WEEK 47: TOUFEN so fun

Welp transfers came this week and I took the long way by first going to TAIZHONG! 

HEHE for those that don't know it's outside our mission boundaries (and ya don't leave the mission boundaries)

Here's the story: on my way to my new area...頭份! - pronounced: tow-fun - I was traveling with another Sister named Sister Calderwood. Together we had 5 pieces of luggage. Well the train stops at the stop we needed and we are awkwardly pushing all our luggage off the train. Sister Calderwood got her first piece out of the train and then...drumroll...THE DOORS START CLOSING!!!! So we are pounding the red button that apparently does nothing because the door just kept on closing and the train just started rollin'. Sis Calderwood was freakin out because her luggage was chilling on the platform and we were in the train waving bye bye to it. Also we didn't have a phone. BUT luckily we were prepared and had all the numbers we needed. We asked the worker how to get back to the station and she said since we were on ziqiang (the train that makes the fewest stops) it would be another 40 minutes to the next stop.....in TAIZHONG! Hahahahahah so we went to Taizhong, took some rebel pics (oh man so rebel lol #mishlife) and then headed back to zhunan. I LOVE ADVENTURES!

btw we will never live that one down. forever the 壞妹 (means rebel sisters lol)

Made it to 頭份 safe and sound and I don't have words to tell you how much I love this city, the people here, and my comp Sister Olsen!!! Here's all you need to know/all I have time for :')

1. Sister Olsen is a real-life angel. The most Christlike, loving, gentle, kind, and fun-loving person. And such an amazing and dedicated missionary! Oh and I met her sister in a class in college so we got that connection. Also many other (almost frightening) connections including: her dad is a podiatrist. We have the same nuts. (Mama, do you remember how you sent me those Orchard Valley Harvest nuts? Well her mom sent her some too...#orchardvalleyharvest hahahahah) Also Ryan (my cousin) went to homecoming or prom or something with Sister Olsen's sister so basically we were DESTINED to serve together. I AM SO GRATEFUL seriously this is going to be the best transfer ever!!

2. The members in 頭份 are incredible. They are literally asking us how to help their friends get to know Jesus Christ! We have been doing tons of member work and it is really inspiring me to see how they would give anything to help their friends find the joy they have found. It is so amazing!! We are meeting with a member and one of his friends on Tuesday. She is a woman who recently got divorced and has a 1 year old daughter and is having a really rough time. Please pray for her!

3. The work in the countryside is soooooooo WORLDS different than the city and I have served in the city my entire mission. I can't explain the feeling of being able to see more of the sky and to breathe fresher air and to see GRASS! Can you believe it....grass!!! I love this area so much and I find myself feeling extremely refreshed and grateful that Heavenly Father has given me the opportunity to serve here. The work is so different and the feeling and everything! It is crazy to think that I lived at such a fast pace of life the past 7 months. I don't think I even realized what a hippy I was till I got here and saw all the green!! (it is a lot different than the google images hehe) and oh man the people here. Always the people! They are so humble. I really really love 頭份 and I really really love Sister Olsen and I really really love being a missionary and sharing the gospel every single day. #感動

4. I have gotten really REALLY white (no I'm not using bleach don't worry) 

5. We had 3 investigators at church on Sunday which was huge!!! (apparently the area has been struggling in finding and teaching and getting people to church)

6. We are currently working with members on 8 different referrals!!

7. Sister Olsen and her mom have a teacup collection just like my mom and I <3 :')

8. We ate eggs cooked in brown sugar water

9. Our investigator TINA got baptized and our mission president, President Jergensen, baptized her!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! I got to skype her since I wasn't able to travel back to Taipei and man I wish everyone could have seen how happy and bright her smile was. Her testimony is so strong and she has the light of Christ in her eyes!

Well I love you all so much! I could never tell you enough how much I love this gospel or our Savior Jesus Christ! It is so exciting to see huge changes in people and the changes in their smile and faces. It's so real and it's so beautiful.

all the love,

sista 莫

WEEK 46!!!!!!!

mochi

This week revolved around dogs. And God;)

We somehow started a bunch of conversations about the good news through dogs. Have I told you about dogs in Taiwan? Dogs in Taiwan have a higher quality of life than yellow labs in America. They have strollers that have cushions in them and sun shades. I am actually contemplating starting an Insta named "dogs of taiwan" when I get home if insta is still in. But for now this weekly update will have to do of 3 special contestants for greatest dog in Taiwan. (spoiler alert: mochi wins). 

Besides dogs, this week Tina has reset her baptismal date! it was originally going to be on the 25th of February but she has been praying to know if she should change the date to be sooner. Well on Saturday, we had her attend another baptismal service with us and right after the service she turns to me and says, "Sister Armstrong I want to be baptized on the 12th." YES TINA!!!!!! I asked her why and she said she knows she is ready to keep learning of and coming unto Jesus Christ as well as having a new start with remission of sins. Tina is so humble and Christ-like and wow I wish I could introduce all y'all to Tina!! 

What else what else? Transfers are coming up this Thursday! I have been reflecting a lot on how much my life has changed since being transferred to XinAn last September. I have been in this area for a pretty long time and it is so amazing to see the Lord's hand at work In my own life, in the lives of our investigators and in the lives of the members. I really believe XinAn (and Taiwan in general of courseee) has some of the most prepared people in the world and the members are always introducing friends to the church. I love this area so much! It feels like a second home:') I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in our lives and the chance that we have to feel His love every single day. I am grateful for the scriptures and for daily prayer and that through such simple things, we can develop a relationship with Heavenly Father! I have come to know that there is not anything we can do that Jesus Christ's Atonement is unable to help us get through. All that is required is humility and faith and through that all things are possible! 

go to church

eat ur veggies

pet dogs

read the scriptures

hug your 媽

hug your 爸

祈禱

xoxox

莫

this is michelle 

finding through mochi

besitos 吻

this is peepee

YAYA it's 鄭卉莙 <3 she got baptized on 12/31 and I will be 

going to the temple with her this Saturday to do baptisms!!

Week 45: 恭喜發財

傳dat教! in action》

大家好早安！

新年快樂

恭喜發財

過年就是台灣最棒的季節

大家都在一起

一起吃飯！

在台灣每個人很尊敬家庭

我很愛台灣

是最棒的!

(只是缺乏你們 ;) )

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! As we were biking around the city this past week, we said "恭喜發財" and people happily yell it back, meaning "congratulations get rich!" 

I am loving this season and loving sharing the gospel during such a family-centered holiday! We have had some amazing miracles this week with bringing our investigators to qingke's with us. (qingke= being invited to someone’s home to be fed) Last night we invited a woman named Tina to bike to a qingke with us! She rented a U-bike and did the 30 minute bike ride with us out to 吳興街  Something that I love about Tina is that she observes and thinks before she speaks. Like you can tell she is thinking and pondering and then when she feels like she needs to say something she says it. It’s inspiring! Tina’s baptism is coming up on February 25!! 

A few nights ago 陳宇刪 came to the 季家庭 (the Ji family) with us for lunch. The Ji family is amazing! They opened their home and completely loved and welcomed 陳宇刪.  Something to know about 陳宇刪 is that her parents passed away during the New Year 8 years ago and she is the only child. So every New Year season has been painful since it's a holiday where the whole family gets together. I’m grateful that Heavenly Father put us in each others paths at this time so that she could find hope through the gospel and just feel some love and support. She kept commenting what an amazing family the Ji family. They really are such a great example of how we are all God's children, no matter if we know each other that well or not, and how everyone needs and deserves love.

Here's a few of the latest happenings:

1. My sleeping patterns according to my companions: Our smoke alarm went off in the middle of the night last night but I 100% absolutely did not hear it.  Apparently I didn't even move. This morning my comps said they were worried about  me because of how hard I sleep hahaha THANK GOODNESS FOR COMPANIONS! (there was no fire, the batteries just needed changed). Sister Watson she could hear me talking in my sleep in Chinese.  Apparently, I was yelling but just saying normal conversational things.  My comps said this wasn’t the first time it’s happened hahah

2. The Deep Clean: One Chinese New Year tradition is everyone deep cleans their homes. Gets rid of all the junk, scrub it down, scrub it deep. So President Jergensen (actually it was probably more Sister Jergensen haha) went along with this tradition and all missionaries stayed in Friday night and all day Saturday to deep clean their apartments. BUT joke's on us because our apartment is HUGE, so we called in the troops (the other sisters in our area) and will be cleaning all day today!  

Well I love all of you over there in the land of fresh broccoli and Bath and Body Works!  I know the gospel is true, that Jesus Christ wants us to know Him and the plan that God has for us.

xoxo 

莫姊妹

A view from above! (usually I'm a part of that traffic:D )

Writing New Years notes to our members & investigators

FRESH BROCCOLI #broccoli 

I have not had a piece of unsteamed/uncooked brocccoli on my mission until this point

CHINESE NEW YEAR FEAST 吳家庭<3

 lil asian peace signs ALWAYS

deep cleaning the fried gluten from our apartment. face mask required

WARNING to all Americans with gluten phobia

HueiJyun

This is an email HueiJyun sent to us (Hailey’s family). She is the girl in the center of the photo that Hailey taught the gospel to and helped her apply for BYU...the one she mentioned in her last email about being roommates with when she returns back to school. 

Hello sistar莫 father and mother

I'm HueiJyun Jheng鄭卉珺,I'm Taiwanese.  I'm so lucky to know your daughter ,because of her I know many things about the church,and I'm  already baptized at December 31,2016 ,I'm a church member in 萬大支會,maybe in the future I will application the university about Brigham young -Provo ,sorry my English is so bad ,the grammar is wrong ,but I still want to talk about my thanks.

Week 44: Happy Chinese New Year

Hi friends & family! <3 

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!! This past week has had that feeling of excitement that you get when you feel Christmas coming. New Year is the most important holiday to the Taiwanese and it has been soo much fun getting to be involved in such a rich culture during this holiday! So what happens during 過年 is that everyone gets together with their family. Most people return to their grandparent's home and it's a big happy gathering of aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters...everyone!! And what do they do together? Well if you haven't noticed, the Taiwanese know how to EAT. So it is a huge celebration with a GINORMOUS meal and happiness. (ok weird it almost sounds exactly like Thanksgiving from that description but just trust me it's worlds different hehe)

The people here are so family-centered and it is amazing to see how much they love and respect family. You can talk to anyone on the street about family and it will easily turn into a 30 minute conversation about the importance of family/family stories/family goals/etc. I have learned a lot from the Taiwanese and have been reflecting on how much they have helped me grow. They are so excited to hear the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ because so many people here truly want to do better for themselves and their families. These people are so Christ-like! I feel like so many of my prayers are answered through people on the street and in the ways that Heavenly Father has prepared them to hear His message. 

One of the coolest miracles of someone being prepared by the Lord happened yesterday! The last hour of church was just starting and we got a call from the elders attending the 11 o'clock ward. They said our investigator Tina/ 張藝 was there, sitting in the front!! Okay this is HUGE because 1) she told us she would be out of town the past weekend and 2) she hasn't been keeping commitments superrr well. A bit of background: we met with her last Thursday and we had a whole lesson planned out. But the Spirit definitely directed that lesson because we ended up focusing solely on the Sabbath day and how crucial it is to developing faith. She never told us she was coming to church, she just showed up!!!!! AH! And when we asked her why she was there she said, "I didn't go on the trip because I wanted to come to church." Wowowowwow this is a huge step of progress and act of faith and I can't describe how happy or proud we are of her! Please keep praying for her! We love TINA! (also we are teaching her in English now because she actually grew up in Canada and she said she understands a lot better in English so it's been really different but really cool to teach the gospel in our native language!)

I have been super inspired by Tina this week because she taught me how important it is to sacrifice and put in the effort to act on our faith. We are taught in scriptures that faith without works is dead so what is "works"?  Before my mission I definitely didn't understand all the effort that God requires of us but at the same time the beautiful simplicity of Jesus Christ's teachings. We have to continually study and ponder and pray and if we do that every day, we will be continually growing closer and closer to Him! I never really thought I could find so much joy in my life or in my relationship with God and I know I still have so much work to do. There's a funny quote I remembered finding on Pinterest a while back that I have been thinking about lately. It has to do with health/fitness (you know those "health/fitness" pinterest boards that every girl has next to the "baking" board lol u know) but I'm gonna relate it to our spiritual growth and development in a very vague manner so bear with me a sec haha. The quote says something like, "no one really knows how good our bodies were designed to feel" implying that we have all this potential to get healthier and feel much better/more energy. And as I have been thinking about the changes that a closer relationship with God and Jesus Christ has brought to my life, I have been thinking about how we don't even know how much happiness the Lord has waiting for us! Maybe we go to church every Sunday and read the scriptures and pray because it's just something we have always done. But I know for sure that we are unaware of all the joy that Heavenly Father has designed for us to have in this life, simply because we aren't putting in the effort and intent He requires of us. He is just waiting for us to act in faith so that He can bless us! The God of the Universe has a plan for each one of our lives but we gotta put a bit of effort forward because unless we make things happen, truly trying to align ourselves with His will, our lives will come and pass and we will have never come close the potential or the happiness that was achievable if we'd only used more faith and acted. 

I'm so pumped by the fact that we never have to be stagnant in this life! There is so much potential in this world and Jesus Christ and His gospel help us reach goals and mold our lives in ways we can never do on our own. I love you and here's your weekly encouragement from me that you can do it! You have a loving God and Jesus Christ waiting to help you (and also me if you need me hehe). GO GO GO--->

神祝福你們

加油加油！

我超愛你們

love always,

莫姊妹

p.s. I got a nickname this week: 莫豆豆！it's my surname "mo" and then the two other characters are "dou" which means bean. So I am "mo dou dou" or mo bean bean (#laurawhereyouat)

p.p.s. Taiwan culture tip of the week: it's more expensive to buy nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc), than it is to get an MRI at the hospital in Taiwan. just let that sink in

To prepare for guonian we cut out a bunch of "chun" character's from traditional red paper (chun means spring and is a symmetrical character!).  It's the equivalent of cutting out snowflakes. We are planning to deliver them to all our church members this week!

WE WENT TO MAOKONG!  look up maokong gondola's..this is what we did last pday!

in a little bubble in the sky! ^-^ happy as a clam

i. love. taiwan.

mis compañitas! i love these 2

sharing the gospel through taking photos with fashionable ama's<3

it's the seeesters

3 generations of banana spiders: a tiny baby, the mom, and the skeleton of the ama spider #fearnospider

btw the baby spider you see (if you can even find it :P )  is bigger than any house spider I have ever seen...just for scale

Week 43: HELLO and happy 5:00 am from Taiwaaaaannnnn.

你好  Nǐ hǎo

  

:D I am emailing early early today because we are going to the temple and then to the gandola's in maokong! (look it up! srsly!) I am so sorry but I really don't have too much time for a weekly email! Here's a quick miracle from this week: 

ANNIE/林姐妹! We started talking to Annie on the street on our way to lunch on Friday. She walked right up to us and said "hi I read the Bible!" We talked briefly with her about the bible but she was in a hurry to get to class. We asked her if she had time after class that we could talk more and she set up with us for 5:30 pm the same day! She really loves God and talked about how much He has helped her in her life:')  We gave her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read it and she seemed excited about it. SO CUTE! We told her it was God's words too and that she could learn more about Jesus Christ through reading it. She told us, "I think this is another book of God's help". YES ANNIE YOU'RE SO RIGHT! 

The tripan is going well! Literally every day is like 3 musketeers taking on Taipei city and it's a party hahah I think we have too much fun *insert sassy hand emoji* I am always in amazement that the Lord has given us this life and that He has provided everything we need to find joy in it! The thing though is that we will never be able to find lasting happiness through the world but only through Him. 

祝你們平安快樂！

我超愛你們

下次見^_^

 all my 心 

seester mo

It's Sister Barber! She is the one I met at the store the day before I went into the MTC and we both found out that we would be serving in Taipei City :D SO good to see her.

101 building in the background

We met this man at Elephant Mountain and he introduced himself as follows: "I am Bond. James Bond. That is my English name."

I organized a workout class! It's the Bikini Body guide thing and literally every night at least one of them will call asking us if we are "bikini bodying" the next morning hahahah I LOVE IT

I FOUND A PENNY!!!!!!! This is Penny from ZhongHe (my first area) and I have missed her SO MUCH!  SO MUCH LOVE FOR PENNY! LOOK AT HER. SO SMALL. SO CUTE.SO PENNY

please look at this child. . .hair is on POINT

did i tell you that i love penny?

A message from my best friend  卉珺  She sent the sweetest email and the google translation is absolutely terrible! She wants to get into BYU and I told her she is rooming with me if she does. I love her so much!! (p.s. taiwan has the cutest photo apps)

Hi 莫姐妹我是卉珺

謝謝你每個禮拜都會打電話關心我

也謝謝你教了我很多的東西

感謝天父讓我認識你跟饒姐妹

感謝天父還沒讓妳搬家

讓我還有機會可以看到你

真的很希望你可以在傳教上很順利

我希望妳能每天都很開心

雖然傳教很辛苦，但是感覺你們很快樂

希望我也能有機會考上楊百翰跟妳當室友

我很愛妳也很謝謝天父讓我有你這麼好的朋友

Week 42: 大家好

大家好！ hello hello! 

We will just get right into this email by saying that this week we got stood up because of a cat. We set up with one of our investigators, Corrie, for Saturday night and we called her on Friday night to make sure she could still come the next day and she was like "sisters I am so sorry but I can't come because my cat." and we were all thinking GOOD ONE CORRIE but said "..oh, what's going on with your cat?" and she goes on to explain to us that her cat, Koko, is passing a kidney stone and they had already been to 2 different doctors. And then Corrie started crying because she loves her cat so much and loves all the animals in the world! Ah such a good heart she has;) We love Corrie and we love Koko. Lessons learned-

1. sometimes excuses to not meet with us are legit

2. if you need some comfort, Koko the cat had a worse week than you did

3. #ilovealltheanimalsinthewholewideworld

The work here in XinAn is going as good as ever and this past week we met a bunch of people who want to meet with us! yesssss Specifically we met a mom and her 9 year old daughter on our way to dinner one night. We talked with her and found out that she had met a bunch of missionaries before just on the street/in passing. But after chatting a bit with her and asking if she would like to learn more she told us, "Usually I say no but for some reason I feel like I need to learn more about Jesus Christ right now." We met with her and her daughter 3 days later and will again tomorrow! I think my favorite thing on the mission is seeing the changes that the gospel of Jesus Christ causes in people. For 何 mama and meimei it was hope brought by knowing that they are God's children and can be together forever. It is the joy and hope and relief that comes through repenting and the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes people change and it is beautiful to see how people who have felt guilt and pain for years humbly turn to Jesus Christ for relief. I found this quote this past week during studies, “Hope and Healing are not found in the dark abyss of secrecy but in the light and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”—Sister Carole M. Stephens, “The Master Healer”

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I have grown up knowing this gospel but not until coming on this mission did I start to understand more fully the depth and power of Jesus Christ's gospel and His sacrifice. There is always more to learn about the Savior. There is always love and patience and kindness to work on. There are experiences every day that we can recognize and improve and all because Jesus Christ has felt the pain and the happiness that every one of us has felt. Turn to Him! How can we and why would we settle with being where we are? Change is hard sometimes but if God has promised us that he has more happiness and joy waiting than we can imagine, why would we not just try? No matter if we are in a trial or life is going superb, there is always more joy that God has waiting for us! He just wants us to use a lil bit of faith and turn to Him. I love the gospel. I am so happy I get to share it every single day and see the happiness that Jesus Christ brings people. This gospel gives hope and happiness and purpose and forgiveness. I LOVE IT!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-00-1420-because-of-him?lang=eng

xoxo mo 

PICS

It's ZoE!!! (we are gonna travel the world together post mish)

ma people--> XinAn ward mini party!

this is my favorite picture. ENJOY

WEEK 41: Wrapping up 2016 and a fre$h $tart

Welp my child Sister Rhynard moved out into the world (moved to ShiLin!) and I am taking over the land of XinAn! I will miss her and am so grateful for all the memories and work we were able to do together in XinAn the past 12 weeks. I have been here since the end of September and will be here for another 6 weeks so it's safe to say this place feels like a 2nd home:') 

Who are my companions though? Oh how the turn tables....

I have TWO: Sister Watson and my MTC companion Sister Langley!

Back to the trio and I am so excited for a new year, new transfer, and new fresh start. Happy 2017 everyone!!

I have been pondering the year of 2016 a lot and I think it is safe to say it was the best year of my life. I started the first couple months of 2016 by spending incredible time with the people I love most and then headed off on this adventure of sharing the gospel in Taiwan! I have never felt so close to my Savior than I did this year. Lesson learned: Heavenly Father has so much more in store for our lives than we could ever achieve on our own and the happiness He gives is extremely different than the happiness the world can give. And the greatest ending to the best year of my life *drum roll please*  鄭卉捃 was baptized on 12/31!! I have no way to describe to you how amazing it is to see people changing their lives through Jesus Christ. Watching the process from beginning until when they are being baptized is the most beautiful and strengthening experience. I love the Savior and I love this gospel and the Book of Mormon and that I get to share this message everyday!

not gonna lie most of the time I think the hardest part of the mission is writing weekly emails...!!!!

hahaha #strugglebus

Lastly I will tell you my word of the year for 2017! In a family home evening a while back, my mama had us pick a word that would be our motto for that year and this year I picked the word "sacrifice". I have learned so much about sacrifice through our Savior and it is something that I want to study more. But basically every single day in every situation we have the opportunity to sacrifice what we want in order to serve others and serve the Lord. Tell me your words of the year! I hope everyone can make a goal this year to learn more about Jesus Christ. The joy that comes from doing so will change your life. kisseeeesss

xoxo 

hermana 莫

Photos

ZHENG JM BAPTISM<3<3

mis companitos! Sister Watson & Sister Langleyyy

S T E L L A

AP'S being super annoying and made us go to the mission office to figure out where we were going this transfer and who our comps were

got reunited with mom and baby #3generations :'))))))

Our investigator Sophie!!! She invited us to her insane 2nd home in the mountains and we hung out with her last P-day

breakfast at tiffany's? (never seen that movie but i feel like this is breakfast at tiffany's)

she made us lunchies

i love 山

hunger games prep with Sophie

AM I KATNISS YET

On the way to Sophie's house! (in XinDian) *heart eye emoji*