This week has been a roller coaster of emotions! I don't even know where to begin so I will start from the beginning.
Elder Montalto wanted us as a district to spend his last preparation day together. We all went to one of his favorite pizza places and then went to big city and shopped! There has been this watch that I have been staring at for the past few weeks. He told me if I get one he has too. For this reason I have been holding off because he does not need any more watches. However, last week I gave in and we both now have new watches.
That night the whole district went to Pei Pei's FHE! It was a party not a FHE. I could not stop smiling that whole night! I even shared the spiritual thought that night which is something I never thought I would do. I went home that night beaming. I told Sister Briggs this is going to be a good week!
Tuesday night our Zhu yi ward mission leader invited us over to dinner because he knew that move calls would be coming the next day. It was DELICOUS!! We then did the normal correlation meeting. Another happy day full of memories I will never forget.
After daily planning I was calling the Xiang Shan elders to coordinate a lesson. The home phone rings and I pick it up. It is the zone leader Elder Gong. I was assuming that he was calling for the Zhu 3 sisters because they are in the same district. However, I was wrong.
He asks me how my day was. I told him fantastic. He then asked what wards do you cover to which I responded Xiang Shan and Zhu 1. He previously served in Zhu 1. He was like those are great wards. I was like yep. (I was really confused at why he was doing all this small talk. I was in the middle of coordinating a lesson here!) He then was like well I just want to tell you that I know President Day is ordained of God! (at this point it hit me. They did move calls a day EARLY! This was my move call!) He started off with well I have good and bad news for you! He told me that God was pleased with my service in Xin Zhu and that I have completed my service there. He then said those words "You're moving. I was like OK. I hung up the phone and screamed. I could not believe that I was leaving my precious Xin Zhu!! I grew so much there. That place will always have a special place in my heart. I owe so much to members there. Xin Zhu will forever have a piece of my heart.
With that news are plans changed. The next two days were going to be jam packed with goodbyes. (Between the two days we visited 15 families and still had other lessons)
I wanted to share a uplifting message with each family. I chose Alma 17:2-3. In this section it talks about the sons of Moroni reuniting after leaving for their missions. They talk about how happy were to see each other again but what added more to their joy was that they were still strong in the gospel. I told them I am sad to leave but I know that we will see each other again and I hope that we will all still be strong in the faith. I told them don't worry I will come back to visit in this life.
Wednesday I was able to say goodbye to Pei Pei, Huang Jie mei, Du jie mei, Jiang Jie mei and that night was English class, lesson with May and then one last goodbye to You Jie mei! I was never good at goodbyes. I feel as a missionary I have gotten worse!
Thursday was even crazier! I visited Wen Jie mei lunch with Chen and Zhou Jie mei, LIn nai nai (grandma), Lin jia ting (family), Zheng Jie, lesson with Peng JIe Mei, diner with Huang Jie mei (same one from Wednesday) DIng Jie mei ( my recent convert) and then one last good bye to the Zhous, this time the whole family. They have a missionary goodbye book that I needed to sign. I don't know why I told her that I am going to come back. She does not believe me.
Huang Jie mei is so great! She is Zhu yi bishop's wife. I get there just thinking I was going to say goodbye but then she was like wait I have jello stuff and cake. I was like what! How sweet! At the end we took a picture. Her son did not want to come in the picture. I was like it's ok. Then sister Huang was like she is going to send this picture to her family and they will ask her why are they missing a kid. I just laughed! Needless to say he joined the picture.
Saying goodbye to DIng Jie mei was the hardest. I did not want to leave. She asked me why missionaries have to move so much! I was just like I don't know. I don't like it either. While there Zhou Jie mei was like where are you we are waiting on you. I was really confused because I have told her 8:30ish and who was we? I said goodbye to Ding Jie mei and then rushed over to the Zhous. Thank goodness it is only a 5 minute bike ride. I get there and to my surprise the elders Montalto and Perterson are there with Becky and her mom. Sister Zhou just wanted to take a group picture. I will have to get a copy for you. There are some really good ones. I didn't want to say goodbye but it is something I will have to adjust to as a missionary.
Friday came way to soon and it was time to leave. Elder Montalto and asked Zhou Jie Mei to drive him up to the meeting since he had all his luggage. They allowed us to tag along. It was me and my companion with Elders Montalto and Peterson. We had some good laughs. I did not want to think that in less than two hours we would all be separated.
However, the time came and we arrived in Taipei. We took some last minute pictures. ( I need to try to get a copy of all these pictures! ) Then came transfer meetings! Sister Briggs guessed I would go senior companion in Zhong li. Elder Peterson guessed Shuang he and Elder Montalto guessed Nei hu. and I ended up going to...
I am in Shuang He as senior companion. A little fun fact. There are two towns in this city: one is zhong he and yong he. So the city is shuang he because shuang means twin. I am in Taipei County? ( I think that is how you say it in English?) On the MRT (subway) from Jin Hua Jie ( temple) it is 20 minutes. Way more convenient! I feel like a little girl who grew up in the country who leaves home to go to college in the city. A complete 360!
My companion is Sister Sun. She is a native of Taiwan born in Ping dong.
Her family is not at all supportive of her on a mission but she is still here. Her mom is from Indonesia and her dad is Taiwanese. She grew up Muslim! She met the missionaries when she was 16! She investigated the church for 2 years before being baptized.
A cool story about her elders. To get to her house it took 3 HOURS!! Talk about devoted missionaries! Every day I am amazed by her faith and commitment to serve a mission. I know a mission is hard and not having the support of family is even harder.
My Chinese is going to sky rocket. She is only on her third transfer so her English is not the best. I speak Chinese all day every day! I love it. It is hard because I realize the little words that I don't know but this is how you learn.
God has blessed me with a good companion! I am grateful for the opportunity I have to work with her to help build Shuang He.
I am still in a two ward area! I can't seem to get away from them. This keeps me on my toes on Sundays! The wards are great!
WOW that is a long letter!
I know that God is looking out for each and every one of us. Right now I feel as if I am in the refiner's fire and it hurts but I know that the end results will be worth it. No one said that it would be easy but they did say it would be worth it. I know that if we allow challenges to perpetuate us not stop us we can be molded into the person God wants us to be but more importantly who we wanted to be ALL along!
I love you all!
Sister Latimer
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