Hello Everyone,
Sorry for the shorter email this week, my companion and I are spending my last pday in Yuli going to Talaluca in Hualian, a buddhist temple in the mountains with a waterfall. I heard it's super pretty.
I got a call from President Jergensen last night telling me that I will be white wash training, meaning I will go to a completely new area and train my new companion. President told me that he was going to ask me to train last transfer, but because I requested one more transfer, he let me stay in Yuli instead. I'm hoping to train in Taipei since I haven't served there yet, but I am willing to go wherever the Lord wants me to go.
I have really loved Yuli and will miss it completely. I will just say my stay here in Yuli has been like like Lightning McQueen in Cars (except I have always loved the people, I just loved them more as time went on). At the beginning it was kind of harder to adjust to a small town, but as I spent more time with the members, investigators and the people here, I have come to love it a lot. The members here are really my family; I have never been so close to members on my mission. It's gonna be hard to say goodbye to them all, I definitely will miss them.
It reminds me of a story my mom told me, how when she was on her mission, she was in a branch for about six months, and when she got on the bus and the bus left the station, the members came to say goodbye to her. She then said goodbye and cried as she did so. I don't think the members would do that for me which is ok (probably leave for the train at 5am to go to Taipei to pick up my new companion and go to our area), instead a lot of them have been feeding us dinner since the elder in our district is going home back to America.
Tuesday:
We had a mission conference up in Taipei, where Elder Funk of the 70 came and spoke. I don't have time to tell a crazy story he told, so i will copy what one old companion Sister Cullen wrote about him :
He served his mission in Indonesia and was a mission president in India. While in India he was called to be a General Authority and so had to go to SLC to be sustained in conference but wasn't able to tell anyone! Not his missionaries, his family or the General Authorities over his area. He just had to sneak away. Super funny story because when he got off the plane in SLC he came face to face with the church leader over his mission. I"m sure it was a really awkward moment when the leader asked, "President Funk, you are quite a long ways from your mission...." and all Elder Funk could say was, "Yeah..."
Thursday
We went to interviews with President Jergensen in Hualian. Miracle getting on the train on the way up there, and a huge one on the way back (left church, got refunded previous ticket, bought new tickets and got new ones all in 20 minutes). it was all far away and it was a huge miracle.
Miracle: At church, none of our investigators came, and I prayed that at least one would come. As I got up to conduct the last song in sacrament meeting, I saw our most progressing investigator, Pong JM and her baby. She is one of the RC's co-workers, it was so amazing and such a miracle from God. She has such a great desire to learn about the gospel. She loved church. I can't tell you how much it was music to my ears of a baby crying in Relief Society instead of silence like it always is. It was so great to finally have a fussy and crying baby in Relief Society, and to see another sister volunteer to take the fussy baby out of the room for our investigator. After church, everyone was asking if she was a member because she fit in so well, they thought she was a visitor or an LA, not an investigator.
So sorry, I've got to go catch the train. I will miss Yuli, but i am excited for the new adventure before me on this next chapter of my life. I know that God lives and loves each and everyone of us, and He has definitely made me a better person. I am so grateful for Christ and His Atonement and that through Him I can improve and become more like Him every day- a huge lesson I have learned on my mission.
Love you all!
Sister Brinkerhoff
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