Letter #14 - "Because I'm Happy"

It was so great to go contacting this week after a week of mostly staying inside! It taught me how to count my blessings. This week was amazing!! Miracles happen when we get out the door!

First miracle: CHEN JIE MEI DIDN'T DROP US!! We went to meet with her one more time at the church, and she said every time she met with us she would have a really good feeling and it would make her so happy...but then she would go home and think "I shouldn't meet with them, I'm Buddhist." Plus her brother tells her a lot of anti-mormon stuff which is just really sad...so every time she would come to meet with us her plan was to drop us. But as soon as we started talking to her she would feel so good and happy inside, and she didn't know what it was. We told her, "That feeling is the Holy Ghost. It's God telling you that this is true and that He wants you to keep meeting with us." That made her soooo excited!!! We explained what the Holy Ghost, and that lesson was so crazy because I couldn't really follow what was going on, she was talking so fast, but I kept opening my mouth anyway. I would just say whatever came into my head, and it seemed to really help her. The Holy Ghost really led that entire lesson. I had no idea what was happening, but at the end Sister Reeve said, "Can we choose a time to meet with you again?" and Chen Jie Mei said YES!!!! The Spirit was so strong that there was no way for her to deny it. She knes she had to meet again. Oh, my dear friends. This gospel is so true. <3

Second miracle: Ok this was awesome: So Saturday night we had planned to go tracting in Fairlyand (which is what Sister Reeve and I call a neighborhood where somebody always talks to us. We've found two investigators there already!) We were excited because the place is just magical and we love to go there. But as we were riding, we were passing a lot of busy streets where there were people walking around, and I thought "Fairyland is pretty far away...should we be talking to these people instead?" We stopped at a red light and I asked Sister Reeve what she thought. We quickly pulled over to a spot outside a 7/11 and decided to say a prayer right there, still straddling our bikes. While I was saying the prayer I had a distinct feeling: "Yes, you need to stay in that area." We finished the prayer and opened our eyes, and there was a family standing RIGHT NEXT TO US just looking at us. We said "Hallo!" and started talking to them. We ended up talking to them for something like 30 minutes! They're called the Wang family, there's a mom and dad and two boys. We asked if they believe in God and the mom said "Of course! If you and I exist, why wouldn't God?" They loved the idea of a restored gospel and we gave them a Book of Mormon! They were super interested and said we could meet again after Chinese New Year! Because we got that prompting, we were able to find that golden family!! The Holy Ghost is just great :)

This week I was looking back at some of my old journal entries from the MTC, and wow. I was so stressed. Worried about the language, worried about everything. But now that I've been here for five weeks (!!!) all of that stress has just flown away. Going out every day to talk to people and to try and serve them, and to talk about Christ and the joy he brings us, just fills me with a whole lot of joy.

I am so happy. I am so glad to be a missionary. Every day I wake up excited for what's going to happen that day. I feel as if my life is full of sunshine (even though it's actually freezing. What the heck, Taiwan). and I know it's God's light shining through me. I am so blessed that I get to share it with others.

Much love!

Sister Daynes

鄧 姐 妹 (Deng Jie Mei)

Pictures:

1) The YSA had a birthday party for one of the members at FHE and they started smearing cake on each others' faces. Twas a lot of fun :)

2) The wonderful Sister Reeve and I 

3) Arm wrestling. Sister Reeve beat everyone.

Letter #13 - Zhege Libai

I can write something cool in Mandarin in the title and suddenly I have all of your interests. That's pretty awesome. doesn't even matter that it only means "this week." It's still cool >.<

Not much happened this week as poor Sister Reeve was sick with an ear infection. The freaky thing is that her boyfriend on his mission in California also had an ear infection this week. It's super creepy/(awesome?) Health care in Asia is actually pretty awesome, there's a hospital just down the road from our apartment and we were in and out pretty fast. The members smothered us with love when they heard she was sick, our bishop gave her a bottle of juice that's apprently super healthy and called us several times to make sure she was drinking it. Another member offered to stick a leaf down her ear that would cure her. We passed on that one.

We also couldn't ride bikes either because her balance was off due to the ear infection, so we mostly stayed inside. It was ok at first but after like 4 days of that we were both longing to get back outside. You really miss long days of nothing but contacting when suddenly you can't have those days anymore. But she's on the mend! We rode bikes again this morning. Last night we did some tracting and I was super nervous because I hadnt in a couple of days and I kind of felt like I'd forgotten how to contact. But as always God is on our side and we can get back in the swing of things soon!

The miracle this week is that we were still able to teach a good number of lessons, mostly from before when Sister reeve got sick. We taught 4 lessons in one day!  I think it was to make up for us not being able to teach much the rest of the week. Enci can get baptized anytime...just as soon as she comes to church. She's suuuuuper nervous to talk to her boss. She is so amazing tho and her best friends are all in the ward. They are so great and we're hoping they'll help her find the courage to come to church!

Our golden investigator Chen Jie Mei, who we met in the 7 a few weeks ago, dropped us the other night, her older brother used to be in the church and just has been telling her a lot of stuff that is totally not true and it really stresses her out. It broke our hearts. She told us that she does know the church is true and she thinks she'll contact missionaries again in a few years.

People. This gospel is so TRUE!!! It changed Chen Jie Mei's life for the short time she chose to meet with us. Every time we talked to her, her eyes got bright and she was just so excited!! She said she felt like God was talking to her every time she read the Book of Mormon. She received a personal witness of its truth. But Satan is also real and he works so hard to make life miserable for us. When we follow Christ, we will have peace in our lives and power to overcome all things. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and that it can change lives. One of the best things about being on a mission is that I've been able to see that happen. People's lives really change for the better when they read it! If you haven't read it, go to mormon.org and they will send you a free one :) If you have one in your home, open it! It is so good and brings so much joy.

Much love to all of you! You are in my prayers.

Love,

Sister Daynes

(Deng Jie Mei)

1-2) We went to a cool market called Lugang last P day

3) This is Jamie Wu!!!! gah I love her. She's a mamber and she translates for me when I don't know the language. She's spectacular.

4) We went to Subway. It was SUUUPER weird. What is this American food?!?

5) View from our apartment <3