August 29 Letter

HELLO FAMILY!

So I brought my journal with me today so I could remember some of the fun things
that happened this last week. But before that I have two questions I want to
answer first. One is from mom and one from Kate.

Kate's first... in her letter this week, she asked if I rode my bike a lot or
the bus... Well, there is no bus! We ride our bikes a ton. We average over 30
miles a day! One of our investigators who is supposed to be getting baptized
this Saturday lives a 1 1/2 ride from our house. We ride there every other day-
it is killer, but it is all about the work. The most quoted analogy in our
mission. Is the one about Lance Armstrong and how he does everything for the
yellow... eats, sleeps, works all for the yellow. Since we spend so much time on
our bikes, we can feel we can relate to him (ha ha) except our yellow is
BAPTISM! It is pretty sweet. I use mom's story she told me about rowing  for
past on ancestors... and use it a lot 100 (my chinese counting is getting way
good!) more pedals for Grandma Margaret and so on. Mom, can you refresh my
memory about that story a little bit more. I tried to explain to my companion,
but it didn't really work. 

The next one was mom's "Do you get many interested in the gospel? Is the field
white and ready to harvest?" It is so white and ready to harvest. It is an
amazing thing. I don't know what is that is so special about our mission, but it
is special ( I know everyone thinks that about there mission, but mine is!) It
is the highest baptizing Asian mission. We baptize twice as many as Taipei and 4
times as many as GaoXian. And it has one of the highest retention rates. The
joke in the other two missions is because we have cell phones and they don't.
But I know it runs a lot deeper than that and has to do with who Heavenly Father
is preparing to receive the Gospel! The work is good, we could use a lot more
member involvement, but that will come with time as we work with members and
show our appreciation for them. Everyone just needs a little encouragement.

So journal stories... Well, the best one is probably the most inappropriate
one... but oh well, I think it is worth a share. So there are native Taiwenese
people who are like Native Natives... I can't think of the word in English. They
aren't modernized and are pretty out there. Well, we have been trying to meet
with this family who keeps contacting the Elders. So finally, we got out of them
where they live. They don't live in a "house" so they don't have an address. It
took us forever to find this place where they live. When we got there, only the
grandma  and the kids were home. She said that everyone else would be home soon.
So she invited us in. So in I walk... la la la la... AHHH! Stop dead in my
tracks because standing right in front of me is a naked man! He was about 35 and
was like, oh welcome. come in, come in. Not even flinching at the fact that he
was naked. He then told us I am going to take a shower, you can wait here. So he
left. Well, two seconds later he walked back in with a bucket of water. And
asked if we minded if he took a shower and talked to us while he did. My
companion and I stared at each other and told him that wasn't neccessary ad we
could wait outside. So outside we went. Well, shortly his wife came home and we
taught them a Gospel lesson. IT WAS CRAZY! It was my trainers first contact with
a native... so I guess I am pretty "unlucky/lucky" to have that one in my first
move call!

So this week is move call... I am a little sad- actually a lot! because three of
the people I met contacting are getting baptized next week. Maybe I won't get
transferred and will be able to still be at their baptism! It is pretty cool.
They call the missionary who initially contacted them their Gospel Sister. It is
an amazing feeling to be someone's Gospel sister.

Does anyone know of where I can get a picture of the following people...
Grandpa Ward, Grandma Margaret, Grandpa Bob, Grandma Audrey, William Ward
Shaver, L Halldorson, Robert Addie Stewart, Margaret Dornes Barr, Earl Deran
Young, Hilda Olive Morehouse, Arthur John Erickson, and Pearl Evelyn Peterson? I
am trying to finish my "My Heritage" book... it is so cool! I love it!

I love you all and am going to try to attach pictures to a different e-mail.
Don't want to lose this one if it doesn't work. I love you and miss you. I pray
for you everyday! Thank you for being such an awesome support! I don't know what
life would be like without you all!

Wo ai nimen!
Shao Jiemei!