4 weeks in Taiwan - Jan 14, 2013

Happiness is like a sunbeam,
which the least shadow intercepts,
while adversity is often as the rain of spring

-chinese proverb

Sara (newly arrived in Taipei) with the kind of snowman she likes best -
the kind you can stand by and still be warm!

*Note from mom:  There has been some concern about the re-posting of missionaries emails on social media because of privacy issues regarding personal information and other potential mis-use of information.  While I have always had permission from Sister Gummow to post her emails and have tried to edit out any info which might identify the people she is teaching, I am going to be more cautious in future posts.  I will not be re-posting the entirety of her emails, but will summarize and  post some quotes from them. *I tend to be a bit unassuming, so if you happen to see anything in these posts that could be damaging to anyone, please let me know.  Thanks!

Her Companions for her first few days there:
The sister on the left, a native, trained at the MTC in the Phillipines

 Sister Gummow has been having a few challenges recently as she is adjusting to missionary life in Taiwan, the language barrier, the continual rain in Taipei and the cultural differences.  She believes that both the struggles and the joys are important to growth so she wanted to share some things she has learned this week:

She loves her new bike!

"Thank you for your prayers.  It has been a bit discouraging, but it really has gotten better and better everyday.  This week I had a really sweet experience... 1. my companion and I worked together on some ways we could improve our companionship obedience - as we corrected some of the obedience issues I saw immediate blessings......... Thank you for David's advice and your reminder about training.  It is really true.  I have already been thinking that I need to remember these experiences and what helped me so I can remember for future."

and this:

"This week I worked on communication.  I realized that in order for things to change I had to let her know 1. I noticed when she was feeling down 2. when I was feeling down or discouraged.  This really helped everything improve so much!  I am realizing more and more important it is to seek first to understand then to be understood.  This means asking questions and digging deeper.  We try to do this everyday on the street and everyday when we are with our investigators.  We can only know what to teach if we are listening to them and the spirit and following it's promptings.  I feel so awkward going up to people and trying to share the gospel when I can barely speak the language.  I feel like I never know what to say... My companion reminded me it wasn't my language skills, every new missionary feels that way.  She said it took her 2 or 3 transfers to know what to say to help people and she is native without that language barrier.  I do expect a lot out of myself, but it's because I know I can do it!  I was also reminded how every time I start a new job there is always that learning period before it becomes normal.  If I use the learning period well and learn from my mistakes I will truly be able to excel   I feel like every minute of my mission is so precious, so it is hard for me to have this learning period, but I have increased determination to keep trying."

Here are some of the blessings that she has recognized and additional things she is working on learning

"Blessing of my mission and situation is 1. my native companion is truly helping my language and mission skills excel quickly.  Things that would never be difficult in English are almost impossible for me (like giving investigators calls, setting appointments, trying to have a normal conversation about someone's family or traditions...) but she always gives me this look like "I know you can do it".  This confidence has enabled me to try hard to be more and more independent   In fact she often tells me she forgets it is my first transfer.  I fail a lot of times to remind her, but I know with each mistake I learn great things! 
2. the Taiwanese people are so great!  They really have so much patience with  my language skills.  They are also so family centered which makes it much easier to try and contact them.  The language barrier is hard, but once I get over that a bit more I know it will be easy for me to relate to them.
3 I have a great zone and district.  They are all working so hard.  They also are very inspiring.  Every time we have a meeting I leave feeling very uplifted and ready to go back out and work hard!"

"We have been learning the value of looking at people as they can become.  I think it all comes down to hope.  This true hope comes from the Savior's atoning power.  His atoning power allows us all to change.  This change is difficult, but so amazing for each of us.  I am grateful everyday that I can change and become a better person.  I don't have to think that my mistakes today will influence my ability to become better tomorrow.  This is why I am on a mission.  I know my Savior loves me... but he also loves each of His children.  When I go out contacting with this in mind, everything is so much easier.  I see them as people I can help, people I can serve.  I see them as people who are sitting in darkness and I hope I can share just a little of this light with them.  I love you all so much!  Remember to let your light shine to all those around you.  I realize how spoiled we are in Utah.  Everyone is really trying hard to be a missionary.  Members seriously make all the difference!  They are so great and have so much more ability to let their light shine.  I challenge you all to think of a referral this week and give it to a missionary   Be brave and bold in inviting others to come unto Christ.  It is not something that is forced... once you realize all He has done why would you not want to share that with others?!"

Eating out with the other missionaries in the District

Sara sends her love to all!  We also received three letters in the mail this week that were all mailed on different days telling us about her arrival in Taiwan and her first impressions.  One letter was sent on Christmas day with her SD card full of pictures from Christmas.  Her letters are taking between 2 and 4 weeks to reach us.  Hopefully that is due to the holidays and the new location!  Thank goodness for email!

Christmas Morning
 and the Message tree that everyone contributed to!
She loved it!!

One of her favorite gifts
A family  Photo Calendar!

Making the Breakfast I sent:
Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Nutella and Hot Chocolate
Do you think that is enough Chocolate?

Jan 7, 2013

A curious woman is capable of turning around the rainbow just to see what is on the other side. ~ Chinese Proverb

Hey family!

So unfortunately the bad, cold weather here has been a damper on everyone's spirits.  My companion has been really down lately.  The whole communication cultural gap makes things a bit difficult sometimes too.  Plus having someone practicing Chinese all the time probably doesn't help her mood.  I am definitely improving, but trainers have to have a lot of patience to endure the learning curve I think.  It is my trainer's last transfers so she is a little burned out.  I am doing my best to help, but I am so new there is only so much I can do.  I feel like a baby a lot of the time... very helpless and unsure of myself.  It is ok. I am trying my very best everyday.  I know that with the Lord I can do all things!  I think I am also experiencing a bit of what they call "culture shock".  I love Taiwan and the people, but some of the things I do not necessarily appreciate... I have eaten some of the grossest food in the past few weeks (Taiwanese especially like this weird gooey stuff, and the fat part of animals).  I loved all the Chinese stuff I had, but they aren't as big on the fatty gross stuff... Taiwan is.. so I will do my best to learn to appreciate it.  The language barrier is really frustrating to me sometimes, but I know, like Matt said, that the spirit crosses all barriers.
 BTW... I am not getting Matt's emails so I would love that! :)

Luckily the lord knows each one of us personally.  Last night I was just hoping for a small change of pace to lift my and everyone's spirits.  We went to a new member fireside and at the fireside the theme was "Joy in the journey".  I know this is so true in all of our lives.  My new goal is to help other people see the little miracles I see everyday.  Like how on a cloudy, cold and rainy day how the city lights are so beautiful and how the next day the air is so clean.  How beautiful all the forests are around us, the small child playing with her mom, the family running across the street to eat dinner, how the lord opened an opportunity for us to give a book of Mormon,  how that person felt the spirit, how I had the words to share my testimony, how I had the courage to talk to that person and they were actually nice... there are so many tiny miracles I see EVERYDAY.  This is what I wish everyone could see.  People get so caught up in the numbers... in the everyday stresses of sharing the gospel... they forget the message we are bringing to the world.  Who cares if they reject us or not... at least you gave them a chance to hear.  It is a miracle to me everyday I can open my mouth and have a conversation in Chinese... that I can bear my testimony to these people in Chinese.  I may not understand everything, but I know this church is true.  I know the Lord knows us and hears our prayers.  Each trial is given for a reason.   The faster we work to change ourselves and the situation through our attitude, the faster we will become the person Jesus Christ wants us to become.  Jesus was the perfect example of this.  He couldn't control the things that happened to Him all the time, but he was able to make every situation into a teaching situation, a learning situation, and a chance to show Christ's love.

Thank you for all the updates on home.  I really enjoyed reading about it.  Tell Daniel Jia you!  You will finish the Eagle project and it will be worth it.  You are so great!  I hope the start of a new semester goes well.  Mom tell my primary kids I said Hi and I love them!  I still look at their cute pictures and stuff and it brightens my day.  Tell my friends I want to hear from them ha ha :)   Oh a girl J.... in my Neihu ward is going back to Provo for school. I am attaching her picture.  She is great and helped me so much in our ward!
 the other picture is one or the recent converts and a member.  We were visiting her and it was her birthday :)

Oh and thank you for the money!  You are so great!  I am excited to get a new outfit or something :)  Right now I am very tired of all my clothes ha ha.  Keep up the prayers.  I really need them this week!  Oh the Temple was amazing by the way!  I appreciate it so much more now.   love you all and remember to find joy in the journey :)  Each stage has amazing things in it.
Love you!

Sister Sara Gummow

Happy New Year 2013

Dear Family!

Sorry I didn't warn you my p-day was changed.  I kind of forgot last week.  We get to go to the temple today :)  We are very excited.  This week has been a week of miracles.  1st of all, mom, I loved the calendar!  It was so great and I even was able to use it in a lesson.  It seriously was my favorite part of Christmas.  I have also been reading one of your testimonies each day during personal study.  It is really an uplift and helps me focus on what is most important.  Thank you all for your faith and strength.  It is comforting to know other people have gone through the same thing.  If they can do it.. so can I!

So this week... Christmas I was able to receive some great inspiration on how to help my investigators.  It was so cool to see that because of my companion and I's obedience the Lord really did bless us.  I had a great idea to help one of our L/A (less active) members start progressing.  I thought about how it is really hard to change when you have too high of goals.  So we gave her a scripture and a challenge to do every day.  Just simple things like exercise, shower and get ready, say a sincere prayer, etc.  We were able to meet with her last night again.  She did 5 out of the 7 goals which was great!  We went in expecting very little... We were actually planning on telling her unless she was willing to do some things to change we couldn't keep meeting with her.  The preparation she had throughout the week and our preparation were able to help us have the spirit and teach her to her concerns.  We were able to find out that she has been wanting to commit suicide because she thinks there is no hope for the future.  We shared about the plan of salvation, our hope for a perfect future.  I bore my testimony of our divinity.  How we truly are princes and princes... we are working on returning to a heavenly palace with our heavenly father who loves us perfectly.  We shared about the gift of temples.  We showed her a pamphlet that had pictures of the different rooms.  I bore testimony to her that the celestial room really is like a little taste of the Celestial kingdom, a place she really can go if she lives this life well.  It struck her with wonder and amazement.  A lot of our investigators live in poverty and this one in particular lives in a dingy apartment with her parents... there is so much stuff and clutter that it is hard to feel the spirit... but when she saw the beautiful temple and that she could work on going there it gave her hope.  She said the closing prayer and thanked us... my wonderful companion helped her recognize her feelings as feelings of the spirit.  It is the first time she has felt the spirit in a long time.  This was a testimony to me of the importance of teaching people, not lessons.  If the missionaries who had taught her first had been able to explain some important things about the plan of salvation she would have had a goal, a hope.  This is the lesson I learned this week.  The importance of desires and hope.  There are so many in this world who are wandering around lonely, sad, confused.  They need the stability of the gospel, the message we bring to all the world that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer of the world.  Only through Him and His atonement can we inherit this eternal life.  Only in and through Him can we return to live with our families and our Heavenly Father in the mansions prepared above.  The doctrine is so important! If we don't remember the why of the gospel... what is the point?  Why would they want to read the scriptures and progress???  In our lives what do we choose?  Do we choose our savior Jesus Christ or do we choose things of the world (food, sleep, clothes, traveling) or even family, school, friends?  What is most important in our lives?

The Living Christ

I am so glad you are all memorizing the living Christ this year!  I know it will greatly bless your lives.  I want to add my witness to His that I know Jesus Christ is my savior.  It is because of my love for Him that I am here, in Taiwan, on a mission.  It is because of Him that I am able to share my testimony and help others come unto Christ.  I challenge each of you at home that every week you bear your testimony of the Savior at least one time.  I am privileged to do this everyday.  I know wherever I am, whoever I share it with, that when I start talking of the Savior, the spirit comes in so powerfully and strong!

Remember the importance of hope this week.  What is our hope?  I know mine is that if I live this life well, really try to become like my Savior that one day I will recognize Him, because I will be like Him.  I can't wait to be welcomed into my Heavenly Father's arms with all of you by my side.  I can't wait to see all my faithful family members there.  I know there are many on the other side that are cheering us on!  "Jia you jiating!!!" (You can do it family!!!)  I love you and miss you all.  Thanks for your prayers.

Love you!!!  Sara

The Christmas Phone Call!!

We had the opportunity of talking to Sara by phone on Christmas Eve shortly after we Skyped with Elder Gummow.  We probably could have set it up for us all to talk together, but I voted for quantity and quality -  2 forty-minute calls instead of one.  Actually we talked for a little less time so that they could call each other for 5 minutes.

Sister Gummow sounded well and happy!  She too got candy and present filled stockings(I sent two -one for them and their companion - since her companion is native and I wasn't sure if she would get Christmas presents) CD's, a scarf and some tights, a family photo calendar and a bike repair kit.  She also got hot chocolate and muffin mix for breakfast, but they didn't burn the pancakes like Matt did and probably enjoyed them a little more.  She said that the chocolate was just what she needed to make it through all this transition.

Taipei is not exactly what she was expecting.  After having taught English for four months in China, I think she thought it would be more like Beijing or Shanghai, but she said it was a big city more like an Asian version of New York and the Americans are not treated as special as they are in mainland China.  In fact, one of the things she struggled with was that the people just walking away from her when she tried to talk to them.  She thought it was because her language skills were so bad that they didn't understand her, but her companion helped her to realize that her language skills are actually exceptional for the time she has been learning it,  people walked away because they aren't interested at first in learning about God.  Once she figured that out, she stopped taking it personally and she was able to work more effectively. Her companion is a convert.  She and her family were Buddhist and they all joined the church when she was 16.  Her companions testimony and understanding of the culture has been so great!  

When we told Sara about the Christmas Snow that we had, she did not seem one bit envious (like Matt was)  and prefers the warm weather to the snow any day!  We talked about lots of other things, but I can't remember most of them now -  but I do remember the spirit as Sara bore her testimony in Chinese.  Even thought I could not understand the words, I could understand the power of her convictions and from what I could tell, her Chinese sounded very good - lots of tones!  She was grateful to all for their participation in the ornaments for her tree and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

*Sara had sent us some Christmas gifts just as she left for Taiwan from the MTC.  She has written us each a personal note attached to various pictures of Christ and she gave us a copy of  "The Living Christ" in Chinese Characters.  She is always so thoughtful!  She gave me this picture by Simon Dewey and having both a son and a daughter serving missions concurrently, it seems like he painted it just for me!  Perfect choice, Sara!

Find A Special Gift for Christ -

Family!  I love you all so much!  Can't wait to talk to you.  Thank you for all your efforts to make things special in the mission field and for all your love and support.  It really made the difference this week for me and my companion.  I finally had time to put up the door Christmas tree.  It was more than wonderful and makes me smile every time I see it.  I think it is the best Christmas tree I have ever had.  Everytime I see it it is a wonderful reminder of Christ and of all the loved ones at home supporting me and all the other missionaries.
I am a tiny bit sad because we still don't have speakers for my CD player so we haven't got to enjoy the CDs but it's ok... I will still listen to the Christmas ones after Christmas.  Taiwan really doesn't celebrate it much.. even my companion.  Her family doesn't really... I think it is so easy to lose the real meaning of Christmas.  They compare it to Chinese New Years, but there is really nothing that can compare to Christmas.  I know it is because the spirit is so strong during this holiday as we celebrate Christ's birth.
We had a zone conference, a Christmas activity in my ward, and caroling in my ward.  All of these activities were so focused on Christ   People don't even really know about Santa, but the connector between cultures is Christ.  No matter who celebrates what we can all honor Christ and His wonderful birth.  It really helped me have so much peace and joy this Christmas season.  This Christmas I am so happy to be showing the lord that I really am giving Him the best gift I could.  I am giving Him my hands, my will, and my heart.  I am a tool in His hands everyday.  This isn't something that we can just do on missions though.  I would encourage everyone  (if they haven't already)  Find a special gift you can give to Christ.  I know for me there were many things I loved that I gave up to be here.  What are you willing to give up for Christ?
This week my companion and I played a game with some members.  She had pictures of different things like water, food, scriptures, clothes, electronics, family, etc.  She would lay down two and they had to choose what was more important.  They were usually always left with family.  Then she would put down a picture of the savior.  It was interesting to see what people would choose.  Many chose their family.  I can testify, just as my companion did that all those things are important, but Christ is most important.  If we choose Him we cannot go wrong.  He gave us all those things.  The great thing is that if we choose Him he is more able to bless us with all the other things.  I know I have seen that since being on a mission.  In a very realistic sense I chose my savior above all else.  I feel so blessed and I know you have all seen many blessings in your lives that I think are a direct result of our service.  The lord loves all of His children and I am grateful I can share just a bit of that love with everyone else.  My goal is to be able to share a bit of the saviors love with the Taiwanese people because I will be like Him.  I hope we can all work towards this goal!  Merry Christmas everyone.  My heart is with you today and while you are spending time in all the fun of Christmas remember your missionaries all over the world.  This Christmas I will be teaching two different families about the savior, I will be contacting and tracting to teach people how to pray, what the Book of Mormon means in my life.  This is the best Christmas I could every ask for!  What greater gift could we give than the gospel that so blesses all our families!  Jia you :) wo ai nimen!!!

Love,

Sister Gummow

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

Last day at the MTC!

Good Morning family!!!

I know it seems weird for me, but I have definitely been up since 6:20 trying to get everything ready to leave, but no worries this early morning 6:30 thing is really not that bad.  Doing it everyday makes the mornings pretty easy though the nights are still hard to fall asleep most days.  Anyways I don't know if I will be able to email tomorrow, so here is my update for now.  We don't leave the salt lake airport until 8:30.  We will probably start boarding around 8 so I will try and call you in between 7 and 7:30am too.  How does that sound?  I hope I can catch some of the kids before school :(  If not -we have Christmas!  I will ask about the Chinese New Year thing too.

Well, the fortune cookies were a hit with my entire district.  We all ate them together and read each other our fortunes.  The back also has Chinese words, so that was fun!  Elder Riff has never actually had a fortune cookie before so he was really excited.  I gave him the extra one.  He is from France and I guess they don't really have them in his town of Straussberg.  Ha ha anyways the decorations are also great!  I am saving them for Taiwan though and I'm bringing the paper and stuff too just in case.  The quotes you have been sending me are on a quote wall in our classroom.  Everyone loves them!  I am leaving them in the MTC for future generations to enjoy.  The CD's came at the perfect time!!! We have been listening to them in our classroom and it has really helped us have the Christmas cheer!  Sooo great :)  Everyone loves your packages because they know not only will I get great stuff, but they will probably get to enjoy some as well.  I have a lot of room in my bags currently so I'm planning on bringing the heat blanket, but I'm sending a lot of stuff home!  I hope that's ok!

Mom you are so great - thank you for all the advice.  Cool story of the week.  So I also have a testimony of these specific prayers.  I know as we have prayed for specific things it has really helped us receive revelation and obtain blessings.  I guess we hadn't communicated this to our investigators well yet though.  One of them told us he didn't know how he could see God blessing his life.  Immediately your words popped into my head.  I encouraged him to pray for more specific things.  That allowed him to more be able to see the blessings and the Lord to bless his family with more specific things like peace, or patience....  It was a cool experience.  I'm not positive yet, but I think he will have seen a lot more specific blessings in his life.  Kneeling, audible prayers are also so much more powerful, so thank you for the advice!

Dad I love you as always and I hope all is well at home.  Let me know how everything at work is going!!! I love you and I appreciate all your letters and words of wisdom.  I can't wait for the day we can all share mission stories.  It makes me realize I wish I would have asked you and grandpa more about your missions!  You should try and share that more with Daniel and Bryanna.  It is kind of funny what we find interesting and funny, but I can't wait to hear more about them!

Woot woot on my way to Taiwan tomorrow.  Can't wait to hear your voices. I will try and speak some Chinese to you.  I actually had to give a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday about "chishou daodi"(Enduring to the End)  It was only 5 min.  It was pretty great though I enjoyed it... though my grammar went out the window!  ha ha anyways the BYU men's chorus also sang to us and I saw Aaron Bush and Tyler Marlar, so you can give a shout out to them for me!  I wished I could have said hi, but the choir was soo great!  I also saw Jackie Dizon and Marc Malari and Jory Hanes- Lane, John, Keala and Hawaii friends from freshman year would appreciate that.  Shez Hanneman is also here which steph and liz would appreciate that.  Thanks for the updates on friends too btw!  I loved it so so much!!! Oh and Steve Wade is also a Korean teacher here and I see him like everyday.  Sooo crazy and cool!  Anyways gotta go, but I love you all!

  Wen Jie Mei (Sara)

One more week and Taiwan here I come!

A bird does not sing because it has an answer.
It sings because it has a song.

Chinese Proverb

Hello Family!

Well, I first need to warn you that I don't have much time to write about my week here or in my letter home.  Today is our last P-day before we leave, so we are trying to accomplish a lot of things to start preparing us for Taiwan.  It is a little scary, but very exciting!  We officially got our travel plans and will be leaving Next Tues. Morning at 5am.  We have a 3 hour layover in Seattle around 9:45am-12:50pm  I will try and give you a call sometime in that 3 hour span.  I'm guessing maybe 10:30ish.  I'm so excited that I will be able to talk with you!  I hope you can work things out so I can talk to a few of you.  I may also have time in the morning, but I'm not sure.  If I do, it will be around 6 or 6:30 I believe.


So for a quick update on this week.  This week was a difficult one.  We had two of our elders leave for their missions the past two days.  We have all come to think of each other as family, so it was a little sad.  I am so excited for them to serve and it makes everything a bit more real for us now too.  It was hard for our class though.  They were stressed with packing and everyone was a bit unfocused.  I definitely tried my hardest, but progression wasn't as great as some weeks have been.  I have noticed a cool little shift though.  I think in Chinese a lot more often now and when I talk about spiritual things, the Chinese words often comes to my mind first.  It is kind of a cool experience.  Sometimes it is so strange to me that I am actually speaking Chinese.  I am just starting to look into characters though, so I have a very long way to go!

I also decided that the two day goal of SYL(speak your language) wasn't quite great enough, so I am going to personally try and do it tomorrow, Thurs , and Friday and Saturday   It is going to be a bit tricky because we have an Thai sister with us a lot and we have to speak to each other in English.  BTW you should tell Bobby and his wife to volunteer at TRC!  Last week no one showed up to help the new Thai speakers practice so it was a bit sad for them.  There are 5 of them right now and I'm sure they would love it!  There's is on Saturdays at 3 or 4 o'clock.  Also I think the new Japanese speakers may be having their first TRC this week... not positive, but probably.  Anyways things are great in the MTC.  It is such a cheerful atmosphere here and I can't even believe how much I have grown.  I am so happy to be here and to be learning so much.

1 more week and Taiwan here I come!!! ^_^y

Wo ai nimen!!!

Love,

Sister Sara Gummow