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.
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