WEEK EIGHTEEN: Baptisms Galore!

 It is currently pouring outside...what else is new?? I love riding in the rain, it's awesome...puddles in my shoes is fun too:)

So yes, there were 3 baptisms this past week and OUR BAPTISM IS ON
SATURDAY!!! Jerry's full name is Chen Jun Yi, we only found out his full name
this week, haha, we're the best. He is SO amazing, we found out this
week that he already fasts every Sunday...LIKE WHAT WHERE DID HE COME
FROM?! I promise you if I meet a more prepared person I will faint.
Jerry is getting baptized! yayayayay everyone pray for him please:)

We had 2 investigators, 2 less active members, and 1 recent convert at
church this week!! Pretty awesome! Along with the Tao San elders'
investigator John....so pretty much 3 investigators. Please pray for
John...he has a very...hard heart to put it nicely. He is so awesome
but takes everything WAY too literally!

We had exchanges this week! I went to NanKan with Sister Thornley! It
was a blast, we taught so many good lessons! I learned that I have
A LOT TO LEARN still, and mostly my Chinese is rotten. My English is
also rotten, so sorry. I'm gonna be such an awkward return missionary,
so get ready for it:) But Sister Thornley told me that she's never
seen a new missionary be as willing to talk as I am, and that she can
tell that people like to talk to me. So that compliment was super
needed:)

Our apartment’s water is..."fixed"...meaning that the shower now has two
temperatures: Antarctica cold and Dante's Inferno fire hot. So yah, we
have hot water now! The landlady told us to just fill up the sink with
burning water, turn on the sink's cold water, mix it together, and use
a washcloth to get clean. Yah I'm in Taiwan alright!! Haha also, our
toilet still has wentis(problems). It takes about 17 flushes to work
so that's another thing I would be grateful if you prayed for:)
I had some GOOOOOD food this week!! I had pasta 3 times (yes whattt
pasta in Taiwan??) and had a burrito (slight resemblance to a burrito)
and Starbucks hot chocolate and I had cranapple juice and
Taiwan's #1 hot dog (self-announced by a really old guy on the side of
the road...not sketchy at all!) and super really good pizza and
yah...so if I come home fat, you'll all know why:)

these are sooo good!

Along with that good food...I also ate a place that, as soon as I was
done eating, a cockroach the size of my hand ran across my feet and
the owner just came up and stomped on it and it splattered everywhere.
Yah never eating there again. haha yikes. Speaking of bugs...we did
service this week for the mission leader's in-laws. I have never seen
such a filthy home. I was in charge of moving the stuff on the
counters and cleaning the dead bugs away...SO MANY DEAD BUGS!!!

It was like working in a cave, so dark and dirty. But those dishes and
counters and floors were sparkling by the time we were done!!

We had a crazy miracle this week! We got lost so we pulled over and by
the time the boys telling us how to get there were done, it was too
late so we were turning around to go home when we stopped to contact 2
girls. It the middle of praying with them, this man comes up and says
"Heyyyy are you missionaries? I like church!!" So the girls left and
we're left with this random guy. He's like, yah I love to pray and go
to church! We asked how he knew who we were since it was pouring and
we had our giant rain coats on and he was driving the other
direction...he said he saw our nametags. The power of the nametags is
REAL!! Anyway, we asked him if he had read the Bible and he said "No,
but I read the Book of Mormon every day!" AHAHA – WHATTTT?? It was
amazing! We set a baptismal date with him and he's coming to church
next week!! Miracle!!!

I am learning so much about myself. The trainer/trainee training
really changed my perspective on humility and I have been trying but
not really knowing the difference. Sister Branch told me this week
that I have been more humble and it's changing the way I am, every
aspect. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude that Heavenly
Father is helping my efforts to be more like Christ and letting it
show. I am also noticing that my efforts are more focused on others
rather than myself and I'm receiving a lot of inspiration for others
and myself and my companion. I am closer to the Spirit and closer to
an understanding of the Atonement. I am becoming closer to my Savior
and gaining a more burning desire to share this gospel with others.

Yes, I still doubt myself every day and I need to learn to see my

strengths, but I also realize that I was called here and that fact
alone shows that God trusts me. So I can do it and the only person
stopping me is myself. I am struggling with beating myself up about
pretty much everything, as I am the definition of a perfectionist. But
I am overcoming my weaknesses through the Savior and I love every
second of it! As Sister Thornley told me this week, these people need
my experiences and the Lord will bless me to be able to share them in
Chinese. What a blessing this gospel is, and especially this
opportunity to share it!

I want to challenge you all this week to pray for missionary
experiences of your own, I promise it will work!!! And go read 3 Nephi
27:30...The Lord is pleased with all of us, His joy is full and He
loves you all!! I read this quote on exchanges "Are you one of the INN
CROWD or one of the STABLE FEW?" referring to the story of Jesus being
born. Don't forget to stand up for what is good!! I love you all so
incredibly much and pray for you always:)

Sister Wright (Salt Lake City South Mission)
Rèn Jiěmèi (Taiwan Taipei Mission)
任姐妹

p.s. this is me waiting for my street vendor hot dog...really no cool
pics from this week except for food cuz thats what we do the most of
is eating:)