Love, Sister Lee

Week - 47 My So what a week!

2012-01-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

Eating Birthday Gyoza!

Birthday Presents!

1-16-12

So here is the deal... The mission gives us an hour and a half to email our family. I usually take 45 min to 2 hours because our family is so big. . We were already doing totally fine, but we raised the standard and so now I don’t have as much time to email. I just wanted to tell you so you can tell everyone and if my email sounds lame-o it’s because I don’t have any time. No worries! We can just write a lot of letters. I would love to get letters! :)

Birthday!! Yay!! It was a good day. My companion gave me a left over Christmas card and some candy, and wasn’t in a bad mood which made me really happy. She even said we could go eat whatever I wanted. haha The Fengyuan Sisters were adorable and oh so good to me. They sang me happy birthday in the morning with the guitar and hit me awake with a pillow fight as my companion was in the shower. They made me breakfast, and put love notes on my bike. When I came home later that night I got home before them, and they came in singing happy birthday with treats and a little cake. :) Because of move calls I sadly didn’t get any letters or packages. They are holding them until everyone moves. It’s ok. I called the office, and it definitely came on time, I just didn’t get it. :) Oh President and Sister Bishop also called and sang me happy birthday. I really had a great day. It was kinda cool because the country election was on Saturday I had my own fireworks show. Definitely a birthday to remember.

This move call I am staying with my companion, in my area. It’s going to be hard, but I can do it. Our wards focus is missionary work for this year. They really want to increase ward attendance as well as baptize more people. It’s an incredible ward. I am so lucky. I can’t wait. My companion and I had a good talk last night about our relationship, and if we want success we need to work on being friends.

I’m doing good. I’m happy. Happier today then I was last week. I am growing and I can feel it. I am being stretched and it’s so uncomfortable, but when things are good between my companion and I, I can feel that Heavenly Father is proud of us that we are making it work. I love my mission and I’m grateful to be here.

That’s everything for now.

Love you all,

Sister Lee

Week 46 - I totally forgot!

2012-01-09T09:10:00.003-07:00

Sister Exchanges with Sister Lethco

Got caught studying.

My companion got a hair cut.

I was feeling so relaxed during emailing today, and it is because I totally forgot to write this family email!

Ah sorry everyone...haha

Real quick:

Monday: Can’t remember

Tuesday: Sister Exchanges

Wednesday: Rained all day. We switched back but forgot to give the keys to back to the sister’s bike and so we spent all day on the bus and at English class.

Thursday: So awesome! Rained all day again. We had the perfect mix of everything. Visited with Members, had new lessons, visited LA and it all went so smoothly. It was probably my favorite day

Friday: Can’t remember

Saturday: Had an awesome day like Thursday

Sunday: Had a great day like Saturday

I know I know really really lame email. I’m sorry! I’m out of time. :(

I still love you!!

Love Sis Lee

Week 45 - I think I told you most of this but...

2012-01-02T08:54:00.002-07:00

It feels like I talked to all of you guys forever ago??

I am in a time warp. I come home from my mission this year. Tai kuaghang= Too crazy

New Years was exciting. It was great telling everyone: "Xinnian kuaile"=Happy New Years! I was talking to my companion and I feel like a lot of people are going to get baptized this year because everyone is afraid the end of the world is coming. It’s a strange feeling being a missionary at the time of the "end of the world".

The first day of the year was a Sunday. Too perfect huh... We had investigator, less actives, and recent converts all attend and so it was really a great seeing everyone.

I had a really good week. It was busy, and full of really good lessons. We found lots of really cool new people, and have been seeing a lot of success recently. I can’t really remember anything too crazy or important to even tell you guys. ha sorry! If I think of anything I will tape about it later on today.

Yesterday I was reading all of my notes from the MTC and it was crazy how much good stuff I learned in that place that I can actually use in the mission field. ha Who woulda thought? ;) One thing I reread yesterday that someone during devotional encouraged us to do was to write down all the spiritual experiences you have and keep good track of them. That is one of my new years resolutions. I just wanted to share one right now.

On Saturday we were leaving our apartment to go teach one of our progressing investigators. For some random reason I felt like we should go a different way. As we were traveling I saw a mom waiting for the light to turn green, and decided to talk to her. I slowed down, said hello, told her how I was so grateful for this gospel and how much it blessed my life and asked her if we could meet with her. She agreed! We wrote down her information, and have an appointment to see her this week. It may sound really small and insignificant, but I know that we were supposed to find her. It doesn't matter if it’s a small thing or a big thing, but blessing always come from heading to the promptings of the spirit. Sometimes we get to see the results of the prompting, and sometimes we don’t. The important thing is that we listened, and obeyed.

When I first started my mission it was really hard knowing how and when the spirit was talking to me. The more I have learned and studied what the spirit is, and the more I have experienced its promptings the easier it is for me to recognize. It has come step by step and inch by inch. It has always been a blessing in my life. On my mission I am lucky enough to learn about the blessings of the Holy Ghost on a whole new level.

One of my favorite scriptures about the Holy Ghost is in 3 Nephi. The Lord has just come down and has started ministering to the Nephites. He teaches his apostles how to pray and then commands them to teach the multitude how to pray. Everyone starts pouring out their souls, and Jesus tells everyone to pray without ceasing. After they are done praying they all ask for the thing which they desire the most, and that is the Holy Ghost. Cool huh! They haven't even been baptized yet, but they know how incredible it is, and they want it. I know that the guidance and presence of the spirit is such a blessing in our lives. Lets do all we can to invite it, understand it, and follow its promptings. Ok that's all I have to say. :)

I love you.

Love Sister Lee

Week 44 - Christmas Day!

2011-12-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It was so good seeing and talking to everyone!!!! I love you guys all so much! I am happy...I am really really happy! :)

Yay...opening presents!

Meryy Christmas from US!

More presents!

The whole mission caroling!

Week 43 - Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-19T08:16:00.002-07:00

12/19/11

Hi fam damly!

I’m really excited to talk to you all this next week. We wont have much time, so think of the very most important things you want to tell me, or the questions you want to ask. I love you guys! I get nervous just thinking about it! ha I’ve got lots of fun stuff to tell you that you haven’t ever heard me say before. ;) Merry Christmas!! Talk to you guys soon.

Chen Li Fen is baptized!! We are so proud of her. We had the service right after church and a lot of members were there to support her. I cry at every baptism, and this one was just like the others... ha I cant imagine how happy Heavenly Father feels when one of his sons or daughters decided to get baptized. Do you think he cries too? Every baptism is a miracle, and I know that there is no other thing more important then inviting people to listen, to feel, and to accept how this message can bless their life. Its Gods plan, and when you see it come into play there just inst words for how cool it is.

Yesterday was my favorite day of the week. Not only did Sister Chen get baptized, but we had two new investigators at her baptism. It was so cool that they got to be there for that. I will tell you more about them in a minuet. Anyways, we got invited over for a joint FHE Christmas dinner by people in the ward. We had a great time getting to know them better and had a good spiritual share. Later we tracted into a girl that we got to pray with. She was really touched that we cared enough about her to pray for her. It was cool being able to give her that little opportunity to tell her God loves her through prayer. After that we biked over to the church and got to watch the Christmas devotional. It was so good! I love it... The new movies about Christ were so cool. :) It was a very happy day yesterday.

Saturday we met this great family! We tracted into their house earlier in the week, and Mom invited us back when her kids where home. Their family is Christian and they have been church hoping almost their whole lives trying to find a church that fits best with their family. We invited them to church, and they had a great time. They are coming back next week. :) Later that night we were able to have some less active action and meet tons of new less actives we have been trying to get a hold of forever. Later that night were invited by the Bishopric to go caroling! It was so fun. We invited one of our LA's in the ward to come with us and he came! We had to end up leaving early, but he stayed. He ended up caroling with the Stake President, and the Bishopric. Ha He had a great time.

This week it was freezing cold, and it totally felt like Christmas. Now it is frying hot and it feels like fall. Oh Taiwan. :)

The rest of the week was really good. Seeing mini miracles here and there, having a good time, and having chances to have my Chinese improve.

I love you guys a lot. Thanks for the prayers and love. I am so excited for this weeks mission Christmas activity and talking to you guys.

Love you!! Talk to you soon. :)

Sis Lee

Week 42 - :)

2011-12-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dec 12

Christmas time is coming. We got to go shopping in Taichung today because my companion needed to buy a coat. There were lots more Christmas decorations in the city then there are in Tanzi... :)

Thank you so so so much for the package! Everything about it was perfect. I was really happy. I feel really spoiled. Sister Tan and I were super excited about the music our companions don’t really celebrate Christmas either, but they did love the chocolate. Thanks mom. You are really great. I love you! I am excited for you guys to get your Christmas package from yours truly Sister Lee. :)

It was a good week. We saw lots of mini miracles everyday. I feel super super lucky... I have been totally stressed out of my mind about taking care of my companion and my area, but it all worked out just like it always does. Heavenly Father has been really mindful of me and my prayers. It’s been a successful week, and I know without his help things wouldn’t have gone as smoothly as they had.

Miracles as follows:

Thursday: We went tracting that day and had a lot of success. Taught lessons and set up return appointments. Because of that hour of tracting, we were able to hit almost all of our goals for that day. :)

Friday: We went and visited Ren Mama so she could meet my companion Sister Chen. They got along great, and it was a great chance to review all the things we have taught her and a chance to finish teaching all of the commandments. Ren Mama has such a great testimony on prayer. We committed her to get baptized on Christmas Eve.

Saturday: We went and visited a lot of our less actives and recent converts. We all had really great lessons and the day flew by because we were so busy. We were also invited to go caroling with our ward! Chen dixiong dressed up as Santa and we were able to invite a lot of people to our service activity! We also found an adorable little girl tracting. We prayed with her and she committed to meet with us.

Sunday: Chen Li Fen came to church and we had a great lesson after church! She has come to church three times, is following all of the commandments and has a great testimony. She really is our miracle. She was investigator that was prepared way before we met her. She is getting baptized only after meeting with her in person 3 times. So cool. :) Another miracle was that when we came home from Church the Fengyuan sisters said they had a family come to church and that they all want to be baptized but they found out that they live our area and so they referred us! We were really excited. We met with them later that night, and had a great lesson. We also got to celebrate their daughter’s birthday with them. She turned one yesterday and we all ate tarro cake. :) It was great.

Everyday has gone by so fast, and we have seen so many little things happen that you know exactly that God was in charge and made it happen that way. My cute little companion is doing great, and is willing to work hard with me. I’m blessed. Really blessed.

I love you all really lots and lots. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts. I know I am blessed as I am because you guys pray for me. Do you have any questions about my life? I feel like sometimes my emails are really boring. They don’t even capture a smidgen of what my week was really like. I try and mention the details, and the highlights, but I just don’t feel like I do it justice. ha

Love Sis Lee

P.S. I am obsessed with this Taiwan place. Here are some reasons why.

They have the cutest winter clothes I have ever seen.

There oranges are green

Before they eat off of public wooden chopsticks they rub them together so they can get all the splinters out.

People put CDs on the front of their bikes for reflectors

Everyday on the street I fight with old ladies about who is prettier

Week 41 - I’m really happy...

2011-12-07T07:24:00.001-07:00

Dec 7

Its almost Christmas time. Its weird randomly hearing Christmas music in 7/11...

I just got back from the Temple and it was so great. I got to go with my new cute companion Sister Chen, and I just loved every moment of today. The Temple was beautiful, and warm and it was the greatest Christmas present ever.

I have a lot to catch up guys up on considering all the new changes!

My Companions name is Chen Xuan Fan... She is 30 years old (doest look like it huh?) and just got done being trained. She doest speak any English and so we communicate in Chinese. The first day my brain hurt so bad, but its getting better and better. Its a huge blessing I get to have this chance again to really study Chinese. She’s great. We get along great, and she’s such a great missionary. I love her. Every night before we go to bed we say.... "Today I was grateful you were my companion because..." Its a great time I can just love her guts out.

Here is the week in a nutshell:

Tuesday: Sister Exchanges! I went with Sister Zheng and had a blast. During language study she taught me how to write all sorts of random things in Chinese and it felt like we had been companions forever. She was great. It was so much fun.

Wednesday: My companion and I were invited to Zone Leader council... That is where all the Zone Leaders get together and they talk about mission stuff and get trained. Sister Ribgy and I were able to share a miracle story. As well receive all sorts of inspiring direction from our loving mission president. We talked a lot about numbers and why key indicators are important. I know that means nothing to you guys but it really helped me understand how to be a better missionary and so I was really grateful.

Thursday: Our apartment had Christmas under the Christmas tree. We did Sister Swap and each pulled a name. I was so happy I cried and we all basically said goodbye. I am so grateful to know those girls. They will forever be my friends.

Friday: Sister Tans trainee came! She is great she went to BYU Hawaii and so her English is great. It was really fun having Sister Bryce tag along for the day as well as having a 5 sister sleep over for a couple of days. :) On the way home from Zone Leader Council we met an adorable little girl on the bus. Her English name is BeBe. We were able to go to her house on Friday night and meet her. She was raised Christian, and so had a great understanding about just about everything. She has agreed to get baptized on Christmas Eve. How perfect right? It was a miracle and we were thrilled.

Saturday: Was good. Can’t even remember what happened?

Sunday: Chen Li Fen and BeBe came to church! It was such a happy Sunday. Sister Rigby was able to say goodbye to the ward. We were really sad that Ren Mama couldn’t come... She didn’t say why though? We were confused and irritated and sad that she wouldn’t communicate with us and so we decided to go and visit her that night. We know that God is really looking out for this woman because right as we showed up she was about to take her dying son to the hospital. It was so sad. I just started crying. She was balling. He was dying, and just being in the situation was over whelming... We took turns praying. We cried together, and Sister Rigby and I sang hymn after hymn until the ambulance came. Right before the ambulance came he went unresponsive. It was really sad. She still is at the hospital and we don’t really know what’s quite going on, but we are keeping her in our prayers and just really asking that things will be ok and she will be comforted. We have been able to pray over the phone with her and she seems to be doing good.

Monday: I picked up my adorable companion.

Tuesday: We had a great proselyting day and hit almost every one of our goals. She’s great. :)

I’m really happy and really blessed. I am feeling extra warm recently just thinking about how lucky I am to be where I am serving the Lord while my friends and family are supporting me back home. Thanks for all your love and prayers. I really love you guys, and I love serving the Lord.

143

Sis Lee

Week 40 - Hi everybody!

2011-11-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Nov 28

I love you guys so much... Happy Holidays!

Everyone had like the best week of your life’s it sounded like. I am really glad that everyone is so happy and so exhausted. Thanksgiving break is always really fun. It sounded way more fun then Halloween. :)

This week was great! It was power week! It means that we left the door early and we had a special thing that we were focusing on each day. We were supposed to set really high goals and work extra hard. It was a good week, but exhausting. ha As a mission we passed out 1037 Book of Mormons in a day. To legit to quit.

Today was a busy day. It’s the last P-day I have with all my roommates. We ran a ton of errands and got all our Christmas shopping done. Move call is coming up next week, and so we will be split up. It was SOO much fun while it lasted. I made best friends for life with these girls, and some of the best memories of my mission so far have been bonding with this apartment. Good times, good times...

Ren Mama is adorable. We went and visited her last night, and after we had been home for about 20min she called us just to say that she misses us. She asked what we were doing, and we asked what she was doing. She was reading her scriptures with her son. It was so cute. She is an aboriginal and so she taught us how to say, "I love you" (sa har gu gan nu) in her dialect. Sounded nothing like Chinese. It was awesome.

She has had a rough week... we had this feeling that we should go and see her on Monday night, and when she showed up she was balling. balling. balling. she found out that her son was dying. It was a perfect time to get out the scriptures and review the plan of salvation with her. She felt lots better by the time we left and then on Tuesday the Elders went over and were able to give her a blessing. She didn’t come to church on Sunday which we were both really really sad about. Her baptismal date has been push back and so she just might get baptized on Christmas Eve with her son. That would be the best Christmas present ever.

Other highlights from this week:

Traveling up to Shen Gang and everyone being so nice to us and having a lot of success.

Having our less actives randomly show up to English

Going to the Relief Society broadcast with a recent convert

Making Turkey Hands on Thanksgiving as an apartment

Helping a member with her LA son

Meeting lots of Less Actives that were on our ward list

Miracle Chen was too busy to meet with us this week, but we called her everyday and shes doing great.

Its good being a missionary. It was a great week to re-energize for the next move call.

I love you guys a lot. Thanks for praying for me. I’m really happy, and thankful for the time to serve in Taiwan. It’s really humbling. Really humbling. But it’s great. Its perfect, and I am loving it.

Love Sis Lee

Week 39 - What a day... :)

2011-11-21T15:57:00.004-07:00

Nov 21

Hi Family!! I love you!!

We just got back from a zone activity and it was really really fun... Well we just walked around a lot and saw a whole bunch of flowers. We walked and walked and walked, and it was beautiful and a blast. We are all sun burnt our feet hurt and are all really happy.

This week was a growing week for me. I realized that I hit my half way mark and so I did a lot of goal setting and reviewing... We had a great week with an even better ending!

This week at church an investigator sneaks in the back half way through sacrament meeting and Sister Rigby and I are confused because we unfortunately didn’t have any investigators confirmed for church.

After sacrament meeting was over we went up to her and introduced her self. She was on the phone with her Mom who we found out was a member in a near by stake. She said to us: "Hello! My name is Chen. I want to get baptized. What do I need to go. I have been to church twice, I want to know Jesus. I was in a different church before, but now I realize that doesn’t count."

We were thrilled. We were so so excited. That is the kinda miracle you always hear about but you never expect would happen to you and your companion. Before leaving the door that morning we said a pray asking for a miracle at church, and the Lord blessed us with one.

I have learned a lot about Faith on my mission. Faith brings forth mighty miracles. The Lord himself said: "If ye have faith in me, ye have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." (Moroni 7:33) This area has been hard. We have had to say goodbye to so many great investigators but I know that the Lord has blessed us because of our faith, and I also know that there have been weeks we really haven’t seen a lot of success because we haven’t had a lot of faith.

I’m just grateful that the purpose of life is to learn and get to become perfect in Him step by step grace by grace.

I love you all so very much. Thanks for your prayers and support. You know you are the best family anyone could ever ask for.

Today at some points during the zone activity I felt like Mom and it made me so happy. You taught me well. :)

143

Sis Lee

P.S. Ren Mama is doing great. She came to the family ward activity with her son and they had a blast.

We said goodbye to Emily. She just isn’t quite ready. It was hard saying goodbye, but I’m really glad that I got to meet her and butter her up for the next missionaries. She'll get baptized.

Week 38 - I believe in miracles!

2011-11-13T16:06:00.002-07:00

Nov 13

It was a good week. Lots of good stories for my journal.... :)

It poured poured rain this week. Its all clear and sunny now, but there was a couple of days I had to break out my tights. On Wednesday Companion and I were riding to go tracting and a random girl on her scooter rides along side of us and yells "Sister!! These are for you!!" I have no idea to this day who she was, but she gave us a huge bag of oranges. It was so random and so nice of her! On the way back from tracting to the church we saw this cute little man picking up garbage. He has it piled above his head on his scooter, and bulging out the sides. There was a line of cardboard drink cartons on the road that went through two stop lights. We pulled over and walked down the road helping him pick up his recycling. After we helped him get all his recycling gathered up we walked back to our bikes and Sister Rigbys bikes lost balance and fell over. The oranges went flying and then he waddled over and helped us pick them up. We gave him a orange to say thanks. It was such a great moment. I just knew that Heavenly Father was happy. It reminded me of the movie Finding Faith in Christ. There is a point where Jesus helps this man pick up a basket of pears, and the man gives him one to say thanks. It feels good to serve people just like Jesus.

Thursday was Sister Exchanges. Sister Rigby wanted a day with Sister Tan to see the way she did things. I got to spend the day with Sister Bryce. She passed off her phase one evaluation and I was so proud of her! It was so much fun getting to be with her and learn from her. We saw so many miracles that day. It was pouring again and we were on our way home. I stopped this girl at the bus stop and we just started talking to her. We told her about God and her relationship with. We taught her why prayer is so important and how you can communicate through prayer with our heavenly father. As we are having this lesson one of our members pulls up and gives us food! There were able to meet and our member invited our new friend to church. It was perfect timing and you just knew that God totally planned it like that. :)

Friday was 11/11/11. During weekly planning our apartment wished at 11:11 and then we all snapped a picture holding up one finger so it looked like 11/11. Sister Rigby and I placed 11 Book of Mormons in honor of 11/11/11. It was really fun, and met a lot of great potential investigators.

Saturday my 11/11/11 wish same true! I wished we would find Ren Mama. My wish totally came true!! She disappeared all week, and Sister Rigby and I were totally sad. She was progressing so well and doing so great, and then we couldn’t even get a hold of her. She’s been moving to a different place and we had no idea where she was moving to. We stopped by her house and she wasn’t home. We were writing her a card, right as she pulled up. Yahoo!!! She was so excited to see us, and she took us to her new house. Its literally in the middle of the mountains in the middle of no where. Its surrounded my a grave yard, and its gorgeous. We walked from one house to the other and back again, and we were able to review everything with her and teach her a lesson. It was great getting in touch with her again. Its amazing how much you love and care for your investigators

Its been good this week. I feel like Companion and I are seed planters here in Tanzi. We meet so many great people and have so many great lessons, and then they kinda drop off the earth. Sometimes its really hard and frustrating, but I don’t mind what kinda job the Lord wants to give me in his vineyard. I am just fine being a seed planter. :)

Love you guys.

Love Sis Lee

Week 37 - Happy November

2011-11-07T15:43:00.001-07:00

Nov 7

This week I reached my 6 month on the island mark.

Next week I reach my 9 month mark.

In case you guys weren’t counting. ;)

Kader happy birthday dude!! How was it? I want to see all your pictures.

Monday: We had dinner at a members home who makes xylophones. It was cool having them show us everything. Dinner was delicious. We got to introduce our selfs and it was great getting to know their family. Mormon family. 3 little kids. Last name: Lu. :) Great solid members.

Tuesday: Companion and I were tracting and we had an adorable Husky follow us around for 3 hours. We loved him. Its ridiculous how attached you can become to an animal. ha Delan I totally knew you were going to love that story.

Wednesday: Elder Gong from the 70 presidency came and visited the mission. I got to shake his hand and meet him and his wife. It was a great mission conference. We talked about being quick to observe. When you are quick to observe you see things that aren’t necessarily visible without the quite promptings of the spirit. Sometimes I feel like I am in Mommy training. I love my investigators like they are my children and I take care of them like they are. I felt like it was awesome mom advice as well as missionary advice. After the meeting we all the sisters got to meet with Sister Bishop and Sister Gong. We talked about the importance of communication in our companionship's and again I felt like I was in some sorta spouse training. It’s really interesting and amazing how the simple doctrines of the gospel are universally applied to all stages of life. We had a little question answer portion and it was really fun.

*We also decided to start celebrating Christmas early. We put up our tree and we have been listening to Christmas music all week.ha

Thursday: We went tracting again. We love tracting. Its been working recently which has been a great blessing! We went to go visit Emily, but no one was home. We were bummed out, and sorta sad we didn’t get to see Ama watching Karaoke on TV.

Friday: We went to go visit Emily, and as soon as we turned the corner to her house, we saw a huge bai bai tent up. (Bai Bai tent is a place where they worship their ancestors when they die. It has their picture up, fruit and flowers all around it.) I ran over to see whos picture was up and it was Ama. Our cute little grandma friend. Emily's mom. I cried and cried and cried. Grandpa saw me crying and went and got Emily. I felt so stupid, but I couldn’t help it! I loved that old lady! She is Emily’s mom for goodness sakes. Anyways... It just made me grateful for the strength that prayers and scriptures can bring in times like that, and also the doctrine of the plan of salvation. It was hard being all happy the rest of the night, but we went out and worked hard and felt better.

Saturday: I dont remember. Oh wait! Yes I do. That was less active power day. We went and had lots of great lessons with a lot of our less actives. We were finally able to get a hold of a Mom who hasn’t come to church in years and years. She has two great kids who haven’t been baptized and she has nothing stopping her from coming back to church other than not knowing anyone in the ward. She was so cute and so nice, and we are really excited to start helping her. :)

Sunday: None of our investigators came to church. And we cant get a hold of any of them. Ren mama found a house and is moving and totally MIA, Cherry is feeling like she doesn’t belong and wants to give up, and Emily is dealing with funeral stuff. It was sad. We have tried to get a hold of them, but still no luck. We still had a good day. We went tracting that night, and talked to tons of people. It was a huge blessing.

Today: We went shopping and I got my hair chopped off. Such a sister missionary right?

Work is slow, and sometimes its really hard, but its all soo worth it. I am still happy and really liking it over here in Taiwan.

I love you guys all alot alot. Help mom with Kristas wedding. Be nice to each other. Read and Pray and thank Heavenly Father for your gabillion blessings.

xox

Sis Lee

Week 36 - Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:41:00.002-06:00

Elder Gong visits the mission.

Happy Halloween Slippers!

Artwork by Delan, Color by Camille

Her District

Check out the cute fall fashion!

Oct 31

Family! You guys all looked ridiculously good. Love Halloween. It deff was not as crazy over here in Taiwan, but still a blast. :) We played games with the Elders and had little fall cookie bake off. Relaxing and fun. I had such a great time. We dressed up in fall colors and just loved life.

I don’t have a lot of time, but here we go...

This week was awesome! Bah I love being a missionary. I love it. First of all I am obsessed with my companion. We have so much fun, and we get a lot done. I like meeting my best friends here.

Alrighty...Folks. Cherry is back!! Do you remember her? She is the cute Pilipino mom that we met at 7 and she cried. Well we set up with her, and she loved it. She ate it all up, and she brought her little boy to church.

Ran Mama the little grandma that cried who and just lost her husband recently. She came to church and she loved it.

Remember that mom stopped us on the road and we ate lunch with? We have met with her a couple times this week, and its been great. We met her daughter and her little girl is SO ready. She is even cooler than her mom. We can’t wait to keep helping them grow.

How blessed are we?? We both feel blessed and its really fun being able to teach and grow with people.

We have a less active family in our ward that we are trying to get ready to go to the temple and its been great doing follow ups with them.

Also we met another less active family that is more special. They both have problems, and it’s kinda a bummer. Well I noticed that she has a box of hair dye and I knew that she wanted to dye her hair so bad, but couldn’t do if her self so we went over there the next day and taught a lesson as I colored away. Who knew I was going to be doing that on my mission? ha

I saw this old grandma carrying a lot of really heavy stuff so I offered to help her carry it on my bike and she wanted me to call down a taxi for her instead. ha So my companion and I biked down the street and had the Taxi follow us to the cute little grandma.

We met another Pilipino at another 7 and just started talking to her about church. She started crying. I don’t know why that always happens recently but random people we meet with on the street will just cry and cry and we never see them again, but its crazy cause that’s when I feel the most like a missionary.

Ok fine so this email might be really lame, but just know that I am feeling really blessed and having such a great time.

This week we have mission conference. Elder Gong and his wife are coming to talk to the mission and I am really excited. I will tell you all of the best parts of course.

Ok oh and I forgot we get to go to the temple next week!! I am so excited. :) So we wont be emailing on Monday. Cause we go to the Temple on Wednesday so ill be emailing then. xoxo

Love you bye.

Sis Lee

My testimony is growing, I can feel it. :)

Week 35 - Well folks that’s a rap. Like the kinda of thing a gangster does.

2011-10-23T15:38:00.000-06:00

Oct 23

Today marks the end of my 4th move call. I am staying in my district with my companion, and I am SOO happy. I love this girl; she is my best friend on this Island. I was having serious anxiety that we were going to have to separate. We got the phone call really late on Saturday night. Once Elder Lindsey told us that we were safe together, I just started crying. It was so hilarious. Everyone in the apt was laughing at me. Don’t worry... we got in on tape. :) I’ll be sending that soon.

Happy Almost Halloween everybody! I sent awesome letters to all of you, and then they were sent back, and so I am going to resend them. :)

Ni hao! Nimen hen bang. Wo zhenda hen ai nimen! Nimen shi wo zui hao de pengyou. Wo xian nian nimen danshi wo zhidao shijain kuai daole. na meiyou guanxi. wo hai you shijian. wo ai wo de chuanjiao.

Anyways. This week was power up week!! yahoo! I realize that means nothing to any of you. ha Elder Lindsey gave us a "power" goal each day. He gave us all these tools to help us try and reach our goal. We promised to do our best to try and hit the power up goal. We were super diligent, and totally rocked our goals out of the water. It was way fun. He was a great District Leader. We saw a couple of cool miracles because of it.

We were riding our bikes, and I saw this girl getting off her scooter. I stopped and talked to her. She was just about to go into a restaurant. We just started telling her how great this gospel is and how much she needs it in her life. She asked us if we had eating lunch. We hadn’t yet, and so she bought our lunch as we talked to her about the gospel! It was so great. We are meeting with her tonight, and I am excited to keep teaching her. She was great. Her name is Judy.

Fun story number 2. The Elder in our area gave us a referral. Pan Mama. She is 60yrs old, and her husband has just recently died. She is so sweet, and has such a great heart. We went and visited her on Saturday night, and it was a great end to a great day. Because her husband died her husbands family is selling all of her stuff for money and kicking her out of her house. Its so weird. Its so sad. When we first sat down with her were small talking it up getting to know her, and then she just started pouring out her heart. Then she started crying, and I just ran and gave her a big hug. She hugged me so tight, and was crying so hard, naturally I just started crying. She has a heart condition, and so she kept saying: "I don’t want my heart to hurt anymore." It was so sad and cute all at the same time. She has incredible amounts of faith. She kept saying that she knows if she relies on God he will bless her. She says that she prays when she is sad and when she is in pain, and that she always knows that God is there watching over her.

No matter how old you are, or what walk of life you come from this gospel can bless your life. I feel like prayer is a big band-aid, and I know the Savior can help heal any wound. I love being missionary. Only because my life has purpose and what I do everyday is important. But the coolest part is that even when I am not a missionary anymore I can still be doing important things everyday. I can love and serve and lift and bless and inspire just like the Savior did and I don’t need a name tag to love everyone’s guts out..

Emily. Let me tell you about Emily. We found her tracting. She’s single, and works for a fan store in America. She is our progressing investigator. She is reading and praying, and changing and growing, and its so cool. She wasn’t to be happy and peaceful. And I can tell she’s going to take a lot of work and love, but she is so worth it. I am excited to keep you updated.

I love you guys. The church is true, and it changes life. Study the Book or Mormon, prayer for longer than you usually pray, do something nice for someone else that you don’t want to do, forgive and forget, and just love people.

:) Sis Lee

Week 34 - Wo hen kuile! That means I am really happy.

2011-10-17T10:03:00.000-06:00

A Pet Pig!

Birthday Bash!

Oct 17

I’m being tempted!!

I have never experienced true temptation on my mission until now... The man to my left is watching the last part of Harry Potter 7?? I’m dying people...DYING?! But still surviving and not looking at his screen. Be proud.

All of my roommates write to their families in Chinese. Or they put Chinese words into their emails, and I think that would be good for you guys to be a tad bit cultured so that is what I am going to do to.

In Taiwan, if someone asks you if you want something you have to say bu yao, or bu yong. That means. I don’t want it. I don’t use it. It sounds so rude, but that is how you have to communicate with these people. Straight forward. I think we could all learn a good lesson form the Taiwanese. In some ways they communicate way healthier than Americans. When my companion wants me to give it to her straight she says: "Stop being an American." ha its funny... I encourage everyone to be more straightforward about what you feel and what you want. It’s the way to go. You actually get what you want or don’t want and you communicate your feelings.

Today was Sister Rigby’s birthday celebration. We all sang her Happy Birthday in our man morning voices as the alarm was still going off this morning. It was pretty funny. We spent the day shopping, eating and all getting our hair cut. We took pictures, and laughed all day. It was so much fun. Tomorrow is actually her real birthday, but tomorrow is sister exchanges so I won’t be here. I’ll be with another Sister doing some missionary work somewhere else. :) She had a great day. I know it. I took so many pictures of her today I felt like Mom. It was such a good feeling. :) Oh! We went out to eat today, and I didn’t like my noodles. I have been here long enough to taste a difference between good noodles and bad noodles. It’s exciting!

On Tuesday we were eating at our regularly Douhua place. We were leaving and the cute worker started talking to us. She was so cute and so nice, and started asking us all sorts of questions. She has lived in Tokyo, Japan for the last 20 years and was visiting this weekend. We invited ourselves back into the place and sat down with her, so we could continue talking to her. It was great getting to know her. We just started talking about how much our missions have changed our lives, and how grateful we are for the knowledge of the gospel, and how it has blessed our family... by the end of the lesson she was crying and telling us that the reason why she was in Taiwan was because she was there for her brothers funeral. She was really sweet, and we were able to give her a Book of Mormon. We got her information and we will send it to Japan, but I know she has the most important book ever. I really hope she reads it. It’s will change her life!

Remember that great investigator Cherry we met last week that was from the Philippines? Well she disappeared. She won’t answer her phone. It’s so bizzaro that this keeps happening. We have amazing great first sit-downs, and then they disappear. ??? Well we went to go hunt her down, and thought about lingering around the 7 / 11 where we met her. ha We didn’t find her unfortunately but, we did find another miracle sit down. She was smoking outside, and so we naturally started talking to her. (That’s what we do…We are missionaries.) Come to find out, she had been to church before and she loved it. We gave her a B of M and she was reading before we got on our bikes. We have a meeting set up with her this week. It’s going to be great getting to know her a little bit more.

We saw success and the Lord blessed us by finally meeting a couple of our Less Actives and Recent Converts that we haven’t met all move call?! We were SO excited. Because of their schedule and their stubbornness its been really really hard to meet up with them, but we got to meet some of them this last week, and it was great. We had great lessons, and invited lots of them to start praying and reading again.

Hmm what else? All is well over in Tanzi. I love my companion, I love my ward, I love my cute Recent Converts Less Active's, and I love those people I don’t really know yet. We had 2 solid progressing investigators, and they just kinda dropped off into the middle of no-where and so we are still faithfully searching for those ready and willing to change their lives and accept this gospel.

I love you guys. Thanks for updating me, and keeping me involved in your life. I love you all so very much. I pray for you like all the time. :)

Love you!

Sis Lee

Week 33 - General Conference is just as good as getting letters in the mail.

2011-10-09T09:24:00.000-06:00

Oct 9 - Read this one…it’s pretty funny!

I loved this weekend! I can’t believe that its over. I feel like this October conference was way faster than any other session I have watched. Maybe time speeds up really fast as a missionary because it even felt like the prayers were shorter than usual? Of course it was all really good and I have a million favorite parts but I will tell you the ones that are coming to my mind right now. Elder Scotts talk on memorizing scriptures. I have already memorized Psalms 37:5 "Commit thy ways unto the Lord, and trust also in him, and he shall direct thy paths." Good one huh? :) I also cried all through Sister Daltons talk cause Dad is like my best friend ever, and he had followed all of her advice to the T. It was such a peaceful feeling knowing that I am already "grown up" and have been so well taken care of by my dad. Also I loved loved Elder Richardson’s talk about teaching by the spirit. I just so happen to be a missionary type teacher and so that was something I really loved hearing. Anyways... Conference weekend was the bomb.

It was also Sister Bryce’s birthday this weekend and so we celebrated with birthday cake between sessions, and eating smores at night. Its so much fun living in a 4 man. My companion is my bestest friend ever. I’m so lucky.

This week was really good. Extra good for some reason? We worked really really hard, and I think that is why it felt so good. I mean we work hard everyday, but you know... its just that satisfaction you get when you hit your goals, and you are doing all you can type feeling.

The Lord blessed us with a miracle this week. Sister Rigby and I had to use the bathroom at 7/11 and we bumped into a friend. She was staring at us, and so we went over and talked to her. She started speaking to us in English, which was a pleasant surprise. Her name is Cherry and she is from the Philippines. She is married to a Taiwanese man, and she has to great little boys. We happened to catch her right after work. She asked why we were in Taiwan and so we just started testifying that our church was true. We asked her if she has time to sit down with us right then, and she did! We pulled up chairs to a table and we taught her a first lesson. She told us that she was lonely in Taiwan, and that she was having a hard time at work. It was great timing meeting her because she was humble and ready to listen to our message. She is so cute, and I know she really felt the spirit. We told her that God is aware of her, and loves her and she cried. Its crazy what miracles can happen as a result of a bathroom break. Tons of moments happen like this every week. Its such a blessing to see Gods hand in our plans, and in our day. Well Cherry was willing to come to General Conference this weekend! She came totally soaked it up, and left an hour later than she was supposed too because she was so wrapped up in the spirit. I am so grateful that we have found a prepared investigator! Yahoo for missionary work.

On another good note. Someone on the road this week was willing to set up with us, because my companion made her laugh her head off. I contacted this lady on the railroad tracks last night. Because of traffic I ended up somehow in front of her instead of beside her. Sister Rigby noticed so she rode ahead of me, parked her bike on the railroad tracks, and then went over and stood next to the girl and started teaching with me. :) We got her information, we set up a time, and we were talking to her about baptism when the railroad tracks lights started beeping and flashing. haha ok. haha. So anyways. My companion goes into panic mode and starts yelling and flailing her arms about as she runs back to her bike. Because she was scared she obviously had a hard time thinking rationally about how to get her bike off the tracks. Instead of kicking up her kick stand and calmly rolling her bike to safety she starts dragging it towards herself in the possibly the most incontinent way possible. Me and this cute woman were dying laughing. It was so hilarious. She was screaming and seriously stressed out, and all I did was cry with laughter. It was so great. I am excited for this person to get to meet us on Tuesday. She is going to love us. I just started telling Sister Rigby about what I was typing and she had already told her family, and so I am going to include her version as well. :)

Sister Rigby version:

Next story. Yesterday we were riding home and my comp saw a girl on a scooter waiting for the train to pass. We went over and talked to her and ended up pulling to the side to swap info. Im a dummy and parked my bike right by the tracks and got off to go talk to her. Right as I was telling her about baptism and committing her to be baptized (because that’s what we do here) I was just in the middle of "Are you willing" when the ding ding ding of the railroad went off and the lights started flashing. I immediately forget everything except getting my bike away from the train and basically yelled the rest of my sentence at her, didn’t wait to hear her answer and ran frantically over to my bike before the things could close on me. Obviously incapable of thinking rationally, instead of kicking up my kickstand and rolling my bike calmly to safely, I went into panic mode and started dragging my bike sideways, very slowly but not on purpose, my bike was seriously like, not moving. So then in my frantic state I start like, grunt yelling as I huff and puff my bike sideways and just as the things start closing I finally make it to the other side. This to me felt like an hour when in reality this all happened within about 15 seconds. I finally realized what an idiot I must look like and look up to see my comp in tears, screaming laughing and then I look behind me and the girl is like, wide mouth laughing at me. They were seriously hysterical. The only thing my comp could get out was, " You looked.....so .... Intense.....so concentrated.....and panicked! Why didn’t ..... you just..... kick up ...your kickstand!!?? "

She was gasping for breath. She thought it was hilarious and so did the woman I yelled a baptismal goal at. She later told me as I ran over I was flailing my arms about. Who we are meeting with next Tuesday :) As we were riding away we were both in tears laughing at how incapable I am of remaining calm and my comp says, "well, at least we know she thinks were funny, now she’s like, ten times more likely to show up to meet with the weirdo Americans." Oh good.

Well I love life, and missionary work. Thanks for all your prayers and love and support. I am so lucky to have this gospel. I am lucky to know that I am divine, and that I can have lasting happiness in this life. It’s all because Jesus Christ is my savior and Joseph Smith was willing to pray about his salvation.

I love you guys...

Love Sis Lee

Week 32 - Whata week :)

2011-10-03T10:53:00.001-06:00

Oct 3, 2011

Hi Hi Hi family...

We went to an amusement park today. SOO much fun! The weather was kinda cloudy today and so there were only 5 other people at the park. We got to ride every ride as many times as we wanted, and we definitely took full advantage of that. The bumper cars man let us bump into each other for an hour and a half. I am so sore….so worth it though.

We had a good week. Every week is a good week really. We had Zone Conference, which was a spiritual pump up. We talked about the importance of covenants, and it made me grateful for my own convents I had made, and made me super excited to help my investigators prepare to make the covenants of baptism.

So we are still having a really fun time trying to find investigators. I know that there are prepared people everywhere, but the trick is that they don’t even know it. We talk to a ton of people everyday, and we set up lots of apts. People just don’t show up all the time, but that’s the life of a missionary. :)

We decided to start going places where no other missionaries have gone. Our thought process was that maybe more people would be more receptive to our message because they have never seen us... The places include the mountains, and little tiny roads that are inconveniently out of the way. We have been seeing success though, and so our strategy is working!! ha We got chased my a three legged dog, had a lesson with an Amah who thought I looked like Joseph Smith, and met a couple of really cute families, along with cute girls our age. It’s also been good because we have gotten to know our area better.

We have one cute investigator who is a nurse. She is so spunky, and her family is so Buddhist. We met with her right after Zone Conference and so we were pumped. We were really frank with her about reading, praying, and our purpose and it was such a great lesson. She agreed to read, and pray. Due to her crazy schedule we only get to see her once a week, but we have been following up with her, and she is doing great. (Her name is Yi Chang)

Our other great investigator didn’t come to church yesterday. I was about to cry/strangle her. She promised. We ran over to her house 10 min before sacrament meeting started and she didn’t answer her phone when the security guard called her. He wouldn’t let us go upstairs and pound down her door. She promised that she was going to come. She loved church last week!! I don’t know what happened? We were sad, and because she doesn’t have a house or cell phone we haven’t been able to get a hold of her. I’ll keep you posted.

All right, well I am super glad everyone had a wonderful conference weekend. Our goal this week is to get all our investigators to at least one session of general conference. I am SO excited I can hardly wait... :) Ok. Well I love being a missionary, and I wouldn’t rather be doing anything else right now. This message changes people and it’s changing me. I am learning so much everyday. What it means to be bold, and loving. What it means to sacrifice, what it means to listen and to find and teach by the spirit. What it means to study the scriptures, and how rewarding it is when you reach your goals.

Study conference. Read it on line. Eat it up. It’s the best thing in the world right now. Literally.

I love you all so much. Can’t wait to talk to you next week.

xoxo

Love, Sis Lee

Week 31 - Bats, Heart Attacks and Fat Cats!

2011-09-28T15:04:00.002-06:00

Bowling on P-day!

Sept 26, 2011

I just copied the subject line from my companion. She is way more creative than I am. ha

I shall explain: Bats: We have them everywhere.... She is terrified of them, and she sometimes wont bike behind me because there are bats in the road. haha So funny.

Heart attacks: This week we went and visited a ton of less actives in our ward. It was good because we got to know our area a lot better, and find their houses so next time we are by there house we can go visit them. At each door we left three little hearts in a cute little cluster on their front door so they would feel loved. We haven’t been able to get a hold of any of them, so we don’t know if they saw them. But it was really fun, and who doesn’t feel loved when they come home to a heart surprise on their door from the sister missionaries. :)

Ok speaking of less actives, and heart attacks... Last night we went to go visit a recent convert we have never met before. Her mom answered the door and we talked to her for a second. She wasn’t home so we were about to leave, and I asked her if I could give her a hug. She laughed and smiled and totally was not into it. She told me she didn’t want a hug, and that Taiwanese people aren’t used to that. So I backed off and was like ok no biggie. Well for some reason she lingered and kept asking us questions about our church and the gospel. I love it when people ask questions. :) Anyways we ended up teaching her and saying a prayer. It was really cool. Well we were getting ready to leave a second time and I again asked her again if I could give her a hug. She said no again with a big smile on her face, so I started to head toward her with my arms stuck out and she started to back up and kept smiling and shaking her head, so I just chased her down the street and gave her a big hug that she didn’t really want. I’m pretty sure I gave her a heart attack. haha

Fat Cats: We went bowling as a district today, and it was a lot of fun. Sister Riby destroyed. 131. I got 48. haha It was great fun, and we took a lot of classic pictures. Oh and the best part is that its seriously seconds away from our house. We totally gotta go again.

Anyways this week was good! We have three investigators! Three more than last week. Yahoo! We are excited. One was a former referral form the Elders. She’s twenty, cute, works, willing to get baptized, and her family doesn’t even oppose. I am so grateful for previous diligent missionaries that planted seeds so I could have a chance to teach our new friend.

Liu JM is also another former from years and years and years ago. She still has an old translation of the Book of Mormon in Chinese. Sister Riby found her on the road. She doesn’t have a home phone, but that’s ok. She keeps her word, and every time she said she would be at the church, she was. She is kinda in a rough patch in life, and so is willing to change. Boy I am grateful for solid members because she had a lot of questions we wouldn’t have been able to answer unless Lin Jm was there. We are excited to teach her how the Atonement can better work in her life.

Our third investigator is a cute little nurse. She came to church all by her self a couple of weeks ago, and she loved it. She’s really busy and we don’t even see her during the week, but we have been teaching her over the phone, and she’s been keeping her commitments. She’s really great.

All week we have been outside coming up with crazy ways we can come up with new investigators and have started noticing when the better times and places we need to be so we can increase our chances of getting people to set up with us.

You would think it would have been a long terrible week, but it was great! We got to know our area, our members, the map, and things not to do, and places not to go. We have a fantastic District Leader and another companionship of sisters that have been nothing but encouraging. :) I’m learning lots, and my companion and I are growing together.

Ok so another highlight from this week was Sister Tan's birthday. All three of my roommate’s birthdays are in the month of October/September. Fun huh! Thank goodness I have an AMAZING mom who has taught me that birthdays are a big deal, and that making them be a big deal is important. She was so spoiled and we had a blast! We get to celebrate two more times before the move-call is over.

I can’t believe that General conference is this weekend! I am so excited, and so jealous!! We won’t get to watch it for another couple weeks, but I am also stoked. Everyone to remember to prayerfully think of a question you wants to get answered. It will and you deserve that revelation from your Father in Heaven.

When we were meeting with Lin JM our member was so great at bearing really good testimony about how individual this gospel is. We can never forget that. It’s about our salvation, our choices, our happiness, our dedication to the Lord, our willingness to keep the commandments, and our personal relationship with him. How grateful I am for that personal relationship. It’s grown a lot stronger on my mission. :)

I love you guys!! I hope everyone has a great week!! xoxo

Love Sister Lee

Week 30 - Week of Mini Miracles and Seed Planting

2011-09-28T14:58:00.005-06:00

Us loving the Mac & Cheese her grandma sent.

My legs...my poor legs! I have 62 Bites!

Me and my Companion

My Roommates

Sept 19, 2011

Hi Hi Hi Everyone!

It was a great week. The weather was beautiful and the Lord really blessed us... Because we don’t have any investigators we had a lot of time to go meet the ward, and so it was really great getting to know them better and find out where their houses were. We met the whole Bishopric and the whole Relief Society Presidency, as well and the Stake President and the Old Mormon families in the ward. I am so grateful we have such a great ward!! I’m so spoiled to be here. Once we get investigators I know that we will be so loved and well taken care of.

Here is the week in a nutshell.

Monday: We went to go meet the Bishop and his family! We were worried about getting a little lost and so we actually got to his house early, and so we decided to go tracting nearby. We noticed a lady on a scooter randomly in the road and so we headed over her way. We just started talking to her, and when we were bearing simple testimony that God knows her and loves her and knows her situation and she just started balling! Sister Riby and I were taken a back and just kept testifying. We prayed with her, and asked her if she could give us her information so we could tell her more about how we can strengthen our relationship with God and she refused. She has our phone number and church address and so maybe someday she will call or at least remember the night she met the sister missionaries and so the next time she meets the missionary she is prepared. It was so cool. The spirit was so strong, and we both new that it was all God timing that we bummed into that night. We made it to the Bishops house on time, and had a great lesson with his family. He gave us a lot of names we of people in the ward we can go visit. So cool!

Tuesday: Had a wonderfully inspiring DTM about becoming a Preach my Gospel missionary. I am so grateful for leaders that lift, bless, encourage, and inspire. That night we met with Sally! She is our only investigator right now, and she is a former. She speaks English and its so weird teaching and talking to people in English about the gospel. I would so much rather do it in Chinese. ha She is great! She loves Jesus, and we set up a time with her to meet later on in the week.

Wednesday: We went to go visit the Primary President and her cute little boy asked his mom why missionaries were so ugly. It was so classic, and so funny. Kids don’t lie. :)

Thursday passed off Phase 1!! Yahoo! That means that I get to start studying characters. We met with Sally again, and it was a little discouraging. We has an awesome lesson about the Restoration, and she totally believes that Joseph Smith was prophet and the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that this is Christ’s church, but she thinks that all churches are Christ’s' church. It’s so hard when you don’t know how to help your investigators.

Friday: Met with the Relief Society President. Had a great meeting with her, and she helped us get to know a lot about the ward, and the families in the ward. She is so great. We had a mini miracle happen and we met with an investigator that came to church by her self last week and called to set up with us. She is our age and a nurse. She is super and busy, but really sincere and the cutest thing ever. Mana from the Heavens I tell you. We were so excited.

Saturday: The Elders had a baptism and so we invited Sally to come. She LOVED it, and totally understood the symbolism and totally felt the spirit. When we explained that we are baptized the way Jesus was baptized she was eating it up and we were all pumped because we knew she was going to accept our baptismal invitation. We asked her to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized and she politely declined. She has already been baptized, and once was good enough. It was such a let down and discouraging, but that is missionary work. You live and you learn. You fall down and you get back up.

Sunday: Was a hard day. Sorta a bust. Church was good, but Sally came to church, and then left? One of the members told us.. We found out that because she came during the sacrament and so because she couldn’t go in, she just left. Sad, but there is always next week. After Ward Correlation we left to go to our apts and everyone either canceled, rescheduled or stood us up. We came home for dinner totally discouraged. Before we left the house again we had no plans, but we said a big prayer that we would be led on where to go, and what to do. We decided to go tracting. We both agreed on a spot, parked our bikes and started tracting. The first house we knocked on let us in. We taught their family, asked them to be baptized and we are going back to see them on Tuesday. It was such a miracle. I was so so humbled and thankful that we had such a prepared family fall into our laps. The power of the Holy Ghost is real and he loves his missionaries. The Lord is so good to us. We had a lot of success that night. One other lesson with an investigator that we are visiting later that week, and 6 other people we have apts with. We were so so grateful.

Ok. Ya that was my week in a nutshell. I love you all! Talk to you next week.

xoxo

Love Sis Lee

Week 29 - I like where I live now! :)

2011-09-28T14:47:00.005-06:00

The chicken sandwich that brought us together!

Getting ready for the baptism.

Saying good bye to the Zhou Family.

My English class friends.

Having fun with my Comp! :)

Sister Tan and Sister Rigby's convert that Sister Bryce and I got to meet.

Sep 12, 2011

Hi family,

I moved! :)

It was Wednesday night and Sister Liu got the call from President to be trainer. I secretly knew it was coming.... :) I am now in the most northern part of my mission. Tanzi. Its great. I think it still counts as a small city, but its a really big city compared to where I just came from. I am living in another 4 man apartment. Its fun as usual. :) My companions name is Sister Rigby and she is from Utah. She is like an in the closet cowgirl, and she’s absolutely beautiful. She loves to laugh and is so easy to get along with. I just love her. (I love all of my companions.)

Because of the special circumstances, I left my area on Friday morning and started move call a couple days early. The other companionship living with us is Sister Tan, and Sister Bryce. Sister Tan is training Sister Bryce. :) One of the members from the Tanzi ward took us out to lunch today, and it was SO much fun. All you can eat Taiwanese buffet. It was so great. The whole mission knows that Tanzi Ward has the most amazing members. I am so blessed to be here.

So yeah... There you go. That’s my new status. I’m up north, I live with 4 girls, and I have the best ward in the whole mission. I like it up here. Don’t get me wrong. I miss my companion, and my area, and my investigators. I went to say goodbye to the Shi Family and I cried a lot. I made them pinky promise me that I would see them next year at the Temple. Oh. Speaking of Temple. I get to go this move call because I am up North. I’m excited. :)

I was SO blessed before leaving Daliao and we has Sandy’s baptism. That was the only day her grandparents could come, and it just so worked out that was the last night in my area. We didn’t have any kid baptism close so she wore a big persons suit, and she looked so cute all swallowed up in it. She was really afraid to get in the water, and started crying before we got into the water. (She has never been swimming before) Sister Liu and I said a prayer with her and a couple of members that were trying to comfort her. After the prayer she wiped off her tears and climbed into the font. She was so brave and did it! She was still a little shaky getting out of the water, but we were so proud of her for still doing it without a big fuss even though she was terrified of the water. The Lord listens to every prayer big or small. It’s powerful.

Afterwards she bore the cutest testimony. She said how grateful she was to everyone who supported and comforted her before getting baptized, and that she knows heavenly father loves her because he comforted her before her baptism and made her feel so warm and happy after her baptism. She started crying and got all emotional. Her grandma was there on the front lines to see everything, and it was just a really special moment I hope they both remember forever. I will miss her, but we will be forever friends.

So I love my new area, but the only thing about it, is that we have zero investigators. None. Nada. Zip. I’m slightly feeling somewhat of a lot of pressure to find people to teach and to hit our goals for the month. My companion was only here for 2 weeks before I was, and so we are practically are white washing the area. Its sorta kinda nuts, and I’m nervous, but I know we are going to see miracles in this area. The ward is incredible, and Sister Rigby is great. We have a lot of faith, and mighty prayers to match. I don’t know what to do or where to start really, but I know it’s going to be ok. I know that I am not doing this alone, and that the Lord knows better than both my and I. He knows what this area needs, and where we need to be so we can find those people are ready to receive us.

Ok... I’m I still funny? Do my emails still sound like my self? Can you still see my talking to you through this computer screen? I sure hope so. It would be terribly boring to read my emails every week if it didn’t feel like me.... I’m ok right? Ok. Good. I’m fine. I feel better. :)

I pray for you like all the time. (Its true cause I really pray all the time. I’m a missionary) I love you my dear little family. Talk to you soon.

Love Sis Lee

Week 28 - My Week

2011-09-08T15:14:00.005-06:00

Nina...my atheist friend.

Cold Stone on P-day

Pink: Me, Green: Sister Liu

Sept 5, 2011

Every week Dad writes me what happens each day, and I love it. So that is what I am going to do for you guys this week.

Monday: Wrote you, rode my bike in a typhoon, and played with the sisters in my zone and taught my cute little Sandy. This is my favorite thing that she told us on Monday night. Us: “Sandy why do you want to get baptized?" Sandy: “Because when I prayed about it, it felt good, and I felt warm, and I know Jesus loves me."

Tuesday: Was district training meeting! So much fun. Its great seeing all my friends, and getting excited about each others success. Elder Huang gave a great lesson on the importance of asking questions. Asking questions gives us a chance to let the spirit teach. We did a practice where we could only teach the principle of Repentance asking questions. It was really cool because "the investigator" teaches themself and it allows the spirit to guide the lesson. It was a totally inspired topic, because as we used what we learned this week Sister Liu and I found our lessons were lots more effective. We have amazing leaders in my mission. DTM is always such a great part of my week.

Wednesday: Got a package from Mom!! Such a great way to end my day. I shared my airheads with my Sister Liu, and we both had fun eating American candy. The day was packed with little small miracles. Every single former and less active person we called that day was willing to set up an appointment. We were thrilled. Sandy had her baptismal interview and passed. :) We are so excited for her.

Thursday: There is an old lady that sits in a wheelchair in front of her house everyday, and watches traffic go by. Because she lives on the same road the church is on we see her every single day and wave. :) She loves seeing us, and we love seeing her. One of our morning apts didn't show up, and so we decided to go say hi. She has three kids that are all grown up and live in Taipei. She is 86 years old, and has the most beautiful smile. It was really great getting to know her. We prayed with her before we left, and invited her to church. I am grateful that we had time to go and see her. She’s great. Last week we met a great couple on the road. We invited them to church, but they weren’t able to make it. We invited the wife to a relief society activity instead. She came and brought the whole family, and we were thrilled. On Thursday we went to go visit the family and it was so great seeing them. They live in a part of our area we had never been to before and so it was fun taking a long summer bike ride out to their house. Nothing beats teaching families.

Friday: Nins my atheist friend went off to college and so the last time we saw her was Friday for lunch. She is great. She is getting baptized....just not yet. :) The sisters in the district next to us baptized a family of 4 girls two weeks ago, and we found out that they actually lived in our ward boundaries. So Friday night we met with the Yuansan sisters and our great new recent convert family. It was a miracle that we found their house. Totally 100% a tender mercy. We were just riding around and bumped into it. We beat the other sisters to the house, and got to meet the family before they got there. The mom has such great faith. It’s amazing how quickly you can fall in love with strangers.

Saturday: We ate lunch with Sis Zhang. She is one of our great eternal investigators. We ate at some place off the side of the road that was out of control good. I ate Pig colon, pig foot, and pig liver. I was really proud of myself.

Sunday: Sundays are the most rewarding day of the week I think. You work so hard with your investigators and members all week, and work hard to help them come to church. When they come to church you are SO excited because they get to take the sacrament and get super blessed. Sunday is like taking a big breath of air, and just spiritually relaxing and letting every part of you just enjoy sitting in church and helping your investigators just soak in the goodness! We met with the Shi family, and talked to them about their temple goal. I just love them. :)

Monday: Sister Liu and I went to Cold Stone! On the way we bought awesome matching watches and cute new skirts for 50quai?! So cheap. So great. ha It was really fun, and relaxing. Later tonight we have plans to get stuff ready for Sandy’s baptism on Wednesday and meet with the Ward Coordinator to figure it all out. We are also going to go visit her and have a lesson on Enduring Conversion.

I love being a missionary. So many tender mercies happen each day. Its so great meeting new friends and helping others follow Christ and seeing how they get to grow and realize how this gospel can bless their life. I love you all soo much. I pray for you, did you know? Until next week… :)

Love Sis Lee

Week 27

2011-08-30T10:52:00.004-06:00

Yummy!

All the Sisters in her Zone.

Nice!

Stinky Tofu...it tastes as bad as it smells.

The track where she runs. (picture taken from her window)

Well I love my whole Famdamly... So much fun hearing from you guys. Everyone is so healthy, and doing so good! I am really grateful that the Lord is taking such good care of you guys. I am so lucky to be able to not worry about "things back home". Thanks for your love and support. I hope you liked my pictures! :)

I experienced my first Typhoon today. Sooo much fun! Loved every second. :)

Anyways...

I am doing way good. I love my companion, and she inspires me to be better everyday. We work hard and play hard. Our favorite thing is chocolate and singing while we ride our bikes. I can’t get enough of her.

Good week, good week! Everyday we pass a cute couple that sells chicken sandwiches. They are delicious and we will buy some from them at least once a week. We have been inviting them to church and to English class for a while now, and this Wednesday their daughter finally came! We were so excited. She is so cute. Her name is "Abby" and she is 17. She said her parent’s sandwich truck has been opened for 17 years. Anyways she met with us and we had a great meeting, she has great questions about the restoration, and she was curious about if we were scared about the end of the world. It was cool being able to tell her how because we have the restored gospel, and through Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon we know that Christ will come again, and those who follow him won’t be scared.

We have been meeting with this cute little girl named "Sandy". (9 years old, so well behaved, and so smart.) I met her at Abby’s parents chicken sandwich truck actually. :) She was getting sandwiches with her Grandma on Wednesday and so I invited her to English. She came and loved it, we invited her to church that Sunday, and she came and loved it. Remember the day we went on our beautiful mountain bike ride? It was because we were actually trying to find her house. We have been meeting with her and she has been praying and reading everyday. Because she is so little, we were worried that she was just doing what we told her to do because she likes us, and she wasn’t really gaining her own testimony. When we asked her why she reads the Book of Mormon and prays she answered: It’s because I know God loves me. She has such pure faith, and it’s inspiring. Meeting with her reminds me of the scripture in 3 Nephi 11:38 "And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can not in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. :) Her Grandma is so great to her. We are so grateful that Grandma is willing to bring her to English and to church. (She lives with Grandma because her parents got divorced when she was really young and her mom up and left, as well as her dad.) Well On Wednesday night after English the Elders had a baptism and she was able to go. She really liked it, and is excited for her own baptism. Sister Liu and I love her. She is so full of life, and so willing to be a good girl and follow Jesus.

I love my mission because of the people I meet and fall in love with. :)

I love you guys so much! I pray for you everyday. Did you know that?

Love Sis Lee

Week 26

2011-08-22T19:20:00.004-06:00

Sister Guo's Baptism
Sister Liu

Sister Museus and Friends!

She made her bike ugly.

Her church building.

Sister Liu is the best. We have so much fun together.

Last P-day we waited for Sister Museus family to come and pick her up. They never showed up. haha So we got to go back to the Hotel on Tuesday and meet up with them. It was so weird seeing her see her family for the first time in a year and a half. They took us out to lunch after words and we got to meet her family, and tell them about what it is like being a missionary in Taiwan. It was really fun. :)

Because Sister Museus has been so excited to go home all last move call, I felt like I had one foot in America, and one foot in Taiwan. Now I am totally submerged in the culture and language and I love it.

Yesterday I had a moment where I felt like I was in a movie. We had went to go visit one of our investigators and drop off her Book of Mormon, her house is somewhere we had never been before and we had asked a friendly neighbor if the road we were on would take us to our next apt. He said it would, but we would be going up a mountain. We decided to take a chance, and go check it out. Sure enough, it was a full on mountain, and it was SOO beautiful! There were rolling hills, and beautiful trees, and the sun was setting! I was squealing because I was loving it so much. We passed a really cool christian graveyard, and pineapple fields! It was both our first time seeing a pineapple field, so we pulled over and just soaked in the moment. There was a point where we were riding next to each other singing, "I love to see the temple" Sister Liu in Chinese and Me in English. It was just a small moment, but it was a really strong testimony to me of how worthwhile our message is. Two different girls from different sides of the world, with a special bond, because we both share the same testimony. Our foundation in Christ is what wakes us up in the morning and determines what happens to us that day. The truth of the gospel is that real, and that powerful, that we were willing to make choices in our life that lead us up to that moment singing on our bikes, about how we want to have a forever family. I know it sounds really cheesy, and it kinda was, but it was really cool and I will never forget it. :) Our friendly neighbor was right, the mountain path did eventually lead into our next apts neighbor hood. Yesterday was the best day ever.

This week we went to go eat bing, and on the wall were about a hundred phone numbers. We got 2 referrals and one new investigators from the first number that we called off the wall. It was a good lunch. ha We told the Elders about it at English that night, and after class we heard them discussing that they were going to get bing later on that day. ha funny funny. :)

CDTM was on Thursday, and it was great seeing President and Sister Bishop. The topic was on mighty prayer, and what miracles can be produced form praying with a sincere and humble heart. It was really great, and just what I needed.

I love you all so much. Thanks for writing me, and telling me about life and what’s going on. I love hearing about it. You are the best. I have the best family in the world thanks for supporting me in my decision to serve a mission. It is the most important thing I could be doing right now. I love every second of it. :) This message changes lives, and I get to see that first hand everyday. This church is not how I live but why I live.

Love you all,

Sis Lee

Week 25

2011-08-22T19:19:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! It sounds like everyone had a great first week of school. Im really glad that everyone like their new teachers.

Ive got 10 min. Bear with me. :)

It was Sister Museus last week and so we did a lot of last week things. I got new handlebars for my bike. She had old school handlebars, and she gave them to me once she left. I’m so excited about it, it’s the first thing that I decided to write about in my email home. My bike is the coolest thing ever. I’m excited for you guys to see pictures next week.

I love love love my new companion. A little about Sister Liu. Convert. Whole family got baptized when she was 13. From Taipei. 23 years old. Has freckles. Speaks awesome English and Chinese. :) So ridiculously easy going. SUCH a good teacher. Her Mom owns a store called Bountiful Living right next to the Temple. It’s like the Taiwan Desert Book. Pretty fun huh. She lived in Utah for 10 months a couple of years ago, and her favorite restaurant is Cafe Rio. Love her to death.

It was fun having all three of us together all week. It was a little bit of a crowd, but that means it was a little bit of a party, and we had one extra person to work hard to find new investigators and such. Such a good week! We had 11 investigators at church this week, and we were all really excited. Every time you get a new companion its like a fresh new start. New start with the ward, new start with your goals, and a new set of investigators. I’m really excited to preach and teach with her.

Anyways. We have Combined District Training Meeting this next week. Its all about prayer. Our Mission President has asked us to find ways we can improve our prayers and make them more meaningful. One of my favorite things about being a missionary is teaching people how to pray. I hear people pray for the first time in their life and it gives me the chills. I get the opportunity to tell them that they have a father in heaven and they can actually talk to him. We met a great Mom the other night, and while were having a lesson with her family and teaching her kids how to pray she asked: "Will God really listen? Will he really talk back, if I talk to him?" We explained to her that God has been talking to her whole life. Through her happy thoughts, and feelings he communicates his love to her and he family. It was really cool to hear her prayer and the end of lesson, and hear her pray for her family. I love little moments like this. It’s not a great story, or anything spectacular that happened, but something as small as helping one of Gods children recognize God in her life. Moments like these are the moments that make my mission so amazing. :)

We have a fun week ahead of us teaching lots of new friends, I am excited to tell you guys all about it.

Love Sis Lee

We ate smores every night before going to bed.

Week 24

2011-08-22T19:17:00.001-06:00

Hey Everyone...

I loved all the families emails. I got a double load because of the last week mix up. :) Thanks everyone. I love you all. I hope you all have a great week of school!

Today we went to Monkey Mountain and it was so fun. We saw real live monkeys way up close. They were all just chillen there swinging in the trees. It is Sister Museus last P-day and so I’m glad we went and did something really fun.

In just a couple of min we are going to pick up my new companion! Sister Museus is leaving on a "mini move call", (which means she leaves off of schedule so she can start school) so we were together for an extra 2 weeks. We are going to be in a threesome with Sister Liu for the last week before she leaves. I am so excited to have a Taiwanese companion. I didn’t expect to get one so soon, but I am way excited! She is so nice, and such a good teacher. I have seen her at zone conferences and stuff and I am so excited. Ill take a pictures tonight and show you guys next week. :) (We are staying in the area-Daliao)

Monday and Tuesday were awesome. Its always way fun being on sister exchanges. Sister Cooper made me spray paint my bike. I was way sad. haha Its kinda fun having it be ugly. Anyways...

We have been teaching a family with the Elders. Kinda crazy huh? The Elders first contacted the family and had been teaching them for a while. The whole family frequently comes to church, but the oldest daughter Kina is the one who is really progressing and so the Elders asked us to start teaching her. She is incredible. She comes to my English class every week, and I see her every Sunday. Her best friends are the Bishops girls, and so she is always around. She is so ready to get baptized. We set up her baptismal interview and she passed! We were so happy and so excited for her. Early in the week she was concerned that she didn’t have her own testimony and so she wasn’t ready to get baptized. We taught her a lesson this week about what it means to have a testimony, and how a testimony comes through the bearing of it. We invited her to share her testimony on Sunday, and she did! I was so moved I was of course balling in the congregation. It was so pure and so true. It was such a big deal for a little 14 year old, but she did it, and we were so proud. We are just now praying for a miracle, and that she gets her mom to sign her baptismal record so she can get baptized. It’s amazing how in bearing a small testimony can have such a big impact. It reminds me of Alma 37:6-7 "by small and simple things, great things are come to pass"

This week was going by ok until we counted numbers at the end of the week, and we realized that our progressing investigators ahve stopped progressing?? It was mildly depressing to say the least. Its so hard to see people you love not be able to reach their full potential. Ya know? I know the Lord knows best. He will take care of this area. Poor Sister Liu is going to be stressed out her first week here. ha

Ok I gotta jet.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support. I love you guys so much, and pray for you everyday. I feel like I say that every week, but its true, and I mean it. :)

Love Sis Lee

Week 23

2011-08-04T09:52:00.001-06:00

I might get to get letters from you tomorrow? Sister Museus went up to the mission home today because she is doing her end of the mission party with all the people who’s missions are over. We will still be companions for the next week, and then she will go home. So crazy? But really fun.... :) She looked great. I dressed her all up today, and made her look super cute. She secretly loved every second.

I hope you guys are having a blast the last couple days of summer. I only heard from Paige, and Student Council is going to be perfect for her. Other than that I know you guys did all sorts of fun stuff.

I am spending the day with Sister Cooper and Sister Stirling. We are going to one of the largest malls in Taiwan. Fun huh. :)

Sooo!!!

Guo Jiemei got baptized this weekend and it was a great service! I am so grateful to the Fengsan Sisters (Sister Cooper and Sister Stirling) and their ward for setting up the baptism. It was a great night. We are meeting with her tomorrow, and we are setting a temple goal! Her family will be able to be sealed while I am still on my mission, and I am so excited I get to be there for that. This gospel will change her kids. Its so great that she gets to parent with the gift of the spirit. It will be such a blessing to her in her life.

It’s the last week of the move call and so I got to go on Sister Exchanges! Sister exchanges were so much fun! Its always fun getting to learn from the other sisters and its fun getting to play hard, and work hard. Sister Demordaunt is a hoot, and a rock solid missionary. We are like the same person. She loves to shop at all the places I do, and she is obsessed with her family like I am. Her family lived in Japan from 1998-2000 do we know them? It was so much fun to figure that out. :)

Ok so good news... This week I had a Phase 1 pass off with Elder Peterson. He is such a great Zone Leader. It was good being able to serve with him here in Daliao. The pass off went really well, and the spirit was really strong. Teaching from the scriptures with a baptismal commitment is powerful.

I am so glad that President Bishop makes us run everyday. I look forward to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Not because I get to shuffle around the track studying my flashcards, but I get to see my friends! There are a group of 6 old ladies who are all best friends and I see them every morning we run, we exchange quick hellos and we go about our exercising. This week they stopped me and started talking to me! I LOVED it. After we got done with little chitchat, I got to tell them about my message, and how it could bless their lives. It was so great. He Mama, Yang Mama, Liu Mama, Cai Mama, Zhou Mama will come to church next week. I just gotta remember to bring my contact cards with me to the track. :)

We worked hard this week, and spent a long time resolving concerns with our Week B investigators. We have so many people with the white fruit in their hand, now they just gotta take a bite. It’s so hard to see people stuck in their progression and not know how to help them. :( It will work out though.

We got a new ward coordinator and we are WAY excited because our last ward coordinator was so xingku we didn’t have very effective meetings... Brother Weller is actually from America and teaching English with his wife right now and so it will be so great being able to get to talk to him in English and communicate our investigators needs.

Thanks so much for your prayers I love you guys so stinken much! I’m sorry this letter isn’t longer. ha We are "playing" today and so things are always a little crazy.

Kade, Delan, Paige, Miranda, Audrey, Mom and Dad. I love you all!!!

Have a great week :)

Love Sis Lee

Week 22

2011-07-25T11:23:00.003-06:00

The gardens are beautiful

Happy 4th of July

I had so much fun responding to everyone’s emails, the family email is going to be a little bit short this week. :)

Nina is a doll face. We love meeting with her, and she loves meeting with us. We have basically seen her everyday for a week straight. She is changing and growing, and really starting to understand about life, and God, and our purpose here. It’s so cool meeting with her, having her learn and watching the spirit work on her. She makes me cry all the time because she asks such soul searching questions, that I can bear pure straight testimony in response. It makes me just break down and get all emotional. ha Its a little embarrassing, but she always thinks its cute, but she gets all emotional too. (I’m glad. It means she feeling the spirit.) :) During personal study in the mornings, I sometimes only study for her because I’m so excited to answer her questions. She is becoming one of my favorite people here in Dalio. It’s just exciting to see her progress so fast. One day we were biking to the church to meet with her, and she popped up behind us on her bike. It was fun traveling together. :) She came to church this week, and enjoyed it. She is getting baptized next weekend. She’s ready, God has been working with her a long time before we have and she doesn’t even know it.

We had a baptismal interview this weekend! Wang Zi Yun (my little pre missionary friend) passed and we are really excited for her. I can’t wait to tell you more about her next week.

Guo Duan Mei Ying is getting baptized on Friday!! She is such a good mom (the one from China), and wants to be a better mom, and we keep promising her that the gift of the holy ghost will change the way she parents, and she really will raise good kids, that turn out great. She’s really excited for it, cause she is having a hard time with both of her little ones being home at the same time. ha she’s so funny. She keeps asking how mom did it because she had 6 kids, and I keep telling her through prayer, scripture study, and going to church. :) Thanks Mom for being such a good example and really raising us right. I love love love you.

Ok that’s really all the highlights in a mini version. :) We keep finding awesome investigators through tracking, but they are all boys so we keep giving them to the Elders. ha One of their investigators are getting baptized this Friday the same time as Sister Guo but just at a different chapel. He is one of my English Students that is a dry Mormon. He’s been investigating the church for 3 years. We are all really excited for him. :)

Ok I think that’s about it! I love you guys so much and LOVE hearing from you. Do you have any questions? Sorry if I left anything out...

I love being a missionary and I know this church is true! My investigators are the reason that I wake up in the mornings and the thing that puts me to bed at night.

Keep being good missionaries and good examples. Thanks for all your prayers. Read your scriptures, and expect answers to your sincere prayers. The Lord loves you, he is so willing to bless his children, if they listen and obey.

Drink lots of water and put on sunscreen. xox0

Love Sister Lee

Week 21

2011-07-19T09:58:00.001-06:00

Family!!

Every time I sit down to email I think about how much time has passed. I don’t know why it only happens when I am trying to write a subject line for my emails but it does. :)

This week’s email home is going to be really good, because it is full of stories.

I had my first Zone Conference, and it was everything I thought it was going to be and more. It was educational, fun, inspiring, exhausting and rejuvenating. President Bishop talked about having the "Faith to move mountains". He related it to our personal lives, and what we could be doing better as missionaries to move our personal "mountains: in order to continue our spiritual progression. He also talked about how we could help our investigators overcome their personal mountains. It was exactly what we needed to hear, and it was a great day. I got a package from Mom and it was so fun.

We met an adorable new investigator this week. Her name is "Nina" and we met her at English. She is 18 and working as a waitress as she goes through school. Her English is fantastic and so are her questions about our message. She is atheist, and doesn’t believe that we have a soul. We were able to share with her the Plan of Salvation and that God is our Heavenly Father. It was so interesting watching her, and seeing her try and wrap her brain around the idea that we live forever and that we have purpose to our life. It’s a crazy concept to think about at first, but its something that our spirit recognizes and seeing her recognize a portion of that was so touching. We had her say her first prayer in her life, and it was so sweet to hear. She agreed to come to church, and had such a great time. I am so thankful to the members in our ward for taking care of her, and accepting her. Everything that was said was so perfect for her to hear, and it was so cool being there to answer her questions. This Gospel changes lives. I see it everyday and its incredible.

Saturday was such a crazy day. We had 2 baptismal interviews set up, but after everything was said and done, we were only able to actually have one. ha Elder Wyatt was traveling from a different city to do our interviews for us and on the way over his bike tire popped. He ran 4 miles in the rain to make it to the interview. Talk about dedicated? haha We are so grateful to him! He was bright red and soaked, but he was able to do Sisters Guo interview and she passed! She is the Mom from China. Her mother in-law was the lady who has met with the missionaries since 1981. (We still haven’t been able to meet with her, but its a work in progress. Remember her? Her husband is so less active he didn’t know he was a member. Now we get to work on getting this family to go to the Temple!

No worries our other interview was Wang Zi Yun. She is the cute 17 year old who wants to go on a mission. She is doing her baptismal interview next week. :) Yay!!

There is nothing more important I could be doing with my life right now. In Preach my Gospel there is a part that says, "As your understanding of the Atonement grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase." (something like that) But you guys it’s so true! The center of our message is Jesus Christ and its of great value and importance. He is the reason why we have a forever family, and all the blessings that we do. Having a Christ centered home is so important, and everyday that’s what I get to share with people. We can all do a better job of keeping him in the center of our lives. I know we will be better at understanding what our Heavenly Father has planned for us if we learn of him and his son. We got to tell Nina about them for the first time in her life this week. We are so lucky to have the knowledge that they exist. I love being a missionary. Ok so as I write this to you, there is a man to my right who keeps asking me questions about being a missionary. :) I love being able to tell him all about why I am in Taiwan, and what I do. I was talking to his wife and daughter a little bit earlier. They were watching him play Mario Cart. ha anyways... It’s such a special work and I'm so grateful that I can be apart of it. It sounds so "missionaryish" but its true.

I love you all so so much.

Love Sister Lee

Week 20

2011-07-12T12:06:00.001-06:00

Family!!

4th of July was not anything like the 4th of July in Utah, but still really fun. :) We went out to an "American Restaurant" and then took pictures and walked along a dock. It was mostly just fun being together. I forgot to mention but 2 Sundays ago there was an American couple that moved into our ward. They are teaching English at the high school and so last week we took them around town. They are way nice, and it’s good being able to take care of them and show them where things are. It’s kinda weird for me though because there is such a big difference between living here and being a missionary here ya know? After showing them around and playing with all the other missionaries they took us out to get "mango ice" and I wrote my name on the wall. :)

We had a great day yesterday. We have been meeting with Hong Xing Lei for about 2 months. She has been coming to English, but it’s been hard getting her to come to church. Because her time is so uncertain we have a hard time meeting up with her. We have only been able to teach her the first lesson. Anyways... after inviting her to church for 8 Sundays in a row she came yesterday!! It was soo good having her there. The members were really great and took good care of her. The members that she actually clicked with were members I had never met before. They were only visiting our ward for the week, but for some reason she opened up to them and told them about all sorts of concerns we weren’t aware of. Her Dad died when she was really young, and so her Uncle had taken care of her while she was growing up, but he passed away as well. So sad huh! She was really upset not knowing where they were and what was going to happen to them. Sister Cai, and Sister Xue were awesome and told her about the Plan of Salvation and about Temple work. How we have missionaries in Heaven and how we can help them get baptized here on earth. Xing Lei was so touched that she started balling and was so relieved to hear about the Plan of Salvation. It was really sweet, and it was one of the highlights of the week.

Another highlight was that I got to go to a "Specialized Training Meeting". The Mission President and his wife came down along with the assistants and they had a great training on the Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel. It was from 8:00-8:00 and I learned so much. It was really great because I got to see all my MTC companions. There is some kind of a special bond with a companion that you can’t describe. Its like they are like family, but closer because you did something really hard together. It was a great day.

This Thursday I get to see most of them again, because it’s Zone Conference. My companion is giving her reflection talk cause she is going home at the end of the move-call. It’s so weird? Anyways. :)

There are 300 people on our ward list but only 50 are active. Crazy huh? Since Sister Museus and I are both fairly new to the area we thought that it would be a good idea to try and find part member families that we could start teaching and so we could start adding more people to our teaching pool. So this week has been a lot of hide and go seek. ha But its been nice cause we have gotten to know the area, and have found places with lots of good tracting. I also feel like we are updating the ward list for the Bishop. A lot of people have moved, and a lot have wrong numbers. It’s been a process, but I really think it will work out and we will be able to find those families the Lord wants us to help.

All of our main progressing investigators have big problems preventing them from baptism. It’s so hard to see people so close and then stumble. I imagine it’s a lot like what a parent feels about their kids who are having a hard time. Anyways this week Sister Museus and I have thought really long and hard about what we can do to help them increase their Faith and continue on progressing. Remember that investigator who wants to serve a mission? Her parents won’t let her get baptized. Its ok though. It will all work out in the Lords way and the Lords timing.

I sure love you guys. My mission is so amazing and I feel so blessed that I could be here in Taiwan. I’m learning more and more each day. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. I wish you could be here to meet all these cute people that I talk about. They feel like my family. Tonight we have a lesson with Sister Meng about Temples and I’m really excited. :)

Keep loving each other and having family prayers and scriptures study. I know its the summer, but its when you don’t want to do something is when you need it the most. :)

I love you all and pray for you everyday!!

Love Sister Camille Lee

Week 19

2011-07-12T12:05:00.000-06:00

July 3

The 4th of July weekend sounded like a dream. It actually sounds like every other year. ha But it’s my favorite holiday, and I feel like I was right there with you.

I am excited to hear how girls camp was for Paigey! I got Miranda’s letter, and will probably have to write her back next week because I won’t have time this pday. We are going out to eat at an American restaurant with the same group of awesome single members from the other ward in our stake. It should be fun. I’ll tell you guys all about it next week. I loved her letter! Miranda go to school. Do scholarships all summer long. Make it your part time job. You won’t regret it. You will have enough money for everything. Promise Promise. That’s what I’m doing when I get back from my mission. ha

Thanks for the pictures. They were my favorite part. I feel like I haven’t seen Delan in a while. I loved his communications badge letter. I totally could read it without peeking at the bottom. Sorry I don’t have any pictures for you guys this week. After today I will. Keep them coming!

Sunday was my favorite day this week. It felt like home, and I was so ridiculously happy.

I’ll tell you why:

*Sister Meng was called to serve as the second counselor in the Primary Presidency. She gets to serve with Brother Shi's wife. I’m so excited for them. When everyone sustained her I cried.

*Brother Shi was able to pass the Sacrament for the first time. He was so nervous, but did a great job. His little boy Andy was so excited to see him, that he ran up to him and took the Sacrament form his Daddy’s tray. It was so cool I started crying.

*I went to Sunday School with the youth and they did a special "Welcome the Achievement Day girls into Young Women’s" activity. All the "big sisters" were lined up across from the "little sisters" and when their name was called the "big sisters" gave the "little sisters" a poster, a welcome into young women’s gift, and a big hug. The Bishop talked about the importance of Personal Progress and then gave the "big sisters" Young Women’s necklaces to put onto the Achievement Day girls. It was so cute, and so special. I cried.

*Michelle (an awesome member who always is willing to help us teach lessons) got her mission call to Taipei! She opened it after church and the whole ward was there to support her. It reminded me of when I opened mine, and how you guys were there to support me. It was so touching I started to cry.

*Sister Huang the Relief Society President and I had a mini meeting after church about the less active members of our ward. I told her everyone we had contacted and went and visited that week. We did it all in Chinese and I cried for joy. It was so surreal, and I felt so blessed that I could communicate all that important stuff to her.

Can you guys see why Sunday was my favorite day? :)

The Lord is really blessing this ward, and I am excited to be able to be here for a while to see it grow even more.

One more highlight from this week:

Zi Yun is a cute little student I met one of my first weeks here in Taiwan. :) I contacted her while we were getting dinner one night with Sister Lew. I invited her to church and to english class. She came to church that week. Because she is really busy we can only meet with her once a week. Every Friday at 5:30 is our set time. We asked her to start reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning. We had been checking up on her all week to see how she was doing and she said she had been reading. When we met with her this friday, we asked her where she was in her Book of Mormon reading and she told us she was in 1 Nephi: 19! We were shocked. :) Only because she is so busy? It was just a testimony to me that the Book of Mormon is worth making time for and it will change your life if you read it. She had been marking it and everything. It was so exciting. I don’t know how this came up but a wonderful member asked her if she wanted to serve a mission. She said yes! I was floored. I was so excited to hear her say that. The first time I met her she asked for my Facebook, and I gave her my blog instead. She has been reading all this time, and I guess she really likes my letters home. She is changing. I can see it on her face, and in her countenance.

I love being a missionary. I love my ward. I love my investigators. I love that you love hearing about it. I love that this message is worth going all the way to Taiwan, and missing out on my family doing fun things with my family. ha

"A mission is leaving your family for two years to help another family be with theirs for eternity."

Read the Book of Mormon this week. More then once.

Love you all, Miss you all.

Love Sister Lee

Week 18

2011-06-20T09:10:00.000-06:00

Sister Lew left the area. I have a new companion her name is Sister Museus and I love her. She is from Logan Utah. We have been companions for three hours, and so far so good. :)

Shi Dixong got baptized!! It was such a great night. Every thing went really smooth and according to plan. We had lot of support from the members and it was really sweet to see how they all interacted. He is going to be so well taken care of. I know the Lord has special plans for this family. Once he was baptized he got to share his Testimony and it was incredible. It did not sound like a new member testimony at all. His little boy Andy (2) said the opening prayer and it was so cute. I said the closing prayer and the missionaries sang a musical number. It was all around just a really good day. It was so special to complete a family. I feel really blessed to be apart of it. On Sunday we went over to their house, and set a Temple goal for next year. I am so excited to help them reach that goal. :)

It was Sister Lews last week in the area and so we did a lot of visiting people and having lessons with people that she won’t ever see. We had a lot of good lessons, and concerns came up. I think because she was leaving people were comfortable telling her things. ha It was actually a blessing, and I am really grateful we now know how to better help them.

I love this area. I am excited to tell you more stories last week.

Your week sounded like so much fun! It sounded like summer time. :) I am glad that Dad and Paige had a good day on Sunday it was fun hearing about their day and the weekend. The pictures were soo great! I was soo excited. Thanks so much!

Miranda, totally take my guitar to college. It will be a blast. I think it’s super rad that you are learning how to play. A lot of really cute boys will be more then willing to teach you. ;) What are you doing with your life? Tell me everything. Do something fun with your girl friends. Start a club or something.

Dad you’re detailed weeks are a blast. Thanks so much. I even love that you include the food. I can really see and taste everything with you guys. ha You watch a lot of movies together.

Ok one thing I have been thinking about is that I think it would be really cool to be a "missionary family." In AZ you have so many opportunities to be good examples to neighbors and friends. You should really try and get involved with the missionaries (like in a missionary work sorta way ha) and help them find lessons and help them go to lessons and teach, or even hosting family home evenings at our house. Our family has such an amazing testimony of the gospel and people can really see how it affects families. do it. do it. do it. It would make such a difference in our home, and it would be amazing mission prep for Delan and Kade. Don’t just feed the missionaries but work with them. We are so blessed. We should share that with others. :)

Mom thanks for sending my package. I am excited. I am still working on that second tape. I am excited for the move call and setting new goals. I am excited for you to get excited about life again. I am totally in that same mood. That’s cool huh,. :) Ok so This move call is really inspiring. I want to make goals ,and be bold, and work really hard. I learned a lot from last move call and now I know how to be a better companion and missionary and I am excited to show the Lord that I am ready and willing to allow him to guide me through his work.

love love love you all!!

Love Sister Lee

Week 17

2011-06-13T10:10:00.003-06:00

P-day with her district.

Me and Sister Lew at the cave.

Beautiful

Peace Out!

Jumping picture with some girls we met at the beach.

My Bike!

Primary President and Family

Can you believe it? It is going by so fast!

I only have one more week with my trainer. Transfers are this next week, and so I will probably be getting a new companion. Sister Lew has been in the area for 71/2 months, so I bet she is getting moved. Its the last transfer before she goes home back to America! So crazy. We have had a great week though. Let me tell you about it.

First off we moved. It was weird at first not coming home to the other sisters, but I actually really like it now. I feel like I am on vacation. Our apartment is right next to the church at the top of a big hill and high school. :) Erica and Clinton are two English teachers in my ward, and they live in the same building as us. It’s fun having them close. They actually invited us over for Sunday dinner and we had american hamburgers and fries. It was awesome. Erica served a mission in Tokyo and so it was fun talking to her about Japan. How is Grandma Shiohama doing? Can I get her email so I can send her little messages every once in a while?

Anyways, next big thing was CTDM. Combined District Training Meeting. It was fun. Our whole zone got together and were trained by the zone leaders on how to better work with the members. I met Matt Porters best friend Colby Sandford. He is a really cool guy. It was fun talking to him. He wants Matts Mission home address, but I don’t have it. Audrey do you think you could send it to me? Thanks sweetie.

Dad!! Paige!! Happy Fathers Day!! Happy Birthday on Sunday!! I love you both very very much, and will be thinking of you! Please send me pictures. I can’t wait to see them. I hope you both have a fun day. It’s kinda fun that you get to share the holiday. Paige are you really turning 14? That’s so weird. I thought you were 14 this whole year. haha Nevermind.

Ok some other fun things:

I felt an earthquake during weekly planning. I was talking to Sister Lew, and she yelled: "Stop. That’s not normal." haha I was confused at first, but then I felt it. It was pretty cool. It was really really windy that day.

Sister Exchanges are tomorrow. That means I travel to a different area and I am with a different companion for a day. Kinda fun huh? :) I’ll tell you all about it next week.

Ok so here is the really good news. :)

We have a baptism this week!! Shi Dixong passed his baptism interview and he is getting baptized Saturday night! I am so excited. :) He went from atheist to having a strong testimony of God, the Book of Mormon, and the Plan of Salvation. It is incredible. It has been so cool to see the transformation. Sister Lew baptized his wife last move call and so she gets to see this whole family get baptized before she leaves the area. He is such a good dad, and is going to be such a strong leader in the church. Because of his work, it’s always a guessing game if he is going to work on Sundays or not. We had been praying all week that he wouldn’t get called into work so he could go to church and we were at his house when we got the phone call. We were all waiting and crossing our fingers. As soon as he got off the phone, he said " I don’t have to work until Monday." We all yelled and gave him high fives. It was really cool. It just showed to me how much faith this family has. So fun this week he went out and bought a whole new Sunday clothes that he wore to church yesterday. White shirt, black pants, and a tie. It was so fun to see him all dressed up. I’m really excited to tell you all about it next week.

Two other short success stories:

You remember the old grandma that had all the missionary friends from the 1980's? We went over to her house to check on her, and her Daughter in Law was there with her kids and inactive husband. (He is so inactive that he didn’t know he was a member even though he knows he was baptized as a little kid.) Anyways, they all came to church on Sunday and stayed all three hours! We have a lesson with them tonight and I am really excited to go and teach them.

Yu Jin. She is the cutest thing ever. 18 years old, works at a Stationary store, and loves loves young womens. She is such good friends with all of the girls. We taught her all the lessons in two days. She has her baptismal interview this Saturday, and is getting baptized next Saturday. :) Incredible right?

I love my mission! I am so happy that I can be here, and can be meeting these people. They are changing my life.

This morning I read a conference talk that said:

"Our greatest personal challenge in the mortality is to become a saint through the atonement of Christ."

So true! I have been studying a lot about becoming a saint It takes a lot of hard work. It requires humility, patience, faith, prayer, fasting, being submissive, full of love, meek, repentance and so much more. All my investigators are such good examples to me because they are such good examples of all of these things. I love them. Thanks for supporting me. I love you all so very very much.

Have a great week!!

Love, Camille aka Sister Lee

Week 16

2011-06-08T20:51:00.002-06:00

Wow!! Hi Family. :)

What a fun week. :) Cleaning and relaxing sounds like the perfect way to start out the summer. Mom I'm excited to see pictures of the desk and of the boys buzz cuts, and Dad from your activity. Delan I'm excited to hear about Basketball camp. I wanna see pictures of all of your cool stuff ok!

Today was sooo much fun! We woke up at 5 to get on the train, to get on the bus, to take a boat, to ride a bike around this beautiful island. We went with our district, and all the single young adults in our area. They are all so amazing! They planned this whole thing for us, and it was fun getting to take pictures with them and playing.

While on the island, we went and saw the beach, had some home made ice cream, went cave crawling, and went on a hike in the mountains. The island was really pretty, and really hilly. ha The bikes we rode were so way too small for all of us, but it was all apart of the experience.

The Office Elders called us on the way home, and we are moving into our new apartment tomorrow. That's kinda exciting. The 4 sister apt was fun while it lasted, but now its time to get our own place. It’s right next to the church and so that will be really convenient.

This week was a really good week. I was in a way better mood from last week, and so I feel like I was able to be a more effective missionary. It’s so crazy to think that I'm a missionary. For how great my calling is, I feel ridiculously inadequate, but I think that's supposed to go like that because it keeps me prayerful and humble.

**Random side note.

Sister Lew and I have decided to start a little 2-man band when I get home. ha "Something that starts with an L. " is the name that they other sisters gave us. We already have 2 CDs. #1Mission Music. #2 Stuff for when we get home. So far we just have 5 tracks on CD #1. It’s been so fun riding around on our bikes singing our own versions of our favorite hymns. Phina-One of our new members got sick on the boat, and so we sang to keep her occupied. Kinda silly but actually really fun.

We had a lot of good lessons this week. Here are little tidbits from them.

Last Sunday we went to visit less-actives, but none of them were home. We left notes and so this week we went by to follow up. We knocked on a ladies door and long story short, she hasn't been to church in 25 years. She has two adorable little kids, and is willing to come to church. We taught about Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. She had really really good English and she kept saying Wow. Oh yeah. Oh I get it. Wow. It was really cute. There is no denying the message of the restoration. It’s incredibly powerful.

We got a random referral on the phone, and so we set up with this mystery family. We stopped by their house, and inside were the most beautiful dolls. Her front room was kinda like a craft room, and there was this one ballerina doll that made me think of Paige. :) Anyways, she was an old 70 yr old lady who was totally excited to see us, and kept mentioning that she had a missionary from America. We were confused at first, and then she brought out the letters, address cards, and the pictures, and it all started coming together. She has been an investigator for 41 years. When she was young she met with the missionaries a ton, and all of their little notes all said stuff about her getting baptized. I guess she didn't want to upset her parents when she was young so she never got baptized, but now she is ready. Can you believe it? So cool huh. She has a family now, 5 kids and a couple grandkids. From what we got one of her sons is a member. She still had such a strong testimony of prayer and that God is our loving Heavenly Father. It was such a walk back in time seeing all the letters, but it just strengthened my testimony of how "God is the same yesterday today, and forever". I'm excited to baptize her and then send letters to all those sets of missionaries that taught her.

We contacted another lady last week in the rain, she was under an umbrella getting food, and so we started talking to her. We set up to meet with her, and during the lesson we found out that she met with the missionaries as a young girl as well. She said that now that she has a family of her own she wants to teach her kids right so they can grow up to be like us. It was cool because when she said that I heard… "I’m so ready to prepare my self for baptism, so my family and I can be blessed from living the principles of the Gospel." ha Such a cool story.

It was good to have all these investigators who talked about missionaries from a long time ago... It gave me hope because we had an amazing family drop us this week. Dad opposes and so that means we can’t have any contact with them anymore. Really sad! Especially because we were done teaching them, and they were ready to get baptized next week. :( Even though I'm really bummed out I personally don't get to see them get baptized its ok. Maybe someday in the future another set of missionaries will bump into them and get to teach them again. Investigators and member might forget about the missionaries, and missionaries might forget about investigators, but I know the Lord doesn't forget, and that he is preparing these people. It’s not a matter of if, but when. As a missionary I still have to work my hardest and try my best, all the while trusting in the Lords timing. It’s sad, and frustrating, but ok in end.

Probably the best part of the week was last night. Brother Shi committed to baptism and is having his baptismal interview in just a couple of hours! He is such an amazing man. His wife is a recent convert of 6 months, and the Primary President. We LOVE her. She is always helping us teach lessons, and follow up with our investigators. I have really come to love this family, and so having Brother Shi get baptized. Is such an amazing feeling!! If they prepare to go to the temple. I could go and see them get sealed before coming home from my mission. How cool is that? :) This is the reason why I came on a mission; to invited people and families to come unto Christ through baptism so they can receive all the earthy and eternal blessings our Father in Heaven has in store. I'm so grateful I got to learn and grow with him. I can’t wait to tell you how it goes!!

I love you guys so so much! Thanks for the emails, it was so great hearing from everyone as always. I am learning so much, and having so much fun. "There is no greater work than this". It’s still really annoying I cant speak Chinese, but I'm learning how to study better and I am so grateful to Sister Lew for studying with me. I passed off Lesson 2 of Phase One on Saturday… 5 more tests to go. ha Elder Adams was really nice, and I'm really grateful to him. ha

Ok family. I better go. Thanks for all your love and support!!

Love Sister Lee

Week 15

2011-06-01T09:36:00.006-06:00

We Match!

My companion is signing up for classes at BYU right now, and its so funny hearing her squeal about how weird it is. haha Love her.

I love you guys!

Ok first things first.

I get on to email about 10:30ish our time. Idk what that is your time. Next week we are going to an island, so emailing will be different. Rad huh? We are going with the other sisters we live with, and I’m so excited.

The size letters I got in the MTC were perfect. Maybe you could write and do smaller emails so I have more time to write you guys back. We will get a grove going on, it’s still only by 4 pday,

I am doing things, I have never done before. The Lord is totally watching out for me, and helping me accomplish things I couldn’t with out his help. This week has been such a treat. We had mission conference, and it was so fun! We had to wake up at 2:30 to be ready to get on our bus around 4:00am so we could make it up to Taichung for the conference. We slept on the way up there, but it was still exhilarating being with all these missionaries. :) Oh ya. I saw Elder Carter. He was on my bus. He seems to be doing great.

Elder Jay Jensen came to talk to us and gave some amazing advice about learning from the scriptures. He also instructed us how to better teach by the spirit, and how both combined could have such a powerful effect in our work. We had assigned seats for some reason, and I got to sit front row. I came with a couple "soul questions" and by the end of our meeting the spirit helped me answer all of them. Personal revelation is so powerful and I am learning more and more about it, as I see how it affects my personal life, my companionship, and the members that we teach.

Sunday was probably my favorite day this week. Sister Lew and I had 13 investigators to church. 13?? Such a blessing, can you believe it? She said it was an all time mission high for her, and a good feeling I could compare it too, is like seeing how many friends come to your birthday party or something. ha Right now we have 19 progressing investigators, and 7 that are getting baptized in just a couple of weeks. The numbers don’t matter. The Lords has prepared these people long before we contacted them, and now we just get the privilege of helping them get the rest of the way. We call them all everyday, and I feel like I get to talk to my own family on the phone. These people are amazing and they all have different needs, and wants and desires, but they are all working towards the same goal, and its been such a blessing being able to see them progress.

Elder Bednar came to Taiwan this weekend to talk to the youth and we were able to go via technology! He was up in Taipei It was a question and answer setting, and one of our youth got to ask him a question! Technology is amazing isn’t it? Pres. Bednar reminded us that technology isn’t progressing to merely progress, but to better spread the gospel. Really cool. He had a common theme of being an agent and not an object, and we are "to act on not be acted upon" (insert scripture reference I cant remember/find). He talked about this in correlation with faith, and our prayers. Faith is an action of power. Usually we pray for the power to act, but we rather should act and then the power of faith will follow. So powerful, so cool. And it changed the way I do missionary work. With the things I learned from Elder Jensen I have a better understanding about my purpose and how that helps me better take care of my investigators and how I can better fulfill the Lords work in the Lords way.

Boy I wish I had more time to tell you all the details of the week.

Miranda you had a crazy weekend. Thanks for taking the time to type it all out. I have things to say. I’ll tape em to you. :)

Mom way to be. You work so hard, and it’s so impressive. I’ll take a picture of my bike today. I still haven’t made it ugly.

Dad I’m glad that you got to see your friends this weekend!

Delan The blind lady doesn’t have a guard dog. She has a friend that comes to her house and helps her out.

Paige I can’t wait for your letter.

Kade your shirt sounds so cool, and the pool pictures were awesome.

I gotta go, but quickly this is what my senses are telling me:

Seeing: Fireworks going off in the middle of the day. Funny huh. ha

Hearing: The garbage truck. He sounds like the ice cream man. haha People come out and throw their trash away.

Smelling: Fruit stands! The fruit here is amazing!

Feeling: Gods grace helping me get through everyday. Sore legs!

I love you all so much. We saw so many miracles this week, and its all because the Lord loves his children. We just happen to be desiring to do his will, and that allows us to be in the right place and the right time. It’s so incredible. Have a great week everyone, and keep having family scripture study. It’s changed my life.

Love,

Sister Camille Lee

Week 14

2011-05-24T10:27:00.004-06:00

Me and Sister Lew

Bowling as a Zone

Face Masks for Female Fun

So I have these types of moments with my companion everyday:

"We are in Taiwan, in skirts, being missionaries.... spreading the Gospel?" My life is so blessed. :)

I havent gotten an email from you guys yet, and so it gives me a little bit of time to gather my thoughts before I want to respond to all of your guys crazy week.

First off... My sister is married, and I missed it. So hard. So crappy. So not fun. I PRAYED my GUTS out that I would be ok the day of the wedding, and its a miracle that I was. Thanks for praying for me too. I know I couldnt have made it through the day without your prayers. Heavenly Father took really good care for me and I know he took just as much care for you guys too. All my roommates wore coral tops, and I got to wear the skirt mom made for me. We celebrated her wedding by eating mini "wedding cakes" at dinner, and we all prayed for Audrey. I hope she had a good day, and I hope that everyone else did too. Im DYING to hear about it. I almost doesnt even feel like it happened? Its such a strange feeling to try and describe. I have thought about you guys so much! I cant wait to see pictures.

This week was incredible. So many stories to tell, and all so fantastic. Its so sad I cant tell you all the details about every person and everything that has happened. BUT its ok. :) I can give you highlights!

We have 8 progressing investigators and all of the have baptismal goals! Ridiculous right? There is so much work to do in this area, and I am so excited for these amazing people. We are teaching 3 families, and a couple of teenage girls. Its crazy how fast you "fall in love with these people".

One friend we are working with is Meng Ying Ying. Do you remember me mentioning her last week? She had her baptismal interview this Saturday! She is getting baptized! We are so so so excited for her and she is so incredible. We had a lesson on prophets earlier this week, and Sister Lew asked her a hypothetical question: "What would you ask President Thomas S. Monson if he was coming to Taiwan." Her face was like in shock and she got so humbled, and she responded: "The prophet is coming?" It was such a sweet tender moment that right there in the lesson I totally broke down, and started balling. She has such pure simple faith and she hasnt even seen him or heard him or met him, and she totally believes he is a man of God. Such a sweet humbling moment for me. She is going to China to drop off her youngest son to have him raised by his Grandpartents for a couple of years while she raises her other little boy. Mom it totally made me so so grateful that you were a stay at home mom and raised 6 kids. When I told that to Sister Meng, she freaked out. ha Such an amazing lady with so much faith. She is such a great mom too.

Last night we had a meeting with the Bishop to see how we could help him with the ward, and afterwords we got to talk to the Young Women about how being in Young Womens has effected our life up to this point. It was so fun. Those girls are so great, and help out with so much missionary work with us. I love them. There are actually 3 of them who are the bishops kids and grew up in America so they are like American teenagers. Its so fun talking to them. They remind me of my family. I shared this experience I had with getting an answer to my prayers about my Patriarchal Blessing through the scriptures and how that experience forever effected how close I was to the Lord and how that ripple effect has effect all my life's decisions including me coming on a mission. It was so crazy that I shared that because as I was sharing the Lord totally blessed me realize that. I have never thought of that before and it was really sweet being able to share it with the Young Women.

The Lord has taken good care of me this week. Its been a really humbling week. ha

There was one day where Sister Lew had to go to a training meeting so I got to go on splits with Sister Cooper and Sister Smith. It was so much fun! We had a couple of self contacts, and it was great learning from other missionaries how the contact and how they do missionary work. I learned SO much and I feel really grateful to get to go on Sister splits early. We were tracting in this one place, and we bummed into a lady who was going home, we said hi to her and immediately she started yelling at us telling we needed to go back to America because we are wasting our breath and offending the people of Taiwan by telling them they need to change. She wanted us to stop talking to people at stop lights, and leave them alone. It was such an unexpected response, but Sister Smith said something magical I couldnt really understand and seriously the next thing that came out of her mouth, was: "Sure come up stairs". Can you believe it? You just never know who or when people will be ready to receive the gospel.

The biggest lesson I learned this week, that the Lord works in his own time and in his own way. I am so stressed out about Chinese but through prayer and experiece I know it will come.

My companion is awesome. I love her to death, and we get along creepily well. :) She is like Ms. Mozart, but is an rapper. So funny.

It rained like everyday this week. We got to buy some rad rain coats, and the Elders made fun of us for looking like Taiwan Grandmas. I love it will all my heart, and almost hope for rain so I can wear it. ha

I was introduced to Bing this week. Its like shaved Ice with brown sugar and lots of squishy stuff you can put on the bottom. ha I didnt like it at all, but I hear my taste buds go through a change and Ill crave it in the summer. We shall see.

Man I love you gusy so much. I have a tape ready to go and pictures Im sending today so that fun huh?

I love you all so much. Thanks for sending the pictures. It was really good to see them. Tell Audrey and Davey hi for me!!

Everyone be really good and dont forget to serve each other. Find some small way you can make eachothers day better. :)

Read, Pray, and CTR

Love,

Sister Camille Lee

Week 13 - I'm in Taiwan!

2011-05-16T19:47:00.003-06:00

So much has happened this week, I feel like I have been here a month. :)

Ok so first off SOO good to hear from everyone. I have been faithfully taping to you guys everyday, and so I have a tape ready to send out. Delan, Paige, Kade, Mom and Dad I have responses to all your questions later. I’ll talk to you them on the tape. :)

Ok where to Start?

*Wednesday night we came home a little gecko on our wall. We caught him and named him Pascal? (from Tangled) and then let him loose out side.

*Ovalitne Boba’s are my favorite treat and when we work really hard Sister Lew and I get rewarded.

*The fruit in Taiwan is incredible. The pineapple tastes like candy, and that’s another thing we can’t seem to get enough of.

*Living in an apartment with 4 sisters is a blast. We have so much fun! In the mornings and nights we are all constantly laughing our heads off. I can already tell you that I’ll have some great stories to send home. One fun thing we do is sing together as an apartment at the beginning of companionship study. We all actually sound terrific and it’s so fun harmonizing and sounding oh so good.

*We went bowling today for a zone activity. The bowling alley is a 1 min walk from our apt and there is a huge bowling pin outside. (That is how I know we are home.) :)

*The weather this week has actually been amazing. And by amazing I mean sweat your guts out hot. There was only one day this week where it rained a little bit. Its been nice that I haven’t had to get drenched on, but the little rainstorm that we did have was fun. :)

*Personal Study had been a highlight of my week. At the beginning of my mission Pres. Bishop gave us our own copy of the Book of Mormon and had us do the little activity in Preach My Gospel about highlighting your scriptures. So cool! I have learned so much. 1 Nephi 9:6, 15:11, 16:29 15:8 are some scripture that comes to mind. So great. So powerful.

Ok! Soooo

We have met so many people this week! The Lord has some big plans for this area because people are falling into our laps like manna from the heaven. Our days are jammed packed with lessons and everywhere in between we are contacting and calling our investigators.

We have met new investigators that have come to English class randomly, we have met them in cafes eating dinner, on the road waiting to pass the train tracks as a train passes by, getting an ovaltine boba, and bumping into them while accidentally taking a wrong turn. It’s so incredible how much the Lord is willing to bless us. We just talk to everyone!

We have a couple of investigators that are really cute and special that we have been working with this week.

(None of these people will have names because I don’t know them and you guys cant read Chinese anyways. haha)

We went and saw a Blind lady and we committed her to baptism, we had a great lesson with her and we had a member there as well. She sorta lives out in the country and so it was a pretty bike ride to her house. I am so excited to keep meeting with her because she is so humble and willing to keep her commitments.

Meng Jiemei is a dream! She is a cute young mom from China, and is GOLDEN. We have extended so many commitment to her and she is also so willing and so humble to listen and obey, it’s been great seeing her change, and she just glows every time we meet with her.

Shi Dixong. This guy is amazing. His wife is a recent convert of a couple of months, and she is already the primary president. We had an incredible lesson with him last night. He just raves about the changes he sees in his wife since she got baptized and he wants that same thing for him. He is such a sweet man with a sweet heart and I’m excited to tell you more about him next week.

I am almost out of time. I took a long time to write Audrey today because she is getting married in just a couple of days, and needed to give her some sisterly advice.

Mom-I am so sorry that you haven’t been feeling well! I know you will find a dress. It’s going to work out perfectly. I’ll make sure to pray extra hard that things all work out like they are supposed to. Don’t you guys dare stress out too much and ruin the magic of the wedding because everyone is grumpy from no sleep and a delusional perspective of perfection. ok? It will be perfect no matter what. It’s Audrey we are talking about ok? Her life is like a fairy tale remember? ha Mom you have done such a good job and all your hard work is going to pay off.

Ok I gotta go now. I am so sorry this was so short! I promise to do better next week. I love you guys so much and thank you so much for all the letters. The lord is everywhere! I’m so grateful to be a missionary. I love this work. there is nothing more important for me in my life right now. xoxoxoxo

Love Camma

Week 10

2011-04-28T00:06:00.003-06:00

Hi Family!!

Ok so you guys are probably wondering why in the world you didn’t hear from me and it’s because my p-day changed! The whole MTC is on a different schedule now. Sorry that I couldn’t warn you guys. We went to the temple early early this morning and it was so beautiful all lit up. It was my last day at the Temple for about a couple of months. It was weird to think about it, but I’m grateful I got to go when I could.

Ok soooo.... Another crazy thing happened this week. Sister Jorgensen went home. She left on Saturday, and it was cleared by the Missionary Department that she needed to go home on medical release. It has been weird without her. The last day she was here we dressed up as identical twins, and it was so much fun. The pictures are adorable. I can’t wait for you to get them. :) (Blue pinstriped shirt. yellow skirt, red shoes, blue tights, and the same headband.) Ok so that means that my new companions are Sister Yancey and Sister Reid. I am back in my old district, and in pilot program again for my last week in the MTC. It’s been a roller coaster here. I didn’t think that my experience was going to be like this, but I have had peace about it the whole time. I know that the Lord is aware of me and my needs and I know that He will take care of me.

It was so good hearing from you guys. It was such an intense week. I have been looking forward to your email. :) Can you believe it’s my last P-day? I still can’t believe it?

Elder Scott came this week for devotional! (I cant believe that was only a week ago, it seems like and eternity. ha) It was a surprise visit and so everyone was really excited! He gave such a powerful testimony of the Savior. It was an intimate and special time he had with the missionaries. He taught us from the scriptures and gave us lots of good advice. A couple of things he said: "The spirit will never prompt you to do something you can not do.... It would be out of harmony with Gods plan" "In order to do something that you have never before done, you must do things that you have never before done." He gave an apostolic blessing to all the missionaries and gave us the blessing of the Gift of Tongues. I started totally balling, because I needed that. I have missed class multiple times a day because of Sister Jorgensen’s doctor appointments and I was terrified that I wasn’t going to be able to learn Chinese, but after that blessing I have never felt more calm and peaceful about my mission language. I am so loved.

It sounds like you guys had an awesome Easter! I wish I could have been there, but you know... I’m here. ;) We actually had a really good time too! I made everyone gather their Easter eggs from all the Easter packages they got and we had a zone Easter egg hunt! Elder Thatcher and Elder Baker hid them all, and all 31 of us got to find some eggs. It was so much fun, and everyone had a great time. After the hunt everyone said "Thanks Mom" and it was really funny. ha Other than that it was a typical Sunday. No special speakers or stuff like that. It was special though because of the spirit and everyone’s intense love for the Savior and his work. It was one of my favorite Easters. Thanks for the Easter Package! It was so fun! I used all my candy to fill the eggs for the hunt and everyone loved it. Thanks for thinking of me.

I love you guys so much! Thanks for keeping me updated on life, and when I have more time, I’m gunna write to you all.

Mom here are the answers to your questions:

Skirt-Any bright fun color you want. I don’t want black anymore. It’s too boring.

Shoes- Bright color size 8ish

Tapes- It’s going to be good to get a new player. We need to make sure that we get to talk to each other all the way across the world.

I can’t think of anything else that I need? If I do, I'll write you a letter today so we can get it taken care of.

It’s been such an amazing experience here. I have felt so loved and supported, and I have learned so so much. I am so excited to go to Taiwan and to let people know that there is purpose to life and that God wants us to be happy. It’s amazing how much our Father in Heaven loves us and I see it everyday. :)

Pay attention to the things that keep repeating themselves in your life. I have found that it is God trying to tell you something. :) He loves us and wants to talk to us. Listen carefully, pay attention and he always answers your prayers.

I love being a missionary, and I love this work!

Have a great week!! Talk to you guys on the phone soon! xoxo

Love Sister Lee

Week 9

2011-04-19T16:51:00.000-06:00

Hiya family!

It was such a good week this week. The weather was awesome, I love my companion, my teachers are great, my district is cool... I’m a really lucky Sister Missionary.

I leave for Taiwan in just 2 weeks, and even though I’m really excited; I don't wanna go... ha I love it here! I learn so much everyday, and I like my routine. ha The only thing that I can’t stand is the food. I lasted 9 weeks liking the food and now I hate it with a passion. The only meal I like is breakfast because I get to have a bagel but other then that I dread meal times. ha

Anyways, let me tell you about Wednesday. It was my favorite day.

Morning: Woke up, studied, had my bagel, planned for my investigator, and laughed a lot with Sister Jorgensen.

Afternoon: Hosted! That means that I got to go to a meeting about how to help the new missionaries get settled in and get their books, and then go to class. I got two sisters. One was from Hawaii, and the other was from Samoa. Both of them hardly spoke any English, and they were shy but smiley. :) It was so great getting to help them out and hear their stories. I have seen them a couple of different times and they both run up and give me big hugs. It’s cute. (Well let’s be real, I run up and give them big hugs, and they just smile and tap my back. haha)

Mid afternoon: We were in class and some random guy asked Sister Jorgensen and I if we could teach the new missionaries that night and we said yes. We quickly prepared a lesson plan, and then we got to go to dinner early.

Night: We got to teach a new set of missionaries! I don’t even know if I told you but the first night you get here a group of missionaries all sit in a room and watch the demo missionaries (me and Sister Jorgensen), and then right as the lessons going awesome the missionaries are asked to leave and then the big group takes over and acts like one big companionship. Anyway we were both a little nervous but as soon as we got there in front of our investigator it was normal. We introduced ourselves, and asked how she was doing. Her name was Luwana and she was this sassy black chick. She was great, and we had a good time getting to know her, but she was a little standoffish and wouldn’t really open up. Anyways we just basically got to know her. Somehow it came up that she had cancer and that’s why she had time to meet with the missionaries. Of course I just started balling, and told her about how my grandma had just passed away. We talked to her a little bit about how God is our Heavenly Father and that he loves us. She said that she wanted to learn more about that and that she believes in God, but she doesn’t know that he loves her. We got cut off at a really good point, but the rest of the lesson was "epic". That was the feedback we got from the instructors.

Anyways. Really long story, and I feel like I didn’t even do it justice. Having that experience taught me that God loves his children, and that the gospel can cater to anyone no matter what their situation. He intended it to be that way. It’s for us because he loves us, and if we let him in and allow him to guide us we will be blessed.

I love being a missionary, because I get to love people like Jesus would if he was here.

I Love you guys! Have a great Easter!

Love, Sister

Week 8

2011-04-13T12:41:00.001-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Last night we had a great musical fireside and the Men’s BYU chorus came and sang to us. At one point they had a member out of the choir come and tell us his conversion story and he was from Taiwan! It was so cool. He is a translator for the MTC and for the church. :) He had all the Mandarin speakers stand up and he told us that we were lucky to go to Taiwan, and that we need to be patient with our investigators. So cool! We got to talk to him last night, and he was actually from my mission! He said that he would be there at the end of April and that he is putting me in charge of "covering his mom".

Guys I have just about 3 weeks left, and this is starting to get real. I am going to Taiwan?? A couple nights ago I had a dream about me just talking to a bunch of kids my age who didn’t have the gospel and I could understand them, but I couldn’t really talk back, but I wanted to get to know them and where they were in their lives, and try and be their friend, but I couldn’t because my Chinese was terrible. I woke up that next morning with this huge resolve to be more diligent, and study as much as I can before I leave.

We got to teach 4 lessons this week, and they just keep getting better and better, I feel like I am understanding how to teach to their needs more, and the Lord is blessing me with every aspect of my lessons. It’s so cool, and I love being able to learn and grow from him. Sister Jorgensen and I are a great team, and I love her guts. It’s such a blast studying and teaching with her. :)

Ok so this Saturday night I had a party with my girls! I individually invited each companionship and I told them that they had to call me and RSVP. They totally all did and it was awesome! :) Sister Becky Ghiz sent me a fun package with Chips and Salsa and candy and other stuff so we ate that for our party. It was so much fun! I also used the glow sticks you sent me and they were a hit. We had a blast. I’m sending pictures soon.

Ok so one thing I wanted to share really quick was that I have learned a lot about prayer this week! President Bertasso showed us in John 16 where he taught the apostles how to pray, and it was really cool. He said that we are supposed to pray specifically and that if we do so then the Lord will bless us. I have started doing that this week, and have started having really sincere and earnest prayers and the difference is amazing! Also this week during companionship study we talked about the word Amen. When we close with amen it means that Jesus agrees with what we have said. How cool! That has helped me be more sincere in my prayers and has helped them become so special!

Guys I love being a missionary. Sometimes its hard, but it’s such a huge blessing and I am learning and growing so much. I love you all!! Thanks for the love, prayers and support. Have a good week everyone! I’m sending a tape today.

3 Nephi 18:21

Love Sister Camilleeee

Mom thanks for the Scripture. I did remember your favorite I was just making sure. :)

P.S. Molly left this week, and on the same day Chantelle got to the MTC. Fun huh

Week 7

2011-04-06T00:12:00.002-06:00

I luv luv luv luv luver you guys!!

It was so great to hear from everyone! Conference sounded like so much fun, and I am so glad that Audrey and Dave got to spend a lot of time with the Family. Hearing that Krista came over made me cry because I was picturing you guys all at home together, and I was so happy to hear that it was like a dream come true and you guys all did get to hang out. Conference was so amazing! Audrey I also loved the talk about being and doing. It was an answer to a prayer and it so of course you would like the two talks that I liked, ;) Ok Conference in the MTC rocked. It was a blast. Not because we did anything out of the ordinary, but because I was a missionary surrounded by 2,000 others and it was an incredible feeling knowing that that is where I was exactly supposed to be. :)

I’m sending out a tape today with all kinds of conference chit chat, so I am excited to talk to you guys more about it later!

Mother.... You are an angle. THANK YOU for my skirt! It is SOOO cute. :) I squealed out loud when I opened it, and my companion said "shenme!?" "what?!" I am so spoiled. I wanted to wear it on Sunday so I could feel more at home, and it totally did the trick. Saturday it was beautifully sunny and warm, and on Sunday it had snowed 4 inches. haha It was defiantly a spring outfit but I wore it anyways, and got tons of compliments on it (naturally) I got to say that "my mom made it" every time, and I loved it :)

Ok so everyone sounds awesome! I had just as good of a week as you guys did I think. :)

Delan.... you are the man. Nice work coloring on Kade and Miranda’s faces. haha For April fools my companion and I dressed up as each other and it was pretty funny. She has a rad eccentric style, and my style is cute but totally different then hers. Anyways, our whole zone got a good kick out of that, and other missionaries who know us pretty well thought it was pretty funny. Other than that not too many crazy things happened on April Fools.

Ok so I feel like I have so much to tell you! First off... You guys need to go on line and watch the KSL 5 army of faith thing they did on the MTC. After devotional last night we got to watch it together as an MTC and it was pretty fun. I was there when it was filmed, and they show all the places that I talk about on my tape so watch it. You’ll love it!

Mom, I took some pictures of my companion and me that I am sending you with my tape so watch for those.

Last night’s devotional was pretty fun we had Vai Sikahema come and talk to us. He played for the Cardinals, and the Green Bay Packers, and for BYU and now he’s a sports announcer. He’s serving in a stake presidency now and so it was fun listening to his missionary stories and see how through his work he does missionary work. (I had no idea who this guy was, but dad I thought you might like it.)

The new sisters came this week! It was so fun meeting all of them. We have 6 sisters and 11 elders, and they are all so stinken cute. Idk what happens in 6 weeks, but I totally feel old and its weird. It’s also crazy to think that I leave for the field in a month from yesterday? What? Yeah... I know right. Anyways I got to go around to their rooms and meet them the first night, and then got to be their when the had their welcome meeting from the branch presidency. They are all great girls, and we have already had a lot of fun with them. Nanny got the Asian goodie bags to me and they turned out so cute! We had enough for all so I am giving them to the zone tonight it congrats to them making it thought their first week. :)

Audrey your pictures are adorable! I can’t wait to see more of them. I love you so, so much, and thought about you lots yesterday. :) You are so ready for this next big step in your life. You are doing everything the Lord has intended for you and I promise he loves you and is so proud of you for making it to the temple with Davey. I love you.

Roooba! There are lots of new sisters who went to BYU-I I'll get the scoop and write you about it.

Paigey: I got to watch the Young Women’s general broadcast and I thought of you too! That conductor lady was so weird and funny, (do you remember) my companion and I were laughing at her. ha You are turning into be such an amazing young women! People want you to baby sit for them because they can see you are trust worthy and have such a kind and loving heart. I’m excited for you. Thanks for doing what you know you should... I’m so prouda you. :)

Kader - They sang your favorite primary song in conference and it made me cry I missed you so much. I love you buddy. I am so glad you have fun with your friends.

Ah man this week was good. Mostly because of Conference and the good weather. This whole week I had been thinking about how little time I have left in the MTC and how fast my mission is already going/gone. All week I was thinking of goals I could set, and what I wanted to become once my mission was over. I’m really grateful that I listened to Conference because my prayer was answered! I cant get over the fact that I am a child of God and that Heavenly father is my father and that He loves me so much. I know that if we sincerely desire to do good, and listen to his council, love his children and keep his commandment; he is more then willing to bless us, and allow us the desires of our hearts. For me this week it was to know how to be the best missionary I could be as well as companion and friend. If I wouldn’t have listened to him I probably wouldn’t of heard what he was trying to tell me, but because I know he is always there, listening and answering my prayer I listened, and I heard.

I love being a missionary. Not only cause I get to learn and grow my self, but because through my actions and words I get to show people how much their father in heaven loves them and that he is aware of their needs.

Guys I love you all soooo much! It was such a good week we even got to sit out side for class a couple of times. I’m excited for you guys to get your tape. There are lots of fun surprises on there. :)

Can’t wait to talk to you all soon! xoxo

Love, Sister Camille Lee

Camille's New Address

2011-04-01T10:58:00.002-06:00

Sister Camille Lee
Taiwan Taichung Mission
Provo MTC # 313
2005 N 900 E
Provo, Utah 84604

and thus saith she...please write! :)

Week 6

2011-03-28T17:35:00.005-06:00

Ok.... This. week. was. nuts!

I have a new companion, and I am not in the Pilot program anymore.

There were some emotional issues going on between a companionship and it was so intense that the district presidency had to get involved. The first half of the week everyone was on edge thinking it was going to be "them" who was getting switched but it ended up being all of us. President Baker sent a fax to the Zone Leaders Thursday night, and I was pulled out of class so I could be aware of the change before they announced it to the zone. One of the Sisters was having extreme anxiety over one of her teachers, and so her and I switched spots. I miss my district, and my teachers, and my companion, and my investigators, and the curriculum of the pilot program. I have a list of things to talk to you guys about on a tape, because an email doesn’t even do my week justice. ha Even though my world has been turned upside down, I have managed to be ok. I know that the Lord knows much better then we do, and me being yanked out of everything familiar and having to start over is good practice of what it is going to be like in the field. I keep telling myself that it is just like a transfer. :) I know that there is a lot to learn from my new companion and my new district. They have a totally polar schedule and way of learning the gospel, but that just makes me even more grateful for my first 6 weeks in the MTC. Guys I am half way done! Can you believe it? :) I don’t feel ready for it to be half way, but it's good cause I get to vamp up my studies. ha

Other things that happened this week:

*Both of my investigators agreed to be baptized. I moved right after committing both of them. Sad, but I’m glad that I had a chance to learn and grow with them. So cool. :) (My new district doesn’t teach. We are just in class all day. It’s so different. More details to come.)

*We moved rooms! So in the midst of high intense emotion we had to switch rooms. It was such a crazy week. : /

*I am a MTC celebrity. haha The speaker at Sunday night devotional asked someone to read a couple vs. of scripture and I was right by the mic and so I decided to volunteer. I have had soo many people stop me and say stuff like: "Oh good job reading" "Oh I like your necklace you were wearing" "Oh you were that girl from devotional" haha soo funny. It wasn’t a big deal, but I guess here at the MTC it’s a big deal.

*I met a missionary from Ukraine and we got to talking. Come to find out we know a lot of the same people and it was so fun getting to talk to him.

Sorry if any of this situation was unclear. Ask me questions and I would love to clarify. :)

Like I said before; this week was nuts. But even amongst all the craziness of be changing companions, being the coordinating sister that all the girls talked to about their feelings and about their situation, and still being Camille and trying to adjust to the big changes. I have felt so loved and supported. Even though I can’t see the end right now, I know that Heavenly Father is there for me, and that he is aware of my situation. In the missionary handbook it says something like "first turn to the Lord if you have any problems" rough paraphrase... but I had been telling my girls that all week when we were unsure who was going to move, and then when it ended up being me it was comforting to know that I had a testimony of what I had been telling them. Oh you guys I feel like I sound so cheesy! :) Just know that I am still loving it here at the MTC even though some things that have come my way where unexpected.

All the new missionaries get here Monday! I get to do orientation with them, and I am so excited to have them come. :) Mom thanks for offering to send something for my calling if needed. If you wanna have someone in Utah send something fun for them for their first week that would be awesome. :) If not, no worries, just a suggestion.

Ok I’m out of time. I LOVE YOU GUYS! Thanks for all the dear sisters, and letters, and tapes, and packages. I am so spoiled. Read the scriptures it will make you feel better. Pray for each other... that will make you feel better too.

Have a great week! suuuuuuure love ya! :)

Love Sister Camille Lee

Week 5

2011-03-22T15:17:00.000-06:00

Hi!

Thanks for the pictures! They were so great! Audrey your dress is beautiful, and the balloon ride looked freakin sweet. Mom and Dad sweet cactus! :)

This week was a good one. Not because I had a good time, but because I have learned the most. :) Wednesday was the worst day of the MTC. I cried all throughout the day and cried myself to sleep. I missed my family, I hated Chinese, I was mad at my self because of my lack of faith and diligence, I was not liking my companion, and teaching our investigators went terrible! haha I was a mess and looking back now it was kinda comical, but at the time I was so sad because I had never felt the least like my self in my whole life.

Lets just say after a lot of prayer and one on one with God, the next day was incredible. It’s amazing how willing the Lord is to bless those who try, and are sincere in including him in their life. Over these last couple of days I have never been closer to my companion, I have studied more Chinese then I ever thought my brain was capable of (and I’m retaining it!) I got your tape and all your dear elders today, and the email. I have the best family fill since I have been in the MTC, and I have never felt more confident in my teaching. What a blessing! If it weren’t for some sincere prayer and scripture study and some serious humbling I know that I wouldn’t have been as chipper as I have been in the last couple of days.

Because of my mini breakdown I got to study a lot about grace and the enabling power of the atonement. Mom and Dad, study that.... It’s great stuff. :)

Ok so now for the fun stuff!

It sounds like spring brake was amazing. I loved, loved, loved your tape, and I am sending mine out tomorrow! It has lots of fun stuff on it this time, and I hope that you guys like it. I’m glad I get to respond to yours before I send mine out.

Real quick: Rooba! I totally wrote you the coolest letter, and then I got one from you that was basically the same letter you wrote me. It was sweet (I hope that made sense. ha) Anyways, I couldn’t send it cause I didn’t have any stamps, but you will get it when you get back from your trip! I am so excited for you. :) Don’t worry about your roommate situation. You basically just go to bed anyways. I can’t wait to talk about Wicked!

Rest of the family; All your letters are coming in the mail soon as well. It was SO good to hear from everyone. I actually haven’t finished all the tape, but I am doing that tonight. K will someone please tell Joeli to write me, and that I’m sending Krista a letter. I miss her so much.

Besides this week being full of the highest high and the lowest low, it was still pretty fun. :)

The older districts are all leaving tomorrow and so that means that we are now half way through the MTC! It’s so crazy?? Because all of the old leaders were leaving, we got new leadership and I was called as the new RS coordinating sister. That means I work with the zone leaders and be everyone’s mom and take care of them basically. I had a couple of meetings yesterday and that they were really good, we got to talk one on one with Sister Brown the MTC presidents wife, and so that was fun. Anyone of the girls could have had this calling, I’m just grateful that "If the lord needs an errand run, he can call on Camille Lee" It will be fun taking care of the new girls. :)

Hmm what else?! :)

My district is hilarious. We have the funniest things happen everyday. Sister Smith is having her mom make T-shirts with funny inside jokes on them so we can wear them as a district. Oh the things you do in the MTC. haha

Oh! Audrey your wedding plans sound amazing! I approve of the colors, decorations, the huge A and D thing is so sweet, and I’m SO sad I won’t be able to boogie with you and the DJ. ha It sounds perfect so far. I do have some ideas so I will write home all about it. :)

Everyone’s spring break sounds like you all had a ton of fun! Mom I wish I could taste all the yummy treats you have been making. You guys know how to have the perfect amount of fun. I miss everyone individually so much! I pray for you guys every night, and I know you do the same. Even though you are so far away, I feel like we haven’t skipped a beat, which has been really nice. Good luck with everything everyone!

My mission has been the biggest adventure of my life so far. It’s been the funniest, the scariest, the most intense, the happiest, and I have never felt like I have had more purpose in my life.

Everyone work hard to be nice to each other and include the Lord in your life. It’s amazing how much he loves us and how much he ready and willing to help you! Say your prayers and read your scriptures every night everyone. Its amazing how much you can learn from the lord.

Ok, ok I gotta go!! I’ll talk to you guys soon! Soo good to hear from everyone. :)

phili 4:13

Week 4

2011-03-22T15:13:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Ok so here is my week:

This week was a good Chinese week, not too stressed out, and I managed to have some fun learning how to read and write characters. It's slowing coming, but I'm doing my best and that’s the perfect amount to give. :) This week I have been trying hard to ask good inspired questions so I can best know how to meet my investigators need. Brother Li is opening up more and more, and we shared the family proclamation with Brother Lin. Hopefully this helps him realize the importance of revelation through prophets. He loves, loves his family. :) We even had such a good teaching night our teacher talked to us and praised us for our hard work, and improved teaching skills. I am so glad that I am learning so much and that Heavenly Father is helping me learn how to listen to the Holy Ghost in order to best serve their needs. (haha I sound like such a missionary. I think that’s a good thing though. ;)

Random tib bits;

Elder Peel asked me to fix his pants. He ripped a hole is both his pairs and so I got to put my sister missionary skills to use. Sister Smith helped me repair one pair, and as we were working away Elder Bell came in and we taught him how to sew a button to the class whiteboard rag. :)

There was a concert on our floor Saturday night. There was a trio who entertained us by singing some hymns. Something out of the ordinary so of course I get to mention it. ha

Speaking of a trio... today I was called to the information desk during breakfast. Totally random, and come to find out a friend that I met in PE was assigned to be my third companion for the day. Her district left a day ahead of her so we got to threesome it up today. She is so cute. Her name is Sister Watts, and she is from North Carolina going to Texas. She is so nice and she is switching my load right now. haha I didn’t realize that I started emailing right as my load was getting done. ha Anyways she is so great. :) She’s a little tiny girl. I’ll take a picture and send it to you guys. I am glad she thought of me to me her comp for the day.

Daylight savings was a couple of days ago, and so I lost an hour of sleep that I will never get back?? ugh. So sad! haha Mother did you know that I am the first one out of bed in the morning, and I am the cleanest girl in my room. My bed is made everyday, and all my stuff is always put away. You and I both would have never guessed. haha

I went to choir for the first time this week, and it was a lot of fun the choir director is way funny, and we get to sing at the devotional on Tuesday so that will be really fun. Hopefully it’s an apostle. ;)

Ok sooooo, confession time. I am having a hard time getting along with my companion. The longer I am with her, the more I don’t understand her, and its stressing me out. I get along with everyone all the time! Everyone except for my MTC companion. haha go figure. Pray for me to love her, and for me to have patients with her.

President Baker quoted Yoda in sacrament meeting and it was one of the highlights of my week. haha Yoda said "Do or do not. There is no try." That has become my theme for this up coming week. :) I am going to "do" my guts out this week. The older district leaves next week, and so in just two Wednesdays we will be the old district. That means in two weeks I’ll be half way done at the MTC. So crazy to think about! I am on a mission!! :) I still forget and then re-remember and it’s so fun to think about. haha

I have more fun stuff to say, but I will tell you on the tape. :)

This place is great! I am becoming more and more aware of the gradual change that I am going through. Such a blessing! My mission will give me experiences that I never would have had and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Dancing at Dave’s sisters wedding sounds like it was a ton of fun. Good luck Audrey my dear. I will pray for you. Thanks for sending me Alena’s letter! So good to hear from her. I wish I could write like that. Maybe in the field I will be better at writing details. I love you guys so much. I pray for you everyday. Thanks so much for all the letters and packages you send! It’s such a blessing!

You guys keep on keeping it real. :)

Dad I am excited for the rubrics cube instructions. Maybe you could explain it over the tape. Cant wait to hear from you guys!

xoxo

I LOVE YOU!

Mom

Dad

Audrey

Miranda

Paige

Delan

Kade

Love,

Sister Camille Lee

You can just call me Camille if you want.

P.S. How was wedding shopping? What does that even mean? You guys better start giving me details. ;)

Week 3

2011-03-13T18:50:00.003-06:00

Hi family!!

I sent out a tape on Saturday with pictures and a little note, so hopefully you guys get it mid week. :) It sounds like it was such a great week for everyone! Can you believe that we have a sister who is now engaged? So crazy. I don't have too much time to write cause I watched the Audrey’s video and looked at the pictures for forever, but I am SOOO glad that you sent them. Made my day!

Here is my week in a nutshell:

Sister Lethco and I got a new investigator. We are now teaching two different people, and we have a lesson once a day in Chinese. It’s intense but it’s making me stretch so that's good. :)

I saw James Sullivan! He’s getting married in September to a girl form his mission - it was great bumping into him.

This week was kinda rough. Our schedule was crazy, and they loaded us up with Chinese, so naturally that created a lot of stress. ha there was one girl, whose mom sent her a package full of sweets that day, so in the middle of language study we just broke down, and all ate chocolate covered pretzels until we felt better. ha (doing much better today. devotionals always seem to fix your hard weeks. ha)

My favorite meal this week was toasted peanut butter and jelly with celery sticks. Yum, yum.

Its been raining the last couple of days, and its been kinda fun to wake up in the mornings to everything all cloudy and rainy.

Boy I miss you guys! I love it here, but I wanna talk to you all the time, and I don't feel like 30 min gets me any where with my emails. ha I wish I could just call you. Anyways. Only 7 min left –gotta hurry.

Like I said this week was kinda rough, I was kinda expecting that though. ha My teacher said that he read a quote by C.S. Lewis, "If you haven't seen the devil lately yet, then he’s just around the corner." idk something like that. This week was a down week, but I am so grateful for all the lessons I have learned. Its taught me to rely on the lord, and that no matter what I still have to create an atmosphere for the spirit because if I don't have his help, then I am helpless. I don't learn Chinese, I can’t teach, and I can’t be lead to know what to study for my self or for my investigators. Hopefully I won’t have a bummer week for a while, cause they just aren't worth it. Thank goodness for my district. Instead of breaking down and crying we all break down and laugh. The elders we have are so cute. I'm so glad they are in our group.

One thing that I have been thinking a lot about is that sacrifice brings blessings. One of the devotional speakers said: the way I sacrifice will change my mission, and the mission will change my life. I'm doing my best, and trying my hardest to become the type of missionary the lord wants me to become. Even though sometimes it’s really hard, it’s totally, totally worth it. I'm sorry I don't have more time to write. I’ll start and send another tape this week. I love you all soo, soo much. I’ll do better at writing and telling you all the details. Be nice to one another, and remember that prayer is a way that we let our heavenly father direct our lives. :) (That is what we have been teaching brother Lin) ha

Love you all!!!

xoxo

Sister Lee

Week 2

2011-03-02T10:22:00.004-07:00

The MTC has been a blast this week. I have prayed my guts out to be optimistic, and the lord really has helped me out. I have been in a great mood all week, and that has really helped me with teaching and learning Chinese. I started reading characters this week! That so far has been my favorite part. My comp and I got another investigator and that has been good. His name is Brother Lee, and he is an electrical engineer. My companion and I have grown closer and so that has helped a lot in our teaching, and just chillen around our room, and stuff. :)

One thing I have learned about here is hope. In preach my gospel no page 117 it has a little paragraph on Hope; I promise as you read and study that you will be comforted, and that you will know how to get more guidance about things in your life that you are feeling discouraged about. One thing that I get to work on is “believing and expecting that something will occur.” As a missionary I know that as I try my hardest, and have hope, that the Lord will step in and take care of the rest.

I really am learning so much. Not just about missionary work but also about myself, how to better manage my time, goal setting, being self-motivated, Chinese, how to teach, and how to deal with other people.

I started a tape for you guys, and so all my cool stories are on there! ha I saw nanny and papa at the temple today, and that was awesome. :)

Ok fun little things about the mtc:
• My whole zone always eats together at the best table in the cafeteria, and meal times are like one big party.
• The elders always hold the doors open for us and when ever that happens there is always a thank you/your welcome exchanged in your mission language.
• Temple walks are the best part about Sundays (which I’m going to tell you about in my tape).
• I’m not getting fat here, even though I’m still paranoid about it. Haha

I will have to take pictures of all the cool places at the MTC. We are doing laundry later today so I will show you what that looks like. The bookstore is really cool room so maybe I will show you that.

I love you ALLL and thanks so much for writing me!!! Stay happy and be good. We are so so blessed. :)

Her First Week!

2011-02-24T09:22:00.001-07:00

Hi!!!

Ok first of all. Mom, you are not annoying and you can send me a dearsister email everyday! I loved hearing from you this week, and I loved how you told a little bit about each person. We print our emails off in the morning, and read them at breakfast, so you can write me a big long email, and it won’t eat into my time at all. (the big red clock at the top corner of the screen is stressing me out!!) Anyways!

I LOVE THE MTC!
I feel so blessed, and I haven’t been sad since I have gotten here... I really like my district, and my companion! Her name is Sister Lethco and she is from Sacramento. She has a cute boyfriend who is a firefighter, and she plays the saxaphone and is a rower. Such a cool chick, and we get along great! My district has four sisters and two elders, I sent home a picture, so you will get to see who they are soon. :) (Next week I will upload pictures.)

Ok first day was so cool. I said goodbye to the fam, got dropped off at the curb, and then a "host" sister took me to my room. I was the first sister there, and so I got to choose my bed, which was nice. I then got my tags, checked in and then went to my classroom. We were taken into a little room to watch a video on the MTC, but as soon as we were there our teachers started speaking in only Chinese! Chinese is Voldermort. I haven’t had one full class in English yet. Why you might ask? I am part of the new Pilot group. It’s basically like a new curriculum that the language department is trying out. We have had a board member in at least one of our classes per day, and at the end of our lesson they ask us all sorts of questions like: was that lesson helpful, how did you feel about class today, what could have gone better? Just stuff like that. At times it’s really stressful, and overwhelming, but “the language that should not be named” is "fawn," (fun) and I secretly like it. :) I have already learned how to speak some phrases from the first lesson, bear my testimony, and pray in zhongwen. Can you believe it? This pilot program is going to stretch my guts out... I can do hard things.

I know it’s only been a couple of days, but they have already started blending together. I know that the first night, we had this cool "fake" investigator presentation. There were about 35 missionaries in a room, and we got to help teach a lesson - kinda. We also got to hear from the MTC presidency and that was really cool. Umm… I taught a lesson in Chinese my second morning I was here. It was nuts, but it was good practice. Gym time everyday is super fun. My whole zone plays four-square and it’s awesome! I’m getting better :) I got to watch Legacy after a really cool devotional by someone in the MTC presidency last night. (Legacy was the funniest church movie I have ever seen when you watch it with hundreds of silly missionaries.) Anyways the devotional, it was on music, and were like a 2000 missionary choir that sung "Called to Serve” and “Army of Helaman." Mom you would have been balling your eyes out with me. We took a temple walk yesterday around the temple and took some pictures.

Ohmygoodness, I am almost out of time!

I am excited to start making you tapes, because it will save my life! I will get to tell you way more detail, about how cool this place is.

I love you all very much, and I am so grateful to have such an awesome fan club. Please keep me in the loop and let me know what is going on.

Fun Facts:
• I saw papa at the temple today, and cried I was so happy.
• I have bumped into Molly Castle, Patrick Taylor, Taylor Hooker, and Mike Juelch. It’s great seeing them. :)
• I have slept like a baby without my memory foam. I don’t know how that’s even possible.

Mom I have worn my retainer and slept with my pillow every night. You should be proud.
Ok. I LOVE YOU!!!! Write me letters early in the mornings so I can get them and write you guys back.
xoxoxo
LOVE,
Sister Lee

Saying Goodbye

2011-02-18T15:26:00.004-07:00

We took Camille to the airport early Wednesday morning. It was a very bitter-sweet moment. We are all going to miss her so much but we are super happy that she is going on her mission to Taiwan.

A Missionary Photo Shoot

2011-02-15T08:51:00.012-07:00

Jacque Weech took Camille's mission pictures! They turned out great. :)

The Call!

2011-02-09T19:28:00.013-07:00

I got my mission call, and I am going to the Taichung, Taiwan mission. Can you believe it? Yeah, me either.

So opening my mission call makes the: "Top 5 favorite things I have ever done in my life" list. I wanted to cry, and laugh, and pass out, and pee my pants, and throw up, and scream all at the same time. It was so great.

My mother had out done herself and decorated the whole house. We had a guess map, badge cake, luggage balloons, and happy streamers to celebrate.

My Grandma and Uncle Rob drove down from Utah just to be there. My Grandma has passed away since then, and so having her be there was the most special part.

I love being a big sister.

2010-09-18T00:03:00.008-06:00

It is kinda like being a Mom, but you DON'T have to wake up early, give birth, or clean up throw up. It is kinda like being a Mom, but you DO still get to love them with all your heart, you still get to be there to wipe their tears, and put them in time out. You still get kisses no matter how many of their friends are around. You get to hear the best secrets that end with "don't tell mom". You get to drive them all over the place, and you even make them check in just to make sure they are safe. You get to give great advice from "years of experience" and get to hear their favorite part of the day when you tuck them in at night.
Yesterday I was walking Kade to a friends house, and he challenged me to count to one-hundred. There is no grater feeling then impressing your kindergarten brother, and seeing the look on his face when he tells you that you can count higher then anyone he knows. It was so cute, it made me cry. Man, I love my littles. I hope they love me even when I am old and have kids of my own someday. I love being a big sister.

nothing beats

2010-08-27T16:20:00.002-06:00

finding a WHOLE Oreo cookie in your ice-cream.

we will melt your popsicle

2010-07-24T15:36:00.011-06:00

I have 5 girls in my family, and when we get together we have a lot of fun... We decided to go to California last weekend and do what girls do best; we shopped till we dropped, ate until we couldn't eat no more, swam until we drown, took pictures until our memory card was full, and drove until car broke down. It was such a great weekend.

move like a jellyfish

2010-07-05T17:23:00.002-06:00

rhythm is nothin, you go with the flow you don't stop.

i live in arizona now

2010-06-28T14:23:00.002-06:00

it's pretty fun. I like the plam trees and all the cacti. There are really nice people here, and they don't even seem to be faking it. The sky is always blue, and you can swim at night it is so hot. They have Costco and Dariy Queen so that is good. The shopping malls are out side, but still fantastic. The Library has become my favorite place, and I haven't seen one scorpion yet. I think I really like it here. Too bad they dont have any mountains. Oh wait. They do...

you turn me on with your electric feel

2010-05-26T08:54:00.007-06:00

Thai food, hopscotch, stories, palm reading, snow-cones, MGMT, and tree swings sound like a pretty fun date to me. Oh wait. It was... :)

vacation

2010-04-07T15:47:00.010-06:00

It was fun. :)

Chillen in Guatemala.
The Green Lagoon.
We found these guys in the ruin tunnels.

I didn't really like them.

now all i cant think about is kissing.

2010-04-05T16:00:00.008-06:00

Last night Meagan and I decided to watch a chick flick before going to bed. After we finished our movie we put in another, and another, and then another. We finally went to bed at 8am.

It was so worth it.

if only

2010-03-25T00:06:00.001-06:00

I were a photographer and as adorable as this chick. If only...

nerdy is cool

2010-03-24T17:07:00.008-06:00

I have done some pretty rad things in Mexico.

climed ancient ruins

purchased pineapple

vsited oaxaca

mineral mud masks

when in mexico

2010-03-07T15:47:00.006-07:00

do what the Mexicans do. For four gringas on a Saturday night that included: being serenaded by two cute boys, two guitars, and a lovely song or three. Eating out in the fresh night air. Walking around the market, purchasing street vendor food, and having a blast. Weekends in Mexico aren't so bad. :)

every 2 weeks

2010-03-05T09:30:00.003-07:00

Liza and I make the long 30 min walking trek down to Chedraui. That's our grocery store. I beg for sugar cereal, and she whines for cleaning chemicals. After we both give up and give in, we check out and start walking home. One item we never fail to purchase, are garbage bags. If we ever forget them we will be doomed. Every grocery run between 2 norte and Reforma, our bags rip. Cans go rolling, boxes go sprawling, and we break into uncontrolble fits of laughter.This is when we find the garbage bags, bag everything up, and keep on going. It is the most comical endeavor. We are always crying with laughter by the time we make it home. The Mexican get a really good show every 2 weeks.

i woke up this morning

2010-03-05T09:14:00.003-07:00

to a red robbin in my courtyard. He was just eating a seed. Im glad he let me take a picture of him. He looked at me. I looked at him. He wished me good morning, and then He flew away.

if i were a girl

2010-03-04T20:54:00.005-07:00

in Mexico, and totally boy deprived... I would go to a park with one of my girl friends and we would just sit there and stare down boys for hours. literally. Then... every once in a while, eight boys would approach and ask us if they could take a picture with us. If they weren't quite men that would be ok too, cause it still would have been worth being on the prowl. If only...

today

2010-03-04T20:39:00.002-07:00

I picked an orange off a tree at school. Once it was peeled all my little students wanted a slice. We shared, and it was perfect.

BYU-I will

2010-03-02T22:01:00.002-07:00

consider doing another semester up at your school. We had some good times in the past. Even though I wasnt crazy about you, I am willing to give it another try. You are a little cheesy at times, but that is something we can work on. I will promise to spend more time on your campus if you promise to provide more interesting people to converse with. I really hope that we can start again on the right foot this time, and that you can see that I willing to work this out. It´s not you, it's me. Promise. I needed to take a break, and now that I am feeling refreshed, I can see the posibilities. Thanks for always being there for me. xoxo

i went to the zoo

2010-02-24T19:52:00.002-07:00

playing with the baby jaguar was my favorite part!

you know you are hott when

2010-02-24T19:47:00.001-07:00

even cars whistle at you when you are walking down the street... true story.

camelias

2010-02-17T20:49:00.004-07:00

are my favorite flower. we have a lot in common.

6 things

2010-02-17T20:33:00.006-07:00

you can always find in my purse...

*sharpie markers

*note pad

*mini lotion

*hair rubber bands

*sunglasses

*ibprofen

everyone needs

2010-02-17T14:00:00.009-07:00

a friend like Dave. He's the greatest. :)

every once in a while

2010-02-15T19:59:00.001-07:00

you just need to cry it out.

Happy Heart Day

2010-02-14T10:51:00.002-07:00

jugo de naranja

2010-02-12T13:28:00.004-07:00

Everyday this week I have walked down to the corner and have gotten my morninhg juice. 1 liter, 10 pesos, squeezed in front of you. I like living in Mexico.

i own a guitar

2010-02-11T19:52:00.005-07:00

my roommate has one too. at night when everyone goes home... we jam.

gentlemen prefer blondes

2010-02-07T12:26:00.007-07:00

that is why i decided to dye my hair.

this little piggy went to the market

2010-02-06T17:02:00.002-07:00

I hurt my toe. Its almost better now. Its just gotta re-grow a couple layers of skin, and it will be normal looking again. I was making fun of Dillon and Liz. I walked in on them kissing in the kitchen. They are married so its allowed. Instead of being smart and watching where I was going, I was being funny and I ran into a door. Sounds minor, but it resluted in puddles of blood, and a quick trip to the hospital. I was sent home with a goober looking bandage, and was told that I would have to stay off of it for 2 weeks. ha. Funny. Everyone was going on vacation in two days and I wasnt going to miss out. I didnt. Even though slicing your toe open im glad that its didnt make me miss out. I would have been so mad. I just would have chopped the whole thing off.

when i am at home

2010-02-06T02:12:00.002-07:00

I am usually happily bored. I read, or surf the internet, have stimulating conversation with Liza, and usually eat some food. This is a result of what happens when I think of people and previous times I have experienced happy bordem.

sometimes its fun

2010-02-06T01:37:00.008-07:00

being all girly and dressing up all cute. When you put effort into looking all hot, sometimes is fun to take a picture or two. :)

told you so...

2010-02-03T21:05:00.004-07:00

four days

2010-02-03T10:43:00.003-07:00

I didn't shower for four days last week. I gave Cassie a hug goodbye last night, and she told me I smelt clean. That only encourages my bad hygiene habits.

i realize this is premature

2010-02-03T10:37:00.004-07:00

but I found the wedding dress that I want...

really?

2010-01-27T17:40:00.001-07:00

i try so hard to make this all hot and stuff, and this is what i have to deal with. boo. boo.

good book, goodreads, good times

2010-01-25T20:58:00.001-07:00

I signed up for another membership today. Im not usually into this kinda stuff, but the sales pitch was very convincing. It went like this. Joeli: Camille you should try this. I think you will like it. Me: Ok. Cool!

story of my life :)

2010-01-24T19:14:00.007-07:00

I have always looked up to my little sister. She is flippen hot, has a great body, is the sweetest dearest girl you have ever met, has a wonderful personality, and most of her friends are cooler then mine. She decided to start a blog, and 10min after its birth, its already cutter then mine. Ya. I know. Even when she doesnt try to be cooler then me, she totally is.

sisters by chance

friends by choice

cute... i know. :)

i cut hair.

2010-01-22T23:05:00.004-07:00

Becca needed a haircut, and so I fibbed and told her that I have cut hair many a time. Prolly not the best thing to lie about, but no one is going to let you cut their hair if you tell them you have zero experience. You gotta start some where right? It turned out really good. It actually turned out great! We a-lined it, and cut lots of cute layers too. It freaking rocks for never have cut hair before. It was fun, and now if someone asks me if I have cut hair before I don't have to fib.

i don't do bugs

2010-01-22T22:59:00.002-07:00

So in the last three days I have had people kill: 2 cockroaches, 1 cricket, 2 black widows, a couple hundred ants, and a couple of spiders. I have this complex that they are crawling all over my body, and are living in my bed. Oh wait. They prolly are.

you make me feel like dancin'

2010-01-17T18:18:00.003-07:00

Do you know how hard it is trying to come up with a theme song for yourself? First you have to decided what kind of genre you are. Then you have to decided if you are more of a slow song, or upbeat kinda person. (Not to mentiont the content of your song.) Next you get to choose from like a million different artists! I dont feel like it is that unrealistic to find one. Maybe I will find like three? It is such a daunting task. Will I ever succssed? I say yea.

subject:

2010-01-17T17:57:00.002-07:00

I am convinced that subject lines in e-mails are for party poopers. Isn't the whole point of an e-mail to read it, and find out what it is about? Why give away the surprise in the subject line, when people can just read it themselves? What is up with people now a days? (Disclaimer. I love putiing stuff in my subject line.)

fame

2010-01-17T17:41:00.005-07:00

watched it friday night, and have been drooling over it ever since. asher book is a hottie and i have his song on repeat right now. you should watch it. i think you would agree with me. :)

asher book

watch it. its cool.