TOO PITIFUL!

I just have to tell you all how much I love my companion. She is super super awesome. Such a great missionary. And her chinese is wicked fluent. Go figure. She teaches me taiwanese here and there, but I always forget it. And I teach her some English. This week she asked how to say "tai kelian" in English. I said "too pitiful." Then she repeated. "too peeteeful." So funny. Then maybe an hour later I went to the bathroom and called out to her that there was no toilet paper. She just laughed and called back "tooooo peeeetteeeeeful!" I just about died. Now we say it all the time and whenever someone says it in chinese we just look at each other and laugh. We have a lot of good times and just hilarious things to laugh about. So we're having a great time. I love being with a native companion and I feel like my language is enough that we can develop the same kind of relationship that I do with my other companions. It's cool. And we work hard.

Just remembered: if you write me letters make sure to write my first name because another sister anderson just moved in town (:

This week has been full of miracles. One of them was crazy. We got in touch with a referral just the beginning of the week and she gave us her address to go meet at her house on Thursday evening at 7:30. On Wednesday we called to confirm the appointment, but she didn't answer.  We decided we'd go anyway and hope that she's home. We started biking there and first had to bike down the crazy steep crazy long switchback hill. Then we biked straight on this road for probably five minutes until we found the lane that she lives on. We turned on the lane and realized we had to bike down another super long hill (words don't do this trip justice). Getting to her house was MEGA fast. Because of gravity. It was wicked long/steep/windy and we were just thinking-- okay she better be home. And if she's not then we'll need to find a miracle down here because this hill is ridiculous. We finally got to the bottom of the mountain and found her address. We asked a lady on the street if a L.X.J. lives at number 20. She just laughed and said "no I live there and I have for years and years." Then she talked to us for a minute and told us she is Christian before heading out to take her trash out. We called  LXJ and she didn't answer. So weird. We know we didn't get the address wrong though because HNN (the lady who lives there) told us that they get this woman's mail. So weird. Anyway we decided to say a prayer then find someone to teach. Just a few minutes later HNN came back. We asked if we could sit and talk to her for a minute. (: We ended up having a lesson with her and talking to her about the Book of Mormon which she's excited to read. She seems pretty interested and said we can come back this week. Then she told us that her granddaughter is really interested in church things. Then she went to the phone and called her granddaughter so that Sister Lin could talk to her. We met with the granddaughter last night and she also became a new investigator. Cool! It made going back up the hill not nearly as bad.

I can't explain all the miracles this week. Mostly just small things like being able to get in touch with people that we haven't been able too. Like A. She has a baptismal date but we haven't been able to get in touch with her. Then the other day we were heading to visit an investigator. There are two ways to get to the investigator's house. The long way and the short way. When we got to the intersection to the long way I said a little prayer to know which way we should take (I'm not even sure why I did that because obviously I should take the short way!), but then I had a feeling to take the long way. So we did. About halfway to the investigators house I saw A walking down the street. What?! Miracle. We were able to get back in touch with her and set up a time to meet. She's getting baptized on Shandi's birthday. (:

Something super cool about having a native companion is that she knows which signs on the street mean food and which are just normal businesses. Our whole week and a half together we haven't eaten at the same place twice. We decided that we're gonna do that forever. Our whole time together we won't repeat a restaurant. It's super fun and puts us in a lot of different places to talk to people.

The other day I was biking home and I looked down at this boys foot. It looked rather wide to me and I did a double take. Then I counted. He had six toes! Interesting.

This past weekend we had stake conference. It was cool. We had to go to the Saturday evening session at the stake center which is an hour away and since we wouldn't be back to our apartment on time we got permission to sleep over at another sister's apartment. It was fun (:

Anyway that's about it for this week. Except that next week I'll email you all on Wednesday because I get to go to the temple! (: (: (: I'm very excited. It's been far too long since I've been to the temple. I'm happy though. I hope you all know how happy I am. I was saying a gratitude prayer on my bike yesterday and I was just thanking Heavenly Father for calling me on a mission. I look back at my time so far and first of all it's gone by wicked fast, but second, despite the fact that I remember the hard times and remember how tough things have been sometimes I look back and can only think of the happy things... like the fact that my testimony has grown a ton and that I have come closer to Christ and that I have seen people change their lives. Taiwan is part of me. This place will always have a special place in my heart and I will always think of it as a second home I think.

Lastly I want to share a little about Obedience. I've been reading in the Old testament in Deuteronomy. There is a lot about obedience because at this point the people have a lot of very strict rules and laws because of their wickedness. There is a scripture that says something along the lines of: when your children ask why you are obedient to all of these laws you say because we are obedient to God because he saved us from the Egyptians. That's it. We are obedient because God and Jesus Christ have saved us. We are obedient because we love them. And we love them because they first loved us. Also while I was saying my gratitude prayer on my bike last night I got to thinking just about how blessed I am. I'm not anything special. I haven't done anything to deserve all the blessings and love God gives me (and Heaven knows the blessings have been abundant). So I was wondering, why does God bless me with so much when I didn't do anything. Then I remembered-- because I am His daughter. He loves me. Regardless of our talents and background, God loves us with an infinite, ever increasing love. And that's why I'm on a mission-- because I want other normal people to know that they don't need to do anything special to be special to God. They are important to Him. I am important to Him. I know that my life has purpose and that the blessings I receive are from my loving Heavenly Father-- and thus I will obey.

Anyway-- I know this is true. And I'm so grateful for the changes and growth I've experienced on my mission. The Lord really has opened up the windows of Heaven and poured out a blessing upon me. I love you all. Stay safe.

My hands are covered in black...

I just got a new companion! Her bike hasn't gotten here yet so to ride to the internet cafe today I had to use one of the elders old bikes. The chain conveniently fell off halfway here so I had to put it back one. Now I have dirty dirty hands. It's a beautiful sight.

Okay so new companion! GUESS WHAT! I'm not training again. That's cool because I was really tired. I've aged probably fifty years...ba. It's bad. But now that I have short hair I look young again. And apparently I've lost weight. All the people in our ward keep asking if I'm on a diet or if I'm okay because they say I've become really really thin in my face and the rest of me. It's weird. I don't feel any different. But I have been exercising better. Maybe that's it. 

Anyway my new companion! She's from Taiwan and was baptized 7 years ago. Her parents aren't members but all of her sisters are. She's super cool and I like her a lot. (Sister Lin). Also she doesn't speak any English so I get to speak Chinese all the time. I'm learning a lot. I learned how to say dustpan! So great! My Chinese will become really good with her I think. Also she's gonna learn English because we have two only English speaking investigators. Holla!

I miss Sister Hammer, but she's gonna keep doing miracles in other places. Also Sister Boyer is training someone this transfer which is super cool. She's awesome. I love all my companions.

Also since I have native I'll get to try more foods! So let the eating festival begin. I had about 5 chicken hearts the other day. They're actually not too bad. I LOVE TO EAT AND I'M SO EXCITED TO TRY EVERYTHING!

I have a goal for our area though. I don't know how long I'll be here, but that doesn't matter. I hope that next transfer (so six weeks from now), we've worked hard enough that the ward can have a baptism every week. I know we can do it. Bade is the land of miracles and ready to be up and running. It's a good time to be doing missionary work! 

General conference was good. I watched all of it, but the Sunday afternoon session I had to watch in Chinese. I pretty much understood the gist of it. It was good. I liked a lot of the talks. I felt like this conference was a lot of cracking down on moral standards and pushing forward missionary work.. but maybe that's because I'm a missionary and I watch it from a missionary perspective.

I really liked Elder Ballard's talk. Something I struggle with on my mission is fear to speak to people. Typical. It is actually a huge stumbling block that I can't afford to have. I really liked though that Elder Ballard promised that as we kneel down and pray in faith and ask for opportunities to share the gospel, fear will go away. That's true. It was good to hear that and remind myself that I can do it. Sister Lin and I will talk to everyone this transfer. I can learn a lot from her.

I also started thinking. Someone had talked about how faith precedes the miracle. I'd like to add to that. "Faith precedes the miracle. And gratitude must follow it." We need to express our thanks for everything. I've started saying gratitude prayers while we bike long distances. It has been a big boost. I have so much to be grateful for. I'm really grateful for all of you and the support you give to me and the prayers you send my way. I'm a very lucky daughter and sister.

I love you all. I know this is true and I know that we have a living prophet. I know that Jesus Christ is the leader of our church.

Happy 11 month anniversary!

I've been on a mission for 11 months today. That is maybe the craziest thing. This goes so dang fast! But it's mega fun and I learn a lot and grow a lot and I've changed a lot. For the better. I'm still crazy though. Don't worry. (: (: (: (:

I need to tell you all about Bruce. There is a stray dog that lives in our neighborhood. He's always laying all over the place. He has a broken tail but he's such a stud. We named him Bruce and everytime we see him we just yell in really deep voices "BRUCE!" He doesn't understand English though so there's a little bit of a communication barrier. Anyway last week we saw him limping around with a broken foot and starting to get angry and growl at people when previously he used to just ignore everyone. And now he is gone. We miss him.

We did this exercise this past week called penguins. Apparently it gets rid of your love handles... It was really fun. Then the next day rolled around... I believe that it will get rid of love handles because it hurt like the pits. It's good. And our investigator... I mean recent convert now who is a total exercise/health nut was talking to us about what she does to tone her abs. She's super hard core. And I'm not. I'm just a fat lard with really really really strong legs from biking everywhere.

I was really impressed with my ward this week at how good they did at fellowshipping our most recent baptism (last saturday). I hope that our ward in Virginia is like that. It's good to know that I can trust these people that I teach and love so much with the members.

Transfers are coming this next week. I'm not training again so for the first time in my mission I'll be in a normal companionship. We have no idea what to expect. We have a feeling that I'll move out of Bade. Who knows?

Also it's been cold recently. And I'm freezing right now. And I wore sweater yesterday. Cold rain is a very sad thing.

Oh we discovered this week that when old people have trouble with their hands and feet, the doctors out here just cut off their digits. We've met quite a few people that only have like 3 fingers on both hands. It's creepy.

We had a lesson with LM this week. She's so great and still wants to get baptized. We asked her if the whole baptism by immersion thing scared her. She just looked at us and laughed and said "heyyyy I KNOW HOW TO SWIM!" It was hilarious. She's getting baptized!

I love her so much.

Anyway this week has been good. I've been working on having more faith. It's been rewarding. I still need to improve so much because I'm not that great of a missionary... But I know that God loves me.

I can't type anymore because I'm so cold and my hands feel like they are freezing off. But I want everyone to know that I know this is true. The church is true. I've seen the gospel of Jesus Christ work in people's lives to take them from where they are and bring them up to what they are expected to be and I really really know that it's because this is a true thing. This is real life. I know that Christ is my savior and because of him we can learn to forgive people who have wronged us. I know that he's been where we are and he will guide our lives if we will let him. Read the Book of Mormon. It's a true book. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living day prophet. We must heed his words and do what he says if we want to have hope for the future. I know that when things are unclear or uncertain we can search the abundance of words that God has given us. Words of the prophets modern and ancient. We will be guided. God loves us. He loves me and he loves you. I love you too.