WEEKLY UPDATE--Durian ice cream tastes like Pepto-bismol

Being able to go to the temple this past week was a huge blessing. The temple is such a special place. The Gondolas were neat as well! The cabins had clear floors so that you could see the treetops below your feet.

Now for this week's miracles:

The main focus of our mission is to get the members involved in missionary work. We wanted to get our members more excited to do missionary work  so on Saturday we invited the ward to go finding with us. We tracted around a Carnival.  It was a HUGE success! Members are seriously one of the best tools we are given as missionaries to do this work. Especially here because ...

1.  They can actually speak the language, 
2.  Most of them are converts so they can connect better with people and 
3.  They know people. They have friends that are willing to listen. 

Member referral investigators that eventually become converted are more likely to stay active because they have those friends to help them. 

About 4 weeks ago we were tracting in a park and we found Wu dixiong. He was sitting on a bench, arms folded, legs crossed. At a first glance, he looked a little sketch. We decided to talk to him. He told us that he was homeless, jobless, hungry and a less-active member of the church (due to recurring drug/alcohol problems). We invited him to meet with us, the bishop and some ward members..Now, we see him at church and at ward activities looking very nice and clean in his white shirt and tie. He often offers to go finding with us and will give us referrals. He loves missionaries and missionary work and this experience, in his own words, has strengthened his testimony greatly. Members play a VITAL role in missionary work. 

Mahalo nui for all the love and letters! Taiwan is amazing!! Until next week!

-Sister Goo

P.S. My house smells like Christmas trees. I Love it!

Hello Stag Beetle!

That is some huge Stag Beetle!

This is what going finding in the evening looks like.

parade

funky looking car

Lilo and Stitch

Mini Truck

WEEKLY UPDATE--IT'S TEMPLE DAY!!

 After emailing today we are heading up to the Maokong Gondolas (its similar to a ski lift) and then going to the temple with the rest of the Taipei missionaries and THEN we celebrate the end of a wonderful transfer at our English party! Tomorrow is transfers, how crazy is that?!

At the mission home after the Temple Session.

 This week was absolutely beautiful. We had an earthquake (a small one) this past Monday. We felt it while we were riding the metro. Also, the Taiwan Government held an Air Defense Drill so during that time we were issued to stay in our apartment while planes were flying overhead and sirens were going off.

This week I learned that the people of Taiwan...they are peculiar. It's funny, those who are not members of our church are either Buddhist, Daoist or a little bit of everything. They believe that all religions are good. And because they know that there is opposition in all things (yin and yang), so long as you do good things you will be saved no matter what religion you believe in. *The Christians here believe that if you join the LDS church you will be damned. True story.

We had a ton of finding time this week and with that we were able to find many new and potential investigators and we also were able to tract into a Buddhist Bible printing facility. It rained during practically all of our finding time. When we go finding in the rain, street vendors often give us food because they feel bad for us. But we LOVE IT! Finding in the rain is the closest thing i'll get to swimming while on my mission.

We lost a couple of investigators this week due to lack of interest, unpreparedness and feelings of the sort however, Abby, one of our investigators from Mainland China has her baptismal interview scheduled for this Saturday. SO, if all goes well and her Chinese Government matters get cleared, we WILL see a baptism next Saturday!

That's all for today. Next week my P-day will be on Monday, how it usually is (which is in about 4 days). Missionary work isn't easy but it sure is simple. We teach truth and we listen to the spirit. Guys, Missions. Are. AWESOME.

--Sister Goo

Maokong Gondolas

so cute!

I spy Taipei 101.

How many sister missionaries can fit in a Gondola?

Luau

So allow me to introduce to you Elder Pineapple Peace and Sister Flower Lei from the English Class Luau!

Mushu!!!

God's beautiful creation.

I found Mushu!

it's a beautiful day

fish is fish

doughnut?

waffles?

Flowers

A little bit of home.

it's upside down

Sis. Goo loves to be in pictures.

our house

This was our house when we cleaned everything out...

scrape, clean, sweep and paint

Add caption

WEEKLY UPDATE--1 Corinthians 8:2-3 and John 10:14-15

This morning we woke up early to go to the grocery store  and buy groceries and things so that Sister. Westover could make taco salad. After that we bought stuff to aid us in our afternoon endeavors of house remodeling. Yes, we are remodeling our apartment. Making it more of "our own". Scraping old paint and putting on new, cleaning the mold, fixing our mudroom and scrubbing things down with bleach...whole lot of fun things. So, after shopping we went to the hospital. We had to take Sister Westover to rehab. Hospitals in Taiwan look like Iolani Palace and the Bishop Museum. They are very big and very, very busy. The environment inside is that of Wall Street and an airport combined. People are pulling numbers, waiting in lines, watching tv screens with papers in their hands. Nurses Aids and assistants are running around pushing carts and carrying trays of medical supplies. People here come to the hospital for everything. From Colds and cold sores to surgeries and stomach aches. Working at a hospital here would be so cool!

Anyway.....This past week was SO GREAT! we had interviews with the president, (to which we were an hour late for because we rode the wrong metro line) and Zone conference! We also got to watch General Conference in English with our District. We planned our English Class Party. My district came up with the idea to do a "genuine American Luau" so I'll let you all know how that goes. We were able to get a few investigators from English class, one of which is named Adam. Adam is very special. Our first lesson with him he refused to speak mandarin and would only listen if we spoke english. Adam is very prideful and does not like to be told what to do. He also has a very short temper and walked out of our lesson because we would not speak English with him. From that first lesson with Adam, I learned that even though our investigators may be difficult to teach sometimes, all we have to do then is love them. Love them today and teach them tomorrow. We met with Adam daily and just expressed how much we care for and want to help him. Adam has humbled himself and set aside his pride to allow us to share the gospel with him (in Mandarin!) 

Guys, I just want to put this out there. We WILL open up China. We have found and are now teaching a few people from China and they are so prepared. I kid you not, they all just want to get baptized ASAP. However, due to strict agreements with China and our church, the process by which people from China will be allowed to join the church is a lengthy one. Nonetheless, we are working as best we can to see it through as quickly and efficiently as possible. I AM SO EXCITED!!! XD

Last thing before I go, Next week is our Mission Temple Day and my P-day next week, instead of my normal Monday, will be on Wednesday (Tuesday in the states) SOOO, if you dont get an email from me when you usually do, don't freak out (*Mom*) . I am not dead. You will just get an email from me later on in the week. 

LOVE YOU :) 

-Sister Goo

" Be curious, Calm, and Compassionate."

P.S. I have never been as happy to see something struggle as I have been while watching a fat pug, with short, stubby legs, try to climb up on his owner's motorcycle.....

General Conference Sunday

Conference Notes!

#myfavoritefather 

General Conference Saturday

lunch

watching conference with my district

With my companion Sister Westover

do you see what I see?

"mom! it's my tile!"

senior tile

Good Eats!

Interesting Italian food in Taiwan....

Ramen for dinner!

Egg Ice Cream for dessert!

The Metro

P-DAY ACTIVITY!

Kaorou!  Korean BARBEQUE!

SUUUPERR AWESOME HONEY TOAST!! and other yummy things..