Sister Amie George's Mission in Taiwan: Week 4 in Taiwan!

November 3, 2013

Hi Mom and Dad!

Well this week's been really good! And it's gone by so fast! I don't know where the time is going. I've almost been on my mission for 3 months! It's crazy. So last night I actually went through my journal and wrote down things I wanted to email about, so here's my journal list!

A super cool experience was that we visited a less active sister, and it was amazing. It was my first time meeting her, but we just stopped by because our other plans fell through. She invited us in and we had a lesson about how Christ never gives up on us and is always there to help us, and she said the coolest thing when I was introducing myself. I said I have been in Taiwan for about 3 weeks, and she said there's no way because of my Chinese. So then I explained about China and everything, and then she's like "I think that is so amazing! I definitely think it's 'shen de an pai' (God's plan) for you to be here. With you already being able to speak Chinese and already being familiar with the culture, you can tell this was always his plan for you." That was so cool to hear! She's got 3 super cute kids too, and I think we're going to visit them again later this week. That was just a really cool experience. In addition to it letting us know she still has a testimony, it just made me think about how right she was.

Another cool experience was guiding the first lesson with a new investigator. We met her at English class, and she's super funny and just easy to get along with, so I guided the first lesson, and it went so good! Both my companion and I felt really good about it. Sister Edwards actually said that she felt the Spirit more when I was guiding the lesson, and she thinks our investigator did too. We also set a baptismal date with her, and we're meeting with her again this week. We have lots of baptismal dates for November, so hopefully they actually happen! That would be amazing.

Another super cool experience, was doing temple tours (pretty sure she's talking about tours of the temple visitors center) on Friday. We had to be in Taipei by 12:30, and we thought we would have at least an hour or an hour and a half to practice and since it was my first time, do some roleplays and just get familiar with the chapel, but we didn't have any time! We had a tour before 1:00 even came, and from then on we were just going all day. We did a couple of lessons outside on the temple grounds. We actually met a guy from Korea and gave him a Korean Book of Mormon. In what little English he has we talked about my love of Kimchi and I said "kamsahamnida", haha. We had full on lessons until we had to leave at 7:30! One with a recent convert in our ward, and I think that helped her a lot.

The Taipei Temple in the background

Yesterday after church, we also visited a family, and that was super cool. Their daughter just got back from her mission in Washington, D.C. and she asked us to come over and have a lesson with her family. In addition to the lesson going great (she said so herself, haha) I feel like we just really got to know them! The mom really loved my laugh and smile, and said that I'm going to do great here just because I'm so personable, or something along those lines (it was in Chinese, so I don't really know, haha, but that was the jist). She said how most missionaries when they first get somewhere never talk and are super quiet and sad because they miss home, and she said she didn't get that impression at all from me. I just started laughing and said I actually felt super at home and comfortable here and loved it, haha, it was fun. The ward here really is amazing. Everyone just makes you feel like such family! And the ward isn't super huge, so everyone really knows everyone. I like it. They had me get up yesterday at the beginning of testimony meeting and introduce myself and bear my testimony and that went super cool. I got a couple thumbs up on the way down, and a couple members after told me thank you and they're super glad I'm here, and also that apparently my Chinese has improved a ton. I don't know if that's because I'm just talking more, or just improving, or both, haha, but either way, I'll take it.

Another fun experience, my first earthquake! Haha, it wasn't very big (at least not to me or my companion) but some members at the church thought it was huge. Granted we were outside and they were inside, but I just thought it felt really cool. Neither me nor Sister Edwards even knew what was happening till like, 3 seconds into it. Apparently they closed the Taipei 101 building and everything for it. We're all safe and everything, so that was good, it was just really cool (at least to us). And Dad's friend FC actually called later that night to check in and make sure we were safe, so that was really nice. (I called him last week, haha, he's funny, and his English is really good so that makes the phone calls easier!)

Halloween was good, not much happened, but we had 'xiao long bao' (Shanghai steamed soup dumplings - because they originated in Shanghai) We also bought some candy bars, because we needed something, haha.

'xiao long bao' for Halloween :)

For district meeting last week we bought everyone pie! It was SO GOOD! Haha, a couple weeks ago the Elder's asked us to pick them up some lunch because they were running late, but we only got 2 things, instead of 4 for the 4 Elders, so we felt bad. So this week we bought them all pie, and I'd say it was a pretty good make up for it, haha. It was cherry cheesecake, and was really good. District Meetings are always really fun I think.

Weekly Planning Session this week was also just especially fun for some reason, haha. According to my companion, my strengths are the fact that I'm always happy. Not necessarily in like, the always energetic bouncing off the walls way, but I'm just also fun to be around and pleasant, and how I never complain. So that was good to hear. I also work really hard, which kind of goes along with the no complaining. It was good to hear :) We both agreed that we just make each other want to work harder, haha. We agreed that we both work really hard and get a lot done, but also have lots of fun doing it, so it's good :)

So yeah, this week's been good! And this email is really long! Haha, I have some pictures so I'll send those probably at the end. But it's been a good week. We got completely soaked yesterday biking home, so that explains the last pictures, haha, I thought you guys would enjoy those. But yeah, overall this week has been amazing! It's crazy that I'll already be here a month on Thursday. It doesn't feel like it. I feel like I'm getting into the routine of things, but I still get amazed sometimes that I'm actually here, haha. I wanted to go to Taiwan for my mission and I got to! It's amazing :) This place is great. I do love Taiwan. The people are amazing, it's just a fun place to be. The hills still get me sometimes, haha, but it's worth it. I love it here :)

My favorite pictures this week, haha!

Well I'm going to go email some other people now, but I might email again at the end and just say an official bye, with pictures, haha. I love you! Tell everyone hi for me!

Love you!

-Qiao Jie Mei