My First Transfer in Taiwan

Hello my awesome family!!

This week has been awesome! I got to go on Sister Exchanges with Sister Howard and we had so much fun. She taught me a lot and perhaps changed my whole mission from the things she helped me with. What a blessing it is to serve with such incredible people.

I had a few special experiences this week. The morning that we were returning from Sister exchanges we met with a mom and her two daughters for the first time. Little did we know they were going to be a golden family. The mom was so prepared it was crazy. She asked all the right questions and really had a desire to learn, as well as the discipline/care for her children to help them learn too. The special part was when we taught them about Joseph Smith. I have heard SO many times that reciting Joseph Smith's First Vision can be the most powerful part of the lesson, but I had never felt that before, and I've always had a desire to feel it like that. Heavenly Father loves me--I know that-- and this time as I recited Joseph Smiths First Vision to this humble family, the Spirit washed over me and brought me to tears. Even though I've known for a long time that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the restoration, that was a special experience where I felt it with all my heart. I KNOW that without a doubt now, and Heavenly Father will give a witness to anyone who asks and persists in faith.

The other happy thing is that we have an investigator getting baptized this Saturday!!　We've worked so hard for her, and it's such a blessing to see that miracles really DO happen, and the Lord answers people's sincere prayers. Hong Zi Yan is a wonderful sister who has been Christan for a long time. She had questions about authority and baptism, etc, but it's been incredible to see her humility in finding out for herself that the Restored Gospel is the Lord's one and only true church established here on the earth, with the fullness of God's blessings! When we called her on Friday morning to check up on her she said, "I've been preparing for my test!" Sister Weinheimer asked, "What test?" and she said, "you know, my baptism test!" We're all so happy to say she passed her baptismal interview :)

Guess what? I'm moving today to a new area! I'll be serving in DongHai with Sister Chu, who was actually the Sister that was with me on Dan Jones night. I'm going to be with a NATIVE!! Wahooey! I'm so excited for my Chinese to explode :) It was crazy to hear that I was moving since I've only been in my area for 2 months, but I'm excited for the adventure. President Palmer (Mission President in Idaho) said that when you leave an area you should want to cry because that means you've put your heart into it. And I must say, I want to cry! But I have every confidence that Sister Weinheimer, her new companion, and the Lord will take good care of NanTun. I LOVE being a missionary.

Well, I've gotta go move now :) But I love you all SOOOO much. Thanks for all your love, support and prayers. They've been holding the mail because of transfers, but I think there will be a host of them waiting for me since I haven't gotten your letters that you sent 2 weeks ago yet. But I know they'll get here eventually! Oh, by the way, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Love you all with all my heart!

Sister Morey <3

Happy Chinese New Year!

I'm SO, SO sorry I don't have much time to write today, but I have some great news to share!

We have an investigator that will be baptized this month! This week was incredible as we saw her finally get her answer.  :D

Chinese New Year was awesome this week! A lot of members invited us over to their houses for dinner so we ate lots of good food! I was scared that I would have to eat a lot of scary things, but the members were so mindful of us and cooked things they thought we would like!  :) There were a few things I was nervous to eat, but at least I avoided eating pig’s feet... which was on the table, by the way :) This week is called POWER WEEK to get the work back up and moving again after a slow week, so we're leaving the door an hour earlier than usual. I'm so excited to get back on fire!

Thanks for your updates, and ya, I knew the snail mail would take some time to catch up with me, but I'm so excited to be able to read it sometime this week.

Oh yeah, last week I couldn't finish telling you about our adventure last P-day. We went on a 2-hour bike ride to a bat cave and a pretty waterfall. SO awesome :) The computer is not letting me send pictures this week, but I'll send them as soon as I can. It was way fun to get some "real" biking and hiking in, and to enjoy some nature since we're in the city a ton. Today was also one of our member friend's 2-year "re-birth (baptism) day" so we tried to make a cake for her... in our toaster oven! Haha... it actually would have worked, if we hadn't forgotten to put the eggs in the cake mix :P ...Oh the adventures of being a missionary in Taiwan :)

I love you so much. Please don't get worried about me. Know that I'm in the Lord's hands. Thanks for all your love, encouragement and prayers.  I know they work. :) And I know the church is true!! Nothing can rob me of that!

Love,

Sister Morey

Happy New Year!

My dearest, dearest family!

Sorry this letter will be relatively short because I was so caught up in reading each of your letters, but thank you, thank you for writing me. I love you all so much, and your letters have brought me to tears from how much love I feel from you and for you. Thank you for your continual encouragement, love, and sharing of special experiences (and everything in between!). It really gives me more courage and strength to fulfill my calling and serve the people here, especially to know that the Lord is taking good care of you while I'm gone.

This week was so much fun because the missionaries that came into the MTC with me, but weren't accelerated, arrived in Taiwan. Sister Fleming and I were invited back to the mission home to go through the New Missionary Training with them, since we went straight to work when we got here 2 weeks ago and missed a few things. It was so good to see them, and to get the spiritual uplift and rejuvenation the training gave. We had a lot of good food (and I even went out on a limb to try cow stomach... which was disgusting, by the way. I would not recommend it!) and did some more sightseeing of temples, as well as got lots of contacting practice.

The first night of training we did something called "Dan Jones," where we got up on a box in the middle of a night market and basically bore our testimonies at the top of our lungs with a Book of Mormon in our hands. Then we went out and talked to as many people as we could. It was an exciting learning experience! It was interesting to feel the adrenaline rush through my body as I got up on the box, but then the complete peace and calm that came to my mind and heart as I shared what I knew to be true. That's often how the Spirit works--gives feelings of peace and calm, despite all the "adrenaline rush" that's going on around us. If we can tune into that instead of becoming fearful and nervous, the Spirit will be able to speak to us clearly and give us the peace and strength we need.

I'll be honest, this week was hard. Our investigators have not been progressing like we've hoped, we got stood up many times, and contacting has been hard as so many people say they "don’t have time!!" I've wanted to say so many times, "you have NO idea whan you're passing up; can't you just sacrifice 20 minutes? Make time for this incredible gift!!" But I have to be patient with these people. I've struggled a lot with myself as I've seen my weaknesses come out a lot. The biggest thing I've learned through it all is that I have to stop focusing on myself and how I'm feeling...forget myself and get to work. I have to trust that the Lord has called me for a reason, and that He will still be able to accomplish His work despite my inadequacies. As I serve with everything I have to give, the Lord will make miracles happen and refine my inadequacies. Instead of concentrating on myself and what's wrong, I need to focus on how to serve, and by serving, my needs (refining) will be met. I'll be focusing more on charity this week, and serving with all my heart as the Savior would.

I love you all sooooo much! Thank you for your prayers. This is such a wonderful blessing to be out here serving the Lord and God's children here in Taiwan. It's a tremendous learning and growing experience (which is painful sometimes), but also a work that brings SO much joy. I know the more we give to the Lord the more He gives to us. Those things He gives are more precious than anything else: peace, love, comfort, truth, guidance,.... and I don't have enough time or words to say it all. Trust in Him. Turn to Him. He will provide for all your needs.

All my love,

Sister Morey