The same but SO different

HOLY COW

Hi so fun fact I LOVE Taiwan!

Not only is it SO nice to be back in the city, but I didn't realize how much I missed my area until I came back. Imma be honest, it's so weird seeing the apartment I left again after thinking I wouldn't again. It's the good kind of weird:)

We started this week off with some MAJOR miracles. Not only do I have an awesome comp 羅姐妹 (who I met before I even came to Taiwan at the MTC) but the people they're teaching are seriously the best:) Some are the same and some are different and I love them all! Me and my comps (only one comp now because sweet Sister Hernandez is going home😭) are covering the Jinhua (金華) and Wanda (萬大) area so we are big time busy! Along with that we got to meet up with our wonderful president and his wife after quarantine and it was awesome! I will say my Chinese is worse than before😭 but what better place to be relearning it haha (help)

Other than that it is HOT SAUCE here! Taking two showers a day doesn't combat the sweat, pollution, or random splashes from cars on the street, but it has been SO nice to be out in the open again after quarantine!

This week we've been kicking it with the ways that we start teaching. Here, we teach a lot of lessons on how to pray because the concept is new to a lot of people. I'm working on memorizing this scripture in 3 Nephi 18:20

     "20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father      in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."

Praying to our loving Heavenly Father is different to different people but He hears every sincere prayer. Seeing this happen in life is the COOLEST thing EVER and I feel really lucky to learn from the wonderful people around me.

I'm gonna be honest the Taiwan I left the first time is so different after Corona. It's the same area, same apartment, some of the same people, but it still feels so different! I think after experiencing home for a little bit again and Oregon gave me some much needed experience too.

We are alive and doing well! Love you all and stay safe

❤

蘇姐妹

Sunlight? Never met her

WOOWOO tomorrow I LEAVE quarantine! Imagine, actual SUNLIGHT.

  I think it goes without saying that this email will be... different... because our apartment only has so many bugs to take pictures of and I'm losing it just a little😆

  That being said, full on quarantine wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. My comp was awesome and even though we were separated we still got to study together. My other comps in 台東, pictured below, were also HUGE helps in keeping me (somewhat) sane😂.

Basically what happened this week was:

1. Passed my Book A test! Now on to Book B with 2700 words... wish me luck...

2. Changed the HEFTY water filter for our apartment

3. Fought a spider, and the only way to describe it was that it EXPANDED when I was about to squish it so I threw the paper towel AND THE SPIDER across the room and I had to try and smush it again... was not humane... Idk if I'll ever recover tbh

4. Cleaned the living daylights out of this apartment

5. Made a mean amount of crafts WOO

6. Found out I'm being transferred to... Wanda! My first area coming to Taiwan😊

  Quarantine has been a real slice, but I am ready to get out again! I hear its hitting 110 degrees outside and I wouldn't be surprised because the plants outside our window are frieddd.

  To finish up, our sweet Sister Peterson shared this scripture with us:

  D&C 31:1

  "Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation."

  I cannot WAIT to let people know how loved they are and that they have a beautiful purpose here on earth. We are all meant for great things.

  Love you, 蘇姐妹

Smells like Taiwan

Yeah, I know, I'm out of subject lines.

  Imma be honest, and maybe I'm speaking too soon, but quarantine is ZOOMING (I say it like this bc I'm pretty sure our companionship alone is keeping the Zoom app in business rn). Do I have a burning passion to just go outside and stand on a random sidewalk? Yes. Is that gonna happen in the next 7 days? Nopers, but it's been pretty good here and we've been keeping way busy!

  My birthday was this week which I was a lil worried for but it was prolly the best quarantine birthday there has EVER been EVER. lol. Started off with my sweet Quarantine (隔離) companion sticky noting our wall and then we got the FANCIEST cake I have ever had from our rocking President and Sister Peterson. Had a 6 feet apart PARTY haha and honestly it was an awesome day!

  Other than that we've been keeping way busy with appointments (and english lessons WOO) with our companions who are out of quarantine now. I've been teaching them vines, 非常重要. We've also been studying TONS and doing crafts with our extra time. OH ALSO I'm like a master chef now bc I cook for my comp because we can't be in the same living space, so WOO. She hasn't starved yet I promise. And my suitcase came with plastic wrap all over which was way funny. Life is a little weird right now, but it is good❤

A scripture I read this week was Alma 26:11 that says:

"But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God."

God is so good and we should rejoice in Him and in His beautiful plan for us!

Love you lots!

蘇姐妹

Taiwan, 我別的家

Made it back to Taiwan safe and sound!

It was a CRAZY time getting back starting with Taiwan updating its policies to requiring Covid tests for anyone coming in. After that we hurried and filled out a health declaration form and left on the Fourth of July!

  Boarding was clean cut, we flew from Portland to LAX to Taipei, and got to practice our Chinese with a few speakers on the way. Once we finally reached Taiwan we filled out a million new forms and then us and our luggage were both (thoroughly) sprayed down with hand sanitizer and sent in a taxi to our apartments.

 Over the course of the trip I lost one suitcase (hoping it'll turn up soon), rode those moving floor things 40 times, and fell asleep CONSTANTLY.

 CRAZY trip.

 We feel so grateful to have made it back though! I'm gonna be honest it was NOT easy saying goodbye to Portland and my new family there. Words can't really describe the impact Portland has made on me. I went there thinking of all the work I could and would do, and left realizing that it helped me more than I had helped it. I loved the clean air, trees, and v i b e s, but most of all it was the people! They have changed my life for the better and Portland will  always be in my heart.

  As far as the quarantine situation goes here, it's not bad (might be speaking too soon lol), but we will not be able to leave our apartment at all for two weeks and we will be sending in our temperatures every day, WOO. I'll be quarantined for my birthday so we'll celebrate with the THREE bags of Special K we have here (looking at you, Sparrow) and maybe, like, squish a celebratory bug idk (Squire). My quarantine comp is the best though and it's been way fun the few hours we've been here.

  To finish up, I just want everyone to enjoy the moment they're in. To really love where they're at right now, and to see the good that can come from it.

  我愛你們,在你們的生活找到喜樂!

 Sister Suisse

Last week in hippie nation

This is my LAST Pday in beautiful Portland, Oregon! We've been teaching loads of lessons now that people are getting involved and excited, and it's been an AWESOME thing! The people here are just so good❤

As for this week we've been doing more service and have been more busy. We are currently watching the cat of a Russian woman and let me tell you, THIS CAT. Imma be honest, not a huge fan of cats to begin with, but this one's out for BLOOD. She's MAD spoiled with her queen size bed. Along with that we're involved with the Salvation Army, which has been really cool seeing people of all different walks of life come together for a good cause.

We got a new mission president, sad to see President Bullen go, but excited for president Haymond😊 (sad but excited seems to be the theme here lol). Anyway that's what we'll be up to this week! We've got a lot planned, and we want to do as much good damage as we can while we're here.

When we arrive in Taiwan, we'll be under heavy quarantine for two weeks, so imma be finding ways to keep me sane for a bit. Still MAD stoked!

 I will say though, my heart's a still a little broken. If you would have told me leaving Taiwan the first time was the best thing for me I wouldn't have listened at ALL, but now it's pretty clear that God knew what He was doing.

I am SO excited to head back and finish what I started there. Both missions will always hold a special place in my heart.

  Love you so much! 蘇姐妹