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
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
New Cellphone Referral System
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!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Questioning Whether A Mission is Worthwhile
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.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Jasmine's Baptism
As for any information of anything we did this week, the news is in Jilong. Saturday I had permission to go to Jasmine's baptism. It was amazing, but quite an interesting experience as well. I felt really self concious because it wasn't my area and I didn't want to get in the other sister's way, but they were both really good. They had me introduce her and sit next to her. They sat next to her mom so they could get to know her mother better. I felt the spirit so strongly at her baptism and I know Jasmine was one of the most prepared people I have had the opportunity to meet on my mission. It was actually really not the perfect baptism for her, but she responded positively to pretty much everything. First, the boy she asked to baptize her, has a bad habit of being late. I remember last last week when she asked him to baptize her, she asked if he was going to be late. He even laughed at that. But then, he was honestly late!!! I got up and introduced her after a song and prayer...I got to talk about how helpful she was, from the first moment she met us how she wanted to know if we were lost and help us out, and how she would teach us as she learned to apply the scriptures in her life extremely fast...then I sat down and a new member Yiting gave a talk. I noticed towards the end of the talk Michael was still not there, and told the Elders to call him. They got up and stood in the back. After
Yiting, us missionaries did a little musical number from the primary hymn book. He finally showed up in his clothes during the musical number and sat in my seat. Then, it looked messy as we all had to change chairs since he was sitting in one of ours. Right after the number was the baptism, so he was barely in the nick of time...but he didn't show up early like he was supposed to! So, they never practiced. They get in the font, which was cold, and he baptizes her good, totally under, but then E. Leavitt is like...Um, you are raising the left hand to the square! So then, they had to do it again, but her knee came up, so they had to do it a third time. In the locker, she was cold and was like, OH MICHAEL, it's all his fault, I couldn't breath. But she got over it really fast and told me she was scared the first time, so God gave her the opportunity to do it so she wasn't scared and so that she was extremely clean.
She talked as she bore her testimony about how she was scared and it was really dark so she said a prayer, and before she even said Amen, S. Kunzler and I said hi. Then she talked about how she went to church a lot, but it never felt RIGHT. But, when she met us she was really able to read the Book of Mormon and feel the love of a Father in Heaven, a love she was never able to feel from a Father growing up. It was a beautiful testimony and I was touched that we got the opportunity to teach such an amazing girl! She really strenghted my testimony. I know that God will put us in people's paths who are prepared and willing to hear the gospel if we are doing what's right. That night we met her at the bus stop, we were just on the way to another lesson. Jesus performed miracles on the way, and I've noticed that us missionaries can do a lot of good on the way as we open our mouths and use the Spirit and faith. The Spirit is so important in our lives! Always live worthy of his guidance. I've learned it is just so important to have the Spirit as our guide. And that's the promise after baptism, is the Spirit. It's so important to us as we do the endure to the end part of our lives. How blessed we are that Heavenly Father gave us such a happy path to follow his Son. The only way. I read an article this week that helped me realize that the only intelligent way to do things, is the obedient way in which we give our will to God. I'm in no way perfect, but every day I'm trying to be a little more better. I hope you all can do the same.
I'm excited that I'm still in this area, I should see Jasmine Sunday at the monthly Taibei fireside, so there were no tearful goodbyes like with Sister Kunzler when she went far to Xinzhu. Just a see you all Sunday. We left
right away after the service because I did not want to be home late. We go t home in plenty of time.
At church this week, we went to Beitou and the member support there is really amazing. I was happy to meet people who are so supportive of the missionaries.
That's my week here! I love you guys! See you next week!
Sister Flora Bruno
Monday, December 21, 2009
Transfer 7 Week 1: Moving to Danshui (near Taipei)
Okay, not a lot of time to write this week, especially because I'm MOVING IN................Yeah. So I have quite the news to tell you all this week. That is, my area is being whitewashed! Okay, well half way, because both my companion and I moved. Sister Chen Shuting stayed in the area to take care of it. Sister Olsen is her new companion. They are going to do great, My area was not REALLY white washed, Chen jiemei was in half the area, but she is a little stressed because she wasn't teaching a lot of our investigators, but she has met them, so it's a little better than white wash, and they are doing great! President Grimley is the best and he gave me permission to go up to my area this Saturday for Jasmine's baptism, especially since Sister Kunzler went to Xinzhu's Jubei, so she's too far away to come back.
Now for the exciting news before I have to go (but worry not, I will call Friday) my new area is...DANSHUI. But even more exciting, my new companion is my own truely, MTC companion, Sister Mackenzie Ackerson! We both were shocked, in the best way possible. In this area, we don't ride bikes, so I went from the rainy, hilly Jilong, to Danshui, Betou, Shipai, Tianmu, Shilin (yeah our area is huge so we ride the Metro (MRT) a fast bus throughout the Taipei area. The rumor is Danshui is the coldest place in the mission, but I don't care...I'm cold but happy, and Jilong was pretty cold, so far not a HUGE difference. But to tell a super fast exciting experience, on move calls my district leader said I'd freak out, I was like, "I will not unless I'm going to Danshui to be with Sister Ackerson" and he was like, WHAT? How did you know you were going to Danshui to be with her? Hahaha. Too great. I did freak a little. Sad for my area but too excited. We put my bike in the dark garage down in B3 for the transfer, and now we have much to plan and do. OH! And Elder Bret Smith is back in my district! We were together 4 in Zhongli, so I thought that was too cool. So many good friends here. My district is already awesome. we have a brand new taiwanese district leader Elder You. Talk more later! Love ya!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Transfer 6 Week 6: Death and Personal Trials
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 3:43 AM
It's week 6 of the transfer! That means next Preparation day is Monday, not Wednesday so you need to email me by Monday night. And I need everyone's phone numbers. I don't know them. And how it will work when I call. Like will you guys three way? I used to be the one to figure all that out, does anyone else know how? Who should I call first? Who will be together?
So yeah, so for all we missionaries know, we'll be with different companions, districts, etc for Christmas, and we still don't even know them! They don't have a Christmas party this year, but I guess our district will get together and do service activity and then we will proselyte at night. Nobody will be sure what their area will be until Friday night, and we won't know our new district (area if we move) until move day Monday, so it will be quite a Christmas.
There is so much that happened this week, but I think I'll actually travel back to last Wednesday after I emailed, the long day that happened there. So...last Wednesday, we emailed and then all the Sisters (all 4 of us) biked back to the church, went to the bathroom really quick, and ran and bought lunch to eat on the bus to Taipei. It was our zone's temple day, so we were all excited to go to Taipei, go to the temple, etc. Well, we get on the bus and I start to eat my fried rice, just eating, talking, all good.
But lets back up to last transfer in week 4. Something I never mentioned, because I forgot because a mission goes by fast, is...well, I have one root canal right? It fell out when we went on exchanges last transfer. I was with a Taiwanese missionary, Sister Zhang. And I freaked out. Teeth are expensive, and I don't think you guys can afford for my tooth to just be falling out. I remember what a hassle Gen's teeth were on a mission. And mom's teeth too. Teeth are expensive. So I cried. I don't cry a lot or often, but I cried a little when my tooth fell out. I told Sister Zhang, "I'm going to look like a Taiwanese man with no house, with no teeth, teeth are expensive." And another reason I was scared, is partly because I'd never learned dentist words, I only learned tooth because sister Zhang kept saying my "yachi" fell out. Well, it was too late to do anything, so we planned to find a dentist in the morning. The next morning we went running, and on the way to the school track, we found a dentist right next to our apartment. We found out it opened at 10 and went and moved language study to the afternoon. Well, lucky that I am insured in Taiwan and Taiwan has a government run medical health care. It cost 150 kuai to get in and see the dentist. That's like 5 dollars. Well, he took my tooth, looked at it and talked about how my American doctor didn't put in a good support, and he hoped to save me money so he'd see what he could do. He popped it back in, said it was still at risk because it wasn't done well in the first place, but it'd cost around 200 American dollars to fix (I think cheaper than America though?), but he hoped I wouldn't have to spend that... and Sister Zhang and I were out and on our way to normal missionary work. The dentist knew a little English and we were able to use Chinglish to communicate. It ended up being fine. After that day it was fixed, I forgot it happened, minus a picture I have.
So yeah, I'm sitting there, last Wednesday, I'm finally not paranoid about my tooth, it's been a little while. And I'm eating, and I swallow, and there is a HOLE in my mouth. I swallowed my tooth. (Which, now I know how to say swallowed in Chinese). I got a little emotional, and maybe shed a tear or two (but not outright crying) my first reaction was, "Sister Kunzler! I've been through this trial, but last time I didn't swallow it, why did I have to swallow my tooth." I didn't think you guys could afford 200 dollars right with Christmas coming. Then I was a little freaked out as I tried to figure out if I should puke it out on the bus. We were stuck on a bus for 45 minutes. My companion and Sister Chen said THEY would puke if I forced myself to barf in front of them. I prayed and ended up not barfing, I couldn't imagine how people would react. I thought maybe we'd get on the bus and I'd puke right before going into the temple. I hoped in 45 minutes it wouldn't digest too far.
Well, we get to Taipei and we are in between the temple and the big chapel, my companion and I are on our way to the big chapel so I can see if I can puke it out...well, we run into my old companion Engela Chen, and she gives me an envelope with a hymn book I left in Zhongli and a letter. My companion stopped to talk to someone, so I take out the letter to read it. I read the first sentence. It says, "Sister Bruno, sorry this is kind of abrupt, but Chen Huiping passed away." I didn't continue the letter at that time. I just had a break down. I seriously sobbed. In a LOUD voice, in front of tons of missionaries headed to the temple. It was a combination of the new member that got baptized when I first got to Taiwan passed away and I never wrote her a letter after I left Zhongli, and I swallowed my tooth and my dad was going to be really mad at me. And I cried and cried. I couldn't get ahold of myself very well. And then, there was no time to go puke, it was time to go to the temple session, or we couldn't go to the temple at all. And so we went in, and got dressed, and I just was crying (softly now) and everyone kept looking at me, and I felt like an idiot, because I think crying looks dumb. But once the temple session started, I felt at peace and calmed down, and stopped crying. I'm glad we can find peace in the temple. It is an amazing place and I'm glad I got to go.
As for my tooth situation, I won't go into extensive details, but I will say, I have the tooth in my mouth (although it's still a risk) and it's sterilized by me 3 different ways and the dentist sterilized it and said I didnt need to worry, it was perfectly clean. So I trust in that and figure I'm a stronger person for it, and we don't have to worry about it...for now.
As for more details about Chen Huiping, she was hit by a car and needed surgery. They called the missionaries in search of family. She got surgery and it didn't go well. The family decided to pull the plug a week later. (nobody in her family was close to her, she lived alone and just had a daughter and grandson in the Taipei area 2 hours away) I know before she passed away she wished to see her grandson. That wish came true while I was in Zhongli and she was very happy that day. I still remember. She really wanted her daughter to join the church and their relationship to become better. Her daughter gave Sister Enge Chen her number at the funeral. She said her husband wasn't ready to hear our message, but at least her number is in our records now. I know one day Chen Huiping will see her daughter/grandson blessed because of her decision to be baptized. In a way it was, she'd wanted to see her grandson since he was born. She did back in August.
In other news, we've had quite the week! Lin2 Li4zhen1 and her 2 sons are doing great. We taught them the law of chastity. And oh. my. goodness. My old district leader told me we HAVE to teach no masturbation in the LOC, so, we did. Well, I know the formal word for it, but Chen2 Sen1 didn't understand that word, so the mother says, "Ni bu ke gen ni ziji xiao jiji wan." And to make it even more awkward, the older brother loves English and translates something we already understood into English, "You caunt play with your own little chicken!" And I was so red and felt so awkward, the rest I don't need to explain, but pretty much, Taiwanese people are very open and I know why Elders teach boys the law of chastity and not sisters! But in great news, the boys are obeying the law of chastity and doing SO GREAT. They set a baptism goal for my BIRTHDAY. Let me tell you, when they set that date, it was like one of the happiest days of my life. I don't even care if I stay here this transfer or not, but I will try my hardest to be here when they get baptized. They are just so great and progressing and keeping all the commandments. I love them so much!
Also, Jasmine is doing AMAZING. I love her so much. She teaches us more and more every week. She talked this week about how she never felt the protective love of a father in her life until she came to THIS church. We taught prophets and listened to the prophets voice and all felt the Spirit SO strongly in that lesson. Her interview is this Saturday. Also this Saturday we are singing 12 songs and doing a Christmas pageant, time is running out, talk more about that next week!
Love you guys so much!
Sister Flora Bruno
Fu jiemei
It's week 6 of the transfer! That means next Preparation day is Monday, not Wednesday so you need to email me by Monday night. And I need everyone's phone numbers. I don't know them. And how it will work when I call. Like will you guys three way? I used to be the one to figure all that out, does anyone else know how? Who should I call first? Who will be together?
So yeah, so for all we missionaries know, we'll be with different companions, districts, etc for Christmas, and we still don't even know them! They don't have a Christmas party this year, but I guess our district will get together and do service activity and then we will proselyte at night. Nobody will be sure what their area will be until Friday night, and we won't know our new district (area if we move) until move day Monday, so it will be quite a Christmas.
There is so much that happened this week, but I think I'll actually travel back to last Wednesday after I emailed, the long day that happened there. So...last Wednesday, we emailed and then all the Sisters (all 4 of us) biked back to the church, went to the bathroom really quick, and ran and bought lunch to eat on the bus to Taipei. It was our zone's temple day, so we were all excited to go to Taipei, go to the temple, etc. Well, we get on the bus and I start to eat my fried rice, just eating, talking, all good.
But lets back up to last transfer in week 4. Something I never mentioned, because I forgot because a mission goes by fast, is...well, I have one root canal right? It fell out when we went on exchanges last transfer. I was with a Taiwanese missionary, Sister Zhang. And I freaked out. Teeth are expensive, and I don't think you guys can afford for my tooth to just be falling out. I remember what a hassle Gen's teeth were on a mission. And mom's teeth too. Teeth are expensive. So I cried. I don't cry a lot or often, but I cried a little when my tooth fell out. I told Sister Zhang, "I'm going to look like a Taiwanese man with no house, with no teeth, teeth are expensive." And another reason I was scared, is partly because I'd never learned dentist words, I only learned tooth because sister Zhang kept saying my "yachi" fell out. Well, it was too late to do anything, so we planned to find a dentist in the morning. The next morning we went running, and on the way to the school track, we found a dentist right next to our apartment. We found out it opened at 10 and went and moved language study to the afternoon. Well, lucky that I am insured in Taiwan and Taiwan has a government run medical health care. It cost 150 kuai to get in and see the dentist. That's like 5 dollars. Well, he took my tooth, looked at it and talked about how my American doctor didn't put in a good support, and he hoped to save me money so he'd see what he could do. He popped it back in, said it was still at risk because it wasn't done well in the first place, but it'd cost around 200 American dollars to fix (I think cheaper than America though?), but he hoped I wouldn't have to spend that... and Sister Zhang and I were out and on our way to normal missionary work. The dentist knew a little English and we were able to use Chinglish to communicate. It ended up being fine. After that day it was fixed, I forgot it happened, minus a picture I have.
So yeah, I'm sitting there, last Wednesday, I'm finally not paranoid about my tooth, it's been a little while. And I'm eating, and I swallow, and there is a HOLE in my mouth. I swallowed my tooth. (Which, now I know how to say swallowed in Chinese). I got a little emotional, and maybe shed a tear or two (but not outright crying) my first reaction was, "Sister Kunzler! I've been through this trial, but last time I didn't swallow it, why did I have to swallow my tooth." I didn't think you guys could afford 200 dollars right with Christmas coming. Then I was a little freaked out as I tried to figure out if I should puke it out on the bus. We were stuck on a bus for 45 minutes. My companion and Sister Chen said THEY would puke if I forced myself to barf in front of them. I prayed and ended up not barfing, I couldn't imagine how people would react. I thought maybe we'd get on the bus and I'd puke right before going into the temple. I hoped in 45 minutes it wouldn't digest too far.
Well, we get to Taipei and we are in between the temple and the big chapel, my companion and I are on our way to the big chapel so I can see if I can puke it out...well, we run into my old companion Engela Chen, and she gives me an envelope with a hymn book I left in Zhongli and a letter. My companion stopped to talk to someone, so I take out the letter to read it. I read the first sentence. It says, "Sister Bruno, sorry this is kind of abrupt, but Chen Huiping passed away." I didn't continue the letter at that time. I just had a break down. I seriously sobbed. In a LOUD voice, in front of tons of missionaries headed to the temple. It was a combination of the new member that got baptized when I first got to Taiwan passed away and I never wrote her a letter after I left Zhongli, and I swallowed my tooth and my dad was going to be really mad at me. And I cried and cried. I couldn't get ahold of myself very well. And then, there was no time to go puke, it was time to go to the temple session, or we couldn't go to the temple at all. And so we went in, and got dressed, and I just was crying (softly now) and everyone kept looking at me, and I felt like an idiot, because I think crying looks dumb. But once the temple session started, I felt at peace and calmed down, and stopped crying. I'm glad we can find peace in the temple. It is an amazing place and I'm glad I got to go.
As for my tooth situation, I won't go into extensive details, but I will say, I have the tooth in my mouth (although it's still a risk) and it's sterilized by me 3 different ways and the dentist sterilized it and said I didnt need to worry, it was perfectly clean. So I trust in that and figure I'm a stronger person for it, and we don't have to worry about it...for now.
As for more details about Chen Huiping, she was hit by a car and needed surgery. They called the missionaries in search of family. She got surgery and it didn't go well. The family decided to pull the plug a week later. (nobody in her family was close to her, she lived alone and just had a daughter and grandson in the Taipei area 2 hours away) I know before she passed away she wished to see her grandson. That wish came true while I was in Zhongli and she was very happy that day. I still remember. She really wanted her daughter to join the church and their relationship to become better. Her daughter gave Sister Enge Chen her number at the funeral. She said her husband wasn't ready to hear our message, but at least her number is in our records now. I know one day Chen Huiping will see her daughter/grandson blessed because of her decision to be baptized. In a way it was, she'd wanted to see her grandson since he was born. She did back in August.
In other news, we've had quite the week! Lin2 Li4zhen1 and her 2 sons are doing great. We taught them the law of chastity. And oh. my. goodness. My old district leader told me we HAVE to teach no masturbation in the LOC, so, we did. Well, I know the formal word for it, but Chen2 Sen1 didn't understand that word, so the mother says, "Ni bu ke gen ni ziji xiao jiji wan." And to make it even more awkward, the older brother loves English and translates something we already understood into English, "You caunt play with your own little chicken!" And I was so red and felt so awkward, the rest I don't need to explain, but pretty much, Taiwanese people are very open and I know why Elders teach boys the law of chastity and not sisters! But in great news, the boys are obeying the law of chastity and doing SO GREAT. They set a baptism goal for my BIRTHDAY. Let me tell you, when they set that date, it was like one of the happiest days of my life. I don't even care if I stay here this transfer or not, but I will try my hardest to be here when they get baptized. They are just so great and progressing and keeping all the commandments. I love them so much!
Also, Jasmine is doing AMAZING. I love her so much. She teaches us more and more every week. She talked this week about how she never felt the protective love of a father in her life until she came to THIS church. We taught prophets and listened to the prophets voice and all felt the Spirit SO strongly in that lesson. Her interview is this Saturday. Also this Saturday we are singing 12 songs and doing a Christmas pageant, time is running out, talk more about that next week!
Love you guys so much!
Sister Flora Bruno
Fu jiemei
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Speaks at Zone Conference in Chinese
Hello, Hello from Keelung City, Taiwan. This week has been going really good! Yesterday we had Zone Conference and it was very touching. Not even kidding. I think it was my favorite zone conference with the new President. President changed his method of people giving talks. In the past, you were usually called on the phone and told you would give one, then there was one person who was surprised every time and asked to give one on the topic they asked us to prepare. However, Elder Watson came and did a Zone Conference a couple weeks ago, and he picked names from a hat, and he had anyone on a mission longer than 6 months give their talk in their second language. Well, this zone conference, we all had an assignment to read one of the four gospels studying how Christ taught, what kind of questions he asked, what revelations we recieved reading it, and record it in a study journal. I had the gospel of Mark. I had just finished Matthew when the call came telling us the assignment, so it was perfect. The talks were to be on what we learned in the process, or what we learned because we were studying the Savior. Well, I wasn't expecting to have to give the talk in Chinese, and in my personal opinion, the old language in the Bible is a little more complicated of vocabulary. So, I was a little scared of being called. But, well! I was! Haha, actually he said "Elder...well, this says Elder Bruno, but we don't have one! So we will hear from Sister Bruno!"
So yeah, I changed my talk to less of a focus on the actual study itself, and more of a focus just about my feelings about Christ lately. I shared how Sister Kunzler and I were watching Finding Faith in Christ with an investigator last transfer, and it just dawned on me...people ask who your hero is all the time, and I never know how to answer, but I realized, Jesus Christ is my hero! He was really awesome. In the movie, there's a part where he heals a man with leprosy (sp?) and I just thought in my mind, that man looks so gross, I wouldn't want to go near him at all, but Jesus Christ just loved him, and healed him according to his faith. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the ugliness a person has, like in a mission it's you see a companionship having a hard time, and a lot of missionaries will take one side or the other, and hope they don't get put with the "bad companion" but Jesus Christ wants to heal people. He suffered for them. He wants us to forgive them, because he promised he will forgive them. And so, I want to be more like Alma and the sons of Mosiah. They were great missionaries and it says they did impart the word without any respect of persons in Alma 16:14. When I read that, I wanted to be less discriminant in who I contact. A man came to the church yesterday night, we had just gotten back from Zone Conference and 6 missionaries had lessons at the church, so we were all there. This man was persistant in pleading us to buy him a ticket back home. We couldn't of course, and kept saying he didn't want money, just a ticket, and we kept saying we had no way to help him. He wouldn't listen to us sisters, so Elder Cai4 our zone leader, came out of his lesson and talked to him for a couple minutes. Thank goodness for Taiwanese missionaries! He was able to tell him another opinion he could TRY to use, which gave him a tiny bit of hope, that i'd never heard of. Well, usually I wouldn't think to invite him to church or anything at all, but after Zone Conference and reading that scripture just a couple days ago, I felt impressed we should invite him. So after the Elders had fully explained there was no way we could buy him a ticket, Sister Kunzler and I told asked if he'd ever been to church. He said no (there are a lot of people in Taiwan who just find a church when they are in a really hard spot because they think the church will help them, which of course we desire to help them, but usually they just want money, and we have no way of helping them in that way) and so Sister Kunzler and I testified that we had no way of helping his money and financial situation, but we could help his soul if he was willing. We invited him to go to church when he got back home. I felt good about that. I want to be more searching for the good in people, and their opportunity to change. I know my first companion was really good at that. When I first got here, I was not very good at a lot of things. She really had to just see my opportunity for growth to love me, since I was a hard person to love at times. Good thing I got a companion who already knew how to do that. I'm just barely figuring that out over the last couple days!
So yeah, I shared about the movie and the leper, then I just shared a story from that night before, there is a sweet little Taiwanese missionary, Sister Chen Shu Ting who is my roommmate, and my companion and her companion were going to do a musical number at zone conference, so they wanted to wake up earlier than usual to get to Taipei. Well, I just wanted to split and wake up at 6:30, but Sister Chen wanted everyone to go together. I told her, Uuuugh, Sister Chen, I'm so tired in the morning! You don't even understand. We can just wake up at 6:30 and get there at the normal time. And sweet little Sister Chen, she thinks about it for a few seconds, and then turns to me and whispers, "Fu jiemei, mei guanxi, Yesu Ji1du, ta liao jie." "Sister Bruno...that's okay, Jesus Christ understands!" And then she was like, "Geng kuai qidao! Wen Tianfu bang ni qi chuang" "Hurry!! pray! Ask God to help to wake up in the morning" And in the morning when my alarm clock Sister Phillips had set for 5:55 went off, I prayed really fast, and ran straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I was the quickest out of bed. I know it was through help because I usually don't just jump out of bed! I take a minute or 3. Haha. So yeah, it was really great for me.
So yeah! I'm excited I got the chance to share my talk in Zone Conference and talk about how my relationship with Jesus grew this transfer. It's been a really great transfer. Zone Conference was just really amazing focused on the Savior and what he did for us.
It was especially touching, as Elder Daniels, now the traveling assistant, and Elder Gassin bore their testimonies. They were sobbing. Elder Daniels bore a beautiful testimony about how he knows his mission will bless his family, and Elder Gassin talked about how if we remembered nothing else about him as an Assistant, to remember that he truely believed this work, the restoration, and the principles we teach daily. Elder Daniels companion, my old Zone Leader E. Worthen was also crying. It was just so touching because it's not like they were putting on a show...they just had so many emotions. So many of us were just really touched during that and the closing song "I Believe in Christ." Not many dried eyes. I myself, cried when Sister Chen (Neihu sister Chen) bore her testimony in English. She always said she would one day, and did her last one. It was amazing and sweet and I felt the spirit so strong as she bore her testimony in her 2nd language.
30 seconds! Bye!
So yeah, I changed my talk to less of a focus on the actual study itself, and more of a focus just about my feelings about Christ lately. I shared how Sister Kunzler and I were watching Finding Faith in Christ with an investigator last transfer, and it just dawned on me...people ask who your hero is all the time, and I never know how to answer, but I realized, Jesus Christ is my hero! He was really awesome. In the movie, there's a part where he heals a man with leprosy (sp?) and I just thought in my mind, that man looks so gross, I wouldn't want to go near him at all, but Jesus Christ just loved him, and healed him according to his faith. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the ugliness a person has, like in a mission it's you see a companionship having a hard time, and a lot of missionaries will take one side or the other, and hope they don't get put with the "bad companion" but Jesus Christ wants to heal people. He suffered for them. He wants us to forgive them, because he promised he will forgive them. And so, I want to be more like Alma and the sons of Mosiah. They were great missionaries and it says they did impart the word without any respect of persons in Alma 16:14. When I read that, I wanted to be less discriminant in who I contact. A man came to the church yesterday night, we had just gotten back from Zone Conference and 6 missionaries had lessons at the church, so we were all there. This man was persistant in pleading us to buy him a ticket back home. We couldn't of course, and kept saying he didn't want money, just a ticket, and we kept saying we had no way to help him. He wouldn't listen to us sisters, so Elder Cai4 our zone leader, came out of his lesson and talked to him for a couple minutes. Thank goodness for Taiwanese missionaries! He was able to tell him another opinion he could TRY to use, which gave him a tiny bit of hope, that i'd never heard of. Well, usually I wouldn't think to invite him to church or anything at all, but after Zone Conference and reading that scripture just a couple days ago, I felt impressed we should invite him. So after the Elders had fully explained there was no way we could buy him a ticket, Sister Kunzler and I told asked if he'd ever been to church. He said no (there are a lot of people in Taiwan who just find a church when they are in a really hard spot because they think the church will help them, which of course we desire to help them, but usually they just want money, and we have no way of helping them in that way) and so Sister Kunzler and I testified that we had no way of helping his money and financial situation, but we could help his soul if he was willing. We invited him to go to church when he got back home. I felt good about that. I want to be more searching for the good in people, and their opportunity to change. I know my first companion was really good at that. When I first got here, I was not very good at a lot of things. She really had to just see my opportunity for growth to love me, since I was a hard person to love at times. Good thing I got a companion who already knew how to do that. I'm just barely figuring that out over the last couple days!
So yeah, I shared about the movie and the leper, then I just shared a story from that night before, there is a sweet little Taiwanese missionary, Sister Chen Shu Ting who is my roommmate, and my companion and her companion were going to do a musical number at zone conference, so they wanted to wake up earlier than usual to get to Taipei. Well, I just wanted to split and wake up at 6:30, but Sister Chen wanted everyone to go together. I told her, Uuuugh, Sister Chen, I'm so tired in the morning! You don't even understand. We can just wake up at 6:30 and get there at the normal time. And sweet little Sister Chen, she thinks about it for a few seconds, and then turns to me and whispers, "Fu jiemei, mei guanxi, Yesu Ji1du, ta liao jie." "Sister Bruno...that's okay, Jesus Christ understands!" And then she was like, "Geng kuai qidao! Wen Tianfu bang ni qi chuang" "Hurry!! pray! Ask God to help to wake up in the morning" And in the morning when my alarm clock Sister Phillips had set for 5:55 went off, I prayed really fast, and ran straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I was the quickest out of bed. I know it was through help because I usually don't just jump out of bed! I take a minute or 3. Haha. So yeah, it was really great for me.
So yeah! I'm excited I got the chance to share my talk in Zone Conference and talk about how my relationship with Jesus grew this transfer. It's been a really great transfer. Zone Conference was just really amazing focused on the Savior and what he did for us.
It was especially touching, as Elder Daniels, now the traveling assistant, and Elder Gassin bore their testimonies. They were sobbing. Elder Daniels bore a beautiful testimony about how he knows his mission will bless his family, and Elder Gassin talked about how if we remembered nothing else about him as an Assistant, to remember that he truely believed this work, the restoration, and the principles we teach daily. Elder Daniels companion, my old Zone Leader E. Worthen was also crying. It was just so touching because it's not like they were putting on a show...they just had so many emotions. So many of us were just really touched during that and the closing song "I Believe in Christ." Not many dried eyes. I myself, cried when Sister Chen (Neihu sister Chen) bore her testimony in English. She always said she would one day, and did her last one. It was amazing and sweet and I felt the spirit so strong as she bore her testimony in her 2nd language.
30 seconds! Bye!
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