Bad English

This was a week of particularly bad English. I went on exchanges to Taoyuan and stayed there for a night. The toothpaste they had at their house said, "Whitemen. Guardian of tooth." Love it. And someone else's shirt said, "Oh my dorling pig, I love you."  "I don't think that means what you think it means."

 

Numbers for the week:

Times my legs have been burned by scooters: 2.

Number of mosquito bites on my legs: 23.

Number of mosquito bites I got on my arms inside of a members house when we were eating there: 6.

Number of times I couldn't unlock my bike because of the rust from the rain: 4.

Number of times I have dreamed about soccer: 6.

Number of times I have dreamed about sword fighting: 1 (but it was a really cool dream).

Number of times we got rejected: countless

New investigators: 8!!!

Times our investigators read and prayed and progressed: priceless. 

 

This week the Less Active who we've visited for about 3 months came to church again! Twice in 2 weeks! And she agreed to come with us to visit an investigator! I know as we involve members and less actives in the work, they can be strengthened and feel renewed vigor to spread this gospel of happiness. But that was a small miracle that I loved!

 

In other news: when we visited that less active last week we were talking about her daughter and how she is starting to worry about her daughter and wants her daughter to have good standards and marry a church member. She said she is worried about her daughter not having confidence and asked me if I had confidence. I kind of laughed and said, "yes, I am very confident." (bordering on cocky) and my companion was like, "yeah sister perkins has no problem with her confidence. She is so confident." Then she said, "Yeah for your daughter, it seems that the prettier a girl is the more problems she has with her confidence." I started laughing inside but no one else noticed so I turned to my companion and said, "you don't think I'm pretty?" And everyone bust up laughing. So hilarious.

 

So this week my companion really wanted me to eat tofu a lot. And she wants me to eat stinky tofu. And I just keep telling her, "I had a bad experience." (of course in a black man's voice.) And she wants me to eat it so bad. And so I tell her a story about how I was in Jerusalem one time and my teacher dared me (and another very brave girl) to eat this NASTY stuff. It had a tofu-like/jello-y texture. Tasted like it's primary ingredient was cigarette ash and he dared us to eat 5 of them and said he'd pay us if we did. So of course I took the challenge. After stuffing the first one in my mouth, I promptly started gagging and tried to swallow it but my body wouldn't accept the poison. So now when I eat tofu, I remember that nasty nast stuff and have a hard time keeping the tofu down. Now I'm starting to regret that experience a little...but not really because I got a great friend out of that experience (she ate all 5 and kept them down, what what!). But tofu is a no-no.

 

Also there is this great 90s video (or 80s can't be sure, their clothes are hideous and amazing and I wish I could wear them out here in Taiwan) called The Road Back Home (I think, I only know the chinese name is hui jia de lu). In any case, Hello Zac Efron (main character who also has floppy hair and plays basketball) and Dianna Agron's mom (starring as the sister missionary with floofy bangs who holds the pictures). We watch it a lot with investigators and less actives because it is about a family and how they changed from before they knew this gospel to when they were baptized. It has great music and is so funny but it is also so great because I know this gospel has the power to change people to become better and help families become closer.

 

The times when our investigators progress and do the things they know they should are so great. They can feel the spirit, they can be guided in their lives, and they can feel the love the Lord has for them. When I see people progressing in the gospel and see them not be "hearers of the word only" but see them being doers, it makes me so happy. I hope all of you can be doers of the word also. Do the things you feel or know you should. Pray to God for help, give Him thanks for all that He's given you. I give thanks that He has given me all of you who support and love me and laugh at my emails even though sometimes they are rambly and don't make sense. I know that God hears and answers prayers and if you have never said a prayer before, I invite you to. God will listen and will answer.

 

I love you all so much!

 

Love,

Sister Perkins/Lizzi

 

ps. since I missed the bad English of the week last week, here is one that was on a mooncake box: "Our clouds in a faint poetry. The poetry of a continuous release of joy. The joy of my sad memories lightly greetings happy."

 

pps. the scripture of the week is Alma 32:21. If you have hope in something, that can turn to faith, which can then turn to knowledge and happen.