Life Banished to the Far South

My first week in far away Taidong was so long is was short. I know some of you will know what I mean here. It was packed and bursting with missionary activities...which should be expected because of my current occupation...

You know it occurs to me that my job description is rather amusing. I put in all my time for a year and a half to living with another young woman I don't know, riding a bike in skirts, blouses and dorky helmets, talking to absolutely everyone I see, in a language I can't speak, about Jesus. Whether they want to hear it or not. Yeah. Its pretty special.

But I digress.

Sister Collyer is probably the most missionary missionary I have met so far. She is so dedicated to the work, that the things that distract her, are about missionary work. Sometimes its almost alarming hah. but she has a heart of gold and she really loves the people. She invites every one she sees to baptism. Everyone, haha. Even the creepy guy in the work truck that chews so much binglong (a nasty plant like tobacco only red) that his grin is stained cannibalistic red. She has no fear or awkwardness about it.

I can already tell that my time down here will be unlike all my previous experience on my mission. I know Sister Collyer can teach me a lot, if I can suck up my hesitantly and pride and just do it. She really pushes me to go outside of my comfort zone, especially with talking to everyone at church. The members are wonderful down here, we have people come up and ask us in church if we have time for them to come peike (sit in on a lesson with us, which is very, very important and notoriously hard to come by in many other places). They love the missionaries down here, and the branches (there are two) are very small, so, it is very important that we really get to know them all.

Sunday was an interesting experience. I felt a lot like the new zoo exhibit. We are like the only white people in Taidong, and I'm pretty sure I'm the tallest woman in Taidong...maybe the tallest person period actually...So there was a lot of staring, and "Oh! Your soooo tall!"s. The children thought it was very amusing though, I'm pretty sure they saw me more as a new jungle gym than a new toy.

Saturday we had a baptism, it was pretty cool. This woman is amazing. She was the most faithful of investigators, really. When she saw the missionaries on the street, us or the elders (there are two sets of elders in Taidong) she would stop them and follows up on her commitments herself! ha. People keep telling me this is a language of miracles. I would believe that, this week we have 19 baptism dates. In my previous areas 5 a week was lucky.

Taidong is also beautiful. The weather is pretty much the perfect temperature, though I hear that it gets unbearable in the summer. The houses are still very Taiwanese looking (a little shabby and run down-ish) but the tin garage doors are all painted. Fanciful colors or designs and cartoon characters. There is a definite aboriginal feel to the art on the streets, and the architecture often. There is a backdrop of misty green mountains cupping the city. The streets actually have room to breathe, not congested every moment with insane scooter drivers and buses. Taidong will be an interesting experience.

Well that's all for now. I really love you all, and miss you terribly.

Love Sister Melissa Thiessen.

Pic on Left is Mel with the Elders in her district. They found a COSTCO and Mel got them all in on her card so they could get American Pizza.

The photo on the right is Mel with a Mini. She sent this for her dad who loves them and has a 1973 Austin Mini Cooper S, that is this color blue. It is pretty amazing seeing her dad who is 6'8" in his Mini.


Mel's email didn't come through last week, so this post is a 2fer. This week and last week's blog.

Greetings again from Taiwan Well I don't have much to say for this week, it passed very quickly it seemed. My district had a very successful week, every conpanionship contacted 30-40 people a day at least and we gained many new investigators and a handful of baptizm dates. This is impressive, because our district is the youngest (has more new missionaries) than any other in our Zone and probably one of the youngest in our Mission. But it was a hard week, emotionally and physically. I got into my first mission bike accident! My companion and I were hurrying to the MRT (train) station to get to district meeting and we came to a stop light. I applied my breaks to slow down and they locked up. My bicke stopped quite suddenly and I did not stop. I wiped out pretty spectacularly all over the road. I was blessed because there were no cars behind me so I remained un-ran over. Also, my dress and my tights remained unripped, miraculously, which I was very greatful fore because I don't have too many of those items and cannot find them in my size in taiwan. Language has slain me this week. The Danshui missionaries (the elder companionship that is in our area and sister Li and I) has a invantory about our language. Sister Li was upset because we all spoke English when we were together and she felt left out. Its a sticky situation because of the newness of half of us, and our inability to speak chinese. We eventually worked out a way to hopefully deal. Sister Li mentioned that she has a really hard time understanding the words that I use in English sometimes, and Elder Benson (the district leader) turned to her and said, Sister Li, I have a hard time understanding the words that Sister Thiessen uses in English some times. We all laughed and I assured them all that I would try my best to dumb down my english. This week while buying fruit at a local stand I made an amazing discovery!! I picked up an apple to access its freshness and what did I find! It was a Washington apple! I was so happy I had to go find Sister Li and tell her. But then! I turned around to pick up a different variety and what did I find!! Another washington apple, but what did it say? A YAKIMA WASHINGTON apple! All the way accross the world in taiwan, a little peice of home found me all on its own. I stole a couple of the stickers, and bought a couple of the apples. And they were delicious. mmm. This week begins the new year. Chinese New year that is, it is their biggest holiday. They all congrigate as families and eat a ton of food. For missionaries that means invitations for big meals, weight gain, and no lessons. There will be a lot of door nocking and street contacting this week. Well I am out of time. We are off to go find Costco! I am hopin to weasle my district inside with my American card! Love you all! Sister Thiessen.



Today starts my 3rd transfer. That leaves only 9 more. hmm. I've already been out a half a year! Let me hear a big "Woooooooooow" out there folks.

So on Friday we had move calls. It was an interesting situation. We were all certain our beloved district leader, Elder Benson, was going to be called away. Then Thursday he was given the call to train, which upped his chances of staying in Danshui. We also all expected Sister Li to leave, but me to stay. Elder Benson came back with his new trainee on Friday morning with a huge smile plastered on his face. He was staying in Danshui. He'd said that he'd heard whispers that maybe Sister Li and I were both staying. Things were looking pretty good from my perspective up until Friday night. The assistants accidentally called Sister Li instead of another sister and so she found out early that she was transferring to Xinzhu, a city south west of Taibei almost in the Taichung mission. She was...very...upset. It was pretty bad. When she had calmed down enough to rationally speak she called elder Benson to confirm, he had not yet heard from our zone leaders though. When he did call back I answered. He told me, with a heavy heart, that I was also moving, and that they were closing the sisters in Danshui. It was a serious blow. He informed me that I would me moving to Taidong, the very most southern tip of Taiwan. So I went from the extreme far north to the extreme far south in 2 transfers. Taidong is a 7 hour train ride from Danshui. The irony here is that the one person we were all sure would leave stayed, the lone man haha.

It is a big sadness. We had so many investigators that are going to be left in an awkward place. It was a big deal, we packed up our whole apartment and had to go over all the records with our elders, so they could take over. Sister Li and I had no little amount of sorrow in doing this.

This morning I said goodbye to Danshui. Everyone tells me I am the lucky one. Missionaries, sisters and elders alike pray to be moved to Taidong, its rumoured to be the best area of the mission. Certainly the prettiest. All the members tell me its gorgeous. They tell me that I will love it. But I will very much miss Danshui, I got very attached to the members, to the investigators, to the stormy beauty of that seaside town. And especially I will miss my district, and my elders who were like my family away from home.

I took that train ride, I am now stopped in the middle in Hualian, a rich touristy city on the middle east of the island. The closest missionaries besides those in taidong reside here. Its a Huge zone. And it is beautiful. Oh, the wonders and fun of the missionary life. My companion is one sister Collyer, whom every sister I've ever talked to has nothing but praise and good words for. I really am blessed. I confess, I was one of those missionaries who prayed to come south, but not so soon! haha. But the Lord knows what he is doing. And I am slowly adjusting to the fact that I have moved. ha.

To reminisce on the past transfer, I have to say that though it was really hard some times, having a bundi (native) companion helped me enormously. My speaking skills are only marginally better maybe, but really my listening skills have improved by leaps and rockets. I understand so much more than I did even 4 weeks ago. Last night before I left Sister Li she and I had a long conversation about what had come to pass this last transfer. Before we went to bed I looked at her and said "Sister Li, do you realize that we just had that entire conversation in Chinese? 6 weeks ago, I could hardly speak to you."

The Lord does love his missionaries. We just have to be patient enough to be molded by his hands.

Love you all!
Sister Melissa Thiessen

Happy Chinese New Year! I think you should all start celebrating, they take almost a week of school and work and hang out with family and eat. A. Ton. We have had meal appointments every day for the past week, both lunch and dinner. the type of meal appointments where after every meal you leave and are so full you never want to see food again, much less eat again in about 3 hours. Its been fun.

This week since most of these appointments have been on the little island that parallels Danshui we have spent a lot of time traveling. We leave in the morning, not able to finish our studies to get to an appointment for lunch and it takes about an hour to get out to the island by bus and MRT (train). Then we are there for the expected couple of hours. then we have to travel home and try to get some more studies in, then we have to do it again for dinner. Usually we have returned home late, past the 9:00 curfew. But because of this travel time and spending pretty much all day every day with Elder Benson and Hall (our Danshui Elders) we have all become very close. We refer to ourselves as the 4 musketeers. This has been the best week of my mission thus far, even if we haven't been able to do almost any missionary work outside of working with the members. We have a lot of fun together.

Unfortunately next Friday harrolds move calls. I think we will be moved, at least two of us. Elder Benson will probably be moved up to Zone leader, and I think either Sister Li or I will be moving. Its a sadness. We are all a little bummed about it, In the words of Elder Benson "I don't know if another transfer can top this one, its been epic." Even the rest of our district is really cool.

Last week on p-day we all trooped to Costco, an endeavor that took us all day. But it was worth it, it was much like a group of children going to Disney land. We were all ridiculously excited to buy American food, like cereal, salsa and tortillas. And Costco rolls! It was just like the Costco's of old, but yet still managed to retain an Asian feel. Like the pizza in the food court was pepperoni, Hawaiian or teriyaki chicken and mushrooms. And instead of just chicken bakes they had bagogi bakes. Interesting. But I had myself the first real salad I have had since entering Taiwan borders. And I was like mana from heaven.

Besides that, this week we have really gotten to know all of the members in Danshui. They are all amazing people! So faithful in the gospel. Every appointment we go to we ask to hear their story about how they became acquainted with the gospel. Sometimes they are pretty amazing. One Brother Zhong received a Book of Mormon from a friend at work, and without much more than a brief invitation to give it a look read it front to back. Then, having a thirst for more, by himself, got his hands on the gospel principles book and a number of other church resources. After a few weeks of coming to church one of the members was shocked to hear that he wasn't baptized yet. When are you getting baptized? He asked, have you set a date with the missionaries? No, brother Zhong replied, he hadn't even met with the missionaries, but he thought next Saturday would work well for the baptism if that day was too soon. Wow haha.

Well, this transfer is coming to a close, and I'm sad to see it happen. But I'm late for another lunch appointment. I love you all!

Sister Melissa Thiessen.

Hello!

I am now halfway through my second transfer, the weeks went by pretty fast. This week went by pretty fast. So fast in fact that I don't have much to say! Ha.

I do have some things through. Since my companion is the coordinating sister we go on exchanges very often. At least once a week, and this week twice! It could get really irksome having to bounce around often, but I prefer the mindset of excitement. I get to see all the areas in our Zone! And I get to meet more of the sisters, some sisters never get to do that. So this week Sister Li went to Neihu on Monday and Tuesday and one of the sisters that was in the transfer ahead of me in the MTC came here. Sister Tanner is a load of fun, she is from southern CA and has an unending supply of energy. We English tracted on the corner of a huge intersection in the rain (that’s when you have the signs advertising our free English class and one companion stands and waves it and the other contacts everyone they can as soon as the light turns red.) With Sister Tanner it was a good experience. She Bounced up and down waving that sign and shouting to everyone. She really is motivating. She is only on her 3rd transfer and I am only on my second, so lessons were interesting. But we got through them unscathed!! it was a miracle.

The second transfer I went to Shirlin. And Shirlin is beautiful! I was with the adorable Sister Dowdle. She is someone that since coming on island and meeting, I have always wanted to be companions with. She is on her 9th transfer so maybe I won't be so blessed but I am thankful for the opportunity to exchange with her. She is a great example in her testimony, her obedience, and her vigor. She loves the gospel, and she loves to share it.

That’s pretty much all I have to report on. Sorry this week is a little lame. Next week I hope to have more miracles to share with you all.

Thank you all for the mail! and the letter-formed-Love! I got a ton of Christmas cards and letters from people this last week and I am grateful to each and every one of you. You know who you are! Yes you! Thank you! They brighten my week. Keep up the good work my friends.

Until we write again,
Sister Melissa Thiessen

Danshui

Blog

This is the Beginning of the halfway point of this transfer! Wow that’s an odd thing to say isn't it. Well this week hasn't been too crazy, but there are a few things of note that I would like to discuss!

I really am loving my district. Saturday the Elders in my area of Danshui accompanied us to the temple for a wedding! (not ours...) Two members of the ward were getting married for time and all eternity. The hour train ride was actually a blast both there and back, swapping stories and tales. They are both very interesting young men, and we have a lot of fun.

Tuesday we cooked baked apples together in the chapel’s kitchen, rather I cooked and they brought lunch and we told tales. It was hilarious. I am making good relationships and good memories here. I feel more connected to the people, missionaries, investigators and members of Danshui than I did in Taiyuan, possibly because I understand more.

But back to that wedding! It was tons of fun and wonderful to see a couple that was so happy get married for eternity. Chinese receptions are interesting. They have everyone seated for a program of speeches and things before the food and the talking. They don't have gifts or a reception line either. But the food was in plenty and fantastic at the end.

This week we also went on exchanges for the first time this transfer. We will have exchanges at least once a week from this point on because Sister Li is the coordinating sister (that’s like the sister version of the zone leader) and has to exchange with all the sisters in our zone. It’s going to be nifty. I will get to meet a lot of sisters and maybe go see all of the areas. This time I went to JiLong, a city about 2 hours away.

Jilong sits on a harbor too, and is a thriving harbor town with high rise shopping and beautiful views, and just a little of that fishy smell that accompanies that line of work. Much like Danshui Jilong sits on a large hill, of which the sister apartment is half way up, so they divide their area like we do into an up and a down section. I loved that hill; it was vicious to the thighs.

Anyway, I got to be with my first purely American companion (even though it was only exchanges) a Sister Howell. She is a cute little red head. But the important part of this story, I saw my first real missionary miracle! It was amazing so I'm going to just tell ya all about it!!

So Sister Howell earlier in the week had been out working with her companion and suddenly had the misfortune of having an overactive bladder. So they tracked into a house on the pretense of really, really needing the bathroom. This crusty old woman opened the door and they gained a lesson, then a new investigator, even though she was a staunch traditionalist.

A day or so later they returned and this old woman (she is so spunky) threw a fit because they had not called before coming. But she let them teach her, amidst the distraction of her grandchild screaming and throwing balls. She told them that her daughter wanted to meet.

Then I came. We almost didn't go visit this woman, she lived at the top of the hill and we were short on time, but something told us we should go. So go we did. We biked all the way up that hill! And when we got there, soaked with sweat and maybe a little red in the face her daughter met us at the door. She said "My husband has something to tell you." as we entered and sat down her husband said from the other room where he was assembling a book shelf, "I've been waiting for you"

They gathered, we met Joy and Greene (their English names.) and we taught the first lesson. I have not felt the spirit that strong in a lesson yet on my mission. It went very well; I even got to recite the first vision all the way through for the first time (with only a couple of pauses and mistakes). Then we got to the big question, we felt we should extend the baptismal invite.

His answer was definite and absolutely without hesitation. Yes. Then he looked at his wife expectantly "What about you? Are you ready?" She was a little slower coming but agreed as well. Then he told us his story.

He had never been religious. He had never had a faith. But recently his life was down and looking empty. He was not satisfied with the direction it was taking, or the person he was, or the father he was. He realized that he was lost. So for the first time in his life, he decided to pray. He prayed hard and earnestly, asking quite simply, is there a God? God, he said, if you are there I don't have the faith to go find you. But please send someone to my door. If you send someone to my door I swear to you that I will always follow you.

The very next day Sister Howell and her companion knocked on his door and taught his mother in law. When she told them the day following that the missionaries had come by and were teaching her he was completely floored. Not only had his prayer been answered, it had been answered the very next day. So he told us that no matter what he wanted baptism. The Lord had spoken to him, had shown him what was right and he was going to take it.

Wow, how much more direct can you get than that? It was a miracle, and it was truly awesome to see how we can be tools in someone's hand. I may not get to see that family progress and eventually receive baptism, but I saw the certainty in that man's eyes. And I saw and felt for the first time what it is to be the answer to someone’s prayer. An answer that will change their life forever.

That’s my sharing time for the week! I love you all and I hope that you are all happy and well. Have a great week and I miss you tons!

This week has been interesting to say the least. I'm liking Danshui, the ward is full of very interesting people, so is the city itself.
Next Saturday there are two members of the ward getting married in the Taipei Temple and we are allowed to go because we are participating in the reception after. We are dancing...on Friday night we gathered with our district leader and his companion (an Elder who came in the transfer after me in the MTC, so I know him :) ) and the members of the ward to practice this dance...it was...awkward. But it is a service to the ward so we will bravely grin and bear this trial.
Sister Li was very sick this week, she was in bed all of the first day and the second day we were able to work but she still has a gut wrenching cough. I am doing all I can NOT to get it.
We have a Spanish speaking investigator! Its a very difficult situation. She seems to really really love the gospel, she seems to really, really want baptism, but we don't know what her motives are because we cannot really communicate. She speaks very little Mandarin, and very little English, mainly just Spanish. She has 4 children under the age of 10 and the oldest boy sometimes tries to translate but it's a difficult situation. I don't know how much of what we teach her gets through. She came to church on Sunday, but she pretty much refused to talk to anyone. She sat and read her Spanish gospel principles as if it were her only line to reality. She refused our help. I'm really not sure how to read this lady. We are praying about how to help her.
Last night we had a very interesting experience. My companion and I both had our very first run in with Jehovah's Witness members. Sister Li set up a lesson with one of them and she had no idea who they were, I warned her but as we arrived to the lesson (at a Mos Burger, a restaurant kind of like a McDonalds. What an interesting place to teach.) She realized that she'd forgotten her bible...great. This young woman had brought an older woman with her, and as soon as we sat down I knew where this lesson would go. They did not want to open with a prayer, they did not want to get to know us, they whipped out their bibles and their knowledge and the battle began. What a precarious situation! I knew where they were going but poor Sister Li had no idea. She didn't understand their questions and didn't have a way to answer since she had no scriptures and I couldn't understand the conversation though I had a general idea of what they wanted and how to deal with it. They loaned Sister Li a bible (they all carry around multiples?) and she later told me it was very very different. I did my best in broken Chinese and English to converse with them but it was painful, and the situation grew almost contentious. It lasted far too long, Sister Li tried to end it with the Book of Mormon but they refused even to touch it. They were Very adamant about wanting absolutely nothing to do with it. Almost seeming afraid of it. When we asked them for their testimony on the scriptures or on their church they could not give us one, they would repeat "let me show you a scripture." Sister Li and I decided that they had nothing but scriptural knowledge, they miss the essential testimony, the personal knowledge that makes our gospel unique.
After the lesson we were talking outside the restaurant and donning our rain gear. Our bikes were crammed into a row of scooters with bare inches between. I set my bag on the seat of a scooter nearby to handle my things and then we rode home up a huge hill then another. 20 minutes later we rolled into the parking garage of our complex and I opened the box on my bike and found to my horror that my bag was not in its place. I realized with more horror that I must have left it on that scooter and that this bag contained all of my most very important items, i.e. wallet with identification, visa card, money, credit cards, scriptures...yeah. We said a hasty pleading prayer and booked it back in a panic. We got back to Mos Burger 10 minutes later (it takes about half the time when you get to go down the big hill.) and miracle of miracles my bag was still sitting on that scooters seat. Untouched by the throng of people passing by who only had to hook out a hand and carry it away unstopped by anyone. I was massively grateful, so grateful that riding up that hill again wasn't so bad.
So that is my miracle for the week.
I hope you are all well!
Missing you from Taiwan!

Second Move Day!

Friday was move call day, as we neared the very end of the transfer. Everyone was all a flutter wondering where and who would get moved. I had predicted to Sister Li that I felt like one of us would be moved from Taoyuan, she was very much not wanting it to be her. Senior companions tend to stay in the Taoyuan area for a very long time though. Usually Sister's don't get moved too often so we were told that it was possible neither of us would be moved. But, I still had that feeling.

Friday night rolled around, that magical call could come anytime between 9pm and 12pm. I retreated to my dressing room (yes, I had my own room to dress, but not to sleep because we must sleep in the same room as our companions.) and caught up on journal writing planted firmly in front of the heater. One of those tall tower-esque ones because the Chinese do not believe in central heating. When the call came I listened though the door as Sister Li spoke rapid Chinese to our district leader, punctuated by laughs and "zhende ma?" (really?). As soon as she was off the phone I was questioning her.

I was moving! To Danshui! A city in the farthest northern point of the Island that a sister may go! Also the coldest point on the island, at the coldest time of the year. My new companion is the other Sister Li. (two sister Li's my first two transfers...a little odd me thinks.) I am only the second missionary in a very long time to be transferred from Taoyuan to Danshui, so the members tell me.

I spent all of my very short free time packing over the weekend. New years passed without too much celebration for us. However on Saturday, actual new years day Sister Li (the first) and I went to a steak house about a block from our house. Why did we discover this steak house so late I have no idea! It was great! All the steak houses here have enormous buffets that are included in the price of the meal. I paid a total of 250 Taiwanese Dollars, that's about 6 or 7 dollars US for a 6oz steak, noodles (the often serve noodles with their steaks here, weird right?) and the buffet, which was sizable. Mmm... I then went home to call my parents, since I could not call them last week due to an Egyptian excursion. But! Disaster! The phone cards I had been planning on using from my mother wouldn't work because the toll free number was out of the US! Not international! So we ran downstairs to the 7-11 and bought me a phone card then ran back up to the 16th floor (via elevator of course) to try to figure it out. But! Alas, every number I had, which were all of two (My mom's cell and Monti's cell) were not being answered, even after 50 calls. So I left a message and hung up the phone, rejected.

Fortunately, I tried again yesterday and got through, my mom finally picked up her phone, but! My father was at church, it being Sunday and all. So I talked with her briefly and have organized a call back tonight when my Dad is in residence.

This morning Sister Li (the first) helped me organize all my stuff and clean the room...Her situation is somewhat of a pickle. She doesn't have a companion! Somehow there was a shortage of sisters and she got the short end of the stick. They do this thing here where members can volunteer to be missionaries for a certain period of time and act as official missionaries, living and working as regular missionaries. But they didn't have one of those set up either!! Not yet anyway, so fortunately one of the members has a daughter that just returned from graduating at BYU and is putting in mission papers and volunteered for the next three days. Poor sister Li.

One of the members kindly volunteered her service to shuttle me, and my ton of baggage up to Danshui, but we got lost because it is apparently way up here. Danshui is right on the ocean, it is a harbor city north east of Taipei. I think we can see the ocean from our apartment, which is pretty nice really. Sister Li (the second) tells me that all the sisters say Danshui sisters live in luxury. Danshui at first appearance, through the rainy haze, looks pretty green and it is surrounded by mountains. I hope to b eable the make friends quickly with Sister Li (the second) through the language barrier. Her English is not fantastic, and my Chinese is not either, so hopefully we will find a system. I will hopefully learn really fast with her.

I've been out three whole transfers already! I only have 10 left. People tell me they will go even faster. Hmm...Well Danshui, here I come!

Love Sister Melissa Thiessen