"My Two Personalities"

Training Meeting. All the Taidong Sisters in stripes!!!

Taking Sister Day to Sam's Burgers for a peanut butter burger:)

Dear ones,

This week's stories....

1-TERRY.So Terry is a very funny man. We met him when he was buying cigarettes by one of our member's houses. He thinks we're the cutest little things. He's very busy but he promised us if his work lightens up he'll come to church. Anyways, he officially became an investigator this week! So in our first lesson we felt like we needed to share with him about prayer. After we talked about prayer we started to share about the Restoration. Then, in the middle of a sentence he stopped and said.... "Would it be alright if I said a prayer right now?" we of course said "YES!" haha. He then said  a very sincere prayer asking Heavenly Father to help him quit drinking. We hadn't shared ANYTHING about the Word of Wisdom or really even the Restoration yet, but he had recognized that God was his Father and that he could get help. It was the best!

2-We also went to lunch with one of our LA's and her family. Her son is the one who is going to get baptized on July 3rd. I love their family so much. Liang JM is seriously one of the greatest mother's I have ever met. Her mother is also a very fine mother. Their family is just so closely knit and I really believe the rest of them will accept the gospel eventually. It was really strange going to a restaurant with a family. It had been a long time since that had happened :) It reminded me of my sweet family. I'm so blessed to have a gospel-centered family and I hope everyone can have that same blessing. 

3-It was also Specialized Training this week! So President and Sister Day were here with the Assistants. It was their last Specialized Training on their missions. It was a pretty special thing for all of us. I am going to miss those two immensely. They're so cute and goofy and just the best ever. 

President & Sister Day (dressed as Elder Ping and Elder Pong). They are the best! I will miss them so much.

This was an activity from our Specialized Training which answered a prayer and fast I had been doing. We all were supposed to take off our shoes (stinky... stinky... stinky...) and then throw them in a pile. Then we went and grabbed one shoe and we were given paper to write an inspiring note to an annonymous missionary. It was really fun. The note I got said, "You have spiritual traits and gifts. You have people that you need to find and you will help them." That little sentence tugged my heartstrings. I had been fasting to know what my spiritual gifts were. I was disappointed when I really didn't receive much of an answer. Then on Friday when I read that note I realized that what I had really wanted to know wasn't What my spiritual gifts were but what I had really wanted to know was Do I have spiritual gifts. It was the coolest.

4-I also had a really cool experience with the gift of tongues. On my mission I have realized that I have two personalities. I have my Chinese personality and my English personality. It's a strange thing... but very real. haha. My Chinese personality is a lot more sharp and sassy and my English personality is... well you all know my english personality. I've also noticed that there are many other missionaries who are like that too. Anyways, on the night of specialized training there was also a baptism in the 2nd branch. So President Day was presiding and gave some closing remarks. As he spoke to these two sisters who had been baptized, he spoke in Chinese, but I heard English in my head. I completely understood that he was speaking from his very soul as he bore his testimony. It was incredible. I want to be able to use Chinese in that way on my mission. I want to be able to merge my "two personalities" to be one in purpose to really testify with the power of God. 

I love my mission. I love Taiwan. I love studies. I love biking. I love scooter contacting. I love Chinese. I love the food. I love this culture. I love these people. It's true! The Church is true! I love my Savior!! I love my family.

Thanks you for everything!!

Love,

Gu Jiemei

So this ring is one way that I know God loves me. When I first got transferred to Taidong I was really nervous. I had no idea what to expect and I felt very alone.( I didn't have anything to worry about but I didn't know it at the time) There is a member in our ward named Lin Dixiong and he has been a member for 27 years now. He's retired now and has taken up the hobby of making rings out of coins. In one of our first weeks he made both of us Sisters rings. I have been wearing it so much that my finger is turning green. But anyways... I lost it. I was sooooo upset. I was praying and praying and praying that I would find it. Then the night of specialized training I was feeling like I was about to have a breakdown or a breakthrough and my prayers were really sincere. As I reached to take my blanket and get into bed guess what was wrapped up in my blanket? MY RING! I was so happy :) haha

All the Sisters in our Zone:)

This is a very candid shot of what happens when you forget to put on bugspray one day. There was a miracle because an LA let us visit with her and share scriptures! However... we had to suffer the consequences of her "treatment" for bug bites. It basically includes scraping your leg for 15 minutes with a shoe horn and occasionally putting on ointment.