Sister Museus, February 13, 2011

The Most Missed Family, Hello everyone! I miss you all dearly as the usual. I think of you all often and I can't wait for the day to see you all again. Well, move-call happened again (which I don't like) and with it came three big suprises. I found out that my favorite companion, Sister Howard, is training again (meaning she is with someone who just got on the island and will need help with everything). I hated hearing the news because we both thought we would be together again (and we really wanted to). However, this new mission president is always full of suprises so with that came me being the SENIOR companion.....yikes!!!! Not only that, but they send me back to Taiping (I already served in this area before Fengyuan/Tanzi for one move-call). It's very exciting to be back in an area and ward that I love, but since I am now the senior companion I have a lot more responsibility put on me. Lukily, I am with another Taiwanese companion so she can help me with the Chinese. However, this also means that I can't communicate the best with her as well. She can't speak very good English so the majority of the time we speak to each other in Chinese. Most sisters only have one or two Taiwanese companions, but this is my third Taiwanese companion (maybe this is to help me progress my Chinese skills). In addition, it is very rare for sisters to go back to an area where they already served (especially since there are so very few of us). However, the ward was very excited to me (especially Sister Song and her daughter). I'm excited to be back, but I would have loved to have been with Sister Howard for another move-call. She is the best missionary I've seen and she really helped me raise my standards (she even helped me make stats for all of my goals and helped me re-adjust them). Because of her my contact skills are pretty good and now I can add an average of 7 new investigators each day. I will dearly miss her, but I will definitely keep in contact with her in the future (she only has 3 months left of her mission). Things are going great with my new companion, Sister Lai. Of course her Chinese is perfect, but (again, with most Taiwanese companions) her views of how to do missionary work are different than mine. She believes her purpose is to help our recent converts and less-actives endure to the end. This is part of missionary work, but we are to find new people and help them come unto Chirst. I believe it's the ward's responsibility to take care of recent converts and less-actives (and this can easily be done through visiting and home teachers). There is a bit of a conflict on our different views, but she said she's willing to give me idea a try. She doesn't like to contact people, but I learned from Sister Howard the importance of contacting and adding several new people each day so we have more of an opportunity to baptize more people. Sister Lai just wants to take care of the people that we already just added, but I want to take it a step further and still take care of them but also find more. We'll see if this works; each area is different on the best way to find people to baptize. It's scary to think that I am now the one responsible for things such as this (or just with more responsibility). I continue to have faith and will strive to work hard so we can have so great success. Just keep me in your prayers because sometimes I wonder if I can do this. A great miracle happened here in Taiping on Saturday and Sunday. I arrived in Taiping on Friday (instead of Today, Monday) since Sister Howard is training and the trainees already arrived on the island. Since I was able to go to Taiping early I was able to attend the baptismal service on Saturday and watch her get confirmed on Sunday. When I arrived here they told me about her and her mother being a teacher, but not until we visited with them on Saturday (before the baptism) did I realize who they were. They were both old investigators of mine when I was in Taiping (over three months ago). We had dropped them before I left Taiping because they were not progressing. However, Sister Zhang (the daughter) and her brothers started having interest in the free English class that we teach each Wednesday. Since they came to English each week they were being taught the gospel at the same time (since the last 1/2 hour is a spiritual share). They started having a lot of interest in the gospel and before I came back to Taiping one of the brothers (who I also taught) got baptized and now the Sister Zhang has. It broughts tears to my eyes as I learned this exciting news and it made me emotional at the baptismal service as her mom, Sister Lian, bore her testimony on what the church and the gospel has done for her family. I remember teaching them before and Sister Lian struggled getting along with her kids and noticed a big difference with family relationships at the church. She knew if she got her kids interested in the gospel it would change their lives and now it has. Sister Lian started crying as she thanked us, her family, and the ward for helping her kids and her change their lives. However, she (and her husband and her oldest son) have not been baptized yet. I already told her she was next and she responded...probably. Her biggest problem is that she was already baptized in a different Christian church and feels that she doesn't need to get baptized again. However, we're meeting with her again this week to help her resolve this concern. It's funny because she already acts like a members since she goes to church every week and to the activities as well. It would be neat to watch this entire family receive baptism, but I know it's in God's hands and we'll try our best. I love you all very much and it was so good to her from Mom and Alex. Alex, what a blessing it has been to watch people change their lives completely around for this gospel, especially since the majority of them grew up being Buddhist or Daoist. I love watching them change and enter into the waters of baptism and taste the sweetness that this gospel brings. I am very proud of you twin sis to hear that you had an article done on your neat boutique (which I am glad you're sending me a copy of it) and to also hear that you were picked to go on a fun business trip for the office. How exciting! You should tell me more about this cool article they wrote about on your cute boutique and the neat business trip you're going on (tell me how it goes). I do love hearing from you (and everyone else). I'm glad to hear that school is almost done and out of the way for you. I guess you'll be caught up to me now. In addition, I guess you can relate to me when Mom is out of town and no one is there is cook you a delicious home-made meal. You would be proud sis to hear that I went an entire week with eating only fruit and vegetables and only eating a little carbs (when members gave it to me to eat). I never did check if I lost any weight but I needed to try this out because of all the food I ate over Guonian. I'm gonna try better still at this diet and still eat just a little bit of carbs so I can continue to lose more weight. Well, I'm glad to hear that you're spending time with the boys and getting in the hot tub together and that you and Whit are going to Rome. How Fun! Please take lots of pictures and tell me all about your adventurous trip you have together. I wish I could join in with the fun, but next time we'll go together on a trip. Love you Sis and please keep in touch with me and do what is most righteous. I am so very proud of you and the accomplishments you have already made in your life. Mom, it is always good to hear from you. It brought tears of joy to my eyes as I read that you went to Relief Society today. I am very proud of you, Mom. I'm glad you were able to share the letter that I wrote to the Relief Society and that you were able to talk to them about my mission. I hope you had fun doing it as I was excited to hear that they wanted you to do this. I love that our ward continues to get you to church. I know it's hard Mom for you, but I know as you continue to try and go to all three hours of church you will see a difference in your life. In addition, I believe John would start going as well if he saw that you wanted to stay. I also believe this would help him accept the gospel and eventually enter into the waters of baptism. Please try it out Mom. Please strive to go to all three hours. I know we would all be very proud of you and Dad would be as well. I know it's hard for you to feel Dad around (sometimes it's hard for me as well), but it always, always brings me the most comfort. I know heaven will pour more blessings upon you as you strive to do this and continue to make righteous decisions. I mentioned in my last letter that our mission president gave us the goal to read the entire BOM in three months. I want to give this goal to all of you as well (just like Pres. Hinckley did a long time ago). Please strive to do this Mom and the rest of the family and you will receive so much more personal revelation in your own life. I already have as so many new inspirations and revelations have come to me as continue to read, ponder, highlight, and write down my thoughts as I read the BOM. I hope you all will at least give it a try (and this includes John and Charles as well). Mom, I'm glad to hear that you and John were able to go to Phoenix together for Valentines. (Today is actually Valentine's Day, but nothing will happen, but that's okay). It does lift up your spirits when you're able to take a vacation and relax. I'm glad you were able to spend some time with John and get a good massage and go shopping together. It was funny to hear that Cole went on his first date to the Valentine's dance. I hope you send pictures to me of it and that next week Cole will write to me about his fun experience. I still remember those high school days. I'm glad that the boys were able to spend some time with his favorite aunts and grandparents. I do miss those two smiling faces. You are too nice Mom to take them to Disneyland over Spring break. Please send pictures of this fun trip as well. I know Paige and Ashley's birthdays are coming up. I did send them a package today and I will write them both a letter today as well. I hope it gets to them on time. I continue to pray for Mama Norma each day (as well as you and the rest of the family). I just hope she can make it until I return home. It is weird to think that I've been gone for almost an entire year. Time has flown by, but also slow since I miss you all very much. I failed to mention that Sister Exchanges was on Tuesday and I went to Xichun with Sister Chu (a Taiwanese sister). It was really fun and she is such a sweet person. In addition, on Thursday night, Sister Howard and I went and did Dan Jones with the new sisters that were coming on. (You all remember the cd they sent with me standing on a box). We went contacting with the new sister missionaries (for their first time). It was a lot of fun to watch them stutter in Chinese and to realize how much I have progressed over the past 8 months. The new sisters are going to be great and I hope I can serve with some of them in the near future.One question to ask all of you. I learned from Sister Howard that if you all come and get me in Taiwan I will still be a missionary (since I cannot be set apart until I return home and have my stake president do it. He is also the only person who is allowed to do so). This means that I will not be able to go swimming at all while we are in Taiwan and will always need someone by my side (which won't be hard). They might be additional rules, but I am not quite sure. I still want all of you to come and get me, but if you think I should return home first before you all come home let me know; either way works for me (I do know it would cost Mom more to have me come home and then come back out here again). In addition, I need to let Pres. Bishop know my plans in the future whether I'm going back to school or start teaching or work at the office. I'm still confused on what I should do so please let me know what all of you think you be best. I would love to hear your input so I can make the final decision. I love you all very much and can't wait to hear from you soon! Please continue making righteous decisions. Love and miss you! Love you Always,Sister Museus