Transfer 9, xinzhu. Again.

So transfers came, and we waited breathless, but I am still here. And so is my dear companion Sister Holm, for the 4th transfer in her first area. Thats a little unusual, but thats ok. I like her a good bit so I'm glad that she could stay. Anyway...So these transfers were bitter sweet, because some of my favorite elders, district and zone members moved to the other side of the island, but I got to stay with my dear investigators and this place that I am learning quickly to love. I really have a feeling that I will die here in xinzhu, but no one believes me when I tell them because the rest of my mission has been moves

This week we had another Baptism. Saturday a long time investigator, Chen Ya Rou got baptized. She was a long time coming, and a member of a part-member family. Her mother and step-father are members but she wasn't baptized because they became inactive. Through her investigation of the church her family became reactivated, but she has a very bad relationship with her mother so she started pushing the church away again. A long road later she realized that she wanted baptism. She is a moody 17 year old though, and so it was also a difficult process. But now that she has finally taken the action I think she will be good. We will be making great efforts to ensure she remains enveloped in the love of the ward.

This week I had a strange rash of dizzy. I would be sitting there in a lesson, or contacting or especially not my favorite riding my bike, and suddenly the world would get all wonky. I called the mission nurse finally about it, and told him that I have this strange l'il bump under my ear in the joint of my jaw and he said I needed to go see a doctor, right away, not on p-day. Then that night I was teaching a lesson and suddenly my companion looks at me and says "are you feeling ok?" and I was like "yeah, why?" then she looked a little horrified as she said "Because your face is really really white." And just like magic the world started to spin and I almost passed out. I had to grab the table before I fell out of my chair. So our ward mission leader Thomas Chen (who is a really awesome guy) came in and gave me my first blessing in Chinese. Then he took us to the hospital the next day. May I here say that I am very not fond of socialized medicine? That done, the doctor was very brief. She gave me some antibiotics and said that if that little bump there doesn't go away they might want to surgically remove it...I don't think antibiotics are going to make it go away, I've had it for a while, it just hurts sometimes now...

On that happy note...

There were a lot of missionaries I knew dying this transfer, and next. Its not too long now, next transfer, and I will be one of the oldest sisters on the island...that's a weird feeling. It gives me all kinds of power and authority! Right? Not really. Its really amusing, I was talking to one of the sisters in the transfer above me and she and I laughed about it. So many of the new missionaries look at us and say, wow, you are so old! You must no how to do all these things! (follows a list of very cool and very advanced things) and we think, what are you talking about! I don't know much more than you do kid! Its pretty amusing how that works.

Anyway, that's about all I have this week, I love you all. Have a happy Halloween! And celebrate it for me!! Thanks!

Love,

Sister Melissa Thiessen