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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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