Survived Chinese New Years

It feels like it's been so long since I've emailed last! This week was full of food. I'm probably just as full as our week was. We were able to visit at least two member families in our ward for pretty much everyday last week. And they fed us such good food! Chinese New Year here is like Christmas and Thanksgiving back home. It was like eating the same amount of food that we have at Uncle Sam's house for both lunch and dinner. We pretty much had everything from steak, curry, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, chili, lots of traditional Taiwanese food, to stinky tofu. Yes, I'm stuffed. BUT amazingly, I haven't gained any weight. Wooh!

Yesterday, while we were at a stoplig​ht, we saw a family in our ward crossing the street and it was so nice because there are some people who are actually excited to see missionaries! Haha. The children saw us and were jumping up and down, smiling and waving at us. It's not everyday that we get that from people on the streets.

So here in Taiwan, they like to pop lots of firecrackers. In Hawaii we did that too...but we respected the people who are sleeping. I've acquired a great skill of sleeping through aerials. Haha. The first night at 2 in the morning, we just see these bright lights coming from our window and with it just lots of "booms." And Sis. Akita and I are both like, "are you kidding me?" But we've gotten used to it.

I want to share a quote that I read last week and I hope you all find meaning to it."As we strive to place Christ at the center of our lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that He died to gain. There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can." -Thomas S. Monson

Only Christ can make us into what we can become and what He wants us to become. But we have to work for it. We have to do our part in learning and doing. We need the faith to trust Him. It's a lifelong process. But I know that He is there with outstretched hands ready to help us.

Love you all!!! Transfers are this week. And Sister Roy goes home this week...I can't wait to see her when I get back though! Time just goes by so fast! Serving in the same mission as my best friend has been a tender mercy of the Lord.

Love you all!!!
Enjoy the pictures of our awesome members!!!
Love,
Sister Sagisi

The Zhongli District.

The Shi Family.

The McGee/Li Family and their cute baby.

The Shen Family.

The Wang, Zhang, You Family.

Bishop Huang and Xu Family.

The You Family.

Doing Temple Tours! Bishop Chen and our Filipino Brothers, Elgine, Jay, and Alster. One of the miracles we had was having Temple Tours! At first, we were less than happy to forgo our two qingkes and be at the temple during a holiday where there isn't even anybody on the streets. But houlai, it was a miracle! The Lord needed us there at the temple that day. One of the investigators who I helped teach while on exchanges came that day to the temple with his bishop and his other Filipino friends. He is Bro. Elgine of the Nankan sisters, whose baptismal service was just a few hours after visiting the temple! His bishop and his wife taught them how to take the train and MRT to the temple. But what a tender miracle! Although I wasn't able to attend his baptism, it was just as special giving them all a temple tour about the temple and what he can do after he's baptized!

The Bi Family.

Let 过年 Begin!!!

We are so excited! It starts today. Haha. Well, Chinese New Year doesn't start today but we have our first dinner today. So we have about 16 lunches and dinners with members in the span of about 8 days. I'm pretty excited but I'm nervous for how much weight we will gain! Sister Akita and I are trying this thing where we weigh ourselves at the start of each day. We also take our weight at the end of the night. And we have also taken our weight for the start of Chinese New Year and we'll take it next week after our last qingke (lunch or dinner with a member).

Heavenly Father blessed us with a baptism on Valentine's day!!! I remember fasting for the month of February and praying for a baptism this month. Both Sis. Akita and I thought it would be another one of our investigators but nope! The Lord had something else planned for us. I talked about him in last week's email, Jeremy Chen. We found out that he met the missionaries about 3 years ago through an English tract. He's 13 years old. Actually, he was 12 when we met him two weeks ago after English class and he was baptized on his birthday, which was Valentine's day!!! The baptism was so smooth and it was all due to the ward's help and their support! So we forgot to turn on the heater for the baptismal font. And not only did we forget, we didn't know how to and it was also due to miscommunication. We know that Jeremy will always remember his baptism though! When he bore his testimony, he testified of how he knew that he was a child of our Heavenly Father and that he was clean. In one of our lessons this week, that I missed due to exchanges, Sis. Akita said that in the closing prayer, Jeremy prayed that when he turns 18 he wants to be able to go on a mission.

We finally got Facebook this week! We set up our profile! We've already found so many benefits from using Facebook for the first couple of days. It's so easy to get in contact with our investigators and with members! It's going to take some getting used to but I can already see how awesome it will be!

We were early to a lesson so we decided to go contacting at a nearby park for about 20 minutes. After parking our bikes we scanned the park and found our amah's in one corner, then the teenagers practicing their pitching, then two teenage girls on a bench. Our eyes were drawn to a father and his two daughters playing baseball on the field. We decide that we want to go and talk to them and create a plan to first share the English tract then the family tract. So we start with a prayer and then start walking to them. We were able to get the father's phone number and he was really interested in English class! He even called the next day and confirmed English class time. He ended up coming with his whole family!!! I know it wouldn't have worked out without our prayer before talking to the family.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!! This is God's work! I am just a tool. I testify of what I know to be true and the Holy Ghost does the rest.

Love,
Sister Sagisi
夏姐妹

This is Sister Lee and her husband, Bro. Edec! They are moving to the Philippines!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!!!

​We got Facebook!!! We are sooo excited to use this new proselyting tool to share the gospel and fulfill our missionary purpose!!!!!!

This is Jeremy! His baptism on his birthday and Valentine's day!

I'm Feeling #22 #LikeAMissionary

What a privilege turning 22 doing the Lord's work! Though my mortal body's 22 years old, I know that my spirit is much older than that. On my birthday, I was able to be a missionary! My only birthday as a full-time missionary! I was able to share what we knew as pre-mortals with my brothers and sisters here in Taiwan!

As I read Jesus the Christ, I understand more about Christ and who He is. One of the ways He teaches is through parables. His parables demonstrate His knowledge of all things. He created the mustard seed, and He knows nature and the order of things. He is the perfect teacher and can relate His creations to the gospel. What a testimony of His divinity.

Love you all!
Love,
Sister Sagisi

Happy Valentine's Day Mommy!!!!!!!

I seriously had the best birthday!!!!

Sister Roy, though on the other side of the island, is never too far away. Love her! She's finishing off this last transfer and will be going back home at the end of February! Gonna miss her a ton!!!

Zhongli District! Love our district!

Yoyo, my RC, paid a surprise visit on Wednesday during English class. I love her so much! It was one of the best gifts and I'm so grateful I have her in my life!

I have the best companion. She is so cute! Sister Akita just put such a big smile on my face!!!

My taro birthday cake!!!

The best cake I have ever had.

Happy 22!

Fan DX, threw me a cake party!!!

Sis. Li is going to the Philippines! We are going to miss her so much!

I love our ward!

Just Another Ordinary Miracle

This week, Sis. Akita had a few different health problems. My poor trainee! During Specialize Training, we had to leave the meeting for a couple of hours so she could rest in the mission home. And Sister Day allowed us to both sleep. Let me just say, it was the most comfortable nap that I've ever had. That nap will last me my whole mission. While I was just pampered, my poor companion was pretty much in fetal position the whole time. And two days later, it seemed like she had some kind of stomach virus. Under Sis. Day's orders she needed to stay inside and rest. Unfortunately, that day we had 5 lessons set up. Sis. Day did let us go to one lesson though, the member referral who told us to meet with her within 3 days, but we needed to come home right after. But I testify that nothing will disrupt the work of the Lord! The other 4 lessons were rescheduled for this week! The work will go forward no matter what and nothing, not even sickness, will disrupt it.

Yesterday in Sunday School, Gospel Principles Class, we talked about the Creation. We talked about how we all have fingerprints. We all have a unique fingerprint. Why do we have fingerprints? So that we can grasp onto things and they won't slip through our hands. God loves us so much that He created even this little detail for us! I know that we are made after His image and He has a perfect body. What a miraculous miracle that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. And why doesn't He just give everyone the same fingerprint pattern? Well, it's just another 'ordinary miracle.' I love our Earth. It's amazing, isn't it! I invite everyone to ponder on the everyday miracles and just say a gratitude prayer for them all.

Ward Council yesterday was awesome! Our ward is ready to take on the Area Seventy Invites and they have goals and plans to achieve them! They have a saying, "yi jiating, yi xili." "One family, one baptism!" Everyone in our ward this year brings in one person to be baptized! The Second Coming is coming and His Work is moving forward so quickly!!! I am so excited to be on the front lines of this and our ward leaders are so ready!

FACEBOOK! So we're going to be a Facebook mission. Which means that we are going to have to deactivate our home account and we are going to have a mission account. And we are only allowed to have members/investigators in our areas as friends. It's going to be such a great proselyting tool! Can't wait to start using it!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

Love,Sister Sagisi

Happy P-Day! Love, Sister Sagisi and Akita

Shopping in Taiwan.

Awesome ward members! Leon and Effie! And Effie's cute brother!

Yesterday was a beautiful Sabbath Sunday. Our apartment is to the far right.

​Our lovely Zhongli train station!