October 13th, 2014

I AM STILL ALIVE!! which is a shocker.. haha.

I have so much to tell you all... I don't even know where to start...

I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is here with the Taiwan people and he spent extra time making Taiwan and the cute little Taiwanese people. I have been in love from the moment I stepped off the plane even though this is crazy. Don't get me wrong, Salt lake had its hard things but I found myself very comfortable there. God knew I needed something hard... like really hard... to grow. and boy did he give it to me. haha. I laugh because this week has been literally INSANE. picture this: Little Sister griffin, in a skirt, in a poncho, pouring rain... No, DUMPING RAIN, on a bike, with wind that pushes you over, on the streets of Taiwan (which is comparible to New York) and she is speaking in chinese... yoiu just can't imagine it huh?!? hah... me neither. This is insane!!

I opening an area with Sister Smith in Xinzhu. Sister Smith is that nurses neice!! weird huh dad?!?! (Melece's add in: Doug knows this nurse he works with. She has a niece (Mckenzie) in Taiwan. She has been sending us her letters and Mckenzie talked about becoming a trainer and how excited she was to get her own "baby". We thought it would be cool if she became Shayna's trainer and she did :) She seems like a great missionary, hard worker and a lot like Shayna. They will work great together) We ended training on tuesday and she and I set off on our hour and a half bus ride to Xinzhu! We have no idea where anything is and so we are lost most of the time. haha. She can't read characters yet really and I REALLY can't read characters so we are constantly asking people for directions and getting lost on the streets of XinZhu. It is the funnest thing ever. believe it or not;)

Unless there is a Typhoon... On friday night we were so lost. Like so lost. and it was dumping rain!! I could barely see two feet in front of me on my bike and the traffic was terrible. I actually crashed into Sister Smith because I couldn't see her.. we both were about in tears but kept trying to stay strong and just get home because it was late. there is nothing like pleading with God on the back of your bike.. But he always answers prayers, just as I was about to completely break down in tears, we turned the corner and ran right into our apartment. It definitely was a miracle.

We have had several miracles here.. That night we both were so discouraged and completely drenched while we were planning and the phone rang. It was President Day! Sister Smith panicked a little because he never calls anyone late at night unless something really bad happens.

When we answered the phone he just asked us how we were doing and he had a feeling he needed to call us... God has his hands in all things. We needed love and encouragement that night and president Day was intune enough with the spirit to know that. This is the hardest thing I have ever done.. but I wouldn't be anywhere else. No one can understand me really and I get stumped a lot when people are talking to me but I just know I am going to get this. Because it isn't me.

In personal study yesterday I read about Enoch in the Pearl of Great Price... God took a man slow of speech and that everyone hated and turned him into someone who could make the earth shake with his words. If I have enough faith, if I study enough, and if I give everything to God right now, he will turn me into the missionary he knows I can be. And now I just need patience... easy right?;) no. ha. But he puts things in my path that help me along everyday. He has blessed me with an optimistic attitude and with peace even when things are going terribly wrong.

Also I LOVE CHINESE PEOPLE. They are seriously the cutest things ever. And that goes both ways;) haha everyone is telling me how huge I am and how pretty they think I am. Even though I know I look absolutely disgusting every minuite of everyday here, I am constantly being told I am pretty (liars). Also, I am the biggest freak of nature here. everyone stops and looks at me when I pass by because I am a wai gou ren (foreigner). This little old lady was talking to me in Taiwanese and kept touching my face.. she followed me around for like ten minutes.

Communicating with people is hilarious. They are so surprised when this tall white girl on a bike pulls up to them at a stop light and starts telling them about Jesus. That is how we contact people!!! We pull up to motorcycles at the stop light and hand out pamphlets and tell them about the gospel. Every stop light has a timer on it and so its like a game. It's like can you get this person interested in the gospel before the time runs out. Its way fun :)

Lots of people laugh at me... its a bummer. Our lessons have been pretty rough. But hey! I have invited two people to baptism and taught a lot of people how to pray!

Prayer is the coolest thing here. We pray all the time on the street with people. When we are contacting people we tell them about a God who loves them and that they can talk to and then we invite them to pray right there with us. Its incredible. I feel honored to be there when so many people have their first conversation with God.. I have never felt the spirit so strong. Even if they don't want to hear more after that, its ok. Because now they know how to talk to their father. Its the most beautiful experience I have ever had.

There are so many things... I wish I could share everything.

I have eating A TON OF CRAZY FOOD.

I fell over my handle bars in an intersection because a car pulled out infront of me... hahahahah so funny. and completely embarressing. But its just my life..

And my shower is half my size.. I have to get on my knees pretty much. hah.

Our ward is incredible!! The lord has truly prepared this area and I am honored to be able to be apart of opening it. I don't know what God sees in me but he must see something because this is hard. Trust is a big thing right now.

Conference was sooooooooo GOOD!! So many answers to prayers and It was way cool to watch it in Chinese.

One last story!!

I teach an English class on wednesdays (we do it every week) and we have a spiritual share at the end. We talked about Gods plan for his children and watched a video. We had so many questions!! I bore my testimony about Jeus Christ and Gods plan for all of us. As I opened my mouth to share, my heart was so full... The spirit was so strong and they all just ate it up. Sister Smith said that English class is never like that. The spirit is incredible and we had so many prepared people in class. Two asked if they could meet with us and one already accepted a baptisimal date... This is an incredible work. It is the most important work on the face of the planet. And it isn't my work. It is Gods. I just have the opportunity for the next 15 months to be his hands.

I love you all soooo much!! It sounds like you have had an AWESOME week!!! Hunting, conference, movies, grandma halloween party... wow. Miss you all so much but I know this is where I need to be.

All my love and more!!

Geng Jie Mei