Companion in England, The 3 Peach Sisters, Storm troopers, Tale of two areas

Howdy cowpokes!

     I just asked my two awesome companions Sister Bernhardt and Sister Weaver if anything crazy went on this week while I was gone. They just stopped, looked and me and started laughing. Guess my mission has been so crazy, this week has been a tamer one compared to the other weeks I've had.  So here's an outline of what happened:

- Dragon boat festival: camping in paradise/sand sculptures

- Companion left for England  

- Interviews with President 

- Trio party for 3 weeks! :)-taking care of 2 areas

  exchanges in a trio

- Stormtroopers and a hot air balloon

- lots of rain, lots of cancels

- dinner with members-crazy stories

- more rain

- teaching kids class in the other church

- rained a lot

- painting the other sister's apartment

- Did i mentioned it rained?

- church- all by myself... and bishop's wife :)

     Crazy things on my mission-adventures galore: 

- me and comp who just got done with training being companions (me: senior comp for life)

- companion being sick-endless trips to hospitals, even one to taipei (3hr train ride away)

- a week with a member as a companion (got off her mission from washington dc a few months before)

- comp going home-served in Taipei with temple tour sisters for six days on Christmas week

- training a comp who is visa waiting to go to England.  Has been bapt for only two years and has not been at the mtc yet. Thankfully, she is from Taiwan and her English is great.

- ambulance ride with her (she's ok)

- being the first missionary (other than the seniors) to leave our mission to go to Gaoxiong to get her suitcase 

- comp in England, trio with sisters for three weeks

     Yep, it's been a pretty crazy week, to the point where other's crazy weeks are a normal for me 

   

      Monday, I got up early, emailed, got on a train with all of Taiwan and went from the west to the east coast. It's Dragon Boat Festival weekend, so everyone has the weekend off. Our and the Guishan (Turtle Mountain) wards went camping in beautiful area that was kind of foresty and open. It also was near a beach. And it was also, unfortunately, where all of Taiwan was as well. Super crowded when all of Taiwan is in a tiny, sleepy beach town. So we went to the beach and saw the International Sand Sculpture Festival. They had some pretty amazing ones. We went there, played in the water for a bit (below knee height of course), then went back and played ultimate frisbee. Talked to members and the Elder's Investigators, then went home. On the train, met a cool Filipino who is now the Zone Leader's investigator.

"Go Baptize the Queen of England!"

     My companion, Sister Huang, then had to get ready for her trip to England on Tuesday night. I also had to pack, since I would be in a trio with sisters for three weeks until transfers came and I got a new companion. We just packed, ate dinner with the Zone Leader's English class student/investigator (who bought us missionaries a fancy dinner). Sister Huang finished packing, then the taxi driver picked her up and I was with the sisters. It was funny, in her bye-bye shu (bye bye book, where we write goodbye notes and pics) someone was like, "Go baptize the queen!" even though she is serving in Leeds.

I said goodbye to her, she got in the taxi and left. The other sisters were there ready to whisk me off on their exchanges.  I am in Tao (Peach) 1, and the Tao 2 and Tao 4 (Sister Training Leaders) are on comp exchanges, so I was with one Tao 2 and one Tao 4 Sister for the rest of the night and part of the next day. We taught some lessons, then went home. The sister training leaders moved again, finally in a nice apartment. It's actually fancy, sooo pretty. Stayed with them, then continued with the exchanges then, went with the Tao 2 sisters.

     Tuesday, we had interviews with President Jergensen. I went last, which I was happy about, because his wife does an amazing job. While President took us out one by one for interviews, his wife showed us a clip from this years Broadcast video for the Youth or Single Adults with Elder Kim B. Clark, former BYU-I president and now a member of the 70. He talked about Joseph Smith and faith, repentance, and the Book of Mormon. It was amazing, I invite you all to look it up.   Worldwide Devotional for YA's - Elder Kim B. Clark

     After watching the video and receiving training from his amazing wife, I was called in and sat down with Mr. President. The first thing he said was, "Wow, Sister Brinkerhoff, you are the first missionary ever to leave this mission! Even I haven't been to Gaoxiong!" We then talked about High speed rails (180 miles per hour), and other stuff.

     He's the world's best mission president, such love and high expectations, the best combination in any leader. Christ leads that way, with high expectations as well as a lot of love. There was a talk we read last year that took place at a mission president's conference. I really liked how it said that to be a great leader, you need high expectations but also love. By doing so, you achieve loyalty, respect, reverence and love in return. By any other way, people either (high expectations, low love = no respect for leader, high love, low expectations = buddy, buddy relationship, nothing gets done or progresses, low love and low expectations = rebellion). 

Wednesday, kids class was awesome. Let me tell you, the mission really prepares you for church callings, I have so much more respect for primary and sunday school teachers, and teachers in general. Other than Yuli, I have taught kids classes my whole mission. It's been great, with God's help, I'm getting the hang of it. Lots of visuals and games, prayers and preparation, then everything works out great!

     One day, we played ultimate frisbee at a park next to a big art museum like we usually do, except for that morning there was a hot air balloon on the edge of the park next to where we were playing frisbee. It wasn't flying, it was just parked while some lady on the microphone was yakking away. To top it off, there were people dressed up as storm troopers from Star Wars posing next to it.  Then in the next photo shoot, the photographers gave them leashes so each held an australian shepherd of different colors, all with tails (my family dog buddy is an australian shepherd without a tail).  It was so random. 

     We were eating Dinner with a Cai family one night. Both parents were converts and served missions. It's amazing, here in Taiwan, a ton of women now in their 40's or 50's have served missions before, I am amazed at the members here. Brother Cai was telling me how when he served a mission, he helped two 18-year-olds get baptized. Right now, those two 18 year olds are stake presidents. The church lately has been telling us missionaries to focus on the younger generation, about 16 or 18-25, since its the time when people are most ready to receive the gospel and making the most life changes. People in that group are making big life changes like starting school, getting an education, getting married, having families. It seems like most recent converts have been baptized in that age group. Plus it makes sense, the time in our lives when we have the most friends is when we are young and at school with lots of classmates. That's why the church has been telling us lately to go hard with the youth since we are young and relate to them as well.

At church, the bishop's wife was so nice to come pick me and my companion up for church. My church is at a big stake center clear on the other side of town, and the Tao 2 sisters have their church nearby at the same time as me. It was weird being at church by myself with a member as my companion. We had relief society, then went to gospel principles, then went to sacrament meeting, where people shared their testimonies.  (Funny story: Elder Heaton, in my ward, was asked to introduce himself, so he told a story of how one day he was at a member's house and he told them he liked xiong mao. Because he got the tones wrong, instead of saying "pandas," he said "chest hair." He pretty much told the members he really likes chest hair, when in he meant pandas. Haha.)

     Thank you for your love and prayers! Please pray that I can work with the sisters to balance both areas as well as for our investigators and members! 

     I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in my life. Love you all!

-Sister Brinkerhoff