Writing Mission President More Regularly and Whitney's Baptism

Time is flying! I'm going to write really fast this week because I finally have a jump drive, but I'm in Shipai in between New Years eating appointments, so this place is doubly expensive, so I couldn't buy 2 hours like I would normally if I wanted to send pictures. The good news though, is, like most missions (as I've heard) our mission is switching to the new email system. It was a little annoying as I got the pre-email to register in my account, despite having all the correct information, it said none of us are in the system, and when we tried to sign up, it took us to a Chinese page, and kept showing an error. We are with Shipai Elders right now (Elder Weinberger and Shumway) and none of us really understand the message, so we'll check into it again next week. President is requiring an email (previously president's letters were not TOO enforced, and most people did them every 2 or 3 weeks...but now it will be enforced) because the new system will make it convenient for us to email him, and help him know how everyone is doing (numbers wise especially) with a new graph system or something. I think it will be nice to get the new email system, it takes me like 4 minutes a picture when I send them.

As for news that happened this week...lots of stuff went on. We had Zone Conference on Wednesday. The theme this week was Using Time Wisely. We talked a lot about the importance of planning and was given examples of how to plan. The most amusing (although I think slightly apostate in some ways) part was that President's Assistants did a role play, where they were God, except they "didn't want to call themselves God" so they called themselves angelic messengers (who happened to not be able to go down personally to earth, so sent someone instead...haha so they were executive angelic messengers I guess!) Angel Worthen and Lysenko (my companion and I refer them as such these days). The content of the role play, was, they were planning on how many people they could save in the highest kingdom...in the what not to do section, they said Peter, James, and John were good...Steven perhaps could be good, but Saul potential was not high. They made some ridiculous goals and just kind of threw Steven in as Saul's peike...then ended. In their better role play, they put names to goals. They wanted to increase their numbers, so Angel Worthen showed confidence in Saul...said to help he would maybe have a rock fly out of the heavens and hit him, a messenger to talk to him...and see what they could do about converting him, since their Peike Steven couldn't peike now due to unfortunate circumstances.  Something to that effect. It was just funny and had a lot of scriptural references to it. Sister Ackerson was cracking up with a small part of the crowd, but other people weren't laughing. I think it's because people didn't know how to react. Haha I personally thought it was amusing to watch the reactions of everyone around us.

Also had Presidents interviews this week, that's always fun to go talk to the Grimleys for a time. That day was a little confusing though, because we had a tour at 3 and interviews in the morning, but it ended up being fine with us doing studies at the church, it just ended up being inconvenient because our 3 o'clock didn't show up! And I'd left my stuff at the chapel! As luck would have it, Elder Carter and Elder Robertson? showed up at the MRT right then, and happened to have their bikes, and they did some service and went and got our stuff so we didn't have to walk there and back. It was tons faster. I'm thankful Elders and so willing to do service, especially since we had been waiting around and totally rescheduled stuff to be able to, only to have the girl not come because she said she was uncomfortable.

So onto something interesting, or maybe at least slightly because I am rambling, and at this rate no way I'll send pictures (especially since the Elders keep talking to us (about how fat they are getting from the new year and how they will die if they eat at our McDonalds appointment in and hour) and asking me how to spell definitely etc etc) So!

This week Yan Yuhang got confirmed! But we weren't there, because we were in Beitou/Shipai for Whitney's baptism! It was seriously a fun service!; The night before the MM leader called and asked us if we could do a musical number. He didn't want Sister Ackerson to play, because he said that would make girls too small, so Elder Mao (Beitou elder) to the rescue! He is amazing at the piano, and brought in some amazing accompaniments (which I can't spell, and neither can the others, despite the fact that Elder Shumway tried to help me out and maybe even got it right, who knows, i'm sticking with this way)...so we sung Sweet Hour of Prayer to an amazing piano part and the spirit was good. The Service went well and Whitney did a nice testimony, as did the MM leaders wife, Sister You. Haha, so onto the amusing part of the ceremony, every baptism needs a comic relief...Whitney was really cute, she brought HUGE leopard skin bag with all her stuff, even a complete change of clothes, because she didn't want to take hers off so she wore them under the baptism suit...it was cute, when she was baptized she went in and one time was enough...after we are in the bathroom, and since she completely soaked a whole outfit, it took a little while to get back to the chapel...lucky for Elder Weinberger...I hear the blowdryer going quite some time, and finally peek my head out and ask Elder Shumway if Weinberger forgot an towel. Elder Shumway laughed and said, "Worse. He forgot a little more than that!!!" HAHAHA i cracked up so hard and told my companion what happened. We both were laughing in the bathroom, and the other girls were like "What what?" And we were just like, "Nothing..." So that was the amusing part of that baptism. Everything else was really smooth. I loved that we had a baptism that went so well. The spirit was there and we were just all really excited.

As for the Chinese New Years news, I'm doing pretty good. We've been fed every lunch and dinner (and even one breakfast this morning) since Saturday, and will continue that pattern until this Saturday. I like it because I'm pretty good at just eating until I'm comfortable, but some people are not doing as well as I am, it's not the easiest thing to eat until you can't eat anymore every meal...fortunately for me I've been good and I'm handling it fine. The only drawback is I'm scared I'll be gaining some weight, but It's okay, I love doing member work and really have felt the spirit and closer to the members these last couple days as we go to their houses. It's really good to get to know them better.I love this area a lot more as I know and love these members.And plus I've been eating some good food! I'll work on getting it back off after this Saturday. For now I'm handling it fine. :)

So that's that! I have to stop writing now! Love you guys, be back on Next week!

Sister Flora Bruno (fu)

Yan Yuhang's Baptism: The Seventh Try Is the Charm

Ugh. Sometimes I miss typing in a program that doesn't have a 5 minute automatic save like my nice little word documents back at home. I just typed Gen a long email, but now I'll write the family one, and if there is time switch back to the email to Gen. It seems like I lose an email at least once a transfer. There are worse things in life though. Since I'm on a mission, I realize that typing an email is lucky, since it means i don't have to write a paper letter home every week. I've been quite awful about writing paper letters ever since transfer 3 or 4. I still write people back, but I don't just write to people I think of, sporadically like before.

Okay, so this week was quite an interesting week...but the mentionable of the week first, and if there is time other things later. Yesterday night, we had Yan Yuhang's baptismal service. The talks went pretty good, and were touching. I just was smiling so hard it hurt when Yan bore her testimony about being grateful for us teaching her how to pray, and why she liked our church and such. It felt good to be part of her experience. She was definitely someone the members took great care of. Her brother-in-law is a member, so she is a referral from him, and his brother-in-laws girlfriend came all the way down from Taizhong to be with her. It was good. But, as you may remember, interesting things have happened the last few baptisms (during the ordinance part) that makes the last few people my companions and I have taught baptism quite the experience. Now, Yan Yuhang was no different. In fact, I have to say that her experience in being baptized by water takes the cake...and here's why:

You see, the church in Danshui has no built in baptismal font. Next week I'll send pictures, but this week there is no drive on this computer for that. So, the baptismal font is this...well, the best way to describe it is to say that it is a blue tank.  It's kind of a weird looking thing.  Nothing like a child's swimming pool in the backyard or anything. Totally unique. Well, to get you a better picture of what this was like, the entire tank itself comes to about my hips. You know, me at 4'11'' and it only comes to my hips. Well, last time there was a service, we actually traveled from Jilong to go to Chen Meishan's (who attended Yan Yuhangs baptism :) ) and the Elders had filled this thing too high, so there was a little flooding in the Primary room. Elder Smith did not want the same result this time, so they didn't fill it quite as full. In fact, I think the water was...pretty darn low. So that was problem one--low water.

Elder Scott Carlson is the one baptizing, he even calls himself Scott the baptist before he puts on his white clothes, funny joke. It's his first baptism service on his mission, so we thought it would be fun to have him be the one to perform the ordinance. He was very dedicated and practiced the prayer and the tones on her name a lot. So, he does a great job, gets through the prayer like a champ, and goes to help submerge her. Unfortunately, Yuhang's body is really tense, problem two...so her legs and arms went in, but for some reason I can't figure out, her stomach floated up. She just couldn't get low enough, it was like they she was playing limbo and not quite succeeding. Let me just tell you, it was a pretty HILARIOUS sight to see. The crowd is cracking up with laughter, I'm not much help, because I'm trying to restrain myself and not doing a good job, and Elder Carlson is a champ and does it again, no luck. Again, stomach still not going in. After three unsucessful attempts, we get enough control of ourselves to start giving advice.  We tell her to relax a little more and get her as she is going down to knee on one knee, which helps him get her deeper. Unfortunately, even with this extra help, attempt 4 and 5 a knee pops up. Poor Elder Carlson, the crowd is so rambunctious, people would interrupt him and offer advice, he'd get nervous he just tried 5 times unsuccessfully and had to pull it out together...he must have started the prayer at least 15 to 20 times I think before the end. Finally, time 6, Elder Broadhead at the left calls it good, her knee went in and everything, so, she gets out of the tank, which isn't an easy task and we usher her toward the bathroom, when we hear from the right...that her elbow was not in. So, she has to get back in the tank, and this time #7 is the charm. Baptism. By complete immersion. 7 times just to make sure. We are lucky it was Elder Carlson and Yan Yuhang, because both of them are just pure examples of patience. Yuhang wasn't even bothered at all after we said it had to be complete immersion...and Elder Carlson said, oh, if she's good I'm good. So that was that, and we all got a pretty good laugh about it. We told her she was extra white and clean. It was fun because everyone there were big picture takers, so there are some good pictures of us back in the bathroom with Yuhang...and as a group at the baptism. It was very excited group, and we ate some fruit together after the service, and it just felt really fun. Yuhang was happy, and so were we. It was a baptism to remember for sure. The last 3 have been! Yuhang, Jasmine, Chen Yiting...all three of them had experiences I'll probably never forget. Too unique. :) So yeah, that was what I was up to yesterday night!

In other news, the Chinese New Year is starting Saturday. I've heard of people gaining as much as 20 pounds over the 10 days it lasts. Our schedule has already seen a hit, due to the new year, nobody wants to meet. Anyone I call to set up with, says they'd love to meet with us, after 2/21. So, I have 12 names in my planner to call on the 21st and the number grows. That's good news, but I hear our schedule will be a little nontraditional starting here soon. The nice thing is now we get to do a load of member work, as there is a feeding missionary (chikebiao) and members will feed us lunch and dinner daily, and occasionally even a breakfast or two, for the entire guonian. In America missionaries get fed pretty much nightly. Here, we eat outside from the street vendors most days, and maybe at a members once about every two weeks or so. But guonian (the chinese for chinese new year) the feed us every lunch and dinner. I hear sometimes we eat during the new years for 2 hours, then roll ourselves out the door to eat some more. I don't know how it will really be, but we have 3 wards that we regularly attend, so all three wards have put us down to feed us, sometimes we can't go, like when we have temple tour and stuff, but we are going to try to find a way to meet as many members as possible in all 3 wards. We'd love to extend sister's member work. I'm still asked in some wards sometimes "Do we even has sister missionaries in this ward?"...yes, we are them. I say it all the time :) It's because we only come every other week, so I guess it can be confusing...but no problem. Next week should be good for meeting members and an interesting time of the year. I'll tell you how the first two days went next week.

In other investigator news, Xie Huiru is doing great. We told her she was ready to get baptized and asked when she wanted to change her date to, and she wanted this Saturday, chuxi...or the first day of the Chinese New Year. She basically didn't want hardly anyone to come, she's a little scared of a huge baptism...but a bishop representative would not come for an hour baptism on chuxi. The bishop took it upon himself to interview with her and talk about it, and the end result is that since church is one hour next week, they convinced her to have her baptism after church, so next week after church Whitney will have her baptism. We are excited. She's really ready. She's been super diligent about repenting, and has changed a lot. She seems super ready, and since Sunday is guonian, she will probably get her wish, and have a relatively small baptism. Not sure though. The ward loves her. Today, the MM Leaders wife, Sister You called us and asked us to come to her house tonight to meet with Whitney. We hadn't even mentioned we were meeting with her tonight to anyone. She must have called Whitney herself. So that will be good. Sister You is a very cute return missionary with 2 children. I'm excited we can go over there and not only Whitney, but also us missionaries can get to know her better. Good things have been happening lately with Shipai. Good ward.

Chen Zhirou is also doing pretty well, still has a little bit of parent opposition. We had a little experience, her mom called the church and accused of us teaching Zhirou to swear at her and argue with her. I guess those two had gotten in a fight, and her mom was really upset. She called us to probably rant a little, and it sounded like she couldn't find her child, so she was worried. She asked a million times if she was at the church. Fortunately, that night, Zhirou said the Holy Ghost impressed her to write an apology to her mother for the means words they exchanged and gave her the note. Her mother forgave her and gave her permission to come to church on Sunday...so she came to church and the baptism. It was good for her. She got to talk to the bishop for quite some time. She's made good friends with him. The ward will really help her out I think. She played the piano for us and the ward was just amazed by her amazing piano playing skills. She's quite fast. I'm impressed too. :)

Um...let's see...not a lot more going on, Jiang Xiuwen, or Doreen didn't come to church. That made me a little sad because I really would like to see her make friends at church....that and I'd like to see her progressing in the gospel of course. I know the church will help her. She's still really willing to meet, so I think we can get her to church eventually, especially after the new year. We are going to even check and see if she can come up to Beitou for just an hour, or go to church in Yonghe and still make her goal...if not we will just move back the baptismal goal...either way I think she will progress. I've had nothing but good feelings about her since I met her. She's someone I loved very much from the first meeting, so I'll keep you updated on that. We'll go see her tonight at 6.

Hm Hm. I think that's about it for this week. Write again next week. Until then...love you guys. Jiayou!

Fu jiemei. Sister Flora Bruno

Laojie Fire

Hello and welcome again to my life story from 淡水 Danshui. As for move calls, in this area it's almost like they didn't happen. Our entire district is staying the exact same, and even in the zone, one of our zone leaders is now training and opening up a new area, but same ward he was in before, so those two will live with our zone leaders...one new, one same. Also, in our 北投Beitou ward, Elder Kyle 欧杨 Olsen is moving down to 台东 Taidong..we both go home at the same time, so when Sister Ackerson 孙 and I said bye yesterday, we were like, see you when we are headed out together! haha. So yeah, not a big change feeling. With the exception of Elder Olsen, everyone else is still around. So that's exciting.

I actually felt it this week that we'd stay together. We had two investigators that would have been really upset if either of us moved. When we talked to Whitney about move calls, she teared up a little. I felt really bad and hoped neither of us moved as she said she had a hard time with change and she bonded with us...She said she'd been praying for a week already that neither us or the 石牌 Shipai Elders would move. And, none of us did. She's doing really great and she really understands and desires forgiveness for her past sins. She still is overcoming the Word of Wisdom, but she is doing a great job, and she continues to come to church weekly, whether we are there or not, so that should help her faith a lot.

Also in investigator news, Yan Yuhang 严宇航 is doing really good too. She is going to do her interview tonight and wants to get baptized on Friday so her brother in law can do it. However, since this last week, she couldn't get out of her house (she can only come meet us at the church if her husband is home to take care of her child) she hasn't done her interview, so we didn't announce the baptism on Sunday, so if she passes tonight, us missionaries will be doing a lot of calls to schedule together a baptism, especially since our MM leader in this particular ward pretty much doesn't even like his calling, we never have meetings and we aren't helped much in that aspect, so I hear baptisms are missionaries arranged here...usually it's half and half...but either way, I'm willing to go through whatever to make it so our investigators have a positive baptism experience...so yeah, if everything goes according to the wants she expressed, we should have a baptism on Friday...if it can't be thrown together, we'll just do it next week, but I don't see why we couldn't get it all together. We did spend quite some time yesterday trying to get it worked out so she could get her interview tonight, since we can't use the church on Monday nights, and the Elders and I will just have to spend a little of Preparation day doing an interview (Elder Kyle Broadhead and Elder You ?Sen 游？森 (sorry dad forgot his Chinese name...well one character) are so good to us). Yeah so we will have an interesting next week! But that can be talked about next week.

In other this weeks news, 陈芝柔Chen Zhirou is doing really great. She meets with us 2-3 times a week, and will even set up with us herself. We set up to go do a Temple Tour in Taipei on Thursday, so I thought we were set up for the week, and Zhirou asks, when are we going to have class at the church this week? We haven't scheduled yet! So we found some time on Tuesday afternoon after WPS to do it. I don't know how to help her father allow her to get baptized, 我还在想办法。 I'm still thinking of a way.HAHA. But yeah, she's doing great! I hope she can make her date.

And also we are meeting with a 江 Jiang Doreen who set a date in 5 weeks. He desire is strong. She's amazing. We taught second, and we went over her part to return to God (the gospel of Jesus Christ) just as an overview, and she got out pen and a paper to write it down! If that's not a good investigator I don't know what is. She still hasn't come to church, but she said she will next week. I'm excited about this week, we aren't teaching a million lessons, but our progressing investigators are progressing really great! So yeah, the area is still doing awesome.

And now, for the final story of the week, and maybe the most interesting thing that happened this week, Sister Ackerson and I had a day where we had a ton of lessons, and to make a long story short, we thought we had to go to Beitou next, and did, but we were supposed to be in Danshui to meet with Yan...so basically we stood her up. When she called and we realized we were wrong in our appointment order, we felt awful, but our area is too huge there was no way we could ask her to wait and come...but instead of eating dinner in Beitou when we had some time, since we felt like complete crap, we went back to Danshui and bought some flowers for Yan and left the on the doorstep and ran. She said we were too dramatic and she forgives us of course, and isn't upset, but we wanted to do something nice! Well, after we ran...we are about a block up, and Yan calls...so Sister Ackerson is on the phone telling her we just wanted to do something nice......and I notice a huge black smoke in the air...I'm thinking about how bad the Taiwan pollution is...when 3 Fire trucks whiz by with their sirens on. I can't even hear Sister Ackerson, but it clicks and I tell her to look at the big black smoke in the sky! 老街 Laojie is on fire! And we were on Laojie!! (jie 街 means a small street in Chinese ) So we walk towards the MRT back to Beitou, but walk along the coast, and find out that this HUGE coast guard type boat is completely engulfed in flames. Unfortunately we can't read the news, so I'm unsure the entire story behind it, but that's what we did for dinner that night, watch a boat go up in flames, and drop up flowers. It was crazy to watch the firefighters wait for the boat to come into shore, and there were standing in the cold weather with the hose trying to get the fire out...and some other boat starts getting close and spraying it too. I got videos and pictures, I'll send a few pictures, and the videos with a CD or something maybe next month when I have some money. It was crazy. There was a huge crowd watching. It's strange we ended up being in that place just when a huge boat was burning...that doesn't happen every day. I was really entranced. It was crazy! And that's the only thing really of note. Love you guys, have a good week. Write me and send pictures! ha.

Sister Flora Bruno. Sistah Fu4. 傅

Status of Work in Danshui, Taiwan Taipei Mission

Pretty much all I have to say this week is that this area is going great.  Usually there are dramatic moments in every transfer, but there has been no drama this transfer and it is wonderful.

I've really gotten to see the Lord's hand in this work this transfer since we aren't teaching a million lessons, but our investigators that our progressing are doing really great!  The Lord really has prepared people and it's amazing to be a part of his work.  He will help us find, teach, and as they have been emphasizing so much lately, baptize.  Yan yuhang came to church on Sunday and I'm pretty positive she will make her 2/7 goal.  She has really made friends in the ward and she's good about keeping her commitment.  She's what Sister Ackerson and I call the real deal.  She came last night to a dinner one of the members had for 2 of their birthdays, and it was really good.  She stayed longer than we did.  Her child is the cutest thing ever.  I'm going to try to take a picture with him and send it to you so you can see.  His hair just spikes up really high.  I love it.

This week was just pretty normal, we had some really good lessons with Chen Zhirou and Whitney (Xie Huiru).  I really felt the Holy Ghost this week.  They are both doing great and progressing well.  We just need to figure out the best way to go about talking to Chen Zhirou's parents.  I've been scared to even talk about it, but we will talk about it this week and probably do a fast with her.  Whitney is doing good, she came to church in Shipai this week.  We did splits because we had to be in Shipai and Danshui.  It was a little hard on the members I think, but this awesome Sister Sun (pronounced sooen) came with her old father and picked me up.  It was HARD to get him up the huge hill that Beitou church is on top of, we switched off pushing his wheelchair and I was TIRED.  I felt bad because she isn't a super young lady, but she's strong!  She's awesome.  But yeah, she had to leave after Sunday School, so I was really worried during RS who would take me back to Zhuwei...the only person I really knew was Whitney, who is amazing and would be willing to do it for me, but since missionaries rules are stricter, it pretty much needed to be a member unless there was no other choice.  But the Relief Society president helped me find Chen Xiangru who was really good.  She had Whitney drive her scooter to Shipai and walked with me from the Beitou church to Zhuwei.  I'm grateful she was so willing and we had a really good talk.  Members are so great to me. I'm really glad for their support.  I really would have a hard time without such great members.

This Friday we will get move calls.  No idea what will happen since my companion and I are the same transfer, anything really could.  I'd like to stay together for one more transfer, but really I'm fine with anything.  Whatever God's will is, I know that's the best choice.  I probably won't have too many more areas on my mission, if I move, that will probably be my last area my whole mission.  When the assistants shared about the way move calls worked, I realized when I went senior companion, I'd die in that area in all likelihood.  It was a strange thought.  I'm an old missionary now. I get my "death letter" next transfer. It feels like I'm still relatively new.  The mission passes by fast! But no matter what happens, I've had a lot of fun this transfer, and I'm glad I got to be here in Danshui.  I love you guys!  I need to go clean out my mailbox.  You can send lots of pictures next week.  haha bye.

Sister Flora Bruno (or as they call me in Taiwan--Sister Fu

Subway Tracking

Hi again.  This week has gone pretty good.  As a couple of you noticed, I passed through another birthday, becoming 22 years old.  And in case you are wondering why that sentence is a little strange, I've started to directly translate Chinese at times, as I'm getting lazier.  Whatever language I think in, that is what comes out, so the strange English is mostly direct translation problems...although it might partly be due to the fact that I haven't been writing a million and a half papers a week for a little over a year now, so I'm actually slightly worried about my English.  I think my plan when I get back is (and mom you better be prepared for this one since you sold my old bike back in Vernal..haha) that mom and I are going to go biking every day and do a work out program so I can lose weight while I'm jobless.  No time on a mission, my companion and I have a diet plan we call operation Dumbo, but it's ruined most days, so I'm thinking losing weight will have to start when I get home...ESPECIALLY since Chinese New Years is next transfer, and I'm not sure if this is a rumor or not, but it doesn't feel like it...I'm pretty sure we will get fed until we are bursting full twice, if not three times a day...the wards told us to be ready for 2nd dinners sometimes. I'm terrified.  Especially because something I've never acquired a taste for on my mission is seafood...the thought of eating a shrimp or clam makes me a little sick inside...I can handle some of it, like BBQed squid, but the large majority makes me ek.  Well, as part of the New Years here, everyone eats something called Hot Pots.  It's a soup filled with vegetables, and other  Chinese assortments such as...seafood (shrimp, clams, fish balls, weird fish stuff you'd never find in America) , pigs blood (yes they eat pigs blood here), meat,  cabbage, and a white clear noodle.  I love the noodles and cabbage and meat...but there is always about half of a hot pot I'm not so hot on.  So, you'll have to ask me after Chinese New Years how I like seafood.  I might like shrimp again.  I used to like shrimp fine in america, but here they have little white ones, and then the ones like America, but the little white ones ruined shrimp for me, with their little black eyes all over my cabbage in my lunch boxes all looking at me disturbing my peaceful rice eating habits.

But yeah, that's not for another month, so I still have time...in this weeks news, our investigators are mostly doing pretty good.  We had two pretty hard hits Saturday night, but all is well.  First one was that Christine has said she decided to get baptized in another church.  We will see her tomorrow morning and discover more about that, but she had been coming to church the last three, so it was a little confusing.  Also, Chen Zhirou, turning 18 in a couple weeks, asked her father to sign the permission form, and he won't.  He said she can get baptized when it is her own decision, which in most countries is 18...but for a reason I still haven't figured out, it is 20 in Taiwan.  She called us sobbing and asked what she could do.  I tried to comfort her, but I'm not really sure what path we can take.  Her member friend was really upset and was fasting her yesterday at church.  We will discuss it more in companion study as the week progresses, but right now I'm kind of at a loss.  We've had tons of parents not wanting to sign problems, and I've never seen a parent who changed their minds, although others have, so there is still hope.  She really wants to get baptized, and said she shared scriptures with her dad even, so I know she's ready, but even if she has to wait 2 years, I have high hopes for her.  I do hope we can talk to parents and her fathers heart can be softened.

In other investigator news, this week Yan yuhang came to church with her little son.  She's progressing so well, and there is still a really good possibility she will make her 1/30 baptism goal.  We will meet with her Wednesday to prepare her for interview Saturday.  We taught her the Word of Wisdom this last week, and even though she drinks tea, she was very willing to try out the repentence process and quit her addiction.  I love her a lot.  And her son is really precious.  She's really quite a strong woman, to be in a new country at 22 with a son.  So yeah, she's doing amazing!

Then, Whitney (Xie Huiru) is also doing really well.  She finished testing and was able to start meeting with us.  We taught her the first lesson, and she made a baptism goal for March and she's very cute and willing to work with us.  She has been coming to church every week, and is just really friendly, so people like her a lot.  I've already had a couple members tell me they really like her.  She added me on Facebook I think, I gave her my address and told her my dad would probably add her. 

My birthday was amazing.  Sister Ackerson made it really great.  She went all out.  She made me breakfast in the morning, so I had that waiting for me with a card and everything when I woke up.  Also, we met the Elders at Subway, and even though Elder You and Broadhead had to jet immediately, they gave me a cute headband that Elder You attached a ridiculously funny, but hideous huge green ball to.  The best part was the Elders made me a card and Elder You2 drew me on the envelope with my proselyting bag and a pig and panda poking out...I used to always carry the pig, but I bought a tiny stuffed panda at the zoo last week, and now switch off.  Mostly the panda these days because Sister Ackerson likes him and hates the pig, but with every other companion it will probably be the pig.  The little stuffed animal is useful to have when little kids are around.  Also E. Broadhead wrote a sweet message on it.  Other things done for my birthday was that on Saturday Nikki (a beitou member) took me out to eat steak, it was really good, and she gave me a super cute blush.  Nikki is fun to be with and super good to us.  Also, Whitney called me on my birthday twice.  Once herself, and once to have the Shipai Elders sing Happy birthday to me. Then Saturday she gave me a beautiful green scarf.  I really like it and wore it that day.  E. Smith and Carlson also called in the morning to sing happy birthday. And Sister Grimley called me that night to ask how my day was.  It was really sweet of her.

This week, we had to go down to Taipei because Sister Ackerson needed a power of attorney for her school loans that were having some problems, so we had some extra time not filled up on my birthday and went to take care of that.  During our lunch break, we had a couple extra minutes, and got some sweet jumping picture shots because we saw a really good view of Taipei 101.  Then, on the way home, we ran into this black man named Roddy.  He was really friendly to us and asked if we were the Mormons.  We said we were, and he shared with us about how he had this thing every Saturday where they talked about the family as a important social unit, and started talking about a lot of things we found to be true as well.  Such as the vital need for a restoration and what the Bible said about the need for a restoration.  He wanted us to come on Saturday to his wife and his seminar, but it wasn't in our area, it's down by the missionary headquarters, so we couldn't do that...but it was just really interesting to chat with him.  Towards the end, it did go a little bad as we felt like he started a bible bash.  He didn't agree with Joseph Smith's vision as he is strongly of the opinion that God is a Spirit and has to be a Spirit so he can have feminine, masculine, and neutral, or he couldn't have made man and woman...and also he didn't think the sin in the garden wasn't eating a fruit, but was conjugal.  So yeah, first encounter I've had like that on my mission, but I thought it was unique, and we were lucky, because the guy was friendly to us, even if he disagreed with some points we believe.  I can see what led him to believe what he does, as his wife is muslim and he talked about the merging of religions to get a truth.  We didn't argue at all, but told him we'd tell Elder Lakes (the Elder in his area he already is in and out of touch with) that we ran into him. 

Then, to continue or weird experience with English speaking people (or as we call them in Taiwan out country people aka foreigners)..just after we parted with Roddy, riding up the station at the Taipei Main Station to switch to the Danshui MRT line, a kid going the other way on the escalader is like, "HEY SISTERS!!!!!!! I'm from UTAH!!!!!!!!" And Sister Ackerson said "Awesome, come back up", but he didn't so we just kept walking..haha. 

Then, actually I can't remember what day, but I was standing on the MRT, we were going back to Zhuwei and I sat down and had this STRONG impression like there was somebody I was supposed to talk to.  But someone specific.  I've never had that strong of a, find someone specific feeling.  Usually I just look around and see who the Spirit has me talk to, but this time, it was a...you need to find someone feeling.  So there I am, searching.  The person right next to me seems wrong, and won't even look at me...and I just notice the white man grading papers across from me.  I get scared to talk to white people, they aren't as nice, so I thought maybe him...so a stop away from our stop, I get up after translating a temple tour card to English, since I had nothing in English, and try to hand it to this English teacher.  But he has headphones in, so even though I say HEY in a LOUD voice and kind of wave my arm around in front of his face, he's so focused (or so doesn't want to talk to me) that there is absolutely no reaction.  I think to plan two and wonder if I should shove the temple card on his lap as I step off the train.  I wasn't getting off the MRT until I gave SOMEONE church material...When this boy standing up (the teacher was sitting down) asks me in perfect English, "Hey are you Mormon, I've always been interested in religion but every time I just get stuck because I feel like it's hard to believe that anyone is listening?" I was able to have about a 20 second conversation with him and invited him to church and shoved all the pamphlets I could at him (well only three but whatever) but yeah, I know I was supposed to talk to him.  I really hope he comes to church.  I should have just stayed on an extra stop and got his information for the Elders.  My companion and I agree that if we ever need to, we can just stay on a stop over to talk to someone then ride back.  We both pay good attention of where each other are at.  But at least I got to talk to him, and he talked to me, not the other way around.  So that was lucky.

And, in more contacting on the MRT experiences (we spend a LOT of time riding from place to place on the MRT which is why I am almost completely broke this month, but no problem, I can use my birthday money on every day living, so thanks for that) there was a day this week that we happened to be leaving the church the same time as the Shipai Elders, so we headed out to the MRT together, and they had to head out to Shipai, and we were heading to Zhuwei, so we went to different platforms (but you can still see each other from the platforms) and E. Weinberger is acting a little crazy across the platform, trying to charade to us to get our butts contacting.  My companion was good and talked to a group of students, but I rolled my eyes and thought, I'll contact if the spirit prompts me to, not just because Elder Weinberger is over there putting positive peer pressure on us and talking to all the teenage girls surrounding him (school must have just gotten out, and for some reason their platform was covered with teenage girls and ours with teenage boys)...and a split second after I had that thought, I looked across the platform and saw a lady I felt prompted to talk to.  Her name is Jiang..Doreen.  Sister Ackerson was able to come back after talking to the teenagers, and we were able to set up with her in the time we were riding back to Zhuwei and answer a lot of questions she had about us.  She met with us on Saturday and it was a really good first lesson.  She lives alone out by the beach in Sanzhi and is a secretary down in Taipei.  She is just really friendly and she seems very real.  Sister Ackerson and I are really excited to start teaching her.  She can meet Saturday's, so we will see her again next Saturday. 

Ugh, random thought, but this week, instead of sitting next to a nice lady who speaks English, I'm sitting next to a gross old man who is looking at pornography, and I'm really quite disgusted,  so I'd like to add my kick to the fact that pornography is gross and addictive.  And to avoid it at all costs. 

And now that I've gotten that kick out...hmm what else? The Elders want to go down to a technology street today where you can get stuff cheap.  Elder Broadhead is getting a new camera, and originally I considered buying a camera for my birthday like dad suggested, but came to the conclusion that I really am too poor and would rather live out this month without starving, plus I'm not sure how much a camera runs at anyways, so just to prepare you ahead of time, you know like a year ahead of time, for Christmas next year I'd like a nice camera. haha. (I was a little jealous when Desi told me what she got) :) I've never had a really nice one and I always have to use other missionaries camera to take decent pictures and beg them to give them to me through Facebook or something after the mission.  Mine is ridiculous. I'm glad all my companions have better cameras that aren't tied shut with a rubber band and wont capture the view behind us, because through them  I've gotten nice pictures...and pretty sure every one of my companions should have pretty sweet cameras, most missionaries do, so they've got my back on my mission.  haha.  :)  Okay this is long enough and i'm talking about cameras because I still have like 20 minutes left online...we bought 2 hours today...sister ackerson had some stuff she needed to write..but I need to just wrap up and stop rambling.  basically not sure what we are doing today, probably going with the Elders because they want us to, but it won't take all day, so we'll figure it all out later.  Whatever happens it should be fun!  I love preparation days.  Talk to you all again next week.  Love you guys.  Later.

Sister Flora Bruno

New Cellphone Referral System

Sunday, January 10, 2010 8:00 PM

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!

Questioning Whether A Mission is Worthwhile

Monday, January 4, 2010 3:35 AM

This week was quite the week for me.  I have done some stupid things, but I think I've learned a lot.  I mean, learn from your mistakes right?  At least, I hope I'm learning.  Sometimes with all the talks I read such as "The Fourth Missionary" I wonder how useful it is to be on a mission.  I mean, it's hard to be exactly obedient and I haven't been good at it, I try to improve all the time and I feel like every transfer I get a little better, but I still just am so far from perfectly obedient, and it's hard because it says in that talk if you aren't perfectly obedient and have charity, your mission doesn't change you at all and it was pretty worthless.  Then I feel pretty crappy and wonder if I'll ever be the 4th missionary and my mission will be worth it at all.  I hope so, but right now I'm still figuring it all out. I kind of wish I hadn't read that talk.  It kind of upset me.  I wonder why. It doesn't sound like a false doctrine concept.  I guess it's just one hard to swallow, because it's not hard to come on a mission and come home in vain.  In fact, I can't promise I won't.  But, I'm trying to not. 

This week all I can really remember is that we had a temple tour sisters training.  It was really good.  Last time we had one was 2 transfers ago, and although I liked it, I felt like I'd never be at a point where my Chinese was good enough to give a tour like the tour sisters did it.  So, it made me really scared in some ways to watch how amazing they were.  But I had a hope and I really learned to appreciate what those sisters do there in the Taipei chapel.  This time, I didn't have a hopeless feeling at all.  I understood the whole conference (it was completely bilingual, as one of the trainers were speaking English, and the next one would switch off and speak Chinese, they both stuck to their native language) and I'm pretty sure I can mirror them in what they taught.  I was glad for the training and really think I learned how to ask some good solid questions to people who come in to take the tour.

Training was Thurday, and we actually had tours ourselves Tuesday.  A really interesting girl came in and asked us to pray for her.  We offered to take her on a tour.  About 5 minutes in, Sister Ackerson stopped the tour.  The girl would say REALLY strange things to everything we asked and the Spirit as completely not there.  We actually said a prayer with her, since that was her original request.  We got her information and expected her to leave, but she wouldn't.  She started telling us stories that made NO sense.  She was going crazy out of her mind.  All I really got is she got extremely jealous at a boyfriend in America, and got deported back to Taiwan since her boyfriend didn't want to get married or something.  She said she was baptized years ago, but didn't really believe our church was the only true church, but she did say a million times that it's all black and white with the Mormons.  She wouldn't leaven for about an hour and a half, and just told us stories that made no sense.  We felt really uncomfortable, but we were nice the whole time.  It just made me feel so bad for her.  This girl, who was clearly not right in her mind, and she was hurt.  Not sure if she was originally crazy, or her situation drove her literally crazy but I felt so bad for her.  I wished I could help her, but there was nothing I could do except get her information and pass her onto the people who serve in her area.  I was glad to know that Heavenly Father gave her an opportunity to at least come to the truth to feel the good feelings in the chapel, even if it as just for a few minutes.  She wrote some crazy things in her Book of Mormon about how she just wouldn't take the fruit like Eve and stay foolish forever, and then we said we had to go to dinner, and we all left.  Wow.  a mission is full of lots of interesting experience.

As for Danshui news, this week my companion and I have seen a lot of miracles.  Members have given us referrals, people let us in doors tracking, and an investigator who was too busy to meet with before has been reading the Book of Mormon, and read in Alma that she needed to be baptized, so she wants to meet in an hour and know what she can do to prepare for baptism.  Further proof that the Book of Mormon really really really is true.  It really teaches us the principles and fullness of Jesus Christ's complete gospel.  People can find answers on how to obtain happiness in this life, and return to Heavenly Father's presence in the next.  The Book of Mormon is amazing!  I love it so much and I know that it is true.

I love you guys!  Write again next time.

Sister Flora Bruno.