The Craziest Week Of All

July 12, 2016 email

Raining again in Taiwan:)

Holy POOP! This week has been so long, so fun, so full of miracle, and absolutely NUTS. I feel bad cause every time someone asks me, How is Taiwan? I always reply, It's nuts... because let's be honest. It is.

Let's start off with last Pday we went to this place called Xinmen. We were excited because so many people had told us it was super cool and everyone in Taiwan has to go there to check it out! It's basically like a big outdoor mall..x1000. We went with 2 other sisters and the Elders. We got off the train and walked up to Xinmen. Right when we got there I felt so weird. I didn't know why.. but I just felt dang weird. Everyone split up to do different things and me and my comp decided to go find some skirts. We went into a store, each got a skirt, walked out, and then looked at each other. We both felt completely drained and powerless. It's probably the worst feeling I've had my mission! We decided to take a short cut the HECK out of that place and go get mango ice. We felt better right away:) but we couldn't figure out why we felt so off.

That night we had english boarding and Elder Session asked me how I liked Xinmen. I told him that it was ok, but I just had the worst feeling ever! He said, "Me too. I hate Xinmen, its a pretty wicked place, lined with gay bars up and down the streets. The spirit cannot be there at all so you feel powerless!" Thank You elder sessions for helping me figure out my weird feeling. Stay in places were the spirit can always be with you:)

then some crazy women at english boarding came and kissed me on the cheek....

cool.

Even as a missionary Emma love a good Chaco tan! 

We had a typhoon this week. But luckily the mountains obliterated it before it got to Taipei. We just had a lot of rain! BUT EVERYONE WAS INSIDE!! Hard missionary work for a few days but its alright!

Li Yi Jen JM and Sister Hughes.  Cute girls!!

And we have a cute sister doing missionary work with us for a week! Her name is Li Yi Jen JM:) She is 16 and SO CUTE. this is like a mini mission for her and she has been kicking butt!!

Ji Pie De is a favorite investigator!

This past friday was one of the coolest miracles I've seen. We had our lesson with beloved Ji Pei De. We were pretty scared. This night we were going to share with him about the Law of Tithing. Ji Pei De LOVES money! He has 2 jobs and is one of the hardest workers I've ever met, and all he wants is to just have enough to be well off and take care of his future fam! I fasted for him, and my companion and I had been praying for days that The Lord could help soften his heart and that he would be able to Trust in God and the blessings that come from keeping his commandments:) We started off with an analogy where you use 10 skittles to represent tithing. It's really cute and fun I promise, I just don't have time to explain it all right now! sorry.. but anyways we finished the example and we gonna introduce how this BiYu represents tithing, but before we could start he stopped us and said, "Is this about tithing? Where you donate 10% of your income to the building up of the church?" we were like...., "Yes....." He replied." I read about it on mormon.org! I prayed about it. I'm prepared. I'm willing to keep this commandment."

what the...

then I started to cry.

Heavenly Father prepares his children so much and will let us see miracles!! I have a testimony that fasting and prayer work. Heavenly Father hears and will answer ever single one of our prayers. He will never leave us in the dust. EVER.!

This is a typical discussion.

Now we are moving on to Story number two of the week. This is to show the compare and contrast between lessons with different people:) haha.

We have another investigator named Yu xuen xin JM! she is so cute and has the strongest little testimony, she is just really scared to set a baptismal date. We had an awesome lesson prepared for her all about faith. Before the lesson started she texted us and asked if she could bring her brother with her. We were like SURE! deep inside we were a little nervous, because he's an LA. BUT  we had faith the Lord would help and guide us!

The greatest ward members in Muzha!  They help the missionaries so much and love them:)  Thank you!!

the lesson went awesome she LOVED IT. We read enos with her and she loved how she could really relate herself to him. Our time was about over and we talked with her a bit about baptism and her feelings towards it. Then, her brother LIT UP! he hadn't talked the entire time, and then went off for one hour about how cruel we were to try and make his sister get baptized. What it came down too was that he has felt so hurt by the church, and doesn't think that we as americans can truly understand how taiwanese work. It was super tough. Yu xuen xin was crying, me and my comp were trying to keep it together. Man! Our little missionary that is with us bore the most powerful testimony about the truthfulness of this gospel and then we wrapped up the lesson before we all started bawling! This lesson was the biggest learning experience. This church is perfect. but everyone in it is imperfect. We all need to try and have a little less pride, become a little more humble, and always rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know this church is true with all my heart! We hope that Yu xuen Xin will continue to feel it for herself too:)

District Meeting.

This just reminds me of silly pictures Jed would send home from Albania!  Missionaries and their weapons:)

Emma and her beloved Sister Hughes!  6 great weeks together:)  Love you Sister Hughes!!!

I absolutely love taiwan! its crazy. but awesome.

Random facts of the week:

-Ji pei de killed a spider as big as my face in the church..\

-i got an instant shower in the rain this week on the way to a baptism. A member saw how wet I was and then got two blow dryers and dried me up and down....ya..

-our ward is awesome and went finding with us this sunday.

-I'm moving apartments on friday.

-and ... IM TRAINING STARTING TOMORROW!! 

(cute little tidbit Emma sent about how she found out she was training. ---- I had to share!  I didn't sleep AT ALL last night! I was pooping my pants a little. I guess I'll let you know how it goes! I was talking to Elder Roe last night asking about a last few details about our new apartment, (oh ya, I'm also moving apartments on friday!) He told me some essentials I would need such as, soap, rags, broom, mop, and diapers...\

I was like diapers?

he said yes, for the baby.

then he told me I was training....

I FREAKED OUT!!! he's leaving friday and I'm so sad!!!)

loves

emma