Hello dear family and friends!
I love you all more than words can say! At this Christmas time I have really been reflecting on how much has happened this past year! I am so grateful for all that has happened this past year. There were hard times but I have grown so much! God has blessed me beyond words and I am grateful that I chose to come on a mission.
We had a nice dinner with Yang DX and his family last week. He is one of the sisters’ recent converts! We had Beijing Duck!! No words to describe how much I love duck!! SO GOOD!! It was nice to be in their home. The spirit we were able to feel in their home was so nice. They are such a cute family. The wife has been a member for 40 plus years but her husband got baptized this past August. She has waited 18 plus years for him to be baptized! She is such an amazing women in my eyes.
English class!! It is went really well! Sister Jasperson and I split and so we have a member be our companion. I get to teach with Zhang JM. She is so amazing. I LOVE being around here. She is so down to earth. They actually live in China most of the time (Tian Jin ward?) She mentioned how she also knows Elder Toronto!
Sister Zhang and I teach the kids’ class together! We only had two kids this week. :( It's ok because the class went so well.) It was Belle and NIni they are cousins. We just sang a lot of primary songs for example popcorn popping and snowman. They loved it! I am still brainstorming for this week's class. Sister Zhang loved it!! At the end she asked the two girls to write down their Chinese name because she wanted to write it down. She is so sweet.
Sunday night we had dinner at their house. She asked me do you know what you are going to do this week. I told her nope. Then she gave me some ideas. I really appreciate her help and her fire about the class. I love their home so much! It has such a homey feel to it.
Thursday we meet the cutest little girl ever! We had just finished a lesson that was a little rough. I was feeling a little discouraged. We said a prayer and then set out to go. We were stopped at a corner when we thought we would hand a pamphlet to a mom. The mom gave us the no wave off. We did not realize that the girl was coming towards us. The mom goes give the pamphlet to her! It was amazing because she CONTACTED us!! Her name is Candy. We were able to talk with her about God and have a prayer with her. Her family has no religious background. We are hoping to meet her family soon. We will start with her but we are praying as time goes on her family will see Candy's change and have desire.
I feel like meeting her was a personal miracle for me. She lifted my spirits so much! I am so excited to continue teaching her!
Friday was lunch with the Xin family (Dad, this is the lady that recognized your picture. She also recognized the Liu family kids)! She is amazing. It was interesting to hear her conversion story. We also had a long talk about the religious history of the Chinese people. Originally they were Daoist. Then a man from China went to Yinddu (India?) He liked what he learned and put it into what we know today as fojiao (Buddhist) She told us how really Daoist are the closest to us. Their teachings are the most pure Chinese doctrine ba. She talked about some of the things some of the member saw in China. They saw things that made them believe that God did talk to the Chinese a long time ago.
It was so cool because that morning during companion study we were talking about this issue. We go around telling people because God loves all people he talked with his children in America. I told her I feel that he must have talked to the children of Asia. It was a tender mercy to have her talk about that. She brought up the whole topic herself!
Sunday was so good. Wang JM came to church!!! All the YSA were really good at welcoming her. Rou fang was able to accompany her to gospel principles! I was grinning so big. This ward is amazing at taking care of the people we bring in!!! What a blessing for us as missionaries!!
The ward is on FIRE about missionary work!!! The bishop comes in during our MM meting and asks us who is sharing their testimony about the jia su jiu en ji hua tree (hastening the work of salvation tree)! He told us he wants one person every week to bear a testimony about a missionary experience they have had that week. He was like I will go this week.
He then talked about his process this week. He had been praying this week and no one in particular had come to his mind but he continued to earnestly pray. Then one of the days we was able to go to the temple and in the Celestial room he got a strong impression of a person. He told the members it does not matter whether or not they get baptized immediately what matters is you did all you could.
I AM SO TOUCHED AT how the ward is so on fire about this. The bishop has been such a strong leader at the front! I can see how much having the bishop on board makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE!! The member truly follow his lead!
We have been challenged by our ward mission every other week to visit all the leaders in the auxiliaries that we work with. Lately they have all been telling us how they are coming up with activities to help with missionary work! MUSIC to my EARS!!!!!
i am loving it here in Tao 2! The ward is so good and I am so grateful for their support!! Sister Jasperson and I are just amazed at how much has happened since we both got here. Every Sunday night we talk about goals for the week and each Sunday as we review the past weeks goals we realize how much we improved. It really is just getting better and better! Our unity is AMAZING!! I have never had such good unity with a companion. I really see NOW how companionship unity makes such a big difference! I truly because of our unity everything is going up. We no longer fear that the other will not follow or that fear that the other one will feel that the other dominated in a lesson. I am grateful for all I have and all I will continue to learn from Sister Jasperson!
I LOVE how each transfer/ each week I can improve and learn to be an amazing companion. It is not easy living with someone 24/7 but it is possible. The biggest lesson I have learned is to give and take! I have to learn to be flexible and do things that I don't always want to do.
I know this church is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God! I know that Christ loves each of us. I know that as we remember why he came to earth we will lengthen our stride to match his. I know that there is no place I would rather be right now than in Taiwan serving a mission. I know that Christ is the reason for the season.
Well that's a wrap for the week!
Love
Sister Latimer
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