Monday July 21, 2014

Nihao pengyou...men

Learning chinese is like riding a rollercoaster.  One day I'll be pumped because I'm learning and understanding the language and other days I want to curl up in a hole because I don't understand people and learning chinese is HARD!!

Story time!!! So Monday night we were told that our whole district was supposed to go the medical clinic for a physical for our visa application. So we march ourselves up there the next day only to find that NO we are not getting physicals, but YES we're getting our blood drawn.  So, many know that I have a tendency to pass out from shots since 6th grade.  Surprisingly though, I wasn't nervous or worried about passing out.  I was like, "YES! I'm cured!" Sister Jenkins went first because she started crying when she learned she was getting blood drawn. She REALLY doesn't like needles. So I walk into the room and she's sprawled on this bed chair thing with a fluffy stuffed red bear... super pale, and doesn't look so hot.  I tell the nurse I have passed out from needles before so she had me wait for Sister Jenkins to get out of the chair.  I get in the chair and am chattering away to my tongban (companion sister Lew) and the nurse about my life living overseas.  I didn't get dizzy when she stuck me but I lean my head back and keep talking.  I keep talking about Korea and how good the food is in Asia when all of a sudden I have no idea where I am.  There are these weird people standing above me and I have NO idea who they are.  Then things start to come back to me and I realize I'm still in the chair in the doctors office and I just got my blood drawn...YEP, I PASSED OUT! According to my tongban, I all of a sudden stopped mid-sentence and my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I jerked a little. I'm just like, "dang it, I thought I was over this" But, I felt fine afterward.  Sister Jenkins wasn't doing so well though and they gave her a priesthood blessing.  The one that gave it to her was the"baby" of the district and it was his first time giving a blessing.  It was amazing though, because he was so humble he was able to listen to the Spirit and to what Heavenly Father wanted to bless her with :)

 

So our "investigator" had been progressing pretty well.  We had a couple hiccups about prophets, and the plan of salvation vs reincarnation, but overall it was going pretty well.  She had even agreed to be baptized.  One day she told us she was going back to Taiwan for a week with her family and she would let our teacher know when she was back.  Well, the next day we walk into our classroom to find LaiJieYi (our investigator) in the room in Sunday dress and a teacher name tag!!! She was one of our teachers! So now we have two teachers instead of one...crazy!

 

On Friday we were studying scriptures when all of a sudden we heard a really loud noise like unto a bomb and things flew out of the trash can.  Well, apparently one of us had put a half empty bottle of Orange Juice in the trash can a couple days ago, and it fermented and blew it's cap! It scared us all half to death.  

 

I am getting SO sick of the cafeteria food.  I'm so used to home cooked meals and knowing what goes into my food. It's pretty good, but I'm just getting sick of it, plus it's not super healthy...

Yesterday (Sunday) we had a devotional with TC Christensen who is one of the church's cinematographer.  He made Ephraim's Rescue, 17 Miracles, and many other church films.  It was amazing to see his insight in the pioneers and the things they had to go through.  He told us the importance of keeping journals, but mostly he spent the time telling not very well known stories about the pioneers.  It was AMAZING!!!

Well, I hope you all are going well! I love this gospel and know it's true.  I am SO excited to go to Taiwan and teach the people there!!! 

 

LOVE YOU ALL :)

 

Some people in our zone

My Roommates at the Temple (it was "Salmon Sunday")

Sister Adulos, a sister that I met before going to the MTC

Sunday, July 14, 2014

Hello All!

So I suffer from trying to be boyscout prepared but still being military brat prepared, so only bringing what you need... so somethings I forgot, but most I can live without ;)

The MTC is AMAZING!!! the days go by so slow because you're doing so much, but at the end of the day, it all feels like a blur and you can't remember a thing.

My first day when Sherrie dropped me off I saw Sister Adulos who was the one I met before coming. We were so excited to see each other and she was my host.  She told me that she had been praying to see me and be my host. The Lord answers prayers! Also, there were about 800 missionaries that arrived that day where usually there are 600, so there were more than usual arriving.  I met an Elder Humphrey that is from Leeds and knows the Vingos! How awesome! One of the speakers our first day quoted a general authority and said that we were LIVING the Millenium. HOW AWESOME?!

My companion (tongban) is sister Lew. She's from Hong Kong, but doesn't speak very good Chinese (but way better than me). She's pretty awesome. The other two that arrived with us and are in our room and district are Sister Jenkins and Sister Strong.  We get along famously and feel more like a quad than two separate companion groups.

I think the thing that surprised me the most was that our third day we taught an "investigator"...IN CHINESE!!! I didn't understand a whole lot and didn't say a whole lot, so it didn't go super great.  But we taught her again the next day and I understood a LOT of what she said and I actually was able to answer some of her questions rather than relying completely on my companion :) I could actually feel the spirit and it was amazing at how much I had learned in just one day!!! 

On Sunday during Relief Society we sang "As Sister's in Zion" but they changed the lyrics and a line that really hit me was, "we're gathered enlisted with Helaman's Army." We were also in class one time and one of our elders said you could erase with just a piece of rubber, so one Elder (Jensen) promptly took off his shoe (shoe Crocs) and tried it out.  It worked ;)

I'll have to apologize about the pictures, because my pictures won't upload, so I'll have to figure it out and get back to you on it. 

Hope you all are doing well! 

Love, 

Yu Jie Mei (Fish Sister)

Sister Lew and Sister Fisher

Elder Jensen's shoe eraser

At Provo Temple

Cam's First Email!!

We put Cambrea on the plane on Wednesday morning at 0615.  I then had to race off to load up for Girl's Camp.  I returned home today and raced to the computer and this is what was waiting for me:

Hey guys! 

I arrived safely, and it's going great! My Chinese is super rusty so I've pretty much had to start from scratch. My companion is Sister Lew, she's pretty amazing and knows more than I do so she's been helping me a lot. My P day is on Monday, so I'll send a more detailed one then.  I love you guys! Looking forward to letters both email and written! Don't forget to write either by mail or dear elder...yea :)

I am so glad that she is doing well and is excited about the work she is preparing for.  She will be an amazing missionary!

Here are her addresses for those who would like to write her:

She will be at the MTC until early September

Sister Cambrea Anne Fisher

SEP05 Taiw-Tai

2007 N 900 E Unit 18

Provo UT 84602

After about the first week in September

Sister Cambrea Anne Fisher

Taiwan Taipei Mission

4/F, #24, Lane 183

Chin Hua Street

Taipei 106

Taiwan

Email:

cambrea.fisher@myldsmail.com