This week the main theme seems to have been contacting and strange experiences from talking to people. We are really focusing on finding new investigators and are practicing the missionary lifestyle of talking to everyone. It's hard! You really have to get out of your comfort zone. And we have had some interesting moments, like the lady who couldn't remember her last name and gave us a phone number for someone living in Taipei, or the guy waved at us like he knew us and then asked "Do you know who I am?" like twenty times (we didn't). But most of the time we have had some cool miracles where we have been in just the right place to talk to someone who is willing to listen and give us their phone number and set up to have a lesson. A lot of those lessons are next week, which is sad because we would like to teach people now. But you have to sow a little before the reaper comes! Or something like that.
Other things that happened this week:
we ate lamb soup for the second time and I didn't like it any better. I wish people would recognize that there is such a thing as too much ginger.
Exchanges! I got to stay in Gangshan and Sister Fernley, our Sister Training Leader, came with me. It was fun! I got to be leading the area for the day, which was fun. Turns out I really do know where I'm going! And I'm pretty good at Chinese. But don't tell anyone that because I actually just mostly figure out what people are saying from context and if they think I can speak Chinese they will start talking faster and then it will come out that I actually don't speak Chinese. But in the meantime I mostly get what's going on. I still am not sure what the difference between mother-in-law and wife is.
I had a bike accident for the first time! Here's what happened: For the past couple of days the brake on my front tire has been struggling and on Saturday morning I realized it was missing a bolt. We didn't really do anything to fix it and the on the way to Luzhu I was noticing the different things that get left on the side of the highway (the greatest common denominator is gloves. I saw like at least 8.) when suddenly I noticed a bolt on the ground. That sparked the brilliant idea that I could pick up a bolt from the ground and fix it myself, saving both time and money! It was too late for that particular bolt but I kept a keen eye out for the future road. Finally I saw one! I stopped and got off my bike, then due to the restrictions of the narrow shoulder determined that the best course of action would be to run backwards holding my bike in order to get the bolt. My companion kept going. I trotted backward. My bike fell over. I fell over. A knee was skinned, a bolt retrieved, and we decided it was probably best to stop by a bike shop where some nice guys drinking tea put in a bolt for free in like 2 minutes.
This week I have been trying to focus on charity, and I have awesome quote that has been hanging in a cupboard in my mom's kitchen for years, from Marvin J Ashton: "Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."
I love that! Charity is expecting the best of each other. I am trying to expect and hope the best for everyone I meet instead of thinking they won't be interested or will never change. If you think like that you won't be willing to try, and that's just dumb. So give people the benefit of the doubt and have more charity for everyone.
Love you all!
Sister Cardon
No comments:
Post a Comment