"If I don't move, perhaps the missionaries will disappear......"

Dear Mum and the World (I've decided to address the world as a whole, considering the fact that I don't want to disclude anyone or anything that happens to read my updates.  I love you all!),

Well, it’s beginning to look like Christmas..... Well.... not really...  Christmas isn't really celebrated here in Taiwan, and it's mostly seen as a foreigner holiday.  Sure some people decorate (very very seldom though), but they don't know why...  There are some churches who do do activities though, including our church, which does kind of give us the Christmas spirit.... but here, for missionaries at least, the Christmas spirit is more of just a Christ spirit.  We continue doing what we always do. We serve Christ through our work, and what better way is there to give a present to the King of Kings?

This upcoming week will be really busy though, since we get to attend our missionary Christmas activity that includes the whole mission, and we also will be attending the stake and ward Christmas activities, which should be fun.  We are also going to be "ching-ed" by the members (taken out to dinner) a lot... and man, most of them are choosing to take us to chi-dao-baos (eat till fulls) that are very very expensive and a bit overwhelming.... Because if you know Taiwan people.... They can put a ton of food in their almost nonexistent stomachs and waistlines...

Anyways, this week, we had signs of having a white Christmas!  Well... not the white Christmas that all of you are thinking of.... more of like the Taiwan White Christmas in which everything outside looks white from our apartment windows due to the fog/smog/air pollution/ wu ran.....  yup... not very appealing... especially when you know you have to go outside and be in it all day long.... yum....

So, this week was pretty fun/normal/abnormal/really really fast.  It started off on Monday shopping in a market (which we found by accident).  IT was super fun! There were a lot of people and a lot of clothes to buy and such.  Sister Schultz and I bought really cute bags that are water proof and can turn into shoulder bags or back packs.  They are super cute!  Anyways, we thought it was so fun, we went back this morning so we could actually get pictures.  We took pictures of the food part of the market, which was an experience in itself as well. :)

On Wednesday, we had an adventure of sorts.  We went to one of our secondary areas called Wen Dan.  It's very shang xia, which in other words is very country ish.  There is still a lot of people who live there, but it's less busy and big like Ping Dong City is.  We didn't have much success in finding people out there....  In fact, many people knew exactly who we were and wouldn't give us the light of day.  One of the funniest door contacting stories occurred out there though.  There was a woman who was cleaning her windows from the inside, and so we went to go ring her bell.... well... as soon as we rang the bell, she turned into a statue!  Even when we were waving at her and calling greetings to her she did not move.... I don't know if she thought that if she didn't move we wouldn't see her... or what.... but we were really confused and didn't leave for a couple of minutes.... She didn't move an inch!  We couldn't stop laughing after we left. :P Haha! Poor lady!

Thursday was not very good.... kind of really boring.... Sister Schultz was really sick, and we couldn't leave the appartment.  We think she caught a food virus or something.... Anyways, while she rested and such... I was left to doing whatever I could do in the apartment.... which meant calling a lot of phones.... I don't think I've ever calling so many phones in my life!!!!  I about went mad!  I still haven't gotten over my anxiety over phones... but I'm a lot better than I was!

On Friday the biggest thing that happened was the fact that we had a very very awesome lesson with Chen JM, our Chinese (like from China) investigator.  We had planned to teach just about the Plan of Salvation (Lesson 2), but ended up teaching about the Gospel of Christ (Lesson3) as well, since she just kept leading into it with her questions.  She just understands everything!  And she apparently really likes the Plan of Salvation because she likes the idea of progressing at every step and she really wants to go to the Celestial kingdom!  She is also really open to the idea of baptism, so.... Hopefully we have a baptism soon! We haven't had one for a while, but that's okay.  These people just need to be prepared, you can't just throw them into the water and hope that they'll be solid in the gospel afterwards.

Saturday wasn't a very happy day for me.... because.... the rain returned!  I hate the rain when I have to bike.... it makes me wet and cold.... and it makes my mosquito bites hurt.... but it's all worth it for the work of the Lord! We chose that day to go into one of our secondary areas as well (Chang Zhi), so we had a lot of biking... but that's okay, it wasn't too bad.  The morning was good though.  We had our investigator Family (Zhang Family) take us to a Japanese noodle place.  They ordered really really spicy soup for us, since we said we like spicy.  I was fine, for the most part.  But Sister Schultz swallowed some of it wrong and her eyes started tearing up and she was bright red! Haha! It was very very yummy.... but next time I think we'll order the Curry noodle soup instead....

Sunday was CRAZY! And so awesome!  We had 7 investigators come to church!  7!!!!! Granted, 4 of them were there for a school project since they had to talk to foreigners and interview them, but they stayed for all 3 hours of church.  On Saturday we also had other students who attended a baptism so they could also have interviews with us afterwards.  Perhaps the Lord is working with the schools to have people come in contact with our church. Haha!  But it's great to meet them, and it's nice for them to see what our church is like.  Hopefully they'll come back one day for an activity or English Class or even for church!

Anyways, having so many investigators at church was truly a miracle!  We've been seeing many other miracles in our work, such as being introduced to really golden investigators, lately.  And none of them are actually coming directly through our own efforts.  We keep trying so hard to find new investigators through contacting or service, but we've had zilch! Nada! Zero!  Instead, most of our new people are coming because of member referrals or from just showing up one day because they came to English class once before.... 

I really believe that the Lord gives us many miracles every day. And when we are doing his work or when we are doing what he wants us to do, he gives us even more!  The Lord is a very loving Father and he is willing to help and reward us when we exercise faith and do what is right. 

Sometimes it's hard to see why we have to do something, such as follow a commandment or go through a hard trial when we can't see the benefits out right.  Sometimes we try to make deals with God, telling him that if he lets us have the blessings now, or if he gives us a sure sign that things will turn out right, then we'll do what he asks.  But in fact, it's the other way around.  In Ether 12:6 it reads:"faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

So have faith, and follow the will of the Lord.  I know, that the promises in the scriptures are true.  That if we keep His commandments, the windows of heaven will be opened unto us, and that we will have the blessings of heaven pour out upon us.  I know that the only way of increasing in faith is to exercise it.  So if you are facing a trial, or if you are having problems keeping commandments, have faith.  Read 1 Nephi 3:7.  Pray. Act.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas season, and that you might feel the warmth of the Spirit in your hearts.  Don't forget the true meaning of CHRISTmas! Love you!!!

Love, Sister Peng

...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