Pictures- 1)Blanket that Melissa Loves. 2) Melissa knocking on a Taiwanese door. Notice the height of the roof. 3) Clean up the World Day-work crew. 4) Homeless man writing on Melissa's leg. 5)Halloween in a Bakery.
Well its starting to cool off in Taiwan. Fall is getting here, slowly. Mostly that just means that its going to be raining. And that typhoon season has arrived. Currently the weather outside is dismal, and a tad chilly, but that might just be because of the storms a brewin' off the coast. It doesn't usually get cold here until November. But here in my area of xinzhu it sure does get windy! Its a little hazardous to ride our bikes. We'll be battling the wind beating at us from the front, pushing hard, then a sudden side gust will come and sweep us across 2 lanes of traffic...Oh the adventures of being a missionary. Its all fun.
Well its starting to cool off in Taiwan. Fall is getting here, slowly. Mostly that just means that its going to be raining. And that typhoon season has arrived. Currently the weather outside is dismal, and a tad chilly, but that might just be because of the storms a brewin' off the coast. It doesn't usually get cold here until November. But here in my area of xinzhu it sure does get windy! Its a little hazardous to ride our bikes. We'll be battling the wind beating at us from the front, pushing hard, then a sudden side gust will come and sweep us across 2 lanes of traffic...Oh the adventures of being a missionary. Its all fun.
This week we were leaving the chapel to head home when our ward mission leader comes out and tells us that one of the Elders in the district, Elder Zhong, had just lost his mother to cancer. She'd passed that night. None of us even knew that she'd been sick, Thomas (our WM leader) had just told us earlier that day that he'd found out she had cancer then only a few hours later President was calling. Elder Thatcher (E. Zhong's companion) answered the phone because they were on exchanges with the Zone Leaders. E. Thatcher told Thomas who told us. But we were not allowed to tell anyone else. Poor Elder Zhong took it as well as he could. He could have gone home for the funeral because he is from Taiwan, but he chose to stay out here against some of his families wishes. He didn't talk about it with anyone, but Thomas. Thomas is from his home ward, so they know each other. They had a couple of private meetings about it. My heart went out to poor elder Zhong. He looked such a mess for a while. He seems to be coping ok now, but its a scary thing. It really highlights how very fragile our little human existence really is.
We had a baptism this week! But only one when we were hoping for two. Xu WeiJun was baptized, it had taken her a while and she had failed one Baptismal interview in the past. But she was so ready. I didn't know her very very well, because I'm newer to the area but I know she is a great woman. She was pretty touched by her service. All the missionaries sang a song for her and such. She told me later that she was really touched when she went into the water, it was very emotional for her. Our other investigator, Yang JiaRu, the one who had had an abortion did not get baptized. She had an interview with the mission presidents counselor (when you have an abortion or a serious crime you have to have two interviews) but she canceled it on us. She said she just didn't have the desire for baptism anymore. She loves church, and she loves the scriptures and all of our activities, but she said on Sunday, in Sunday school, that she needs a lot more time. She doesn't feel she has received an answer yet. She is such a good woman, I know she will get baptized, and I hope that I am here to see it. We are raking our brains trying to figure out how to help her.
Oh, we were also molested by two homeless people this week. We stopped to talk to one at the train stations and he was unable to speak mostly so he was signing to us. Of course Chinese signs are as obscure to me as the Chinese spoken language can be so we had no idea what he said. He took one of my pens, one of our pamphlets, and my knee then started writing. I could read some of it but it was very nonsensical. But my companion took the opportunity to take a picture, which I will include. It was very amusing. The other homeless man was more handsy. He was talking to the Elders when we came up to do a finding activity with them. He was all over us, handsy. He kept trying to pull us over to somewhere, telling us he was going to buy us drinks. Finally after he wouldn't leave I got up in his face and told him, hands off. We were working. Then he left. Haha.
We also go to Dan Jones for the first time this week. We were taking the youth of the stake out to be missionaries for a day and we went to a bridge with a lot of people, got up on the curb and started preaching. I got to be the first one to break in the crowd, shouting at the top of my lungs to the nearby shoppers, waving about my moermenjing (book of Mormon). It was fun.
Its already week four of the transfer. I don't know where the time is going. I think there is a leak somewhere in the time-space-continue-um. Someone should look into that.
Well I love you all, I hope you have a good week and that you are all healthy and happy. Its only 5 months I have left here in the mission field. So quick. But I'm still praying for all of you, and I'm still appreciative for the love that you all send me. Until next Monday, you have my love.
Sister Melissa Thiessen
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