(editor's note: just as in the LDS bible there is a JST for Joseph Smith Translation I accept all rights and privileges to make a MST (Mandi Scandal Translation). I have never needed to use it before but I did with this most recent e-mail. Jade is obviously not thinking clearly and I had to use my interpretive powers to correct her letter.)
hello family. i'm glad that the california trip was such a blast. you have gone so many times since i left! i hope that you aren't getting too sick of it to go with me next year.
so, move calls came. probably the most depressing day of last move( MST .. but not of my life). sister stratford really felt like we were going to stay together. when she told our first day in chaozhou i thought to myself, "oh no! we better like each other." i worried that two moves together would kill us. but as last move came to an end, the thought of being separated was devastating. we had such a good move together. we worked really hard and were able to accomplish a lot. chaozhou still isn't booming with investigators, but our less-active members are stronger, we have some new, good investigators and the branch seems happier as a whole. i'm so grateful that i was able to serve with sister stratford. she is my **best friend (MST... ONLY MANDI CAN TRULY EVER BE my best friend. I am having a deliroius moment. Siter stratford if just cool. That is it.) and i know that it will be that way for life. i think one of my biggest insecurities is that i like people more than they like me. does that make sense? i really like people really fast. often, i think the feelings of comaradery are not reciprocated. i thought it was so with sister stratford. then about a week ago she was talking about how life would be when she got home. she said, "i'll have new friends. like you. we'll be friends forever." i was so happy! i hope you all know that she is going to be adopted into the ozawa family. it has already been arranged. ( MST.. if there were room in my family we would totally adopt her but Mandi Scandal is so freaking cool that there is no need.)
i was moved to jiayi, the northern-most part of our mission. it's kind of funny- during the hottest months of the year i was in the hottest area; now during the coldest, i'm in the coldest. it should be fun. it will be nice to have a christmas wearing sweaters and cute scarves rather than short sleeves. my companion is sister clarissa chen. she's from singapore and went to school at byu-idaho. actually, she was roommates with ali hulme, who went to centennial and is in the valley vista ward. kind of cool, eh? i don't know her very well, but she served with sister ipson (my trainer) and sister ipson loved her, so i'm sure it will be good. sister stratford and i both worried that our companionship would taint all subsequent moves for the worse. i'm determined not to let that happen. i've learned how vital a good companionship is. really, it makes all the difference. in past moves i've seen that when companionships don't have unity investigators and members react differently and it's hard to get them progressing. i think that when there is a lot of love between companions it is easier to feel the savior's love when you are around them. oh! remember elder chen? my favorite taiwanese elder that i served with in pingdong for two moves? he's in my district here. yes, it is going to be a good move.
i need to tell you about thanksgiving in chaozhou. it was spectacular. i couldn't have asked for more! on thanksgiving day morning we had a testimony meeting with our zone. this move the whole mission has been focusing on the book of mormon, so pretty much every testimony was about the power of that book. it was really neat. everyone had different experiences and feelings all testifying of the same thing, the truth of the book of mormon. i think it was a perfect way for us missionaries to spend the day. i think it helped me to remember how grateful i am for the principles within the book of mormon throughout the day. the book of mormon is where i gained my testimony. i don't think one can be truly converted to christ without reading and studying it. it's so important! so read it!! for dinner sister stratford and i ate spring rolls, which was special because we only ate out once or twice all move.
on saturday our branch had a huge thanksgiving dinner, more like a feast! it was amaaazing! (wasake style amazing!) i don't think i've ever seen so much food in one place! we met an american girl named julianna a few weeks ago, then last week went out for tea with her, her sister and another friend. they are all in taiwan teaching english and doing service with a christian organization. talking to them about the church was interesting and cool. we invited them to come to the feast. they did. and they brought american style sweet potatoes! sister s and i about died! they were so delicious. combined with the turkey and mashed potatoes the members prepared, thanksgiving dinner felt almost complete. the spot that would have been left for cranberry sauce was filled with tons of taiwanese dishes and lots of delicious fruit. for dessert we had pumpkin pie. it was grand. what was even better than the food was the amount of people that came! a lot of members brought friends and non-member spouses (seriously, BIG strides for some of these people), a ton of investigators came and spent the whole time talking with members, some less-active members even came (one who came hadn't been to church in years but then came the next day!!). i had received my transfer call that morning, so i was able to say goodbye to everyone that night. i don't think i've ever become so attached to an area so quickly. poor guo mingyue started crying then gave me her scarf! it broke my heart. i love chaozhou!
i'll update you on how everyone was when i left...
qiu sisters: still amazing. their baptismal date is still set for the 27th of december. as it creeps closer they are going to have to tell their parents. i'm sure it will work out. they are great and will be great members.
lai meiying: still fighting the word of wisdom. but improving slowly. she came to church on sunday. that's good.
hong yixiang: i think she'll get baptized.
he xiaojie: really likes prayer. really interested in the book of mormon.
wang jiemei: wants to start reading the book of mormon in a different way- rather than like a story book, she wants to read it to feel god's love and understand him. also said that members could come visit her!
tian jiaqi: improving. willing to keep the word of wisdom and come to church. it's weird to think that at the beginning of the move we were going to drop her. i love her, she's great. mom (and dad)- she wants to take us all shopping next year! hooray!
that's pretty much it. writing this email, i'm realizing how much i miss chaozhou and sister stratford already. i just told elder chen about last move and got kind of choked up. sister s and i were near tears each time we told anyone about the move, i thought that i had gotten that all out but i guess not yet. but, i know this transfer will be great. jiayi is great and famous for it's turkey rice so i have no reason to complain. i love you all and love the lord and his work! happy december!!
love,
sister jlo
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