A Taiwanese Thanksgiving

     Hey everyone! Hope you had a super awesome Thanksgiving!

     It has been a great week! Last week for English class in Reisui, my comp had the students make "hand" turkeys and write what they were grateful for. It was so cute, a lot of them wrote that they are grateful for God, for friends, family, their country, and their teacher! I was in the back talking to a student who has advanced English. He plans on going to do a tour at the chapel by the temple. Hope it works out!

Thanksgiving Hands

English Students at Home

     Our Thanksgiving was fun and interesting. We had the stake presidency in sacrament meeting, my companion and another girl gave a talk, then the branch president. My comp and I taught gospel principles then had Relief Society. It was interesting translating for two Americans, and let me tell you, I think it's easier translating from English to Chinese than Chinese to English, because in English you know what's going on completely and you can use the vocab you know to convey the idea, whereas if you don't know the Chinese, then you're stuck. 

After church, we had a Taiwanese Thanksgiving dinner, which included two chickens with heads still intact (the members don't really like turkey), papaya, curry, eggplant, rice, potato salad, apple and custard tarts, watery soups, soda, and some other Taiwanese dishes. It was all pretty good. It was funny, we had 11 Americans at church, the most I've ever had on my mission (except for the MTC). In my previous areas, I have never seen an American at church. The

Americans were:  a visiting couple visiting (the husband served a mission here 10 years ago), a member of the stake presidency whose wife is Taiwanese, two older members who are married to Taiwanese women, a senior couple serving in Hualian, and us four missionaries. It was super fun!

     On Thanksgiving Day, it was the usual, but we had an amazing lesson with our investigator Ding jm! she is so great! can't wait to see her get baptized. 

     We also had a race for the 60th anniversary of missionaries in Taiwan down in Taidong. We went with our investigator. I got to see my trainer, Sister Bain! It was so much fun, I love and miss her. We even got the left over medals and t-shirts they gave to the runners :) I also saw a member family from my first area, the Wang family. I would love to go back to Ba De one day. 

Chen, Sis. Bain, me

Me & Race Organizer

At the Race

     Yesterday we played some games with a family who has some kids who got baptized. It was fun! 

     It's been an awesome week full of miracles and met some amazing people. I have really learned about how being grateful makes our lives better. I am so thankful for Christ and Heavenly Father, and for their love and mercy. They are seriously the best! I love them, and we all need to do what we can to return to them.

     Remember to thank Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in your prayers and actions for all that they have done, especially for Christ, His Atonement, Resurrection, and Gospel. One way to show appreciation is to share the gospel, as well as apply the Atonement in your life. 

     Love every day of your life!

     Love you all! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! LET THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS BEGIN!

-Sister Brinkerhoff