The first night we stayed in the mission home. The next morning we went running with the Assistants to the Mission President. They took us to a track where they timed our mile and asked us to make goals to shorten it by the end of my mission. With my 10:30 time there is a lot of room for improvement! They then led this strength training workout which was very tiring, and I could not keep up. The mission has a schedule where you run 3 days of the week and then do strength training the other two. On preparation day you can choose. I think it is a good idea because it requires the missionaries to be really fit. I am struggling to get in shape, but that is ok. Then we got ready and had this awesome Taiwanese breakfast – fried dough type logs. I don't know how to describe them, but you dip them in soymilk. They’re really good!
My trainer (the first companion a missionary has in their country who helps them with the language, missionary work, and living in the country) is awesome! Her name is Sister Morey. She lived abroad for most of her life in Taiwan and China. She is so cute and so sweet. She is so loving and so diligent. I feel so much more confident with her at my side. She is so supportive and helps me evaluate every situation and work to improve. She is such a powerful teacher and really in tune. I said today she is like my mom: teaching me how to do things and helping me feel less and less scared to do things on my own.
We then made some referral calls, and we set up some appointments. (Referrals are when members of the church or people who are taking lessons from the missionaries suggest one of their friends or family members who they feel would appreciate contact with the missionaries.) When I call referrals, I normally say hello, ask them to meet. Then they respond, and I can't understand them. So I give the phone to my companion. We had two people set up appointments, which was exciting.
After dinner one day, we decided to go tracting (talking to people about the Church and gospel on the street). My companion felt like we should turn down a certain street. We did and talked to these people for a long time who I think in retrospect may have been a little drunk. (It was a Taiwanese holiday and everyone was at barbeques.) We then talked to two people – me to a grandma. We were talking about families, and then I asked her if we could meet. She said yes. I, being ecstatic, tried to get her information. But she then told me she had no phone. I said she could write down her address, and she said she had no home. I don't think she was homeless – just not interested. Anyway, my companion had started talking to this lady who was really interested. She said she feels like her life has no purpose and agreed to set up time for today. (Sadly this morning she called and said that she is feeling sick and needs to go to the doctor. We were pretty sad, but we still hope to be able to set up an appointment in the future). We felt really blessed that the Lord led us to her, and I felt really blessed that my companion listened to the Spirit and changed our plans to go down a different street.
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