I experienced my first set of holidays in the mission field this week. Thanks giving and my birthday (yes, I am going to count that one, hey, it only comes once a year!) came and went with a complete lack of fan fare. It was a little sad, but sacrifices must be made.
I will highlight some of the events of this week for you.
Wednesday I taught my first English class. Every week the church puts on a free English class for a service to the community, and the missionaries teach it. We in our chapel building have 3 classes, beginning (taught by our District leader Elder Huang, who is a native and tries admirably hard to learn English but doesn't speak a whole lot), Intermediate (taught by Sister Li) and Advanced, now taught by me. (Elder Huang's companion, Elder Lin, doesn't really speak any English so he managed the front desk.) I had No earthy idea on Wednesday what to teach these people. I stressed about it all day because I did not have any time to prepare anything and I wanted this to be a legit class and not a waste of these good people's time. The class is an hour and a half, the first hour being instruction and the last 30 min a spiritual thought.
The time arrived and I put my name up on the white board in front of an empty room full of chairs with trepidation. I really didn't have any idea what I was doing, but decided that I would get to know them this class and prepare an actual English lesson the next week. Slowly I acquired students. First only one woman, then two more filtered in. During the opening prayer one more. By the end of the class we had to set up more rows of chairs in the back and the small room was absolutely full. The students (this being advanced class, so obviously) spoke pretty good English for the most part. I gave a brief introduction about myself then opened the class up to questions, which took just about the rest of the hour actually. They were very curious. I actually was asked a lot about the gospel, which surprised me because none of the students were members and few were actual investigators. Some of the questions were really really off the wall, one chap asked me about the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse...how do you explain that?! I ended the spiritual thought with how to pray and told them all about the Holy Ghost. I shared some personal experiences and really tried to relate to them. One woman before class ended told me "You are very convincing. I want to go home and pray right now." And I told her that it was a good idea ;).
That night the district leaders called and told us they forgot to tell us all the senior companions were having training in Taipei Thursday and so I was going to be on brief exchanges just for a day with two other sisters. Then that the day following (Friday to Saturday) I would be on my first actual exchanges with one of the sisters I would be with on Thursday. So Thursday morning we got up early and peddled ourselves to the train station where sister Li left me in the care of a Sister Wu. She is a native and didn't speak a whole lot of English so it was quiet for the first few minutes until our third member arrived, which was Sister Petersen! MY MTC companion. It was a fun little reunion day.
Friday at 3:30 we met with Sister Wu and her companion (also a native and the coordinating sister) Sister Lin. I went with sister Wu and we continued the work. We had a great time it turned out. I would try to communicate in brittle Chinese and she would respond in broken English. We both helped each other and I feel like we both learned a lot. I really appreciated her style of contacting. We went door knocking that night and had a lot of success, mini miracles. We taught three lessons, and adding that to what I taught with her the day before I think that is more success I've had (and lessons taught) than I have had since I've been on this island! We taught one lesson right there on the door step! Every time sister Wu set up a follow up appointment to come back. The last door we knocked on I picked, We were going down one side of the street and I saw a door on the other side of the street and said "Sister Wu. Lets go over there, I like that door." And so we did. They let us in and we taught a woman, she was a little awkward and hesitant but we got a prayer commitment and a date for another visit out of her. Then after we left sister Wu told me it was amazing that I picked that door because she had contacted that woman on the street last week and had obtained her information but when she'd called the woman said she didn't have any time (the most frequently used excuse). The next day we taught two more lessons before we exchanged back.
Sister Wu found out my birthday was the next day and she bought me a mango mousse cake which was very tasty. She is a wonderful sister.
Thursday was the first exchange and it didn't feel like thanksgiving at all. Well probably the result of being in a foreign country that lacks the history of the Pilgrims and such...But Sister Petersen and I thanked each other, and discussed the holiday at the lunch we had at a member's house.
We get many a meal with a member here. They loooove to feed us, a lot of food. They are so generous.
Yesterday I spoke in Sacrament meeting to introduce myself. It was maybe 2 minutes long and didn't go terribly. I said a silent Happy Birthday to myself and tried not to miss family. It was a little difficult. No one else knew but for my companion, but she might have forgotten. So I ate some of my mango cake and wished that I could open the cards from Ally and my dad. I can't open mail but for Mondays. So I opened them this morning. Thank you both for your cards!
Well that's all for now! I hope everyone is doing well and I miss you all. Write me and I will write you back because I will then have your addresses! Also, if you email me I can write you (letters) in response.
Sister Thiessen.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Taiwan~ At Last!!
Here I am in the far east, in a little (not so little) city by the name of Taoyuan occupying a well endowed computer station in an internet cafe on my very first p-day in the field.
Go ahead. Ask me, I know you want to. What's Taiwan like?
Let me tell you.
Pretty much amazing. I am loving life here. But let me back up and tell you briefly of my arrival shall I?
The plane ride from LAX was 14 hours. We slept mostly, but managed to fit in a few hours of studying, and the food wasn't even terrible! Imagine that. When we stepped off the plane the air was already balmy. It was not so very different from any other air port as far as appearances in the terminal went. We passed through the customs and such into the main areas and the halls were lined with many brightly lit stores, still open at 10:30 pm. Except all the writing was in Chinese...Which I can't read.
On to baggage. Here was a little different from the many baggage areas that I have seen, there was more of a grunge feel to it, but it was not really noticeable until my companion sister Petersen and I decided to visit the bathroom and freshen up for first impressions to the president. The smell hits you first, because the Taiwanese have this custom of not flushing the used toilet paper. Beside each bathroom area there are little garbage cans where you use the paper then place it inside. Because the paper doesn't get flushed right away the smell radiates and its not so pleasant. I also say bathroom area because there are places that do not have western toilets. They have squatters, which kind of look like a long urinal placed in the ground. Those are fun. I had my first run in with one yesterday ... but I digress.
We obtained all of our luggage and headed out to the main area to meet our mission president. The Taichung missionaries who we'd spent all of our MTC time with bit us a final and sad farewell. President Grimly, his wife, and the assistants to the president were there waiting for us. And also my dear friend sister Esther Wynder from BYUI. She was overjoyed to see us, and she became our 3rd companion until we would meet our trainers. She had been there for two weeks already temporarily with the Temple sisters because her visa finally came through and they sent her from her temporary station in SLC. We drove to the mission home which was directly across from the temple and were settled in the temple annex, the rooms they keep for those traveling long distances to the temple (and conveniently for missionaries too). They were actually pretty nice, much different from those in Germany.
The next two days were orientation. We had meetings with everyone who works in the temple office and they explained rules and financial things and such to us. We also got to try some delicious Taiwanese food. Oh the food, I really could go on about it. This country is dangerous for someone with my passion I believe, because the Taiwanese believe in food. They believe in it so much so that there is some kind of food shop or food cart on every street corner and about every 30 yards between. And they try all kinds of things, sandwiches are actually popular, especially breakfast sandwiches. We had the most amazing fruit sandwiches! Who thinks about putting fruit on sandwiches? Well the Taiwanese do!! and it was soo amazing! Also people told me before that it was hard to find milk here, well not in Taipei or in my current area. They do all kinds of interesting things to it too, besides just the plain variety...I just want to try everything!! My companions think it is quite hilarious, my new favorite saying is "What is this!!?"
Once again I digress. The first night we were really there in Taiwan (Not counting our arrival night in which we were completely zonked.) we were split up with some of the sisters around Taipei and had our first real missionary experiences. I was paired with a Sister Hintze, one of the temple sisters. We had to stay around the temple area because there is a small museum of paintings that is a tour area in the large temple annex beside the actual temple. People can come in or be referred to this tour area and are giving a tour of paintings depicting everything from Christ's birth to church history. Its actually pretty cool. But since we were bound to the spot we didn't do much contacting. Only when people passed by and we nabbed them and pulled them in. We trained a pair of sisters (the temple sisters also do workshops) and then talked a lot. I peppered her with a million questions while we waited for unsuspecting people to pass by. We contacted 3 or 4 and then finally pulled in a man and gave him a quick tour. I even participated a little by baring testimony (about the only thing I could do).
The next day we went out to the site where Taiwan was originally dedicated to the preaching of the gospel and dedicated our selves as well (and fed some hungry mosquito). Then we went back to the mission office and had a few more meetings before meeting our trainers and getting to know where we were going to be placed for our first areas(finally). When we were literally marched into the room singing called to serve (the assistants have a sense of humor) we were lined up across the room from the pool of trainers. For the sisters there were two Taiwanese and an American. I had been praying to get a native speaker to help me with my Chinese so these were good odds. Well upon peering closely into each face of each sister I had a pretty good guess at who I would receive. I was correct. My trainer is a Sister Li, and she is in fact a native speaker, BUT she was born in Taiwan and raised in Provo since age one! So she is an American Taiwanese haha.
We had lunch with our trainers and then were sent into the world! We had to walk through a sudden downpour to the bank to exchange some money and then pay for my bike. We shortly there after headed to the train station to ship ourselves and my 3 suitcases (plus carry-ons...) to our area of Taoyuan. Fortunately when new missionaries come in, until the official beginning of each transfer there are 3 companions in a companionship so we also had another sister Pederson with us. At the train station we were blessed to meet one of the members from our area, a young woman (and also a twin) who helped us with my dongshi (stuff). It really was a blessing because it was kind of a zoo experience to get all my stuff in order and on a train.
The members in our area are apparently quite awesome (everyone told me so and I am still discovering). They love the missionaries and are very supportive, and almost every night they have us over for dinner somewhere (I am in a small state of panic for my waist line...). I have already had three meals with members since coming on Friday. The relief society president and her husband met us at the train station in Taoyuan and they hauled me and all my stuff to our apartment. My companions had to ride their bikes back so it was just me ion the car with them, but it wasn't as awkward as you might think. The relief society president talked to me for about 5 minutes and we both introduced each other in a mix of broken English to broken Chinese, then it was just a quiet drive while I absorbed the city scenery.
Our apartment building is actually nicer than I thought it would be, the courtyard where we ran Saturday morning is large and groomed very nicely (maybe if you all are good I will send pictures) and our apartment is a three room apartment with 2 bathrooms. Though it is a little trashed because Elders lived there before sisters. We sleep in the living room because we have to be in the same room but we each have a bathroom and a room for all of our stuff and then there is a spare room for all of the left overs.
We have taught a few lessons, tracted a bit and contacted some since I have been here. We had stake conference yesterday and then several appointments for meals and such and with some inactive members. I am loving this, and this area already. The members are so very nice to me and they are all HIGHLY amused by my height. I think I've already heard "Oh ah!!! Hen gao!" (oh!! SO tall!) more in the past three days than in the past 3 years of my life. People stop and look at me. Its really amusing to sister li who is completely Taiwanese in appearance. Saturday night at the train station contacting I had people come up to me and want pictures or to shake my hand (several of them mentally ill creepy types...) and people commonly call our to me on street corners as we ride past. Here closer to Taipei its not so strange that I'm a foreigner because it is a hugely urban city location. But my height is very abnormal (as expected) and pair that with my foreigner appearance and it gets attention. I'll use it to my advantage though.
I am quickly falling in love with riding my bike down crowded city streets with mopeds, buses, and trucks flying by extremely close. Its somewhat exciting every time. The street sides are crowded with tall buildings covered in signs and advertisements sticking out the side into the street and like hands waving out car windows for attention. The people here are very friendly, and very polite. Even when they reject us. Apostles have said about the Asian missions that we don't really experience a real rejection because the people are so sweet about it. They politely decline and accept our pamphlets without slamming any doors in our faces. Even those who dislike missionaries for some reason will some how pair bold dislike with a kind refusal. its interesting.
My first baptisms will be this Saturday, there will be 4 hopefully. A girl at the age of ten who's mother is a member but not the rest of her family, and 3 boys between ages 9 and 12. There mother is also a member but their grandparents are staunch something else. I'm not sure what the name is, but its a very secretive religion that has earned the name of 'The secret combination" from the missionaries. The father is atheist but doesn't disapprove of the mother attending church...though he doesn't know yet she is baptized...The children plan on asking him before Saturday. If they all pass the interview tonight then its a go. I met them for the first time last night, we rode over so they could say goodbye to sister Pedersen because she had taught them all they way through. They were so amazing! And friendly. Those boys need the priesthood in their lives.
I can only understand maybe 20 percent of anything I hear, but hopefully time will help that. I'm crossing my fingers and adding a prayer of a couple hundred.
Hmm, on another note, I can only read my letters on Mondays here! How silly is that? But I guess that does make us focus more on the work, which is probably a good thing. However! Write me and I will do my best to write you back, even if its short. My p-days here are very full too because we are doing all kinds of amazing things. I hope to travel more and see more of the island on my p-days.
Today we are shopping for foods and some other essentials and cleaning up the apartment. Tonight we have another dinner with a member and some other scheduled events. Should be a blast.
I love you all! Zai Jian!
Go ahead. Ask me, I know you want to. What's Taiwan like?
Let me tell you.
Pretty much amazing. I am loving life here. But let me back up and tell you briefly of my arrival shall I?
The plane ride from LAX was 14 hours. We slept mostly, but managed to fit in a few hours of studying, and the food wasn't even terrible! Imagine that. When we stepped off the plane the air was already balmy. It was not so very different from any other air port as far as appearances in the terminal went. We passed through the customs and such into the main areas and the halls were lined with many brightly lit stores, still open at 10:30 pm. Except all the writing was in Chinese...Which I can't read.
On to baggage. Here was a little different from the many baggage areas that I have seen, there was more of a grunge feel to it, but it was not really noticeable until my companion sister Petersen and I decided to visit the bathroom and freshen up for first impressions to the president. The smell hits you first, because the Taiwanese have this custom of not flushing the used toilet paper. Beside each bathroom area there are little garbage cans where you use the paper then place it inside. Because the paper doesn't get flushed right away the smell radiates and its not so pleasant. I also say bathroom area because there are places that do not have western toilets. They have squatters, which kind of look like a long urinal placed in the ground. Those are fun. I had my first run in with one yesterday ... but I digress.
We obtained all of our luggage and headed out to the main area to meet our mission president. The Taichung missionaries who we'd spent all of our MTC time with bit us a final and sad farewell. President Grimly, his wife, and the assistants to the president were there waiting for us. And also my dear friend sister Esther Wynder from BYUI. She was overjoyed to see us, and she became our 3rd companion until we would meet our trainers. She had been there for two weeks already temporarily with the Temple sisters because her visa finally came through and they sent her from her temporary station in SLC. We drove to the mission home which was directly across from the temple and were settled in the temple annex, the rooms they keep for those traveling long distances to the temple (and conveniently for missionaries too). They were actually pretty nice, much different from those in Germany.
The next two days were orientation. We had meetings with everyone who works in the temple office and they explained rules and financial things and such to us. We also got to try some delicious Taiwanese food. Oh the food, I really could go on about it. This country is dangerous for someone with my passion I believe, because the Taiwanese believe in food. They believe in it so much so that there is some kind of food shop or food cart on every street corner and about every 30 yards between. And they try all kinds of things, sandwiches are actually popular, especially breakfast sandwiches. We had the most amazing fruit sandwiches! Who thinks about putting fruit on sandwiches? Well the Taiwanese do!! and it was soo amazing! Also people told me before that it was hard to find milk here, well not in Taipei or in my current area. They do all kinds of interesting things to it too, besides just the plain variety...I just want to try everything!! My companions think it is quite hilarious, my new favorite saying is "What is this!!?"
Once again I digress. The first night we were really there in Taiwan (Not counting our arrival night in which we were completely zonked.) we were split up with some of the sisters around Taipei and had our first real missionary experiences. I was paired with a Sister Hintze, one of the temple sisters. We had to stay around the temple area because there is a small museum of paintings that is a tour area in the large temple annex beside the actual temple. People can come in or be referred to this tour area and are giving a tour of paintings depicting everything from Christ's birth to church history. Its actually pretty cool. But since we were bound to the spot we didn't do much contacting. Only when people passed by and we nabbed them and pulled them in. We trained a pair of sisters (the temple sisters also do workshops) and then talked a lot. I peppered her with a million questions while we waited for unsuspecting people to pass by. We contacted 3 or 4 and then finally pulled in a man and gave him a quick tour. I even participated a little by baring testimony (about the only thing I could do).
The next day we went out to the site where Taiwan was originally dedicated to the preaching of the gospel and dedicated our selves as well (and fed some hungry mosquito). Then we went back to the mission office and had a few more meetings before meeting our trainers and getting to know where we were going to be placed for our first areas(finally). When we were literally marched into the room singing called to serve (the assistants have a sense of humor) we were lined up across the room from the pool of trainers. For the sisters there were two Taiwanese and an American. I had been praying to get a native speaker to help me with my Chinese so these were good odds. Well upon peering closely into each face of each sister I had a pretty good guess at who I would receive. I was correct. My trainer is a Sister Li, and she is in fact a native speaker, BUT she was born in Taiwan and raised in Provo since age one! So she is an American Taiwanese haha.
We had lunch with our trainers and then were sent into the world! We had to walk through a sudden downpour to the bank to exchange some money and then pay for my bike. We shortly there after headed to the train station to ship ourselves and my 3 suitcases (plus carry-ons...) to our area of Taoyuan. Fortunately when new missionaries come in, until the official beginning of each transfer there are 3 companions in a companionship so we also had another sister Pederson with us. At the train station we were blessed to meet one of the members from our area, a young woman (and also a twin) who helped us with my dongshi (stuff). It really was a blessing because it was kind of a zoo experience to get all my stuff in order and on a train.
The members in our area are apparently quite awesome (everyone told me so and I am still discovering). They love the missionaries and are very supportive, and almost every night they have us over for dinner somewhere (I am in a small state of panic for my waist line...). I have already had three meals with members since coming on Friday. The relief society president and her husband met us at the train station in Taoyuan and they hauled me and all my stuff to our apartment. My companions had to ride their bikes back so it was just me ion the car with them, but it wasn't as awkward as you might think. The relief society president talked to me for about 5 minutes and we both introduced each other in a mix of broken English to broken Chinese, then it was just a quiet drive while I absorbed the city scenery.
Our apartment building is actually nicer than I thought it would be, the courtyard where we ran Saturday morning is large and groomed very nicely (maybe if you all are good I will send pictures) and our apartment is a three room apartment with 2 bathrooms. Though it is a little trashed because Elders lived there before sisters. We sleep in the living room because we have to be in the same room but we each have a bathroom and a room for all of our stuff and then there is a spare room for all of the left overs.
We have taught a few lessons, tracted a bit and contacted some since I have been here. We had stake conference yesterday and then several appointments for meals and such and with some inactive members. I am loving this, and this area already. The members are so very nice to me and they are all HIGHLY amused by my height. I think I've already heard "Oh ah!!! Hen gao!" (oh!! SO tall!) more in the past three days than in the past 3 years of my life. People stop and look at me. Its really amusing to sister li who is completely Taiwanese in appearance. Saturday night at the train station contacting I had people come up to me and want pictures or to shake my hand (several of them mentally ill creepy types...) and people commonly call our to me on street corners as we ride past. Here closer to Taipei its not so strange that I'm a foreigner because it is a hugely urban city location. But my height is very abnormal (as expected) and pair that with my foreigner appearance and it gets attention. I'll use it to my advantage though.
I am quickly falling in love with riding my bike down crowded city streets with mopeds, buses, and trucks flying by extremely close. Its somewhat exciting every time. The street sides are crowded with tall buildings covered in signs and advertisements sticking out the side into the street and like hands waving out car windows for attention. The people here are very friendly, and very polite. Even when they reject us. Apostles have said about the Asian missions that we don't really experience a real rejection because the people are so sweet about it. They politely decline and accept our pamphlets without slamming any doors in our faces. Even those who dislike missionaries for some reason will some how pair bold dislike with a kind refusal. its interesting.
My first baptisms will be this Saturday, there will be 4 hopefully. A girl at the age of ten who's mother is a member but not the rest of her family, and 3 boys between ages 9 and 12. There mother is also a member but their grandparents are staunch something else. I'm not sure what the name is, but its a very secretive religion that has earned the name of 'The secret combination" from the missionaries. The father is atheist but doesn't disapprove of the mother attending church...though he doesn't know yet she is baptized...The children plan on asking him before Saturday. If they all pass the interview tonight then its a go. I met them for the first time last night, we rode over so they could say goodbye to sister Pedersen because she had taught them all they way through. They were so amazing! And friendly. Those boys need the priesthood in their lives.
I can only understand maybe 20 percent of anything I hear, but hopefully time will help that. I'm crossing my fingers and adding a prayer of a couple hundred.
Hmm, on another note, I can only read my letters on Mondays here! How silly is that? But I guess that does make us focus more on the work, which is probably a good thing. However! Write me and I will do my best to write you back, even if its short. My p-days here are very full too because we are doing all kinds of amazing things. I hope to travel more and see more of the island on my p-days.
Today we are shopping for foods and some other essentials and cleaning up the apartment. Tonight we have another dinner with a member and some other scheduled events. Should be a blast.
I love you all! Zai Jian!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Prepare for Takeoff!
So! On Tuesday, guess what...Another Apostle! Its unheard of, and everyone is astounded. That's 4 in a row (and there is talk of one tomorrow night too, though we wont be here to see it). So Elder Bednar gave a most excellent talk about Doctrine, Principles, and Applications. It was amazing. I have had questions about these subjects for the last couple of weeks and was unable to find a satisfactory answer. Bednar settled everything simply and clearly in that clever way that he has. Oh, and his wife? An amazing woman. So spunky. She gave a great talk then as he started speaking with a joke she stood up, stole the microphone from her husband an Apostle, and corrected him. The whole room erupted. I learned a lot.
Lio Jiemei (Sister Fleming) our 3rd companion (whom we love) had to get reassigned briefly for a lack of visa. Sometimes when you are accelerated into higher transfers you don't make the Visa cut. But! She got reassigned to the Houston TX mission, English speaking. I'm thinking she may be in some areas of some people we know just maybe! Its pretty cool. I'm almost kind of jealous, she gets to share the gospel in her own tongue and then gets the experience of Chinese and Taiwan too! So blessed I think.
We experienced so many lasts this week. Our last lessons with our teachers, our last zone meetings, our last time seeing our branch president...our last night suffering through pizza night in the cafeteria...One of our lasts was our last TRC. I must say, we did go out with a bang. We taught an amazing lesson, our best here. We taught a single investigator, a man. He was a quiet spoken type person but very willing to learn and engage in the conversation. I taught a lot, afterwords both of my companions commented that I had taught an great deal and seemed more confident in my Chinese. Its true, I did, for the first time I almost felt comfortable with the language! Which was a good thing to experience before I jump off to the far east.
I'm so excited it seems unreal. I can't believe that I'm finally leaving the MTC! I am also nervous as I grasp the concept that I will probably not be understanding much of anything that is going on around me for the next 6 months or so. But know I have learned so much here. I have grown so much. Its hard for me to tell sometimes from where I am sitting, I have to live with me every day. However the past week I have taken a step back and looked at my life and the progression I've made, mentally, and spiritually (physically it is a digression haha) and it is a long road. I've taken a few very large steps. The road still stretches before me farther than I can see, but I have a greater desire to tackle it with the best of attitudes. Hopefully I can super glue that desire in my soul long enough to last me :p
The plane leaves tomorrow. I start phase two. I don't know what awaits me, but I know that I can take it. (At least I know that now. I'll get back to you on that next week.)
So from now on, all mail gets fired off to Taiwan. I love you all! My time is up. I swear at some point you will get better blogs, as soon as I don't have a glaring red devil in the corner of my screen blinking death...
Sister Melissa Thiessen
Lio Jiemei (Sister Fleming) our 3rd companion (whom we love) had to get reassigned briefly for a lack of visa. Sometimes when you are accelerated into higher transfers you don't make the Visa cut. But! She got reassigned to the Houston TX mission, English speaking. I'm thinking she may be in some areas of some people we know just maybe! Its pretty cool. I'm almost kind of jealous, she gets to share the gospel in her own tongue and then gets the experience of Chinese and Taiwan too! So blessed I think.
We experienced so many lasts this week. Our last lessons with our teachers, our last zone meetings, our last time seeing our branch president...our last night suffering through pizza night in the cafeteria...One of our lasts was our last TRC. I must say, we did go out with a bang. We taught an amazing lesson, our best here. We taught a single investigator, a man. He was a quiet spoken type person but very willing to learn and engage in the conversation. I taught a lot, afterwords both of my companions commented that I had taught an great deal and seemed more confident in my Chinese. Its true, I did, for the first time I almost felt comfortable with the language! Which was a good thing to experience before I jump off to the far east.
I'm so excited it seems unreal. I can't believe that I'm finally leaving the MTC! I am also nervous as I grasp the concept that I will probably not be understanding much of anything that is going on around me for the next 6 months or so. But know I have learned so much here. I have grown so much. Its hard for me to tell sometimes from where I am sitting, I have to live with me every day. However the past week I have taken a step back and looked at my life and the progression I've made, mentally, and spiritually (physically it is a digression haha) and it is a long road. I've taken a few very large steps. The road still stretches before me farther than I can see, but I have a greater desire to tackle it with the best of attitudes. Hopefully I can super glue that desire in my soul long enough to last me :p
The plane leaves tomorrow. I start phase two. I don't know what awaits me, but I know that I can take it. (At least I know that now. I'll get back to you on that next week.)
So from now on, all mail gets fired off to Taiwan. I love you all! My time is up. I swear at some point you will get better blogs, as soon as I don't have a glaring red devil in the corner of my screen blinking death...
Sister Melissa Thiessen
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Blog:
The final count down for the ship off date is upon me. Its 8 days now!! I can taste the near freedom...Or the Taiwanese pollution...haha.
We all received our travel plans this last Friday. All of us muchly appreciated this, as we had been waiting on the very edge of anticipation all week long. We leave next Tuesday and arrive in Taiwan at 10:35 pm the 17th. (so if you write me you will need to use the new address, provided by my dear mother. I believe dear elders will still allow foreign mail, but they cost as much as regular foreign mail and they take just as long to get to me.) We have two days of orientation in the Mission Home then we head out to our first area. I'm excited and filled with trepidation all at the same time! Who will my trainer be? Will she be entirely frustrated with my inability to comprehend a word spoken to me in the strange language I'm being thrust into? Will I have a bike? Will I ever see my beloved companions again? HOW WILL I RECEIVE MAIL!?!?! I'm sure all of these questions will find answers in due time....patience...patience...
This weekend was rather amazing. Yesterday in Devotional we were treated to The Sister Sheri Dew, who gave us a quite wonderful talk. I took about 4 pages of very small notes. She is an amazing woman and should be an inspiration and example to us all. Then we had a wonderful temple walk where I took about a bazillion pictures of the beautiful fall foliage and beautiful servants of Christ. I would love to send them too my mother to add them to this fabulous inter web, but the bookstore here is backed up and I would not get them printed in time. So Alas, you all will have to wait until I can snail mail them from the orient. I took some great pictures of my entire Zone, my District, My roommates, My companions, and some really great ones with an Elder Thiessen who just happened to be lingering near by.
Our first departure was today, to Canada. Our districts very own Frenchman, Elder Jaquier. Oh we miss him already, and the fun spirit he brought to our class. He was the most gentle and reasonable of Frenchmen, we sisters never knew he had a prankster side deep underneath the spirituality...until we heard the stories. So many stories...Oh If there were time to share...maybe in 16 months. His departure was sudden, but we are all trying to adjust. The rest of us leave together.
So This ends my time unfortunately. I love you all. I miss you all. I hope you all are well! Until next week!!
Sister Melissa Thiessen.
The final count down for the ship off date is upon me. Its 8 days now!! I can taste the near freedom...Or the Taiwanese pollution...haha.
We all received our travel plans this last Friday. All of us muchly appreciated this, as we had been waiting on the very edge of anticipation all week long. We leave next Tuesday and arrive in Taiwan at 10:35 pm the 17th. (so if you write me you will need to use the new address, provided by my dear mother. I believe dear elders will still allow foreign mail, but they cost as much as regular foreign mail and they take just as long to get to me.) We have two days of orientation in the Mission Home then we head out to our first area. I'm excited and filled with trepidation all at the same time! Who will my trainer be? Will she be entirely frustrated with my inability to comprehend a word spoken to me in the strange language I'm being thrust into? Will I have a bike? Will I ever see my beloved companions again? HOW WILL I RECEIVE MAIL!?!?! I'm sure all of these questions will find answers in due time....patience...patience...
This weekend was rather amazing. Yesterday in Devotional we were treated to The Sister Sheri Dew, who gave us a quite wonderful talk. I took about 4 pages of very small notes. She is an amazing woman and should be an inspiration and example to us all. Then we had a wonderful temple walk where I took about a bazillion pictures of the beautiful fall foliage and beautiful servants of Christ. I would love to send them too my mother to add them to this fabulous inter web, but the bookstore here is backed up and I would not get them printed in time. So Alas, you all will have to wait until I can snail mail them from the orient. I took some great pictures of my entire Zone, my District, My roommates, My companions, and some really great ones with an Elder Thiessen who just happened to be lingering near by.
Our first departure was today, to Canada. Our districts very own Frenchman, Elder Jaquier. Oh we miss him already, and the fun spirit he brought to our class. He was the most gentle and reasonable of Frenchmen, we sisters never knew he had a prankster side deep underneath the spirituality...until we heard the stories. So many stories...Oh If there were time to share...maybe in 16 months. His departure was sudden, but we are all trying to adjust. The rest of us leave together.
So This ends my time unfortunately. I love you all. I miss you all. I hope you all are well! Until next week!!
Sister Melissa Thiessen.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Where has the MTC time gone?!
Happy Halloween everyone!! My love and absolute devotion goes out to everyone who sent me paraphernalia to celebrate. I used it, and I wore certain items all weekend. Namely certain Halloween springy headbands....They brought much joy and amusement to everyone who saw me walking around with antennae all weekend.
I only have 16 days left at the MTC!! Woot! I get my travel plans this week so I know when and when I fly out. Whether I leave on Monday or Tuesday and what time. I hope they put us al on the same plane, because some times they don't. I will spend two days in the mission home in Taipei so get orientated then shoved out into the real world. I am way excited to get out of the box. So since I only have two weeks left here...those who really love me would send me letters this week to Taiwan so that they will be there when I arrive and I can feel that love physically...:)
So this week, we had our second visit from an apostle. On Tuesday, that makes twice in a row for devotional. All the branch presidents were very surprised. No one could remember two apostles coming in a row before (and there is talk of another coming tomorrow for devo, I guess we shall see) I guess we need it here at the MTC.
This week it was Richard G Scott. He gave a truly amazing talk on the Spirit, and how we can be receptive to it, and the importance of revelation. It was so powerful. He actually took the time to write up a handout telling us about personal revelations and experiences with the spirit, from his whole life, and everyone got a copy. It was Amazing!! Knowledge direct from the life of an Apostle of God! How often does that happen? When has an apostle actually brought a handout to a talk? I can't think of a time, though I haven't seen too many apostles talk. We were strictly directed not to reprint, or translate this paper. He said it was directly for us here at the MTC. Very cool.
Also, he gave us 4 Apostolic Blessings. I've never seen one of those given, much less 4. I don't think they were planned, they had the feel of being directed by the spirit. Apparently the Lord thinks we at the MTC really needed them, I think it was inspired because those blessings were exactly what I needed. He focused a segment directly on the sisters, he seemed very concerned with our safety and health. He gave the sisters specifically a blessing of protection. He said he invoked a shield of protection on the sisters as long as we are obedient to the Lord, he will guide us and warn us of danger ahead of time that we may have safety. He also gave us a requirement to keep ourselves healthy and active, and not to over work ourselves. I thought that was interesting. The concern he had for us was honestly very endearing.
The other blessings were to all the missionaries in general. He gave us a blessing that we may be confident in our impressions of the spirit, and that it will guide us and give us revelation. He blessed us that the lessons we learn on our missions we will retain and be able to apply throughout our lives. And he blessed us, and this is my favorite, each of us with the gift of tongues. An apostle of God instilled within each of us the capacity to learn our language, his words there. How amazing is that?! Now if only I can gain the faith to access that blessing haha.
So we had a devo last Sunday and the speaker was very into crowd participation. He had us all stand up for various things. He said a few that I stood up for, like, "have you ever felt depressed or discouraged so far on your mission." "Have you struggled" "have you thought about going home". Jacob was sitting in front of me several rows and every time he would turn around and look to see if I was standing. The other day in the cafeteria at lunch he came to the head of my table and stood there with his arms wide open like he wanted a hug. "What, here?" I asked him, he just stood there waiting, so I got up and gave him a hug, much to the gasps of our audience. He told me, "That is from Dad. And also from me, because you shouldn't be standing."
I thought it was really sweet.
Anyway, it was an amazing talk and I quite enjoyed it. My time is up though, I wish I could share more with you all but alas, I cannot.
Have a great week.
Sister Thiessen
I only have 16 days left at the MTC!! Woot! I get my travel plans this week so I know when and when I fly out. Whether I leave on Monday or Tuesday and what time. I hope they put us al on the same plane, because some times they don't. I will spend two days in the mission home in Taipei so get orientated then shoved out into the real world. I am way excited to get out of the box. So since I only have two weeks left here...those who really love me would send me letters this week to Taiwan so that they will be there when I arrive and I can feel that love physically...:)
So this week, we had our second visit from an apostle. On Tuesday, that makes twice in a row for devotional. All the branch presidents were very surprised. No one could remember two apostles coming in a row before (and there is talk of another coming tomorrow for devo, I guess we shall see) I guess we need it here at the MTC.
This week it was Richard G Scott. He gave a truly amazing talk on the Spirit, and how we can be receptive to it, and the importance of revelation. It was so powerful. He actually took the time to write up a handout telling us about personal revelations and experiences with the spirit, from his whole life, and everyone got a copy. It was Amazing!! Knowledge direct from the life of an Apostle of God! How often does that happen? When has an apostle actually brought a handout to a talk? I can't think of a time, though I haven't seen too many apostles talk. We were strictly directed not to reprint, or translate this paper. He said it was directly for us here at the MTC. Very cool.
Also, he gave us 4 Apostolic Blessings. I've never seen one of those given, much less 4. I don't think they were planned, they had the feel of being directed by the spirit. Apparently the Lord thinks we at the MTC really needed them, I think it was inspired because those blessings were exactly what I needed. He focused a segment directly on the sisters, he seemed very concerned with our safety and health. He gave the sisters specifically a blessing of protection. He said he invoked a shield of protection on the sisters as long as we are obedient to the Lord, he will guide us and warn us of danger ahead of time that we may have safety. He also gave us a requirement to keep ourselves healthy and active, and not to over work ourselves. I thought that was interesting. The concern he had for us was honestly very endearing.
The other blessings were to all the missionaries in general. He gave us a blessing that we may be confident in our impressions of the spirit, and that it will guide us and give us revelation. He blessed us that the lessons we learn on our missions we will retain and be able to apply throughout our lives. And he blessed us, and this is my favorite, each of us with the gift of tongues. An apostle of God instilled within each of us the capacity to learn our language, his words there. How amazing is that?! Now if only I can gain the faith to access that blessing haha.
So we had a devo last Sunday and the speaker was very into crowd participation. He had us all stand up for various things. He said a few that I stood up for, like, "have you ever felt depressed or discouraged so far on your mission." "Have you struggled" "have you thought about going home". Jacob was sitting in front of me several rows and every time he would turn around and look to see if I was standing. The other day in the cafeteria at lunch he came to the head of my table and stood there with his arms wide open like he wanted a hug. "What, here?" I asked him, he just stood there waiting, so I got up and gave him a hug, much to the gasps of our audience. He told me, "That is from Dad. And also from me, because you shouldn't be standing."
I thought it was really sweet.
Anyway, it was an amazing talk and I quite enjoyed it. My time is up though, I wish I could share more with you all but alas, I cannot.
Have a great week.
Sister Thiessen
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