547 Days Later

Well. This is the last email home from my mission. There are about 7 days left of this experience. I have no idea how I'm going to handle them :)

This week was full of meetings, almost every day we were at the mission office for something or other. We didn't have much time in our area as it seemed, but in the end I feel like there was a lot that we accomplished last week. We met with and had some really spirit filled lessons with some investigators, new members and less actives too. I testified, and my companion testified, and the spirit bore witness that our words were true. I felt the fire of that spirit burning within my soul and I knew that they were true.

I called Sister Holm this week, my companion from Xinzhu. I'd eaten lunch with a member from Xinzhu and she'd told me that one of the investigators that I'd been teaching down there was going to be baptized. Sister Holm confirmed, she was baptized, after almost a year of investigating the church (which is a pretty good chunk of time). I remember sitting in lessons with Yang Jia Ru, and laying it out in front of her, but she was not ready then. She knew it was true and just had a few small things to overcome. But she finally did it and I know that she will be a strong member for the rest of her life. It made me so happy to hear. Because of my crazy moving habit on my mission I haven't had a pleasure of knowing the outcomes of a lot of investigators. So it was very special to hear about Jia Ru.

We had my last Zone conference this last week, and there is a tradition amongst missionaries that at the last Zone Conf you get up and bear your testimony about your mission. I have been watching these happen my whole mission and I've always wondered what I should say. Well my time arrived and I had been stressing about it all week, half the mission was there and I wanted to express myself clearly about my mission and my feelings about it. The meeting was great and the testimonies usually are at the end. We have to do a lot of 'spiritual prep' for these things usually, they include reading certain sections of Preach My Gospel or the scriptures and preparing a 2 minute talk that you may or may not be called on to give. Well just after a break in the meeting I was talking with my companion when the elder conducting the meeting announced that a few people would be coming up for talks. My name was the first one called of course and it was also the only thing that I heard. I hurriedly turned to ask the elder behind me what talk I was supposed to give and he said "The talk." He had talked to me a few minutes before about me sharing my testimony and I was really flustered so I quickly walked up to the pulpit not quite sure what I was supposed to be talking about. I stood up there awkwardly for at least thirty seconds in silence as my brain raced before my mouth just started going and I had to reign it in. I bore my testimony on my mission and what I had learned and the difference it made to me. It wasn't exactly how I pictured it, but it was pretty ok. At least there were no tears. I went and sat down and then the next guy stood up and to my horror started giving his 2 minute talk...and I realized that I'd given the wrong talk and completely the wrong time, in front of half of the mission...Haha. It was really awkward. And in retrospect really funny. Usually because of time the talks aren't supposed to exceed 2 minutes and a watch timer goes off when you do to let you know your time is up. But I must have stood up there for at least 8 or 9 minutes and there was no beep, the assistants must have shut it off when they realized that I was giving my testimony and not the talk haha. No one told me or notified me otherwise as I stood up there sharing my soul. However highly incredibly and excruciatingly awkward it was once I realized back in my seat that I'm seriously and very publicly screwed up, it was also really funny. I guess people still appreciated my talk. And when the actual testimony time came I explained that I'd completely missed the announcement and was now going to give my real talk and it was all ok. But just a warning to all those who don't pay attention to church meetings, perk up, lest they call your name.

Besides that interesting experience there was really too much that happened this week to fully explain. I don't know how to make it into words I think. So I'll keep it simple. I've learned so much out here, and this 547 days have felt like 5 years. I think a mission probably ages you at least 10. I have learned so much about the gospel and God that I did not understand before, and I have a relationship with my Father in Heaven that I never thought could exist. I have learned to line up my priorities and what things really matter. I have learned about people. I have learned about myself. And I have learned about life. I almost didn't come, I almost didn't make it, but I am so so very glad that I did. I'm going to take this last opportunity as a missionary emailing home to lay it down. The gospel is true. All of it. Simple and pure. The Atonement of Christ is real. And it has saved my life. And I will never be able to be grateful enough.

I love you all. I will be seeing you soon!
Sister Melissa Thiessen

Three

2/5/2012
Hello everyone! Its a wonderful Monday morning her in Tianmu, Taiwan. The city is waking up and the sun is shining...ok not yet because its too early but it will be soon. It will be a great day today. Last week was a great week too, it went by swiftly because of all the wonderfully full days we had planned. Things are finally starting to pick up in this area after much gentle coaxing and some frustrated mutterings. We had a good number of lessons and even some miracles this week.

This Monday was not p-day because we again had temple day on Wednesday. Tuesday all of our 7 lessons canceled miraculously as my companion got a migraine and we were forced to take it indoors and stay in our apartment all day. Wednesday we went up a beautiful gondola ride over the mountains of northern Taiwan with one of my favorite companions and her trainee. Thursday we had temple tours, and it was sister Daye's first time. We saw a lot of miracles and ended up with 9 referrals by the end of the day. Friday we had all of the people that canceled on Tuesday meet with us, and Saturday we had our Weekly planning session.

Sunday was the best day though. We saw many miracles. It seems to happen quite often as a missionary that the hardest thing to do is get your investigators to church. Saturday night they turn off their phones or even tell you they are going to come and then turn off their phones Sunday morning and don't show up. We were looking at another dismal Sunday where they all stood us up when three people unexpectedly arrived! And then two people that the Elders had found on the street and invited to church also miraculously chose to come as well. That doesn't really happen. It was beautiful and miraculous. Sister Daye who has only been here for three weeks and as of yet has not developed in the language to quite a fluent point was juggling three investigators in one ward by herself as I was in the other with the other three. She did amazing though and we got two new set ups who will hopefully pan out into new investigators.

But Sunday night was the best part. The first Sunday of every month there is a new member and investigator fire side in the chapel next to the temple (which is the headquarters of the church in Taiwan) and they are always amazing. Most of my mission (if they are within train-ride limits) try to come but you have to bring a New member or an investigator to come. Most people find one. We almost didn't last night but miraculously one came. It was good because that was my last chance to attend one of these amazing meetings. The speakers were a family that I knew in Xinzhu actually, they drove the 2 hour ride to come up to Taipei to speak at the fireside. The one that I know the best is the oldest daughter, her name is Zoe. She met the church through English class where she saw an elder sitting on the couch reading the Book of Mormon and was curious. She said, I've never seen that one before, only the bible, could you loan me a copy so I can read it. A missionaries dream come true. He said, no, I'll give you this one for free! She started meeting with the missionaries and soon was bringing her little brother to church, then her older brother too. Then she brought the missionaries home to meet her parents. Soon her whole family was baptized all together. It healed her family unit which before was falling apart, partly due to her fathers bad drinking and smoking habits. They are all such amazing people and I was so happy to get to see Zoe before I leave Taiwan.

Well that is all. Know that I love you people! I will talk to you next week
Sister Melissa Thiessen

Many new pictures will soon to be up on her blog. look back in a day or two. haha melissathiessen.blogspot.com

Four!!

1/31/2012
No more food. Ever.

Chinese new year is a terrifying experience for any waistline. I feel I should warn anyone with any opportunity to experience one. Last week we ate so much food. The members are too good too us, we had at least to feasts a day, and sometimes three since we wanted to get to know more members but have two wards to cover consequently occasionally going to two dinners or lunches...Asian culture is not really something that you can politely refuse, They just take your bowl and give you more. So there is a secret key, you keep your bowl tilted in your direction so they can't see how much food you haven't got left and eat very slowly. One grain of rice at a time if necessary. And you talk, so they eat and don't urge you to eat more...Small tactics that only take you so far but every little bit helps. The worst is when they take you to a beautiful 7 course meal steak restaurant. Then you have to eat it all...*sigh* My companion and I this week are eating only rice and fruit to try to shrink our stomachs back to a semi-regular size...

Besides that not much occurred last week, our numbers all took a dip for guonian (new years) despite our efforts at finding. Everyone goes to the south or the middle of Taiwan for guonian to be with their families. But that's ok. We press on. Sister Daye and I are getting along wonderfully. She is a beautiful person and I thank the Lord every day we can laugh with each other. I don't know what I did to get to be so privileged to have such a great trainee, and enjoy my last transfer so much. I can't express the gratitude I have to the Lord for all that I have learned out here and all that I have been able to experience. And even though my mission has been a-typical in a lot of ways, and I haven't seen hundreds of baptisms, the Lord has blessed me and I hope that somehow through my feeble efforts I have been able to make myself useful to him over this period of time in Taiwan.

I still have 4 weeks. I will push right on till it ends.

We get to go to the temple today, which is why this comes on a Wednesday... I'm pretty excited. But that also means I must go. Well I love you all. Thanks for you time and support and know that I pray for you. Have a great week!

Sister Melissa Thiessen

Guonian? Hao kepa.

Happy Chinese New Year! Its a wonderful and cheerful occasion, and the biggest holiday in Asia. They love their new year. It is a big family gathering and they all get together and sit around all day talking and eating...and eating...for a week.

Imagine thanksgiving at your grandma's house, preparing the meal and then getting together with all your family and friends and sitting down then eating until you are stuffed. Then do that for lunch and dinner for about 6 days, and that's how missionaries in Taiwan experience "guonian". All the stores are pretty much closed so the members make sure we are nice and full. They keep feeding us and sharing the joy by giving us gifts of candy and sweets. Its wonderful really. Its just a lot of food. I am staring down a full week of that, right before I go home...esh...there goes my girlish figure. But it also helps kill some of the dead time because its hard to do much during guonian. Everyone is really busy and not inclined to be distracted by salvation. But we press on!

This week we had some interesting things happen. We were out exploring our area, contacting and tracting when we decided to park our bikes and walk down a street and just contact everyone on it. So that's what we did, and there actually weren't too many people on it until we ran into a couple who spoke wonderful English and talked with them for a few minutes. They didn't really have any interest in the Gospel so when we parted ways we both went in different directions. But they happened to go the direction that we had been going and we ended up taking a right turn sort of in a sudden unplanned way down a residential street. Just inside the turn there was an adorable little dog barking in the doorway and a woman came over to shush him and we started talking with her. Miraculously she let us in and we sat and had a nice conversation with her and the 71 year old grandfatherly friend of hers. He was a pretty legit guy, a Taichi master and a acupressure expert. He also happened to have a sister living in taidong (my third area) whom I knew because her whole family are members. It was a really cool 'coincidence' He had a very good impression of the church. the woman was also really nice and talkative. We talked about everything from the Gospel, to politics, to social-cultural differences between the west and the east. They didn't really have much interest either but before we left we bore strong testimonies on the Gospel and families and the old man backed us up. We left her with a very good impression of our church. As we walked away to get home I really felt like we were supposed to be in that place at that time. Someday she will run into the missionaries again and think back to that night, then accept the message.

Well that is about it. I hope its not too frigid over there where all of you are. Its pretty cold here actually! I'm likin' it. Haha. Have a good week y'all!

Love Sister Melissa Thiessen

6 weeks, and a 'baby'?

This week started slow but then picked up pace as a wonky p-day then exchanges took up our time. We had interviews on Tuesday, and I was reminded by president how short my time left was. Its down to the quick. But I told him I would push it from now till the end because I would like to leave with this area better than I started with it,

It was also the week of my last move calls. Its a weird feeling and I didn't know if I was going to move areas. Mostly because well there were 5 sisters coming in from the MTC this transfer which meant someone could be whitewashing where they open a new area which is really intense cause you start from scratch. With new missionaries they arrive on a Wednesday night usually, so in the middle of the week before transfers. Thursday they go through a bunch of orientation in the morning then at night they go out to work with a companionship that comes in from a nearby area and then Friday the trainers come in and take them in a threesome to wait for transfers on Monday. So, Wednesday night we were hoping but I was not expecting to "babysit" the new missionaries (the one where you take them out to work for a night) Because these kinds of things never happen to me I was surprised and giddy when the Assistants called on Wednesday night and asked us to babysit on Thursday. Then we had to call back later to get some details and one of the Assistants kind of added on before I got off the phone that I had also kinda been called on to train. I was shocked. Because the new training program is reportedly supposed to require two transfers to train I thought my chances to train were done with. But I guess God had other plans.

So we now have a new missionary with us. Her name is Sister Daye hailing from Midville UT. I think we will get along. I am seeing some things that are making me realize that God really is sitting up there arranging everything. It was sort of a necessary thing for me to have Sister Oler when I did, for both of us I think. I really have a strong testimony the the people that the Lord has put me with on my mission as companions and in the areas that I work in are necessary for me at that time and I grow the most from them. I think that has definitely happened this weird transfer and I think it will happen the next transfer too. Its amazing to sit back and watch how God's plans just sort of work out.

So the last six weeks I will definitely have to focus harder than ever so I can leave this little 'baby' with a good impression and a good mission tone. Its amazing to see her adjust to Asia, and to see her take on the challenges from the language and the culture and the food all with new eyes. Especially because she hasn't had any experience with Asia and also because I an in the opposite place of my mission. Its an strange contrast. But I am enjoying the weirdness. I think that it will be a good transfer. I guess President found a sure way to keep me from being trunky! I cant make her trunky, she has just started!

Well I love you all. Write and send your love! I will talk to y'all next week. Happy chinese new year!

Love Sister Melissa Thiessen

http://melissathiessen.blogspot.com/

melissa.thiessen@myldsmail.net

Taiwan, Taipei Mission
Sister Melissa Thiessen
F4, No.24, Lane 183, Chin Hua St.
106-42 Taipei, TAIWAN

Wobble legged, one handed, and bruised.

This week was a little bit of a messy cake as the Chinese say (zaogao) and I'm not going to lie to you friends, I'm glad to be alive.

The week started with me in a pretty ill state, but still wanting to go have some fun on our p-day. So in fits of coffing we stuffed our bags full of tissues and headed out to see the world, and some of Taipei's cooler monuments. We took some really awesome pictures (which I do not have time to send you this week) in front of the Changkaisheik memorial hall which is sort of like a Taiwanese-Lincoln memorial hall what with the huge important metal president guy sitting in a giant chair, but its housed in a very Chinese looking monument of white marble and granite with about a bazillion flights of stairs leading up to it. The monument sits in a square with some other nationally important buildings of very large scale (the national theater and another building) with a huge plaza in between and surrounded by a massive gardens. I don't know how the Chinese do it but the feeling of space and the massive immenseness of the traditional styled structures is a crazy feeling and does well to remind us of our personal insignificance.

We followed this up by heading to the most famous of Buddhist temples in Taiwan, the Longshan temple. We wandered around for a while looking for food (which was ridiculously hard to find in a country where every thirty feet of road space is taken up by a vendor of some sort) and this search lead us to take a turn down probably the most sketchy alley way I have been through in a long while. Let me tell you, in Taiwan most of the residential streets look like something from the ghettos of America, the narrow multi-floor houses are mostly unkempt and squished together in a close-on-top-of-one-another feeling and the walls have that inner city covered in soot and grime kind of look. But this is just how the Taiwanese are, much to busy to care about these things, and these sketchy little roads are entirely safe. But this road was legitimately sketch. There were little red lights blinking in the windows and skanky 'massage' parlors open to the street leading to a long hall and many numbered doors. We literally saw a grandma in a skirt shorter than most Taiwanese would ever dare to wear (and that's saying something) sitting on a stool in fishnets and fire red lipstick beckoning with one hand to passersby (of which we were two of the few). I have a testimony that the Lord has angels guarding his missionaries because we pressed through that alleyway, two white missionary sisters, and were completely left alone. No one shouted at the two foreigners, and no one made lewd comments. We passed through with not much more than a few curious glances. And the whole time there was this feeling of complete safety. The end of the road miraculously was back to the real world and we gladly took that right. It was an experience.

Wednesday my companion crashed her bike as she was turning into the parking lot of the church. It had rained that day and she turned to sharp and the bike wiped out and left her all over the ground. Nothing was hurt too bad, 'cept for her pride, and she was able to teach English class. This was her first wipe out. This was followed up though by Friday night when we were heading home. We had decided to take our dinner to the most famous Taiwanese night market in Taipei, because it happened to be in our area. So we were a little rushed to get home because it was a little ways away. We had just passed through an intersection when my worst fears of bike riding were realized. maybe less than a yard in front of me a man was in a hurry and not really paying much attention and he opened his car door. I tried to swerve but there just wasn't the time or the room and I plowed right into that door sending me and my bike flying in a horrible mess across the road. Then my companion who was riding close behind me tried to hit her breaks but ran over me instead and wiped out for the second time that week. I remember hearing the screeching of breaks and car horns as the traffic tried to avoid hitting the mess of missionaries all over the road and then the poor man from the car was all over me trying to help me up (which just hurt worse). But we waved him away, sucked up our bruises and limped to the side of the road. Our bikes were fine, which was a miracle. I had also been raining that day so I was wearing a heavy raincoat that reached my ankles and this protected most of me from too much damage. Another miracle. We were definitely bruised and scratched up however we declined the embarrassed man's efforts to get us to the hospital and then started the long walk home. We were not in any shape to ride and I was pretty sure I'd broken my poor little pinky finger which all on its own little self took the impact with that stupid car door.

We had to go to Taipei the next day to do temple tours and we went hobbling the whole way on the MRT, mostly ok. We are still hobbling around. We had to walk to the church yesterday, a thirty minute walk, and it was not too fun. My knee is a little busted up and my pinky is still swollen probably three times its normal size under a home made cast. We might actually go see a doctor about it today...ha. Again I have a huge testimony that the Lord protects his missionaries because thinking about that crash now I still grimace, it was intense. My crash #5 and definitely the worst. We were lucky not to have been run over by other cars too. There was a good deal of traffic. I'm glad I'm not in the hospital.

So that's my week, and I made it through bruised and very much alive to see what this week has to offer me. This is the last week of this transfer, I will be seeing on Friday where my last transfer of my mission will be, and who my companion will be as well. exciting times. 7 weeks people. This is your last chance to get letters in!

I love you all!
Sister Melissa Thiessen

melissa.thiessen@myldsmail.net

Taiwan, Taipei Mission
Sister Melissa Thiessen
F4, No.24, Lane 183, Chin Hua St.
106-42 Taipei, TAIWAN