Taiwan - Week 55 - August 28 - Love You All

Well I just love you all :D  I pray for you all daily and I have been overwhelmed by how much Heavenly Father has blessed you--truly one of the greatest blessings from my mission :) This email is a little shorter this week because I was writing lots of other things today and sending pics :)

Three exchanges in the last week or so!! So great!! I love exchanges with these Sisters- I love being able to listen to them, their conversion stories and goals, also to help them let their light shine as bright as it possibly can :) Each exchange is so uniquely it's own and these Sisters are so dedicated to this work- it's amazing!

HJM is still doing incredibly :) She had her faith trial this week.........with everything she has just been great- understanding and keeping commandments. We shared Tithing and Fasting with her......tithing was great, but for some reason she just couldn't understand fasting. We tried explaining it again, sharing examples, personal experience, other books, but she just couldn't understand it. It was frustrating her........she couldn't believe that she couldn't understand it, we didn't know either but we invited her to fast this Sunday to try it for herself and that she would be able to understand it a lot more. We sat down on the floor with her after the lesson and my companion at the time, Sister Chang, shared a great story of how the adversary tries to get us when we are at our peak- on the right path. She said she would just keep reading and praying an we told her that was the best thing to do! I know this will strengthen her so much and Heavenly Father will help her to have even more faith :D Keep her in your prayers!

Time is almost up!!! I will write more next week but I love you! The Lord's mercy is real!!!!!

Pictures:   We finally went to ba gua mountain last week which is a super famous mountain with a big buddah on top in the middle of Zhang hua city!

Near Big Buddha with Sister Chua

Love Taiwan!

Jumping at Ba Gua Mountain

Some fountains that made me happy because they played "Under the Sea"

Taiwan - Week 54 - August 18 - This is REAL :)

Some neighbors of Sister Jarvis visited Taiwan and surprised her by coming to an event at the Church where she was at.  She was very excited to see them.  

Hi Family!!!

Wow- I still can't believe I saw the Andersons yesterday, it was definitely a taste of home! And then the pictures that you sent......I can barely recognize my brothers!! Zach and J- you look way to grown up! Sometimes you just don't realize how much everything else is changing there while you're changing here......o man, not quite ready to face that yet, but I know I will be when the time comes :) Anyways, you all look great with so many adventures and all- Sister Chua and I had some pretty good laughs last night with the cardboard cut-out wedding pictures :D So funny! Jackson looks like long-time drummer and Zach looks like a service missionary in Fiji.....so cool!

This week was great! It was really special to me........I felt myself change a lot this week, really deeply. I look back on all of my most recent experiences and Heavenly Father really has been helping me to become the missionary He needs me to be right now..........just not for these incredible people in Taiwan but for the Sisters too. As a leader last move-call, we had so many great experiences and we were able to help the Sisters a lot, but it has already been so much more this time. On our exchanges on Friday in Taizhong with Sister Adams, I literally felt a higher power that was with me the whole day......more than I have ever felt in my whole mission. Now I feel that I am making a difference and really helping people.........through my Savior I have found a greater light within me and He has helped me to take hold of it and let it glow. Not for my personal benefit in any way, but for all those around me and interact with. On Friday I had two experiences while contacting people, one on the bus and one on the road, that were very special. The girl I sat next to on the bus told me that she could see from me how how happy and good this Gospel was. The one on the road, although she wasn't interested at that moment, told me that she could feel from me a special feeling that let her know the importance of what I was sharing. It wasn't until I returned back the apartment that night that I reflected on these experiences and realized how strong the Spirit was working through me for these two sweet sisters to share what they could see and feel. It was incredible. This is why I love missionary work and would do full-time forever if I could, but I will do my best to continue sharing the light which God has given me for the rest of my life. I'm truly finding what it means to be a vessel of the Lord in a way I never thought I could. This is the realest and truest thing I know.

Funny story of the week: In Taizhong on exchanges we had the coolest experience sitting with all these members and their incredible investigator at KFC- everyone was bearing testimony and it was so great! Well there is this great members named Shi Baba (Dad) who loves to buy food for the missionaries and it was insane! I have never seen so much KFC in my life and then we had to eat it for breakfast the next day and then we had it for lunch the next day with another investigator! I am definitely getting large in stature ;) ( ha o man such a missionary joke!)

HJM, the incredibly prepared soul, is doing incredible! We were with her almost every day this last week! We had the most incredible Plan of Salvation lesson (on exchanges with Sister Anderson from Dance Company so that was incredible!) so focused on the Atonement and the steps back to Heavenly Father and HJM said all she wanted was to return to live with Heavenly Father :) Word of Wisdom was also amazing.........she only drinks water and milk! She actually used to drink alcohol but gave it up in January.........Heavenly Father has prepared her for this all year :) The most amazing part of the week was the fact that she came chuaning the jiao (doing missionary work) with us on Thursday and Saturday! She wanted to come with us to all our appts and it was incredible! We visited LAs and new, hard investigators and every time she shared her simple but powerful testimony that she has felt it for herself that this is true and they could too.........even when one of our investigators was throwing lots of doubts at her about it--she looked at her and told her she could get an answer too and it changed that investigator completely. I almost cried 3 or 4 times that day as I witnessed this precious daughter of God who had just known the Gospel for over a week, share her testimony with such conviction and humility.....it was incredible. I love her sooo much it just about makes me cry!

Our 16 yr. old short term missionary, YJM, survived the week! She was the opposite personality from the last one I had so it was definitely a different experience but it was great :) I'm so grateful for my patient and loving parents through my teenage years ;)  She was just a bubbly 16 year old with a great testimony :) she shared the lessons so simply and so faithfully :) She also wants to serve a mission so that is so cool! She got along great with HJM and our recent convert ZJM so it was way fun and then last night we sat down with YJM and had a little share about what she learned.........it was cool to hear all that she learned and the changes she wanted to start making in her own life- o I love her so much! In the testimony meeting she shared one of her favorite spiritual experiences of the week.....which was also one of mine, of my whole mission :) On Saturday night we watched the Testaments with two RCs and HJM. As we watched, I felt such a strong spirit and truth and faith of the Savior's life, more than I have before when I have watched. After the movie finished, no one said anything and then we asked everyone individually about their feelings after watching it.........with "This is the Christ" playing in the background everyone shared such pure testimonies and the Spirit was sooooo strong. Sister Chua and I were in tears! The Spirit overcame me and bore testimony to them that we would all see Christ again and I KNEW that with all my heart. The Spirit touched us all and you could feel the love of the Savior.........and then as we went home I was talking to HJM and told her this is true, so true and she said "It really is!" :) Awww so incredible...........this week my heart is open up in full gratitude to my Heavenly Father and Savior! I KNOW with every ounce of my heart and soul the Savior lives! This is His church and it is REAL..........we will all see Him again and I can not wait for that day! I love you all so much!!!!! Have faith in Him in all that you do :)

Sister J.

Cute picture of our short term missionary napping as we email :-)

Taiwan - Week 53 - August 11 - Letting Our Lights Shine

Hello Family!!

How was your week?  Zhang hua is just wonderful, simply amazing......feels like home every day :) This week we had Mission Council and the President opened it up to discussion and it was a really unique experience.........a lot of inspired changes are taking place in our mission! We also had a delicious lunch made by Sister Blickenstaff at the mission home..........mmmmmmmmm!

HJM......There are so many prepared souls in Taiwan right now! Sister Chua called and set up a referral from an investigator in the 3rd ward. Her name is HJM , 21, super giggly, and she is incredible :) She came to English and afterwards we talked to her and she said this year had been really hard, but her friend had taught her how to pray and after she prayed she felt super good so she had come to church with her and wanted to learn more! We met with her Friday and taught her a 1st lesson, then as we shared the B of M she told us she already had one, had been reading it, and had been sleeping with it at night because it made her feel safer....how adorable! Then we were about to invite her to be baptized, but before we even could she told us her friend had told her about baptism and how our sins are washed away as we covenant with God and she said she had already been praying to Heavenly Father that she could be baptized sooner! She even asked us if she could get baptized the next day! We talked about how we need to prepare for baptism and she was so willing to set a goal for the first of next month......she's so prepared to change! Then we had to go to a meeting but she stayed after with our RC, the amazing ZJM, and stayed after for her lesson to when we watched Finding Faith in Christ which she also loved.  ZJM and the Bishop's daughter bore powerful testimonies of the Savior and their love and desire to follow Him......it was beautiful.......and all planned by Heavenly Father :)

Sister Belnap and a few others on my mission have left a really strong impression on me about letting our light shine for others around us. The light they had had a huge impact on me and they were not ashamed to share that light. I was pondering on the vision I wanted to set for the rest of my mission, or rest of my life for that matter (as President Blickenstaff invited me to do :) ) and was thinking about how I could better let this light shine inside of me-- living up to my fullest potential which the Lord has given me. I was praying about this a little before personal study on Friday and then Heavenly Father completely taught me through the scriptures! I was led to a beautiful scripture in Eccl. 8:1....."....a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." Wow.......wisdom increases our light, our personal knowledge and study of the Gospel. It is so important to continually increase our own study and knowledge of this beautiful gospel......I have personally felt a difference on my mission when I have been seeking and studying..........you literally feel so empowered and so enlightened! I know that each of us has a precious light inside because we have the potential to become like Heavenly Father, Gods and Goddesses. We just need the faith and spirit and trust in the Lord to let it shine because we can influence all of those around us and help them let their light shine as well! Next week I will send a poem that is incredible.......I love you all so much, the Savior is the greatest light in my life and I want to strive to be just like Him. Have an amazing week!

Sister J.

P.S. We have another short term missionary, YJM who is super great- super outgoing and excited to go, go, go!

My Home--Zhang hua

Our 79-year old recent convert teaching me some new dance moves! 

Taiwan - Week 52 - August 4 - Happy August!

Hi Familia!

So today's email is going to be a shorter one as we spent a lot of time in Taizhong today meeting up with members, RCs, and returning missionaries! Sister Belnap is getting on the plane tomorrow........so crazy......it didn't really fully hit me till yesterday! O my heavens I love her........this move-call was incredible, changed my life. So now I am with the amazing Sister Chua from Malaysia whom I have known forever and has two move-calls left......she's fluent in so many languages, full of love and pure kindness......she's amazing :) and I get to stay in beloved Zhang hua!!! Such a blessing........I love this area sooooooo much!!!!

This week was a little crazy with getting everything ready for the big changes but we were again able to spend a lot of time with our precious investigators and members. We had the most incredible Plan of Salvation lesson I have ever had on my whole mission Thursday night with our investigator WJM. I know that Heavenly Father prepared her for that lesson...........she asked so many lead in questions to the plan and she understood everything and asked even deeper questions so we were able to talk about things that we don't usually mention as much such as Temples and Satan. She was so touched by temple work and as we shared scripture after scripture with her......the Spirit was so strong and it was one of those moments where you forget you're a missionary, even forget you are on earth, and you feel like you are just talking with your sister about this incredible heavenly plan........it was such an amazing experience- Sister Belnap and I were in tears after and just offered a prayer of gratitude to Heavenly Father for how prepared WJM was...........so excited for her progression!

Last week our Ward Mission Leader got married and so Saturday was the Reception party at the church and it was a blast!! We performed an aboriginal song with the ward and then some of the young people performed "I Think I wanna marry you" number...........members sang, ate delicious food, hip-hop performance, and the family and couple expressed their love............it was so fun and soooo happy!!! It may or may not have gotten us a little marriage hungry ;) These wards are incredible, I love them so much! All of these activities have brought the wards together so much...........Taiwan Receptions are the way to go!

This week I pondered a lot on my change as a missionary............President Blickenstaff has been putting a lot of focus on who we are becoming verses how many baptisms we have, etc. and I've really been thinking about it because it really is the most important thing! It's amazing as I've come to understand the Savior better and be closer to Him, how much more I have become like Him.........I definitely still have lots to work on, but I really have seen changes in myself and want to work to become the best disciple of Christ I can be for the rest of my lives.........this Gospel is all about change! and I love it and am excited to go out each day and help others change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love this work and all of you like crazy!!!!

Love Sister J.

The tiny alley with Sister Belnap

Traditional yan zhu min aboriginee Taiwan clothes!