The Zoo!

The other day my companion said, "I didn't think today could be any weirder than yesterday. But everyday is weirder and weirder."

True. Everyday is weird. But it's good! Most of the time things don't go as planned, we get fang'd, things happen randomly, and sometimes there is nothing we can do but go along for the ride, laugh, and yell (occasionally as we go through this super awesome secret tunnel that we have to duck down in order to fit on our bikes) as we are on this missionary coaster (I don't think that's a thing, but it should be).

 

This week we went to the zoo! Almost got attacked by an albino peacock (not even joking, it was all white. Flung it's feathers up, started shaking and looked like a vicious monster about to get us. Luckily we got a picture and made a run for it even though we were backed up into this corner. And when we were at the monkey exhibit, this little girl turned and looked at us and said, "Look! Waiguo ren! (Foreigners!)" She didn't look at the monkeys for the whole time we were at the exhibit...hahaha.

 

This week we had many miracles. One being that we handed out 18 copies of the Book of Mormon!! Wowzahs! Cool! God helps us so much. Another miracle was we were riding our bikes and someone calls. We pulled over and answered, it was a Less Active member who I had seen once but has never come to church and who I have never actually talked to more than 30 seconds. She called to ask if we could meet her right then at the church, she wanted us to meet her nonmember daughter who needs Christ. What?? Of course we said yes and zipped right on over to the church. We sang I am a Child of God and the LA cried. The daughter who has some kind of mental sickness (is that what they call it in america? That's what we call it here) and can't feel anything and has like no emotion or energy said she felt something when we sang! We had a lesson about why we are here and how we know God loves us and wants to help us through all of our trials. She said she was really interested in finding out about how God and Christ could help her get rid of her past faults and overcome her problems. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes! We set a baptismal date and a time to meet with them again. It was an unexpected miracle. But I know that it was planned by God, because she really needs help and the most effective way to get rid of guilt, to feel love and peace is through the Savior and through God's plan of happiness.

 

This week we also went on exchanges with the temple sisters. The sister I was with was crippled (sprained her ankle or something) so we took taxis around (SO weird. such a change from riding bikes, and I felt like I was back in the old days/not a missionary - except for the fact that we talked to the taxi drivers about the gospel and tried to give them copies of the Book of Mormon). But I love going on exchanges and seeing the miracles that happen, and learning so much from more experienced missionaries.

 

At our last English boarding (trying to get people to come to English class) my companion and I talked to these 2 foreigners with dreads who were super cool. We also had 2 school girls ask to take pictures with us, people gave us free balloons, handed out some copies of the Book of Mormon, and a Pakistani man asked me to be his girlfriend. So that was weird. But from that I hope we have more people come to English class. Because English class really is a way to help people here and gives them a chance to see our church and that we're not all crazies (sometimes I doubt my own sanity, but my companion is pretty solid), and I love sharing a spiritual thought at the end of class and being able to bear simple testimony of the things that make me happy.

 

This week at church we also had 5 Less Actives come! It was a miracle! I love seeing people progress in the gospel and I love seeing people come back who need help. But this week was a little discouraging as far as investigators went. We got fang'd a lot and the ones we did meet with didn't necessarily progress, so that was sad. But we ate chocolate, made jokes, and I am pumped for the coming week!

 

I love you all and pray for you everyday!

Love,

Sister Perkins

"You're a monster!" - Shrek‏

So this past week I had some kind of weird itchy rash on my face near my mouth. It was really annoying, really itchy, red, and horrible. So I did not go to the doctor or put anything on it. Just exercized superhuman self control. And then it started like peeling (supes gross). So I tell my companion, "Oh no, this dry rash is spreading all over my face, soon I'll look like a monster!" And she goes, "Or like a leper..." I didn't even have the strength to pull a whale face (-_____-) before I busted up laughing. So great. Luckily it's gone and I don't look too much like a leper.

 

One day this week we were talking with people about English class, sharing about the gospel, and we went up, talked to this one guy who bought us these 2 peanut burrito things. Then we go talk with a store keeper lady, she gave us a small pringles can full of sour dried fruits. Then we talked to this random guy on the street and he goes, want an ice cream? I own this store. So many people in Taiwan are so nice! And even though only one of them wanted to know more about the gospel, they were all so nice and we got lots of free stuff! Super cool! I love free stuff! Especially free t-shirts.

 

This week there was this guy and his sister who we met about 2 weeks ago and we've seen the sister a few times, but she can't read. She said her brother took the Book of Mormon and read it all in one night. And we've tried to call and meet with him and invite him to church and he always doesn't answer, he fang'd us (didn't show up at the lesson...which was at his own house...and we could hear his phone ringing with a Chinese opera song...-___-), and we were slowly losing hope. We thought of him one day and called and he answered! And we went by that same night to visit him and his sister. And he said he already knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God because he has a happy good, god is with him, feeling when he reads. And he set a baptismal date for December 8! He is amazing and I have high hopes for his sister!

 

Another thing. We had Pday last Wednesday and went to the temple. And it was amazing. The Taipei temple is beautiful and the spirit there is so great and warm and lovely. After the temple we went and ate some Vietnamese pho, so delish. And! I fed a wild squirrel with blueberry toast crunch!!! It was so awesome! I fed it first and it took the piece of cereal so nicely. When an Elder and then my companion tried to feed it, it almost attacked them for that cereal! My comp had a little cut on her hand from the crazy squirrel. So fun. I'm thankful for the random man who was sitting at the park and told us how to feed the (hopefully not rabid) squirrel.

 

And then we went to GuGong. It is a museum in Taipei and there was so much cool stuff there and it is beautiful and I would recommend that you look it up and awe over how cool it is and be saddened that you can't bask in its glory.

 

This week we had an investigator show up at church who usually says she can't come because she has to go up to her church in Taipei. But this week she decided to come to ours and she said she'll come to ours every week from now!! So amazing! She comes to English class and says she is free to meet with missionaries any time. So awesome. She is also reading the Book of Mormon. We asked her to read and pray about it, she said she did and didn't get any special feeling. Luckily we had just had the training from Sister Day about pondering. So we sat in our lesson and all pondered 1 Nephi 1:1 together. We all pondered it and shared our feelings and she was like, no wonder I didn't get an answer. I didn't ponder!

 

God grants us big miracles and small miracles. I have realized that if I don't write the miracles down, I forget them. But when I take even just a small bit of time to write them down, I can notice the miracles, remember them, and thank God for them. And when I do that, He's a nice guy, and He just gives me more and more miracles.

 

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Perkins