Overcoming the World

Hey, I'm going to make this quick and start out with a shout out to my sister Jaiden for getting her mission call to MONGOLIA!!! Wild! Congrats Jaiden!! This week was good, most of our friends canceled or didn't show up to their lessons haha, but that's okay. Our ward members are awesome and super willing to help out. 

Wednesday we had MLC which was so good! Lots of focusing on how to be a blessing to those in our zones. They also changed the mission culture for our mission, and we all chose a part for our zone to work on. My zone chose to emphasize the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel in our teaching! We were able to set some goals and I'm excited to see the miracles that come. 

Not too much else happened! We had a few lessons, zone council, ward activities, and biked a lot a lot on Saturday. It was a good time! 

Spiritual thought for the week: I was recently studying Pres. Nelson's talk about overcoming the world, and it stuck out to me that by consistently living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and keeping our covenants is the way to overcome the world. I was studying 2 Nephi 31 about the doctrine of Christ and how it allows us to change into the people Heavenly Father knows we can become, day by day. How does repeatedly and consistently living Christ's Doctrine of Faith, Repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end allow YOU to overcome the world? 

 

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Rick arranged this Christmas Hymn for Janelle and sent it to her when she was in the MTC, December 2021. However, she couldn't find someone to play it and was never able to perform it. Fast forward to March 2023 -- nearing the end of her mission in Taiwan. This video showed up in my Google Photos. I started crying! It is so beautiful! What a gift! Hope you enjoy! 

It's Hualian's Time

So I had a full email written out and then it erased.... I really don't want to write another one.... so I'll just do a really brief version haha.

Last Monday we filmed a video for our mission Facebook page! Tuesday we ate really expensive Kao Rou with our district and then we also ate dinner with some members! Wednesday we had lunch at the bishop's house and ECG that night! Thursday we had transfers, and our awesome member was willing to drive us to Taipei! It was fun to see everyone, and then Wang Jiemei and I headed out to Hualian!

That night we had a lesson which was good! Friday we had a good lesson and found really old PAPER area book records for gray dots! So, we did paper record gray dot calling and it was really fun! Saturday we did lots of planning and stuff and had some miracles and did some tracting! Sunday was busy, we had 7 hours straight of meetings and then ate lunch at 5 pm then we had an FHE activity! 

I have loved Hualian so far; it is a busy area and has more friends than I have ever had on my mission! Weekly planning took 2 days haha. We have also had so many miracles and have had random people come up to us and recognize that we are missionaries, and we have been able to get their contact info! My companion is awesome, and I'm really happy to spend my last transfer here! 

Things I ate: Jellyfish, chicken feet, pig kidneys.

Hope you all had a great week, email me back please ;)

Spiritual thought for the week: THE BOOK OF MORMON IS JUST GREAT. In Preach My Gospel it says that your ability to teach with power from the scriptures comes from the time you personally spend studying them. If we want our friends to understand the power and direction that comes from the word of God, we must have experienced it in our own lives! I love that in Lehi's vision the Iron Rod (the word of God) leads to the tree of life. The Book of Mormon provides the map that we can hold fast to, in times of darkness and light, and trust that we will reach our destination. And our responsibility as missionaries and as people is to help others find the Iron Rod in the first place! The Book of Mormon, along with the Spirit, are the most powerful resources in conversion. This is because it allows us to know "to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins" (2 Nephi 25:26). Are you sharing the gospel and using the Book of Mormon in a way that allows your friends to find the iron rod that will lead them to the tree of life? The word of God is quick and powerful. It will bring about a mighty change of heart to those you teach, AS YOU USE IT.

Where Did the Transfer Go?

Hello everyone! What a crazy week! I don't have crazy amounts of time so let's get into it! 

Last Monday we went to 六福村！ It is an amusement park in Zhubei, and it was so fun! The rides were more spinny/swingy/up and down rather than track ones, but it was still a blast! Also, we were like celebrities there because there were tons of students from school field trips and the whole time they were trying to talk to us, give us high fives, etc it was the funniest thing! Also, they had a zoo and it had lots of different animals that aren't in America so that's cool! Monday night we had a lesson with our friend Pei Qi and made her a new person! She doesn't live here though so we will need to pass her off :( but she's still awesome! 

Also, for those of you who were paying attention to my last email and noticed the part I wrote about the maybe stalker, we called president about that on Monday and asked kind of what we should do, and he said, "you don't need to worry about it for too much longer because I will be putting Elders in Zhudong!" And we were like "wait what" so yeah! I will give you more updates on transfers in a second, so stay tuned!! 

Tuesday not too much happened! One of our friends didn't show up to his lesson (again) even though he confirmed like three times...so we dropped him! That day we also had district council and a lesson with a member that was really good! 

Wednesday not too much happened either! It was kind of crazy cause I was trying to figure out college housing and such (thanks mom for your patience) (also don't worry I got permission) and then we bought a few supplies for a ward activity and then had English Group! 

Something kind of cool that my mission does is that the mission president's wife goes on exchanges with the sisters who will be going home, so she joined us for the day on Thursday (for my companion who is going home, I've still got time) and that was really fun! We had lots of lessons, ate hot pot, and talked with lots of old people! Super grateful to her, I learned a lot!

Friday was busy! That morning we did service for a lady in our ward, she is so sweet! Afterward we filmed a singing video with another ward member! After that we did weekly planning, which was good, and then we had a ward activity where we watched the Prophet of The Restoration movie and shared a spiritual thought after. It was good! We had lots of less active members come! 

Saturday we went to do a service for a potential who lived really far away with some members, and it turns out we didn't do any service, but we ended up teaching a lesson! The area was super pretty and I'm glad we were able to visit it again. Afterward we were able to have dinner with a member family which was fun! Then we got transfer boards!

Transfer news.... I found out I will be transferring to Hualian with my new companion, Wang Jiemei! Hualian is one of the most coveted areas in the mission because it's super pretty. One of the weirdest things though is that my current companion is from there, and she will be going home! So, she's going home, and I'll be serving in her ward -- kinda crazy! This means that I'll be going back to being an STL which I'm happy about! I think it'll be a good transfer :) 

Sunday was good! We didn't do too much, but we had a member visit! Today we filmed a video for our mission Facebook page with the office elders which was super fun! Afterward we went to a mall with the other sisters, and because we were filming the video our p-day was extended :) 

Spiritual thought for the week: Aren't you glad to know about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ? It is because it was restored that we know what we do. It was because of the Restoration that we know that we are not lost, that God speaks to His children today, that He cares. It was because of the Restoration that we know the truths about the Atonement of Jesus Christ that are taught in the Book of Mormon. It is because of the Restoration that we not only know about the ordinances that are essential to salvation but have the means to accomplish them. It is because Jesus Christ restored His gospel to the earth, back in its original form, that the Plan of Salvation can be successful. I want to invite you all to read D&C 20 and ponder what it means to you to know that Jesus Christ has restored His gospel, and it is a living, growing opportunity for us to become like Him!

   

Roller Coaster Hungry 🎢

Today we are going to an amusement park for zone pday! So pumped, I'm so roller coaster hungry it's not even okay! Don't worry Mom, I'm wearing sunscreen this time :) Last Monday was crazy busy, after coming back from the mountains we went to Neiwan Night Market for a bit, got stuck in super heavy traffic, and were like an hour late for our dinner appointment but it was good! 

Tuesday was also super fun and busy! We woke up early and went with a Xinzhu member whose dad is a potential! He lives in our area, but it is deep DEEP in the mountains. Super pretty though! He was working so we didn't really get a chance to talk with him much but our member (who is planning on serving a mission) was able to show him a little what missionaries do which is good. Afterward we went to Xinzhu for district council, and then went finding for the rest of the day with us and the zhubei district! We did English challenge balloon animal finding and then street contacted. It went really well! Honestly balloon animal finding is genius. You go to a park with tons of kids, say "If you do this English challenge you get a free balloon animal," and they just go nuts. And their parents get flyers.  

Not too much happened on Wednesday, just English group! Thursday we had exchanges! I was with Huang Jiemei in Zhudong for the day, it was a lot of fun! We met with our friend 老張 and he was willing to read the Book of Mormon, which is huge progress! Keep him in your prayers! We also had like ten old people in a row come up and ask me if I'm not cold (I wasn't wearing my coat) and we were able to have some good contacts, so it turns out a good finding method is just going coatless! That night we had a lesson with our friend Luo Dixiong, it was kind of interesting and we didn't really get any words in, but our joint teachers did great! 

Friday Huang Jiemei and I went running and got breakfast, which was fun, did our studies, went to a coffee shop for our evaluation, and then switched back! It was a fun exchange, and I learned a lot. Afterward we had weekly planning and then a board game activity. Our friend Xue Ying has made real progress and wanted to join on her own so thank you all for your prayers! Keep them coming! 

Saturday we dedicated pretty much the whole day to finding! We went to Neiwan and were able to contact there for a while which was good, and oh also we went to a farmers’ market that morning too for finding which was fun. Then later we went to another night market and had dinner with a member! 

Sunday was good and busy, we had church and ward council, a mission devotional, and xietiaohui!  

Also on an unrelated note, we may or may not have a stalker so... I will keep you updated on that! 

Spiritual thought for the week: This week I have been extra aware of the Savior's gentle care and mercy in my studies. 3 Nephi 20:29 says "And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people..." and then later while quoting Isaiah it says "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer...For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." The Lord remembers His covenant people. Even when we struggle, He carries us. Our promises with Him open the door to His strength and kindness. How have your covenants with God carried you and allowed His power into your life?