Back in Taipei!

Well, I moved.

I'm in JinHua as the new temple sister. (if you're not familiar with how our mission works, the temple sisters are sort of the female version of the assistants)   

Surprised? Yeah, me too!

last picture with her XinZhu district before transfers

We got the call on Wednesday afternoon that I would be moving and that we would need to come to transfer meeting on Friday in Taibei. I wasn't super surprised to be moving- I never felt like I would finish off my mission in XinZhu. I was thinking I'd maybe move down to the east coast or something. As we were sitting in transfer meeting, the power point kept going zone by zone and sister Day kept announcing and it kept not being me and not being me and not being me. Well, we got to the very end of the power point which is the office zone and it was about then that it hit me...there was only one place left to go! I was totally shocked.

her new companion Sis Graham

Logically, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me to be here~ I'm going home in less than a transfer, so that's not going to provide as much continuity for the next mission president; I'm white, and so is my new companion, Sis Graham, and usually there is one white and one Taiwanese sister serving in this area. Actually I think we are the first companionship in over a year to be made up of two white sisters. So basically I've come to the conclusion that God has something specific He really wants me to do here! I'm not sure what it is yet, but I want to find out. It has motivated me to be more diligent in talking to everyone, more committed to being focused on the work, more desirous to love and serve my companion. I don't want to miss out on the whole reason God placed me here. I read a scripture this past week in the Doctrine and Covenants that is the Lord's counsel to a group of saints in Ohio- he told them to "act upon this land as if for years". I think this is my motto for this transfer. 5 weeks isn't a lot, but it's enough.

Now, since I'm sure you're wondering what on earth a temple sister does (I'm still trying to figure that out myself!), let me tell you a little bit about what some of our responsibilities include other than regular missionary work stuff. We coordinate and arrange the sisters who come and do daily tours on the temple grounds and provide training for them when they come. We also exchange with each set of sister training leaders and each sister companionship who is in training. We attend all of the mission training meetings and conferences and provide trainings. We are basically responsible for all of the sisters in the mission. So we are just a little busy. :D

 I read a talk by President Eyring, in which he said, "I do not depend on what has happened in the past. To keep my living testimony of the Book of Mormon secure, I receive the promise of Moroni often. I don’t take that blessing of a testimony for granted as a perpetual entitlement."

That caused me to have a desire to pray more specifically and thoroughly about all of the principles of the gospel. So I made a goal this transfer to pray everyday about a principle that I study in personal study for an increased testimony of it and knowledge of its veracity. On Saturday, it was the Sabbath Day. As I knelt in prayer to finish my personal study, I asked God if keeping the sabbath day holy was really a commandment and I felt a peace immediately come into my mind and say, "of course it is- you already know that". It was a voice different than my own thoughts- it was the voice of the Holy Ghost. I know that often, answers and testimony do not come that quickly, but I am thankful for God's promise that as we ask with a sincere heart, we will receive.

Love you! 

once again from downtown Taibei,

Sis Murri