that we will see her again...

The decision to stay was a very hard one...... I knew that if I came home I wouldn't come back.....  I realized that even though my family might need me, the people here need me more and that the blessings my family would receive for my service would be worth so much more than coming home...

I am so grateful for all the many beautiful lessons my mom taught me that has made me who I am today. I am grateful for the time we were able to spend together just before I left... She is truly amazing. My mother and my friend. I love her so much and miss her dearly but I know that we will dance together again......

I love you all.

Until next week...

March 13, 2011

Week 17

Ni Hao!!!!

Another great week here in Taiwan!

BIG news!!!!!

You Jiemei and Xu Jiemei are getting baptized on Friday!!!!

Story time....

So You Jiemei has been meeting with the missionaries for about 3 months... She is so great! When I arrived she had been taught almost all of the lessons but was just slowly progressing... We had been trying hard and praying hard to find ways to help her... Well all she needed was Tina. (Tina is a wonderful, solid recent convert. She is amazing!) After our lesson last week Tina invited You Jiemei to attend institute with her. She accepted. After institute Tina talked to her about baptism and shared her conversion experience and her testimony of the gospel. Then, Tina gave her the little push that she needed and invited her to be baptized on the 18th... You Jiemei said "YES!" We were rather surprised since I'm sure she has heard about baptism (even attended a baptism) and had the commitment extended quite a few times... But she needed it from Tina... It was so amazing! I'm so happy for her! SO amazing!

Xu Jiemei is a former that we have been meeting with since I got here... She is so great! When she met with the missionaries before, her parents didn't want her to receive baptism until she was 20... Well she's 20 now :) At first she was progressing pretty slow and mainly had a social interest... Well about 2 weeks ago she jumped on the happy train! She was trying to get her friend Lai Dixiong involved and asking us ways to help him... She talked to her parents and resolved their concern of ancestor worshipping... Before we met with her this week we weren't sure if her goal was still this Fri or next Fri but after she heard Sister Koay and Elder Vernon (our district leader) practice a musical number for a baptism last week she was like "hey, will you play at my baptism next week?!"... SO great! Resolved that question... She is so excited and said that she has wanted to be baptized since she first met the missionaries, she just didn't want to upset her parents... SO amazing! I'm so excited for her! She is so great!

So as you can tell it has been an exciting week once again full of tender mercies....

I feel so blessed to be a part of this beautiful work....

It truly is magnificent (aka amazing)!

I love you all!!!!

Until next week!

P.S. Here is my mailing address:
Sister Elle Kauaohilo Bray
Taiwan Taichung Mission
498-11 Wu Chuan Road
Taichung 404-46
Taiwan, R.O.C

March 6, 2011

Week 16

Ni Hao!!!!

Another great week here in Taiwan....

This week something amazing happened....

On Thursday there was a leadership training meeting that Sister Koay and I had been planning to attend but we got a call early in the morning saying that I would be staying back and that my companion would be.....SISTER SMITH!!! Yep! My MTC companion haha We were all a little surprised since both Sister Smith and I had only been in the field for 3 weeks!!!! But Sister Smith is amazing and so prepared to be here...We were in her area so she was a litlle nervous but I knew she could get us where we needed to be and trusted her fully. She is so great!

The day was absolutely amazing and so needed for the both of us.... I met some amazing people. We started by teaching an adorable family. The Cai family. We taught them about President Monson and watched part of "On the Lord's Errand." The spirit was so strong. They are so great and very sweet. There was a great feeling in there home and the mom is so strong. It was amazing!

 As we were getting ready to leave and go visit another investigator we got a call from Wan Jiemei, a recent convert we hadn't planned on visiting... She was baptized the week we got here and had been struggling a bit. Sister Smith and her companion had been trying to call her and meet with her last week but it was unsuccessful so the fact that she was calling was really big. She said that she had made some corn and that she wanted us to come over... Well that hard thing was that she lives about a 45 min bike ride away. Sister Smith didn't know the area well enough to feel comfortable getting us there so she turned down the offer... As soon as she hung up the phone and explained the situation to me I had this feeling that we needed to visit her... so we pulled out the map, said a prayer, and we were on our way... It was in a crazy broken down area that had been ruined by a typhoon a few years ago and there were several empty apartment buildings and then this random house.... which of course is Wan Jiemei's home.

The spirit was so strong right when I met her... As we talked with her, and I introduced myself and met her, I learned that she had been investigating the church for almost 40 years. Her dad and her 2 children are members and she met with many different missionaries but it just took a long time for her to make the commitment... She  shared with us what she had been reading in the Book of Mormon and then we shared what we had read that day. It was so amazing! She has so much strength and just a beautiful spirit. When we left I gave her a hug.... She just held me and after she said that I remind her of her daughter that she hasn't seen for awhile and then she just hugged me some more... The spirit was so strong... We were all in tears. After we left Sister Smith said that that was the most spiritual meeting she has ever had with her and the first time Wan Jiemei only spoke about spiritual things... I realized then why we had the feeling that we needed to visit her... She needed our love and we needed hers. It was amazing and an experience I never want to forget.

The day continued to be full of tender mercies and much guidance and help from the Lord.

It strengthened my testimony that Heavenly Father KNOWS and LOVES His children.

A great week!

I love you all!!!!

Until next week!