Miracle of the SD Card

Pres. & Sister Teng with Tan Jiemei & Gu Jiemei

Dear Family & Friends,

Wow! This week will make 1 month of service! SHENME DONGXI?! This is crazy! It feels so long and so short at the same time. 

Let's talk about the miracle of the SD card for a second.

Mom Note: Maddie hasn't been able to download pictures at the MTC, so she sent her SD card with all her pictures from the past month home to us. She just forgot a few things:)

The envelope with my SD card in it:)

OH MY HEAVENS. So I stupidly thought it would be cute to put my family's name on that padded envelope in Chinese. AND I assumed that because I had the address correctly inscribed that I did not need to put a return address. And I assumed that one stamp would be enough. I realized all of this was really dumb a bit too late. The day after I sent that envelope, I couldn't sleep. I realized all of my mistakes and I was FREAKING OUT. I had stress dreams about it. I had one that was super terrible. and then I woke up. Prayed SOOOO HARD and after I went to bed I had a dream that everything worked out. I didn't know what that meant.So I prayed really hard that whoever found my envelope would be willing and able to get it to my family. I prayed so hard. I had my roommates all pray about it. It was a serious issue. haha Then, just today I realized that I had no control over the situation. I would have to just accept whatever happened. I had used my faith and now I had to leave it up to the will of the Lord. So when I read that you had received the SD card I literally jumped and ran around inside the computer lab. Then I collapsed into a happy puddle on the ground. Do you have any information on the woman who payed the postage for it? I need to send her a thank you note. It was a miracle :) Such a tender mercy from the lord.

Mom Note cont.   Our mail carrier actually paid the extra postage for the envelope and left us a note. We are all so grateful for her!!!

Well this week was crazy. It was incredibly difficult but I learned A TON. I didn't think I had learned that much until I started writing it down. Where do I begin?? haha

I've been reading the Book of Mormon and I am almost done. I'll probably finish it this next week. I've really learned so much about the Book of Mormon since being here and it is wonderful to be able to see my testimony grow so much. I love Jesus Christ. I have just felt so overwhelmed with that feeling since I've been finishing up the Book of Mormon. 

I learned that I am improving in my teaching! In previous weeks, Tan JM would have to look at me and say "what do you think about that" during lessons so that I would have a chance to speak. But now we're getting much better at picking up on each other's cues and in our past lessons she hasn't had to do that once! PROGRESS!

So we had a very discouraging lesson this week with one of our investigators. We felt like he was really progressing! We had had a really fun lesson with him earlier in the week. But in our last lesson of the week we asked him who God was and he said he didn't know. We were both pretty shattered. But we realized the importance of evaluating what we teach as well as what our investigator understands. 

I also learned that I need to not worry about looking stupid. I'm going to look stupid no matter what. I just need to accept that. haha But sometimes I get so caught up in what I look like to the investigator, that I don't think about how the investigator should look to me. Like a child of God who needs my help. I need to focus on feeling Christlike love for them. 

My district!!!

Sometimes my competitive nature comes out in the MTC. haha  So apparently 4 square is a super fun sport! I had no idea until we got here :) haha and I'm actually pretty good at it! There's an elder in our Zone who is the obnoxious king of 4 square and he leaves on Wednesday. I'm determined to get him out at least once before he leaves. He's going to Taipei though so even if I don't get to beat him here in the MTC we will see each other again :) Also we have frisbee fridays with our zone. I have a nemesis there also. For whatever reason, Bai Zhanglao and I are always standing next to each other and he intercepts every throw I get. I hate it. I will defeat him. 

Sounds like everyone is doing great :) I miss you all and love you so much. I have an amazing family. What I would do without you I'll never know. The MTC is a weird place. I feel like I've been stripped of everything I know and I'm rebuilding myself. My testimony, my character traits, and my language. It's amazing that the Lord trusts us all to do that. He loves us so much. He would do anything for us. And quite literally has done everything for us.

I got a blessing from my Branch President this week and it was the best. President Teng's English is not the best, but because of that he is so incredibly humble. I love him so much. It was exactly what I needed. I haven't been sleeping very well this week, but I think that the blessing will definitely help :) 

TELL STEVE AND SABRINA HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! They're the best in-laws I've ever had :) 

I love you all! Thanks for the packages, cards, letters etc!! You guys are the best!!!

The church is true!! :) 

Gu Jiemei

Mom Note: It was a really hard week for Maddie. If you have a minute to email her I know she would appreciate it:) Her email is madison.giles@myldsmail.net

My roommates:)

My favorite soccer team shirt!!!