This last week, we got two calls from different airports, a phone message telling us she is safe in Taiwan and now her first email from Taiwan!
I am just going to clip and paste her email here with a little editing. Hope you enjoy her email as much as we did. The pictures are of her in training and the costume one's are things I sent for Halloween. Then she is in her Christmas Pj's and hat I sent for Christmas. I also sent trinkets and toys along with a balloon animal making kit. It looks like they had fun with that.
Here is her letter and some photos:
"Hello Everyone!
So I'm here....in Taiwan....sitting at an internet Cafe at 6:22 am. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?! Taiwan is the greatest! People told me before I came that I would go through a honeymoon phase, and then a I h
ate everything phase, then a I 'll endure to the end phase. Little did they know what a little positive attitude can do for you. I've decided that being here for 5 days already makes me grateful for all of the little things that I have back in the states. I'm grateful for 1. Warm running water. 2. Free grocery bags at the store. 3. A dry climate. 4. Things not smelling like mold all the time. 5. big houses and apartments. Just to name a few.
I found out that I am free to receive emails from anyone, but I can't email you back, I have to hand write you, but hey it's a start! So feel free to email me, but if you do make sure to include your home address, so that I can send you a letter back. It was really cool! The last few days flew by, and then slowly our zone started flying out to their missions! Flying here was pretty exciting. Out of the 15 hour flight, I slept for maybe 3 hours. I mostly sat there and talked to the missionaries around me. I was in the VERY back of the plane with 2 other missionaries. Right next to the bathroom. Ev
ery time I tried to sleep, I'd wake up to a Chinese person waiting inline for the bathroom staring at me. They didn't give us the little eye mask things on the flight either, so I just didn't sleep at all. We couldn't watch movies either, so it was a long flight. My Chinese consisted of Hello (nihao)...and that's where my conversations would end. I talked to a few people that spoke a little English and that was fun.
So I'm here....in Taiwan....sitting at an internet Cafe at 6:22 am. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?! Taiwan is the greatest! People told me before I came that I would go through a honeymoon phase, and then a I h
ate everything phase, then a I 'll endure to the end phase. Little did they know what a little positive attitude can do for you. I've decided that being here for 5 days already makes me grateful for all of the little things that I have back in the states. I'm grateful for 1. Warm running water. 2. Free grocery bags at the store. 3. A dry climate. 4. Things not smelling like mold all the time. 5. big houses and apartments. Just to name a few.I found out that I am free to receive emails from anyone, but I can't email you back, I have to hand write you, but hey it's a start! So feel free to email me, but if you do make sure to include your home address, so that I can send you a letter back. It was really cool! The last few days flew by, and then slowly our zone started flying out to their missions! Flying here was pretty exciting. Out of the 15 hour flight, I slept for maybe 3 hours. I mostly sat there and talked to the missionaries around me. I was in the VERY back of the plane with 2 other missionaries. Right next to the bathroom. Ev
ery time I tried to sleep, I'd wake up to a Chinese person waiting inline for the bathroom staring at me. They didn't give us the little eye mask things on the flight either, so I just didn't sleep at all. We couldn't watch movies either, so it was a long flight. My Chinese consisted of Hello (nihao)...and that's where my conversations would end. I talked to a few people that spoke a little English and that was fun. It was an overall good travel day. Our flight was late getting in
, so we got in at midnight their time. 10 am your time. Luckily because I didn't sleep, I fell asleep pretty fast.They picked us up, and bussed us to the mission home. We had 7 girls crammed into one room in bunk beds. They took our luggage, and we had one bag with stuff in it for us.
, so we got in at midnight their time. 10 am your time. Luckily because I didn't sleep, I fell asleep pretty fast.They picked us up, and bussed us to the mission home. We had 7 girls crammed into one room in bunk beds. They took our luggage, and we had one bag with stuff in it for us.In the morning we got up and went for a run around freedom square/ this awesome chang Hi shak...or something like that. It was so pretty! Oh yea...my mission is a running missions...which means that we get up EVERY DAY, and have to run a good 30 minutes. Those of you that know me well....know that that's a funny idea. I had no option but to run though. I haven't run since....probably my freshmen year in college. Let's just say that I maybe ran about 2 block, and walked and wheezed the rest of the way. The next day I was nice and soar, it was a good experience. I also got to ride a bike for the first time in about 10 years. I was riding a higher off the ground bike, and it took a good...10 minutes for me to get on the bike in a coat and a skirt.
I'm in my first area, it's called Neihu (NAY WHOO). It literally means "In the Lak
e." It's wet, and lush, and green. it's rained a little bit here too. It's 30 minutes from Taipei. I've only been here for about a day though, because I got to be a temple tour sister in Taipei and give people tours of the temple, and tell them what the big white building next door was. It was fun to walk and listen, I wasn't able to say a lot, but I could bear testimony. The food here is different, but pretty good! I haven't tried anything that i don't like yet :) We got to give a few tours in English to foreigners too.
I'm in my first area, it's called Neihu (NAY WHOO). It literally means "In the Lak
e." It's wet, and lush, and green. it's rained a little bit here too. It's 30 minutes from Taipei. I've only been here for about a day though, because I got to be a temple tour sister in Taipei and give people tours of the temple, and tell them what the big white building next door was. It was fun to walk and listen, I wasn't able to say a lot, but I could bear testimony. The food here is different, but pretty good! I haven't tried anything that i don't like yet :) We got to give a few tours in English to foreigners too.My companion is . . . We have a lot in common. She has 10 brothers, and is the only girl in her family. I have 4 sisters and no brothers. Ha ha, we really do get along well though.
On our first night here we were put together to go out and I was supposed to stand on a corner and Dan Jones to the world in Chinse. L
uckily she was nice to me ( I didn't know she was to be my companion yet) and instead we just walked around and contacted. I had been praying for like 2 days, that I could run into someone who spoke English, so that I could testify of Christ, and spread the gospel, even though I couldn't speak Chinese very well. I LOVE finding people! And guess what? God knows us and answers our prayers. EVERYONE we talked to, we were able to talk to in English except maybe 2 people! Everyone said that, that is completely unheard of! We got like 4 numbers, and taught one lesson. You just stop and pray on the street, it's the craziest thing. They were all Chinese, but a lot of them had really good English. They were all so nice. Our second night here, we went to the church, because a member had left us food there (Our ward members are so nice! they feed us ALL the time!)
uckily she was nice to me ( I didn't know she was to be my companion yet) and instead we just walked around and contacted. I had been praying for like 2 days, that I could run into someone who spoke English, so that I could testify of Christ, and spread the gospel, even though I couldn't speak Chinese very well. I LOVE finding people! And guess what? God knows us and answers our prayers. EVERYONE we talked to, we were able to talk to in English except maybe 2 people! Everyone said that, that is completely unheard of! We got like 4 numbers, and taught one lesson. You just stop and pray on the street, it's the craziest thing. They were all Chinese, but a lot of them had really good English. They were all so nice. Our second night here, we went to the church, because a member had left us food there (Our ward members are so nice! they feed us ALL the time!) So, we picked up the food and took it to a nearby 7-11 and sat down and ate off the lids because we didn't have plates. We had noodles with clams, salad, and soup. So we sat in Taiwan, in a 7-11, eating seafood, off of tupper ware lids, with chopsticks! IS that not the craziest thing? It was so great! Then we went out contacting, and I prayed to be able to communicate God's love to someone, and the only person that stopped and talked to us, set up an appointment with us, and spoke pretty good English, so I got to help teach her. She told us that she was about to be baptised into another christian Church, and it didn't matter because all churches were the same. So we told her that we weren't the same as other churches, and she talked to us for like 30 min. We prayed with her on the street, and then I felt prompted to sing for her I think my companions thought I was crazy...but they went along with it. Then I taught her in chinglish, and she understood! By the end we got her number, told her we'd teach her on Tuesday and I said, "God loves you, and we love you." Do you know what she said? "I love you!" Then we all hugged each other, and she went home. Best night EVER!
Miracles already in Taiwan! Then last night we had to go back to the church to give someone a tour of it (that's what we do here, we give people tours of the church, so they know what goes on inside of it) and after we did we went contacting at a metro station. it took like an hour, and we got the cutest girls phone number, and set up a time to talk to her, a 22 year old girl who is going to school. But then I contacted a 14 year old girl, and talked MOSTLY in Chinese by myself, and just told her about God and she listened and it was great. YAY! God is so good, I couldn't do any of this by myself, but he's helping me speak Chinese to these beautiful Chinese people.
Our apartment is nice and cozy. Cottage like really. It has 3 floors. It's nice, it's kind of like living in a tree house, I feel a little George of the jungle now that I think about it. We live on the 5th floor. Luckily, we have an elevator.
It's so nice having an hour to email now! Oh! Also, when we got to Taiwan, I had a nice little pile of letters waiting for me, so thanks to everyone who sent a note ahead to Taiwan, it was nice to have something to open when I got here. It might just take a little time for you to get a letter back :) Well I've gtg, but I love you all! I love Taiwan, and I love God most of all! I'm so excited to serve him for the next 15 months of my life!
Our apartment is nice and cozy. Cottage like really. It has 3 floors. It's nice, it's kind of like living in a tree house, I feel a little George of the jungle now that I think about it. We live on the 5th floor. Luckily, we have an elevator.
It's so nice having an hour to email now! Oh! Also, when we got to Taiwan, I had a nice little pile of letters waiting for me, so thanks to everyone who sent a note ahead to Taiwan, it was nice to have something to open when I got here. It might just take a little time for you to get a letter back :) Well I've gtg, but I love you all! I love Taiwan, and I love God most of all! I'm so excited to serve him for the next 15 months of my life!
Mother dearest!
Hello! I'm he
re, I'm safe, and I left that same message on your cellular devise! I don't know what else to tell you. I still have jet lag, but not that bad. Everything here is pretty great. I'm at the nicest Cafe internet place ever. I'm wet all the time, and my hair will not stay not frizzy, but I'm over it. It's crazy how much I, and everyone around me, doesn't care what I look like. They just love that I'm white, and trying to speak their language. A few think that I'm from Brazil because I have dark hair. I still love it here, and already see how privileged I am to live where I do. It's really not that bad here. It's pretty up to date. Thanks for your little letter that I opened when I got here, that was nice. I love you to. Tell the girls hello, and that I love them. Love you all!" End of Letter.
Hello! I'm he
re, I'm safe, and I left that same message on your cellular devise! I don't know what else to tell you. I still have jet lag, but not that bad. Everything here is pretty great. I'm at the nicest Cafe internet place ever. I'm wet all the time, and my hair will not stay not frizzy, but I'm over it. It's crazy how much I, and everyone around me, doesn't care what I look like. They just love that I'm white, and trying to speak their language. A few think that I'm from Brazil because I have dark hair. I still love it here, and already see how privileged I am to live where I do. It's really not that bad here. It's pretty up to date. Thanks for your little letter that I opened when I got here, that was nice. I love you to. Tell the girls hello, and that I love them. Love you all!" End of Letter.Wasn't that about the sweetest letter a mother could get? I am so glad she is safe and doing well. Heavenly Father did bless me with amazing daughters!
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