Hello!
Thank you all for the emails!! That made me soooo happy!!
This week was fun. Much different from what I expected, missions have their own "culture". A part of that strange culture, is "move calls" and all the talk that is included with that. My last district had what's called "Move Call Madness" where everyone guesses where the missionaries in the district will move to. Then for the first time I heard the phrase "Transfer Trunky" which means exactly what it sounds like...being really anxious and lazy for the coming move call. So strange, but I find myself getting sucked into this funny, strange culture too. So much of your little experience as a missionary depends on your area and your companion. It's really interesting. Anyway, so we had our interviews with the President this week. It pretty much led to my companion and I guessing WAY too much about move calls in a couple weeks. It's interesting, this mission is getting LESS and LESS missionaries. Makes me so sad! Next transfer 8 sisters and a bunch more Elders are going home and the ONLY missionary coming in, is 1 sister! Sad! This is leading to areas being closed, or areas having less missionaries, etc. Anyway, from interviews, we know that something will change in Taoyuan next transfer...either our area will close, the Elder's area will close, we'll serve over 4 wards instead of 2 wards...it's all unnecessary to think and guess about, but the change will be interesting, that's all. Not only that, but with so many older sisters going out, us newbies will go senior sooner. NO!! My stress-free days are soon coming to an end. Fun ends when you're senior, I feel. Anyway, unimportant, unimportant.
There was a monsoon yesterday!! And apparently there will be one everyday this week. Pretty much, it gets super hot in the day then when it approaches evening, the heavens open and we are DUMPED on! Last night the water was so high in some places that we were biking through WAVES created by cars. The lakes in the intersections were almost halfway up our bike tires. SO wet!! I'll take a picture next time.
We're teaching some really cute little girls. Yu Wen is 15 and Pei Yi, her little sister, is 12. They also bring their little 6 year old sister Jia Long. SO CUTE!! They all go home and read the Book of Mormon and the 3 of them pray together. The 2 older sisters set a baptismal date but their dad said it was too quick. Which is fine, I can understand that. I'm excited. They are really sweet. Oh yeah, and I contacted a dude on a motor cycle at a stop light the other day and he's been going to church and meeting with the elders! Maybe this is an obvious dream, but I've always wanted to contact someone on the street that was eventually a super strong member. So cool.
So I never wanted to serve a visitor's center mission, but I get the opportunity a couple days a month and it's not too bad! All the sisters in the mission who live close enough to Taibei take turns giving people "temple tours". They give them little tours using paintings and videos in the chapel next to the Taibei temple, the give them a little intro to temples. I was pretty nervous at first, but they are actually kind of fun. And there's a lot of Spirit when it's a one time encounter. It has kind of a Temple Square feeling, which is pretty special.
This week I've been called to repentance a little bit. We are teaching about 6 people who ALL have concerns with the Word of Wisdom when we taught them this week. I kind of get frustrated when people "disappear" after we teach WOW and wonder why something so small as something you drink would scare someone away from the church. But then I realized one day, as I was eating a bagel, that I am a hypocrite! Haha. Why is it SO hard for me to stay gluten free for longer than a month?? I get soooo tempted by delicious bready things! Then I feel like GARBAGE and can't feel the spirit (which is why we follow the word of wisdom anyway, right?) and am treating my precious gift of a body badly. So I realized, the higher law of the word of wisdom is to protect your body and keep it healthy. But the thing with that, is that all our bodies are different. Mine gives me horrible stinky farts and a fat gut when I eat wheat...haha. So I decided that I will be better and obey my own little word of wisdom and I made a promise to Heavenly Father that I will not intentionally eat gluten the rest of my mission. I think that if I'M better about this, it will help investigators too. Haha, really funny though. We were "qing-ed chi" for lunch the other day by a member "Su Mama". She was all "Oh, you can eat just a little! Like little kids with Mango allergies will be itchy for a little bit, but if you keep forcing them to eat it, they grow out of it!" (all the while I'm feeling so sad for her children.) I insisted that I couldn't. I felt SO sick after lunch and I'm thinking she told the waiter to put a little soy sauce in the food to "ease" me into it. Then afterwards she bought me this little bread thing made mostly of rice flour but partly of wheat flour. She lectured me again then I finally just ate it to make her stop. I was way sick. Then yesterday she asked my companion at church how I felt after eating it and my companion (so Su Mama didn't feel bad) said "oh she felt fine!" and Su mama said "I knew it! Next time, I'll have her eat noodles!" Grr...I'm never eating with her again. Haha, she'll sneak poison in my food! Really, she was the funniest sweetest lady. But eating with her was dangerous. Haha.
I can't remember if I told you about our name. One time in Zhubei I told a little kid my name was sister Dowdle and he said "Doedoe?" Which means "zit". So now I have a few people calling me Sister DoeDoe. It's funny.
Anyway, I really love you all!!
Coley
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Killer Railroads
Hi Family!
I hope everything is good with everyone. How's school, work, etc? When is school out for the summer for all the chillins? Any fun vacations planned? How's looking for jobs and all your current jobs and all that fun good stuff? Let me know how you all are doing!! I'm sorry I'm not very good at personal letters. I'll try to do better.
This week has been really good. I'm used to Taoyuan and Bade and really like it now. Sister Messenger and I have a good time. We had some miracles. It's interesting, I think this area is a little more open to the gospel than Zhubei. I heard Zhubei was a "rough area" but never believed it while I was there because it was my first area and stuff. But now being in Taoyuan, I believe it. I feel like everyone is ready for the gospel here. We had a neat little miracle the other day. We wanted to find a former investigator who seemed to be pretty good back when she was being taught, but the missionaries stopped visiting because her husband opposed. So we were expecting her to be pretty good still. But when we got there she was kind of rude and said she didn't need it and don't stumble on the way out pretty much. But we figured Heavenly Father put us in her neighborhood to find someone else. So little miracles and inspiration got us inside this apartment building. We didn't have much time because we had an appointment so Sister Messenger just pushed the elevator button for the 3rd floor and we knocked on the first door. It was a pregnant woman whose family was Catholic and husband is Jehovah's Witness but doesn't know what church is true. We taught her a first lesson and she seems like she really wants to know what's true. It was really perfect. It was the first and only door we knocked on and it was totally inspiration. Really neat. We also were given a referral for a 15 year old girl who was interested in the church. She came to the first lesson with her 12 year old sister and the second lesson with the cutest, squishiest little 6 year old Sister. She was SOOO cute!!! Those girls are sooo sweet. They have already prayed and read and want to be baptized but their Dad said they have to wait until they are more sure.
Hahaha, so one really fun thing about my companionship with Sister Messenger is that our Chinese is probably very close in ability. It's good because it helps motivate us both and we've learned some stuff together, which is always fun. I've always wanted to learn Chinese WITH my companion. So the fun thing is, that sometimes we make really hilarious little mistakes. I have to tell you about a little language error in a lesson the other day. We were teaching the Word of Wisdom and used a little "parable" or whatever with a paper crane. In the little parable, one companion with give an awesome little paper crane to the other with the charge that they should protect it and take care of it (like our bodies). Then the other person will show the crane to everyone and say, "look! Look at my little bird! It's special. God gave it to me. etc." So the word for "bird" in Chinese is "niao", but the word for "brain" is "nao" which is easily confused. So Sister Messenger ended up saying in the lesson, "Look! Look at my little brain! It's special. God gave it to me." The little kids we were teaching were laughing so hard. It was hilarious!!
This week the rain went away, which is nice. But it was replaced by intense HEAT. It's SO hot!!! Not to mention SO humid!! So with it being like a million degrees and 100% humidity I feel like I'm getting boiled alive. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't bike so much. We end up being wet where our backpacks were, so we have a "sweat backpack". It's gross. Then we take our helmets off and look like wilted rats. I need to drink A LOT of water. It's easy to feel light headed and nauseated and get headaches and stuff. Yesterday was "xinku" or rough. We had to go back and forth between the two wards we oversee, and the two chapels are an hour apart. Ugh. It was soooo hot too. It was bad too because the ride is so long that we accidentally stood up one of our appointments! She reset up, but still. It's so hot, and apparently it will only get hotter.
Oh! Something kind of creepy happened the other day! We were all in district meeting when this loud siren went off outside. It was an air raid siren! No one was hitting the ground, so I tried not to freak out, but I was way scared! It was just a drill, so it was nothing. But still! Creepy!! It reminded me off Iron Giant or something. "When that bomb comes down...everyone will die." "You are who you choose to be." "SoooooperMaaaaaaan." Haha. But I guess the mayor just decides when they have those little drills and stuff.
The other day I got really creeped out while I was biking. You know that music that plays in horror movies when someone is behind someone with knife or something? It's like shrill violins and goes "dun! dun! dun! dun! dun!" Well, I all of the sudden heard THAT music, really loud! A car and a few scooters were nearby so I almost peed my pants. I thought they were playing the music and going to kill me or something. But it ended up being the railroad crossing alarm. Haha!! I was SO scared!! Hahahaha.
We are teaching (or trying to teach) a couple really cute South African kids. Their mom is from South Africa but married a Taiwanese man and has lived in Taiwan for 20 years. Her name is Dorothy. She divorced the Taiwanese man so she really wants to move back to Africa. She's a member, but less active. The ward loves her so we're trying to get her back to church and get her little kids baptized. The kids are SOO cute!! They are like a bunch of little Tiger Woods all over the place (get it? Asian/African...that's so racist.) They have the most precious curly hair and their beautiful dark eyes are a little slanty. They're adorable.
So there is definitely a plus with Taoyuan by the way...they aren't jerky to me about my Chinese. I have gotten more compliments on my Chinese in the past week than I did in 2 transfers in Zhubei. It certainly is confidence building. Maybe I don't stink that bad after all?
So our plans for preparation day today is to go to a CHOCOLATE FACTORY! Haha. We're so excited. We want to see real-live oompa loompas.
My spiritual thought for the day comes from the Book of Acts. I found this today and thought it was hilarious!! It's pretty much saying what happens when someone works unworthily or without proper authority in the name of Jesus Christ:
Acts 19:13-16
"13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, 'We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.'
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chieft of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, '[Wait a second], JESUS I know, and PAUL I know; but who are YE?'
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."
I don't know why, I think it's kind of funny.
Anyway, I love you!! I hope everything is going great at home! I always pray for you all!
Nicole
I hope everything is good with everyone. How's school, work, etc? When is school out for the summer for all the chillins? Any fun vacations planned? How's looking for jobs and all your current jobs and all that fun good stuff? Let me know how you all are doing!! I'm sorry I'm not very good at personal letters. I'll try to do better.
This week has been really good. I'm used to Taoyuan and Bade and really like it now. Sister Messenger and I have a good time. We had some miracles. It's interesting, I think this area is a little more open to the gospel than Zhubei. I heard Zhubei was a "rough area" but never believed it while I was there because it was my first area and stuff. But now being in Taoyuan, I believe it. I feel like everyone is ready for the gospel here. We had a neat little miracle the other day. We wanted to find a former investigator who seemed to be pretty good back when she was being taught, but the missionaries stopped visiting because her husband opposed. So we were expecting her to be pretty good still. But when we got there she was kind of rude and said she didn't need it and don't stumble on the way out pretty much. But we figured Heavenly Father put us in her neighborhood to find someone else. So little miracles and inspiration got us inside this apartment building. We didn't have much time because we had an appointment so Sister Messenger just pushed the elevator button for the 3rd floor and we knocked on the first door. It was a pregnant woman whose family was Catholic and husband is Jehovah's Witness but doesn't know what church is true. We taught her a first lesson and she seems like she really wants to know what's true. It was really perfect. It was the first and only door we knocked on and it was totally inspiration. Really neat. We also were given a referral for a 15 year old girl who was interested in the church. She came to the first lesson with her 12 year old sister and the second lesson with the cutest, squishiest little 6 year old Sister. She was SOOO cute!!! Those girls are sooo sweet. They have already prayed and read and want to be baptized but their Dad said they have to wait until they are more sure.
Hahaha, so one really fun thing about my companionship with Sister Messenger is that our Chinese is probably very close in ability. It's good because it helps motivate us both and we've learned some stuff together, which is always fun. I've always wanted to learn Chinese WITH my companion. So the fun thing is, that sometimes we make really hilarious little mistakes. I have to tell you about a little language error in a lesson the other day. We were teaching the Word of Wisdom and used a little "parable" or whatever with a paper crane. In the little parable, one companion with give an awesome little paper crane to the other with the charge that they should protect it and take care of it (like our bodies). Then the other person will show the crane to everyone and say, "look! Look at my little bird! It's special. God gave it to me. etc." So the word for "bird" in Chinese is "niao", but the word for "brain" is "nao" which is easily confused. So Sister Messenger ended up saying in the lesson, "Look! Look at my little brain! It's special. God gave it to me." The little kids we were teaching were laughing so hard. It was hilarious!!
This week the rain went away, which is nice. But it was replaced by intense HEAT. It's SO hot!!! Not to mention SO humid!! So with it being like a million degrees and 100% humidity I feel like I'm getting boiled alive. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't bike so much. We end up being wet where our backpacks were, so we have a "sweat backpack". It's gross. Then we take our helmets off and look like wilted rats. I need to drink A LOT of water. It's easy to feel light headed and nauseated and get headaches and stuff. Yesterday was "xinku" or rough. We had to go back and forth between the two wards we oversee, and the two chapels are an hour apart. Ugh. It was soooo hot too. It was bad too because the ride is so long that we accidentally stood up one of our appointments! She reset up, but still. It's so hot, and apparently it will only get hotter.
Oh! Something kind of creepy happened the other day! We were all in district meeting when this loud siren went off outside. It was an air raid siren! No one was hitting the ground, so I tried not to freak out, but I was way scared! It was just a drill, so it was nothing. But still! Creepy!! It reminded me off Iron Giant or something. "When that bomb comes down...everyone will die." "You are who you choose to be." "SoooooperMaaaaaaan." Haha. But I guess the mayor just decides when they have those little drills and stuff.
The other day I got really creeped out while I was biking. You know that music that plays in horror movies when someone is behind someone with knife or something? It's like shrill violins and goes "dun! dun! dun! dun! dun!" Well, I all of the sudden heard THAT music, really loud! A car and a few scooters were nearby so I almost peed my pants. I thought they were playing the music and going to kill me or something. But it ended up being the railroad crossing alarm. Haha!! I was SO scared!! Hahahaha.
We are teaching (or trying to teach) a couple really cute South African kids. Their mom is from South Africa but married a Taiwanese man and has lived in Taiwan for 20 years. Her name is Dorothy. She divorced the Taiwanese man so she really wants to move back to Africa. She's a member, but less active. The ward loves her so we're trying to get her back to church and get her little kids baptized. The kids are SOO cute!! They are like a bunch of little Tiger Woods all over the place (get it? Asian/African...that's so racist.) They have the most precious curly hair and their beautiful dark eyes are a little slanty. They're adorable.
So there is definitely a plus with Taoyuan by the way...they aren't jerky to me about my Chinese. I have gotten more compliments on my Chinese in the past week than I did in 2 transfers in Zhubei. It certainly is confidence building. Maybe I don't stink that bad after all?
So our plans for preparation day today is to go to a CHOCOLATE FACTORY! Haha. We're so excited. We want to see real-live oompa loompas.
My spiritual thought for the day comes from the Book of Acts. I found this today and thought it was hilarious!! It's pretty much saying what happens when someone works unworthily or without proper authority in the name of Jesus Christ:
Acts 19:13-16
"13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, 'We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.'
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chieft of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, '[Wait a second], JESUS I know, and PAUL I know; but who are YE?'
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."
I don't know why, I think it's kind of funny.
Anyway, I love you!! I hope everything is going great at home! I always pray for you all!
Nicole
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Wet Rat Sisters
Hi Family!!Things in Taoyuan are good! I love my companion Sister Messenger. She's a lot of fun and has a cute little laugh. She comes from a very interesting background and I really respect her a lot. This is her first time being Senior companion, so we're figuring things out together. She's awesome. I wonder how I've been so lucky with companions...sometimes I worry...my day is coming in which I will get the crazy companion. Haha. Maybe I'M the crazy companion!! Haha. Anyway, Sister Messenger is from Washington and is also 23. She's alot of fun. When I moved, my bike came a day late, so we got around Taoyuan with me sitting on the metal thing on the back of her bike. It was so funny!! It bruised my bum like crazy and Sister Messenger had to pedal a heavy 120 lbs+ load but it was sooooo fun!! We got a big kick out of it. I'm sure the Taiwanese did too. I could only get on the bike by making a running jump onto it while it was moving. So when we came to an intersection, the people waiting for the red light saw 2 foreigner missionaries --1 of them pedaling like crazy with another one running after her, making a leaping jump onto her bike. It was so funny. She got a flat tire later in the week...too much stress on the tire I'm sure.
It's been raining like CRAZY!! I HATE rain! Actually, I like it, but I just hate being a missionary in the rain. Wearing a skirt and biking in a total downpour is pure misery. And I have a lot of pride so I hate wearing the "yoo-ees" they have here and it's too hot to wear my raincoat. Yoo ees are big rain ponchos. I HATE them. They always ride up so your skirt gets soaked anyway and they are hot so you sweat and get just as wet on the inside. But everyone is telling me the acid rain is going to make my hair fall out and give me skin rashes if I don't start wearing them. Ugh. There are some better yoo ees that are more like windbreakers with pants that I can stuff my skirt into, but I don't have the money. The yoo ee I have smells like fish. Haha. I need to wash it. I came to church wearing pants because I would rather ride an hour in soaking pants then change into a dry skirt for sacrament than sit in sacrament in a sopping wet skirt. Some member women were mortified to see a Sister Missionary in pants when I walked in. Hahahaha.
So we've had some really good times in Yaoyuan, but it's been a little hard too. I've heard it's hard for a lot of missionaries to leave their first area. You just finally get over culture shock and love your first area, then you're quickly booted out. Whenever I feel out of my element, my old enemy perfectionism comes back with full force. Then I learn to overcome and it's all good. There is a trend, it seems, that every transfer when a new missionary comes in, current investigators in that area "die" or stop meeting with you. So right now we don't have a whole ton of people to teach. On top of that, the Elders are supposed to give women to the Sisters to teach and we give them men, but I guess in this area the Elders don't like to do that. So we don't get many female referrals. I've been praying a lot for us to find people to teach. We've been contacting at every light and I've been going crazy wondering WHAT I'm doing so wrong that makes it so hard to find people. I was having a REALLY hard couple days just not knowing what it takes to bring people unto Christ. But I think Heavenly Father isn't such a harsh being as to let us go crazy without helping us. For example, after those hard couple days, I had a cool experience at a stop light. All I said was "Hello, I'm Sister Dowdle. I have a message about the gospel of Jesus Christ" then the kid on the scooter said "Mormon??" I said, "yeah!" then he pulled over and gave me his name and number and said he'd come to church. I called him the next day and he said "yes yes!! I really want to meet! When?" I said that night and he said yes, he was even willing to drive an hour. He actually ended up having his grandparents come in town unexpectedly so he had to change times. But then I asked him if he knew anything about our church and he said, "oh yes! I just went to Mormon.org, the website on the pamphlet!" This guy is really awesome and genuine. It's a miracle! It's cool because my contacting approach kind of stunk but when someone is prepared to receive the gospel, it doesn't really matter what you say.
Like I said, this past week has been really hard. I just feel like a bad missionary sometimes. Then I wonder if I'm good enough to be out here and wonder what Heavenly Father feels about my work and me. Does He really love me? Even when I make mistakes, like lose an opportunity to talk to someone, don't go to bed exactly on time, get mad at jerky people, fall asleep in sacrament, etc. I was just feeling unworthy and frustrated this morning and prayed before personal study that I would study something that would help me and someone else. I decided that I'd read Moses that day, since I've actually never read the Pearl of Great Price. I really LOVE it! I really feel like it was an answer to my prayer. I read Chapter 1 of Moses. In Moses 1, God is talking with Moses face to face. Over and over, he tells Moses who Moses is. It's so beautiful and loving. God calls him "His son" (vs 4, 6, 7) and says that Moses is "in the similitude of mine Only Begotten" (v 6) or in other words, he is created after the image of a Perfect, Glorified, Wonderful Being. So in this rare opportunity Moses has to talk to God, God just tells him his infinite worth --a Son of God who was created in the same mold as a God. Then in verse 9 God leaves Moses and he (Moses) has no strength because he is "left unto himself" --a weak being who is the heir of and child of a God but inherited weaknesses of the flesh. Then he realizes that he himself had to be changed to a more glorified state to be able to behold the presence of God. Then! Satan comes. And the FIRST thing he says is: "Moses, thou Son of Man." So God just built Moses up, saying, "hey! You're the actual Son of a God and you're in the image of Jesus!" then Satan comes and says, "hey, you weak son of man." Then Moses is awesome and says "Who are YOU? I'M a Son of GOD, in the similitude of the Only Begotten." Then Moses tells Satan, "wait a second, God was SO full of glory, I had to be literally CHANGED to not wither and die in his presence. But I can talk to you like you were any old schmoe. Where is YOUR glory?" Then in verse 15 he says "I'm not as full of glory as God, BUT I have enough of the Spirit with me to know that you have NO glory. In fact, you are DARKNESS to me." Then Satan basically starts going crazy and gnashing his teeth and Moses gets really scared. But because Moses gets scared, his faith is slipping. Then AFTER his faith slips a little he sees "the bitterness of hell." But he then calls on God, receives strength and commands Satan to leave. WOW!! This whole chapter was amazing to me. This is what I take from it:
1. God will tell us who we are, and who we are is His children. We are the children of a GOD! We have GREAT potential, beyond more than we can EVER imagine.(1 Corinthians 2:9)
2. We are after the image of GOD.
3. Thoughts that bring light and hope are from God. These thoughts will generally be uplifting, encouraging, full of hope and a desire to be the best we can be. They are also thoughts that help us feel loved by God.
4. Satan will tear us down with the idea that we are WEAK and NOTHING and FAR from God.
5. Satan's enticements and temptations will give us a DARK feeling. We will feel like a "no one" with no potential and no way to change.
6. If we begin to doubt what God has told us (WHO we are) we will lose our faith and Satan will have more power over us and we will "see the bitterness of hell."
7. No matter what BAD situation we are in, like standing face to face with Satan, if we call on God, he will give us the strength to withstand and be successful against the devil.
SOOOO AMAZING! I encourage you all to read it. So amazing.
Anyway, everything is so good. It's raining right now, of course. But we are going to have a good preparation day. A member is taking us to a "Chi Dao Bao" or "Eat Until Full" restaurant (basically, all you can eat buffet). Yes, I'm trying to eat gluten free still. It gets hard sometimes though. Like last night we went to a ward Young Single Adult FHE with an investigator and the hostess made noodles. I told her no thank you, I was allergic. She told me not to worry, and she came out with specially-made-for-me breaded french fries. Ugh. Ha, oh well. The Chinese food is still so good.
Anyway, I love you all!! Email me when you get the chance! I always love hearing from you! Thank you for letters and emails!!
Pooh Face
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Move Calls!!
Hi Family!!
Today is my first day in my new area with my new companion!
This week has been good! I'm going to really miss my companion, Sister Weng. I really love her. We've had such a good transfer. She has so much charity and love and she's hilarious! She loves Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch), and gets trunky when she sees "Shrek" happy meal toys, makes funny faces that look like the Bull from Bugs Bunny, and always says REALLY funny things in Chinese. Oh!! I'm going to miss her soooooo much!!! I just love her! It's so sad to move!!
This week has been pretty good. We had a really good Zone Conference on Tuesday that really got us motivated. Elder Pratt from the Quorum of the 70 came and taught with his wife. He's a GGgrandson of Parley P Pratt so told some fun stories about PPPratt's mission experiences. He said that it doesn't matter why we came on a mission, it just matters that we start right now making our reason to continue "love". So that we preach because we love God, the gospel, the Taiwanese, the language... Then his wife talked a lot about obedience. I've probably said this before, but since I've been on a mission, my favorite principle I've learned is that of obedience. This is NOT saying "oh I'm the most obedient missionary, blah blah". But I just really love the principle that with every obedient act, there's a blessing beside it. "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heave before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated --And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." I think sometimes we may get a blessing when we don't necessarily deserve it--either by the grace of God or just being leaning on our own feeble strength, but most of the time, when we receive something good, it's because we knowingly or unknowingly obeyed a commandments of God which qualified us for that blessing. Sister Pratt talked about that alot in Zone Conference and it really brought me to repentance. Not that I have major disobedience issues, but everyone can always be more obedient. Like I need to be a better teacher. But most of all, I needed to change my attitude about obedience. Sometimes I would get bugged at some of the lamer rules I don't understand, like stretching for 10 minutes after running, and stuff. But if I just remember that every little thing I obey, will give a blessing, or at LEAST the Spirit more so that people will believe us more, than it makes me more excited to obey. Anyway, it was really cool. Sister Weng and I were too happy and having too much fun together that sometimes we would have to snap out of it and stop talking so that we could contact people. Zone Conference was a really good motivation.
So we made a couple trips up the big hill to Hukou, (about 1 hour+) and knocked doors. Every time we went this week, it happened to start POURING as soon as we got there. I like rain...but not if I'm going to be biking in it for 6 hours. Being in wet clothes is one of the most miserable things there ever was. I now have all sorts of sick Taiwan dried sludge in my shoes from walking through grime puddles. Ewww. But it was good. Since Zone Conference, I've just felt way more fire to testify and share, which is great, but is sometimes painful when people still reject you. When you feel that burning in your heart and that love of the gospel even more, it's more sad when people don't care. I just wish I could somehow transplant the feeling I have and put it in that person's heart. I wish so much sometimes that I could just be in that person's shoes for a second and feel if they feel anything. So yeah, I figure that's where study and obedience come in. In the Book of Mormon it talks a lot about missionaries (Alma, Ammon, Sons of Mosiah, Nephi, etc.) and they had more authority and power because they were so obedient and diligent so it carried it to the hearts of the people they taught. Anyway, we talked to some cool people in Hukou. No great success, but we had some good conversations and some good moments. We also ran into this really cute dog that looked EXACTLY like Doug from "Up". He kept following us to doors we were tracting, so when people opened the door, they saw 3 sister missionaries and a yellow dog. haha. So cute!! "Hi There. My name is Doug" "I hid under the porch because I love you." Hah.
So we have run into a really interesting religion in Taiwan. We taught an investigator who was a member of it and I'm starting to think it's....creepy...? Anyway, it's a religion that pretty much excepts ALL truth and invites all religions to preach in their churches. So pretty much their way of thinking is "there's a lot of roads to take, and they can all lead to Taibei". (I thought about that, then it didn't make sense because if we all START from the same place... in our case Heavenly Father's presence...then all roads DON'T go to the same place...) Anyway, that's not really the most worst part...although saying that EVERYTHING thing is true is denying God (see 2 Nephi 2:13). What just set us kind of on edge, was when we taught, she would bear her testimony of her religion and we had a really eery feeling. Then we asked her to pray and she refused. We asked why and she said "I'm not positive...but I think that that's something I'm not allowed to do." Apparently this religion makes some interesting oaths and covenants when you get really deep into it that are secret. That also involve secret hand signals and stuff (secret combinations....?). Anyway, interesting.
Recently, I don't know what is happening! All of our investigators are just dropping like flies! They just stop calling us or tell us they can't give up Buddhism. Ugh!! Pray.
Transfer calls were on Friday. I was so excited because I was transferred to Shuanghe. Shuanghe is in Taibei and is one of the most densely populated placed in the world. I actually wasn't necessarily excited about that part, but my new companion was going to be Sister Scott! I love Sister Scott! We were companions for 2 weeks when I first got to Taiwan. But sadly, after I got the move call, I found out that Sister Scott is going home early for medical problems. She has such bad allergies and asthma that she is having major breathing problems from Taibei's air. I've been very fortunate in that area. But yeah, sad! So my move call was changed to Taoyuan/Bade (pronounced Bah Duh) with Sister Messenger. She's really cool so far so it should be a good transfer. It was sooooo sad to leave Zhubei though!!! We were "qing-ed" for dinner a few times and the members were so nice! There are a few teachers who want me to come back to Zhubei after my mission and intern at their school. I'm seriously considering it. I love that place!!
Anyway, all is sooooo good! I love you all! The Church is True! Blessings come from the Gospel! Christ lives! Joseph Smith was a prophet!
LOVE YOU!!!
Coley
Today is my first day in my new area with my new companion!
This week has been good! I'm going to really miss my companion, Sister Weng. I really love her. We've had such a good transfer. She has so much charity and love and she's hilarious! She loves Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch), and gets trunky when she sees "Shrek" happy meal toys, makes funny faces that look like the Bull from Bugs Bunny, and always says REALLY funny things in Chinese. Oh!! I'm going to miss her soooooo much!!! I just love her! It's so sad to move!!
This week has been pretty good. We had a really good Zone Conference on Tuesday that really got us motivated. Elder Pratt from the Quorum of the 70 came and taught with his wife. He's a GGgrandson of Parley P Pratt so told some fun stories about PPPratt's mission experiences. He said that it doesn't matter why we came on a mission, it just matters that we start right now making our reason to continue "love". So that we preach because we love God, the gospel, the Taiwanese, the language... Then his wife talked a lot about obedience. I've probably said this before, but since I've been on a mission, my favorite principle I've learned is that of obedience. This is NOT saying "oh I'm the most obedient missionary, blah blah". But I just really love the principle that with every obedient act, there's a blessing beside it. "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heave before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated --And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." I think sometimes we may get a blessing when we don't necessarily deserve it--either by the grace of God or just being leaning on our own feeble strength, but most of the time, when we receive something good, it's because we knowingly or unknowingly obeyed a commandments of God which qualified us for that blessing. Sister Pratt talked about that alot in Zone Conference and it really brought me to repentance. Not that I have major disobedience issues, but everyone can always be more obedient. Like I need to be a better teacher. But most of all, I needed to change my attitude about obedience. Sometimes I would get bugged at some of the lamer rules I don't understand, like stretching for 10 minutes after running, and stuff. But if I just remember that every little thing I obey, will give a blessing, or at LEAST the Spirit more so that people will believe us more, than it makes me more excited to obey. Anyway, it was really cool. Sister Weng and I were too happy and having too much fun together that sometimes we would have to snap out of it and stop talking so that we could contact people. Zone Conference was a really good motivation.
So we made a couple trips up the big hill to Hukou, (about 1 hour+) and knocked doors. Every time we went this week, it happened to start POURING as soon as we got there. I like rain...but not if I'm going to be biking in it for 6 hours. Being in wet clothes is one of the most miserable things there ever was. I now have all sorts of sick Taiwan dried sludge in my shoes from walking through grime puddles. Ewww. But it was good. Since Zone Conference, I've just felt way more fire to testify and share, which is great, but is sometimes painful when people still reject you. When you feel that burning in your heart and that love of the gospel even more, it's more sad when people don't care. I just wish I could somehow transplant the feeling I have and put it in that person's heart. I wish so much sometimes that I could just be in that person's shoes for a second and feel if they feel anything. So yeah, I figure that's where study and obedience come in. In the Book of Mormon it talks a lot about missionaries (Alma, Ammon, Sons of Mosiah, Nephi, etc.) and they had more authority and power because they were so obedient and diligent so it carried it to the hearts of the people they taught. Anyway, we talked to some cool people in Hukou. No great success, but we had some good conversations and some good moments. We also ran into this really cute dog that looked EXACTLY like Doug from "Up". He kept following us to doors we were tracting, so when people opened the door, they saw 3 sister missionaries and a yellow dog. haha. So cute!! "Hi There. My name is Doug" "I hid under the porch because I love you." Hah.
So we have run into a really interesting religion in Taiwan. We taught an investigator who was a member of it and I'm starting to think it's....creepy...? Anyway, it's a religion that pretty much excepts ALL truth and invites all religions to preach in their churches. So pretty much their way of thinking is "there's a lot of roads to take, and they can all lead to Taibei". (I thought about that, then it didn't make sense because if we all START from the same place... in our case Heavenly Father's presence...then all roads DON'T go to the same place...) Anyway, that's not really the most worst part...although saying that EVERYTHING thing is true is denying God (see 2 Nephi 2:13). What just set us kind of on edge, was when we taught, she would bear her testimony of her religion and we had a really eery feeling. Then we asked her to pray and she refused. We asked why and she said "I'm not positive...but I think that that's something I'm not allowed to do." Apparently this religion makes some interesting oaths and covenants when you get really deep into it that are secret. That also involve secret hand signals and stuff (secret combinations....?). Anyway, interesting.
Recently, I don't know what is happening! All of our investigators are just dropping like flies! They just stop calling us or tell us they can't give up Buddhism. Ugh!! Pray.
Transfer calls were on Friday. I was so excited because I was transferred to Shuanghe. Shuanghe is in Taibei and is one of the most densely populated placed in the world. I actually wasn't necessarily excited about that part, but my new companion was going to be Sister Scott! I love Sister Scott! We were companions for 2 weeks when I first got to Taiwan. But sadly, after I got the move call, I found out that Sister Scott is going home early for medical problems. She has such bad allergies and asthma that she is having major breathing problems from Taibei's air. I've been very fortunate in that area. But yeah, sad! So my move call was changed to Taoyuan/Bade (pronounced Bah Duh) with Sister Messenger. She's really cool so far so it should be a good transfer. It was sooooo sad to leave Zhubei though!!! We were "qing-ed" for dinner a few times and the members were so nice! There are a few teachers who want me to come back to Zhubei after my mission and intern at their school. I'm seriously considering it. I love that place!!
Anyway, all is sooooo good! I love you all! The Church is True! Blessings come from the Gospel! Christ lives! Joseph Smith was a prophet!
LOVE YOU!!!
Coley
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