Just Own the Night, Like the 4TH OF JULY (Katie Perry)

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the late email. Had to get up at 3:30 am this morning to do emails. Had to catch a train at 6 for Taipei for our once every three months Taipei Temple trip!  We are the earliest session for missionaries at 8:15 am. 

It has been a crazy week! Last Monday, I spent my last day as a teen on the beach with our zone and some church members missionaries brought. A few Ba De YSA members even came, brought me a present, and made everyone sing happy birthday to me while playing the ukulele!  Curtis is really good at giving missionaries awesome birthday presents. I got a plush parrot keychain, some cookies, 2 cards, and a leather “A” keychain. It was awesome! 

For my birthday, I called everyone in the district and said to meet at a place that has shaved ice with mangos. I didn't really tell the Elders why, but right after eating we went to district meeting, I was giving them ice cream I bought for them, and they were like, "wait, was your birthday yesterday or today?" I guess people got confused and thought my birthday was the day before. When I said it was that day, they broke out into birthday song again. It was fun! My trainer/mom, who lives in the same apartment as me because she is an STL, gave me an extra pair of nice looking crocs as well as paper birthday glasses. My companion, Sister Shek, gave me a keychain that had my birthday on it. After district meeting, we had two lessons, then went finding. It was a normal day birthday but a good one.

On the Fourth of July, we went to an expensive burger place called tables joes. It's like of like the TGI Fridays in Taoyuan and in America. The burgers were like $7US. It took forever for them to cook though. After, we did English boarding (handing out English flyers), then went to Big City to find for a little bit, then went across the street to the 7/11 for a quick dinner, since we were still full from Table Joe's.

 It was cool, a guy that sat next to me started talking with me in English, which was pretty good. He is a talker, and my companion and me eventually were able to teach him a little about the gospel. He was hurt by what his brother did to him a few years ago, so he still has a hard time to forgive. However, after teaching him about the gospel, he was like, "Wow, you both are so happy and smiling a lot! I can even see you glow, it's like you are both a ray of sunshine!" It was cool, my companion and I could totally feel the Spirit at that moment, and when he mentioned that we were glowing, I felt like right then we glowed even brighter! It was so cool! It reminded me of my mom's mission story of when she was on the bus with her companion, and one person got on the bus. He looked at my mom and her companion for a bit, then told them, "I have been blind for 20 years, but I can see that you are both messengers of God, because of the light that you are giving off," then got off the bus and left. Talking to that guy and feeling the spirit so strong was a good pick up after a previously difficult week. He really wanted to know more, but was afraid that his Buddhist wife would fangdui (protest). I hope that he will be able to learn more about the gospel; he is so golden! He was telling us that he really wanted the happiness that we have and peace after what his brother did to him. Hopefully, he and his wife will come to English class tonight. Talking to him took about 2 hours (contacting should be 15 minutes at most), but I thought it was worth it. 

After that, we went to Big City (a big mall) to find, and we saw the Zone Leader Elder Scovel  (we share the same proselyting area as the Zone Leaders, which is awesome, since leaders areas are supposed to be good examples for other missionaries and their areas. Plus a ton of places with a ton of people to find!), and Elder Rushton, my MTC district bro on exchanges at the mall. I excitedly told both of them what just barely happened, and that it took 2 hours, and Elder Scovel's like, "That's great Sister Brinkerhoff, and I'm proud of you, but 2 hours????!!!!!! Street contacting shouldn't last more than 15 minutes!" I had to reassure him that he was golden and that he was totally worth it (plus, he is such a talker). I need to learn how to take control of the conversations more. It's okay, my companion and I have both been in Taiwan since March (we came at the same time, but because she knew Chinese since she's from Hong Kong, she fast-tracked and served a bit in Washington state while waiting for her visa).

Right after, we were going to a lesson at someone’s house, but it was kind of awkward, since a Buddhist funeral was going on right across the street. The street was smaller, so the house was very close. It was like in a small open garage with a small group of 30 or so people in chairs (it spilled out into the street) chanting the same phrase over and over again in a monotone voice. It was kind of scary. They had the guys picture (he look to be in his 30's, 40's or 50's) and I don't know if it was a casket or what. So we just rescheduled the family, since it would be hard to teach a lesson with that loud chanting going on and it was late at night anyway. My companion, Sister Shek, was telling me about when she remembered her Buddhist grandpa's funeral in Hong Kong, how in one part they would burn paper gold watches, shirts, cars and stuff, because they believed it will go to the dead person in heaven. It looked like a sad and depressing funeral. It made me super glad that I know the plan of salvation, and that our church funerals are more peaceful, quiet and happier than most funerals. 

Lately, I was thinking why I was on a mission and why I wasn't in Ba De for another transfer. I think the song lyrics from Fireworks kind of helped gave me an answer:  

"Maybe the reason why, all the doors are closed

so you can open one that leads you to the perfect road!

Like a lightning bolt, there's a spark in you, all you have to do, is 

You've got to ignite the light, and let it shine,

Just own the night, like the 4th of July."

I think one reason why I came on a mission (other than because I love God, am grateful for His gospel and want his other children to learn from it) is I felt like it was a road I can't avoid, and that all other doors (options) were closed so I can choose the perfect road. I could had done college for another transfer, but I definitely think that wouldn't be right for me, which is why it never entered in my mind. I can't imagine not being on a mission. After doing three transfers of college, I was ready to be on a mission. Just the timing and everything was great! It's also how I feel about Ba De. I was wondering why I needed to leave Ba De, and I can see now is so that a new sister can be trained there (like I said, Ba De is a birthing place- a ton of missionaries start there) as well as so that her trainer who speaks Spanish can teach the Dominican Republic family. It's a road that couldn't be avoided. It's cool to see how God works, I'm glad he's in charge. I learned lately from dying missionaries (those going home from their missions) that there is only one way to be truly happy in life- give up our own will and do God's will. If we do so, we will be super blessed and happy, even if it is hard at first. 

Thank you for your love, support and prayers! Love you all!

Sister Brinkerhoff