These last weeks have whizzed by as we had another week of incredible Zone conferences in Taipei and then Taoyuan followed by several speaking assignments to a stake conference, a ward Sacrament meeting and a YSA fireside last night! Totally humbling and wondrous at the same time.
As we have been introducing the new Family History tract, we have asked the missionaries to prepare for ZC by reading their own family histories and stories. It has been so inspiring to hear the missionaries share their stories--not only to hear the stories themselves but to also witness how the Spirit of Elijah touches their souls and is turning their hearts to their own fathers as well. One missionary, Elder Stanley Barry Fieeiki, (named after his father Stanley Fieeiki)shared that his real/legal family name is "Kata" but that his father changed had their last name changed when the Elder was in middle school. His story was so inspiring I asked him if he would write it down for me and so he shared this with permission: "I am a Fie'eiki: My name is Stanley Fie'eiki; That is, "under church records" I am Stanley Fie'eiki. My name is Stanley Kata (legally). I was born Stanley Barry Fie'eiki being named after my father Stan Fie'eiki. When I was in middle school (roughly 13 years old) my father had our family's last name changed. The reason for this was because the word "Fie'eiki" is an insult in the Tongan language. I have heard it many times in my life used as many different insults. With all its different meanings the most common one is translated into "Wannabe". My father didn't like the insults towards our family, and so he took it to court and had it legally changed to "Kata". By looking through our family history, you can find out our family last name truly once was "Kata". My Great Grandfather's name was Simote Kata, but inherited the name Fie'eiki when he met the first set of missionaries on island who got him to join the Church. His father "Fillimone Aisea Kata" didn't approve of his choice so he furiously disowned him as a son and named him a "Fie'eki" for being a "wanna be" of the foreigners; for being wanting to be like their God "Jesus Christ". My great grandfather started a generation of "Wannabies" including his son/my grandfather who was a patriarch and of great contribution to translating the Book of Mormon in Tongan. He taught his children which blessed me with being born into the Gospel with "goodly parents". And so, when I submitted my papers my Bishop asked me "What name do you want to wear on your nametag?" I told him "Fie'eki", because I wanted to represent my Fie'eiki grandfather and because--like him--I am a wannabe--I want to be like Jesus Christ! So he shared his testimony with us how much his name means to him and how he knows he's also honoring his own father each day by carrying on his name literally and spiritually! After he finished, Mike shouted "Hurrah for Israel" and everyone repeated "Hurrah for Israel!" I wannabee like Elder Fie'eki and want to be like Jesus Christ!
Another story that touched me was from Sister Cajilig from Lehi Utah. She told how her Chinese line has been traced all the way back millenia to 300 AD! She said how it makes her so happy to come to Taiwan on her mission to learn the same language as her ancestors spoke and to feel close to them. Another missionary, Elder Larsen, wept telling how grateful he is for his grandparents and those who've gone before him. It made me weep too! I thought of how proud the ancestors of each of these valiant missionaries must be and how they must be helping us in this work! The thought truly is wondrous and I look forward to learning about how thin the veil is and how they are working and walking alongside us and how the ancestors of those being prepared are helping too!
While many, many of these missionaries have pioneer ancestors, some are the first in their families to embrace the gospel or some have families who are not fully active. How I admire their strength and joy in serving!
Each ZC Ping Huijiang has the missionaries who are on their last transfer and about to go home, share their testimonies. I love hearing each one share what they've learned. I loved hearing one share that the day her mission changed was the day she realized she has agency to choose to be happy every day no matter what happens in her life! And I have noticed she truly lives that! I haven't ever seen her when she didn't have a smile on her face --even when she has gone through some very scary things here on her mission. She has been as positive and smiley on the hard days as well as the good ones! No difference!
These last few weeks I have been working on arranging for our missionaries to be able to be immunized with the "flu" vaccine. This is challenging because I have had to figure out how many want it, and where to do it in each of the three main areas of the mission. And without speaking Chinese it is doubly hard to speak with doctors or nurses and especially using medical vocab or missionary vocab with them or where to even start looking for doctors because the health care system here is so different! Doctors don't have their own clinics typically. They are all at the hospital. You go to a hospital, take a number and you're seen when the next doc can see you. Then if you need a specialist, you are sent to that kind of doctor and have to wait in line again. So I've been praying a lot to find doctors and solutions to do this. I was so grateful that I had the thought --the impression--to text a pharmacist who speaks English and who the last mission nurse introduced me to when she came through Taiwan in July. I asked him if he knew a doctor who could give the shots and who would be willing to come to our church building in Jinhua. Days later he sent me the name and contact info for a Dr. Liu. I emailed back and forth with him and fortunately was able to arrange a meeting with him in person with the Chaos our amazing office couple to come help interpret as needed. It all went so well AND they are willing to come to our church to do 120 of our missionaries which means I only had one small clinic to arrange for the missionaries down south! Huge bonus blessing. When I asked him if he would like to come see our church and so he could see how to set up there, he looked at his wife who is his office assistant and they smiled. They said we know right where your church is because we live right by it! They said they've lived there in the same neighborhood for 40 years! They said: We always want to go inside but we didn't know we can!" So we had them come over this week and "tour" it! Right when you walk in you pass by the family history center so we told them about family history and they were amazed. They said they think we are the only church who teaches this. They were excited as they said their family has been in Taiwan for hundreds of years. I think they said 400! They are very excited to tell their son about it and we gave them a FH tract to explain more. I just was amazed that of all the places in Taipei I found a doctor who would not only help us in the way we need which is asking a lot! but also that he just happened to live right around the corner and have always wondered about the temple and church here. Such a tender mercy and no coincidence. I feel like he is going to be so amazed when he meets all our amazing missionaries who come get a shot! You can't be around them without getting a shot of enthusiasm and feel of God's love through them! The Lord led me to them and I am praying we can lead THEM to the Gospel's light!
I have been so amazed and grateful for Elder and Sister Chao who serve here in the office and do so much, along with the other office couple the Yens who are over all the apartments, and now the Petersons! I don't know what we will do without all these amazing people! Sister Chao is the financial secretary and Elder Chao is the mission secretary. Mike's parents, Eddie and Win are here training to take over when the Chaos when they leave mid December and are also going to head up the missionary Christmas program and are teaching English Class and Self Reliance. The Yens live in Taoyuan and kindly commute here every day to serve. They have been so amazing to help arrange for clean and safe living conditions for our missionaries. What a huge and important job! Love them all so much! I love getting to work on food with them and learning from them ! They are so hard working and full of zest and vigor to do all they do. I am so grateful the Chaos speak Chinese and English! We need to recruit some Chinese speaking couples to help us in the office. They have been so wonderful to come with me to hospitals to interpret and call doctors to make appointments for missionaries and help me find my way around hospitals and gone with missionaries TO hospitals. God bless these amazing senior couples! TTM wouldn't be possible without their service!
Sister Chao, who is Viet Namese, has an amazing story. She and her family of I think 12 people escaped Viet Nam in a small boat when she was 18. They loaded it with all the food they could carry, but then other people doing the same things in other boats would come by and take all their food and supplies! They nearly starved to death because they were without food for three days. But thankfully the US ship rescued them and took them by helicopter to a nice army base in Manila Philippines. There was so much food there she got lost from her family because she was so distracted. The Red Cross helped her find her family and be reunited with them. They were then taken to the US and the Lutheran church sponsored them and were kind to them. She ended up going to college in Oklahoma where she met her Taiwanese husband Spencer Chao who was also studying there in grad school. He shared the gospel with her and she was baptized. They have four children and 14 grandchildren. Sister Chao is a walking wonder! She has run a few different restaurants with Elder Chao and is a marvelous cook! They speak four languages and are the hugest assets. Love them and learn from their devotion every day!
This week it was fun to see the Petersons (Eddie and Win) in action. Nothing is slowing them down! They taught a great English class Wednesday and the Advanced class loved them! They can all speak and converse English so well which makes it possible for them to communicate with the Petersons and the Petersons with them. They taught the lesson on the power of good teachers and Win shared the story of the starfish--how a man was seen on a beach covered with starfish, throwing a starfish back in the ocean. Someone questioned him saying, how can you think you are even making a difference when there are so many starfish. The man replied-- "I made a difference to that one!" They asked the class to ponder about teachers who had made a difference in their lives to them individually then they showed the video of Ann Madsen sharing about how as a Sunday School teacher she had felt impressed to start telling each class member she loved them before they left the classroom. She said it first felt awkward but then the class members got used to it and so did she. She learned later from students what a difference that made in their lives knowing they would hear those words "I love you" each week. Very touching video! So what did Eddie and Win do? They stood at the door and told each class member they love them. As I watched them do this, I was so touched to see the responses and to feel the impact. They truly appreciated it and many wrote them how they were touched by it. The power of Love is so immeasurable.
I have been blessed this week in an answer to my prayers, to make a friend I can walk and talk with! i have truly missed having that. Recently Brenda Christensen (along with her husband Brent who works for AIT as the Taiwan ambassador for the US) has gone out of her way to come visit us (first people to come by as a friend to say hi!!!) and to invite me to come with her and show me around Taipei! I can't express how blessed life is with a friend in it! I am so grateful because I do miss my dear friends and family back home! Today we hiked up Xianshang Mountain or Elephant Mountain and could see the most beautiful views of Taipei. I'm grateful for my patriarchal blessing which promises me dear righteous friends. I am truly blessed and so grateful for each one in my life--both those here and back in the USA and abroad! They hold huge places in my heart!
Speaking of "life-long" friends--we met the dearest lady and her husband this month--Beatrice Wang! She jumped up and down meeting us because she was a convert of Jon Tingey's who had told us we were coming to serve here in Taiwan. She CRIES over how much she loves her missionary, Elder Tingey who has been so kind to not only keep in touch but to make her part of their family! She told us how when he left the island he wrote her a letter that she cherishes and which touched her deeply. In that letter he said that he didn't know if he would ever be able to return to Taiwan to see her again, but that he was certain they would meet again in the Celestial Kingdom some day. She wept telling us this. I can't explain how dear and humble and sweet this woman is. She looked us in the eyes and said she loved us because Jon loves us! One year when Jon visited Taiwan for business he looked her up and they've stayed in touch and visited one another ever since. What a tribute to Jon and what a blessing to meet her and feel her love as well. Jon has told her many stories about us both and she giggled when she said that! Ha ha! But then she said with tears in her eyes I know President is a good person, because Jon told her that Elder Ping used to shine his shoes when they were companions. So tien he would remember that and then share that with her. What a special connection. We are excited to get with her and talk more!
These last weeks as I mentioned, Mike and I have had the privilege of speaking a lot and sharing our thoughts and testimonies. It is such a humbling experience to try to communicate when you don't speak the language being spoken. I have had to remember what Elder Bednar told me in the MTC, and that is that I'm not going to be able to learn to speak Chinese fluently on my mission, but to let that weakness become a strength and rely on the language of the Spirit. I had a sweet experience on Sunday with that very thing. I had wondered what to share in my talk --topic given me was the Joy of missionary work. I felt impressed to tell about John Martin and his sweet example of conversion and to encourage the youth to not hold back in inviting their friends to church and activities. When I got there I looked out in the audience and didn't see hardly any youth in that ward. My heart sank for a moment, thinking, then why did I feel that impression to talk to the youth? I went ahead and gave my talk which had to be interpreted from English to Chinese and as I was speaking I felt the sweetest spirit which was such a blessing because it is hard to say a line and then wait while it is spoken then in Chinese and then speak the next line and feel like you are connecting with the audience simultaneously. After the meeting the missionaries introduced us to a 17 year old young man they were teaching. He wants to be baptized and serve a mission but is having to wait because his parents aren't supportive. We told him to continue to attend church and to Jia you! and that he would be blessed as his parents saw the changes in his life and the goodness of it. I felt this was why I needed to share about John Martin. This young man could be blessed by John's faithful example! The language of the Spirit is the same wherever we are in the world and always right if we listen and obey!
Last night we spoke at a Young Single Adult fireside of about 50 people. They asked if we would come introduce ourselves and then do a Q and A. We shared a little about us--Mike showed them pictures and told experiences about when he served here as a missionary and then we told them about our family and showed the mission video about our kids serving missions and then we sang and shared our testimonies. Then came the Q and A. We were humbled and so amazed at how many said they wanted to serve missions and how they are preparing to serve--most are in their twenties and have to go after doing military service. Mike and I were taken back by their goodness and how much they want to do what is right and how hard they are trying to do what Heavenly FAther wants them to do. Many were converts and the only members in their families and said Thank you for sharing about your family loves missionary work. Thank you for sending your children to be missionaries and teach others. One man said he wished so much he could serve but he's too old now because he is 30 but he just joined the church in Australia last year. I asked him how the missionaries had found him and if they'd knocked on his door. He said "no, I found the missionaries! They didn't find me!" He said:" I was always watching the missionaries "but didn't have enough BRAVE" to go and talk to them. He really wanted to. Finally he said he got his BRAVE and approached them. He says they taught him and he is so grateful. With all his heart, he said Thank you for sending out missionaries and Thank you for your service here! I was so touched with his sincerity and love.
Another Taiwanese sister who spoke incredible but halting English told me with a huge smile with great joy: "I am first member in my family, and I want to serve mission!" She just radiated light! I was so impressed that so many beautiful Young Single Adults would gather and give strength to each other and be desirous to hear what we had to say. I felt several times that Mike was guided by the spirit in answering questions that were difficult not to mention difficult to answer in Chinese but I witnessed Mike being given what to say and how to say it. These are amazing future leaders of the Church and what a privilege to come and proclaim our humble testimonies to them. The Taiwanese are truly special! Wow!
Well tonight we receive our 2nd batch of new missionaries and Thursday our 3rd! Tonight we get 12 new Bundi-ren (Native from Taiwan) and Thursday we get our American group of 13 who have been Visa waiting in various missions. Can't wait to meet them and grow the mission together! What joy and what a privilege to be in this work together. I feel like it's like meeting your children for the first time. I feel Heavenly Father puts us together for reasons we are about to learn about!
Joseph Smith declared that "After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to Preach the Gospel!" Thank you for your prayers in helping us with this most important duty! I challenge us all that as members and missionaries we can work together (like Chopsticks) as one great instrument in the Lord's hands!
Ai nimen!
Ping Jie Mei
Sister Ye ( former Oakland SF missionary!) helped interpret for me at the West Taipei stake conference! Love her!
After Stake conf they served “ ice cream sandwiches” which was a slice of white bread w a scoop of ice cream on it! New dessert idea!
Our newest Senior couple! They hit the ground running! Within one week were in charge of ZC lunch for 70! Tacos were a huge hit!
Sister Yen and Ping Mama!
The Wangs—converts of Jon Tingey —love them!
On our way to Dongmen Market we saw this cute man playing beautiful music on his one stringed instrument! We gave him a big tip!
ZC lunch ladies: Sister Chao, Sister Yen, Ping Mama and Ping JieMei
Taipei ZL's Ehinger and Smith role play on the new Family History tract
Happy Ping Huijang at ZC
Happy Taoyuan and Chinzu Missionaries at ZC lunch
Taoyuan Bday bunch!
Taoyuan and Xinchu Sisters!
Taoyuan and Xinchu Elders
Amazing YSAs at Taipei YSA fireside
YSA's with the Ping and I on 9.17.18 in Taipei
