5-4-14

Hey ya'll. First of all, Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! I tried mixing it with chinese this morning, my companion just laughed at me and shook her head. Yea, I can really only speak Chinese anymore, let's be honest. It'll be interesting to talk next week and in a couple of months when ya'll don't speak Chinese. haha.

Last p-day was pretty basic, buying groceries, chilling out at home, the usual. But we had a really cool miracle. As we were out buying our groceries, we ran into one of our members who invited us to go celebrate Mother's Day with them that night (she left for China on Tuesday and gets back later in the month, about 2-3 weeks). The funny thing is Sunday night, my companion was asking if we could go visit them since mom's the only member of their family that's truly active. However, dad doesn't seem to really enjoy us going to visit regularly so I said probably not possible. Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways. It was really cool and we had a blast. Also really cool fact, their daughter is somewhere between Sister Singh and I in age and is now preparing to go on a mission! We just have to help her become fully active again! Below is the Lin family, who we went to visit.

 Tuesday we spent most of the day finding outside of district meeting. Sadly without much success but that's part of the long, hard part in the subject heading. That night we also visited an LA that is currently coming back into activity. It's been really cool to watch him change. He really is completely different from the guy I met a few months ago when I first came to BaDe and first met him. I love the miracles of returning LAs :) Below- our last district meeting!!! My district is so awesome!

Wednesday is the other part of the long hard week and is also where me being a not-so-intelligent human being comes into play. We went to YingGe and all of us missionaries were doing service for some other of our LAs that are coming back into activity. They're in the process of moving so we went to clean their old house a little more, I'm not completely sure what they're planning on doing with it though. Sadly, just after we got to YingGe we went to buy something at a FamilyMart for my companion since we were early, on the way back to the house, I stepped off the sidewalk and rolled my ankle. Second time in my life I've managed to sprain my ankle by stepping off a sidewalk! Fun right? I don't even know how I do these things... Luckily it's doing a lot better. Sadly, it caused a lot of pain the rest of the day and especially the hour long bike ride back to BaDe . It also hasn't been much fun to ride to YingGe on it every day since but it is getting better, slowly but surely :)

Thursday we were supposed to go visit an LA family. Sadly, they ended up cancelling on us so we were once again contacting most of the day (in YingGe this time) we met a really nice family that met elders about 2 years ago and they were really nice. Sadly, they're not interested in the church but you should've seen all the art in their house! It was so beautiful! And the parents were really sweet! Their son was awkward but I've decided that's just a fact of life :P

Friday was a busy day full of appointments for the first time all week. We ran to YingGe to visit with a girl we met the week before. She's super awesome. Sadly, she's already going to the Jehovah's Witness church. Also, she's still willing to meet with us but has to wait until her tests are over to keep meeting with us, which will be the week before I come home... :( Oh well, life happens eh?

Right after, we visited another LA in YingGe that's super awesome. Sadly, as the typical Taiwanese she's super busy with work and has to work on Sundays so has no chance to come to church but I feel like she still has a really strong testimony. I think there's also a deeper-rooted problem but we were unable to find it that day... Maybe next time ba.

That night we visited with our LA/RC and my companion had a fit at the amount of cockroaches in their house. Yea, their house isn't very clean and it's really cheap. It's sad to see the conditions some people live in here.

Afterwards we visited a couple of our investigators and all 3 of those lessons went really well. It as fun and gave me a chance to see a different side to both our RC and our investigators.

Saturday we went back to YingGe to visit another LA who doesn't have a very good family situation. Sadly, she talks a lot and doesn't give us much of a chance to share. Also, she has the gospel but is unwilling to use it. It's really sad and a really sad situation to see. She called crying last night because of her family and talked my ear off for 40 minutes but seemed a little better and more willing to change by the end so I'm hoping a miracle will happen there.

Last night we did an awesome Book of Mormon activity with our ward and used some of the principles we've been taught recently. This is something my companion and I came up with but she put pretty much all the effort into. We did a "trailer" which is just a bunch of different scenes of what goes on in the Book of Mormon, trying to peak people's interests. Then we read 1 Nephi 1 with them. Sadly, not a lot of members came but those that did absolutely loved it. We also got the full support of our MM Leader, which is a miracle since he seems a little sexist. We plan on doing it once a month all through summer and by the end of August, if people follow the schedule we gave them they'll have read the Book of Mormon from cover-to-cover. I'm excited to see how it all turns out!

So yea, that's more or less my week. Sorry, this is a novel and a more boring method as usual. Another sad part of the week is that I've managed to get sick again, I blame it on all the rain lately. So yea, it's a work in progress. Hopefully when I come home I wont get sick this easily anymore, I miss the good old days of getting sick 1 week a year... haha.

Hope this e-mail finds you all well. Love and miss you! Until next week, jiayou!

Sister Thomsen

4-27-14

 what Sister Singh does when she's bored waiting for the elders-draws a picture of the 6 of us BaDe missionaries... so funny!

 how Taiwanese play hangman... he wasn't fully hung so his legs got to run away. Gotta love games in English class! haha :)

 Mao Dixiong's pot room!

 More of Mao Dixiong's beautiful pots!!! So many of them!

 Mao Dixiong's certificate! Proof that he has visited CBC haha!

The second is the bowl they gave me... it says "xile" which means "joy" Sister Singh's says "ganen" which is "gratitude"

4-27-14

Da Jia Hao!

It feels a little weird to be e-mailing so soon again but I also know I've seen some really awesome miracles in this short time so I'm happy to share them nonetheless :) First of all, YingGe is really progressing! This last week we've gotten several referrals, almost all of which were for people who live in YingGe!!! Definitely exciting. But I think my favorite part was that at English class Wednesday night we had 2 new women walk in, both live in YingGe. Sadly, one is not ready for the gospel yet but the other seems super willing. She asked some really good questions too. I'm excited to set up a time to meet with her. Sadly, as yet we've been unable to do so but I definitely think it'll happen soon. It felt good to see our hard efforts paying off. I definitely feel that YingGe is where us sisters are meant to be focusing right now so I'm excited to see what happens from it. Another awesome miracle happened on Friday night. We went to visit an Recent Convert that has already gone more or less inactive sadly enough, she's from a family of LAs. As we were visiting her, her mom came in and sat with us. Usually she just goes into another room and shuts the door. This time she came out and sat with us then started crying. I could definitely feel Heavenly Father's love for us as she started to really share the things of her heart. Lately she's experiencing shame and guilt, a beginning of the repentance process because she's not fully keeping the commandments. She doesn't come to church and she drinks alcohol, she also can't read to be able to read the Book of Mormon herself. But it's true, the Book of Mormon has more power to change hearts than anything else! We were sitting there reading the Book of Mormon with her daughter and it led to her telling us how much she wants to change, that she doesn't have any peace. It was an incredible experience. Especially since right after, she looked at me and said "湯姐妹, I want you to come back every Sunday and read the Book of Mormon with me and my family. Will you please do that?" Of course we were happy to do so and went back yesterday and started on the title page of the Book of Mormon reading with her and her oldest daughter. I think they both have a lot of potential to come back. Hopefully it'll also help our RC come back too.

We had a really cool experience on Friday. We went to YingGe to visit and investigator who is doing so good. I definitely think she'll get baptized :) I'm excited for the day I see her in white. Afterwards we went to visit a referral the elders had found in their apartment. This referral was 5 years old and it's a letter a member wrote about someone she knew 20 or so years ago. Really interesting and cool all in one. His name is Mao Dixiong and he's older (obviously) but seems like he could have a lot of interest in the gospel if he only makes the time for it. But he also let us see the pots they make and oh my gosh they're soooo beautiful! I have truly developed a love for Chinese art here in Taiwan. I think I fell in love with it the first time I saw it here in Taiwan, haha. But many of his pots in this HUGE room had the chinese art on it. I loved it so much. As we went to walk out I also looked up and noticed a certificate on the wall. It's from CBC in Pasco!!!! What in the world?! Most Americans have never heard of Pasco or CBC and this sweet old man has not only heard of it but he's been there to speak or something. Super cool, rare experience. As we went to leave his daughter also walked up to us and handed us 2 boxes telling us they wanted to give us a gift. They're these beautiful simple bowls. Not much probably but still mean a lot. I love them. These people in Taiwan amaze me. I love them all so much.

Yesterday we had a really cool miracle in church. A man came in because the TuCheng elders (Yea, go TuCheng! :D ) contacted him on his scooter and gave him a pamphlet so he found the one closest to him. He lives in YingGe :) Sadly, he's in Danbing (required military service here) right now, over in Yilan. So not only does he not have time to meet with missionaries, he's living in Yilan at the moment. But he's super awesome and said he'd come back when he could. He also said he's more than willing to talk to missionaries in August when he's done with danbing. So I hope the missionaries here at that time take him up on it. I ensured to get his number and all so the opportunity will definitely be there for them :) Nonetheless, it was truly an awesome miracle experience.

I'm still realizing the power in the scriptures, and this last week I've seen it especially in the shortest ones. As I've been reading the Book of Mormon myself and with others, I've realized that some of my favorites are the short scriptures. Lehi is given the book then it says "And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord." In chapter 2 it says "And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him." In 2nd Nephi it says "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." These have so much power! They're so short, easily overlooked but they really tell you a lot about the scriptures, the gospel, and about this family that ensured they made a record. I've loved it as I've read this lately. Go find your own that will bring power into your life. I know it's blessed my life so much as I've really dug into the scriptures :)

Wow, I can still send a novel only 5 days later. haha. Who'd've thunk? :) anywho, I think that's about it for now. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Take care and Jiayou! Remember that I love you and miss you!

Wo ai ni-o!

湯姐妹/Sister Thomsen

4-23-14

 my companion really wanted some pizza. My bike was the only place to put it... dangerous, let me tell you! It almost fell off at one point...

 Playing Mahzhong with Liu Jiemei and the Longtan elders. I soo want to buy this game! So much fun!

 Surprise Reese's from an awesome Canadian! YUM!

TEMPLE DAY!!! I left Ruth at the Sister Training Leader's apartment on exchanges so they were nice enough to bring her to the temple for me today and my companion was awesome enough to put her in her bag for me!

4-23-14

Hello! Da Jia Hao!

This was another great week. I think one of the biggest miracles I've seen has been working with LAs and using the Book of Mormon this last week. I love the power of the Book of Mormon and I'm so glad we're focusing on learning how to better use it so much this month in our mission! Last Tuesday was especially amazing. We met with an LA that has really frustrated me. He's been really hard to work with and has no desire to keep commitments. He also is usually complaining about something when we meet with him. However, I was amazed last Tuesday as we sat in a 7 reading and discussing the Book of Mormon with him. I was amazed that sitting in a loud 7, I was eventually able to tune out all the noise, all the distractions and focus on these 2 sweet children of God (our LA and our peike). I was overwhelmed by how powerfully I could feel the spirit. It's true! The Book of Mormon really does help to feel the spirit more powerfully, as does bearing testimony. I have felt it so much this last week as I've been reading with LAs and investigators alike. It really does have more power in conversion, combined with the Spirit than anything else. I think that's the biggest miracle I've seen this last week, seeing my own testimony grow as I've read 1 Nephi 1 repeatedly with everyone!!!

There was also a really cool experience with that on exchanges on Monday. We were meeting with one of NanKan's investigators and decided to read 1 Nephi 1 since he's not one for keeping commitments. I really loved as we were reading with him and it says Lehi was given a book and told to read it. Then I had us stop on the next verse that tells us when he read it he was filled with the Spirit. I especially loved as I asked him a question and he turned around "yea, I get it. Read the book." haha I guess we'll just have to see if he actually does it now.

This last week I've also been really blessed by Heavenly Father. Saturday I had temple tours and saw many of my members from TuCheng and XiZhi. It touched my heart that so many of them remembered me and were so excited to see me. Many of them also worried that I'd been sick or something since I've lost so much weight. I'm starting to really see it myself, haha. Also, I've countlessly heard how much my Chinese has progressed, guess that's what happens when the last time they heard you speak you're freshly on this beautiful island. haha. Also a really cool experience at temple tours: we had this guy walk in towards the end of our time and ask who was doing tours because they needed someone to do a tour for 28 people! It ended up only being 22 (10 in our group, 12 in the other sisters's group) but it was an awesome experience. We were able to give out copies of the Book of Mormon to over half of them. I just hope they go home and read it! But we also had this kid come up to us and told us Santa Claus was in town then pulled out this huge pack of REESE'S!!!!! Seriously, I have craved Reese's sooo bad since probably February. Soooo yummy! haha then right after since all of us sisters were going to eat, we invited him and his friend. They then decided to treat us. Shenme dongxi? So cool. It was such a blast. We were still normal obedient missionaries but it felt good to just be so normal for a little bit, joking around, eating good food and spending time with friends. Definitely so awesome. I don't have words for it. He's also just waiting for his mission call so I'm super excited to find out where he goes. He speaks 4 languages already!!! 4!!! How crazy cool is that?!

So yea, I think that's about it for today. I know, just a brief glimpse but I feel like this is enough of a novel for the week. Especially after last week... Know that I love you all. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Jiayou!!!

Wo ai ni-o!

Sister Thomsen

4-13-14

When we go to YingGe, we leave "Taoyuan County" and go to "New Taibei City" This is much like leaving Washington to enter into Oregon. Yes, I feel slightly rebellious as I do this... haha

I thought you'd appreciate this. I kept saying how conference is like Christmas and how excited I was for it... so my companion took it to heart and made it Christmas for me yesterday :) I love her!

Oh, and the stuffed animals are "Abish" and "Ruth" there's a story behind that one... haha :)

4-13-14

Hello!!! Da jia hao!

This week I was blessed to see some really incredible miracles. Two of them were just planting seeds, we were unable to get their numbers or anything but I have a powerful feeling that they will accept the church someday, their time just hasn't come yet. I think that's one of the biggest miracles, when I have that feeling that one day I will see these incredible people in white. It wont always be here watching them be baptized but I have a sure feeling that I will at least see them in white on the other side and I'm excited for that day (but it doesn't make me want it to come faster, don't worry!).

Another cool miracle happened as we went to see one of our LAs (Wang Jiemei) that we've been visiting. Because she's so busy we really only get to visit her every other week but this time her little sister was home! And she was so excited the missionaries had come back! I feel like these sweet sisters will have a day they will truly come back into our Savior's loving embrace. I think it'll take some time, especially since the older sister works on weekends and goes to school on weekdays and right now doesn't have the faith to not work on Sunday and I don't think the little sister wants to come all that way to church on her own but we're working on it and I really believe they will come back into full activity. They will be an eternal family.

I think my favorite miracles this week were all with LAs since yesterday we went to visit two more, one of which is a family. The first one we visited right after conference is from South Africa. She is awesome but also often frustrates me. We've set appointments on several occassions and when we get there she's not. I thought yesterday would be another such day but as we went to leave she walked up and was willing to let us meet with her. I think my favorite moment was right towards the end, when we were about to walk out she looked at me and said "I want to come back. I know I need to. I will work hard to do so." I think she'll come back. I'm not sure I have the faith to believe I'll see it myself but I think with perseverance and love, she'll walk back in those doors one day.

I also loved last night as we were visiting the Wu family. Their daughter isn't baptized and doesn't really seem to have a desire to be baptized at the moment and the son was coming back but hasn't been to church in about 3 weeks. This last week I felt prompted to share with them about the Book of Mormon, which was only strengthened by conference yesterday. I loved hearing the mom and daughter tell me that they believed Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I loved hearing this sweet sisters testimony as she shared a scripture she'd read recently in the Book of Mormon. I loved hearing the family say they will be at church on Sunday. I think they'll come back. One day they will also be blessed to have an eternal family. I love working with LAs. I love seeing them come back and progress on the path to eternal life. It probably feels about the same as seeing someone start on that path.

So this week... Monday we really just chilled, cleaned some, did some shopping, a chill P-day. Today will also be chill, we'll be shopping and such then going to play mahzhong at the chapel with a member and the Longtan elders, Elder Lee and Elder Stewart. I'm super excited!

Tuesday we had zone training which took up most of the day since we traveled and had to make up studies and all. Then, afterwards we ran into an old lady that didn't seem to understand anything we said but said the sisters used to come visit her. I think they used to clean her house or something. She didn't understand why we didn't have time to meet with her right then, in the elder's area. haha.

Wednesday was amazing. We had temple tours. I kinda understand what Sun Jiemei meant when she told me this week that Su Jiemei is teaching her how to be pretty. In a lot of ways, I feel like Sister Singh is doing the same to me, teaching me how to be a bit more girly again. I straightened my hair for the first time in over a year this week and it felt so weird. Most the sisters thought I'd gotten a haircut. But I really loved the spiritual part. Sister Day kind of reminded me of President Uchtdorf in conference a couple years ago "Stop it!" She keeps telling us to stop comparing ourselves to others lately. The Temple Sisters talked to us about the Refiner's fire. We also did temple tours with other sisters and it was sooo incredible. Sister Hammer and Sister Eley really brought the spirit into our tour. They got me to cry. I don't know when I became such a cry baby. Missions really do weird things to people sometimes. Also, we were out contacting that day an met an amazing woman, Zhu Jiemei. I felt the spirit so strongly. She said if she sees us again, she'd happily talk but didn't give us her number or set up with us. But right before she left I asked if we could say a prayer with her and really, the spirit was SO strong. Right afterwards, she opened her eyes and threw her arms around me. She said it was really gandong (full of feeling ba?) and it was amazing.

Thursday was AWESOME! We went to visit Wang Jiemei that night. We also met an awesome golden investigator on the street. He's Brother Wu and his grandfather recently passed away. He said an amazing prayer and will be meeting with us again this Thursday night.

Friday was interesting. We went to visit a family that lives in BaDe but goes to LuZhou ward. Why can't members just go to the wards they live in? Really frustrating sometimes. Our bishop wants us to work with them so they'll come back to BaDe. I feel like the wife got offended here so she went back to the ward she felt comfortable in. They gave us SO much food. Do members think we starve or something???

Then, we've had conference these last couple days! So amazing! If you haven't watched it yet, what are you doing reading this?! Go watch it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely a good week. I think that's enough of a novel for the week. Remember that I love you all! Oh, and look for my e-mail next Wednesday since I get to go to the TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! :D I'm super excited! I love the temple! So I'll be e-mailing late next Wednesday since we're going to the 9 am session and it's a trip to Taibei from here...

Love you all! Hope this e-mail finds you well! Jiayou!!!

Sister Thomsen

4-6-14

heart attacking our partmember family/LA's house. So much fun!!!

Qingke at Bishop Xie's house... More mexican food. Yes, Xie Jiemei loves us missionaries!!! :) and maybe wants us to get a little trunky, haha

4-16-14 BaDe is beautiful- Sister Singh is incredible, and life is great grand wonderful no yelling on the bus

Hello! Da jia hao!!!

This week was SO good. I feel like my biggest miracle this week has been Sister Singh. She really is helping me better learn how to be a consecrated missionary. I've been thinking a lot about former companions and what they've all taught me and everything and I've realized that more often than not, they've taught me how to be a better missionary. Maybe they helped show me how to be obedient. Maybe they taught me how to find. Maybe they taught me how to be a better leader. There's many things they've all taught me. However, I feel like the most important lesson I'm learning lately has been from Sister Singh. She's taking all those awesome things I've learned on how to be a better missionary and showing me how I can be a better missionary as myself. That's about the best way I can put it. I feel like that's part of the reason I've had such a hard time being a consecrated missionary because sometimes I forget that I'm supposed to use my character traits, my skills and talents to help people come unto Christ. I think I forgot that as I worked so hard for so long to just be a better missionary, I forgot to work on being a better missionary as myself. It's really been a blessing and I feel like it's really helped BaDe/YingGe and it's really helping me. After all, we were called for our specific talents and skills, not to be robots. I think that's been my biggest miracle lately.

Obviously this week we also had some other awesome miracles. One was that the other day while contacting at the park we met a really awesome mom. I feel like one day she truly will be baptized, she's so golden. We had an awesome lesson with her. Sadly, no matter how golden she is, her time has not yet arrived. I'm okay with it though, and I think it's mostly because of Heavenly Father that I'm so okay with it. As we walked away, I felt like I'd truly accomplished my missionary purpose and I knew she'd be baptized someday but she's not completely there to where she's ready for the gospel yet. Truly an amazing, eye opening experience though.

Another awesome experience was as we met with our new investigator from last week, Lin Jiemei. She's super awesome and really willing to start changing her life. I could feel how much this really is blessing her life already, I loved it :) She cancelled on the original time she'd set because work came up all of a sudden but she rescheduled for Thursday (the next day) and Thursday morning she called us asking if we still had time and telling me how excited she was to meet with us. I'm really excited to see the progress she will make :) So BaDe is slowly progressing and moving back up. I'm excited to see what comes of it!

Funny story. Everyone is focusing on the fact that I go home "soon" (I still have eternity if you ask me :) ) and so our Bishop's wife freaked out on Friday night that it's so soon. So instantly, the conversation turned to marriage since 2 of us are so "close" to going home. Then again yesterday, she was teaching our lesson in Gospel Principles and was talking about a sister receiving a priesthood blessing in their house and apparently the blessing told her she'd be married in 6 months. She was like "what? I don't even have a boyfriend." The funny thing is, no sooner was it out of her mouth that my companion elbowed me and our RC on my left tapped me on the leg and afterwards they both said "that's going to be you." Oh brother! Funny story but seriously, what's with all these people wanting me to get married?! Aiya!

Anywho, I think that's about it for the week. Hope this e-mail still finds all well in your neck of the woods! Know that I love you and pray for you. Keep up the good work! Jiayou!

Ai ni-o!

Sister Thomsen

P.S. cool news in e-mails today. Riley got moved to be zone leader for the rest of his mission, in the MANDARIN zone!!! haha I'm so excited for him to learn Chinese so we can speak it when he gets home. There'll be someone in Prosser who can actually understand what I'm saying, haha :) ba.

3-30-14

Meet Sister Singh! and Lu Mama and Rusty came to see me!!! YAY! I love my members! Oh how I miss TuCheng!

 

I wanted to share the Propaganda we find in YingGe with you... It's funny whether you can understand it or not. By the way, the big fish is all the cities of my first area, TuCheng, SanXia, and ShuLin and the little fish is YingGe, what will most likely be my last area... haha

3-30-14

Hello all!!!

This week has been amazing!!! I have a new companion and she really is on fire! We've already seen so many awesome miracles. 2 new investigators that are both really awesome! The first one happened on Tuesday, we had planned to go contact by a school and english board. Sadly, we didn't know what time school got out and it was out before we got there. However, we decided we could still contact and english board nearby so we went to the nearby McDonalds. Once again, there was no one around and it didn't feel right. So we went to the place that felt right, parked our bikes and started walking. We ran into a lady with her son. Sadly, recently she's run into some problems and really seemed to just need some comfort. Her son was in a hospital nearby (that doesn't look at all like a hospital...) and she was a Jehovah's Witness when she was younger but when she got married she started to baibai with her husband. But as we were talking to her, she told us how she's felt recently like she needs to change some things and she needed more peace. It was incredible to hear her say her first prayer in years and that she felt more peace. I love hearing people pray!!! Sadly, at the moment in time she was busy and didn't know her schedule for next week. But my awesome Sister Training Leader reminded me to call her Thursday night, which I did Friday and she was happy to set up for next week! I'm super excited for her to really start changing her life!

The other miracle happened out contacting on Saturday. We went to a nearby park and there was a mom there watching her kids. Well, at first she didn't seem interested but we kept talking to her and by the end of it she really opened up to us that she's having marriage problems and has a lot of burdens. Doesn't help that she's from the Phillipines and married a Taiwanese, that always seems to add a large burden. However, she really opened up to us and said an incredible prayer at the end. We can't meet with her this week because of Saimu since she'll be going to PingDeng. However, she was really excited for us to go back last night and give her a copy of the Book of Mormon. I'm pretty much positive she is also ready to start changing her life :D Big things are happening here in BaDe!!!!!

So yea, transfers came and went. Sister Wu also left. I am now with Sister Chao's trainee, Sister Singh. She is AMAZING!!! She's from California. On her 5 transfer (yes, no longer an eternal breaker, no longer breaking!!!) and also the youngest of her family. We have already been working hard and seeing a lot of success. More than that, she's helping me to remember to chill and love life. I really feel like I'm getting my fire back for this work. It's blessing my life.

Funny story for the week. What on earth is with everyone suddenly wanting me to date, get married, etc?! haha Last night we went to visit what we thought was an LA family. Lo and behold the mom and dad aren't members, just the kids. However, the mom kept going off about how I should have a boyfriend and I need to go home and get married really fast. Such a funny experience!!! But she's also not the only one recently. What on earth is in the water lately? haha. Meh, I'll worry about that in a couple transfers, I still have awhile, thankfully!!!

I think that's about it for the week. I love you all. Hope things are good in your side of the world. Take care!! Jiayou!!!

Wo ai ni-o!!!

Love, Sister Thomsen

3-23-14

Hello All!!! Da Jia hao!

This last week was full of miracles. One of which I forgot to mention in my e-mail last week. At zone training we were invited to set up a time to go meet with our Bishop and ask him for 4 names of less actives he would like us to visit. Well, we actually just gave him the whole member list and asked him to let us know who in our area he would like us to visit, both active and LA. But what I really loved was after he went through the list, as he was telling us about some of the people, he came to several names and we were able to report that we'd already visit them or set up with them. It really lifted my heart because it helped him to know that we really are serious about this work. I feel like it helped him to better trust us.

Another awesome miracle that started last Sunday was that Wu Dixiong came to church! His story is very interesting. He is part of a less-active/part-member family. His family was also the first family in YingGe to be baptized! However, his little sister was too young at the time to be baptized and they seemed to go LA shortly after their baptisms, according to my understanding. Well, the dad is "too lazy" to leave. He doesn't like leaving the house so wont come to church or anything. However, we went to visit them a couple weeks ago and the older brother said he really wanted to go to church he just wasn't able to that Sunday because of work or something. So last Sunday he came. Then, when I was able to call him Monday night he told me that he loved church and he wanted to come every week. So yesterday, not only did he come but he also brought his mom!!! We have been so excited both weeks to see them both at church. The dad will take more time but I feel like because of the example of Wu Dixiong, his whole family will eventually come back into activity and work towards having an eternal family. I especially loved last night as we went to visit their family. Wu Dixiong wasn't home but his mom told us about how on the way to (or maybe from) church, she'd asked him why he wanted to go back and he said because it helped him feel peace in his heart and it felt like a family. It really helped me see how the example of one can and will bless the lives of many.

Another cool miracle that happened yesterday was along the same lines as Wu Dixiong. One of our somewhat active/somewhat LA members came to church yesterday. She has moved outside of our ward boundaries so none of us BaDe missionaries can go visit her but she feels more comfortable in BaDe. Yesterday she actually brought her friend and I also loved hearing how that story unfolded. She said he asks all the time what she's doing on Sunday so she tells him she goes to church. Then, finally this last week she invited him to come to church with her. He came in a dress shirt and nice pants and really seemed to enjoy church. After church I had the opportunity to talk with him and asked how he liked church. His answer was that he felt like he'd come home, like he was with family. Really touched my heart. I love hearing that amazing answer, helps me know things are being done right and makes me feel more comfortable as I invite my own investigators to "come and see."

Another experience that touched my heart this last week happened on Monday night. We were out contacting at YingGe train station and there was a lady that just kept staring at us as we walked past her. So, following the example of my breaker I walked around to talk to her since there were a bunch of people between us. As I started talking to her, one of the first things she said was that she saw us and first thought "they're really pretty." Then, she thought "That waiguoren just keeps smiling/laughing. Why is she constantly smiling/laughing?" Felt good that I was able to give her such a good impression.

Really, that was mostly my week. Full of ups and downs. Full of struggles. But I think what I enjoyed most this week was zone conference. Yes, I saw more of what I need to improve, yes, that was hard. However, I especially loved the "break-out" sessions where we were trained by Sister Day. She wanted to focus on helping us be okay with ourselves. She shared with us her experience with Elder Holland where she spent the entire car ride bragging about her "missionaries." What really touched my heart however, was her saying that at the end of it, Elder Holland looked at her, folded his hands and said "You know what, Sister Day? You are so right. We only send the best to Taiwan." As you know, most of my life I have struggled with who I am. A lot of my mission, it's only gotten worse. This last week was definitely no exception. This last week I have truly struggled, seeing more of my faults, more of my weaknesses. But to have Sister Day look at me and say "You are enough. You are one of the best. You weren't sent to Taiwan Taibei by accident." Really touched my heart. Yes, I'm still struggling. Yes, I'm still growing and progressing. However, that training was really... I don't know how to say it in english. Really gandong...

So yea. That's life. I hope this e-mail finds you well. Finds you happy. And finds you growing closer to your Father. I love you. I pray for you. And I know Heavenly Father is waiting for you to reach out to take his hand.

Until next week. Jiayou!

Ai ni-o!

Sister Thomsen

3-16-14

One of the biggest miracles this last week happened on Thursday night. As we were riding back from Yingge both my companion and I had big smiles from ear to ear on our faces. We went LA finding after weekly planning and found 2 amazing young sisters, both younger than I am. Both of them are the oldest with a little brother and little sister and both have had hard lives. Both were also very warm and inviting. So my companion and I talked about it and realized, what Elder Gerrard said at zone training on Tuesday is 100 percent correct. As we have opportunities to teach the gospel, we are genuinely happier. To me, it was a miracle to realize this. To realize I bike around in a skirt in Yingge and Bade, in rain, heat, and down a scary hill. We teach lessons, we invite all to come unto Christ. But most importantly, we're doing it with huge ear-to-ear grins. To me, to be able to genuinely say I'm happy and feel it in my heart, to me that is a miracle. Not only can I do hard things, but I am doing hard things and with a grin to tell the world how amazing my God is :)

This last week in zone conference we were reminded how important church is. It really made me think as our zone leaders told us what President had told them, that if we really understood the importance of partaking the sacrament, we would crawl on our hands and knees to get there every week. I realized I need to change. I don't get as much out of church on my mission and often use the language as an excuse but that's a very weak and lame excuse so I tried to do better yesterday and I really did feel like I got a lot more out of it. It was amazing. And really awesome since Relief Society's lesson was also on the Sacrament :)

Really, I think that's about all for this week. Hope this e-mail finds you all well. Remember that I love you and take care!!!

Jiayou!

Sister Thomsen

3-9-14 More pics

Dinner at Bishop Xie's house Sunday before last! Mexican food! Yum yum! Greatly enjoyed by all!

3-9-14

So yesterday we also got a surprise visit from Rusty, one of my members in TuCheng. Yea, TuCheng shares boundaries with BaDe, I'm that close to my first area that I love so much! And he came bearing gifts. Also, Sister Xie works in the temple with Su Mama, a member from my last area who also gave her something to give to me. haha. Who feels loved by old area's members? This girl!

So the first picture is the bags, so big!!! The second one is all the stuff in the bags. I've been craving Dr. Pepper since they brought it up 2 or 3 transfers ago in zone training. Heavenly Father loves me! haha :)

So there's life in a nutshell...

3-9-14 Taiwan- A year already?!? AAAH!

Hello all!

I think my favorite miracle this week was doing Temple Tours on Saturday. Originally,there were no tours scheduled but I definitely felt the hand of the Lord as we were told we had no tours scheduled then a few minutes later the temple sisters called to tell us we had a tour at 10. We were busy the whole day with all the weddings! We would go out contacting and then one of us would need something from Jin Hua or something and every time we walked back in the door of Jin Hua, there were once again a ton of people and usually at least one person asking us to do a tour. It was incredible. But I think the biggest miracle was doing a tour for the English Ward elders. Yea, I eat, drink, breathe, and sleep Chinese but they wanted me to do a tour in what language?!? So hard to do it!!! But I definitely felt the spirit so strongly. It also helped me to see how much my Chinese has really progressed, something that is often hard for me to see, and to see how much my english has regressed since often the Chinese came into my brain so smoothly but it took serious thought to be able to say it in English... We invited him to be baptized and I think it's the first time I've ever had someone who's already Christian agree to be baptized so easily and be so willing to do his part to know. Definitely a miracle and I definitely feel like he's so prepared!

Another miracle was that one of our investigators finally came to church yesterday! And he's been calling us every day instead of us having to call him, makes life a lot easier for us :)

haha so funny story to share with you this week. I found another cultural difference between us and America. Or us and Taiwan. Between America and Taiwan... haha, welcome to my mind. Anyway, you all know how America wears wedding rings on the left hand ring finger. Well, apparently in Taiwan it's different. I had a recently re-activated LA the other day look at me very seriously and ask "Tang Jiemei, are you married?" as she also grabbed my hand (but not in an inappropriate way or anything) I staggered out a very surprise "no," but I think she saw my confusion. So she was like, but where you where your ring means your married in Taiwan. hahaha!!! So apparently in Taiwan, the tradition is that when a girl is engaged, you wear your ring on your right hand ring finger and when you're married it's on your right hand middle finger, exactly where I wear my CTR ring!!! For guys, they just wear their wedding ring on the same finger Americans wear theirs. Cultural differences are so funny sometimes, especially when you know nothing about them and you've been on island for about a year!!! Crazy how time flies.

haha another funny thing is we have an RC in Bade that I've been unable to meet because she's always so busy with work (she's a nurse and it's been flu season in Taiwan) but she came to church yesterday! So weird and true, there really are people you're meant to meet. I think Liu Jiemei is one that I was meant to meet on my mission. When she came in Sacrament meeting had already started but she waved at me and just sat in the back. The funny thing is, the second I saw her, I felt like I knew her and we'd been friends for a long time but I honestly had no idea who she was. I truly believe we were friends before we came here. We seriously were instant friends and connected really fast, unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Really cool experience :)

Well, I hope this e-mail finds you all well. This week I also just want to share with you the importance of going to church. As I've visited LAs this week, it's broken my heart as they've told me they're just "too lazy" or "too busy" to go to church. I even had one ask me if it's really all that important that we go to church! Then she asked why. Heartbreaking. Really, church is so important. That's something I've seen as a missionary. It's the LAs and Investigators that go to church that are able to really progress because they have the support system and they better understand. They stop just relying on us missionaries but rely on each other. So please, make sure it's a priority in your life. It will make all the difference!

I love you all and help you are still doing well! Keep up the good work on your side of the world!

Love,

Sister Thomsen