Harry Potter is real

This week was great- we worked really hard. I've got some great, crazy stories from this week. First, Harry Potter. We were teaching English class, and we had everyone introduce themselves, and this 55 year old man introduces himself as Harry Potter. It was seriously all I could do to keep from busting out laughing the entire time. Apparently his English name used to be Peter, but when the HP movies came out, he decided to change his name. During the English class, he asked a ton of really good, deep questions about God and missionaries, so afterword, I went up to him to get his info and see if we could set up a time to meet. We realized that he lives in the Elders' area, so we told him to go talk to them. He is really an interesting man, and we actually saw him on the street several times this week. He tries to recruit us all to help him in his business ventures. We keep telling him he will have to wait until after we finish being missionaries, but he still keeps recruiting us anyway.  Next story- a few days ago while we were out on the street, a guy came up and told us that he is looking for Wyguoren (foreigners) for his modeling agency. He gave us his business card and everything. Sorry, bud, not going to happen! Last story- I had my hair curly and pinned up in the back, and a member family we went out to dinner with told me I looked like a mermaid. Cool! People on the street tell us all the time that we are beautiful because our skin is so white. 

skin whitening products used by the Taiwanese

 I want to tell you about some of our investigators. I think I mentioned S last week- she is the super cute 9 year old we are teaching. Love her and her little brother so so much. Next we have C Jiemei. She knows everything is true and has a testimony, but her mom opposes, so she is afraid to be baptized. We fasted for her this week, and we are really trying to help her have the courage to use her faith to do what she knows is right. Next, Y Jiemei. She is a lady we met on the street last week and had a great lesson with her. She is super sweet and humble- she works as a sanitation worker on the streets sweeping up trash. We met with her this week, and invited her to pray to know that the Book of Mormon and church are true, and she said that she already knows they are true. Wow! She said she knows because of the way that she feels. She is great.

Things I learned about Taiwan this week:

-Taibei has a ahem, distinctive scent...but I know I am acclimating because I don't smell it anymore

-Traffic. Traffic rules are really suggestions- even the lane markings. Pedestrians supposedly have the right of way, scooters ignore the right of way and just zoom through everyone, taxis claim the right of way, and busses ARE the right of way. They'll just honk until you move. The whole "3 seconds of space between cars" thing doesn't apply here either! It's crazy, but I actually haven't seen an accident. I am a little glad I don't have to bike in it though....

-People here love being busy

-the beds are wider than in America...my sheets don't fit!

-Taking out the trash is an event! The trash truck, the food trash truck, and the recycling truck all follow each other around, and the trash truck plays Fur Elise really loudly so you know that it's here. When you hear the trash truck, everyone brings out their trash and separates it into the trucks. Everything has to be in specially certified (and expensive!) garbage bags!

-paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, and napkins are one and the same

-there is a relaxation clinic near our apartment where you just go and hang out with cats.

Those are grilled green beans and broccoli!

Good eats of the week:

-bouzas: puffy rolls with delicious meat inside

-sausage on a stick

 -drink that tastes like liquid gummy bears

-Taiwanese curry

-yummy pancake things with cream inside

-hot pot! Basically, its a restaurant where you choose a kind of broth and they bring it to you and put it on this special burner in the table, and then you go pick out veggies and and meats and noodles and stuff and put it in the boiling broth, which cooks it. So good

-tofu.....just kidding, it was actually gross. yeah.

-hard boiled ostrich egg...it was interesting. super salty and not at all like chicken egg taste. (food is so inexpensive there that the missionaries eat out for both lunch and dinner)

I still don't understand most of what is going on, but I am really good at smiling, so I do that a lot! I am not stressed about the language, but I really am looking forward to the day that I will really be able to talk to people and get to know them on more than a surface level. I know it will take time. Missionary work is not easy- it is hard sometimes and frustrating sometimes and annoying sometimes, and sad sometimes, but it is the Lord's work, and He gives us peace. I know that I am doing His work and that He is directing it.

Can't wait to watch Conference next weekend- everyone said it was so good in their emails.

Mu Jiemei

Love the English translation on this box!