Crying Over Cookies In Taiwan

Sister Clawson in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial

Whoo! What a killer week. Time is so weird. I feel like it was just pday, but then when I really think about it, pday was literally a year ago...man..missions.

Last Monday we went to Chiang Kai Shek! It was so beautiful!!! So much history and tons of fun to head to Taipei with our elders. We spent most of the day there and then headed back to zhongli because we had a dinner appointment and then an FHE (Family Home Evening) at our ward mission leaders house after that. We hustled our buns back and jumped on our bikes with the elders to find the resturant we were eating at with Cai JM. WE got SO lost! Finally we found it after searching forever! It was called Rebel burger. WE didn't have tons of time since we had to get to our FHE activity so we inhaled our burgers. I remember it was good, but I ate it too fast, I don't even remember what it had on it...then we took for the crazy streets of Taiwan again! 

WE had to bike to Neili, which is like 20 min away on our bikes....HOLY CRAP. WE biked so fast!!!! The sickest bike gang you've ever seen in your entire life!! Elder Zhou, Elder Magness, Sister Komatsu, and Sister Clawson UNITE!! Oh man, we were zipping in and out of allys, dodging scooters, drafting to get there faster, MAN! It was the greatest thing in the world. Like so much fun. I will never forget the bike gang to Neili. 

Family Home Evening

Rebel Burger.  Those burgers are HUGE! And then she busted out on her bike!  I think she worked off the burger:)

FHE was so much fun! We had just eaten the burgers with the member and when we showed up for fhe, peters mom had SO MUCH FOOD. and she said in chinese, " If you eat it, it will make me happy!" oh my gosh..so much food, we all wanted to barf on the bike ride back. Gotta love the Taiwanese. :) 

Tuesday we had zone meeting in Taoyuan!! It was so fun to meet so many new people and to see familiar faces from the MTC. Sister Apsley is in my zone and is doing fantastic!! she is so great. We learned new mission strategies and basically just how to be an awesome person. It was the best:) Taipei has got some killer missionaries.

 

Zone Conference and lots of new friends!

WE also got interviews with President!!!!! YES!! IT was so great to talk with him and make goals and what not. He asked me to make a goal for how many baptisms I want to have my whole mission....holy crap. I've been doing some serious praying the past few days. But I've gotten my answer! so..everyone...wish me luck..;)

The bus.

The train station.

Sister Jergensen was there too to chat with us while our comps were in interviews! I love her so much. She pulled out homemade  chocolate chip cookies and I literally cried.. Like she gave me the cookie. I looked at it. smelled it. and then the tears came. 

Missions do weird things to you.

They just don't have that kind of food here! It was just so homie and wonderful:) 

Yes. I am a baby. I'm almost 20 and I cried over a chocolate chip cookie.

deal with it.

We had a sad experience this week:( Our beloved investigator Lynn that was scheduled for baptism this weekend sent us a text tuesday that said that she needed some time to think and to cancel her baptism. We haven't heard from her since. EVERYONE. SATAN IS SO REAL. Don't let him get into your head! WE love her so much and hope we will see her again someday.

We've been so blessed to have found so many new investigators this week and have so many baptismal dates. The power of the spirit is amazing and changes lives. Always be Captained by Christ!! Through him we can literally do ALL THINGS. 

 

We meet so many people every week... so many of them are absolutely insane...;) I love it:) haha.

This picture was for Jane.  Her two favorite people!  Emma and ANNA!

General Conference!!! wow. TAlk about Life changing! First time I've listened to a full on 4 sessions of conference without sleeping..for real. The power of God is impressive. We are so blessed to have a living prophet on the earth that guides and directs us and gives us the strength that we all so desperately need! 

ONe last story..

last night, we traveled with one of our favorite RC's (recent convert) ruby to the middle of nowhere to meet an investigator...it was pitch black, all of us on bikes, in the jungle, with Ruby's phone guiding us to who knows where! Luckily we made it, and our investigator was adorable and set up for baptism. The spirit was so strong and she has the strongest little testimony! Cute 15 year old girl. She was worth the scary ride in the dark:)

Taiwan. Stay crazy. Stay awesome.

I love you so so so much fam and friends!

xoxoxoox

emma