The Best Is Yet to Come

Christmas week just came and went but I enjoyed every second of it. Skyping my family was the best! So happy to see them! What a special opportunity to preach His gospel on Christmas!!!

I want to share a Christmas Eve miracle! After coming back from the Christmas Zone Conference on Christmas Eve, we had plans to go English/He is the Gift Boarding at the train station. We didn't really have much success to be honest. But then I see this American swiftly walking past us and out of no where I say "Merry Christmas!" She automatically goes, "Merry Christmas!!" while turning around. After a few seconds of looking at us, her face just lights up and it's as if she recognizes us. Her name is Sandra and she's actually lived all over the world. One of the many places include Utah, where she's met with missionaries and worked for many LDS families. She hasn't been baptized but she really should be! She told us that she had just come from a Catholic Christmas service and explained that she needed to worship and thank God somehow so she decided to attend their service. She further explained that when she was planning to come here to Taiwan, many people have told her that she can easily find a church here, which never happened. She just kept saying that it was a miracle that she found us there! We told her that if she wanted, we could meet her at the exact same place on Sunday and walk with her to church. She excitedly agreed. Because she didn't have a phone, we acted solely on faith that she would be there. And what do you know? We went to the train station yesterday and there she was standing in the rain in a dress with her winter jacket on waiting for us. She stayed all three hours for church and I know that she loves God. She just needs that testimony of the Restoration for herself. She is looking forward to coming again when she has a day off.

2014 came and went. But 2015 is on its way. What are your New Years resolutions for this new year?

Our Mission has a saying, "Faith is the power. Obedience is the price. Love is the motive. The Spirit is the key. Christ is the reason." Whatever your goals are this new year, I invite everyone to center their lives more on Christ and the strive everyday to make Christ our reason for everything we do. We can have the spirit of CHRISTmas all year round. I'm excited to continue to be more like Him this new year.

Love,

Sister Sagisi

Shout out to the Garcia Family for the Santa Hats! I'm sorry, Sis. Roy's name tag fell off her hat!

Our Senior Missionaries singing "You are My Sunshine" for us! Love them!

Merry Christmas, love the Zhongli/Pingzhen Sisters!!! Sister Akita, Bowman, Smith, and Sagisi!

Flashing our best Christmas tools.

Merry Christmas! Love #teamSakita

A rainy, cold...night. All smiles nonetheless :)

Merry Christmas from Taiwan!

Merry merry Christmas!!!

I get to spend Christmas with my baby, Sister Akita!!! She's here! She got here on Thursday and we picked her up on Friday from the Mission Office. We were sooo pampered and spoiled. So because she and Sister Bowman are the only ones that came to Taiwan, we didn't have a Transfer Meeting. But we did have a Trainer/Trainee meeting in the comfort of President Day's home with the Assistants and Temple Sisters. After lunch, Pres. Day drove us back to our area in the Mission Van. Us, four sisters and Pres. Day. It was like a road trip!! But before we headed for Zhongli, we stopped by the Grand Hotel, which is what Pres. Day does with all missionaries that get on island. We all go to the lower steps of the Grand Hotel and read the re-dedicatory prayer of the Taiwan Taipei mission. It's a spiritual experience for everyone. Then he allows us to find a quiet place to offer our own dedicatory prayer unto the Lord. But in my case, I said my re-dedicatory prayer. Who gets to do that twice? It was seriously a tender mercy from the Lord to allow me to re-dedicate everything to Him and remember why I'm here on my mission. Afterwards, President allowed us to take a look inside the Grand Hotel! It was magical and beautiful!

Sister Akita was born in Hawaii but she moved to St. George, Utah for high school. She went to SOAR in 2013 and we know like the same people. It was meant to be!!! Haha. 

Yesterday at church, I heard one of the most touching talks (at least now I can understand them! Yay!) But this sister recalled some things that she learned while she was on her mission and she gave me so many insights that just brought tears to my eyes.

-When I look at my name badge, there are two names on it, my name and Jesus Christ's name. I only have this special privilege to have my name next to Jesus Christ's name for these few 18 months. What a privilege! When I talk to people, they automatically look at my name badge and they don't even say my name. They say, "Oh, Jidutu..." (which means Christian) and you know how happy that makes me? I am a representative of Jesus Christ. This is a sacred opportunity for such a short while.

-When people reject me, it's not because they don't like me personally. They reject Jesus Christ because that's who I represent. And Christ was rejected so many times in His lifetime.

-These 18 months is really just like the Missionary Training Center. The real mission ends when I go back to God's presence.

Merry Christmas everyone! Don't forget to look at christmas.mormon.org and Share The Gift!!! I love sharing The Gift with everyone! I can't wait to Skype my family in a few days!

Love,

Sister Sagisi

Me and my baby on her first Sunday at Church

For P-Day last week, I took apart this bunk bed with this screwdriver. Tough work...

Me and Sister Smith! We were only companions for a short 2 weeks but it was like summer all the time with her. 

This is how we do...cramped in the back of the train while on our way to pick up our baby.

Our first picture! #teamSakita

Everyone needs a temple picture with their baby.

In the mission van...I cut President Day off...

On the lower steps of the Grand Hotel.

She's so cute. That's the grand hotel in the back.

#teamSakita

So cool!

Merry Christmas from inside the Grand Hotel!

Our ward party. So much food!!! Love you all!

On Her Way!

She's coming! She's coming! My baby/trainee is coming! Her name is Sister Akita. I'll email more about her in my upcoming email. I think I owe you all pictures due to last week. So I'll focus on those pictures in this week's email.

Here's a part of my letter to President Day:

I am so happy and I am so excited for Sister Akita to come!!! As time goes on and on, it just keeps feeling more and more right that this was supposed to happen. I was talking to Sister Smith Saturday night about how this is all the Lord's timing. He truly is the Master Planner. So I just told her about how when the September missionaries hadn't come yet, why hadn't she just gone with Sister Smith in Wanda and I come here to Zhongli with Sis. Zippro since she and the other Sister Smith would have been training anyway and I would have just stayed here anyway. But as we've talked about our experience that we've had when we had those three weeks waiting for the September missionaries, it was all in the Lord's plan all along! I LOVE being able to look back on how the Lord really has His hand in all things! I know that in the moment, we don't know His reasons, but if we are patient and we just take what we've been given and make the best of it, we slowly realize His meaning behind all things. I think that's one of the best things in life. And I can't wait for the Millennium (which was Gospel Principles topic yesterday) because all truths will be revealed to us.

I haven't yet talked about how we've been using The Gift in our missionary efforts. But it's been so great here in Zhongli. We've had a wonderful idea of going "He is The Gift" Boarding!!! We have so many cards and we have a goal of sharing them all with everyone. There are so many people who are willing to watch the video with us. One miracle happened yesterday. It was a rough day of contacting, when finally we run into this guy named James. At first, he was just ready to reject us because he was a Buddhist but after a little nudge, we got him to watch "He is the Gift" with us. He told us after that he was very touched. After sharing our testimony, we invited him to learn about The Gift, Jesus Christ. His response just gave me an overwhelming feeling of the Spirit. He said, "I will. I will learn about The Gift." What a miracle!!!

Another miracle came shortly after this. While biking home, we had a lesson with He DX. I passed him first because he looked a little "strange." But then I had an urge to turn back around, however, I didn't listen to it. Then I look back and see Sis. Smith pass him too, however, she turned around and called after him. I am so grateful for companions because I would not be able to do This Work alone! Well, he was such a humble man. He has a Christian background and kept telling us about how his pastor says not to read the Book of Mormon. However, we showed him the picture of Christ in the Book of Mormon and shared 2 Nephi 25:26. It changed everything!

I am learning so much right now. I love it! There are so many things that I need to start implementing and so many things that I want to start trying. Many times this week, we've found our success just when we were about to give up. But if we just hold through and just really follow the tiny tiny promptings of the Spirit, we'll be lead to where we need to go. Often times, our miracles have come through deciding to go somewhere. Then when we go there, we take another step into the dark and fall again. But eventually, at the very very end, we find our reason of why we were brought there.

Love you all!!!
Love,
Sister Sagisi

The Zhongli District :) We went out for ice cream.

In Taibei with Sister Smith. It's SOO COLD!

Merry Christmas :)

Lunch with Sis. Li and Sis. Huang

Liu JM was baptized!!!!

I ate this koala chocolate that our bishop's children made for us!

A turkey pinata for English Class activity was the best decision ever!

I baby sat Sis. Jensen :)

The trainers...Sister Thornley, I have no idea what she's doing.

Merry Christmas all!

Shopping ;)

Gelato!

I Do Not Doubt

I just want to say, happy P-day!!! As I thought about what has happened these few days, one scripture comes to mind: Alma 56:48 "[I] do not doubt [my mission president] knew it." I am so humbled to know that the Lord knows me personally and He knows my needs. I can testify of this truth with so much more power now as I bear testimony that God is our loving Heavenly Father on the streets. So something happened this week to my trainee and I'm not training right now. But Pres. Day said that perhaps in 1-2 weeks when the new missionaries come. I knew that even though I'm not training right now, I was supposed to be at the trainer meeting. I knew that I needed to hear everything that was shared/said at the training meeting on Thursday. I also know that in retrospect, I am in the PERFECT situation right now. I need Sister Smith's help and I am so happy. Happy in every aspect of the work. I know that when she leaves, I'll be so much more ready for what lies ahead.

Sister Smith is helping me so much to get this area in order. As we were having WPS, I realized that so many things need work here and I wouldn't have been able to figure it out without her help. I am learning SO MUCH from her!  I think that the only time I had to rest was during the Sacrament but other than that, we were just busy bees. But it was a wonderful Sunday!

Liu Mei Ling JM made it to the waters of baptism on Tuesday. She has such great faith and she is such a strong woman. Both of her children have mental disabilities and she brought both of them to her baptismal service. But it was the smoothest baptismal service that I've ever been to. If it weren't for the ward members and leadership, it would've been crazy. But we had ward members helping her with her children that she was able to just focus on the Spirit. When she bore her testimony, everyone could just feel her happiness. She expressed how since she was a young girl, she never had the opportunity to look into other religions. And now she was the opportunity and she is so happy that she could find a religion that she believes in.

Saturday was a day of hai hao (okay) finding. We didn't really find any solid investigators until of course, the last hour of the day. We had gone to the chapel because we were supposed to have our weekly Scripture Reading Class. But because there was no sister there and it was only RCLA brethren, we were on our way to our backup plan street. Well, we grabbed our bikes and were ready to bike. But then this man comes up to us and tells us that he's been wanting to go to our church for a really long time but he just doesn't know when or how he can go. He also says that he always sees missionaries in the chapel but he's never talked to them. We find out that his name is Zhong DX and he was a Buddhist before but this year he converted to Christianity and was baptized by sprinkling water. We told him about church and talked to him about baptism and about Priesthood Authority. We set a baptismal date with him and Sis. Smith and I felt prompted to set it for 12/20! We told him that we'd wait at the doors of the chapel for him the next day. He told us that he's really coming and that he was serious about it. We also told him about how God planned this for him because we were leaving the chapel only because our class got cancelled. And then he told us that he wasn't planning on walking past our chapel. He was actually planning on turning around the corner. But he had a feeling to keep walking and then he ended up talking to us. He seriously was a miracle!

Yesterday we met with him after church and shared the Restoration and he confessed that he smokes. He said that he tried quitting before but it was really hard. But he's such a humble man and he asked a lot of great questions. We shared "He is the Gift" using our peikes phone and he expressed that now he understands the meaning of Christmas! He thought it was just a western thing all this time. We have another set up with him this Tuesday. I have never met an investigator like this! I'm so excited to see his progression.

Sister Zippro went home! Sister Lin moved to Zhubei. Now it's just me and Sister Smith!

Love you all!
Love Sister Sagisi!!!

(sorry pictures next week!)

Sister, It's Cold Outside

Last week was so hot and humid. It felt like summer all over again. Today, it feels like one of those days in Utah where you knew it would start snowing. Overcast sky, bitter wind, and just cold. But here in Taiwan, of course it wouldn't snow. Haha.

What a week!!! Our miracle "one" made it to baptism on the last day of the month, November 30!!! She truly was a miracle. Sis. Edlyn Laulita from Pangasinan, Philippines. She was the one who the Lord answered would be our November "one." I shared a little bit about her in previous emails but here is another review of what really happened with her. She's been coming to church every single week for the past two months and she met the church back in 2007. It was also two months ago that she and her boyfriend Bro. Romeo Callejo (a Filipino who is an RM) approached us and said that she wanted to be baptized. But because of her crazy work schedule from 7pm to 7am we haven't been able to meet with her. Also, because of her address, she would have to be confirmed in the ward that she usually can't attended unless it's her Sunday day off work. It wasn't until 2 weeks ago where she finally got her work schedule for the rest of the year. She found that her next Sunday day off was November 30. So, we worked really hard in having lessons over the phone and when she did have her one day off in the week, we had the opportunity to meet with her twice. Then she was baptized on Sunday! It was seriously through the efforts of both the missionaries and the members. We held her baptism between the morning ward and the afternoon ward and she was confirmed in the afternoon ward. What a miracle! When I talked to her after she was baptized, she just kept saying how happy she felt and how good she felt. Then when the bishopric handed her all the church books after her baptismal service, she exclaimed that she was so excited. Using her words she said, "I love it!" She was just glowing yesterday and I am so grateful to be a part of helping her into the waters of baptism. When she shared her testimony, I just had tears in my eyes because I could feel her joy of making the covenant of baptism with God. I know that she's one of the reasons I was called to serve here in Taiwan!

I got "the call" this past Saturday. We were just leaving the chapel after Scripture Reading Group (I can't directly translate what we call it in Chinese to English but that's the best I can think of at the moment.) And the Elders were just talking about how training calls were tonight. They asked me if I was excited... Few minutes later, Sis. Lin hands the phone over to me. It was Elder Weech, one of the Assistants to the President. He said that Pres. Day needs me to be in Taibei at 1pm. Why? He's called me to train. I am soo nervous! But I am so excited! This is a special group of missionaries. They were supposed to come last October but because of their VISAs, they were reassigned to another mission in America. So aside from the 9 weeks in the MTC, they spend a transfer (6 weeks) in America. I am praying soooo hard to know how to help my new trainee.

One of my companions, Sis. Zippro will be finishing her mission this week! She's going back to Utah. She is an amazing missionary and it was an honor to be one of her last companions. I learned so much from her and I know she's influence so many people through her service here. Because she's leaving soon, so many members want to feed us before she goes. I hope that I don't start looking too chunky...

I know that God knows His children. All of us. We are each so precious to Him and I testify that He is sad when He sees us sad. He also smiles when He sees us smiling. I know that He hasn't left us to be sad in this world. He's given us His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion. They can bring us happiness and peace through everything we go through in mortality. I know that through prayer, we can ALWAYS communicate with our Father in Heaven.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Sagisi
夏姐妹

Me, Sister Edlyn, Sister Zippro, Sister Lin. :) 

Wei JM! She is a professional chef. And every time we visit her, she feeds us until we can't breathe. Literally. She's been an investigator for over 4 years now. She can't get baptized because her husband won't allow her but she still faithfully comes to church. Love her!