June 25 Letter..."Quick grab a hose...the missionaries are on fire!"

"Quick, grab a fire hose... the missionaries are on fire."

That is how this last week has been. It has been amazing and has lifted me up so
much. It is amazing to be taught by Apostles daily. It is exhausting- I feel
like Lehi did  in the Book of Mormon and just want to retire to me bed because I
am spiritually exhausted. But the best part is- I don't retire to my bed and the
Lord lifts me up higher! Wow!

So my district has like the coolest thing ever happening to us tonight. But you
have to wait until next week to hear all about it. All I'll say and all I really
know is my district has been choosen to help and participate in the new mission
presidents training tonight. We have to be dressed in our best, looking our best
and be ready to teach and be taught by the Brethren. WOW!

I don't know what else has really been going on this week. We had a special MTC
devotional this morning. Pres Monson spoke to us and
Elder Scott bore his testimony.

You know the feeling of running full speed and then being knocked to the ground
and having the wind knocked right out of you? And just feeling like what in the
world just happened- and then remembering you need to breath? That is what
happened to me today as Pres Monson and Elder Scott walked into the gym to teach
just us the missionaries. No mission presidents, no couples, just us the young
missionaries! It was amazing. I can hardly describe it- don't worry I will
photocopy my notes and send them on to everyone.

Just know that I know without a doubt that the Gospel has been restored. That
Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. And that he through the power and
direction of God restored the true church to the face of the world. I know that
today we have a prophet of God. And that God shows His love for us by calling
prophets and apostles. I know that the Apostles are called of God.  I know that
as we learn and hearken unto their counsel that we will continue to endure to
the end and have the greatest of all gifts ETERNAL LIFE. Doctrine and Covenants
14:7. Eternal life is not to just know God, but to live in his presence with
those you love most, your family. Mom told me that Meg knew what the greatest of
all gifts was and can recite the scripture straight to her without hesitation. I
am so thankful to know that my (our) sister is armed with the scriptures and
knows where she can find answers to every question she has in her life! We can
find every answer to every question in the Book of Mormon. And not only can we
find the answers, but God through the Holy Ghost will confirm them to us-
Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3. I know I have the testimony I have because of the
scriptures, prophets, my seeking to know of the truth and the Holy Ghost telling
me in my heart and mind!

I love you all! I am glad to hear from everyone.

Wo ai ni!
Shao Jiemei! aka Sister Shaver

Eugene Shavers, I ran into Sis Debbie Carmen in the MTC. She turned in her
papers, got her call, and came into the MTC since I have been here. Kind put
into perspective how long I've been blessed to be here.

June 18 Letter-Woot Wo!

So last week, I got to brag all about Elder Eyring. This week it was Elder
Uchtdorf and next week seems to be President Hinckley. All the new mission
presidents are coming and will be at devotional on Tuesday. We don't know for
100% but President Hinckley has never not spoken at this devotional before.
Sounds pretty sweet, eh?

I am getting so excited- we have a month from yesterday left! I am getting so
excited to be able to be speaking the language. There are a couple of native
missionaries here and I have been able to speak more and more with them. It is
probably the best practice.

This week I had a "oh yeah, I never had thought of that before" moment. ((So
here is a joke Richard G Scott said. There are two cats- one fat one and one
skinny. The skinny one was sitting in front of the mouse hole waiting for the
mice. They(mice) would run up to the hole and see the cat and run away. So along
came the fat cat. He told the skinny cat to come with him. They went and sat
besides the hole. The fat cat went ruff ruff. And out ran the mice thinking a
dog had scared away the cats. The fat cat picked one up and said isn't it great
to be bilingual?)) Guess what? I am almost bilingual! Pretty sweet, eh?

Well, I don't really have much to tell this week. I had my first dry week in the
MTC. Not one letter this week. It was a rather interesting experience. It was
good though because I still knew everything and everyone was ok.

What is the latest on the house? Are we going to have a home one day? Liz and
Josh are you making room for mom and dad?

Well, glad everything is going well. There are seven new Sisters in our zone. It
is awesome. It is nice to have other sisters to talk and just to spend a little
bit of time with. My companion is rather interesting... so it is nice to talk to
more sisters. They are nice and seem to be adjusting well.

Hmm... the picture by the statue? I think I look funny in that one. I can send a
better one or is it ok. Meg, do I look funny? I know you'd be honest.

I love you all! I know the church is true. I know that Jesus is our Redeemer. I
know that he suffered all for us. I know that he knows all of our thought and
feelings. I know that because of His atonement we can receive joy! And we can be
together as a family forever! I know that only through the Atonement can we
repent and receive forgiveness! We can become clean from sin as we rely on the
arm of the Lord. I am so thankful for this and the gift we have to repent each
and everyday because I know that everyone makes mistakes- especially me! And I
am so excited to be able to share this message with others. And am even more
excited to share it in CHINESE! I LOVE CHINESE! I have learned that I cannot
learn Chinese alone without the help of the Lord. When I got to the MTC, the
first three days I was feeling way good because I knew everything. But then it
dawned on me the fourth day that everything that had taken me a whole semester
in college to learn, everyone here learned in three days. I know the Lord is
there and wants to help us- we just need to ask for help! PRAY! PRAY ALWAYS!

I didn't have time to proof read this- so ignore any of my mistakes and
especially any Chinese grammar I used in English.

Meg, you should take Chinese at BYU Idaho! I could be your tutor!

Forward this on to everyone!

I love you all! And pray for you!

Shao Jiemei! Sister Shaver

Letter from the MTC 6/11: If I Could Pick One Apostle...

If I could pick one apostle to come to the MTC and speak it would be Elder
Eyring. Guess what?!? My wish came true. Elder Eyring came and spoke to us this
week. It was amazing. We were in the huge gym and the slide for tonight's
speaker came up and it was Elder Eyring. I was thankful I was early and singing
in the MTC choir so I had a good seat! When he walked into the gym, I
immediately was brought to tears because I could feel the Spirit fill that
gigantic room just by the power of one man. He is an apostle of God. I know this
is true! His message to us was amazing. He focused on hope and the relationship
between charity and faith. I wish I had the time to write out everything I
learned in his talk, but I am afraid my timer currently says 22:17. I don't know
if those talks are available on Mormon.org, but I invite all of you to take a
little bit of time and read the talk. And after you have done that, I know you
will want to study it because of the Spirit you will feel. Elder Eyring is an
amazing man- he is so humble and full of love and hope. Dad, he's a worrier! He
was afraid he was going to be late to the MTC because the traffic was so bad. It
was funny because he then told us here I was having no hope (even though I had
prepared and left early) and was going to the MTC to speak to the missionaries
about hope. Pretty powerful testimony of humility. One thing that really stood
out to me was he said "surprises aren't surprises to God." Imagine that! He,
also, talked about being resurrected in the morning of the 1st resurrection and
being able to live with God and Jesus for 1000 years! Wow, that is pretty
awesome. Seriously if you can READ IT! And if not you'll have to wait a little
while and I can share my notes with you from it then!

So that was pretty awesome to have Elder Eyring here, but it was even more
amazing when we walked into the cafeteria yesterday and Elder L Tom Perry,
Richard G Scott, and Russel M Ballard were just sitting eating in the cafeteria
like it was no big deal! No big deal! L Tom Perry is so tall! I had no idea. It
was amazing the Spirit that filled the cafeteria as we ate lunch knowing that
they were there eating with us too. I don't think one person cut in line or one
sister carried her tray to the garbage! It was amazing!

I know my thumb is going to be ok. The MTC people are very intense. No joke if
you stumble walking and someone sees you are immediately taken to the Health
Center to make sure everything is ok. It is annoying sometimes. And they give
everyone walking casts- don't worry I don't have one of those. But I seriously
have never seen so many in my life!

I know the church is true!I love this Gospel and the joy it brings to people's
lives. I know that we are so blessed to have it in our lives. And I know that
were much is given much is required. I am glad I can give back a little of what
I have been given!

June 4th Letter-"Talking Like a Chinese Person"

I have started to talk like a Chinese person. Yesterday I bore my testimony
first in Chinese and then in English. I said I know we can all receiver prayer
type answers... Yes, I used the word type. I think I should probably stick to
Chinese!

Our older district left today for the field. It is crazy how sad it was. We sang
God Be With You Till We Meet Again and Called to Serve in Chinese. It was
seriously awesome! I loved it. But what is really crazy is that now we have the
same amount of time they had when we came into the MTC. I can hardly believe the
time has gone by this fast. I only have 17 more months left! I HAVE to make the
MOST of EVERY MINUTE- especially since it is the Lord's time!

In case anyone was wondering, Elder Anderson (An Zhanglao) is doing great. I got
a letter from him this week. He is loving the mission and hasn't been hit by a
car yet. Mom don't read this- on average missionaries in Taiwan are hit three
times by a car in their mission time. The week before we leave we have to be
trained in biking in Taiwan. Sweet, huh? I am so excited!

Well, I am so thankful I have this opportunity to be a missionary sitting here
writing home to my family. I can't deny that this is where I am supposed to be.
Without a doubt I know I have been called of God to serve a mission. I know I am
going to be the mouthpiece of the Lord in spreading the Gospel to the Taiwanese
people. I am fulfilling scripture. I know I have been blessed with the gift of
tongues. And I know it is not for my purpose, but for the Lord's. I have learned
so much and can feel the Spirit so strongly through our (my zones) simple
Chinese testimonies. I know that the power of a testimony lies in the Spirit and
the conviction of those bearing the testimony and not in the words. I may only
be able to say...

Wo zhi dao Simi Yuese shi Shen de xian zhi. I know Jospeh Smith is a prophet of
God.

Wo zhi dao Simi Yuese yao zhi dao nayige jiao hui shi zhenshi de. I know Joseph
Smith wanted to know which church was true.

Wo zhi dao Simi Yuese zuo qi dao lai zhi dao. I know Joseph Smith used prayer in
order to know which was true.

Wo zhi dao Shen he YeSuJiDu he Shen dui Simi Yuese xian xian. I know God and
Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith.

Wo zhi dao Shen tougou Simi Yuese fuxingle Ta de Fuyin. I know God through
Joseph Smith restored his Gospel.

Wo zhi dao zhege jiao hui shi zhenshi de! I know this church is true!

But I do know without a doubt these things are true. And I know that the
blessings we can receive because of the Gospel are beyond imaginable! I am so
thankful for this testimony.

I love everyone! I am so happy for all of you. And know that I pray for you
nightly. (That is one of the few things I know how to pray for in Chinese!)

Wo ai ni!
Shao Jiemei!