Baptism Dates and Real Happiness

I have been thinking a lot this week about happiness and the blessings of the gospel.  We met with an investigator this week who we have been working with for a long time.  When we first met with her, she told us that there was no way she could give up tea and no way that she could be baptized because that would mean she would need to give up tea.  We have been working with her for a while, focusing on those things that will build her faith.  This week we had an “ok, let's talk about baptism” lesson.  

It was such a sad conversation because she said that there was no way she could give up tea.  She said she believes that God and Christ exist and that there are things that she can live without but tea is not one of those things.  We talked about eternal joy and eternal happiness, but she said that she didn't believe in this happiness.  It made me so sad to hear her say this.  So often I think we look for happiness and say that we want to be happy but what we forget is that happiness is a byproduct of righteous living – not the reason that we live righteously.  Elder Wirthland said that too often we look for happiness as the end result, but what we should be looking for is to align our will with God’s and as a result joy and happiness come.  God, of course, wants His children to be happy, but He wants us to be happy as a result of becoming better people – not out of momentary pleasure.

We had a great lesson this week with another one of our more long term investigators.  She has been reading, praying, and coming to church for quite a while, but she is still insisting that she isn't feeling anything.  We invited her last week to bring a question to church.  When we followed up the next day, she said that she had wanted to know how to help her rebellious son and that at church in one of the classes she received her answer.  She also said that she received an answer from the Book of Mormon about how to deal with a woman who keeps asking her for money.  These were huge improvements as she is finally recognizing the blessings of keeping the commandments and the direct impact it is making in her life.

Shu-feng is doing wonderfully.  She passed her baptismal interview on Friday.  It was raining like crazy and our district leader lives in this really far away area.  I was very grateful that they biked all the way up here.  Her interview was great.  

Our lessons this week with Shu-feng were great.  We finished up the commandments.  She is good on all of them.  She was kind of concerned about not being able to buy food on Sunday because she and her family always go out to dinner.  She asked if this counted as buying things.  She seemed very concerned when she asked me this.  I wasn't totally sure what to say.  It was one of those moments where I was just trying to listen to the Spirit, and it was just kind of given to me.  I explained that yes it does count as buying things but that is a difficult situation because her family are not members but that it is one of those things that she can pray and ask Heavenly Father what the best thing to do in this situation.  She seemed really comforted by that answer.  I am confident that she will pray and she will receive answers.  She is so cute.      

Welcome to Battambang Elder Gibson!

I am sending my first letter from Battambang province.  Friday was transfer day, so we took a tuk tuk to the mission home. Then we all boarded a big coach bus that is run by a local company called Capitol Tours.  Well, we left around 2:45ish and road all the way up to Battambang.  We finally arrived at the church at 9:15ish at night.  We made a few stops along the way for 5 min. or so to go to the bathroom or buy some snacks. As we drove up it got very rural and we saw a ton of really beautiful rice fields, palm trees, heavily wooded hills and areas, etc.  Really cool.  

Baby crocodile farm

A little bit about Battambang.  It actually has a decent size city.  No where near as big a Phnom Penh, but it is a decent size city.  Very quiet though.  Not a lot of people around.  Battambang actually has a brand new branch/district building built about a year ago, and it is really awesome.  Finally I am in a branch where regular people can find our branch building.  It is on a main road and it is the big pretty building that everyone has seen before.  So that is cool.  

 Baby crocodile farm

I road through a path/road and my tire got stuck with mud so I pulled off to the side of the road and started to use my hands to pick mud out of the back.  Well, as you know Cambodia has tons of prostitutes and it just so happens I stopped my bike in the general area of one.  Well, she came over and kind of tried to ask me what was wrong with my bike and offer her help.  I got out of there in 1 second.  I got on my bike and said bye bye and road another fifty yards and got all the mud out.  My companion thought it was pretty funny.  

 Baby crocodile farm

Yesterday we got stuck in a huge rain storm.  Huge.  I had to get to the church at 5 to interview an investigator for baptism.  Totally soaked.  That was the first time I was legitimately cold in Cambodia. 

In America people take vans. Here they just jump in the back of a trailer.

So in our mission we have 3 zones in the city (Phnom Penh), north, east and west.  Then each of the 4 provinces have their own zone and then some of the missionaries in Vietnam have a zone.  Our zone is the biggest zone of all the provinces.  We have 5 companionships and 2 senior couples missionaries.  So 12 in total.  We have two districts in my zone and 2 sister companionships.  For the church in Battambang, we have 1 district and two branches and word on the street is that they have started the process to try and make a new branch.  Battambang is a decent size city but nothing too big.  It is actually very quiet.  

Shoes are taking a hit. Don't worry. Super glue fixes it all. 

We do most of our proselyting in the city area, but sometimes we bike out to the member’s houses that are much farther away.  For example, last night we really wanted to meet an investigator so we biked really far up one of the national highway roads and then randomly just took a left turn into a dirt path.  I could not see anything.  Just trees around us.  Pitch black and I was afraid we would ride off the path into the bushes and trees.  No house lights or anything.  Pretty cool actually but we had to really push it to get out to their house so we were super tired.  So yes, people live very far and outside of the "city". 

Yes, I am the only zone leader up here.  The missionaries up here are good.  Most of them are really hard workers.  We share the house with other elders. We have had some fun times, so it is actually pretty fun when we are at home together.  My companion (an American) and I speak Khmae for our planning session at night and then for companion study in the morning.  It is kind of hard I am so used to just speaking Khmae all the time.  Still improving and working on it though.  My companion is great.  

Bridge that sways back and forth violently whenever someone drives over it. 

Early on in the week I came across two scriptures that I love and that really set the tone for our week.  Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible" and Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”  I really love these two scriptures.  They just make me feel so inspired and ready to go.   

Family Home Evening with some member in Sen Sok. 

We have a lot of "potential investigators", with only one that has been taught past the first lesson.  That is kind of a bummer, but we can change that.  We just need to start meeting with the people that are potentials that have met with the previous elders a few times before and really help them to start to progress.  I really want to work with the members, because from what I have seen the members are awesome!  There are a lot of them and many families.  From what I have seen they are willing to share the gospel and are fairly strong.  Right now I am trying to get to know them all.  First, I am starting with their names.  I know that will be the key up here, and I really just want to have the trust of the members so we can start to receive more referrals.  I know this area has a lot of potential and I am really just looking forward to a whole week of proselytizing, plus knowing the area, members and potential investigators that we have a little bit better.  Quite honestly, I just feel excited.

Pig Head Soup and Garrett's arrival in Battambang Province

At Channary's baptism from several weeks ago. 

I am sending my first letter from Battambang province.  Well, last week I was in Sen Sok unitl Friday.  Not going to lie I was ready to go after we got the transfer calls.  It was still hard to say goodbye to some of the recent converts and members, but I was ready to start fresh up in Battambang.   

Part of their supply of bottled water. (They use bottled water so that they don't get as sick.)

Friday was transfer day so we took a tuk tuk to the mission home and then we all boarded a big coach bus that is run by a local company called Capitol Tours.  Well, we left around 2:45ish and road all the way up to Battambang.  We finally arrived at the church at 9:15ish at night.  We made a few stops along the way for 5 min. or so to go to the bathroom or buy some snacks.  It was kind of a long bus ride, but I was able to talk to my new companion, Elder Gerrard for most of the time.  They kept playing weird Khmae music on a TV in the front and weird Chinese movies translated into Khmae.  My back started to hurt after sitting for so long, but it was a fun experience.  As we drove up it got very rural and we saw a ton of really beautiful rice fields, palm trees, heavily wooded hills and areas, etc.  Really cool.  

They cook over open flames. This is the gas used to light the flames. 

A little bit about Battambang.  It actually has a decent size city.  No where near as big a Phnom Penh, but it is a decent size city.  Very quiet though.  Not a lot of people around.  Battambang actually has a brand new branch/district building built about a year ago, and it is really awesome.  Finally I am in a branch where regular people can find our branch building.  It is on a main road and it is the big pretty building that everyone has seen before.  So that is cool.  

So, like I said Elder Gerrard is my new companion.  He is a really good guy from Utah and has been out on his mission for 3 months in the country so about 5 months overall.  I think we will be able to find a lot of success with each other.

At a Pioneer Day activity in Sen Sok. There were 50 children (very few of which were branch members) in attendance. 

I rode through a path/road and my tire got stuck with mud so I pulled off to the side of the road and started to use my hands to pick mud out of the back.  Well, as you know Cambodia has tons of prostitutes and it just so happens I stopped my bike in the general area of one.  Well, she came over and kind of tried to ask me what was wrong with my bike and offer her help, which was nice of her.  I got out of there in 1 second.  I got on my bike and said bye bye and road another fifty yards and got all the mud out.  My companion thought it was pretty funny.  

Pig head soup

As for our area, quite honestly it is not that strong.  We have a lot of "potential investigators", with only one that has been taught past the first lesson.  That is kind of a bummer, but we can change that.  We just need to start meeting with the people that are potentials that have met with the previous elders a few times before and really help them to start to progress.  I really want to work with the members, because from what I have seen the members are awesome!  There are a lot of them and many families.  From what I have seen they are willing to share the gospel and are fairly strong.  Right now I am trying to get to know them all.  First, I am starting with their names.  I know that will be the key up here, and I really just want to have the trust of the members so we can start to receive more referrals.  I know this area has a lot of potential, and I am really just looking forward to a whole week of proselytizing and getting to know the area, members ,and potential investigators that we have a little bit better.  Quite honestly, I just feel excited.

Pig intestines

Yesterday we got stuck in a huge rain storm.  Huge.  I had to get to the church at 5 to interview an investigator for baptism.  Totally soaked.  That was the first time I was legitimately cold in Cambodia. 

Gifting Pineapples in Taiwan

Another wonderful miracle story from the week: We have been working with a Young Woman, Wu Jiemie, whose mother is a recent convert and has wanted to be baptized herself, but her dad is very opposed.  She has been praying and really seeking to develop her own testimony.  We have been praying as well and trying to seek little inspiration for how to help gain her father's approval.  Last Sunday, we went with a member of the ward to sing to her dad who is in the hospital. (He has brain cancer).  This member is named Guo Baba.  He is the most wonderful member missionary.  He is probably 75 years old and rides his bike all over the place helping the missionaries, visiting members, and attending church activities.   He told us earlier that we needed to be at the hospital at 3 o’clock because we were going to see Wu Jiemie's dad.  We didn't argue.  We got in there, and he right away makes friends with the dad and testifying about how the gospel has blessed his life.  

Sister Thomas, Ruby Chen, and I 

Anyway, the dad was grateful for the visit, and as reported on Wednesday by his daughter, he no longer is saying BAD things about the church.  I had been thinking of others things we could do this week to soften his heart, and I thought that we could maybe buy her dad a “hope you feel better” gift.  On Saturday, Sister Jarvis and I bought a pineapple and dropped it off at their door with a note.  That night I get a call from her dad thanking me for the pineapple and saying that maybe he can come to the church someday and meet with us.  This was a completely huge improvement over before when he was very negative and antagonistic about the church and would hide from us if we were over.   The Lord truly does love His children, and He is watching out for them.  I have found again and again on my mission that it is in following the little promptings and in constantly asking our Heavenly father what more can we do that we see the biggest miracles.   

  

That is a way in which I want to improve.  I want to be constantly seeking for promptings to follow and ways in which to be an instrument in the Lord's hand.  How easy it is to look on promptings as a burden that need to be obeyed rather than a blessing to be sought after.  

Chen Jiemie and I. She is a really awesome member who took us to see some of Tainan's tourist sights last P-day. It was super fun! 

We met a cool family this week while tracting.  I had felt prompted to go down this street.  I actually at first disregarded the thought because it looked like an older more traditional street, which often leads to people being less willing to listen.  As I passed it, I felt prompted to turn around.  We decided to go down this street, and we met this woman and her husband.  They are older – probably  in their 60s.  They let us in.  I think initially it was just in an effort to be nice, and as we were teaching, the husband was nice, but it was clear that he didn't think what we were saying was super important. He kept trying to catch us in our words.  We got through it, and the mom was actually listening with great intent.  They said we could come over again, surprisingly enough.   

We went back on Sunday night.  It was an interesting lesson.  Chen Dixiong, the dad, again kept trying to catch us in our words.  We gave him some promised blessings, and he was like, "Sister Gibson you keep promising me things just to get me to join your church."  I told him that he didn’t  have to join our church to have the blessings we were talking about but that he could see the blessings right now through prayer, scripture study, and keeping the commandments.  He wasn't mean as much as just disbelieving and confrontational.   

A bunch of companionships that met at a burger place one P-day. 

We were able to get through the lesson, and as we were finishing and Sister Jarvis was talking to the more receptive mom, Chen Dixiong turned to me and said that he really wants his children to have the church in their lives.  He said that he invited his son to meet with us, but his son said no. He said he doesn't know how to help his son choose a better path.  We talked about how he, as the father, could set the example for his son to follow.  He also told me that he believes in God 100%, but he feels like he hasn't done his part in his life to follow God.  It was an amazing moment.  He is still not wanting to up and join the church, but he revealed a very important part of his heart.  He said that his main concern, and why he couldn’t accept what we were teaching is that he then wouldn't be able to participate in ancestor worship.  For a lot of people this is a big concern because to them that is how they honor their family.  It is like if we were told we couldn't go visit our grandparents’ graves.  It is very hard for people to think about giving up that part of our life.   

We were running really late, and we really needed to leave.  We talked about how our church respects our ancestors, but we just use different methods and that we wanted to teach him about it more next time.  He said that I was just going to go home and find some more bait that I could offer him next time and that is why I didn’t want to talk about it then.  I told him that no, we had a rule about when we needed to be home each night, and we needed to go home so we wouldn’t' be late.  He doesn't agree with everything you say, and he is trying to point out the flaws in what you say. But at the same time, he is loving and funny about it.   

Gorging your Trainee on Cake

So this week has been a bit crazy.  I am training.  I got the call on Tuesday morning.  I was kind of anticipating it because Sister Thomas had been here for a long time and with the training program being two movecalls, if I didn't train soon, I wouldn't train.  So Wednesday morning, we had a special train the trainers meeting with President Bishop, and Friday I went up to Taizhong.  We had a big meeting in which they gave us more training. 

My new companion is Sister Jarvis.  She is super great.  She is from Kaysville Utah and is just a delight to work with.  She has a great attitude.  Her Chinese is awesome.  Poor Sister Morey for having to deal with my horrible Chinese when I got on the island!  Sister Jarvis studied Chinese at BYU before she came, and she lived in China for a while.  She just has a great attitude and is really positive.  I am excited for our time together.   
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We have seen many wonderful miracles together already.  On Sunday our investigator Shu-feng came to stake conference.  She is a wonderful investigator that came to English class and in talking after the class we set up time to meet with her.  She has just been progressing wonderfully ever since.  She came to church and was sitting by Sister Jarvis while I sat next to another investigator.  I came up afterwards and there was this very tiny grandma talking to them.  Come to find out it is her aunt who has been a member for 30 years.  All of her children have served missions, and she has tried for years to share the gospel with her family.  She was so excited to see her niece there.  She started crying and expressing how grateful she was.  She looked at Shu-feng and told her that she has done work for a lot of their ancestors in the temple but that she needs to find the people that she missed and finish the work.  She cried expressing how much the church meant to her.  Shu-feng started crying and then Sister Jarvis and I started crying.  It was such a special moment.   
This wonderful sister who had been praying and waiting and trying for years to help her family accept the gospel comes to church to find her niece there!  It was very much an answer to her prayers.  Shu-feng was very touched by the experience and immediately afterwards reconfirmed her own baptismal goal, which she had previously been a little nervous about.  For so many members here, it is so hard to hold onto hope that their families will accept the gospel, but I have heard story after story that for those who remain faithful, the Lord always provides miracles.   
  
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Thursday there was a typhoon hitting Taiwan.  Since we are down south the weather was not too bad.  There was a lot of wind and rain but nothing too extreme.   We had been trying to find time to go visit this less active that the bishop had given us but who lived in the more rural part of our area.  Because this area is so rural we don't have a very good map of it, and we didn’t really have any idea how to get there.   We determined that the best we could do was start riding in the general direction and then ask for directions.  

We rode for a really long time. After passing a train station, and a distant 7-11, we kept riding really far down this deserted road looking for this less active’s house.  We get there and it seemed like no one was home.  We decided to go tracting for a while and come back.  We came back and said a prayer expressing our desire to find this less active and our concern that it wouldn't be very easy to come back very often given how far away it was.  We knocked again and nothing.  

Sister Jarvis 

I decided to call her, not thinking much of it (she has been called many times before), but  she answered.  I told her that we were in the area. She must have looked out the window because she said with surprise, "Oh you are outside!"  She came out, and let us in.  As we sat with her, she was amazed that we had biked that far to get to her house.  She said that she had been wanting to come to church for a long time, but she was afraid.  She didn't feel like she knew any one after so long and was nervous to return.  She said she had been praying that she would find a way to come to church.  It was such a special lesson and a testimony to me that God does answer our prayers.  He heard the prayers of this sweet sister , and he inspired the bishop.  He gave us a day with a whole afternoon to bike in the middle of a typhoon out to this sister’s house to let her know that He does love her and He does hear her prayers.   

The woes of Garrett, the long-legged Frenchman

I will start off with the most recent news.  Last night we got transfer calls, and I am transferring to a kite, or province, called Battambang.  Bat (the animals) dome (like a space dome) bong (read it like it sounds).  It is apparently pretty awesome up there.  Really pretty too.  

I am pretty excited to head out to the kites.  I am sure you can find it on a map; it is on western side of Cambodia, and it is really big.  The reputation of Battambang is that during the Pol Pot genocide that province was one of the worst places.  They have a certain word which sounds like, suhhow.  Which pretty much just means vicious or crazy.   

They also called me to be the Zone leader (the leader of a group of districts of missionaries) up there in Battambang.  I do not know a lot about it but it is a pretty big zone and when President Moon called me last night he said that they are actually preparing to split one of the branches into two, so things are definitely progressing up there.   

Quite honestly one of my biggest worries is being the Zone leader up there.  Also, the Zone leader I am replacing is a straight up baller.  He used to be an AP (assistant to the mission president), and he is ending his mission.  Really awesome missionary.  I definitely have some big shoes to fill.   

I will definitely miss the members in Sen Sok and our recent converts.  I am excited to start in a new area though.  

Channary and the member who would always teach her with Garrett and Elder Hem.

Channary is doing well.  She is now down to 1 tooth on the top.  She got four of them pulled and now has just one.  We met her the day after, and she had toilet like paper in her mouth.  It was kind of funny as she would try and talk with the toilet like paper, but we could not really understand.  She is doing well though.  I definitely will miss her.  

We were able to get some new investigators this past week.   We had one lady who is a referral come for all 3 hours of church.  We have also been working with the Branch President to get all the new recent converts callings.   

 Sen Sok

I had an interesting experience last P-day.  We went to a place in Sen Sok so Elder Hem could get his haircut.  It is a place that we go all the time because they sell vegetables and fruit and bread in front of their home.  Well, out of nowhere, a very drunk Cambodian man decided it would be cool if he came up behind me and started to kick my legs.  I am not saying he kicked me like he was kicking a soccer balls, but he definitely let me know he was there.  Quite honestly I do not remember what all he said, but I remember him saying the Khmae word for "French," "freaking French," and "freaking French and his long legs."

Well, we walked more into the house and he followed and was just annoying.  He was right up next to me on my left and was just crazy.  Speaking small English words (quite honestly not the smartest guy...calls me French and then tries to speak English with me...) and just being annoying.  Either way eventually, I sat down more inside, and he left.

I can happily say though that I do not even know his face because I did not even give him the time of day.  I just looked forward the whole time.  Elder Hem said I had good patience.  So, that was kind of fun.  One of the funniest parts was when the lady whose house it was tried to scare him off by telling him that French people know how to fight and that we hit people all the time if we get angry.  I think she was just trying to help because I am the only one in Sen Sok who buys her bread.

A young member couple invited us over to dinner. They also had several of the youth from the branch over. He made a whole chicken.  You just picked off a chunk with your hands. Also, I ate fried cricket/beetle bugs of some kind.  It actually had a good taste, but the legs were sharp.  

Chicken eggs are a thing of the past.  I eat duck eggs now.  Just slightly more expensive, and they are much bigger.   I am starting to try and make omelets and stuff, and duck eggs work great.  I buy 10 duck eggs for about $1 and 20 cents.  

Fun update on the old branch president.  Our current branch president told us that the old one (who is no longer with us and lives far away) told a few people that the elders receive a salary of $200 a month and that the branch president gets $700.  If only they knew…. (Missionaries do not get paid. They pay their own expenses. Branch Presidents, Bishops, etc. are all non-paid volunteers.)

Dinner with a young member couple (same as above) and some of the youth of the branch. 

I want to share a cool experience I had of my last district meeting lesson.   Last week I had no idea what I wanted to teach for district meeting.  I prayed, studied, started to prepare for certain topics only to come to a dead end and feel that those topics were not right.  I really struggled as to what I should teach.  Last Sunday we were listening to a conference talk and one of the speakers said something that just sparked something in my brain.  I feel like I was really inspired by the Holy Ghost, and afterward, I decided to teach about trials and tribulations.  That was a topic that I felt was the greatest item of concern in the district and in many of the individual companionships.  I am truly thankful for inspiration.

 My main point was to say that when we have many trials and problems on our missions first look at our work and our lives and see what we can do better.  We can all improve and qualify for more blessings.  But after we are trying our best we need to keep working hard, don't quit and just realize that Heavenly Father is just polishing us and helping us to become better.

I really like what I read this morning in Alma 1:25 about that even though they had trials and persecution they were strong in their faith and they continued to follow Jesus Christ will all diligence.  I love their example.  Missions have many challenges and trails, but we just need to continue to keep working hard and going forward.  I remember a line that I heard at leadership conference, ""accept whatever happens, and just keep working hard."  I try and apply that every day.

Each apartment or house in the mission has emergency food and supplies in case there is a huge problem.  Well, the senior couple gave us some new rice because it was getting old but still good to eat.  We found that one of the bags had some little bugs living in it.  Not a ton but little beetle type things.  The lady just told us to put it in the freezer and then pick them out and the rice would still be good.  So we put it in the freezer and then the next day we used the rice.  I did not put it in the pot and water and such; Elder Hem did that.  Well, half way through my meal I notice there are small black things in the rice.  Not a ton but enough to notice.  Well, I realize that they are the shriveled up little bug things that he never picked out.  I tried to pick out the obvious ones, but quite honestly I did not even think twice about eating it, and I know I ate some shriveled cooked bugs with my rice.  Welcome to Cambodia.

Only in Cambodia can a 40 year old man stroll out into the street and into the place where all of us are using the computers in just a towel and it be okay.  

Fish Sculptures and Many Miracles

From Nantun: Ruby Chen, an investigator McKenzie met at a stoplight who should, if all else held constant when McKenzie left the area, be baptized. 

We have been blessed with so many miracles this week.  There was a mom, Yang Jiemei and her daughter who walked into English class the other day.  While I was doing the spiritual sharing on the Atonement of Christ, the mom was listening so intently.  I talked to her afterwards, and they agreed to come to a meeting the next day.  They are really special, and while they have little to no understanding about Christianity, they have mentioned several times that they like this and they feel good even though they are struggling to understand. Yang Jiemei said that she told her husband that they were going to meet with us, and he really encouraged them to go which is huge!  We invited them to bring the dad to the next appointment, and they thought maybe they could.  Keep your fingers crossed.  I actually talked to their grandpa the other day on the phone when I was trying to find them.  He was super friendly and wanted to know if I was a 'real American' I assured him that I was.  He invited us to come over and visit.  We have a lot of hopes for this family.  I really want to work on not just getting the mom and daughter involved but everyone!  The only slight concern is that the family business is selling jade Buddhist statues, which always makes things a little more complicated. It can be worked with though.   

Sister Thomas  and I in front of an old fort that the Dutch built when the colonized Taiwan. Then when China  came and kicked them out, it was converted into a Buddhist temple. 

Shu-feng is doing great.  We met with her twice this week, and she is just so in tune with the Spirit.  She has gained all of these tremendous insights from the scriptures.  She had told her mom that she wanted to be baptized, and while her mom didn't say she couldn’t, she was concerned that it was too fast.  But I guess after that, her mom said she would support her in whatever she wanted to do.  We taught her the word of wisdom this week.  She was feeling sad about having to give up coffee and tea but acknowledged that if this is a commandment of God she is willing to keep it.  She has been keeping the word of wisdom since that point.  She said that she still wonders "why?", but she is willing to act in faith, which makes all of the difference.  She truly is a very prepared person.    

From Nantun: Wu and Guan Jimie, who is a really good member friend. She loved to be with the missionaries, and she spent a lot of time helping us. She is a really wonderful person. 

Well it has been a great week here in Tainan Dong Qu.  We have been seeing a lot of miracles and I am loving having Sister Jarvis as my missionary companion.  She is a lot of fun and she just has such a positive attitude no matter what happens.  I remember I asked her if she had gotten sore from riding on a bike for so long.  She said that for the first little while she was super sore; she of course very maturely kept this to herself.  I am pretty sure my trainer knew when I was saddle sore from riding in the first few days because I kept telling her. 

McKenzie and Ruby Chen