2 MONTHS.NOT 2 YEARS...HAHA!!

Ok, I can finally tell everyone that I have been in Taiwan for 2 months!!! but it was funny because when we were talking to our new investigator I accidentally said... 2 years.... because sister george said that she had been here for one year..... haha, so it was like in my brain or something. haha!

but actually 2 months!!!(:(:

1.One miracle I think that came from this week, was meeting with our new investigator Nick. He came to English class once a long time ago, and we called him to see if he had interest.... he said he was busy with tests and that we should call him after. So we put it on our planners to call him on the 20th. Well the 20th came around and we called him to see if we could set up a time with him, he sounded kind of hai hao, but we set up for friday sept. 26th at 2 in the afternoon....We said that we would call him the day before and just make sure. He didn't answer on thursday and we were doubting if it really was going to happen. Right after studies, we get a call... It is Nick! He asked if we were still on for 2.... we said yes, scrambled to find a peike and at 2 got to meet with him. Amazing, he is so prepared. He has met missionaries before and right from the beginning he was asking questions that started out with, when i join the church.... Wow. 

2.Sister Hibbert got asked out on a date! (she is my sister training leader) we were on exchanges and one of our english students came up after and was like hey, do you want to go to a movie, because he works at the theatre, and sister hibbert kindly said that us missionaries have a rule that we can't watch movies, but i said that she is finishing her mission soon so maybe after (: hahah!!!!

3. I won a dragon from the claw game things at the night market. I am amazing.

4. Got to go to another concert! This time it was a member from taibei... you came down and did a cello concert with us!

5. District conference was super good! so cool to see all the members!

6. GENERAL CONFERENCE IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! go watch it (:

7. I braided sister george's hair, into 6 french braids, she looks sweet. 

8. We met an old white guy who is a "devout buddhist and has no interest in the christian religion" it was harsh. and we were not ready to combat that haha

9.the area is amazing, i think i tell you everytime, but i am in the most beautiful area in taiwan. trust me. and there are a lot of christians and aboriginies in our area. which is cool because often they are more interested than the buddhists. but also not good because they think it is the same, they have a hard time seeing the difference. 

10.the typhoon was fine in our area.... nothing really bad happened..... this happens all the time... the only bad thing that happened was that no one came to church because everyone here is afraid of the rain.... ugghhh!!!! its like come on people, you live in taiwan!!! it rains all the time... sister george was telling me the other day that one time she invited someone to be baptized on a specific day.... and there reply was of course, if it isn't raining.... like what??? hahaha!!! \

11. the work is going good, the only thing is that everyone is so busy it is hard to meet with people and help them to keep progressing...... so thats really what is going on right now.  

12. haha, i just found out the other day how observant i really am... because i was talking about how every single day we pass this truck and it says "team amah" on it... which is super funny, and i was telling sister george that i wanted a picture by it... but she said that she has never seen it before. haha, we pass it multiple times a day.... idk haha (: she is funny. also i think i have a good sense of direction or something because now i am leading sister george around.... haha (:(: which is good because hopefully i can stay here and she can go!! hahaha, i just really want to stay here!!!! ahh!!!! 

13. the language is coming good, hahah, my english is getting worse so i take that as a good sign (: love you thanks for the prayers!!! i love the atonement.... seriously if people get anything out of what we are teaching i hope it is the power of the atonement. (: love you all!!!(:(: i feel the strength everyday!!! know that the work is going forward brightly here!!!(:(: love you all!!!!

Sister WAlkerrrrr

1. some sweet statues. hahaha (:

 2. me on the plane. it was fun. haha they gave us blankets. (:

TYPHOON, EARTHQUAKE, MOSQUITO BITES,OH MY!

This week was awesome!!!!!!

1. had outdoor zone conference and we got to have our training on a trail up Toroko Gorge, one of the most amazing places in the world!!!!!!! see pictures (:

2. People think my name is funny. I don't know why but i get it alot. They just think "walker" haha, yi ge zou lu de ren.....like a walking person.... haha its good because it lightens people up (:(: haha!

3.This was an exciting weekend.  We had Typhoon Fung-Wong paid us a surprise visit.  It was heading in typical fashion in an eastwardly direction across the Philippines, when suddenly it took a very, very uncommon turn and headed straight north to Taiwan.  in Hualien County, so far we have had 391 mm (1.25 feet). It was a party. The wind was so intense. we are on the 10th floor and wow, we had to stay inside all night. the district leader was like ya, don't go out. and we were like, ya we can see that. it started as we were riding our bikes back from church. haha. we were so soaked. also my window isn't so good. so my pillow got wet (: but thats ok! (: 

4. Interesting, we had a nice 4.7 earthquake in Hualien at  about 5:30 this morning, everyone woke up except for me. hahaha. it just rocked me to sleep (: haha!

5.We met with some awesome people this week! One miracle was actually being able to share a lesson #2 with our investigator... (we have been trying to get through it for the past 2 times we have met with him....) basically, we focused more on praying, reading, church and helping him understand our purpose.... and also he only ever had like 15 minutes. So the time before this week we gave him a plan of salvation pamphlet and he said he would read it. This week when we followed up and planned to teach him the Plan, he had read the whole thing! He knew and understood it all, all we needed to focus on was gaining a testimony of it and setting a baptismal date because he knew that to get to the Celestial Kingdom he needed to be baptized! So exciting! I think that he is really progressing and as we work with him I hope that he can develop his faith that not only is this a nice, good, thing.... it is TRUE! and real.

6.One thing that I learned from Doctrine and Covenants yesterday! It was in section 136 verse 31. It gave me a lot of perspective. Just about life. Recently I have been focusing on teaching and learning about the Plan of Salvation, which is perfect because it is the focus for the month! We were teaching a lesson #2 the other day and I was thinking just about how hard this life is, and how much effort we need to have while in this short period of earthly life. It goes so fast but sometimes it seems never ending, especially in a trial. From this verse, I had a couple thoughts: "this [life, mission and the saints moving to Zion] isn't going to be easy. We all must have trials. It is a simple fact. In order to obtain the blessings we need to go through something hard, that is the point. To be blessed with the amazing blessing of being crowned with glory from on high and exaltation. The joy of bringing souls unto Christ. The peace of Zion... Salvation is not a cheap experience. it was never easy for Christ, it will not be easy for us. We must all go through the refiners fire, go through the heat and pressure that turns us into precious diamonds. To become who we need to become. Who God wants us to be, and who He knows we can become." It is amazing, and scary, and hard. But He WILL help us and all we have to do is CPR, keep the commandments and we are set.

7. Also, see the picture below.... this is what kids do these days. after school they hang out at the seven eleven playing card games. oh asians. i love them. haha (we were trying to make phone calls but i had to get a picture of this)

8. also everyday i get more mosquito bites. ridiculous. my legs are covered. and i am going to have scares forever. thats ok tho (: i wanted some sick scarres from my mission (:

9. bought a ukulele! it is beautiful (: and i love it (:

Keep on being awesome, but seriously if you have time please email me, would love to hear from you all! love you alll!!!!!!(:(: have a great week, until next time.....

Sister Walker

OK 30 SECONDS. GO!

Sorry everybody. its gonna be a short one.

1. ok mcdonalds is not the same in all places. definitely better here because they have passion fruit and oreo mcflurries. and shrimp pineapple burgers that are delicious.

2. my district is better than your district. but we are losing two elders this week! what??? see picture for explanation.

3. SO MANY YOUZI. (aka pomello)

4. COME UNTO CHRIST MORONI 10:32

5. We got to do a sweet service project. it was great. and i was sweaty. and gross. but thats ok (: clean up the world!

6. i have made it through one whole transfer, what??!!??!

7. english party= lord of the rings it was sweet. the elders were so into it. it turned out great. even though taiwanese people are not as into lord of the rings as these nerdy elders. haha

8. while we were passing out english flyers, these guys were like hey we want one and then they offered us cigarrettes, and we were just like take the flyer jiu hao le (just good enough) haha (: and we just hope they come to english and then we can start teaching them about how smoking is bad (:

9. Direct quote from sister george "ugghhh you don't just leave the Book of Mormon! Its like your parents made this awesome gift that was personal and loving and beyond comprehensionally cool for you and you went to college and you left it on your bed. That is how Heavenly Father feels when you don't take the Book of Mormon to college too."

10. Some miracles and trials (ps this is a copy of the email to the president):First, I am so excited and happy and blessed that I get to serve in Hualian. It is such an amazing place.i am so blessed because hualian is the holy land (: haha, they call it "the promised land" haha ji an.... and our district song is come to zion come to zion.... in chinese it is funny because zion sounds like "ji an" in chinese (: haha it is sooo beautiful here. the beautifullest.  I am just overwhelmed at the thought that I get to be "born" here. Especially serving in Ji An. It is amazing. Ok, The miracles that we have seen this week! Well, we got 10 RCLAS! wow. But we are really going to start shifting our focus this next week to finding, because while that was really good. We only got 1 new investigator... not so good. We are trying to make sure that we work smart, and not just hard. Priorities. We need people to come to church! People progress so much faster when they come to church. I just don't know what else we can do! In our lessons we invite, we promise blessings, we tell them of the importance... then on saturday we call and invite/ remind, if they need a morning call the next morning we are happy to do it. These past two weeks we haven't had any investigators at church. I also don't even know if our visits to the LA's are even working. They tell us that they will come, but in the end they don't show up. It is just more comfortable to stay at home and our investigators don't understand the importance. We need the C in CPR! Besides not coming to church, I will have to say that we have a few awesome progressing investigators! That are just a joy to meet with. I loved meeting with the Jiang JM that we found the other day, got to share a lesson #1 with her. It was so cool because with a member there, it went smoother, it helped her see personal application, and overall it was just better. This was just a continuing testimony to me of the importance of peikes. So glad that I was there to witness that. Other challenges this week were not very big, just small things, this week went by very fast! Some goals that Sister George and I have is working on our expanded CPR. We did it the other day in companionship study and it was great, each day during plan we are going to check ourselves against the expanded CPR to broaden our perspective. Especially as it comes to finding. We need to spend more time finding this week. That is what we are going to do, we need to reach our goal of 18 new investigators this month! This week we need to try much harder! Some successes for the week were teaching with unity! Yay! I am excited about that, also we got  a ton of referrals this week which is sooo exciting! There is a better way to do missionary work! Through the members! ( i hope that made sense)

11.  we had another lesson with our golden lady who is doing so great! this time we had a member present and it really made all the difference, we got to have a lesson #1 with her and really help her understand what this is all about, i am just excited for this week when we get to have our lesson #2 with her about the plan of salvation!!!! she brought her cute kids to the lesson too, two little girls and they are so adorable! oh man, i love taiwanese (:(:

I love working with Sister George and at the close of this first transfer, I know that it was God's will that we were together. We are learning so much, having fun and working hard! Here is to one more, it is just sad that it only is one more... We will make the most out of it. 

I am so continually excited and grateful for this opportunity to serve. I love it here in Taiwan!

Love you all so much!!! (:

sister walker

 Taiwan food

this is what we do when it rains

so many pomellos!!!!

English Party "Lord of the Rings"

"Lord of the Rings" 

Pin the eye on sauron..haha

We got to do a sweet service project. it was great. and i was sweaty. and gross. but thats ok (: clean up the world!

my district :):)

check out that view!!! 

Zhong Qiu Jie Kuai Le!!!!(:(:

Translation: Happy mid autumn festival!!!!   it hasn't cooled down. still really hot. <3 

YOU know you are in TAIWAN when:

1. it is mid-autumn festival...but it isn't mid autumn, or autumn, it is actually still full blown summer. 

2. everyone. like EVERYONE is barbecuing, i think taiwanese people like it more than americans. 

3. when you eat tuna salad on your waffle. super good by the way....(at a place called "Shark bites toast")

4. the new ice cream flavor at the family mart is red bean. oh man, also really good.

5. you have two xili hui's this week!!! (two baptisms!!!) not our investigators... but the other elders in Hualian!

6. your trainer is falling apart. direct quote from her: "you know, some people have problems of a mental, or spiritual, or emotional nature on their missions, mine.....its just physical." She cut her finger, and her gums and lip, she bent her retainer and needs to go to the dentist, she needs braces for both knees but only has one, refuses to take medication too, she slipped and fell while riding her bike and now the left side of her body is bruised and her neck has whip lash. etc. etc. it is so sad. i love her. she is great. don't make judgements from that (:(: just take it, laugh at it (: and know i have an amazing companion (:(:

7. you take your watch off for one whole day and you know have a sunburn line...... and all your hard work to keep it white is wasted. got to start over again :(

8. every 6 weeks we have an english party and this week we are having a Lord of the Rings theme party.... you can thank the elders for that. i think we might even have a live larp and everything. ill let you know how that goes. 

9. you feel very safe riding on the roads of taiwan because no one follows the rules so everyone has to be a very defensive driver. and you almost die everyday. almost. (: (mom please do not worry i feel more safe here than in america) and i wear my helmet (:

10. you are in the family mart buying some banana pancakes and you hear this song come on, it sounds really familiar........ then it hits you.... it is taylor swift's song, we are never, ever, ever getting back together. but it isn't her singing it.... it is some asian.... and it is in chinese.... and you just stand there shocked. haahha (:(:

11. people stare at you. all the time. (finally figured out why this week!!!) ok, so we were riding our bikes along and in the park next to us were these white foreigners.... and i was just starring at them... just thinking,.... why are they here? and then i realized. that is what people do to us. hardly any white person here, so it is a shock when we see white people. and yup, it is just curiousity. especially here in hualian... hahaha (: so it is our job to share our message and purpose with everyone!!!! and we do. we are sitting for a red light.... and then we just turn over and start talking to the person next to us. because guess what, they were starring. and they want to know why we are there (: haha. we get the best looks, and sometimes people will pass us on our bikes and they will turn their head all the way around to look back at us. hahahaha (: oh man.

12. YOU EAT YUMMY SWEET POTATO FRIES!!!(:

13. you go to visit a less active and there are 3 cops outside her house..... talking to this lady in a car outside her house and this lady is histarical!!!! like i don't know how to spell that word... but you get it. she was freaking out. and our LA is freaking out too. and everyone is yelling and there are people standing around starring and taking pictures and videos.... we just write her a card, stick it in the door and just ride our bikes away as fast as we could. 

14. people are really nice. and some people are blunt and are just like... wow your chinese is not as good as your companion. (in chinese) and im just like, thank you i know. and i know what you just said too. hahaha, and then other people are like wow! you look different, i think you have lost weight! or some people are just crazy and like to speak incomprehensible english to you. and then....

15. some people are miracles. Let me continue the story of our miracle lady. the same one we found when we were lost. and we asked her for directions.... well we got to meet with her at the chapel. it was an amazing how to begin teaching lesson.... just like we got to know her and her needs and concerns and she got to know us and our expectations and her expectations and wow. she basically quoted alma 32. saying she only has a desire to believe and she really wants faith. she just wants to feel God in her life. she wants it so bad, is willing to pray everyday and read the Book of Mormon to find out if it is true. and she told us how it will be hard to come to church because of family opposition, but we will keep working with her. i felt impressed to say that we could take a tour into the chapel. and we walked in and the spirirt just hit you like a wave. seriously. and everything got really quiet and reverent. and she said she could feel it. we talked about the Holy Ghost and it's influence in our lives, and ya. she is golden. invited her to be baptized, she accepted, we are going to set a date next time we meet with her. she is so shy! but i would never know because she just opens up to us. she keeps saying how amazing that it is. 

IT IS AMAZING> LIFE IS AMAZING> GOD IS AMAZING>

I am so grateful to my Savior, i believe Him with all my heart. Lets go flood the world. <3

love you all so much, and ps i don't want to be the person overloading your inbox, so if you don't want any more emails.... please tell me. please (:(: i will still love you.

-Sister Walker

went to the beach!!!!

this is sister george with an ice pack and my scarf to keep it in place (:

this is a you zi hat. i think the english translation...is pomello?? haha. it is yummy. hahaa (: and "traditional" but not really.

so ok, the pictures are only of food this time (: because we just made food for the entire PDAY!!! so yay (:(:(: we made yue bing (moon cake) and other yummy bread and pineapple cakes and we had sweet potatoes and corn soup and it was just really good. ALSO, i am super full. ill be full all week. (:(:

MIRACLE WEEK

this was the best week ever. seriously.

ok, so this email is going to be short, just know that this past week was the best week ever though.

ok,

1. got to go to TAIBEI!!!!!(:(:(:(: which means that we got to go to the temple too!!! wow, what a special privilege that was, it has been so long since i have gotten to go to the temple and even longer for sister george!!!! it was so cool (: 

2. we have found 5 new investigators!!! (4 from knocking on doors and 1 from on the street) they are all miracles, looking for something in their life and we can help them! we had lessons with all 5 and set up return appointments (:(:(: ok, let me tell you about one, this sweet lady. we were lost and we pulled over and asked her for directions, then she was just like, what are you doing here? and we were like we are missionaries and she was like, oh well i really have interest! and we were shocked. that never, ever happens. amazing. she began to tear up, you could tell she felt the peace and comfort of the spirit, she just kept saying wow, i feel like i can talk to you so much and i can't with other people and this really is God's arrangment. so cool.

3. GOD is too good to us. we have seen so many evidences of His love. 

4. Got my new chinese name tag!! now i can show people...see my name is Wang Jiemei actually (:

5. Our investigators are amazing!!! i love them all!!!(:(:(:(: i know God will answer their prayers and it is so cool for them to figure that out for themselves, we were talking with our new investigator Yang Yi An and we told her about the atonement and she was just like, why would Jesus do that for me? and we just testified that he loves her so much. We talked with her about Joseph Smith and the first vision and she was just like, he got the experience that I want!!! haha (: she is so cute, we asked her if she really needed to see God to know that He is there and loves her, knows her name and is going to guide her. She said she didn't know, and that well, maybe not..... we testified that through the scriptures, prayer and coming to church she really can know that these things are true.

6. OK, this is to everyone. if there are any converts or investigators in your ward, please friendship them (:(: and i know you are all so good and doing that! just be extra careful about making sure that everyone has a friend, a calling and constantly nourished by the good word of god, if the kids see people who aren't coming to church or know some less actives, please friendship them, bring them back into the fold!!!

we are working so much with recent converts, less actives and investigators and a major thing that we are focusing on is church, wow i never realized how important church is!!! we can receive revelation there and we can be together with our friends and learn so much and take the sacrament and have the feeling that we had when we were baptized again and again (:(:

Love you all so much, sorry this week wasn't as funny. but ya i need more time for that (: 

please enjoy these pictures... i forgot which ones i uploading..... but ya (:

LOVE YOU ALL SOO MUCH> seriously. keep on rocking the world. also, merry christmas. (sister george and I listen to christmas music all the time)

ALSO, eat as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as possible because they are good. (: i lived off of them this week, haha had at least one a day.... if not two (:

ha!

LOVE<3

sister walker

the ocean on the train ride to taibei!!! 

got to go to TAIBEI!!!!!(:(:(:(: which means that we got to go to the temple too!!! wow, what a special privilege that was, it has been so long since i have gotten to go to the temple and even longer for sister george!!!! it was so cool (: 

sister george and our study area!

but here is the apartment that we stay at. it is really safe and comparatively big. we have a gate all around and you need a key to get it in, we live on the 10th floor so it has an amazing view!!!! we can see the mountains and the ocean!!!! it is me and sister george and our sister training leaders (sister edwards and sister hibbert) that live in the apartment we are the only sisters in hualian, and we have so much fun! our apartment is so cute! we have this cute pink coach and these sparkly black ones and they are so comfy, haha i can't study on them or else you fall asleep haha, but it is really clean and we take good care of it! and we have air conditioning so that is super awesome too (:(:(:(:

sister george and i get smoothies all the time, especially mango (: yum!!! there are so many different kinds of fruit here it is awesome!!! and so fun, i love to try all new food! we try to go new places a lot so i can try a whole bunch of different things! haha

sister george and i (:

and look my dragon i drew!!!

don't i look like pinky pie??????

everyone here rides scooters or motorcylces, haha or the cars are really small, i see mazda 3 hatchbacks a lot and mykaela's blue yaris car haha

my mosquito bitten legs