Ni hao wo de jiating!!!! Crazy, time goes by SOOOO fast here! I'm down to less than 15 minutes left to write this due to reading all the e-mails ya'll sent me. Thanks so much for that, the support really helps. It's also really hard to believe I've been here almost 4 weeks already!!!! We got a new generation last week and I'm slowly getting to know them. I LOVE our new sisters though, they're such sweethearts! One of them is 19 and one is 21 and they're both totally amazing, but everyone I meet here is amazing in their own ways... My older generation flies out this coming week and I'm sooo sad to see them go, I can't even tell you! I've learned so much from them and it'll be sad to never see some of them again but it's part of life... I'm just grateful I've had the opportunity to get to know them, as I said, they've taught me so much and help a ton with my Mandarin. We're supposed to be getting zone pictures on Sunday :) Maybe eventually I'll find a way to send pics home and then you'll know who I'm talking about. I'm thinking I may chop my hair off again next Tuesday, just to make it more manageable but haven't decided for sure yet so we'll see ;P Thanks again for the handkerchiefs mom, the one I had for the temple came in handy today while we were doing sealings since I randomly got a bloody nose, no idea why, and I'm sure it saved my white dress and such... Stories for this week... I have such a hard time figuring out what to share! Our investigators are doing GREAT! TRC was amazing this week, there was such a feeling there and my zhongwen is actually coming along so I contributed more than usual, then right after when we taught Cheng, I understood most of what was being said and it was just incredible! I have such a love for this work. It truly is Heavenly Father's. There is no other way my zhongwen would be coming along as fast as it is. It would've taken me years to get as far as I have in weeks if I'd studied it outside of these walls and this calling. I have such a love for this work, the things we do here truly are of celestial importance. I have such a love for zhongwen as well, even though I'm awful at it and really can't speak the tones, it's still an amazing language and I hope I learn it better to be able to communicate with more of Heavenly Father's children. I've learned so much about myself, about this church, and about the billions of other people on this earth since I came here. It's truly an incredible place to be and I honestly have no words to describe what goes on here or how I feel. Even in my moments I'm annoyed, there's so much to love about those I'm surrounded with and I know I've made friends for the rest of my life. There's something about the way we're united in God's work here and the way it affects us. I love it. I love these missionaries, they are all incredible in their own way. I love this gospel. IT IS TRUE! There is nothing more true on this earth than the knowledge that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to communicate with him, who wants us to return to Him, but most of all, who communicates with us and has a plan for each and every one of us. As we know this, it gives us such strength and power and helps us to do amazing things, like walk into the MTC not knowing a word of a foreign language and walking out 8-12 weeks later being almost fluent. I wish I could write you better in zhongwen, but you'll have to get basic pignon without tones, but it'll basically just be my testimony. Wo zhidao ji ge jiaohui shi zhenshi de. Wo zhidao Moerminjing shi zhenshi de. Wo zhidao Shen ai wo he ai ni. Wo zhidao Yuese Simi shi xianzher he Thomas S. Monson shi xianxir. Wo zhidao Yesu Jidu de shuzui shi de ni he de wo. Feng Yesu Jidu de ming, amen. I'll have to actually write a real letter one of these days in all my spare time (HA!) so you can learn more about my life and better see the awesome pignon I'm learning... gotta go cause I'm TOTALLY out of time! Wo ai ni! Tang Jiemei

Ni hao wo de jiating! I'm doing pretty good. Last week was a hard week here in the MTC but things are a lot better. I hurt my knee last Monday, had two asthma attacks on Wednesday, and ended up going over to BYU urgent care on Wednesday because I couldn't get my attack under control. I've had a lot of problems with it but I got a blessing and things have been far better ever since. It's been more controllable, which is what I was promised would happen, so that's been nice. I got your package on Saturday and when do you expect us to eat all that candy?! Sheesh! That same day I got a package from the Durrants that was also really sweet. I've made some really good friends in my district, one of our Elders I swear I would've been best friends with otherwise and he's basically the best friend I have here in the MTC. But I love my zone, my district, everyone I've gotten to meet. It's such an incredible experience here, unlike anything I've ever had and something I don't really have words to truly describe. I don't really know what else to share with you, so I'll leave you with my testimony. This church is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, meant to restore the true Church to the earth. He was an incredible man who endured much. Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today. He receives revelation to lead this church directly from God. Heavenly Father knows and loves you individually, as His child. He knows your sorrows, your joys, and everything else and he wants you to come to Him, to tell Him of everything you think and feel. I am so grateful for this experience, to know I am a missionary for Heavenly Father, bringing the true Church to His other children, bringing them the amazing joy I've received in my life. The scriptures are true. The Book of Mormon was translated through divine revelation by a prophet of God. There's such power and knowledge in the scriptures that you can receive no other way. I'm so grateful for this gospel and I know it's true. If you don't know, get on your knees and ask your father because He's just waiting to let you know it's true. Feng Yesu Jidu de ming, amen. Wo ai nimen! Tang Jiemei (Sister Thomsen)

Dear Mom and family, Happy new year! I covered P-day in my e-mail last week, it will be on Tuesdays, at least while I'm in the MTC. That's so sweet for everyone to be asking after me and such. I am doing good. This last week was hard, I had several days I thought of just walking out the front gate, due to the language and feeling so sick. I'm not completely sure what it was though the stomach flu is going around now so maybe that's what I was dealing with, I'm not totally sure though I don't think so. One of our Elders gave me a blessing the day I started feeling sick and it really helped. He's so sweet in general and I think he and I would be great friends outside of this environment as well. He even told me yesterday I'm the only one in our district who really entertains him and I help him be less homesick because I remind him of his friends at home. lol! Glad my goofiness can come in handy. I'm glad you had game night and it was fun! I miss those days though it's been truly amazing here. Every day is so spiritual here and people are so loving. I swear, you hear I love you from several people on a daily basis and they MEAN it! I hear it daily basically and it amazes me the love and support we're surrounded by here. As for anything you can do for me, I can't think of anything. Just keep praying as I'm sure you already are. And mail! I LOVE getting mail! Mom, I love to hear any experiences you want to share with me. I'm working hard here but still love news of home. I also get to meet some really incredible people, though I think I have the most love for my district and zone over everyone else, but I may just be biased I'm doing alright though I have my bad moments, especially with the Mandarin. However, I know I've already come really far with it for only being here for 2 weeks. It's hard to believe it's only been two weeks, it feels like a whole lifetime ago. But it's still not an experience I would trade for the world, no matter how much I consider walking out that gate. Who's genius idea was it to put the Asian languages building next to the front gate anyway?! They're the hardest languages to learn and they just add that temptation to walk out since we see it almost every time we walk to our classroom, which is often when we spend 10+ hours a day IN that classroom!!! As for experiences, I've definitely had some new ones. Like the fact that apparently Taiwan is one of the strictest countries when it comes to visa paperwork so they wanted a stool sample to run tests and make sure we're not bringing any parasites into the country. That was awkward to say the least. They also wanted more blood so the vampires had to mark my arm up after they couldn't get it the first time. I still have a pretty good bruise from it. I also tweaked my knee playing Volleyball yesterday. I went for the ball and since my shoes were apparently slick from all the snow we have outside, my foot slipped and I did this strange thing somewhat resembling the splits. It hurt like the Dickens, but it was the worst when my knee was protesting it's use after sitting and doing personal study for an hour and it just got worse throughout the day. I put some icy-hot on it and a sister who ruined her knee not too long ago apparently and had to have surgery on it had a spare cheap-o brace which makes it easier to function until it goes back to how it should be. I'm hoping it wont take long since I just irked the muscle it would seem. At least I'm told it looked really awesome, even though it really hurt! lol! Thanks again for the handkerchiefs. They've come in handy for me a few times but really helped on Sunday when a poor Elder got a bloody nose in the middle of sacrament. I felt so bad for him. It made me laugh since he felt awful about using my white handkerchief for a bloody nose. I didn't really care, after all, that's what they're for. Plus, they wont stay white too long anyway, I'm sure. I was just glad to help :) He said it's one of his side affects for Diabetes, when his sugars go really high, he gets a bloody nose. We also have some other really incredible Elders in our district. Like the fact that Elders switch seats with us in our classroom yesterday since I couldn't hear our teachers and some of the other people in the district over the stupid air vent thingy behind me, not to mention I was always freezing, especially being right next to the window. I'm hoping it'll change now but we shall see. It was sweet of them to just volunteer to make life better for "the sisters." I'm in awe of them often, due to the love and care they have for us as their sisters. They tend to be really respectful and caring, even though they're only 19. Though sometimes they have their moments they really remind me they're only 19... I can't really think of much else to tell you. What else would you like to know? I've seen Kali a few times, she lives on my floor and I believe she flies down to Guatemala sometime later this month, but I may be mistaken. I feel like I've already really rambled to you... Plus, now my time is almost up. So I guess I will write you again next Tuesday! Wo ai ni! Tang Jiemei

Here is Kim's Christmas letter: Family, How are you? How's your Christmas? Mine is actually really amazing! I got to listen to Elder Nelson speak today as well as his wife. They are both so sweet and have such a love for the missionaries. Honestly, it's still surreal to me that I'm finally here, wearing this name badge as a representative for Christ and getting to see and hear an actual apostle of the Lord speak directly to me as a missionary in person! My district is amazing, I already love the Elders so much, this whole thing was truly done by revelation. I have the most amazing Coordinating sister who has so much love for us even though she still barely even knows us, along with the rest of our zone.Everyone here is so fun but there's such a purpose to them, it's amazing to see. They know why they're here, it's refreshing. We even have a 19 year old sister in our zone who I actually get to share a room with since she came in with us. I love her already, she's so amazing, as are all the Sisters I have the opportunity to be around! It's often overwhelming here, especially in relation to Mandarin. Our teachers teach in Mandarin every second with rare exceptions, which is how it's been since Wednesday. We also have already taught our investigator twice, the first time being on Friday... I got a Christmas card from Sister Chamberlain yesterday, she's so sweet! I also got Tammy's card last week, it's nice to have those pieces of home, no matter how small they are. I hope you all have a great Christmas and had a good Christmas Eve. They moved my expected departure date to March 12, just so you know! Anyway, I need to go so here's a little of my testimony... I'm so grateful for this opportunity. The church is true! There is nothing more true on this earth. Christ the Lord was born in Bethlehem to live among us and to complete the Atonement, showing the ultimate love for each of us as He is always here for us. He loves us so infinitely. It's incredible how much Him and Our Father love us and I have seen and felt it firsthand here already as I have had the opportunity to get to know so many amazing people, sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father who have chosen to serve him, and as I have had the opportunity to study my scriptures more in depth here than ever before. Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today and it was revelation for him to lower the mission age, I've seen that here as I feel like my fellow elders and sisters are my equals, no matter how many years younger than me they may be. I'm so grateful for this church in my life and this opportunity to celebrate our Savior's birth. It's such an amazing experience, one I will never forget. The gospel is true. Never forget it. If you have any questions, get on your knees and ask Our Father because he wants to be there for you, wants to answer the desires of your heart if you will only allow him to do so. Wo ai ni, Sister Thomsen