Simplicity

Our Zone!

What verse of scripture are you all PONDERIZING this week??? If you don't know what I am talking about, REPENT, and then go watch General Conference:) 

Funny story:

You know how about 2 months ago, my memory card deleted ALL of my pictures? Well, a new memory card did it again last Monday. 4,000+ pics, GONE. But I didn't panic this time, I just paid $800 for a man to fix it and pull all of the pictures out of it. Heavenly Father is trying to teach me the lesson of backing up my pictures and not relying on man-made technology.

Another Funny Story in the life of Sister Wright:
This morning I was being a good little missionary and cleaning the air conditioning filter, outside so as not to get dust everywhere. Before I knew what went wrong, I see my hands drop the filter and watch it spiral 3 stories down into the dark abyss that is the back-side of Taiwanese apartment buildings. What followed was a fun adventure, knocking on people's doors asking if they had a way to access the tiny dark wet moldy buggy area that I dropped the filter into. 

Finally we went in to the hair salon on the bottom floor (we live on the 3rd floor) and they got the back door open (which looked like it hadn't been opened in years) and handed me a lantern to go down and look. It will be hard for you to picture this scene, but I jumped out of the back door of the salon into a tiny dark and damp alley about 2 feet wide and tip-toed along the wall so as not to fall into the river of filth at the bottom. But I SUCCESSFULLY RETRIEVED THE FILTER!! I thought this experience was a lot like repentance. I made a mistake, dropped the filter. But this filter was important, and I knew I needed to get it back even when everyone told me "It's too hard! It's too dark, it's too dirty! You can't go back there!" I made up for the mistake I made even though it was difficult. Sin is dirty and dark and sometimes it looks like there is no way back and no way to retrieve the purity and happiness you had before, but you have to work for it anyway. Only THEN will you feel triumphant and be able to breath clean air again:)

In search of the air filter!

So everyone, I did my first zone training this week as a Sister Training Leader!!! It actually went really really well. I rapped about the scripture "Here am I, send me" in Isaiah and it was pretty great if I do say so myself:) I also went on my first exchanges!!!! I went to YiLan 宜蘭 with Sister Facer, it is so pretty but so isolated there!! She is so awesome, quiet dignity:) I got to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Chinese on the train there, that was pretty cool for me, plus I probably made that little girl really happy, sitting next to her and creepily reading it over her shoulder. :)

Reading in Chinese!

I Also got to go to NeiHu 內湖 with the tripanionship of Sister Meyers and Sister Hadley, both new in the area. They have no bikes, so we basically ran everywhere that day, and then they didn't know where to go on their way home, so we walked 25 minutes in the wrong direction, then had to catch a bus and run home!!! Crazy, but so fun, those sisters are POWERFUL and obedient and bold:)

I love this leadership position because it helps me forget myself. I am a shepherd and a steward just like Christ, and I can now be that emotional support that I relied on when I was a young missionary.

Our investigator Chen Hui Mu told us he gave up smoking yesterday and wants to get baptized  a week early:) Our other golden investigator Zheng Yi Ting says that she is willing to give up a vacation to the beach with her friend so that she can come to church and then be baptized:) 

This Conference changed my life. I felt so inspired because everyone was so specific in their invites and counsel, and yet left so much room for pondering and personal analysis. Also, a lady in our ward made BROWNIES to eat between sessions. Like, real brownies. I haven't had brownies in over a year. It was amazing. 

This is how we watched conference. (The Elders couldn't be in the same room so they watched from the hall)

Some of my favorite parts from conference include:

E. Nelson "If you quit now, others will have to painfully learn what you already know." I love this because I have felt like giving up before, only to realize how selfish it would be to withhold the knowledge I have gained from a trial. I loved his talk, it made me feel empowered.

I also loved the talk about "What lack I yet?" This conference's overlying theme to me was internal and personal analysis. The answers to all of our questions can be answered through prayer and personal pondering. I loved how Pres. Eyring talked about how his father learned to follow the Spirit throughout his whole life. That is now my biggest goal, to learn to listen to and follow the Spirit more closely so that I can receive the answers to any of my questions. I also felt a great desire to serve more and help build others up against the pain of temptation and trial. Pretty much just inspired on every spiritual level. My dear friends and family, I had a lot of questions to be answered. All of my questions were answered through this conference. There was an entire talk dedicated to answering each and every question! Heavenly Father is amazing and prepared me to receive and recognize the answers I was looking for.

I loved the talk in Women's Conference about how this life is a time for preparation, not a time to receive all of our blessings. I know that we will receive all of our blessings in the Celestial Kingdom, and we must hold onto that hope for the future when we don't see the fruits of our labors and obedience in this life. 

I am going to simplify. When I think too much about the gospel, what is expected of me, what could go wrong, etc., I just get frustrated. I am going to live my life in the light of His love, and that is it. :-) I have no way to express how much spiritual nourishment and direction I got out of this conference, but I LOVED IT and I love you all. :-)

Sister Wright (Taiwan Taipei Mission)
Rèn Jiěmèi 任曼欣姐妹

Our view from the bus

We had McDonalds