Hey everyone!!

This week has been... a lot.  Haha.

So I got new companions.  Sister Ritchel from Missouri! She has been out for four months (only a transfer ahead of me) and she is awesome! And then Sister Porter (weird I know) from Nevada.  She is a sister training leader for our zone and she served the first year of her mission in Ukraine! She was one of the missionaries who was evacuated in May. 

Sister Porter is super super super intense.  Like super.  ha.  I don't know how else to say it.  She pushes me further than I think I have ever been pushed.  ITS AWESOME.  And terrifying haha.  But she has taught me so much.  So much about how you don't ease into anything.  You just jump in with two feet and give it everything you have got. She expects a lot from me and that can be kind of hard.  I try so so hard with everything I do.   In lessons I give it everything I've got and when we are knocking on doors I never just stand back and let one of them do it.  Sometimes, she doesn't see what I am doing as enough though.  She will pull me aside after a lesson and tell me things I need to change.  It sometimes in hard, especially when I feel like I gave it everything I had but I am so incredibly grateful for it.  She is teaching me to be a 200% missionary.  One who gives everything and then somehow finds more to give.  At the end of everyday I am dead tired.  Drained spiritually and physically.  And I honestly Love it.  I wouldn't want to give anything else to the Lord.  I am learning a ton from her, she is an incredible missionary and teacher. 

We have taught a bunch of lessons this week and had TWO baptisms on Saturday!! It was such a sweet experience.  They were two young boys from inactive families.  one 9 and the other 11.  We taught them almost every day this past week to get them ready and they just ate it up!! It reminded me a lot of Jaxon.  It was a sweet moment to see these young boys enter into the waters of Baptism just like my buddy did at home the week before. 

At the Baptisms we got to teach the first lesson to all who came while the boys were getting changed.  I didn't know we were doing it until sister Porter looked at me and said "ready?" haha.  Needless to say, I was terrified.   A room FULL of nonmembers or people who left the church and I had to teach them all the first lesson.  Sounds dumb but I was so scared.  Because at least in Chinese you can say "I am so sorry my Chinese is so bad" but on Saturday I couldn't blame my English.  ha.  But it went well.  As we taught about Joseph Smith I got the chills.  That happens every time.  Everytime I testify of truth, I am just filled with warmth and get the chills.  And the spirit testifies again to me that what i am saying is true.  

Speaking of Chinese though! I had the COOLEST experience!!

So we were opn splits and the sister I was with had to go to SLC for an appointment with family services so I had to go with her... ;) "had" 

We took the Tracks and I told myself that just because we are out of our area, doesn't mean I am not a missionary anymore.. So, I talked to everyone I could see! I introduced myself as a missionary for the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints and I heard one of two things: "OH I am a member too!" or something a long the lines of I hate Mormons.  haha.  Got to love Utah.  But anywho, when we got there, we were walking through City Creek and I heard a woman yell something in Chinese. 

I FREAKED.  I started looking around frantically for where it came from and I finally found a cute little old Chinese woman on a bench. I just about left her there because I was afraid of how terrible my Chinese is but then I thought, "Hey! I am a missionary!".  So I ran over to her and said hello in English ... she had no idea what I said.  She kept waving her hands and saying I don't speak English.  Soooo I switched over to Chinese!! I asked her where she was from (Beijing) and what her name was and why she was there.  We talked for a  minute of so and then introduced myself a chunjiaoshi from Yesu Jidu Houqi Shengtu Jiao Hui!  She said she didn't have any religion so I explained a little bit about our church and told her about Jesus Christ.  It was the coolest thing that has ever happened.  I asked her if she wanted to learn more and she politely said no but thanked me for talking with her.  even though she didn't really care to hear more, my heart was so full.  I love sharing the gospel but it was a whole different story in Chinese... I love this language.  I study it as much as I can during the day and pray for the gift of tongues every night.  There are days that I just feel so discouraged.. I become afraid of going to Taiwan since I haven't been able to practice at all.  But God has his hand in all of this.  He has a perfect plan for me and for all his children.  Sister Porter helped me a lot last night.  It had just been a rough day.  I stumbled over a lot of my words in our lessons and then like three of them canceled on us.  Also, no one really cares to get to know me here because I am just a "Visa Waiter" (yes they have a name for it) and so church was kind of hard.  I just felt so inadequate.  So alone in all of this and wondering what the plan was for me here. 

So during planning we went over our goals for this week and and shared them with eachother and mine was just to be better.  That's all I could come up with because I felt like I struggled in everything.  Sister Porter just looked at me and asked me what I wasn't telling her... and of course I busted into tears.  I was so embarrassed because they are such incredible missionaries and I didn't want to be the weak one.  But Sister Porter shared so many things with me that lifted my spirits and gave me hope.  She helped me with my language study this morningand it was great.  she has great insights even though she learned Russian, not Chinese.  

Also my personal study was incredible this morning, I'd really like to share some things I learned:)

Romans 8:35-39

I am not going to write it all but I would encourage you to read it.  It reminded me of Christs hand in my life and especially in this work.  He is in everything we do.  I testify of Jesus Christ all day, everyday but sometimes I forget to believe him.  My farewell talk was all about that, you would think I would remember it;)

I need to remember that "In all these things we are conquerers through him who loves us."

And Nothing NOTHING can separate us from his love. 

I know that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world and because of him I can do all things.  Missions are hard.  All missions are hard.  even when you are in the depths of mormonville. 

But it doesn't have to be hard.  I will do my best and then give the rest to the Lord.  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!

doctrine and covenants 123:17

All my love!!

You all make me so proud! and I was SO SPOILED THIS WEEK!! Everyone is jealous of how much my family loves me;) haha.  Thank you for everything!!

You all are such studs and I love hearing about you! Keep up the GREAT WORK!

I will write you this week (I promise) (pinky promise)

Geng Jie Mei