FIRST I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT WE FOUND A TIME
TO CALL HOME! GET EXCITED FOR THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVE IN WASHINGTON THAT YOU'VE
EVER HAD! Sorry it'll be a late evening, but be ready to skype on Christmas eve
at 9:30pm. Let me just tell you. Sister Bang and I were super nervous about how
this was going to work. If we can't find a way to skype then we can call from
the home phone-- which would also be fine and dandy... IF WE EVEN HAD A HOME
PHONE. Which we don't. It got down to crunch time. Yesterday at church we
realized that we had to find someone to let us skype at their home or we would
have to figure things out really last minute-- which would be tough. So had to
just be brave and ask someone (which I felt terrible about). Anyway-- we went
to ask this lady and it was SO AWKWARD and she was really confused about what
we were talking about and I felt like I offended her big time... So then I was
even more stressed until dinner that night a member referred a family to ask.
We called last night when we got home and she was super willing to let us come
over. SUCH A MIRACLE. I thought I would cry. SO GET READY!! TIME IS ALMOST HERE
WHERE I GET TO SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACES ONCE MORE AND YOU CAN SEE MY NOT SO
BEAUTIFUL VERY SLEEPY FACE. And you will love it. And I will love it. And the
church is true. And I AM SO EXCITED I COULD SCREAM!
The moral of the story is that God loves His
missionaries. And He loves His missionaries families. I just know it.
Also cool experience where talking to an
American wasn't a scary thing--- Last night when we got home, a man from North
Carolina approached me while I was locking my bike up and asked
where I was from and stuff. He's been in Taiwan for 15 years because his wife
is Taiwanese. He was SUPER nice. And he just told me that he respects us a lot
for what we're doing. He said he works for a couple different bike companies
and he knows that missionaries clock a lot of time on our bikes. It was really
nice of him and it was also the first time on my mission that I've talked to an
American and not felt like I want to run away because it's super uncomfortable.
Moral of the story: When I'm back in the states I'm totally gonna be that super
awkward missionary who doesn't know how to speak proper English or talk to
people who do speak proper English. EEEEK!
I only have a few things to write about this
week. On Wednesday all the sisters went to Taipei for a temple tour training.
Every transfer we spend a day doing Temple Grounds Tours so we have to get
trained on it. It was super fun to see all those girls. (Also since my
companion moved up here from Hualian she has never done temple tours-- so it
was a new experience for her.) Anyway one of the best parts of Wednesday was
seeing the two sisters that I trained (Sister B. and Sister H.). I
honestly love those girls to death! They both seem to be doing well-- I guess I
didn't ruin them! It's cool because you can become best friends with your
companions. And I have been blessed. All 6 of my companions that I've had since
I entered the MTC have become some of my best friends. MISSIONS ARE THE BEST!
The rest of the temple training was good too. And getting home was an
adventure. Sister Bang and I are still working on how to get home in the
movst effective manner. It's hard and we have traveled to and from Taipei in a
different way everytime we've gone up there. It's fun.
This past Thursday we clocked some serious time
on our bikes. We went to go visit this girl that the other sisters set up for
us to visit. It takes just over an hour to get to her house... And thus-- just
over an hour to get home. This will be something we do weekly to meet with this
girl. Moral of the story: my legs are all muscle and hardly any fat. We
bike A TON.
On Thursday night we had an AWESOME planning
session for the next day-- probably the most effective planning session I've
ever had. We planned out Friday's schedule in a lot of detail. So then we were
looking forward to everything we had going on Friday. Then things started
cancelling. EEEK. The two hours we had planned to do became abou five hours. So
we went to the area that we intended to find in and met a lot of really
unfriendly, unprepared people. But let's not focus on that-- rather let me tell
you about the tender mercies that are all around us. Sister G. (another
missionary in our ward.. love her) was making calls that day and called me and
told me about two lessons she had scheduled for us that day. Between what we
had planned and what she helped us with-- we were BUSY BUSY from 4:00pm until
we went to bed that night. It was such a blessing. That day we met with 3 less
active members and found 2 new investigators. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. The Lord
blesses people who plan.
On Saturday morning we headed out early again
to go to Taipei to listen to Elder Allan Packer (son of the apostle Elder
Packer) speak to us. He talked to us about family history in missionary
work and how we can help people feel the spirit of Elijah while finding. It was
really cool and a great meeting. We look forward to applying some of the things
we learned. And I'm going to do the first thing I learned and ask all of you
(and all of my friends and family who read this). Think about a lesson you
learned from a family member-- whether someone living or an anscestor you have.
Okay now send it to me. I want to read it! Yay! I LOVE FAMILIES (:
Then Saturday evening we had a stake christmas
music fireside that we sang at with the ward choir. The best part though was
that I got to see J. Ya'll don't know her-- but let me just say SHE IS
THE GREATEST GIRL IN THE ENTIRE WORLD AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH! And ya'll will
too when you meet her someday.
Something else that I have thought about a lot
this week is teaching. Remember how I've changed my major in college about a
million times? Well I won't change it again. I'm really excited to be a
teacher. The more I think about it, the more excited I get. I hope to work in a
bilingual program in Chinese and English. But mostly I'm just super excited to
teach. I want to be that teacher who is always improving the way I teach and
helps children find the joy in learning new things and learn how to learn. I
want to be the teacher that people look back and remember the year they were in
my class and have a greater desire to do good and improve themselves. I hope
that I can do my small part to make a difference in someone's life. That's what
I'm trying to do out here and what I want to do for my whole life. People are
special. Everyone you look at is a child of God. I feel so lucky to be in the
presence of children of God everyday. Next time you look at someone-- try to
see them how God sees them. You will learn to appreciate them more and have a
more sincere desire to love and serve them.
Another thing that I've learned this week was
from reading General Conference talks. Something that President Uchtdorf said
really touched me. "Our destiny is not determined by the number of times
we stumble, but rather by the number of times we get up, dust off, and move
forward." This life is full of stumbles and mistakes (some big and some
small). Let us not look at our mistakes except to learn from them. It much
better to look forward. It's much better to look up. I am a firm believer that
the past is the past. It is not something to be dwelt in, but rather to learn
from. I know that God loves all of His children. I think this is perfect for
the Christmas season. What is Christmas all about? Christ came to this earth to
atone for us so that we wouldn't have to look back at our lives and feel
regret. He died for us so that we can get up, dust off, and move forward. We
all have things that we aren't proud of-- now is the time to fully accept the
Savior and His atonement in our lives and change. Is there a better time to
change then right now? No. There isn't. So I want to sincerely invite
everyone-- look at yourself. Be honest with yourself. Find the things you want
to change and don't wait any longer. You can do it. God loves you. Jesus Christ
loves you.
I apologize that my emails since the beginning
of my mission have changed from describing funny experiences to a vague/brief
explanation of my week and a long description of my feelings on life. (: But
also I'm not sorry. These things are important. I love you all so much. If you
knew how much I loved you-- you probably would think I was crazy! I hope all of
my family and friends knows with complete assurity-- I know that Jesus Christ
is my Savior. I know He lives. I know He loves us. I know God is our Heavenly
Father. I know He lives. I know He loves us. I know that this life is not easy.
They never said it would be easy-- but it is worth it. I know that someday we
will all completely overcome any and all temptations. But until that day-- we
must do all we can to repent of our mistakes and not make anymore. I know that
all people can change.
Okay I'm just going on an on now. Everyone
reading this do me a favor--- find someone that I know and give them a hug for
me. Tell them I love them and that God loves them.
I love you all. I miss you all. Never stop
reading the Book of Mormon. Never stop praying. Never stop sharing this glad
message with other people. Fear not.
Lastly-- my altime favorite scripture: Doctrine
and Covenants 123:16-17.
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