December 1, 2013

Hey Mom and Dad!

Haha, Happy December! It's crazy that it's already December, time is flying by.

And I looked for the package last week, but it wasn't there yet, so hopefully it's there today. And yeah! Sister Dyer called us! :) She called Saturday, but we were in a lesson, so Sister Edwards said we would call her back, but turns out her number was international and we can't call internationally, so that didn't work. Luckily she called us again Sunday morning and I got to talk to her a little, but there wasn't any time to see each other. She was so cute though, it was really nice of her. And for her to leave me a package too! She said she went to Costco and left me some stuff at the mission home, haha, it's really nice.

As for English class, it's just every Wednesday from 7-8:30, and we generally have around 10 students, which isn't very many compared to other areas, and we want to have more, but we're working on it. We teach such a range of people, we have 8 year olds to 50 year olds, all at varying levels. Sister Edwards and I teach the beginner with the intermediate, and then Elder C teaches the advanced, and then Elder P is the door man and helps people get the textbook and gets their information and what not. Overall it's really fun. We've started talking about what we want to do for our Christmas activity now, so I'm excited for that.

Christmas actually sounds like it will be really fun here. Apparently we have a Christmas party, and zone conference, and we get to Skype with you guys, and it sounds really fun. I don't know for sure how the time is set up yet, but I'll figure it out soon and then we can figure out when to Skype for sure.

Well, this week has been good! I saw Whitney Bang! We had to go to Taipei for an English Class meeting and she was there! It was so random, I was not expecting it at all. And it took me a few seconds to realize it was her, haha, but it was really fun. I forget where she's at, but she's on like, her 4th transfer I think? So just a couple ahead of me. I'm already on my second! That's crazy, haha.

Amie and Whitney were in Young Women
 together at church in Shanghai!

Also on Wednesday, there was a training for all the missionaries and their trainers in my generation, so I got to see everybody from the MTC! That was super fun too. It was just really good to see everyone, especially my old companions. They really are great. And it was fun to see how everyone is doing in their own area and with their companions. I'm sure everyone else is doing great, but it made me really grateful for my area, and the relationship I have with my companion. We were talking about it, and it's not just that Sister Edwards and I get along, but we enjoy working together, and we have fun. So it makes it a lot of fun :) They also fed us tacos, so that was really fun too! I haven't had tacos in a while, haha.

Thanksgiving was really fun too! We went to the D's, and they had so much food! Haha, I think I ate even more than I would if I had been at home. It was just all so good, and American homemade food. She had to make everything from scratch, so it was really nice of her. And she had invited some friends from her class that are just here for about a year, so it was about, 12 people total, and it was really fun! It was nice to be around a family and really celebrate Thanksgiving. Although, I missed your potatoes, haha. But it was still good :)

On Saturday, we also did this zone hiking activity, about an hour and a half to 2 hours away, and that was really fun. It was for new members and investigators, but for some reason no one was really good about communicating that, so not many people brought someone, but it was still fun. Although hiking in a skirt and nice shoes is not my idea of hiking, but it wasn't too intense, and it wasn't too hot or cold, so that was good. Our investigator came with us, and I think she had a really good time! We were with her a lot this weekend, haha. We had a lesson with her Friday night, and then the hike Saturday morning, then church Sunday, then there was a new member/investigator fireside Sunday night that she also came with us too. She says she still doesn't know if she's felt the Spirit yet, but she's still reading and praying, and keeping all the commandments, so she will. Her date is set for 12/21, so we're getting excited and really started to do some preparations for her baptism.

Pictures of the hiking activity

There was also a visiting teaching meeting/activity Saturday night that the RS President wanted us to go to, and it basically just consisted of us eating another Thanksgiving meal, haha. We ate so much this week! But it was so good, Taiwanese food really is just delicious. It's just so good. There's no way to stop eating even when you're full, haha. Especially when all the members give you more to eat even when you say how full you are, haha, but that's alright. The members here are really good to us, it's really nice.

Well, all of our investigators are doing good too. It's kinda cool, this past week we got 2 new investigators, and in the first meeting with both of them we set baptismal dates, and they both seemed to really take it seriously and really think about it, so it was really cool! One of them even came to church for the full three hours yesterday! That was really cool. W was also at church. So yay! L ( who's been at church the past couple weeks) was out of town this week, so she couldn't make it, but she says she's been reading, so that's good!  We also met with L again FINALLY! It's kind of a miracle, because we were about to drop her, because she never answered any calls and she basically just disappeared for a few weeks. So finally we asked a member she had met to give her a call, and she did, and then L called us! Apparently her work schedule has just been crazy, she goes in super early and then doesn't get off till really late, so there just was never a time to call us. I don't know if that's the only reason or if there's more, but we met with her this past week and she's still been reading, still knows the Book of Mormon is true, and still wants to get baptized! It's just so hard with her work schedule, she's a nurse and her schedule is insane. But she said she would start trying her hardest. This month she's being put on the night shift, so midnight to 8, and church starts at 9, so she said she would try her hardest.

Another one of our investigators has been a little iffy too. Her school schedule is pretty intense, so we haven't been to meet with her in a while either, and we called her yesterday and apparently she's been going to another church and has stopped reading the Book of Mormon. So that was a little hard to hear. But we're still going to try and meet with her, at least a few more times. She said she just feels more comfortable at that church, but we're going to work on it and try to meet with her.

So yeah, this weeks been good! There's been so many activities, and so much traveling, so it's been hard, and tiring, but it's been good. We've gone to different areas so much, haha. That's what this entire month is going to be like though, haha. With all the performances with the choir and everything. And for the choir performances, they're all over. We're actually performing here this weekend, so that'll be fun for the ward to see. And then there's other areas, all within about 2 hours traveling away though, so still a little far, but not too terribly bad. It'll be fun.
 

Catching a nap when she can :)

It's actually finally starting to get cold here too! I'm going to have to start wearing my coat pretty soon. I've worn tights and scarves a couple times this week, so winter is finally coming in. It especially just gets really cold when we're biking. We try to bike fast, to make us warmer faster, but then the wind is harder, so there's no happy medium. You're just cold no matter what, haha. But it hasn't started raining every day yet, so that's good at least, haha. And I officially started sleeping in the long underwear you sent me in the MTC, so thank you for those. Although it's so hard to wake up in the morning now, I just want to stay in my warm bed and not go running, haha. But it's been good.

So yeah, I'm doing good still! I love it here, and the time really is flying by. I've already been out almost 4 months, it's crazy. The language is coming along too. I'm getting better at talking to people. I feel like a big thing for me is, I can understand all of them and what everyone is saying to me pretty well, but sometimes it's hard to really respond and get my thoughts across the way I want to, so talking is still the hardest for me. But I'm getting better at just starting to talk, and then asking them if I said it right or not. And apparently my tones are really good, so that's good to know! Haha, I'm glad, because those are definitely the hardest.

Well I love you guys! And thank you for the packages you're sending :) I'm really excited. I also sent you and Dad a letter last week to your place in Texas, so you should be getting that sometime soon.

I love you and miss you!

-Qiao Jei Mei