Wo de Jiating/Pengyou! 大家好！(I stole the chinese from one of my friend's emails... it's like a "hello ya'll" if you were to translate it...)
This week, I feel like I can truly say it's a miracle I'm alive. Every week I feel like living through riding my bike in the crazy traffic of Taiwan, we're blessed as missionaries because we really are protected. I know there have been many times angels have protected me from getting seriously injured or worse. However, the typhoon that hit this week is another once in a lifetime experience that I never wanted to experience. Saturday morning, our zone leaders called and said we could probably go out at 11 that the storm seemed about the same as last time (during which time we didn't have to be indoors) and I mostly agreed though the howling wind is always a little frightening for me. So, at 11 we went out to get to work. My companion was scared for the majority of it but I felt fine, I'm used to strong winds in Prosser, used to rain, nothing new. So, we're knocking doors and people think we're crazy. But this is Taiwan, they hate rain, they hate storms of any kind. They think we're crazy for just being out in the rain usually so it's nothing new. However, the storm started picking up speed until Elder Teshima called and told us to get home and to stay there. As I'm trying to walk back to my bike and can't see anything ahead of me, right after that call, that's when the fear hit me. We finally get to our bikes from the rain blowing sideways and I felt genuine fear at that moment, hearing the rain pounding around me and the wind blowing pretty good. But we said a prayer and I knew we'd be okay. Father comforted me when I needed it, let me know that my companion and I would both be okay and that He was there with us. It was an incredible experience. Not one I'd wish on anyone or ever want to repeat but I truly know it's a miracle neither of us were injured or anything in that storm.
Another awesome miracle this week is that one of our LAs is now okay to be considered an active member!!! She was inactive for 20 years but is back to being fully active. I feel so blessed to have witnessed this. She said she never had a good reason for going inactive but I've seen the light come back to her, especially since at first if she didn't have a ride she wouldn't come to church. Yesterday the typhoon was mostly gone yet it was still windy and rainy and she still rode her bike to come to church! She's probably 70+ and she rode her bike in the wind and rain to come to church! I don't want to hear any more excuses about wind and especially rain from our 20 something investigators with cars and scooters.
Monday night we also had an awesome experience with our new investigator. She's a miracle we found the Monday before while visiting an LA in the hospital since she was visiting her and talked to our relief society president telling her she wanted to get to know God better. Well, this Monday night we met with her and set a baptismal date! I think our relief society president was about to have a heart attack that we invited her to baptism so early since she was helping us peike but it was such an incredible experience and a very spirit-driven lesson. I could feel the spirit the whole time and knew that we were supposed to invite her to baptism. Then we were supposed to meet with her Thursday night but she never answered with ZhongQiuJie or anything. Friday night I called her and she's already reading and praying! And then she was asking me about knowing answers to prayers, how we identify them. I wish I'd had a better answer for her but I just pulled out Moroni 7:16 that tells us if it's good it comes of Christ. It seemed to answer her question for the time being. Definitely an incredible experience!
Another miracle is our 9 year old investigator. She's so cute! Our sister training leaders challenged me to be out contacting at 8:30 every night, pray to find a family, teach a lesson, and give away a copy of the Book of Mormon. We've been trying to do this as a companionship and Tuesday night while we were out contacting, we ran into a 9 year old girl, Lin Jiemei. She came to English class on Wednesday and we met her grandparents, who let us set up to visit her/them this Thursday. Then my companion called her Saturday to see if she'd come to church on Sunday and she was so excited and she actually came! We went to pick her up yesterday and she came to church! Such a miracle, especially at only 9 years old! She truly seems so golden!
Final miracle for today is that one of our eternal investigators showed up for her baptismal interview! Sadly, she didn't pass because of issues she still has towards members and because she still doesn't know for herself that the Book of Mormon is true. Apparently she also told Elder Teshima that she wants to get baptized she just doesn't know when yet. But with the way that she's been all week, it was a miracle she showed up at all and I think that interview probably helped her and got her thinking a little more, that's how I feel. Yes, it was sad to hear she didn't pass but I know her day will come someday, when she gets over being childish. I love her to death but she is childish. She's 24 and I feel like she should be our 9 year old investigator and our 9 year old should be the 24 year old... They seem that opposite. I find it interesting.
Really, that's mostly it for this week. It's been crazy up/down with wind and rain all week then the crazy typhoon actually hitting on Saturday. I'm just grateful for another day of being a missionary, of doing the Lord's work. Hope all is well with all of you! Jiayou!
Wo ai nimen!
Tang Jiemei/ Sister Thomsen
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