Where Is Jane?!

All the Taipei sisters and the Teng's.  He is the branch president.

This week was as exciting as it can get in the MTC! Did a little bit of sitting, studying, eating, and then hard core gym time for 45 minutes a day. THE END! No, but really it has been a pretty fun week. 

to start this off we need to talk about something. So every Wednesday for P-day we go to the temple in the morning. It's fantastic and we always get breakfast in the cafeteria after. The have this quiche...it has been dubbed, The Temple Quiche. Basically it's the most fantastic thing I've tasted and the only reason I'm still staying at the MTC. jkjkjkjk:) I'm staying because I love the Lord and want to help people realize all the amazing things they are missing out on!! But on the real. This temple quiche makes our hearts sing, AND an Italian lady always serves it to us so it makes it even cooler.

I finally got to see Spencer!!! I didn't see him last wednesday when he came in but I did on thursday! He was walking out of the cafeteria and I FREAKED OUT! He got so scared that I was gonna hug him he ran behind his companion and said, " whoa emma! you can't hug me!" gotta love that kid;) It's super fun to see him here and there. He's so flipping lucky he gets to leave next week....

This week I got another realization of just how AWESOME my district is! The Elders gave my companion a blessing of comfort this week and it was just fantastic. They are the greatest boys and I just wanted to hug them all so bad!! Our teachers also just keep getting better and better. Li Laoshi never ceases to amaze me...but I wish me and my companion could get through to him better when he play as our investigator! Lessons can be hecka frustrating sometimes! But, we are here to learn. We can do this thing!! Our other teacher Guo Laoshi is also growing on me:) She's loosening up a bit and actually smiles at me sometimes! Pretty neat huh?:)

CHOIR!!!  They love it!

We also made some awesome new friends this past week. The Cantonese district. I LOVE THEM. They are the nicest kids in the world and I flipping love their guts. There is this tiny little elder from texas that gives us mint kit kats everyday...#blessed. He's asian and literally probably only 4'9...He kills me!

Sunday we had a fantastic devotional! It was with Stephen B. Allen. He started off by saying, "I had a talk prepared, but the spirit is telling me something different for tonight, so here it goes!" He proceeded to talk about having your heart locked to the Lord and the work. It was fantastic:) But that was only a small portion of his talk.....the majority was about not flirting while you are on your mission and how you have to be worthy, morally worthy to be here..then he challenged everyone, if they had a problem, to go talk to their Branch President that night!! Wowzers. It kinda made me laugh... Elder C. won't even look at me anymore ....hahahhahhaahahahhhahahahahaha. 

Last night was another good devotional:) I seriously LIVE for sundays, tuesdays, and choir:) Choir is the best thing in the entire world. We sang "Hurrah for Israel" Such a cool song. Then we watched a few clips from The Other Side of Heaven and it made me cry. The mission has made me the BIGGEST baby in the whole world... and it's only been 3 weeks!

maybe don't put the following up on the blog, but I've woken up in the middle of the night a bunch this week in a panic thinking, "Where is jane?!" man, It's awful. Just make sure she doesn't drown in Lake powell or anything...i love you guys!!!! and I miss you and you BETTER all be here when i get back.

Oh my gosh....another funny story...

This elder just headed out to Taiwan this week.  

So the other night it was a little past midnight and we were all awaken to Sister Apsley screaming! "Ow! Ow! ow ow ow ow it hurts, oh my gosh it hurts so bad!!!" Like this girl was screaming bloody murder...I thought someone was knifing her in her sleep... I figured she was having a calf cramp.... because it's the most pain I've ever been in and it sounded similar. So I was like, "sister apsley! Are you having a calf cramp?"

"Yes!!"

"Grab your big toe, stretch out your calf and start massaging it out!"

"ok ok ok."

......silence....

sister apsley, "Oh my gosh. How did that work??"

....silence.....

everyone falls back asleep.

Next morning. We all got up and grabbed some breakfast and headed back to our room. We ate and were getting dressed and I remembered the events from the night. I asked sis apsley, "Sister Apsley! Did your calf cramp go away?" her face said it all....completely blank. She said, "what are you talking about?" bahbhahahbhbhahabhabhabhahbhah we all died laughing. She had no idea it had even happened..!!!!! she's hilarious:) Here's also a quote from her this week.. 

"The MTC-the good hell."    -Sister Apsley

That was about it for this week! This church is true and I know it more and more everyday!! 

xoxoxxoxooxo

I Need Balance

Official name tag! 

MY FAMILYYYYYYYYY!

Holy cats the MTC is super duper crazy. I feel bad because this email might not be super duper long because all the days are blending together and we basically do the same things all day. Everyday. Forever. :) 

First off thank you from the bottom of my heart for the packages you sent!! Smoothe move has been my saving grace and The dakota, fiber, and pumpkin bread have been a hit! The pumpkin bread was gone the day after I got it...I didn't get a slice... but its ok because the dakota and fiber are the key to my heart. Thank you also for the whitening strips, shirts, getting my bike crud all figured out for when I get to Taiwan. You are the absolute best. Speaking of Taiwan..have you heard anything about my Visa? They had me come down and sign something for it, but that's all I know..agh its probably all good:) I just don't want to have to be here longer than I already am!!!! hahaha. I haven't seen spencer yet but hopefully I will at dinner! I went out for a little bit to look for him but then I just started balling when I saw all the families dropping off there kids at this wretched place....! Ok, The MTC is amazing and the spirit is everywhere you go. I just have to live here for 7 more weeks..haha:) I see Chris Wengreen all the time and it makes my day! Just fun to see some more familiar faces. Kelsie came and visited me while I was in class last friday and I balled when I saw her! She gave me some of the best advice. She told me to just go all in. Both feet in the mission boat and this will change me life and lives of all the people I meet in Taiwan:) Cousins are the best. Speaking of cousins I see Brooke about once or twice a day! It's awesome to see her but it's sad cause we never get to talk. We are always busy doing things or running around with our district and just have enough time to cross paths, tell each other we love each other and then that's it! Sheesh! 

   

Emma and her companion.  

We also got a new teacher this week. Every classroom usually has 2 teachers. One for the afternoon and then one for the evening. Remember our investigator Cici? Well she's actually our new evening teacher! And oh boy is she a treat. She talks SO FAST!!! After our first night with her, all the girls flooded to the bathroom and we all had a good solid cry for like 5 minutes a piece. It was just super overwhelming! She's getting better as we are getting used to her. She's learning chinese herself because she usually is the Cantonese teacher. She snaps a lot and its probably the most terrifying thing in the world..................not the most patient woman..and none of us speak chinese and I think she forgets. Pray for her. Pray for my district:) hahaha. 

We got a couple new investigators this week! both of them are our teachers but it's still terrifying and the greatest practice. This week I really have learned how important it is to teach by the spirit. Finding out our investigators needs! We are here to invite, not to teach. Li Laoshi gave a mindblowing lesson yesterday. It seriously rocked my world. Having him as a teacher has been the biggest blessing for me. It feels funny to think that I used to be scared of him...I mean I still kind of am...but it's more like MAD respect. I'm learning SO much.  

All 4 of these girlies are headed to Taipei!! Such a good group!

There's a scripture I found in D&C 11:21 that says. "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed;then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." Dang. I've been thinking about that a ton! My teacher Li Laoshi gave me some of the best advice ever. I was trying to tell him, how frustrated I was that I couldn't speak chinese and I was feeling really down on myself for not knowing my gospel doctrine very well! I would spend all of my personal study focusing on chinese instead of trying to learn more about what I'm here to teach! I need BALANCE is what he shared with me. This week I studied and pondered my scriptures and PMG (Preach My Gospel book) like none other! I noticed that if I know what it is I'm teaching first, my chinese will come after I've worked my hardest and done all I can do:) 

MY companion is the bomb.com. Our companion unity is getting top notch. Our lessons flow and we can rely on each other and know that if we both have the spirit with us we will also be blessed to have a similar mindset on what to help our investigators with:) Multiple times this week we've been doing companionship study and both have been praying to know what to share, and have the EXACT same ideas. yay! She's the greatest. We were trying to do some translating for a lesson and I was trying to find the word Charity. I found it and then quickly realized it was actually the word for Chastity....That would have been a smidge awkward in our lesson. I'm just glad I realized it before it was too late!!

The 4 Chinese sisters and 2 Korean sisters.  They make friends everywhere they go!

So..... now it's time for a GREAT yet super dumb story. So once upon a time there is this Elder that is on my same floor learning chinese and I literally see him everywhere. Like EVERYWHERE. I'm walking somewhere with my companion and then BAM! he's there! And every time he sees me he's like, "Oh my gosh! Stop following me!" I just figured he's a weiner who's been in the MTC too long. I was right. A few days ago I was in the gym, you know, doing my thing. Working hard!! and sweating like a pig.... I was on the quad machine doing leg lifts and then this Elder runs past me and shoves a piece of paper in my hand and then takes off! I stopped and opened it up and it had his email written in it...............................Oh my.. 

Me and the girls in my room had a good hard laugh for a bit after we were done exercising. Since then he gets super uncomfortable whenever he sees me. One of the Elders in his district came and talked to me during lunch wanting to know what I thought about him.. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS??? Oh my gosh are we in junior high? I just told him, "Elder, I am here to learn chinese and how to share the gospel. I am not interested in anything to do with this Elder!!!! First off because it's against the rules! #pg33 and second he's weird as heck!!" I didn't say that last part but I thought it in my brain.. Bless his little heart. Oh man it was the worst, and I still see him everywhere! I'm just like, Ni Hao Elder. Zai jian Elder. 

Cousins!!  Herman Clawson headed to Argentina, and the other Sister Clawson headed to Taiwan!

This Sunday was fantastic. Janice Kapp Perry came and gave an awesome devotional full of music. Honestly it was super cheesy, but just what I needed:) It was the greatest. The film we watched after was called "Missions Are Forever" by Elder Holland. Talk about a spiritual SPANK! It's so good. Everyone go look it up. 

Choir is super awesome too. It helps me loosen up a lot:) My companion loves me and thinks I'm hilarious when I sing. I might not be the most reverent during choir...and there is this ginger sister missionary that most likely thinks I'm 5 years old..but I've gotta do something to get my blood flowing and happy! The choir directors are fantastic and always share the best stories too:) 

That's about it for this week! We had a worldwide mission conference at 10 that was pretty neat:)

I love you guys so much and Sun Valley looks like the most magical thing in my entire life!!!! 

Love you suh much

xoxooxox

emma

AKA MTC Prison! (But I Love It)

Sister Clawson and the other 3 sister's in her mission.  The tall one on the right is Emma's companion.  

MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my freaking heck I love you guys so much it hurts. Like I might have said in my letter..I've always loved you guys from the bottom of my heart, but it wasn't till I got here (aka mtc PRISON) that I realized just how much I love and miss my family. Holy poop I'm SO glad that I know that families get to be together forever. Think of how pumped all of Taiwan is going to be when I tell them all about it! Heck to the yes. 

This week has been absolutely crazy!!!!! Time is SO weird. I feel like I've been here forever but then I can't believe it's already wednesday..I love it, but hate it. Sometimes I feel  like I'm going to lose my mind! But it's all good:)

 

P-day emailing!

My district is AMAZING!! There are 4 girls, we all room together, and then 4 Elders. All the sisters are going to Taiwan and then all the Elders are going State side! Crazy huh?! We all get along so well:) I'll send some pics once I figure that out so ya'll can check it out. Elder Freeland and Elder Walton are SO hilarious. They crack me up so much with the little tid bits that they say. AGH bless there hearts:) Elder Lyman and Elder Oreno are some of the coolest dudes. Sadly Elder Oreno is a fast track kid in chinese so he will only be with us until the end of the month. Sister S. is so funny and tells us stories all night long. Sister M. is from back east and I adore her! We've both found many common interests in delicious foods and other fun things. My companion is Sister A.! She is the absolute best:) She has been the biggest help to me and cracks me up so much. She is so not what you would expect from seeing her. She is tall, blonde, skinny, beautiful, and is a ballet major at UVU. At first sight you'd think, "agh, what a precious little innocent sister. So humble, quiet, non vulgar, little doll." FALSE! Well, she definitely is all of that but she has got the SPUNKIEST personality. Day 3, was when she really started to loosen up. I knew this when she looked at me and said as we were walking back to our last few hours of class, "OH my gosh I'm so (really funny word, but I can't print it:) tired!" bhahahahahabahabahaha (sorry mom might not want to put that in the blog letter:) But that made me laugh so hard and I knew we would get along just fine. :) Since then she never ceases to make me laugh! 

In their extra cozy dorm room:)

Holy cow, Sister M. told the BEST story the other night when we were in bed and we all busted up laughing for a solid 15 minutes. I thought I was going to barf, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. We talk for a bit every night and get some good giggles in:)  

Speaking of Sundays...They truly are the greatest. Just a different change of pace that is wonderful:) it was a fantastic relief. P-day is also the greatest thing of my life. But anyways, more stories!

    

Chinese is kicking my trash but I'm learning SO much. My teacher is Li Lao Shi, he's from here but has lived in Taiwan for years. We have a few other different resource teachers that come in every once in a while that also are awesome, but for the most part Li Lao Shi is our main teacher. We only speak chinese....it SUCKS. Sometimes my teacher kind of scares me. Maybe it's because I don't know what he is saying!...but you can totally feel how much love he has for us and wants us to succeed. He also does one on one coaching a few times a week. In English. Its great:) 

The district.  The Elder's are all serving in the USA, but all 4 girls will travel to Taiwan together:)

Our branch is awesome. Its the 8 of us from my district and then one more district that consists of 2 sisters and 3 elders. Our branch president is President Teng. He and his wife are both from Taiwan and moved here several years ago. He also kind of scares me..You guys I think I'm just terrified of intense asians!!!! oh boy. His wife is the sweetest thing ever though:)  I'll give you more details about them as i get to know them better. I'd say they are in their early 60s. Nice people:)

    

We are teaching an investigator right now named Cici. Lessons with her have been awesome. It's hard cause we have to do it in chinese....ya right! I'd be killing it in english! our third lesson with her was amazing though. The spirit was soooooo strong and you could totally feel how much cici was feeling it. AND me and my companion both bore great testimonies. IN chinese. WHAT?!

    

Yup!  I sent her with a selfie stick:)

I cherish exercise time SO MUCH. Best hour of my life. I run my guts out for a mile every day and then they actually have a lot of machines and weights that are fantastic.  I'm gonna be ripped when I leave the MTC. Hahaha lets hope. I'll probs be the same cause all I do is sit, eat, sit, eat, sit some more.  The food isn't bad. They have fantastic wraps and salads that I usually get everyday. I'm just craving REAL bread. I have the strongest testimony of Great Harvest Bread Company and whole grains!!!

 

Last night we had our Tuesday night devotional and it was fantastic. Elder Neil L. Anderson came! Say what?! It was the coolest and we are in the choir so we got to sing our guts out in it as well:) My testimony has grown so much in the past week. I've never felt the saviors love so much in my life, the gift of tongues is REAL. I'm so excited to keep learning, i just get a bit down when I think about how long i'm gonna be here... OH well! things could be worse! I mean I could be terminally ill! Or ugly! (Just kidding!)

haha but really, my mission is already changing me and my outlook on this amazing gospel for the good:) I'm so blessed to have the best family and friends that have sent such awesome letters of encouragement:) Agh! It helps SO MUCH. Wo ai ni men! 

Fam I love you so so much:)

xoxoxoxoxoxo

emma

And She's OFF!

What a great day!!  Emma was set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tues. night.  It's official!  It's been a week of so much joy and cheerfulness, but sadness at leaving friends and family she loves.

We left early Weds. morning to say goodbyes to Emma's aunt and uncle Eric and Jess and their handsome baby boy George.  He's at Primary Childrens:)  We were able to go inside and visit with Eric and Jess and our neighbor Kerry, and love on George!  By the time Emma comes home, George will be a chubby toddler with a big smile, and Eric's big personality, and laugh!!  After leaving Primary Childrens we ran out to the car to meet some favorite friends for "The Last Supper".  But the children we left in the car, ran the battery dead.  Like really DEAD!  This may have caused a little bit of a heated discussion in the car, but I don't think I said one swear word, and after a few minutes a couple of nice guys had our car hooked up to jumper cables and running again.  Come to find out, one of the men was actually Baby Georges heart Dr.  I'll make sure to take him cookies next time we're visiting George:)

The last supper was Mexican food!  Taiwan has fantastic food, but the don't have Mexican.  Emma LOVES the mole at the Red Iguana in SLC, so that's where we went.  We have some favorite friends that we've known forever.  We've vacationed together and skied together, and played together for years.  Their oldest son Harry was entering the MTC the same time as Emma.  Hard things are made a little easier when you have a friend.  You could tell Emma and Harry were a bit nervous, and there were 2 moms with teary eyes, but what a fun moment we had.

The MTC is hard, and I'm always amazed at how much my kids like each other.  There were lots of hugs.  Tight, hold on for dear life, hugs.  The kind you just don't want to let go of:)  But there were a bunch of handsome missionaries waiting to help these 2 new missionaries find their way.  And then she was gone.  She was beautiful, and radiant and cheerful as she walked away.   I picture that the tears didn't last long, and that within a few minutes she had made friends with the other missionaries in her group.  Both James and Jed mentioned that some of their best friends, and favorite missionaries were the ones that they entered the MTC with.  Emma met these people yesterday, that will change her life for good, and impact the rest of her life!  That's an awesome thing to think about:)  I'm sure that by the end of today, all the years of Chinese that Emma took in High School, will have been covered and now she'll be entering new territory.  Maybe it happened yesterday:)  But I do know that prayers are answered and I've been praying my guts out for this girl.

xoxo

Bags are packed!

This is the missionary board in our church building.  Emma is pointing to where her Pin will go!

Favorite friends!

Good looking missionaries!

Emma and Jake.

Emma and Seth.  This kid is taking it the hardest.  

"My Favorite Sister" as Sweetheart calls Emma is going to be missed!

Emma and Gracie!  

This kid cried like a baby saying goodbye!  That's what happens when you're born so close together that you're lives are so interconnected.

And this guy never cries, but he was speechless yesterday. This was a hard thing for this dad:)

Families of these 2 missionaries!!  And if you're wondering who the cute little girl with Jed is, that's Gracie.  And she may be a Clawson in the next few months.  But I didn't tell you that!