May 30, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

What a fantastic week it was! First off, last Monday We went up to a beach in Donghe with our member that was baptized last Christmas - Tracy and her children. I just love them all so much. Man, the thought of leaving Taidong is getting harder and harder every day. It was a lot of fun because there is a bech up there where you can feed the fish and look through tidepools. The fish there are crazy! They will eat food right off the top of your feet if you are standing the water! It was so wonderful to spend time with them.

Also, another member - Chen Weiting, had us pver for lunch this week and it was great to be with her and her four adoreable children. I adore them!

And antoher awesome little adventure to add to the week's greatness, we had a mission conference up in Taipei this week. Wlder Jay E Jensen came and talked to us and it was AMAZING! He talked about how everyone has already had the missionary lessons before in teh pre-existence, so teaching them about it is really just reminding them pf what they already know, so of course they are going to have some of those, "Aha! I have always felt that way" moments in teaching. He told us a lot about how we can improve our teaching and I learned a ton. I just wish I had more than three weeks to apply what I learned! Time is just too short!

It was also very exciting because I got to see a TON of missionaries all together! The interesting thing abuot being in Taidong is that I never get to see other missionaries ever really, and seeing so many other people just like me who are tryingto serve the Lord as best they can was really powerful. I also realized I know almost NONE of the missionaries. Weird! Except for my previous companions and the Elders previously in Taidong I literally knew nobody. A couple people thought I was a new missionary. One sister came up to me and said, "Ah! You are the legend that has been in Taidong for so long!" Wow, I didn't know I had done antyhing so special to become a legend, but I thought it was pretty funny. i guess when you are so far away from mission headwuarters for an entire year people start to question whether you even exist!

It was so SOOO happy to see my previous companions again! I just love Sister Howell and Sister Wynder and Sister Theissen so much. And also Sister Qynder is training Wang YiHui, who is a member from here in Taidong! So it goes like this - I am Sister Wynder's mom becasue I am her trainer. Sister Howell is Sister Wynder's Dad because she was my companion before I trained Sister Wynder. Sister Wynder is Sister Wang's Mom because she is her trainer, and Sister Theissen is Her Dad because she was Sister Wynder's companion before she trained. So we are a big happy family and Sister Wang is my granddaughter! Yes, Sister Wang's Mom and I always joke about that - I am older than her becaue I am her daighter's grandmother! Sorry if that didn't make much sense...missionary humor... :)

And then on Saturday, SISTER LI LUO YUN HUA got Baptized! I have never met a so prepared person. But I guess I say that about everyone, right? Really though, the members that referred her to us in Taipei and GaoXiong came over for the baptism and it was fantastic. Something that she said to in her testimony was really powerful. Actually, they met Elders aobut a year ago and they would go visit them in their store. At that time, all they could remmeber was that the Elders asked, "Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Truth?" Her husband thought they were pretty ridiculous at the time, and so they always joke aobut these two questions. Well, At her testimony after her baptism, sh estood up and said, "I remember a year ago the Elders came to our store and always asked us thhese two questions. We always joke aobut it, but today I want to stand us and tell you all - I believe in God. I believe in Truth, and I know that this gospel is truth. It is from God."

I was just so touched by her testimony. I am so grateful that this gospel really is truth. It really is from God, and nothing in the world can change that, because this is higher than the world. this is the eternal world. This is salvation and everlasting life. I want to Add my testimony to Sister Li's - I believe in God. I believe in truth. I know this gospel is the truth that God has given us to make us happy. I thank God every day for the opportunity to share this precious gift.

Sincerely,

Sister Amy Collyer