Monday July 6, 2015

You know you're sweaty when you kneel down to start DPS and you slide all around during the prayer because your knees are so sweaty. It's definitely an experience.  Sweat skiing...it's a thing :)

So this week has been crazy!! I cannot believe it. I think this is the first companion I've been instantly friends with that I haven't killed.  It's been so much fun! 

This week we met with Ling Jie Mei (actually wu jie mei) and we weren't sure if she was going to progress, but we met with her on Tuesday and read 1 Nephi 1 with her and talked about it.  She told us she loves meeting with us. She doesn't know why but she always feels happy when she meets with us. Yes...spirit power! And she agreed to come to church.

During the week we had Jedi Council in Taipei and got to meet the new mission president. HE IS SO AMAZING! I was really nervous to meet him because President Day and Sister Day were so amazing and I love them so much I wasn't sure how the new President would be.  Well, he is just as good as President Day. Different, but still awesome :)  He talked to us about how excited he was and we could all feel the spirit and knew he was supposed to be heret.  Trust God's servants.

This week we met this super cute zhen JM and she was super cool except for the next time she met with us she said she didn't want any part of our religion.  Yeah. She said it was too bothersome, to hard, and we had too many rules.  She said she looked it up on the internet and found "nothing good". Yea, so that was really sad. Pretty much all of our qiaomen time was unsuccessful.  That was a little depressing, but there are rainbows after rainstorms. God did send us the prepared. He sent us to places we needed to go.  Sure, they all rejected us, but what we are doing will affect them and maybe one day they will let a set of missionaries in.  One step closer :)

Why is it that we get SOOOOO many miracles on fast sunday? I know fasting works! We had so many amazing things happen.  To start off we met with Ling JM and we go to her apartment and her whole family is there and they stayed to hear our message. The whole family became new investigators! and along with Ling JM her two other daughters came to church with her.  During gospel principles they had a lesson on  the WOW which we were a little nervous about but throughout the entire lesson she was nodding her head and said her whole life she's been keeping it because she wanted her body to be healthy. I was like where in the world did you come from?!

So we get to church and we get a call from ARLYN (a philipino who has the greatest faith and wants to get baptised but she can't get sunday off  because she takes care of a grandma) called us and told us she could come to church today. The last time she was able to go to church was last fast sunday...I guess me and my companion just need to fast every sunday to get her to church.  oh my holy heavens we were super excited at this point.  And then in walks a miracle investigator we found a couple days before who asked us when church was so he could come.  We're pretty much on cloud nine by this point and then pan xiao jing walks in. what? We haven't been able to meet with this little punk in a while and she just walks into church. 

Last thing! Sorry this is so long! So we had a baptismal service yesterday for the elders' investigator and Wang Jie Mei and Zhong Dixiong (Wang JM is our RC from last week and Zhong DX baptised her...his first time) were there.  When wang jM saw how fast the little girl was baptised she turned to Zhong DX and said, "Hey, that was fast...hey! Why did you leave me in the water for so long?!" I thought it was super funny.  Her baptism is still by far the cutest baptism I have ever attended.

Well, if you made it this far you truly are a friend.  Congratulations for making it through me droning on about my week.

Have a great week all! don't forget to let the Lord in.  You are all miracles to me.  God be with you my friends :) next week jian!

Yu Jie Mei

1. happy fourth of July!!!

My New companion Sis. Jenkins!

Picture Sister Fan drew for us

Happy 4th of July!!!

Talking to people on the street.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Well, it's time to get my nose back of the grindstone! I spent the last transfer sprinting with my companion to her finish line...but it wasn't mine so now I'm back to just running and giving it my best! It really is hard killing a companion.  You really end up missing them a whole lot.  But it's all part of the experience.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Monday I went on exchanges with Toufen...I WENT BACK TO TOUFEN!!!

It was great and it was POURING RAIN!!!

I actually passed off phase 2 so now I'm on Characters! Yes!

We had a baptism on Thursday! Wang Jie Mei got baptised!!!! Her husband who just got reactivated baptized her. It was his first time baptizing someone. He lowered her so gently into the water that you couldn't even see the splash. And then he kept her under the water for a little longer and when he looked up to see if it was okay to bring her up we were like pull her up pull her up! so adorable! They're going to be a great addition to the church!

Well, that's all for this week! I read Romans 8 which is like my favorite chapter.  It's all about putting off the natural man, sticking with Christ, and how everything will work out for our good.  God is in control!

You are all awesome!

Yue Jie Mei

Wang Jie Mei and her husband

Wang Jie Mei got baptised!!!!

 

Monday, June 22, 2015

Funny story. This morning the sink wouldn't drain so me and sister smith clean it out and she sticks her hand in a plastic bag and down the drain and pulled out this HUGE mass of dark matter from the sink. At first it smelled like rotten sour cream but very soon smelled like throw up. Like one of the grossest things I have ever smelled...in all of Taiwan, and that's saying something. Taiwan has some pretty horrid smells (open sewers, need I say more?)

So this is the last week with my companion Sister Smith.  Man, it's hard to say goodbye to a best friend. I'm super excited for her because she gets to see her family this week.  It's not as bad as killing Sister Singh, just because I'm older as a missionary and am more focused. But it's still hard because it makes me think about my family and how much I miss them. But then I remember why I'm here and it puts me in my place.  I have 6 months left. 6 MONTHS LEFT. I just need to keep giving it my all.  We're saving souls out here. The best work there is ever to do. It's right here, right now. 

Monday I saw a bunch of Indonesian helpers taking their amahs out for a stroll...haha. taking amahs out for a walk. Also, my companion's luggage exploded because she's starting to pack.  The end of this week.  

Friday is DRAGON BOAT. For those who don't know what that means it's basically a bunch of men who come together and dress up in spandex and row a boat with a dragon head on it.  It's pretty cool.  We went up to Nanliao where it was Friday and Saturday with our district and our ward and passed out English tracts and lessons and also free balloons.  Yes, the best. Me and my companion met these two guys from India and we had a lesson with them.  Then one of them said the closing prayer and he said it in Sanskrit...like a dead language Sanskrit.  It was pretty cool.  Friday was really slow...like nobody there but Saturday blew it out of the water and we had tons of member support so I'd say it was worth the 40 min bike ride and the huge sunburn I got on my arms...because silly me forgot to put it on the back of my arms. Yep, I'm a smart one.

Lastly for this week.  WANG JIE MEI PASSED HER INTERVIEW!!! The district leader forgot the baptism record paper so while she was getting interviewed sister smith and I had to bike home and grab one. We walked into the church with red faces and dripping sweat, but we got it and she passed so that was worth it too.  And the even cooler part?! Her LA husband just got reactivated and is baptising her! HOW CUTE?! We're helping families be eternal. That's the end goal.  They're going to the temple next year.

Love

Yue Jie Mei

I'm holding a ...the food they eat at dragon boat....yum. they're like Taiwanese tamales

11 months!!

Best way to eat a mango...over the sink.

Sisters Fisher and Smith

Sunburn!!

Eating zhongzi...it's like a Taiwanese tamale

 

Monday, June 15, 2015

 

Hello Everyone! 

Man it's been a crazy week...it's like 10 thousand degrees outside and 100 percent humidity.  Yep...so much fun. I melt every time I go outside. Two stories for this week.

So when I was in Okinawa we had cockroaches.  They have them here too...and they fly.  So we're eating lunch one day and all of a sudden I realize there's a cockroach on the ceiling...bad news.  Everyone else totally freaks out and it's right above my companion's desk and just running around in circles above her desk.  Total freak out session...don't worry. I was calm. It wasn't even that big and didn't have wings so I got a broom and whacked it down from the ceiling and then commenced to drown the thing with two bottles of Raid.  So now my apartment smells like Raid.

We met with one of our investigators this last Friday, Wang Jie Mei.  She is so awesome.  We followed up with her about being baptized and she shared this experience where she lost her keys and could not find them and prayed to find them and if she needed to get baptized and when she found her keys she started crying because she knew God wanted her to be baptised.  I know God answers prayers.  

It is so amazing because this week I've been studying about the Spirit.  I feel like it's really hard for me to hear him, especially when I'm making decisions as to where I should knock or what I should say.  One of my companion's favorite quotes is, "Revelation comes when the children of God are on the move" I love this quote so much because as missionaries we don't have very much time for anything so if we aren't listening and acting on it then

Something I learned a lot about is the importance of Jesus Christ.  His most important role as our Savior and Redeemer really makes me pause and think.  He literally gave up his birthright to us. He is the firstborn of the father and therefore has a right to all he has and he gave it to us.  He literally gave up his life.  Because he was half mortal half God he had the power to live forever.  He gave all that up for us because He loves us.  We don't follow Christ because he was a perfect example or because he was a good person or did good things. We follow Christ because HE IS THE ONLY WAY BACK.

That's all folks! You are all awesome! Keep reading that Book of Mormon every day :)

Yu Jie Mei

 

Sister Fisher and Sister Smith

Cockroach? yep...it died on a string connected to my companion's suitcase...she wasn't too impressed.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Okay.  It all started Friday.  We met with Arlyn, who is the Filipino who is a complete angel and so prepared but can't come to church because she's taking care of an ama and the boss won't give her any time off work so she can come to church.  Before I got to Xinzhu she prayed and fasted and chose June 27th as her baptismal date.  Ever since then it's been a real struggle trying to come with new fangfa's to get her to church.  So this Friday we met with her and she was having rough day. In the middle of our lesson her boss (the ama's son) randomly came over and asked us if we would ask Arlyn what she doesn't like about her job and tell us.  So we translated what she wanted to tell him, and we told him about how church would really make her feel better because she's gone to church every week for her whole life.  So he said it was okay...HE SAID SHE COULD GO... if the ama was okay with going with her.  So Sunday rolls around and we go to her house with a member with a car.  Arlyn tells us the ama had been throwing up that morning and the member talked with her and the ama said she would come next week.  So we were about to leave dejected when suddenly the ama's daughter and son in law walk in to visit the ama.  We talked to them and they said they could watch the ama for an hour so Arlyn could come to church! God has a plan for us. We may not know his timing, but He does and he has everything planned.  Faith, prayer, fasting. It works.  It so works. That's not to say I didn't know it before, but it such an amazing experience to see how the Lord gets His work done. 

Also, our 11 year old investigator walked herself to church and stayed all three hours.  And then that night we met with a motorcycle guy we set up with at a stop light and he now has a baptismal date and a Book of Mormon.  Talking to people at stoplights works.  Yes, you have to get through the 100s of rejections, ignoring, or even people making fun of you before you get that one! Life is amazing.  God is great.

wWhat else happened this week...oh! I ate intestines! They weren't disgusting...but they didn't taste good.

Also, we all have spirit animals in our apartment. My companion is a leopard and I'm a flying squirrel. Not sure why, but I am.

Love you all! be good!

Sister Fisher

Finally got her birthday package.  Eating taco soup.

Intestine soup.

Yummmmm!

Best way to eat soup.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Hello everyone! 

So this week was super crazy and just well...exhausting. We went up to Taipei three times this week and went on two exchanges.  Both times I was in my area, which I had been in for a couple days.  Fortunately the Lord was with us and I didn't get lost, but it's like baptism by fire. It forces you to know your area. 

One of the exchanges was with one of our sisters and we were heading home in the pouring rain and the sister fell on her bike.  It was a little rough, but we made it through.  It taught me I need to be a little bit more loving to people.  

My companion, Sister Smith, is amazing.  She is super great at listening to the spirit and following it's promptings. She also is super good at teaching people according to their needs and knowing how to resolve their concerns.  I hope I can learn all I can from her over the next 4 weeks.  Anyway, we were in a lesson and one of our investigators apparently felt a little to much of that good lovin pressure you get when you know you need to change and decided to backlash.  It wasn't pretty.  She just said a couple mean and hurtful things to us and especially my companion. We were still planning on going back next week but on sunday we went to church and apparently this investigator had been calling members in the ward and telling them lies about us. So for some reason they took the word of an investigator rather than trusting the representatives of Jesus Christ who leave our families for two years so we can bring others into the gospel.  makes sense right? yea, so now some of the members are giving us the cold shoulder.  

But on the up side we have two great progressing investigators.  One is around 11 and is sooo sassy! so sassy.  and the other is the wife of one our LA's that's coming back to church.  She has some great insights about the scriptures.  Man, it's so amazing the stark difference between those who have a sincere desire to learn and those who don't have a desire to learn.  

I've learned a lot about leadership this week.  SERVICE AND SACRIFICE! I have no time to do anything.  It's all just gogogo! 

Love you all!

Yu Xie Mei

 

 

Me and  President and Sister Day

 

    

Monday, May 25, 2015

Hello Everyone.

 I AM NO LONGER IN TOUFEN! I am close though.....in....XINZHU. Which just so happens to be my Sister Training Leaders when I was in Toufen.  Yep. I'm a Sister Training Leader.  I don't feel ready, but I've learned to trust in God's timing and trust that He knows exactly what I need. There are girls here that need my help.  There are people here who need me. 

Well, transfers was a shock. I am going to love this transfer. I was pretty sure I was going to move and I knew the Lord was going to put me somewhere where I would grow a lot because I was getting too comfortable in Toufen and with the work there, and with being a trainer.  I wanted to stay because of new opportunities in the future, but I was pretty sure I was moving.  I didn't expect getting called as a Sister Training Leader. I don't feel lihai enough to be a leader, but I learned from last time that the Lord called me and He knows I can do it.  The Lord works in mysterious ways. I also didn't expect to LOVE Sister Smith right off, my new companion. She was my STL (Sister Training Leader) last transfer and I wasn't sure if I would get along with her.  When her name popped up on the screen I was like, "Oh no" but I acted excited...because I figured that wouldn't be a good way to start off a transfer if I had negative expectations.  But Sister Smith is exactly who I needed and I already love her.  She is so amazing! I am so excited to serve with her and learn from her.  She is just so open and loving and she KNOWS how to listen to the spirit, which is something I need.  The past two days have been an amazing spiritual learning experience.  I've already learned so much about how to listen to the spirit. God knows exactly what I need.  Sister Smith said something interesting last night. She looks at me and says, "God trusts you." I think I'm beginning to see that.  I'm beginning to get confidence in myself, in my abilities and talents.  I'm starting to figure out who I am, and the coolest part about it is I'm not even looking for it.  I think this is the most focused I've ever been out here.  It's going to be a hard transfer, but a really good one :)

Holy moly this was a crazy week full of crazy thing and crazy miracles

Firstly, we had a lesson with a less active yesterday and it was amazing.  It was one of the most spiritual lessons I have ever been in. And I'm like full of the spirit.  God has so much love for his children.  She felt like she's been gone for too long and me and my companion had a unity moment where we both pulled our our scriptures and opened to the prodigal son and looked at each other and realized we were thinking the same thing.  Oh my gosh you get places when you are on God's time. 

We also sang in the rain.  It's been raining all week...and I mean it... HUGE RAIN. We were qiaomening and it was sprinkling a little and this guy passes us on the street and we start talking to him and then it starts POURING so he runs under a ledge for cover and we're in our rain jackets so we don't care and follow him and have a lesson with him.  It was really cool and we sang for him afterwards.  LOVE THE SPIRIT.

Oh yea, and I crashed on my bike...like full on crash into a pole in the rain and flew off...and all I've got is a little hurt ankle to show for it...and the bike is okay. God protects his missionaries!

Yu Xie Mei

Singing in the rain.

Great lesson with less active member.