Monday, October 20, 2014

Hallo Everyone!!!

   How's life? getting cold? not here. it's still pretty hot here. OH I just can't wait for summer (not).  I'm going to die, if I don't die first from the traffic or by drunk people. 

   Speaking of drunk people.  I had a fantastic experience on Saturday, and when I say fantastic I really mean not fantastic AT ALL!!! So, Saturday we were street contacting in a city called Taiping and my companion stops to talk to this guy that's kind of in a store/street restaurant thingy.  While she's talking with him, this guy comes out of the store with some of his friends and tries to speak English to me.  Warning sign #1: they came out and started talking to us. Warning sign 2: they tried to speak English to me. Warning sign 3: They looked REALLY happy and had that glazed over look in their eyes.  DRUNK!!! So, while my companion was trying to teach the most sober one all the others surrounded me.  I firmly placed my bike between myself and them once I realized they were drunk and realized their intent.  One of them kept telling me they wanted me and tried to speak English (which I DIDN'T understand) and then Chinese (which I REALLY didn't understand).  They kept asking if I was from the U.S. and they kept trying to invite me inside and I think one of them was trying to grab me.  The only thing I could get out of my mouth was (In Chinese) "No thanks, I'm a missionary. I'm a representative of Jesus Christ" which they then wanted to know what God wanted them to hear.  The probably wouldn't have liked it.  This whole time I'm frantically trying to get my companion's attention to tell her it was WAY time to go , but she was occupied with this other guy.  Finally, she realized the other drunk guys had surrounded me and we left.  One of them asked me for a kiss before I got very far. Yep, it was definitely an adventure.  My companion was furious once I told her what had happened and she said she wanted to give them a peace of her mind.  Fortunately, we didn't.

Yesterday we went over to the Branch President's house for FHE (Family Home Evening) and we watched Mormon Messages, ate this bean soup (like the sweet beans they put in baozi's), and played Jenga. Guess who knocked the tower over. MEE!!! It had to happen, eventually.

 We finally cleaned out our fridge, after much begging and pleading.  There were spiders and cockaroaches in there and it was NASTY.

The food is pretty good here.  

Also, weird thing about this place. We put the trash in the freezer...TRASH!!! WHAT!?!  I don't understand!

Things are better on the companionship side of things.  Every day is a new day.  We just did a fast to find prepared people because we'll find investigators and then they'll quickly die (meaning that they fizzle out).

On Wednesday we had 7 lessons and gave out 4 Books of Mormon. I think we got one investigator from it, and I think she just 'died' which means she's no longer an investigator.  Something that keeps me going is something my mission president said.  He said something along the lines of you have to fight for each and every person.  It's going to take effort, because the reward is so great.  I just wish I was fluent in Chinese already because I know this gospel is so true and I can't share adequately my feelings about how I know and how this gospel can bless their lives.  It'll come though, that much I do know.

Well, you all are awesome!!!  You all are great!  Have a fantastic week and remember that you are all loved Children of God :)  He knows each and every one of you!

Love,

Yu Jie Mei

(Fish Sister)

pictures
1. some sort of temple thingy that they play REALLY loud music and plays...for the gods, it's pretty funny
2. and that is a papya...ever seen one that big before? Me either!

A Chinese Temple where they play really loud music for the Gods.

Massive papaya.

Monday, October 13, 2014

HALLO EVERYONE!!!

There is no way to be modest while riding a bike while wearing a skirt...it's impossible.  I don't know how people do it.  If I wear a full skirt it flies up in my face, if it's a little tighter it rides up. I just can't win!
We had two major miracles this week. The first one was I think .

Oh, and I'm serving in....Taitung! It's so far away from everything on the east coast.  Yeaaaaaa.... I haven't decided to like it yet, I guess it'll come with time. 

Also, I find it ironic that I'm serving here because there are SO MANY stray dogs and cats it's insane.  AND most of them are just the sweetest things. They'll come right up to you and sit in front of you and sit there and look at you with those cute little eyes. And then they'll follow you around until you ride away on your bike leaving them sitting in the road watching you drive away.  My heart breaks every time.  And we have been strictly forbidden to touch any animals because if they bite you and the owner can't prove they've had the rabies shots you have to start getting them...and they stink and are expensive, so no petting animals for a year and a half :( I'm going to die.

Funny story though, everyone thinks my name is hilarious because it means fish :) Also, when people are trying to explain what a word means or which tone or meaning of the word they are trying to say, they write it on either your hand or their hand...the character...that I can't understand. 

We had two major miracles this week.  I think the first on was on Thursday. We were riding around and stopped by this ama-ish lady who was washing her car. She firmly stated that she was baibaide and didn't want to hear our message. We talked to her for a little bit and she finally let us into her house. We asked if we could start with a prayer and after a little bit she allowed us to say one. After the prayer we looked up to see tears in her eyes. It was really amazing to see her heart soften. she listened to our message and agreed to have a return visit. The other one was last night. We were tracting and the first home we knocked at let us in. When we entered I think there were two or three families staying in that house (of the same family, but also had families of their own). On the bed was a man who looked pretty sick. We shared the message with this family. Most of them were in and out throughout the lesson, so the man was the only one who heard the whole message, but you could tell it really touched him. We asked him to be baptized and he agreed, but told us he was paralyzed so would have a hard time. We told him it would be okay and left him with a Book of Mormon. I know there are prepared people here...we just have to find them.

IT IS SO DIRTY HERE!!! EVERYWHERE!  even in our apartment/house thingy it is so dirty.  when we were in Korea the appliances were at least nice. Not here.  There's stains everywhere and the faucets are all rusted.  yum. We also have to drink filtered water, or we'll go crazy...literally. It happened to an elder.  His trainer was a native and didn't think to tell him that he needed to change the water filter, so he didn't change it for over a couple months...and you're supposed to change it around every month. He went crazy and had to go home.

Don't worry though, I know Heavenly Father is watching out for me and you :)

I was prepared to work hard when I came on my mission, and Salt Lake South prepared me a little for that, so the working hard doesn't bother me, but I'm struggling with my companion. I'm not exactly sure what it all is, but I just don't get along with her. But you know me, I'm stubborn and headstrong, so it could be that I don't like the way she does things and...I don't know, it's hard to explain.  I'm nice to her and a good companion, but it is really hard to stay that way. For example, something that frustrates me is her lack of emotion. She only really has one. Whether I'm talking about how Dad butchered one of our cows or my bike has a flat tire, her reaction is the same, "Awesome, okay" or something to that effect. I've been praying really hard for Christlike love and have been looking for ways to serve her because I know that is how you learn to love your companion. I hope to resolve this soon.

Well, I hope everything is going well for you! I miss you all tons :)
Conference was amazing right?! it always is, but you know, it was especially good today.

well that's all folks! Hope you all have a chance to watch conference, because It's awesome.  and if you feel inclined to write me back I will make sure that I email you :)

Love,

Yu Jie Mei

Fish Sister

YOSO! (You only serve once)

pictures
1. All 31 of us wearing our super attractive fangwandai's (reflective gear)
2.  the Grand Hotel (I think) where Taiwan was dedicated :)

3.  last district picture at the temple before we part ways

4. 3 month picture!!!

All 31 missionaries that went to Taiwan at the same time.  Sporting their reflective gear.

The Grand Hotel- the place where Taiwan was dedicated or opened for missionary work.

At the Temple

Our girl has been out 3 months!  Celebrating with some yummy food.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

UPDATE:  Cambrea and the other 30 Taiwan bound missionaries were told on Thursday that their Visas had all been approved and they had 24 hours to pack up and be ready to depart for Taiwan.  They all left on Friday morning and if all went well they should have arrived in Taiwan sometime during the wee hours of the morning (our time).

She called us from the airport in SLC at 6:30am on Friday.  She was so excited and nervous she sounded like she was hyperventilating.  Breathe Cam, breathe.  She called us again during a layover in Detroit and we got to visit when we were a bit more coherent (it was a no school day and we had slept in a bit).  She was excited to be meeting up with some of her visa-waiting comrades as they all gathered at the gate for the flight departing for Taiwan.

We haven't heard from her to say that she is there yet but right now it is still very early morning there.

Monday, September 29, 2014

HeyO Pengyoumen!!!

This week has gone by so fast....  and yet so slow...

Last Monday we found this store called Pirate O's in I think it was Sandy that had Digestives and Hi-Chews (yummy British snacks) not to mention a whole variety of different European chocolate...it made me happy. 

Tuesday we had a lesson with a potential investigator and she accepted baptism and really wanted it, but her mom is really against the church, so she won't allow it :(  Lots of prayers though...so it'll soften soon.

Did you know you can get a blister on the inside of your toe?! yep... I don't know how it gets there, but it somehow got there. 

Also, Utah is going to make me fat...every dinner they give us dessert. It's so good, yet so bad!

Friday we had an appointment with one of our investigator families and on our way to the appointment it started POURING!!! like, streets turn into rivers flooding!! We kept mushing our way to the house and when we got in looking distance of the house we noticed the 15 year old son waiting on the front porch watching for us.  When we got to the door the mom was prepared with towels for us.  It was so adorable!! They're such a golden family! the Mom keeps telling us we are her three little angels. 

Speaking of angels, I have NO idea when our visas are coming... I don't like being NOT in the know or if it's close or far away.  AND I feel like I'm losing my Chinese.  On the upside there's a Chinese lady who lives with her daughter in law and she speaks NO english so I talk to her a lot

Women's Conference is AWESOME!!! I know God loves each and every one of us and I know the apostles and the prophet receive revelation from God.  I know He lives and He wants us to be happy.  Families can be eternal

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

YU Jie Mei


Tammy:  P.S. Sorry, No pictures again this week.  :-(

Monday, September 22, 2014

So, I'm in SLC south mission until my visa comes and it's pretty awesome.  Just some miracles these past couple of days:
My first night we went to this family that had mentioned that they were interested in learning more and taught them the first lesson and they accepted baptism!!!

We have a Chinese investigator!!! She is awesome, and hopefully we can nail down a baptism date soon

MOst of the work here is reactivation, and it's really sad to see how the gospel can bless people's lives, and then have them reject it and give you a whole bunch of excuses and justification for not coming to church because they can't see how it could help them. Some people, but I know they'll come around eventually and I know God has a plan for each of them. 

So my companions are S. Kusalieva (from Ukraine) and S. Verkist (Idaho). They are really hard working missionaries and LOVE to PUSH ME!!! Next week S. Verkist is going on a 48 hour exchange and on wednesday Sister Kushalieva has training so I'll be senior companion for 4 HOURS!!! I still have NO idea where anything is, so this should be really interesting. 

I have found that door approaches are VERY hard.  People in Utah don't have have a super high respect for missionaries, but we still continue :)

I know the Lord watches out for me! Have an amazing week!!!

Love,
Yu Jie Mei

 PS: sorry i have no pictures! I forgot my camera at home

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Cambrea has arrived safely in her temporary, new mission.  She was so excited to actually get out into the field.  We got to talk to her on the phone today as she was on the train heading for her visa-waiting mission.  She sounded SO good and we totally LOVED being able to talk to her!  She is loving what she is doing.  Here are some pictures from today.

Cambrea, some of her fellow Taiwan missionaries and the new mission president and his wife

Our sweet Cambrea!

Cambrea with her temporary mission pres. and wife

Monday, September 15, 2014

So....tomorrow I'm headed to SALT LAKE CITY SOUTH!!! I'm super excited :) and nervous because I haven't spoken all English in 10 weeks :)

I had the sad opportunity to say goodbye to my tongban, Sister Lew on Monday.  She is hopefully doing great in Sydney.  It was really weird without her and being a tongban with Sister Strong and Sister Jenkins.  And then to rub salt in the wound that we weren't supposed to be here we got combined with another district and moved to 18 M where all the English speakers are :(  And we keep getting different teachers.  They just don't know what to do with us...

Tuesday started out to be a beautiful day...plenty of sunshine, but while were studying it started POURING! so what do we do? Well, we go to our sushe (dorm) and change into crocs and rain jackets and play in it :) It was full of jovial fun... and we took our two month pictures in it.  We weren't expecting to be in the MTC during out two month mark, but we had to make due. One of my favorite quotes from devotional is, "Gratitude is the mark of a noble soul"

Thursday rolled around and  the word that was going around was that our temporary calls weren't going to be reassigned until next week so Jian Jie Mei (Sister Jenkins) was super bummed about it. So during companionship study on Thursday we went to the book store and decided to see if we got any mail and we saw a whole stack of papers that we assumed were our assignments.  And so the excitement started :) We ran and told our District Leader to get the mail because our reassignments had arrived and so they freaked out and booked it.  I think I ran a couple of miles that day running back and forth from the post office to our classroom.  We let Elder Peterson from the combined district to hold all of them so we couldn't see them.  We were going to wait until some of our elders got back from a doctors appt but the other zone had already opened theirs and it had a list of everybody who's going with them so instead of hearing about it second hand we all went back and read it one by one.  Sister Jenkins and Elder Jensen had to leave on Friday so they had to pack that day.  CRAZY!

Our room feels so empty without everybody! There are only six of us left now and after I leave tomorrow there will only be three left.  It's kind of depressing that we all don't leave the same time and we just trickle out...especially for those who are left behind

Friday we were sitting in our usual classroom with this mirror and for some reason I decided to look through the mirror (if that makes any sense) to see it actually wasn't a mirror... it wasn't! Yep, in the other room it was a two way mirror and you could turn on the speakers and see what we were saying in the study room...so people could have been watching us without us even knowing. Creepy!!!

That's pretty much it for this week.  It was definitely a week filled with lots of gospel learning and testimony building experiences.  I know there's a reason why I'm going to Salt Lake City South and why I don't have my visa yet.  They next time I write I will be in the FIELD!!! CRAZY!!!

Hen duo de ai!

 Yu Jie Mei (fish Sister)

She's been out for 2 months!!

Having fun in the rain

Sisters

Singing in the rain.

Ahhhh!