So, I'm sure you've all heard the big news by now. Wow, weird, huh? I was pretty bummed about it at first...REALLY bummed, just because I was so excited to fly out with my district of awesome Elders and my amazing companion. Oh, in case for some crazy reason someone DOESN'T know what's going on...here's the story. I had to have X-rays for my visa to Taiwan. But my X-ray kept coming back as having "nodules" or whatever that means. They finally did a CT scan and found that it was just a false alarm. Unfortunately that held up my visa by several weeks, along with another sister heading to Taiwan named Sister Peterson. I cried, of course, because I think out of my whole district I was most excited for our first 2 days in Taiwan. I already know a bit about the culture and stuff, so I REALLY just wanted to see my district and how they liked it and stuff. WAHHH!!! But anyway, the travel office didn't want us rotting in the MTC any longer than we had to, so they got us a temporary reassignment to...
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Salt Lake City South!! Wahoo!! Haha, it's funny because it covers everything between point of the mountain and south Bountiful. So essentially the same mission as most of my family, the Eastdell Ward, the Harmony Park ward, etc. So...ha, I'm wondering the likelihood of serving in any one of those areas. Kind of hoping to go to South Salt Lake. Go back to the ghetto, haha. It would be so awkward to serve in the Sandy Ward! "Yes...I didn't go very far." I'm afraid of running into someone I know and them thinking I didn't really go on a mission. Haha. So weird!
Hey, so this week has been really good! Actually, it was really bad. But it was bad for a good reason, so it was good. :) I have a firm testimony that right before something awesome happens, really cruddy stuff happens. So my companion and I were having a really horrid week just with alot of anxiety and stress and emotions that we couldn't explain. Oh, some other background. I've felt really impressed to get in contact with a good friend from BYU who's from Beijing. He's way cool, but I haven't talked to him in quite a while, so I thought it was interesting that I felt so compelled to contact him and share my testimony with him or something. Then, out of the BLUE, HE wrote ME a birthday card! It was perfect because then I had his address and asked him to come to MTC to be a "pretend" (but not-so-pretend) investigator at the TRC. So I wrote him and my teacher knows him as well so he called him and he finally came this last Saturday! I've been praying for him SO hard for the past 8-9 weeks and thought about him alot. He is an Atheist. Before the lesson, Sister Hintze and I were just not feeling adequate to teach him about God, so we prayed that God would make up for our weaknesses and the lesson would go well. All I will say, is that the Spirit was SO strong! Sister Hintze felt prompted to talk about Joseph Smith and I quoted the 1st vision from memory. One thing I've learned is that whenever that story is quoted word-for-word in whatever language, the Spirit will be there also. And it really was. We asked him how he felt after we said it and he said, "warm, peaceful, warm in my chest, very cozy." WOW!! He recognized the feeling of the Spirit and it was incredible. We committed him to pray about God. It was another proof to me that God lives and loves His children. I'd prayed the night before to know how I know that God lives, and a flood of memories of how God has answered my prayers. From the Charlotte smoking story, to losing my wallet and praying then having the thought "it's in the fridge" come to my mind and actually have my wallet be IN THE FRIDGE! Haha. It's amazing.
Anyway, I love you all. Pray for missionary opportunities. Continue to be worthy of God's blessings. God and Jesus Christ live and love us. Pray for the people of Taiwan, for China to open up to the Gospel, for Salt Lakians to be open to the gospel, and for your non-member friends/neighbors/coworkers/family. God answers our prayers. I have already seen miracles here.
Love you all! I'll have more time to write in the field. Wahhoo!!!
Love Poohface.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Only 1 week left in the MTC!!!
This week has been very good! We only have 1 week left now!! We officially got our flight plans and are leaving the MTC on Tuesday the 26th of January. I'm so excited but pretty nervous. It'll be awesome. We all fly over as a district, plus all the Taizhong missionaries, so it'll be altogether a group of 21 missionaries. I'll get you all the address ASAP.
So this week has been neat. The teachers switched it up a bit and we were assigned to another companionship to teach them as a "progressing investigator". The person playing the investigator has to pretend to be someone they know, so it feels so REAL. We are teaching Sister Weinheimer who is playing her cousin Jackie. It is amazing. I've really been touched at how the Lord can work through you. Even though it's just a role-play, Heavenly Father has really taught us to listen to the Spirit. Sometimes it just feels like pure intelligence is flowing through you and somehow the right scriptures are shared, the right questions are asked and the right answers are given. My companion and I are finally learning to teach together, so it's neat. Don't get me wrong, we are still pretty stinky at teaching, but it's just cool because there are many times that despite our lacking abilities, we've been able feel another power direct us in our teaching. Anyway, that's probably the biggest thing I got a testimony of this week.
So another thing I've been kind of working on, is just recognizing the feeling of the Spirit. If you've been in the Church your whole life, sometimes feeling the Spirit can just be a routine experience, but it really IS a miracle every time we feel it confirm something to us. So I'm trying to recognize it more in my life. Anywho.
Elder Perry came this Tuesday. It was neat. He really likes to delve into the scriptures. He talked about the importance of the Restoration. It's actually pretty amazing, this week has been week of the Restoration for Poohface. Elder Perry spoke on it, then we taught at the TA (we teach a volunteer from the "outside") the Restoration, then yesterday we had a whole devotional about Joseph Smith. It's cool. So first off, at the TA yesterday my companion and I were struggling pretty bad with Chinese. We were trying to get out our lesson but were just having problems. Haha. We were teaching 3 people, one of which was an older woman who didn't speak Chinese. Anyway, so when we were teaching, it wasn't a very powerful lesson...but when I recited the First Vision in Chinese the woman's whole expression changed. Before she just smiled and nodded, but when I quoted the first vision, I could see her face get serious. It was really neat...even though SHE didn't understand the Chinese and I could hardly understand what I was saying too, we both REALLY felt the Spirit. It was special. It just confirmed again that Joseph Smith's vision was true. Then yesterday all the "Jiemeimen"/sisters in my zone sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer/I am a child of God" medley for the Sunday Devotional. I was nervous but prayed alot so it wasn't so bad. Before we sang, the 6 of us had a mini-testimony meeting about when we first knew for ourselves that Joseph Smith was a prophet. After we sang, we heard from Susan Easton Black who is an amazing Church historian who recited some pretty neat history about Joseph Smith that isn't heard of very often. She told this story about when Joseph Sr. moved to NY then sent for Lucy Mack and the children who were waiting in Vermont. On the way there, they stopped by an inn and someone tried to steal their wagon. To be brief, because of all the hubbub, Lucy Mack accidently left 11 year old Joseph at the inn (kind of like me being left at the Avalon Theatre when I was 5...maybe every time they passed the inn after that they said "there's Joseph's home!"...). Anyway, so Joseph was walking in the snow, trying to follow the wagon trail but was hit by a passing wagon which opened his wound from when he'd had his leg operated on. He said that as he was wallowing in his blood and giving himself up for dead, a mysterious stranger picked him up and carried him the Palmyra. Susan Easton Black compared that the Joseph of Egypt, how his brothers left him in a pit but then he was picked up and taken to Egypt where he would bring to pass the salvation of many. WAY interesting! Anyway, it was cool. I hope that wasn't very boring, I just thought it was really cool.
So hmmmm...I'm trying to think of anything else of any interest that's happened this week...I broke and have been eating gluten. I think I eat sliced potatoes and chicken for 2 out of 3 meals. I'm so sick of it. One day I just felt like Donald Duck from Jack in the Bean Stalk and wanted to yell, "Shut up! I can't stand it! Blah blah blah blah" and start eating the silverware and stuff because I just couldn't take eating the same thing again. Haha. But I'll try to be better. I'm really wondering how gluten free I'll be able to be in Taiwan. I've just been praying that I won't have any side-effects or damage for a year and a half. I think it could happen. :)
Welp, I'm sorry I don't have many interesting things to say. My emails are always very "Churchy" but I really don't experience much beyond that. Haha. I love you all!
I love hearing from everyone! I wish I had time to write everyone individually. In the field I won't have an email time limit so I'll be able to write more people. Update and let me know how everyone is doing! Love you all!!
Coley Dowdle
So this week has been neat. The teachers switched it up a bit and we were assigned to another companionship to teach them as a "progressing investigator". The person playing the investigator has to pretend to be someone they know, so it feels so REAL. We are teaching Sister Weinheimer who is playing her cousin Jackie. It is amazing. I've really been touched at how the Lord can work through you. Even though it's just a role-play, Heavenly Father has really taught us to listen to the Spirit. Sometimes it just feels like pure intelligence is flowing through you and somehow the right scriptures are shared, the right questions are asked and the right answers are given. My companion and I are finally learning to teach together, so it's neat. Don't get me wrong, we are still pretty stinky at teaching, but it's just cool because there are many times that despite our lacking abilities, we've been able feel another power direct us in our teaching. Anyway, that's probably the biggest thing I got a testimony of this week.
So another thing I've been kind of working on, is just recognizing the feeling of the Spirit. If you've been in the Church your whole life, sometimes feeling the Spirit can just be a routine experience, but it really IS a miracle every time we feel it confirm something to us. So I'm trying to recognize it more in my life. Anywho.
Elder Perry came this Tuesday. It was neat. He really likes to delve into the scriptures. He talked about the importance of the Restoration. It's actually pretty amazing, this week has been week of the Restoration for Poohface. Elder Perry spoke on it, then we taught at the TA (we teach a volunteer from the "outside") the Restoration, then yesterday we had a whole devotional about Joseph Smith. It's cool. So first off, at the TA yesterday my companion and I were struggling pretty bad with Chinese. We were trying to get out our lesson but were just having problems. Haha. We were teaching 3 people, one of which was an older woman who didn't speak Chinese. Anyway, so when we were teaching, it wasn't a very powerful lesson...but when I recited the First Vision in Chinese the woman's whole expression changed. Before she just smiled and nodded, but when I quoted the first vision, I could see her face get serious. It was really neat...even though SHE didn't understand the Chinese and I could hardly understand what I was saying too, we both REALLY felt the Spirit. It was special. It just confirmed again that Joseph Smith's vision was true. Then yesterday all the "Jiemeimen"/sisters in my zone sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer/I am a child of God" medley for the Sunday Devotional. I was nervous but prayed alot so it wasn't so bad. Before we sang, the 6 of us had a mini-testimony meeting about when we first knew for ourselves that Joseph Smith was a prophet. After we sang, we heard from Susan Easton Black who is an amazing Church historian who recited some pretty neat history about Joseph Smith that isn't heard of very often. She told this story about when Joseph Sr. moved to NY then sent for Lucy Mack and the children who were waiting in Vermont. On the way there, they stopped by an inn and someone tried to steal their wagon. To be brief, because of all the hubbub, Lucy Mack accidently left 11 year old Joseph at the inn (kind of like me being left at the Avalon Theatre when I was 5...maybe every time they passed the inn after that they said "there's Joseph's home!"...). Anyway, so Joseph was walking in the snow, trying to follow the wagon trail but was hit by a passing wagon which opened his wound from when he'd had his leg operated on. He said that as he was wallowing in his blood and giving himself up for dead, a mysterious stranger picked him up and carried him the Palmyra. Susan Easton Black compared that the Joseph of Egypt, how his brothers left him in a pit but then he was picked up and taken to Egypt where he would bring to pass the salvation of many. WAY interesting! Anyway, it was cool. I hope that wasn't very boring, I just thought it was really cool.
So hmmmm...I'm trying to think of anything else of any interest that's happened this week...I broke and have been eating gluten. I think I eat sliced potatoes and chicken for 2 out of 3 meals. I'm so sick of it. One day I just felt like Donald Duck from Jack in the Bean Stalk and wanted to yell, "Shut up! I can't stand it! Blah blah blah blah" and start eating the silverware and stuff because I just couldn't take eating the same thing again. Haha. But I'll try to be better. I'm really wondering how gluten free I'll be able to be in Taiwan. I've just been praying that I won't have any side-effects or damage for a year and a half. I think it could happen. :)
Welp, I'm sorry I don't have many interesting things to say. My emails are always very "Churchy" but I really don't experience much beyond that. Haha. I love you all!
I love hearing from everyone! I wish I had time to write everyone individually. In the field I won't have an email time limit so I'll be able to write more people. Update and let me know how everyone is doing! Love you all!!
Coley Dowdle
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Meeting Sister Dalton and singing performances
Nicole's DistrictThis week in the MTC has been pretty good.
Thank you all for your cards and gifts!! They were all so awesome!! My companion was super sweet and worked really hard to make it a good day. She had written her mom to have her mail some things to her for my birthday. On the 7th she woke up early and blew up balloons and decorated our door. Then her Mom had sent some little gifts, and hostess cupcakes with "23" candles. Then the Elders in my district gave me a whole ton of random stuff which looked like Christmas excess. They gave me a crochetted finger puppet, a chocolate reindeer, chapstick, a puzzle ring, slime, gum, a baby picture of our zone leader, and New years blower thingy. Then after personal study, out of no where, Elder Knight or "Xia Zhanglao" who is a really sweet quiet Elder, got up and played "happy birthday" on a little slide whistle he got in a new years popper. It was so nice. I felt really special. Grant sent me a cute package with a headbandy thing, and a mini poster of Jay Chou. haha. This will replace the one from our old bedroom, eh Amberly? He "signed" it and wrote "I know the church is true" in chinese characters. It was great. Rachel, thank you so much for the shirt and ipod! wait, it DID work to load music or it didn't? The screen light is broken on it, but the rest of it works fine...or at least it should. Thank you all again for the letters and cards!! It was the best birthday I've had in a long time. Oh yeah, I even got a card from the MTC President. Haha.
Soooo...we leave in 2 weeks and 1 day!! I wish I remembered to bring my mission home's address to the computer lab. Anyway, but we're flying out on the 26th. I'm very scared, but I feel like I've been in the MTC long enough. People get weird when they've been here for too long. Haha.
Sister Elaine Dalton of the YW General Presidency came to RS again. I got to shake her hand. She's a really neat lady. All the older sisters "jiemeimen" in my zone auditioned to since in a fireside or devotional and we got in. We're singing an arrangment of I am a Child of God and Joseph Smith's First Prayer that Sister Clyde wrote. It's really pretty and it's a neat opportunity to sing in the MTC in front of all the missionaries, but I'm PETRIFIED!! Especially when there are only 2 of us singing alto. When we auditioned only in front of the music chair woman and President Smith's wife, my knees were shaking and I almost fell over. Ha. We'll be performing in front of over 2000 people. Yeesh. You'd think the Heralders and a handful of solos/duets in Primary Programs would have gotten me used to it...
Well, tell me what everyone is up to! I LOVE getting letters telling me what everyone is up to. It's like I get to visit home for just a few minutes.
Anyway, I love you all!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
"7 things I learned this week"
Today has been a hard, but good week. I feel like Heavenly Father grabs His missionaries, and pulls their souls out their toes and shows them how they need to do better. It's really beautiful and amazing actually. I feel like I've learned some pretty neat things that I needed to know. Here are a few things I've learned this week:
1) I learned that God is loving and kind and gentle and laughs and really just loves our lives. I think He's profoundly interested in all we do, and loves watching us grow. I used to think he was a harsh being who shook His finger at us. It's still an idea that I sometimes fall under the habit of believing, but as I search the scriptures for more examples of His true loving nature, it's reaffirmed to me how kind He really is. He wants to bless us so much but is only allowed to bless us according to our obedience sometimes.
2) It's important to account to God for our works and desires. At the end of the day, it's important to say, "God, I tried my best to be a good [missionary, mother, father, friend, Relief Society counselor, Ward Mission Leader, home teacher, co-worker, whatever] today. Do you accept my work? What can I do better." God will help us improve and help comfort us when we expect too much of ourselves or show us how we can make more of ourselves.
3) God will never beat us down when He encourages us to change. If we feel like we need to do better in an area, but we feel lost, overwhelmed, like a bad person, etc. then that is NOT God telling us to do better. It's Satan telling us we stink and he's LYING. The way you know a prompting to do better is from God, is if it's followed by encouragement, a "you can do it!" feeling, and ultimately feeling loved and like you can accomplish the change.
4) Perfect love casteth out all fear. This is very appropriate for when I hyperventilate about going to Taiwan.
5) Keep a record! This will help us keep track of and act on spiritual promptings [see Elder Scott's most recent Conference talk]. It'll also keep us from having to re-learn something a million times. I SO wish I'd kept a journal in Russia, China and Ukraine. But, I had an idea...so you know how our family is a little spread out right now...and we don't always know what's going on with people...?
6) I learned that our WHOLE LIVES are missions. So when I think, "AH! This is just so hard! 16 more months..." I stop myself because it's not like it'll be over in 16 months. I will be serving the Lord for the REST of my life. I have been okay with sitting back for the past little while, but no more! God wants us to lift and help others and we promised God when we joined His church that we would build his kingdom through service and missionary work and doing hard callings and stuff. So it's not ending any time soon. And that's good! I'm so excited! Life should be hard work.
7)I have felt guilty for the way I served in Russia. I was having a really hard time while I was there and always thought that I just blew it. So I was really worried about going on a mission because if I did a cruddy job in Russia, I'd blow it in Taiwan too. But I had a really neat experience where I felt Heavenly Father tell me that I didn't do a totally cruddy job. But not because I was so good, but because God knew I was trying my best so through His Atonement He made up the rest and made the semester a success. And Looking back, I can see it was a success. No matter what we're doing, if we try our best and rely on God to help us with the rest, we'll do things above and beyond our capabilities.
Well, time is running out. I love you all! Write me and let me know how everyone is doing!
1) I learned that God is loving and kind and gentle and laughs and really just loves our lives. I think He's profoundly interested in all we do, and loves watching us grow. I used to think he was a harsh being who shook His finger at us. It's still an idea that I sometimes fall under the habit of believing, but as I search the scriptures for more examples of His true loving nature, it's reaffirmed to me how kind He really is. He wants to bless us so much but is only allowed to bless us according to our obedience sometimes.
2) It's important to account to God for our works and desires. At the end of the day, it's important to say, "God, I tried my best to be a good [missionary, mother, father, friend, Relief Society counselor, Ward Mission Leader, home teacher, co-worker, whatever] today. Do you accept my work? What can I do better." God will help us improve and help comfort us when we expect too much of ourselves or show us how we can make more of ourselves.
3) God will never beat us down when He encourages us to change. If we feel like we need to do better in an area, but we feel lost, overwhelmed, like a bad person, etc. then that is NOT God telling us to do better. It's Satan telling us we stink and he's LYING. The way you know a prompting to do better is from God, is if it's followed by encouragement, a "you can do it!" feeling, and ultimately feeling loved and like you can accomplish the change.
4) Perfect love casteth out all fear. This is very appropriate for when I hyperventilate about going to Taiwan.
5) Keep a record! This will help us keep track of and act on spiritual promptings [see Elder Scott's most recent Conference talk]. It'll also keep us from having to re-learn something a million times. I SO wish I'd kept a journal in Russia, China and Ukraine. But, I had an idea...so you know how our family is a little spread out right now...and we don't always know what's going on with people...?
6) I learned that our WHOLE LIVES are missions. So when I think, "AH! This is just so hard! 16 more months..." I stop myself because it's not like it'll be over in 16 months. I will be serving the Lord for the REST of my life. I have been okay with sitting back for the past little while, but no more! God wants us to lift and help others and we promised God when we joined His church that we would build his kingdom through service and missionary work and doing hard callings and stuff. So it's not ending any time soon. And that's good! I'm so excited! Life should be hard work.
7)I have felt guilty for the way I served in Russia. I was having a really hard time while I was there and always thought that I just blew it. So I was really worried about going on a mission because if I did a cruddy job in Russia, I'd blow it in Taiwan too. But I had a really neat experience where I felt Heavenly Father tell me that I didn't do a totally cruddy job. But not because I was so good, but because God knew I was trying my best so through His Atonement He made up the rest and made the semester a success. And Looking back, I can see it was a success. No matter what we're doing, if we try our best and rely on God to help us with the rest, we'll do things above and beyond our capabilities.
Well, time is running out. I love you all! Write me and let me know how everyone is doing!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Nicole's BIRTHDAY!!!
ATTENTION ALL FRIENDS and FAMILY of NICOLE!!!
Her Birthday is January 7th! I know she would be tickled to get lots of birthday love on her day! Send out something to her if you can. Remember, www.dearelder.com is free too!
Her address is:
Nicole Dowdle
Taiwan Taipei Mission
Missionary Training Center
2005 W 900 E Box#107
Provo, UT 84604
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