Hello again from Danshui (or technically I live in Zhuwei, but whatever). This week was quite the interesting week! This area is way different from my other areas, as that we do a LOT of travelling, so instead of finding ourselves booked at the church all day when we are busy, we find ourselves traveling the MRT from Shipai, to Danshui, to Beitou, etc. It's a new type of busy, and I'm getting way better at contacting. On bikes you have maybe 30 seconds to plant a little seed and make a fast invite, so people usually just drive off, it's a rare special person who will set up...but on the MRT and Buses, you just are friendly, ask where they are going, and BAM you know how long they are stuck sitting next to you for. And as such, I can contact accordingly. It's nice and I've gotten a couple numbers. This week and next week are finals before their Chinese New Year vacation begins. Everyone says to call them in 2 weeks, but I hear a lot of people will say call me after Guonian once the new years comes. I'll keep on it in both cases.
In other news, we have started a new referral system using our cell phones based off the Taizhong system. I like it a lot, as our area is big, and this is an easier way to track referrals. That way we know how many times we've called, we know who has no interest, as the uninterested are wiped off the system and just remain in the potential investigator records I diligently keep these days...and if they say call in a month, you can tell the phone they weren't interested for a month, and it will take them off until the time passes. We are still figuring it out, but it's nice.
This week I had interviews with President Grimley. He asked about my language study plan and I showed him my character study methods. Then, I asked him about post mission if he had any advice for me. He asked a lot of questions about what I was doing pre-mission. His final advice was to follow the jobs because of the economy and my major being more of a big business type. He suggested, if you guys were willing, to start looking into options for me, so I wouldn't be at a complete loss of things to do when I get home, so i know 6 months is still a little while to be getting home, but yeah, it would be nice if you guys could start looking into my field and see what someone with no job experience and this random technical writing degree could get in America, Charleston area in particular. And particularly, is there any type of job I could get in a law office with my degree for a little while to earn money while I prepare for the LSAT (again) and apply for schools? Not sure what I want to go into, sometimes I think about going into library sciences like dad and looking into that profession too, and I think about law school, but those are the only 2 "thoughts" I really have on the future. I probably can't be too picky when I get home, I just need a job.
Then, I thought our interview was over and he asked if I felt I was ready to go senior. It kind of shocked me he asked I thought that's something they just asked senior companions about juniors, but I guess it shouldn't. I know Gigi went senior fast, but right now in my mission, I'm pretty average age for coming up for consideration. Everyone who came on with me (sisters) with the exception of my companion are still juniors, but will come up soon for consideration, and there is one that has been here a considerable amount longer who will come up first, but there just weren't a TON of sisters coming in these last couple...but I realize not this transfer, but the one afterward, a ton of people will go home. It was kind of a shocking realization for me, because believe it or not, junior companion is the life. We get to throw in our input when we have it, but we don't have to be final decision makers, we don't have to put together a plan every day...there's just a lot of stress that is given to seniors I've never had to deal with. But, just in case I do go senior, I'm glad President kind of prepared me by asking that question. I'd never SERIOUSLY considered I might go senior one day. Haha. But I kind of hope to be in this area with Sister Ackerson for 2 transfers, but I can't be picky. We'll see what the Lord wants.
This week has been really good for our area. We met with a lady who has been coming to church a Sister Yan. She's from Mainland China, and she is sooo good! She had tons of questions about baptism, and after she mentioned she hadn't been baptized at the beginning of the lesson, we told her we'd set a date with her after the lesson. She then would refer back to baptism lots of times during the lessons, and would ask what she'd be wearing, and other such questions. We set her for 1/30 this month, as she's already been going to church with a relative. She also is really willing to meet, so we will be able to be in good contact with her to prepare her. She committed to reading the Book of Mormon every day before we even invited her. She said she has a lot of time, she can read it. Her thing is she just moved from mainland and doesn't have a lot of friends, so I REALLY hope she can make a solid friend base at church. She needs it with her family so far away. She has one son.
In other news, I went to the Shipai ward this week, so my companion and I split and went to 2 wards at once. As such, I was able to give a talk in both Shipai and Beitou (I skipped out on Shipai for 30 minutes because I knew I was supposed to speak in Beitou sacrament meeting). I felt like it was a really positive experience and got to know a lot of members. I also was able to be with our investigator Xie Huiru, or Whitney. Whitney is really awesome! She tests this week, but starting saturday she told me she could see us all the time, since she has a 5 week break. The Shipai Elders met her here at a Family Mart, which 7-11's, and Family Marts, and OK Marts are on every corner here in Taiwan. They call her the Quan Jia girl (Family Mart in Chinese). We get along really well. She wanted to take me out for food on Sunday, but I had to refuse. When I told her it was a commandment not to buy stuff on Sunday, she said "After I'm baptized, I'll never do it!, but I'm not baptized, so I'll buy you lunch today if you want!" Yeah, we'll have to teach her sabbath soon and commit her to it, but I thought it was amazing she already committed after baptism to keeping it, and nobody's really taught her a single lesson yet, she hasn't had time...but she did already commit to coming to church EVERY week, meeting with us all the time when she didn't have school...and has come to church and the fireside in Taipei the last few weeks. She's really cute and it's really a miracle to have such awesome people as investigators.
Also, Chen Zhirou is really cute. She went to an hour of church yesterday and said she really had a peaceful experience there.
Someone is talking to me right now (in English), she's a really friendly lady who lived in America, orginally from Taiwan, so I might not get a lot written...
So back to Chen Zhirou, she just called us and said she had a great time at church, she made a baptism goal for the 27th, but she really wants to get baptized around her birthday, the 5th, so she wants to move it up to the 7th (the first week of next transfer)...we told her we'd discuss it Tuesday...She can do it if she commits to coming to church the next two weeks, all three hours, and meets with us twice a week, but she's really going to need to show dedication to keeping the commandments, so we'll plan a really awesome lesson and see how prepared she is this Tuesday.
Today we are going to the zoo. It's a really cheap activity here, and we are EXCITED to see pandas. They sleep in the afternoon, so I had to get permission from the Assistants, I called E. Worthen, ya know, because he's my old ZOne leader, he should be my buddy...and he gave me permission to go early...but he gave me a condition (and I have to keep it for my whole districts permission!!) it was on a point of being more obedient, being my old zone leader he knows me better than the other assistant. I thanked for his invite to repentence and accepted. I will be more obedient this week...haha.
This last week we've really noticed the Assistants responsibility for inviting people to repent...as we've gotten it a little from both Assistants, and heard stories a lot this week. They did training after Presidents interviews and we talked to them for a few minutes as we waited for the Zone leaders to train with us. It's interesting, but I will just say, E. Scott and Worthen are good at their jobs. Haha.
Yep, that's pretty much what's going on in my life, I'm going to go invite this lady to church while she's here in Taiwan for the next month before she goes to Mainland, then the zoo, see you next Monday!
