Benign Girl...Transfer 6: Week 4

(a toy brand here in taiwan.)

thank you all for the birthday wishes! and thank you for the packages! yesterday we had president's interviews so it was perfect- i was able to open my gifts from you on my birthday. i love every bit of what you sent. thank you for being so thoughtful! one of my favorite parts was the pictures! (dad- i also got the ones you emailed from disneyland.) i can't believe how big my sisters are getting. when you get a chance would you send more? chloe-i think your brown hair is beautiful. i think you (and jesse) should keep it that way!

yesterday was a good day. it started out really crumby, i didn't have much hope for things changing but they did... the past couple of days i've been a bit sick. the weather is finally changing here! sunday was really really cold and rainy. from sunday night on my head to my toes ached. on monday the elders gave me a blessing. tuesday morning things still hadn't change, then in the afternoon suddenly it all got better. my head still hurts, but things are good and happy.

yesterday afternoon we had a lesson with chen meihui, i think i mentioned her last week. in the morning she called us and told us she was sick and that we shouldn't go. a few days ago we made soup for a different less-active (let me tell you about our amazing soup! it was so delicious. i am going to make it for you when i get home. sister stratford and i wanted to do something for a semi-active member who's daughter we are working to prepare for baptism. we decided on soup but neither of us knew how to make it, so we winged it. it was really simple, just rice, chicken broth and vegetables, but it was so good. we were both merrily surprised. i think my description probably sounds kind of lame and boring. just know that the soup was amazing, and that as soon as the weather starts to cool down next fall i will be in las vegas preparing the same wonderful and healthy meal for you all.), so we offered to take it to her. after some convincing she consented. then she called again and told us her dad came home early so we shouldn't come. more convincing, more consenting. when we made it to her house she looked really happy. she let us sit down and share a quick message with her. we read from 3 nephi 17 (my favorite chapter in the book of mormon. yesterday as i read it preparing for her i got really emotional and overcome by the love christ has for all of us. i know that i'm at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the compassion he has for us. i'm grateful for the experiences i have here, feeling his mercy in my own life and feeling his love for our brothers and sisters here.). she was really happy about the new translation of the book of mormon that we gave her. we assigned her quite a bit of homework for next time and she gladly set up for next week. the closing prayer she gave was very sweet and we were happy to hear her talk about being excited to see us and hear from us when we call. when we got home in the evening we saw that she had called us about an hour after leaving her house. i called her and we had a wonderful conversation. she asked why her new book of mormon is different than her old one. i told her about the new translation and assured her that it has the same contents but is easier to understand. she said that as soon as we left she started reading and that it gave her the greatest feeling! she said that she used to have a hard time understanding scriptures and they always gave her a headache, but this time all she felt was peace!! she's so cute. she wants us to all go to lunch next week at a place that's pretty far. she has a scooter but no car, so she wants to ride bikes with us to her favorite restaurant! she's already happier than when we met her. i love her! i'm grateful to know her. i can't believe that this all started with her wanting her records removed!

after meeting with her we went to another less-active's home. she wasn't there but her husband was really nice to us and gave us her cell phone number. a lot of the time families will not cooperate when missionaries try to get in touch with their children or spouses, but lately we've seen miracles. everyone gives us cell phone numbers! it's amazing!

when we got back to chaozhou from meihui's village we contacted at a post office and didn't have much success by way of numbers, but did share with quite a few people. i don't want to way "we planted seeds" and use that as a fallback, but i feel like we worked hard and gave people things to think about. next, to the church for interviews. lethe, my friend from pingdong, happened to be at the church, making banana bread that she wanted to give me. it was so great to see her! i love her. i don't know why i am blessed to be making such great friends out here. sister stratford asked, "why does she love you so much?" i'm baffled too. but so grateful that she's doing well and came to chaozhou to see us. interviews were great. president hsu is hilarious and seems to have some recurring themes that make me want to be a missionary forever. he talked to me about how bad the economy is and told me about some things elder packer said in a testimony meeting about preparing for the worst and spending frugally. some of the things he said were really scary. is it really that bad over there? can obama help us? how do you all feel about him being president? i don't remember much about him beside the fact that kyle really liked him.

after interviews and dinner we met with the qiu sisters! they are so wonderful! i have never met anyone with such strong faith. they see miracles every day and i think it is because they expect them and know that heavenly father will provide the things they need. lately they have been praying for their father's heart to be softened, and it has! they said that he's been a lot nicer lately, even asks them how they are and tells them to ride carefully. we taught them about fasting and had an amazing member bear testimony about the power of fasting that she experienced as an investigator. the sisters said that our lesson we an answer to their prayers. after our lesson sister stratford and i took some books we used to the materials center. as we walked back down the hall the sisters told us to close our eyes and go into the room where they were. when we got in they started singing and gave me a cake! it was really sweet and the perfect end to the day. i'm really glad that my birthday here was lowkey but filled with really special experiences. i know that heavenly father was watching over me.

i think in telling you about yesterday i mentioned most of the highlights of the week. oh! i learned something cool in the scriptures that i want to share with you. everyone open to mosiah 29. in this part king mosiah is talking about they government. he proposes judges instead of a new king. as he is telling the people how they should decide these things he gives them really great advice. in verse 8 and verse 10 he repeats, "let us be wise" and says, "and consider these things" and "and look forward to these things." it made me think about important decisions in my life and how to go about them. i know that heavenly father will help us know what to do and will guide us through our toughest choices, but he will also require us to use our agency. i know that he won't force us to act without giving us the information that we need. most of that information he has already given us, through past experiences and through knowledge of things that are to come (the plan of salvation). so, if we use this knowledge that he has given us, knowledge that we can prayerfully remember through the holy ghost, we will be prepared to make decisions and do what we should. does that make sense? i think it was more eloquent in my head. i love the book of mormon and the small principles and truths that are hiding between every verse. i know that it's true. i know that i daily see it changing lives, including my own. go read it!

i have four minutes... other wonderful moments this week/transfer...
-sitting on the steps of a recent convert's house in a tiny village reading our mail because we had skipped dinner to get to her house.
-naming a street in chaozhou "the dead beat club" after the b-52's song because at night everyone is sitting outside of their shops talking and doing nothing.
-contacting a girl that said, "i want to hear! i want to know about my father. i'm god's child right?!" and being completely thrown off.

that's all. taiwan is great and not so hot. i think next week i'll start sporting those amazing scarves you sent! i love you all! ! ! ! !

love,
sister jade