Mid Autumn, Barbeques, and moon cake.
This past week was a good one, and it went by so fast. Tuesday my companion had a training meeting in Taibei, which is two hours away by train, so I got to head over to the neighboring area, Xinzhu with my dear Sister Wyder and her companion (my Mission little sister, we have the same trainer) Sister Holm. It was a fun day. We got to meet a very interesting family, the mother is Taiwanese, but when she was little her family moved to Brazil and she married there and had three kinds (two of which are grown) before they all moved back to Taiwan and opened a Brazilian pizza place. Because only the mom speaks Chinese though it is hard for them to remain active since they completely have no way to communicate at church. Only the mother speaks Chinese, and the father is learning, the oldest son speaks some English but besides that they only speak Portuguese. Where are you when I need you Jacob? We got to know them a bit and it was really cool. I enjoyed a day with Sister Wynder and Holm.
Since it was the last week of the transfer we had move call madness in district meeting, that's where we all guess where everyone is going to move. Everyone wrote me down as staying, my companion sister Choi had been in Zhubei for 5 transfers, a really long time. She only has 2 transfers left. They all had me down for staying and going da (senior). There were 22 new missionaries coming to the mission here this transfer and so a lot of areas were opening and there was a lot of growth.
This weekend is a huge holiday in Taiwan, its called the Mid Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival. It is basically a big day for everyone to get together as a family and bbq, and eat these little moon cakes (like a round pastry stuffed with all sorts of things). So there was a lot of qingke (or people inviting us to their house to eat) going on this weekend. We had one on Friday night and all of us missionaries went. We had a lovely time and ate lots of delicious foods. I ate a whole squid among other things. I got to talk to the elders in my district a bit and we swapped conversion stories. It was a very good night. Saturday we went to the beach for a service project "Clean up the world day". The second ward in my area picked up trash all afternoon then we got to play in the sand a bit. When we left we were all filthy. It was pretty windy and it just picked up all the sand and nicely coated all of us. It was wonderful fun, and we got to be all gritty the rest of the night for our lessons. Sunday we had two more qingke's. One was at our Ward Mission Leader's house, and he has a lovely home, very nice for Taiwan. Unfortunately it is on top of a mountain. Fortunately this time we had a ride because we didn't have bikes. Brother Li is also a professional chef, and so the food was of course delicious. That night we had another qingke with one of my favorite Sisters. Sister Ni is a wonderfully giving and kind woman with a towering testimony harder than stone. She is awesome. She has two sons, 17 year old twins who are absolutely amazing. They are both future stake presidents in the making. They actually really remind me of my little brother. Their house is also very very beautiful, and also on top of a mountain...hah. We had stake, Costco rolls, and the most delicious and beautiful meal. It was followed by a miracle. Real Apple Pie. I haven't had apple pie, or any kind of pie, in a year. Oh good heavens it was amazing. Also brownies, another treasure, and Costco ice cream. Wonderful.
Today. Move day, but lets back up. Thursday is the day all the trainers get their calls. I was wondering if Sister Choi was going to train seeing as she has very little time left on the island. But no call came for her. This started me thinking, and worrying. I was worried that move calls would find us in the same situation, me still junior companion and with Sister Choi. I have grown to love that little Korean. She is a good person and in the end very forgiving. But I was so ready for a change. I was so ready to spread out and try to wobble along as senior. Because last transfer's shocking disappointment I was afraid that it would not come this transfer. So on Friday night when we were traveling home late and I heard the phone ring on sister Choi's bike I about screamed. When we stopped and saw that it was the assistants I let out a whoop of joy that was so loud it startled the poor old lady in the house next to us. Move calls, Sister Choi was remarkably staying, again, in Zhubei. And I was remarkably moving...again...to XinZhu. I was kicking Sister Wynder out because she was taking my dream job of the temple sister. She will do great there. I am new door to ZhuBei now in XinZhu with my little sister Sister Holm.
We will pretty much be whitewashing, or starting from scratch here. Most of the investigators they had died off last transfer and its pretty dead. The area is HUGE though and we cover three wards. There is a lot of space, and a lot to do and start in this area, my first time as Da Tongban (senior companion). I'm excited to start, and a little overwhelmed. I have to take over in the wake of the Amazing Sister Wynder, Everyone's favorite sister. They are pretty huge shoes to fill up. I am going to need to stretch myself pretty far to take over after her. But I have high hopes...now if only I knew what I was doing...
Well that's all I've got for now. I hope you all are well and keeping steady. Remember that there is someone in Taiwan that loves you! (and is waiting for your mail... :) )
Sister Thiessen
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