A Baptism this Weekend and the Christmas Phone Call, December 12, 2010

Hey Everyone, What a glorious experience it was to go to the temple in Taipei. It took us 2 1/2 hours to drive there, but it was definitely worth the trip. I needed to go to get rejuvenated and spiritually renewed and uplifted. I sat in the temple pondering about things I couldn't help but have tears spilling down my face as I was thinking about all of you and dad. I wa realizing again what an amazing family we have and realizing that we would be together forever. I looked into the eternity mirrors (just like the ones in mom's bathroom) and knew that there is no end to our family and to the relationships with each other that can continue to grow forever. Thank you Mom and Dad for making the most important decision we can ever make to get married in the temple. Because of you Mom I have the opportunity to see Dad again if I endure to the end. I have tasted the most sweet and precious thing in the world and continue to do so because fo you Mom and Dad. My heart continues to swell even more for you Mom (and for everyone in the family) because each day I realize even more how amazing and special each of you are. We can be a family for eternity means the world to me and going to the temple always reminds me of this and the special privilege and blessing it is to have the gospel in our lives. I sent a letter to you Mom explaining more of my experience I had at the amazing temple (you can share with the others as well if you would like). I continue to pray and have faith that each of you will realize the importance of the temple and those who haven't gone please prepare yourself and make it your main goal in life. For those who haven't gone for quite some time please make it a priority to go each month to the temple and I promise you will feel dad's presence with you more frequently and the Holy Ghost as well. I will come straight out and tell you all that when I return home I am going to work on those who are straying from the strait and narrow path and I will be helping John and Charles accept this gospel and be baptized. I cannot sit here and help so many other people accept the gospel here in Taiwan and not even help my family (who means everything to me) completely receive the gospel and make the temple their priority in their life. So watch out family because I will be coming for each and everyone of you when I return home. For our preparation day, my companion and I went to the hospital at 8 in the morning (since we got permission to leave early) because I thought I had a bladder infection. I don't like going to hospitals and especially here since they are so crowded, but I constantly have to go to the bathroom. Every two to three hours I have to go to the bathroom and at night I wake and go another 2-3 times. However, they checked my urine and nothing was wrong, except that I actually needed to still drink more water. The doctor told me I needed to control my stress and learn to relax better because this was causing my bladder to be stressed as well. They gave me so pills to take to control my bladder and I checked with my mission president if they were okay to take (since he use to be a doctor) and he said they were. Hopefully I learn to be less stressed out and the pills will help. In all the pills and seeing the doctor only cost me 15 US dollars and I will get reimbursed for it. We also went to the dentist again since Sister Liu needed to fix something with her teeth and then we had a short meet with our zone. Afterwards, we ate at TGI Fridays together and then shorty stopped at the afternoon market and I bought each of you a little something for Christmas. We didn't spend much time so I will have to go back. The market reminded me of Thailands night market that was full of great shopping. But don't worry because I'm only in the mood of getting cultural things since who knows what will be in style in the coming year. Our investigators continue to progress, but they always seem to have one little problem that they need to work out before they can get baptized. Hopefully we can see some more baptisms the next coming weeks. Sister Chen was going to get baptized in 2 weeks, but we found out she can't attend church because of a fencing competition and investigators have to attend church three times in order for them to get baptized. This makes it hard to get several baptisms in a move-call since our investigators have only 4 chances to attend church before our move-call ends (they last 6 weeks) because the other two times having to announce it one week before the baptism and usually the first week they won't attend church without first meeting with us. I know this sounds very confusing, but I just wanted to let you know how fast they expect investigators to get baptized and what they must do before they are baptized. I did get a great letter today from Xiao Ba in Huwei. If you remember she was an investigator of mine in Huwei who wanted to get baptized, but couldn't because she was living with her boyfriend. She was following all the commandments, but she couldn't be living with her boyfriend. However, she sent me a letter today that had her wedding pictures. She got married on November 7th and is getting baptized November 13th. It's so exciting to hear that she is getting baptized and only a month from when I was there in Huwei. My hands are feeling better and I still have no cavities. I went to the dentist a few weeks ago (which only cost me 3 US dollars) and they checked them and scrapped my teeth as well. However, they don't clean or floss them for you, which was a different experience for me. I failed to mention that Sister Roper and I got our haircuts in Huwei before we left and just cut 2 inches off (only cost me 7 US dollars). In addition, I had to paint my bike since other missionaries where getting their bikes stolen so now I don't have a the nice characters on it saying that I was a missionary of our church. However, I rather have a painted bike than a stolen one. Moreover, we were finally able to get hot water since for the past 3 weeks I've been showering in cold water. Moreover, my new perfume is mosquito spray since I continually get bitten here in Taiping. They have the worse mosquitoes here that are smaller than nats and just continue to bite you and you can barely see them. However, I have learned not to itch so much or else I will come back with scarred legs like my trainers and Sister Brownell is starting to get them as well. Thank you for sending me a Thanksgiving package. You didn't have to do this for me at all. I did send off a package for Cole for his birthday coming up (his sweet 16 birthday, how exciting). I hope you enjoy your gift Cole. For my birthday and Christmas (I hope it's not too much to ask you to send me some new garments. They won't do it for me in Taiwan. I would love 7 new pairs of the Carnessa bottoms (size: S-A) and 5 new silk tops (size: 28T). Mine are getting pretty gross and I already bleached them too. If could also send me the two bottle of the step 2 Proactiv (it is a green liquid that says toner on it). This would really help my skin and would last me the rest of my mission. Thanks Mom for emailing me like you always do. I'm glad to hear that Max and Marnie are going through the temple. Deb sent me a letter and told me about it. I'm glad you all spent time together with Bossy's birthday. Let Ash know that I'm sorry for not sending something. I will once i find something for him. Give my love to John since it must be difficult for him right now with his mother. I'm glad to hear that Cole is still swimming away and that you're still going antique shopping. I would love to go with you when I come home. I promise to do the best decoration job for Christmas when I return home. I miss you too MOm and also count down the days. I actually found out that my group has more than a 50 percent chance that we all will be sent home early for school. Which means I might still come home in the middle of August instead of September. This means I only 9 months left of my mission and that it is half over, weird!!! Time somehow flies by, but at the same time it's not. I love you all and miss you very much. Please do what is righteous. Love you Always,Sister Museus