I am officially 13 days into the mission! The first week was like drinking out of the firehose, and each of us in our Sister Missionary district dormroom have definitely taken their turns to feel discouragement and uncertainty that they're capable of learning, preaching in, and becoming fluent in Mandarin flippin' Chinese. But I feel like every day or two something happens that just makes me snap my head back up with confidence and trust in my Heavenly Father that despite my weaknesses, with His help I can do this incredibly difficult task. The Spirit is in these buildings. The classrooms and halls are (when we are on task and focusing on being Christlike-missionaries) FILLED with God's love. There have been many times when watching a Mormon Message video about a citizen in Taiwan or hear a jaw-dropping conversion stories, and I can feel my soul filled with the love Christ has for the people in Taiwan. In fact, that's my motto! One time my companion and I were jogging around (practicing this sprint-jog-sprint-jog workout) and on the last leg of the run, she shouted at me (in her Lacrosse Coach attitude) "PASS ME! BEAT ME! YOU CAN DO IT!" So I sprinted past her shouting, "FOOOOOR TAIWAAAAAAN!!!" Now I use that for everything. Don't feel like studying for another hour? FOR TAIWAAAAN! Don't feel like working hard in a workout? FOR TAIWAN, AND FOR TAIBEI BIKING! Don't feel like writing ANOTHER lesson? FOR TAIWAAAAN. With everything I do, I just try so hard to keep those people in the front of my mind.
The wonderful thing is that there are so many "Spiritual Zingers" that will get you back on your feet when you just don't feel like you're capable of all you're asked to do. If any of you are about to become a missionary, try to see if you can watch online Elder Nash's Devotional last Tuesday. So crazy good.
Another thing is the scriptures. Right now on the back of my mininotebook that I write Chinese words in, I have Deuteronomy 31: 6 written in giant sharpie letters. Actually I have choke great spiritual uplifters. The one I'm obsessing about right now for my investigators is Moroni 10:5. I think we focus too much on the exhorting in the verses before that we look over the amazing promise in that verse.
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
Bam. Right there. You want to know it's true? You can. And THAT's how and why people become converted unto Christ's restored church and gospel. Simply by the Holy Ghost. Everything we do is to help our investigators feel that Heavenly connection with God through his spiritual messenger the Holy Ghost. And you want to know how you can have the Holy Ghost?
"And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith" (D&C 42:14).
Sincere prayer of faith. Changes lives. "Don't pray about the Book of Mormon, that's how they get you!"
Anyways. So much more to tell you, so little time.
Life in the MTC is crazy busy and awesome. I love my companion even more. We pretty much complete each other teaching and stragegy wise. We're very opposite (quiet tom boy meets extroverted girly goofball). But it's great. One of our Laoshis (teachers) told us, "Don't ever ignore or exclude your companions feelings or promptings. Don't forget, the Lord only gives half of the revelation needed for a lesson to you." It's so true. Our best lesson we've given out of the five we've already done was the last. Usually I have a problem of talking too much or us freezing up because we have NO idea what our investigator is saying (since it's 100% in Chinese aaaaahh!!!), but the last lesson was life changing. We walked in prepared to give "The Plan of Salvation", but were spiritually prompted to change it to Prayer. The Spirit was so powerful in there, and both my companion and I were bearing testimony in Chinese (which is a big deal since my companion especially struggles with the language). At the end my companion asked some inspired questions to investigator Mao Jiemei, and Mao decided on her own she wanted to pray that night and pray with ustomorrow! So cool!
Buut now we have new investigators. Zhang Chang Qing. (Remember how we have our chinese stereotypes 'ching chong ching chong'? Yeah... it's pretty accurate. That's how you say his name.) He's a married Chinese man who recently moved from China to Taiwan to help raise his kids in a better environment despite it being a lesser paying job in Taiwan. Our second investigator is a divorced 28 Taiwanese factory worker woman with a son. Our investigators are really just like what we'll experience in Taiwan, and it's a wonderful experience for us as missionaries. I love these people so much. It's amazing how the same beginning lesson "The Restoration of the Gospel" has something powerful for everyone no matter what their condition.
I love being a missionary. It's SO HARD.
I CANNOT EMPHASIZE HOW HARD THIS IS.
But I feel so powerfully every second of every day that this is 1. my purpose in life and 2. the greatest thing I could be doing. I'm seeing miracles. I'm growing so much. Life is amazing, and the challenge is helping me grow.
I love you all.
PLEASE SEND ME MAIL AND CARE PACKAGES. THEY DON'T LET US TAKE OUT FOOD AND WE GET MAIL DELIVERED TWICE A DAY. A letter helps turn a day around so much. Please!
Xiexie nimen!
Zai Jian!
-Ke Jiemei (Sister Koch)
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