Baptism!!!

1). Way are your plans for the day?

umm.... eat shaved ice.... and shop.... I want to buy some summer dresses.  I'm too hot wearing all of these sweaters!

2) what specifically is Kathy feeding you?  I know it's Vietnamese food.  But what things exactly? Ae you loving Vietnamese food?

Umm.... We had Pho and we had other stuff that I don't know what there name is.  Next week we are eating spring rolls!  Also, we found a really yummy Vietnamese food place that has pretty good prices. :D

3). Is Kathy still a strong investigator?

Yeah, though she is still not willing to go forward with baptism till she get's an answer from God... Which is a good thing.  And also she is super busy this month and the next with her master's degree and traveling.

4). Is your mission ever planning on going online and getting mini iPADs?

We have a few missionaries on FB.  And I'm not sure about iPads, though I saw an elder with one the other day.... I think they are test driving things to see if it's effective.  I would love to be on FB, because I have some people in Ping Dong I want to keep in touch with and work with.

5). Are your thoughts in English or Chinese?  Do you dream in Chinese or English?

Both and both. It's just easier to do everything in chinglish

6)  Violet wants to know whether you have met any cute elder missionaries there.

Ummm.... they are elders.... so.... I haven't been noticing. :P

7). Are you still staying healthy?  How do you like the  exercise programs that I sent you?

Well, I cant do most of the exercises, because they would make our downstairs neighbor complain.  She already things my morning yoga is a bit too much (I pretty much just do planks and read Ensign articles...... ) She says we are too noise and we shouldn't wake up so early or go to bed so late....

8). Any new things that you find that you enjoy about Tainan?  Is it growing it you yet?

I like Tainan.  There are some awesome people, and I like the parks and the food.

*******************************

Dear Mum, fam, and friends,

Well, Zao An!  Good morning!  I hope all of you are having a good day.  This morning was a bit frustrating (we had to mail in a baptismal record and the post office was busy.......) but we finally have the chance to come and email.  I am especially happy right now since I have a nice glass of passion fruit juice.  For those of you who have never had passion fruit it's sweet and sour and it's middle is filled with seeds that you eat (like a pomegranate) and they look like frog eggs.  But seriously, it's very enjoyable. :D

Anyways, this week was great.  It went by super quick and so everything still feels like a blur.  So I'll try and at least report one thing from each day (and I'll report more if more needs to be shared.)

Monday was relaxing... ba... Sister Park and I were on the lookout for a pink skirt (Sister Park wants an outfit to match a pair of interesting shoes a member gave to her, but to no avail.  Ah well, I bought a super awesome pair of pants that you can only find in Taiwan or Indonesia because they are so interesting....  And they were only about $6! Yay!  So that made me happy.  Also, I got to cook, which always makes me happy.  I also sent a package home, which Mom says already arrived?  If so, that was really fast.... O.o  So that made me happy, hope you all can feel my love, though I wasn't able to send that much stuff....

On Tuesday we had a Zone Conference in which we got to go to Jia Yi (about an hour north) and have a meeting with the Jia Yi Zone and President and Sister Blickenstaff.  That was really fun.  They finally gave us new rule books, since they've been changing rules up the ying yang.... not really, but it's just nice to keep things updated. :)  Also, they shared a lot on the importance of making ourselves reach for higher expectations and also the importance of working with members.  But my favorite part... was.... LUNCH! Haha!  We had Costco Pizza and Beef wraps (If I remember correctly it's kind of like the Chicken bakes at Costco...) It was sooo yummy! Though by time we ate dinner, I was still full and felt guilty about eating anything not healthy, so I ended up eating a salad at 7-11.  Also, after the Conference my companion expressed to me her frustration at not being able to totally understand whenever we have meetings since she can't have things translated into Korean and when she listens to Chinese translations she has to really focus and she only understands half of what is being said.  I keep trying to think about how I can help her...  I've been translating our DTM's and ZTM's for her.... but I know she still gets frustrated... so.... we're still working on that....

We met with an investigator named Li JM who is very awesome.  She met with missionaries about 3 years ago and passed a baptismal interview, but wasn't baptized due to her mother fandui-ing (opposing). So, now we are just reviewing with her and trying to figure out how to help change her mom's mind.  Her mom is Christian, but doesn't want Li JM to be baptized until after she is out of school and married....  We're trying to invite the mom to church.... but Li JM also can't come to church since she is busy with school and work....  So we are praying that we'll find out how to remedy both of these challenges.  Also, we had English.  English was okay.... everyone knows how I feel about teaching English.... Ah well, I just keep pressing forward and do what the Lord wants me to do to serve... I learned something in last week's English class though.  It was about how to spell the word: exercise.  I always misspell that word....But thanks to a Chinese to English dictionary I can now spell it correctly. Haha!

Thursday.... I don't remember much exciting things happened....  Oh! We met with a Qiu JM who is an inactive member and she said she could come to church.... and she did! Yay!  Most of the time she says she can come and then she doesn't.... so that was a miracle. :D  

Friday was nice.  We had a great lesson with an investigator, Chen JM.  She's pretty much had all the lessons, and so we went over with a member and shared about how the gospel blesses families.  Chen JM doesn't come to church because her husband is only home on Saturday and Sunday due to work in Taipei.  She feels if she goes to church her husband will feel like he doesn't get to see her.  He's gone to church with her before, but he didn't really like it.... so... we are trying to find out ways to get him to come to activities so he can start making friends with ward members and to introduce him to the gospel....  Also, we met with Su JM, who is a less active.  She is AMAZING! She's pretty much active now, she just needs a calling!  We shared about Temples, which made me miss going to the temple... I can't wait till I have the chance to go... but I might have to wait a long time for that, since I'm too far south in the mission to go.... I have to move north in order to be able to go to the temple in Taipei.  I'm pretty much one of the only missionaries who has been out for longer than 6 months who hasn't had the chance to go to the temple yet.... sad....  Ah well, it makes me so much more grateful to live close to a temple in Utah.  I am hoping to go to the temple once a week when I get back!

Saturday was FANTASTIC!  We were sooo busy!  And we had a BAPTISM!  I was sooo happy to finally have a baptism!  Though, I know that I had nothing to do with the success of Huang JM being baptized.  There were other missionaries before Sister Park and me and also, her husband has been waiting for about 20 years for this event to occur.  Huang JM was so happy and she kept crying.  It was so awesome that her whole family could be there, including her son who is serving as a missionary in Taipei (he came down to baptize her).  All of the talks were about how their family, after a year, can go to the temple to be sealed!!!!  I am sooo excited for them!  And I know that Huang JM will be truly blessed for her decision to follow the example of the Savior. :D

Sunday was great as well.  We got to go to church and see Huang JM be confirmed as a member of the church and receive the Holy Ghost!  She was crying and smiling and the ward was so happy that she finally joined them as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. :D  Also on Sunday we got to meet with Anna (a less active who is Brazilian) and Kathy (who is from Vietnam).  It always makes me laugh to think of us missionaries (an American and a Korean) sharing the gospel with people who are also not native to Taiwan using Chinese.  Sometimes it's a struggle and we don't really know what we are all saying, but the spirit is always present.  I've really learned the importance of the universal language of the Spirit and of Love.  So it doesn't really matter that our Chinese isn't up to par, or isn't fluent.  All that matters is that we have the spirit in every lesson and that we truly believe in the Gospel.  :)

Oh, also on Sunday, Gravity decided to remind me of its presence.... I biffed it on my bike after my foot slipped off the pedal (my pedals have no traction) while I was "bike running" (standing up and pedaling.)  I was trying to catch up with my companion who left when I was still putting on my safety gear (she often forgets about me when we are biking.  Sometimes, if I can't go because of a stop light or because of cars she just keeps on going... and going... and going... and going.... She's not used to being in front and leading... ah well).  Ah well, my knee and calf just got scrapped up a little bit, and nothing else was injured.  :D

Sorry, I'm not sure my heart is really in this email today.  I'm a bit tired and also my elbow is very very itchy due to a mosquito bite.... 

So for my spiritual thought today I recommend you all read an article called It's Better to Look Up.  I read it this morning and I thought it was pretty good.  When we are in times of trial, it is better to exercise our faith and Look Up to our Father instead of allowing ourselves be dragged down into the pits of despair and self-pity.  Life wasn't meant to be easy.  It was meant to try us and help us grow.  By relying on the Lord we are able to see our true potentials as his children.  He will not give us a trial that we cannot overcome.  But some of the trials are impossible to overcome without his help and his guidance.

Well, this email is shorter than most, sorry, I can't focus.  But before I go, I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS TO JARED for being BAPTIZED!!!! I am sooo happy for you!!!!  CTR!!!!

Anyways, that's about it! I love you all!  Be strong! Live True! And Always "Look Up"!

Love, Sister Peng