Thank Raven-Simone (I think...) for the subject title. Look up the song if you don't know it, I think it is in Princess Diaries.
Anyway, I've changed a lot on my mission. Now instead of eating meat every meal, I go with my (vegetarian) companion to little vegan places and eat the same cowfood that they eat in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. But I actually think it's ok. It's not bad. Maybe the Chinese just know how to cook their food.
And also, if a doctor were to look at my lungs now, they'd say they look like the equivalent of a 20 year smoker. Courtesy of all the people this week who bai-baied their ancestors (burned fake paper money so their ancestors can use it in the afterlife). But on the plus side, because people have been out burning stuff, there have been people on the street for us to talk to even though it rained ALL week because of the typhoon. Yes, there was a typhoon here. And it was SO fun for the first 2 days. Riding our bikes in the rain and being soaking wet all day, and people are like, poor missionaries, come in our house and dry off using our hair drier so you will sweat more and instead of being soaked by rain water, you can be soaked by sweat. But I loved it.
One night we went to visit a new convert who just got baptized and she wouldn't answer the phone, didn't answer the door, and didn't come to church the week after her baptism so we were really worried, since she wouldn't answer the door. My comp wrote her a note while I sang Singing in the Rain, Raindrops keep falling on my head, and other such rain songs at the top of my lungs in the pouring rain while jumping in puddles. And the person we came to visit came out and invited us in! Miracle! And as we walked home from visiting her there was this man we talked to who was smoking and when we pulled out a Book of Mormon he just said, "I've been waiting for one of my friends to give me this book for a long time! Thank you so much!" Another miracle!
After a few days of the rain I was done. As much fun as it was to play in the rain, I think I was getting sick. Luckily the sun came out and all was ok.
We went to a special training about stress and adjusting to missionary life for new missionaries and their trainers, everyone else really needed it and said how hard it's been, I feel so blessed because I haven't had trouble adjusting. I love it! (Granted, Taiwan is kind of my home, so it makes sense.) But when we went to Taibei for the training we were on the subway and my companion all of a sudden said, "Why do you have those?!" I was like what? And she pointed to my biceps with her mouth open. So funny.
Also, we watched a fantastic 80s or 90s movie called Hui Jia de Lu (or the way back home) about a family whose lives change when they're 9 year old daughter dies and how through the gospel and knowing their family can be together forever helps their family become closer, and it ends with their baptism. We watched it with a Less Active and her Investigator husband and the 3 year old girl didn't watch any of it. She was just playing with me the whole 30 minutes until the end when they got baptized. Then she made us go back and watch it again! Such a miracle because she is only 3 but she can recognize the truth and beauty behind baptism. So great.
This week we also got a job offer. A woman on the street thought it was too hot for us to be out and riding our bikes, so she took a couple tracts and gave us her number and the number of her friend's son who is a Christian so we can talk. And then she offered us a job to sell little light bulbs that have little colors inside that kind of look like Christmas lights. In my mind I thought, As much as I'd like to have such a promising career in my future...I'm a missionary. haha. But she bought us delicious fruit slushies and it was worth it.
We also have visited this old woman who we think has alzheimer's or dementia twice. And she remembered us! Miracle! We visited her and talked about the gospel and her family told us we were wasting time because she can't remember. But she remembered us. And also, her one daughter was there last time and she was touched that we were spending time to visit her mom. Hopefully her daughter can start to meet with us soon and then she can do the work for her 80-90 year old parents after they pass away.
I love you all and pray for you every day!
Love,
Sister Perkins (aka Lizard).
PS. This is a new segment I am including in emails: Bad English of the Week.
Found on the shirt of someone we visited: You r my best fiend.
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