I am so happy to hear that you had a fun week with halloween, cardinals games, and kicking peoples tail in sports.  You all are doing so great and I love hearing about it. 

This week, lots happened. It was a hard, hard week.  But it was also a chance for me to see the hand of the lord in my life.  

This week Satan has worked hard to bring me down and to scare me about many things. Especially going home. I dont know why I am getting crushed by this so much. Everyone else is like jumping for joy and I am just not feeling very good about it.  Your emails today really helped me though.

I feel that satan has been working on telling me that I havent learned enough, I havent changed enough, my chinese abilities and my missionary skills just arent good enough to be going home.  Also there have been some struggles in our companionship this week that has also made it harder. I have been trying to give my all to my companion and love her and serve her. However, I think she is going through some things that are making it hard for her to work with me right now. I am trying everyday to just love her and work with her even when its hard to.  Heavenly Father has helped me so much. 

This week, the temple sisters (the sister assistants) came to hualien to go on an exchange with sister belnap and I. My previous companion Sister Guo is now the temple Sister !! It was the best. I went with her companion however, sister kunzler. While I was with her, I was just so happy. It was so easy and natural to do the work and she helped me have more confidence in myself and feel calmer about starting my last transfer. After the exchange however, it got really really hard again. I just didnt know how I was going to make it through this week.  But we onfriday had our Mission Leadership Conference in Taipei and so on thursday night we took the train there.  The zone leaders on thursday morning informed us that we would be leaving early and Presidet was letting us do a temple session!!! That is a HUGE miracle.  Because people on the East Coast never get to do temple sessions.  It was a huge sign that God had heard my prayers. I needed a couple hours of just being with him in his house. As I walked in, I felt automatic peace. 

We did the session in chinese and it was so incredible. I was really nervous as it started because I was afraid I was going to mess something up because I didnt understand. But surprisingly it was no problem and I understood almost all of it. The temple is an incredible place, no matter where you are in the world and no matter what language it is in. As I was in the House of the Lord, I knew that he was right beside me. I can testify that the promised blessings in the scriptures are real and powerful and God will ALWAYS come to his children whe they seek him. 

At the leadershop meeting, I felt so happy and relieved. I saw all my friends and they all welcomed me with so much love. President and Sister Jergensen did as well.  The trainings were incredible.  We talked about the sacrament and the sabbath day.

I have never realized this before but the most powerful spiritual experiences that I have had on my mission are when I have been taking the sacrament.

It is through the sacrament that I have made it through my mission because through the sacrament I am reminded that I always have Christs spirit with me. 

I have found hope as I have eaten the small piece odf bread and drank the small cup of water. I know that as we reach out to partake, we are really reaching out to Christ and partaking of the power of his atonement. What a blessing it is that every week we have a chance to be clean again and come one step closer to our savior. 

I may have shared this with you before but I thought a lot about it this week. 

In xin zhuang I had an inv who came to church one day with us.  She told me that she was starving because she forgot breakfast.  However, after the sacrament, she said "Sister Griffin! something crazy happened. My stomach hurt because I was so hungry but when I ate the bread and water, I was completely full."

Our spirits every week are starving for our saviors help.  We may not even realize it after a while and sometimes we dont know what to eat to fill it.  But every week, as we go to the chapel and partake worthily of the bread and water, our spirits eat and are filled. I never ever want to miss that chance to fill my spirit and partake of those blessings.

As I prepared myself yesterday for the sacrament and laid my sins and imperfections on the alter, I felt Christ near me. I was given a new start and help to do it.

While we were in Taipei, I sat with Sister Guo at lunch and just talked ot her for a hwile. I asked for her help with my chinese (she is always so honest and loving with helping me). and I asked for advice with my current situation. She is one of my dearest friends and as we talked, the spirit was so strong. She said things that I needed to hear and I said things she needed to.  We reminisced about our time together as companions and cried a little together. It was exactly what I needed. I am so grateful for all the things heavenly father gave me this week. I am also so grateful for her.  (she told me to tell you all that she loves you and she is still gan dong that you all sent her a package.  she will never forget that).

After getting home from Taipei, I have strived to forget myself and work, work, work.  Also to pray pray pray.  Those two things fix anything and everything. 

We have had the chance to meet people with a lot of suffering and pain this week. We have taught women who were beaten by husbands and had to run away with their two children. We taught a woman who was dying and had no money for treatment and instead was searching for work even though her body was weak and giving us.  We met a woman whos child was taken from her.  In all of these situations, we were able to share the good sounds of the gospel and comfort them.  I cant fix their problems but I can testify of the uncomprehendable love that God has for them.. and for me. I have felt that so much. My problems are small and insignificant in the big scheme but they are big to God and he has made that very clear as he has reached his hand out to me this week.

I start my last transfer this week... ahhhhhhhhh. 

I am making goals and plans and I am going to give all that I have to the lord and the people of Taiwan. 

Love you so much..

Next week you should stare your testimonies with me :) I'd love to hear them!! maybe I can share them with my investigators. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE