Sanchong District - Week 15 - Cats and Earthquakes
This week started as a whirlwind and ended with an earthquake (you think I'm trying to make a play on words, but I'm serious about the earthquake).
Wednesday night to Thursday night we were on exchanges in Beitou with the Sister Training Leaders. I learned a lot from my companion-for-the-day, Sister Kim. I also have not laughed so much in a long time than when we were with the Beitou elders at dinner, listening to one of them tell a story about how he spent 700 Taiwan dollars for endless fries, onion rings, and Haagen Daas ice cream one day.
Friday night included probably the strangest experience of my mission so far. Sister Maynard and I went to a random coffee shop to contact our investigators like we do each day. When we entered, the owner told us to hurry inside so she could shut the door, otherwise the cats would get out. Lol, what? Then she asked us to take off our shoes and gave us slip on shoes. We entered through a little gate and sat down at a table, and immediately noticed what the owner was referring to when she said "cats." There were cats everywhere! On the main counter, on the tables, in the customers laps...hahahaha is this a thing in America? The hot chocolate and herbal tea were very overpriced too, but we laughed about it the whole time. The cat experience made it all worth it.
On Saturday afternoon and all through the evening you could find us in Taipei city right next to the building where the President of Taiwan.works. In the pouring rain, a group of us missionaries joined many more in setting up tables upon tables, chairs upon chairs, all for a huge service project to feed the poor. So many people were working together for a great cause, and it was beautiful to see.
Then. Last night, Taiwan had a small earthquake. I was cleaning our bathroom sink and felt really dizzy all of a sudden, almost like our room was a boat. I was concerned for my health for a second but it turns out that the room really was swaying, and our light fixtures were moving back and forth above our heads! It was small, but our ward members were frantically checking up on each other in the ward Line group, and our Ward Mission Leader even called us to see if we were safe.
I've been thinking about how in the midst of an earthquake, it can be hard to find peace. Whether it be a real-life earthquake, or an emotional or spiritual earthquake, often times the first reaction is to be filled with fear or panic. Where can we turn for peace? In an April 2002 General Conference address, President M. Russell Ballard said
"Peace—real peace, whole-souled to the very core of your being—comes only in and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When that precious truth is discovered and gospel principles are understood and applied, great peace can distill in the hearts and souls of our Heavenly Father’s children." (See John 16:33).
I know that as I have had moments of fear, distress, sadness, and frustration on the mission, the things that help me the most are praying and pouring over the scriptures. Both help me to think about Christ, and what He did for me. I encourage you to remember and ponder what Christ did for you. What will you do differently in your life right now as a result of remembering or learning about these things? I love you all and I realized that I just wrote a novel and half, so I'm impressed if you got this far. TTYL!
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P-day in Tamsui...
Sister Maynard with some egg stuff on a stick...
In Tamsui...
The fun fish thing...
On a boat to Bali...
Sister Maynard and Sister Love in Tamsui...
Wednesday night to Thursday night we were on exchanges in Beitou with the Sister Training Leaders. I learned a lot from my companion-for-the-day, Sister Kim. I also have not laughed so much in a long time than when we were with the Beitou elders at dinner, listening to one of them tell a story about how he spent 700 Taiwan dollars for endless fries, onion rings, and Haagen Daas ice cream one day.
Friday night included probably the strangest experience of my mission so far. Sister Maynard and I went to a random coffee shop to contact our investigators like we do each day. When we entered, the owner told us to hurry inside so she could shut the door, otherwise the cats would get out. Lol, what? Then she asked us to take off our shoes and gave us slip on shoes. We entered through a little gate and sat down at a table, and immediately noticed what the owner was referring to when she said "cats." There were cats everywhere! On the main counter, on the tables, in the customers laps...hahahaha is this a thing in America? The hot chocolate and herbal tea were very overpriced too, but we laughed about it the whole time. The cat experience made it all worth it.
On Saturday afternoon and all through the evening you could find us in Taipei city right next to the building where the President of Taiwan.works. In the pouring rain, a group of us missionaries joined many more in setting up tables upon tables, chairs upon chairs, all for a huge service project to feed the poor. So many people were working together for a great cause, and it was beautiful to see.
Then. Last night, Taiwan had a small earthquake. I was cleaning our bathroom sink and felt really dizzy all of a sudden, almost like our room was a boat. I was concerned for my health for a second but it turns out that the room really was swaying, and our light fixtures were moving back and forth above our heads! It was small, but our ward members were frantically checking up on each other in the ward Line group, and our Ward Mission Leader even called us to see if we were safe.
I've been thinking about how in the midst of an earthquake, it can be hard to find peace. Whether it be a real-life earthquake, or an emotional or spiritual earthquake, often times the first reaction is to be filled with fear or panic. Where can we turn for peace? In an April 2002 General Conference address, President M. Russell Ballard said
"Peace—real peace, whole-souled to the very core of your being—comes only in and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When that precious truth is discovered and gospel principles are understood and applied, great peace can distill in the hearts and souls of our Heavenly Father’s children." (See John 16:33).
I know that as I have had moments of fear, distress, sadness, and frustration on the mission, the things that help me the most are praying and pouring over the scriptures. Both help me to think about Christ, and what He did for me. I encourage you to remember and ponder what Christ did for you. What will you do differently in your life right now as a result of remembering or learning about these things? I love you all and I realized that I just wrote a novel and half, so I'm impressed if you got this far. TTYL!
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P-day in Tamsui...
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