Arrival in Taipei! Dec 17, 2012

Sara and MTC Companion arrived in Taipei on Dec 13!
We got a call from her to say she arrived safely!
We were able to talk to her from SLC airport before she flew out
and during a layover in Seattle.  Happy Day!!

A quick tour of the city!

New Taipei Missionaries with the Mission President
6 Natives and 6 from the USA

Sara welcomed by a sister missionary
from our neighborhood
who had been there since April

Sorry mom I literally have two minutes left :(
Time went by so quickly, but I just want to tell you all I am doing great.  I am in the Neihu area.  It is named after the two great lakes that are here.  It is really beautiful and fairly warm here still.  I am about 45 min away from the temple and mission office.  It is great.  My companion is a native from Taichung.  She is so great.  This is her first time training and 3rd time with a foreign companion.  She has taken such great care of me though I can tell this is a very different experience for her.  I was so exhausted mentally from translating all day, but it is definitely getting better.  The Lord has been helping me so so much!!!  I am so glad to be here.  My companion is named sister T.. and she is great!

I meant to send the first part earlier today, but my time cut out on the computer... I had to buy another hour.  I just wanted to let ya know that though we have an hour now we have to use that time to write our branch pres too, so I don't really have any more time at all and for some reason I had a bunch of email updates from other missionaries.  I can't email them back, but anyways I will figure out how to use my hour better next time...  My companion and I agreed it was better to send something today then wait a whole week cuz I knew you would be worried.  Oh I also wanted to ask you to email before 4pm on Sunday too because I will be getting on email really early in the morning on P-day.  If I hadn't got back on I wouldn't have received your emails.  We can also set up times to call 12-? our time on the 25th or same time on the 26th.  I forwarded the email on that said the times I think.  Let me know when you would prefer with the time changes and everything and I will try and work something out with my companion.

Wen Jie mei in front of the Church in her new area

Besides that - yes, I am so tired, but not as much from time change as from trying to translate all day.  It takes a lot of brain power to try and think in Chinese as fast as they speak.  Luckily I am a missionary and I don't have to do it alone.  I have had some very earnest prayers.  Yesterday after church we had personal study and companion study.  I was so exhausted from trying to translate the sacrament meeting that I just thought I would die.  I thought there was no way I could have the energy to do what I was supposed to.  I prayed earnestly to have my headache go away and have energy to get through the rest of the day speaking Chinese   As I studied the scriptures and the life of my savior I learned so much and I felt re energized to face the rest of the day.  I have seen little miracles like this everyday!  My area is a little slow on the baptisms.  We have a lot of investigators and less actives, but now it will be seeing how we can really help these people come unto Christ and receive baptism.  I am so excited to be apart of the work.  I can't say a lot of small talk, but I understand most of the gospel things and people can see how sincere I am in trying to understand them.  It is great and I know the lord will continue to help me learn quickly.  I want to pass of Phase 1 of my language in 6 weeks so I am going to need some earnest prayers.   I don't learn quickly and it is going to be a big push for me, but I know I can do it with the Lord's help.  I love you all and am happy to hear from you.

Her companion, investigator, and
some members at a nativity activity.

Sorry I can't write more... my email time is already over :(  but I will definitely have a letter on it's way to you and Matthew too :)

Love,

Sister Gummow