I Promise We Aren't Robots

Apparently last night, a potential investigator called our phone 7 times in the middle of the night. I only remember getting up once and that was because my companion was complaining. Then I fell back asleep. When the alarm went off this morning, Sis. Guo told me what happened and she looked SO TIRED. I don't think she had a very good sleep last night. I just laughed so hard and I'm still laughing because I slept through it all.

Last last week, we had a special experience. We went door knocking and found this one guy. When we told him we were missionaries he just started acting so weird. When we prayed with him, he turned his back on us as we said the prayer. When we invited him to pray, we told him we could turn our backs too so that he didn't have to feel so weird. After about 10 seconds the door slams right behind us. It was the weirdest thing. Then after going back on the street, we find the Book of Mormon on the ground. We realized that he had tossed it from the balcony of the 5th floor. The amazing this was that it was still in good condition! No dents or anything. I love my companion so much! We were able to laugh about it (not the fact that he threw the Book of Mormon) but the fact that it had 'floated' down the middle of the street! We were able to give that same Book of Mormon away to a father and his son later that day.

I wish you all could meet my companion! We are so alike in so many ways and she is just soo funny! We spend half our time laughing. The other day, I was holding on to the rail in the MRT and she goes, "Woah, you are so strong. I'm sure if any man messes with us, you can protect us." She saw my biceps (my non-existent biceps) and we just start laughing.

Elder L. Tom Perry has said: “The gospel is centered on the Atonement of our Lord and Savior. The Atonement provides the power to wash away sins, to heal, and to grant eternal life. All the imponderable blessings of the Atonement can be given only to those who live the principles and receive the ordinances of the gospel—faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Our great missionary message to the world is that all mankind is invited to be rescued and to enter the fold of the Good Shepherd, even Jesus Christ.”

Elder Perry adds the following: “Our missionary message is strengthened by the knowledge of the Restoration. We know that God speaks to His prophets today, just as He did anciently. We also know that His gospel is administered with the power and authority of the restored priesthood. No other message has such great eternal significance to everyone living on the earth today. All of us need to teach this message to others with power and conviction. It is the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost that testifies through us of the miracle of the Restoration, but first we must open our mouths and testify. We must warn our neighbors.”

We are not robots. The Lord has called each of us out here to preach His gospel. He needs our individual testimonies. He needs our individual minds and our spirit. He needs us to preach through the Holy Ghost.

We had dinner with the 江 family (Jiang). Bro. 江 is the new second counselor in the Bishopric. He was sustained at church yesterday.Their daughter is on a mission in 台中(Taizhong the other mission in Taiwan) and the son in the picture is preparing to serve in that mission this August.

This is Niki. I went on splits with her yesterday and we went contacting together. Her english is really good and it's so funny because we tell each other that we exchanged ethnicities. She said she's the Filipino and I'm the Taiwanese. Haha.

Sis. Aldous and I went on exchanges. My first passion fruit drink of the season! She is such a diligent missionary!

My companion and I :)

Sis. Van Tonder was my first exchange!!! It was the first time since the MTC where I've talked to her for more than 5 minutes! Haha.

​I love Beitou!!!!

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Sagisi

夏姐妹

Back in the 北

I'm back in Taibei! It's so crazy! I've been in the 桃园 (Taoyuan) zone since birth (except for those 3 weeks that I was in Taibei). Then after those 3 weeks in Taibei, I moved to Pingzhen and Zhongli and stayed there for 7 months (5 transfers). At first I was so sad to leave the area. I cried as I wrote in my journal after getting the call that I was moving. It's not something that you can prepare for. I started telling the people there that there might be a possibility of me moving but I wasn't sure. And even after that, when I was finally told I was moving, I just cried. My family is there. I love the people there soo much. I guess it was just a taste of what it would be like leaving Taiwan. Then I woke up the next day and I just had a comforting feeling that everything was going to be ok. The future is bright.

At transfer meeting, we got our areas and our new companions and guess who my companion is!!! Her name is 郭姐妹(Sister Guo) and she is a 本地人 (native). We are serving in 北投, which is where my mother, Sister Koch died (it's where she ended her mission before she went home)! We are the Sister Training Leaders over 2 zones, the Taibei East and Taibei South zones. We are assigned to 8 sister companionships. And my daughter, Sister Akita, and granddaughter, Sister Komatsu, and MTC buddy, Sister Van Tonder are!!!! Maybe I messed up training Sister Akita so the Lord wanted

me to come to where she is and make amends... haha. 

I'm nervous but I'm excited. Sister Guo is an amazing companion! Chinese 24/7 is the best!!!

I know this work is true because it's HIS WORK. At Stake Conference yesterday for the Taibei East Zone, the Stake Primary Choir sang. It was a choir of angels. They sang "I know that My Savior Loves Me" and it was a humbling reminder of the love Christ has for each of us. It brought tears to my eyes as they sang of truth.

Love,

Sister Sagisi

夏姐妹

If you saw these two sisters standing outside your door, how can you reject that? We bring you gifts. The gospel of Jesus Christ!

The BEST District and the BEST English party!

I just HAD to. Represent!!!! ;)

​Shi Family. LOVE THEM! Yes, that's a picture of Kailua Beach. It may be Lanikai. I'm not too sure anymore.

Open Your Mouth

It has been a really short week. Haha. I feel like I just emailed! I think it's because this week just went by so quickly after the temple.

There has been many miracles here in Pingzhen. I know that the Lord just puts people in our path and that as we open our mouths to talk with everyone, we take part in declaring His gospel. We have seen miracles from opening our mouths. Why is opening our mouths so powerful? To me, I think it's because it allows others to know who we are and that there is power in word. That is something that I've been learning lately. There truly is power in word and as authorized servants of God, we must open our mouths. I've been reading in the book of "Acts" of the Apostles through the Holy Spirit, I'v been learning so much from ancient missionaries such as Paul and Steven. It's the Spirit that does the work but we really have to open our mouths.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! Transfers are this week! I'm not too sure what will happen but I'm ready for anything. :) It's all for the Lord.

Love,

Sister Sagisi

We got qing'd to an all you can eat steakhouse with Fan DX because Elder Whitlock is going back to America this week! Fan DX was also the one who bought me a cake for my birthday!

This is Lily, the social worker at the Nursing Home we do service at. She is so awesome and loves the elderly she works with. I know that she loves her job and loves all those she takes care of.

My first mango smoothie of the season!!!

We went to throw pottery today! Yes, that's Sister Bowman!!! We went to go hang out with her and her companion, Sis. Xiao today.

Sis. Xiao and I throwing our stuff.

Sisters!!! Sister Xiao, Sis. Bowman, Sis. Ioane, Sis. Sorenson, Sis. Parkin, and I at Yingge!

My dear companion, Sis. Ioane and I. :)

Sis. Huang and her parents, Xu Baba and Xu mama took us to go eat pasta today for Pday. They were also the ones who allowed us to Skype at their house. :)

I remember when I first got to Pingzhen and met this amazing family! Li Peng family. Love them all!

​Yesterday, You DX invited us over to his house to have dinner. They were the ones who invited us over to Skype for Christmas. :) He is also our ward mission leader and is an amazing example to us all.

A Week of Pictures!

Due to time, this will be more of a week of pictures. I hope you don't mind that ;)

For Pday today we went to Taibei zoo after attending the temple. What an amazing experience being able to go to the temple and then to the zoo and see all the amazing creations the Lord has blessed us with.

This is not ice cream. This is poop art. 

Noah's ark!

The sisters in the Zhongli district! Me, Sis. Ioane, Sis. Sorenson, and Sis. Parkin!

Zhongli district! :) +Elders Ploeg, Ribar, Whitlock, and Robinson.

Welcome to Taibei! I love their transit system.

I saw Sister Van Tonder today! SO HAPPY!

My companion, Sis. Ioane and I at the temple today.

Skyping with my family!!!! Love them sooo much!!! <3333

Happy Mother's Day! Love Sister Howell and I.

​It was a rainy day in Taoyuan. Perfect time for umbrellas :)

I love Taiwan. I love my mission! I love the Lord's Work of Salvation of Souls! I love being His missionary!

Love,

Sister Sagisi

"Forever Cheering Us On"

Thank you Mom!

Happy (soon to be) Mother's Day everyone! I am so excited to Skype with the family next week Monday. It'll be this Skype session and after that I get to see them in person. Oh, how time flies. I still remember Skyping on Christmas. Also, next week we'll be going to the Taibei temple, meaning I will be emailing on Wednesday. I can't wait to go to the temple and receive peace, strength, and revelation.

So I forgot to mention a miracle from the week before. It's a miracle about FOLLOWING UP! :) Well we got to a park, as we had planned, and it seemed like everyone that we attempted to talk to either turned and walked the other direction or just ignored us. Then Sis. Ioane spots an old couple sitting at some tables. So we go and talk to them and introduce ourselves. We state who we are and our purpose. They invited us to sit down and share more. We found out that the husband was visiting his wife in the hospital and because the park is nearby to the hospital, many inpatients go there to take walks.

We had a lesson with them about the Atonement and the Book of Mormon. We invited them to learn more and they told us about their religious background and how busy they were. They also lived really far away in Guanyin near the ocean. Nonetheless, we were able to get their phone number and invited them to read the Book of Mormon. We sent the referral that night through the phone system. Turns out the referral went to the Zhongli sisters in our apartment. She called them and found out that the wife left the hospital two days later. I quote, "I read the book that Xia JM gave me and two days later I got better and left the hospital. I also read it with my friend and she ended up getting better too and left. So I decided to leave the book at the hospital so others can read it too and get better!" I ended up following up with her myself and she told me the exact same thing with so much excitement in her voice! I invited her to have missionaries visit her and give her a new copy so she can have one for herself and she accepted! Well now she knows the literal POWER in the Book of Mormon.

Have a wonderful week everyone! I know I will. :) I sure do love this work.

Love,

Sister Sagisi

This is how we English Board. This is my fourth transfer being English Unit Leader now. We had 71 students in attendance last week! Yay! I think it's mainly due to this...Haha. Thank you Elder Ploeg and Elder Robinson.

For Meihua...Shark Bites Toast on a p-Day.

​Sister Sorenson and Sister Parkin are so cute!

​Cut my hair for the first time since the MTC. Yee!