Shengdanjie Kuaile!

Best.Craziest.Week.Ever.

     Last week for English class in Reisui, we had a big birthday dinner for Sister Scharman. I had the feeling that this will be her last one, which was true. All week, she was fighting on deciding whether she should go home or not.  It was a really hard decision for her. It took a lot of convincing from everyone. President has told her 2-3 times that she needed to go home and get better, as well as the nurse, her parents, stake president and me, but she still wasn't sure about it. After talking to Elder Vatcher, our mental health senior missionary for about four hours on the phone, she finally was okay to go home. We got the call Saturday night to buy train tickets for Taipei the next day. We stayed up all night helping her pack. We then went to church the next day (her birthday), where she gave her last testimony, said goodbye to everyone, and went to the train station. We got there, spent the night at the mission office getting rid of more of her stuff so it would be under the 50 pound weight limit, and then we went over and slept at the temple tour sisters' house. 

   The next day, we got up, I had breakfast with my companion, Sister Scharman, her Taipei investigator friend and another Taipei friend of hers for her birthday. We then went back, took some pics, and then she went with the president's assistant and the office elders to the airport to go home. I then went with the temple tour sisters to do emails.

     Last week right after emails, I went with the temple tour sisters and some elders on a hike to Elephant Mountain. I was still in a dress since I ate breakfast with my comp and didn't have time to change. it was ok. it was a super warm day.  Later, they had to go to lunch with an rc (who had a table reservation for them), so I went with other sisters to get a haircut. 

     Taipei was the best place ever! I had so much fun, being around other missionaries, including the office elders and the assistants. It was funny, Elder Reintjes who was my zone leader in Taidong last transfer, is now an assistant, and let me tell you, he is super sassy.  Even a senior sister missionary, Sister Mcomber (president's mother-in-law) said that someone told her the office has gotten a lot sassier lately...

Funny moments

     We were going to practice the anmah (grandma) workout dance for the talent show. Elder Reinjes asked Elder Mcomber if he wanted to dance with us. He replied, "Do you wanna get shot?" It was super funny. 

     Elder Reinjes, the assistant, was so tired from the missionary Christmas conference, he said his prayer that night was pretty much," Dear Heavenly Father, sorry I'm tired so it's a short prayer, thanks for a great day, bless the mission, love you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

     A few weeks ago when we didn't know who the next office recorder would be, assistant Elder Aiono accidentally let slip it was Elder Lloyd. The current recorder, Elder Richards, overheard.  At the time, he was reading the church's 25 days of Christmas which usually says, "Jesus gives service..., and so can you!", and said, "Elder Aiono, look at this, it says, Jesus can keep secrets, and so can you!" 

     Elder Reinjes was talking to temple tour sister, Sister Lefevre, and she was like, "So who's your new companion (new assistant)?" (Tranfers are next week, but the assistants pretty much know where everyone is going but they have to keep it a secret.) He was like, "I don't know, we have like five options right now." Then she was like,"So you will be getting a new companion." And he was like, "Bummer." He accidentally told her he would get a new companion, so everyone pretty much knows. 

     On Thursday, we had the mission Christmas party. The assistants changed the central zone table up to the front, so I got to sit up with everyone. We had it at the American Club, which is next to the grand hotel in Taipei. It was fancy. (Pres. Jergensen is rich.)  We first did a talent show. I'm glad to be up in Taipei at the time, otherwise I would have missed half the talent show.

Talent Show

     At the mtc and the first 12 weeks on a  mission, we watched videos on missionary work called, "The District," about real experiences of missionaries in California. One district did a funny skit based on one video about an investigator who said she didn't want to meet with the missionaries anymore (but she was reassured by her husband that it was ok, she was just afraid of commitment and she then got baptized). In the skit, the elders were like, "Did you ever think we didn't want to do this anymore either?  We've been meeting with you for five months." They then named everything they missed on their missions, such as Star Wars, Avengers, grass (there's not much grass in Taiwan), famous songs and a Star Wars video game as well as getting dear johns to convince her to get baptized, it was pretty funny.

     The Taidong missionaries did a bunch of funny short clips of things that Taiwan Taipei missionaries never do/say such as: having clean, ready towels at exchanges, saying kneeling prayers at 7/11s, not having a ton of frozen food garbage in the freezers (in Taiwan we first put the food in the freezer then throw it away to keep bugs away), wanting to talk to a white person or any other foreigner (white people scare us), and wearing a vest reflector and falling off a bike.

     They then did the missionary Christmas concert for everyone (since we wouldn't be there). One part that made everyone cry was when an elder sang, "O Come O Come, Emmanuel." It was so cool, it was like he was singing to Christ and the choir was all looking to him, since He is our only hope.  We also had someone talk about religions in taiwan.  Then we had a fancy lunch, then a spiritual share from Sister and President Jergensen and a mission slide show.  Then we went home. 

     On Christmas Eve, I saw a bunch of members from my areas Bade and Xinzhu at the chapel in Taipei for temple stuff. it was a christmas miracle :) We also ate burgers one night, went caroling at "Babylon" (a very worldly place, like Times Square in nyc), on Christmas Eve had a picnic outside.

     I will get my new comp this Thursday, and I will know if I will stay in Yuli, which is likely.

     This Christmas has definitely been one of the most Christ-filled Christmas' ever. When I was asking Elder Aiono if i could stay for the missionary Christmas concert on Saturday night, he was saying, Nothing's better than doing missionary work on Christmas (down in Yuli), which is true, we saw some miracles. 

     I am so grateful for Christ and his gospel. grateful for Christmas too!  We celebrate Christ's birth, because He is our Savior and did the Atonement and Resurrection for us as well as a million other things.

     Very happy to Skype my family!  Love and miss you all!  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

     Sister Brinkerhoff