Taiwan - Week 58 - September 16 - A New Season Begins

Hi Family!!!

Hope you all had a marvelous week! Thank you so much for your deep heart-felt emails.....it means the world to me and it always seems to be the thing I needed to hear, so thank you :) P.S. I haven't talked about my companion Sister Chua that much, but just wanted to mention that she is absolutely incredible! She is the kindest person ever- so full of love and service!! HJM's conversion and being in the temple with her was the best thing ever!! So divinely inspired :) We've been planning her trip to come to Utah next year :)

Well the news.........I have left Zhang hua! I got the call on Sat night that I would be moving up to Tanzi in Taizhong with Sister Christensen! So I am here in beautiful Tanzi today! Wow.....I really haven't moved for a long time, about 6 months! But I have just been so excited to come up north- I'm soo grateful to Heavenly Father because one of my missionary dreams has been fulfilled! When I first got on island, I desired with all my heart to serve in every area of the mission...Tainan, Gaoxiong, Middle-Zhang hua, and Taizhong and now I will have! I'm also so grateful because I will still be serving as a Sister Training Leader.....last week we didn't go on any exchanges and it was killing me! I was missing our Sisters so badly, and I honestly, truly missed being there to help and serve them......so I know that Heavenly Father heard my silent prayers and I am so grateful to move up north and now serve these Sisters here. I have come to love this incredible experience to be so focused on the Sisters and their welfare........it's brought me so much more joy as a missionary to forget my own worries and be focused on helping these Sisters in their areas. I definitely still have lots of room for improvement and still trying to overcome my own weaknesses, but Heavenly Father has truly helped me to do all I need to do for them :) So excited to serve with Sister Christensen (from Logan, going home after this move-call, Sister Fitzpatrick's old comp, tall and super cute!) in this wonderful area!

Was it hard to leave Zhang hua? Most definitely..........felt like I was leaving home again- really truly! The members, RCs in Zhang hua literally are my dearest friends and family :) But was my time there finished and I am needed elsewhere? Yesiree........I felt like I was going to move all week....Sister Chua asked me on the road if I felt like there were still things the Lord needed me to do there and it didn't feel like there was at all.....kind of a really special feeling. It's amazing.......I arrived there 6 months ago as a young, still trying to get her hands on things missionary and now I leave as a really different person. It's hard to explain all my feelings about Zhang hua in words........it was there that I truly came to understand what missionary work is all about, it was there that I came the closest with my companions and realized how heavenly sent they were, it was there that my self-confidence was low and then felt the love and confidence of Heavenly Father that He had for me, it was there that I truly came to understand repentance and forgiveness through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it was there that I came to understand the potential of divine light we each carry, it was there that I saw and participated in some of the greatest miracles of my life, it was there that the members became family, it was there that I was the happiest I had ever been on my mission, it was there that I came to realize my own weaknesses and how to really live the Gospel and put it into action, it was there that I learned what faith in the Savior really means and the power of it in our personal lives, it was there that I realized my own potential and vision, it was there that the scriptures came alive to me and spiritually impacted my life each day, and it was there that I came to feel the closest to the Savior I had ever felt on my mission. In small terms that is what Zhang hua means to me :) It changed my life forever and I will never be the same...........I know that we will all have places, people, and times in our life that will open our eyes to what we've been missing, realize our personal need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and then change us forever as we work to live up to that potential of divine light. It's been an incredible journey and now it will only continue on forever........I'd like to share the scripture I chose for my mission plaque scripture :) It came to have very personal meaning to me in Zhang hua.......

"But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God."
"Yea, I know that I am nothing: as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boat of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." Alma 26:11-12

I know that I am weak, so very weak, but with God I have been able to do anything! He has lifted me to new heights and changed my perspective....I want to testify that I know as we have faith in the Savior, pray fervently, and boldly follow Him, we will truly come to know the power of the Spirit and our own divine potential. We are spirit children of the most powerful being in the universe and that is amazing! His light is in each one of us and as we open it up- it beams and will change others lives and help others to do the same!! This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I love it with all my heart!! I love you all so very much and each of your lights have played a huge impact in my own life........I know that we will only continue to grow and that life only gets better until we are with Him again! I love you family! I love these people, I love my companions, I love the Savior and my dear Heavenly Father and I love this work!!! Have an incredible week of faith!!

Sister J.

After a fireside with President and Sister Blickenstaff

The 1st Ward Relief Society (Zhang hua)

 The 2nd Ward Relief Society (Zhang hua)

My dearest Liang Mama

Me with Sister Chua 

I love the Xu family!

Taiwan - Week 57 - September 9 - Long Time, No See (and a Baptism!)

Hi all!! I felt like I just emailed you, which I did, but I'm happy to again so soon because we had a marvelous weekend of baptism, Mexican party, and just the goodness of members and the Gospel! Hope you all had a splendid weekend as well!

HJM's baptism was absolutely wonderful!! It was a double baptism with the Elders investigator from the 2nd Ward so the room was full to capacity! She was SO excited and everything went just great.........she has been preparing her testimony for a couple of days now and had it all written down :) It was so her, so sincere, and so spirit filled............she shared how much she loves Heavenly Father and has felt His love for her, that she knows the most important thing is Enduring the End, how she desires to obtain the Celestial Kingdom so she can be with Heavenly Father and become like Him, and how much she has felt the Spirit.........after she sat down she turned to me and told me that she hadn't even said all that she had written down. She said that as she was bearing her testimony it wasn't even her....just felt a very strong feeling guiding her thoughts and words.....The Spirit! So incredible!! She has already felt the influence of the Spirit in guiding our words as we bear testimony........Heavenly Father has great plans for her! She is going to grow to be a strong and spirit-intune mother and wife who raises a righteous family in the Gospel :) She was confirmed and received the Holy Ghost on Sunday.........I'm just so grateful for this move-call and to be a part of this.........just sitting in the Celestial room last week, I was thinking of all these precious RCs and how elated and excited I was for them to come there too.......especially HJM......the temple...eternity....Celestial Glory.....Eternal Families....that's what it's all about :)

Tomorrow we are having a ZTM on repentance so I have been specifically asking Heavenly Father to help me learn more about repentance from the scriptures each morning and He has really been answering my prayers :) In these last few months or so, it has become the principle that has really changed my life. I have been so touched and desiring to learn more about mercy as well........the mercy of God is so real! I would just love to share two scriptures I read this morning:
Alma 42:13,15
"Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state, for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also."

God's plan is perfect........repentance is needed in order to obtain His mercy and He is just waiting to give it to us..........I have seen others change, including myself, because of His mercy.......I know that our dearly, beloved God is merciful, is all loving, all charitable!! The Savior is my rock and support.........His love guides me through each day and I will boldly stand and declare His name for the rest of my life. I know that we can all change and become more than we ever though we could through Him.......your potential is endless! Just remember that :)

How do you make members happy? Teach them the simplest Mexican recipe ever and they are elated :) Our Mexican Fiesta consisted of Costco Tortilla Chips, Costco Salsa, Homemade Salsa made by the Elders and Members, 2 mountains of grated cheese, Costco bought tortillas, and meat brought by members........then wabam! You've got yourself a delicious Mexican meal! The cheese lasted approx. 15 min or so before it was all gone.......dearly loved in Taiwan as well! A wonderful member got us great Mexican Restaurant Music- old style and then we taught them the Mexican Hat Dance and the Macarena- sooo fun!! I think the missionaries may have had the most fun ;) But the members loved it too- o my heavens I love these Zhang Hua members so much........I don't know how I'm going to depart, but I know that I will have to........I will love them forever!!

I have come to absolutely love SOY! The Strength of Youth Pamphlet is so incredible- read it:) God's standards are real and help us become exactly who He wants us to be! My dear Fam, I just love you :) I'm so excited every time I get to talk to other about you or our own experiences that have changed our lives together or personally...........you've had a great influence on the people here without even knowing it :) Yesterday a Sister was telling me about how she is worried about her teenage sons who are sometimes not so obedient.......I shared a little of our family with her and how our parents never stopped loving or teaching us.......they always kept us surrounded by the Gospel and we have become who we are because of that. She was really touched and I think it gave her a little more hope for them :) I love you all so dearly!!! This Gospel has changed our family forever and because of our Savior, we will only get stronger and tighter :) I love you!! Share your light with someone new this week!!

Sister J.

HJM's Baptism!

Mexican Party!

Taiwan - Week 56 - September 5 - Happy September!

Hi Family!!!

Just returned from the Temple.........it was absolutely wonderful :) It truly only gets better and better and just means more and more to me :) Today during the session things just really connected with an eternal perspective and how the things we learn there have so much relationship with our lives right now. You can just feel the presence of the Savior, Heavenly Father, and even the pioneers so much in the temple. We had the incredible privilege to do initiatories before the session.......and I did them for sisters from China 200 years or so ago. I love the temple........I know it is the House of the Lord- you can feel His presence there.......and I will forever continue to return there for the rest of my life :)

How is it that this move-call is almost done??? Things are starting to hit a little more that my time is getting a lot shorter, but it's still a lot, and we are just going to keep that eternal perspective! I am super excited for the work, miracles, and people that the Lord still needs me to meet :) I didn't get a chance to mention it last week, but I had a completely different plan in mind for my last two move-calls......when I found out it wasn't going to happen as I expected it really caused me to hold on to my faith in the Savior and trust in Heavenly Father's plan because I know it is perfect. I prayed over and over again in my heart that I would follow His plan for me and put all my trust in Him. It has made all the difference in the world! Although I don't know at all what He has in store in the next few months......I am elated because I have all the faith in the world in the Savior and I know as I trust in Him and do His will, everything will work out exactly the way it should....I know it :) I thought I understood faith before my mission, but I had no idea! Faith has come to mean SO much to me personally........it brings light, power, the Spirit into everything we do and it most importantly brings us very close to our Savior.

Well it's a miracle......HJM is getting baptized on Saturday! and she is probably one of the most excited people I have ever met! I remember the first time I met her at church....she immediately hugged me! and I was kind of surprised but it felt so comfortable and then when I asked her later about it, she said she didn't know why she hugged me, she just did! :) Before every single lesson I would get so excited to share it with her because she was so prepared, so willing, and it felt like we'd known her forever.........it was so real. We just opened up our hearts to her and she opened up hers with us.........and the Spirit was SO strong......especially every time she prays. One of the most incredible things about her is how early on she was able to recognize the Spirit........I have found that this is so key to conversion. She describes the Spirit for her as a very "man" feeling.......it feels that the room and her heart are full :) I love it so much! She always pauses after the prayer and just sits there............she just sits and feels it.......it's been so key to her conversion. I know that she felt your prayers this week and helped her find her own answers :) She has always known it is true from the first time she felt the Spirit, but she had still not received a specific answer about whether the B of M and the Prophet Joseph Smith were true. She LOVES faith and so we told her about Ether 2 and 3 on Monday. On Tuesday night we called her and she said she had gotten her answer and she was so excited! She read the entire book of Ether twice in two hours! and then in Ether she found a reference to the Three Witnesses....she remembered the first pages of the B of M with the Testimony of the Three Witnesses- it clicked, she said a prayer in her heart and she got her answer :) She has so much faith and she can not wait to go to the temple.....she was dying she couldn't got with us today :) Heavenly Father has prepared her so much and she has truly come to know Him........it is true conversion and it's incredible.

Well we are having a make Mexican food party for the ward on Saturday! We are doing super simple Quesadillas and teaching the Mexican Hat Dance.......I have been praying about it and everyone seems really excited so it should be lots of fun......and we are hoping that the members will bring their family members and friends as well! Exchanges have been great.......one was an adventure in Taizhong when Sister Wadsworth's handlebars were stolen from her bike at the train station so we became walking missionaries for the day! Incredible members helped us out too :) I was with Sister Walbrecht yesterday who was in Tainan with me......she goes home in two weeks and so it was a very "Sons of Mosiah" experience as she said.......just as the Sons of Mosiah were reunited on the road as they had not seen another in a long time and shared their mission experiences....so did we :) Every missionary companionship is so incredible....in their own unique way.....they are each so inspired and you can feel their connection to Heavenly Father....so incredible to see the lives they are all touching!

Well I love you all dearly, I love the temple, I love this mission, and I love my Savior. I just have to say.........my scripture study has changed me forever......as I have re-started the B of M I have been reading it very closely with the footnotes from the Bible and it is incredible!!! I have such a testimony now that they go hand in hand....and we truly do need both to understand the word of God. I highly recommend it as you read! I would like to share a scripture from the Bible that touched my heart this week in Luke 15:7:
"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." The Savior's words of the parable of the Lost Sheep........how merciful He is! The joy of Heavenly Father and our Savior as we make mistakes, repent, change, and turn unto Him......I know that repentance is real and so is the mercy of our Savior. Whatever guilt or burdens we still carry, whether new or old, they can all be lifted and erased! I felt it sooo much! He lives and loves you!! and I do too!! Have a wonderful week!!

Sister J.

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!