...And Sister Peng Was Transferred to............?

Dear Mom, family, and friends,

Good morning! Or evening or afternoon.... wherever you are....  :D  Greetings from........Drum roll please!..... Ping Dong!  I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, "Wait.... I thought you were moving?  Isn't Ping Dong where you were?"  And you would be correct!  I didn't end up moving after all!

So, this week was crazy!  Ever since last week's Saturday night when President Blickenstaff called us telling me that I would be moving, and Sister Schultz that she would become trainer, everything has been very very busy/emotional/crazy/tiring/etc... I spent the first part of the week doing missionary work, packing, and saying goodbye to people.  And our short amount of time was made even shorter due to traveling to different meetings (one of which was three hours away by train for Sister Schultz's training), and because we also had a lot of preparation to do for the English Party we had on Wednesday.

I was super sad at the thought of having to leave Ping Dong, but I finally got myself prepared (emotionally and physically) to leave my first area.  Sister Schultz also was preparing stressing out and getting excited for her new step as a trainer....  And then in the middle of all this, two of the elders in our district got a call saying that they would be both moved out of the area and that Ping Dong will only be having 4 missionaries as opposed to the 6 that they've had for about a year....  So they were also having a stressful week trying to say good bye and transfer all of their records over to the other elders in Ping Dong.... So we were all kind of scrambled this week...

(Hey, but at least our English Party went pretty smoothly!  The Elders did a wonderful job putting together most of it.  Also, we wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the members.  So thanks to them!!!)

Luggage all packed up and ready to go

Well... On Thursday night, when all of us missionaries were eating dinner at an all you can eat Hot Pot with some ward members- it was a kind of good bye dinner for us missionaries who would be leaving- Sister Schultz and I got a call from the Mission President...  Apparently, one of the new incoming sister's visa didn't come through, and so Sister Schultz doesn't need to train this move call.  He said to not unpack my bags (which were packed in anticipation of moving on Friday) because he wasn't sure if I would still move or not on Monday. 

And then, on Friday, the elders learned that Ping Dong will still have 6 missionaries, so they weren't really sure who was going to move or if they were going to move either.... And we were all waiting for Saturday to come along so we could figure out what in the world was going on?!?!?!

Well, on Saturday, we learned that only one missionary will be moving from Ping Dong.  Elder Buckwalter, who wasn't very surprised.  But the ward will be very sad to see him go, because he is a very good missionary.  Anyways, Sunday was a bit funny/awkward/nice.  Many people came up to me and said "Wait? I thought you were moving?"  And then Sister Schultz and I would tell them about what happened.  I felt very loved on Sunday.  People kept hugging me and telling me that I could just spend my whole mission in Ping Dong, and that they didn't want me to leave.

The Nativity

I'm so glad that I still have time in Ping Dong.  I'll be here for Christmas! Which will be great, since these people are pretty much family! Heck, we all look the same! Haha!  I'll also be able to spend more time with Sister Schultz!  I can tell she is a bit disappointed for not training... But I'm glad she isn't.  I don't want to leave quite yet.  I'll have another move call. :)

Anyways, with all of what's happened this week, I've learned that while you are a missionary, prepare for anything and everything to happen.  Changes happen every time you plan something, so always have a backup plan.  And always have a backup plan to your back up plan. :)  You just have to do what the Lord wants you to do, because this is his work and he wants you to do it on his way.

Chinese Santa

And so, kind of on a side note that goes along with my morning studies, I'm going to share a little bit about the importance of being prepared and not procrastinating.  For some reason, we humans love to push things off until tomorrow.  We keep saying how short time is, and how it just flies by, but we are just as quick to say that we'll do things tomorrow....  But what happens when we run out of tomorrows?  When will we ever get anything done?  We delude ourselves into thinking that our time in the future is endless.... And I guess in a sense, it is... But our time to make changes, to improve ourselves is very very short.

In Alma 34:33 it reads "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

Our purpose in this life is to prepare ourselves to one day live with God.  We have been given this time to repent, or in other words change and improve.  I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to set goals for tomorrows.  I want to make changes in my life, but I keep thinking that I need to wait for a tomorrow to make it an official new beginning.... But then when tomorrow comes, I find that I've forgotten the changes I wanted to make.... Or I decide to make those changes... Tomorrow....

But I know that that's not what the Lord, my Heavenly Father would have me do.  He wants me to make those changes NOW.  Not tomorrow, not a week from now... Not at the beginning of a new year even.  He wants all of us change now, so that we may have more time to improve and come unto him.  The sooner we act on the changes we want to make in this life, the sooner we will be able to receive the rewards from those changes.... So why wait?  Change now!

One of these changes that I want to make in my life is getting into the habit of talking to everyone.  I just get to awkward or timid, and I think: "Next time I'll talk to everyone...."  But this week, I've started to push myself to talk to people, and so has Sister Schultz, and we've actually had two new investigators this week, despite the craziness of it all!  And both of them are very solid investigators!  (One of them is from China and has accepted a baptismal date and the other one is only 13 and has already read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover!) I know it's a blessing of the Lord for us trying to make changes in our lives to align ourselves more with his will.  I am grateful for the love and mercy he has for each and every one of us.  And I know that if we want to make a good and worthwhile change in ourselves he is more than willing to help us accomplish our goals.

I'm so grateful for this chance to serve the Lord and for this chance I have to make changes in myself.  I hope that when I return back to Utah, I'll have had made changes here that will stick with me for a life time.  I love this work, and I know it's the Lord's work. 

Pineapple Bread/cake & dragon fruit. 

I hope you are all doing well and that you all are able to see the Lord's hand in your life.  Be strong and of a good courage!  Always be awesome! Always be you!

Bowl of Dragonfruit

Love,
Sister Nicholle Peng

Surprise Transfer Notice!

I was only able to get one of Sister Peng's picture to load.

Hello everyone! 
How is life?  How was Thanksgiving???  I'm doing okay, though a little more stressed than normal....  Because... well... I found out I'm going to be moving on Friday morning!  We got a call on Saturday night at about 10:33 pm from the President Blickenstaff telling Sister Schultz that she would be training in the next move call and consequently I will be moving to a new area.  It was nice of him to call before Sunday so I could say good bye to the ward, but Sister Schultz and I weren't able to sleep all night long! 

I'm so sad I have to move from Ping Dong!  I've really love this area, and all of the people in the area!  I made a ton of friends and the ward is amazing!  But I know that I am needed elsewhere and that it's time for a new sister to be born into the "land of milk and honey".  Anyways, I don't know where I'm moving to yet.  So, I'll have to get back to you all on that next Monday.  For now, Sister Schultz and I are busy trying to figure out how we are going to schedule a whole bunch of meetings (which we have to travel by train to get to), a lot of meal appointments (people who want to say good bye to me, I feel so loved!) and all of our other lessons into a period of 4 days....  Also along with the fact that I have to pack...  It's amazing how things accumulate/spread out after you've lived in an area for 4 months.

Oh, yeah! Today is my 4 month anniversary of being in Taiwan!!!  So crazy!!!  Time flies when you're on a mission!  I also passed my 6 month mark of being a missionary.... weird.... :P

Anyways, this week in itself was very busy/crazy/fun.  Like, it feels like this week should be divided into 2 if not 3 weeks, not 1!  This week started off on Tuesday and Wednesday having Companion Exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, Sister Smith and Sister Ward (who happened to train Sister Anderson and who was just recently also Sister Liu's Companion for half a move call in Taizhong).  I was with Sister Smith up in San Ming for the exchange.  It's always fun doing companion exchanges.  I always end up learning so much!  I feel bad for the STL's though, since they are always traveling because of meetings and because of exchanges.  But Sister Smith and Sister Ward are awesome!  Sister Smith has only a few days left until she goes home! It's so crazy!  Anyways, it was fun being with Sister Smith.  We didn't end up having many lessons (only one) since we were "Fanged" (stood up).  But it was still nice to talk to Sister Smith and get some advice for how I can improve as a missionary.

Then, Thursday was Thanksgiving.  Nothing really happened that was very exciting....  Just the fact that we kept remembering that it was Thanksgiving, and then we started thinking of things we were grateful for, such as Family, the Ping Dong Ward, missionary work, Heavenly Father, Food, Sleep... etc.  And then for dinner we ate Chicken and rice and vegetables... Yup...

But, not to be disappointed about not being in America for Thanksgiving, we had our Mission Tour on Friday, where we did eat a Thanksgiving lunch- massive turkeys and funeral potatoes with frosted flakes all included.  Haha!  Mission Tour was very good.  Very spiritual and very... how do you say.... well, It made us all want to work harder and be better (I think the word I'm looking for is inspirational?)  Elder Funk, who is a general authority spoke to us, along with our mission president.  We also all had to prepare talks in the anticipation of getting called to speak.  I wasn't called, but I was fine with that. :)  Haha!

The topic for the talks was on how we gain spiritual strength as missionaries.  But I think the topic can apply for everyone, since missionaries aren't the only ones who need to increase in spiritual strength. Many missionaries shared on the importance of prayer and reading the scriptures, all of which allow us to councel with the Lord, and plead for his help.  Praying and reading scriptures invites the Spirit into our lives, and they can give us comfort and strength when facing trials and temptations.  Another way to gain spiritual strength that was also shared was the importance of remembering who we are.  Children of God.  And if we truly have faith in him, and we continue to increase in knowledge of him and come closer to him, we will build in our spiritual strength.  We are weak, but through relying on the Lord, we have his strength to be with us, in all things, at all times and in all places.  We can rely on the Lord through being humble and through being obedient to his will, and if we do so, he will strengthen our weaknesses.

So, Mission Tour ended up taking our whole day though.  We left our apartment at 7 in the morning to catch the train.  The conference started at 9 and went till about 3:30, but then Sister Schultz and I had to stay afterwards since she was chosen to have an interview with Elder Funk, along with 5 other missionaries.  So, we didn't get to end up leaving till after 6.  After traveling, we didn't get home till after 8, and at that time we still hadn't eaten dinner... so... Yeah, we only had time to call phones for about 30 minutes and then eat dinner.... So, that day most proselyting was just swept out of the door! It was crazy!

And then, on Saturday we spent most of the day preparing for our ward's Thanksgiving activity, in which they wanted us missionaries to do a performance/play that would describe the story of the first Thanksgiving.  It was super fun to do, though we didn't have time to practice before hand.  It was so funny though, for costumes, we Indians wore Taiwan aboriginal clothing... which isn't really like Native American clothing at all.... But, ah well, it was cool!  We also had a pot luck, for our Thanksgiving dinner.... which wasn't like any Thanksgiving that I've ever had....  There was no rhyme or reason to the dishes... Like... there was a dish where the bottom was tortilla chips smashed into salsa with blueberry bagel pieces on top... which actually ended up pretty good... though it's not really Taiwanese food or American food.... that I know of....  But it was all pretty yummy!

So, aside from all that craziness, missionary work is going as usual.  This week’s lessons were a bit fewer and far between since we were so busy all week.  But, we did have a lot of investigators attend church and our Thanksgiving activity.  This week is bound to be just as crazy.... So, I'd better buckle my seat belt and hold on tight!  Haha!

I hope you all enjoy the pictures (which I'm going to try and download right now), since I haven't uploaded pictures for a few weeks.  Didn't have much opportunities to take pictures until this week....

I love you all! Hopefully you are all having a great week!  Hope you all are full of turkey and happiness!  Miss you!

Oh! Weird! Just remembered that it was December!!!!! WEIRD!!!!

Love you!

Sister Nicholle Peng