Taiwan Taipei Mission

Taiwan Taipei Mission

Monday, May 25, 2015

New Companion

Family and friends!

MOM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Another quick week in Taiwan has gone by! This last week I finished my 2nd transfer in Taiwan. Crazy! I am now out of training and living it up! OH: And, I passed off PHASE ONE with my zone leaders!!! (Language study thing.) So, I am now on Phase 2 where it is 2000 random every days words. Transfer meeting was this last Friday! I am staying in TouFen and I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Cardon! She was in the MTC the same time I was so I was able to get to know her a little bit there and now we have the wonderful opportunity of being companions in the field! She has been in Taiwan for 6 months and is a huge example to me! She is amazing! I love her so much already! 

As for this week...
Last Monday, Sister Fisher and I went to Zhunan and spent the day eating Taiwan ice cream and hanging with our zone.  We were going to go to the beach but it was too windy... 

Towards the beginning of the week, our lessons with Lai Ming Jin were amazing. Tuesday night we discussed Tithing and Fasting and he was super willing to pay his tithing as soon as he found a job. Thursday night, we reviewed the baptismal interview questions with him and he was really excited to be able to have his interview to be baptized. Friday, Lai Ming Jin called wondering who my new companion was (Thursday night we told him Sister Fisher was getting transferred) and he got really nervous and wanted to meet with us on Saturday to meet her. So, Saturday, we took him to Akin's home and he had the opportunity to meet her. During our lesson with him we were just correcting any concerns he had when he said, "Sister Haacke, I need to tell you something." He proceeded to tell me that the night before, Friday night, his friend called him and asked if he would go drink beer with him and his friend would pay for it. He has been sober for 9 months and he to pushed into peer pressure and drank beer. We talked to him a lot about it and he felt really bad. He knows it is bad for his body and he doesn't even want to drink but is nervous he will lose a friend if he tells his friend no. Yesterday was the first Sunday he missed coming to church and so during lunch, we decided to call him and see why he wasn't there. He had to go to NanZhuang and his bus left during sacrament meeting but he proceeded to tell me again that Saturday night he went and drank because his faith was really really bad. He again felt really bad and guilty. He is relapsing and it is honestly the hardest thing for me. I love this man. It is so hard for me to keep inviting him to quit drinking and he agrees and then that night, he goes out and drinks. We invited him to read, pray, and call us when our faith is bad and that he needs to turn to Heavenly Father instead of drinking. This week was really sad with Lai Ming Jin. His original baptismal date was for this coming Saturday and he was so prepared until he relapsed. Because he drank Saturday night, he won't be able to get baptized this Saturday because he needs to be sober for at least a week. But, I have the faith as we continue meeting with him and helping him through his issue, he will be able to be baptized soon. 

On a more exciting, happy note...We continue to see miracles every week!
Last week, Yellisha brought up her concern about her job requiring her to work on Sunday. Sister Fisher and I were praying for a way she could find to talk to her boss and see if by chance she could come in late or not work at all on Sunday. Well, and answer came to our prayers...an answer we never thought we would get..she got fired from her job...:/ I would never wish that on anyone but when we talked to her about it, she seemed okay and she was excited that she would be able to come to church now. The job was to mostly keep her busy until she goes to school at the end of the summer. 

Friday was transfer meeting in Taipei so we got up super early to get there on time. Two missionaries got transferred out of TouFen. Sister Fisher being one and Elder Marks being the other. Elder Dixon is now training a brand new missionary straight from the MTC! His name is Elder Merrell. He is from SPRINGVILLE, Utah! He also went to Art City Elementary! But graduated High School in 2015 (a semester early). The only person I really remember from Springville was my friend Scott but he didn't know him.  I'm pretty sure he was in Kindergarten when we moved..ya? So super young. 

Friday was when the rain started and it has never really stopped. It is supposed to rain all week this week. But, we still found many miracles in the rain! Friday night, we met with Li XIanShang and he is continuing to read the Book of Mormon. We taught the 3rd lesson with him and he continues to progress each time we meet with him. His 9 or 10 year old son is now also sitting in on the lessons. He was waiting by the door for us to come. It was the cutest thing! We recommitted him to June 27th for his baptismal date due to church attendance--that will be his hardest thing. Especially because his wife is Muslim, he is really busy during the week, and Sunday is his only day he really has to spend with his family. I know the Lord will provide a way though! He always does! 

Saturday as we were knocking doors, the first door we knocked on in an area, this grandma answered the door. We told her who we were and she let us in automatically. She said, my grandson is Christian! I think he would want to talk to you! We ended up being able to have a short lesson with Chen XianShang and his grandma, Chen JM and place a Book of Mormon. Chen XianShang is half Christian and half Buddhist. His grandma (dad's side) is Buddhist so he bai-bai with them but his mom is Christian so he also goes to church with her. He is preparing to go to college, just graduated from high school, and is super willing to meet! We hope we will be able to help him come unto Christ before he leaves for College in TaiZhong. 

Church was great as always! Qiu DiXiong came to church without a wake-up call! I believe his heart is starting to soften. I think he wants to change, but he 1. doesn't know how; and 2. it will be really hard to give up smoking and drinking and he knows he needs to do that to get baptized. I think his desire is really starting to grow. Zhou JieMei (Su Jing Xuan (9 years old) grandma) and Su Jing Xuan (Less actives) also came to church today! It was really good to see them! Zhou JieMei expressed in Relief Society how she has realized she needs to become the example in her family and she wants to start coming back to church! We were able to meet shortly with Liang Man Ting after church. I am really hoping she will be able to be baptized in June! She is SO prepared but just really busy and hard to meet with. BUT, she comes to church every week! 

I love being a missionary. Despite being soaked, tracting in the pouring rain, trying to ride our bikes with yuyi on...I can really feel God's love in my life everyday. I have never been so close to the Spirit and I can honestly say I have never been so happy. I know without a doubt this Church is true. This work is true. Heavenly Father is our Loving Heavenly Father. Christ Lives. He Loves Us. Serving is honestly the best! 

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all so much! 
Sister Haacke
 Wu Mei Yu (an investigator we are working with) and I.
  
 Sister Fisher, Gan Qiu Yi (investigator) and I.
 Sister Fisher, Huang JieMei (member who is absolutely amazing and peike for us all the time) and I.

 Sister Fisher's and I last picture together right before transfer meeting!
 
Saturday night, the Elders and us went to go have a lesson at a investigators home we are both working with. It was both of our first times to his home...so it took us a while to find it. It was also pouring rain so it was really fun! But really wet! 
 
Elder Merrell, Sister Cardon, and I waiting for Elder Dixon to get instructions  outside of a 7, when we found his home!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Strengthen Your Faith

Family and Friends!!!

This week has been great! Has gone by really fast!!! 

Here's some highlights and a quick rundown of my week:

Monday: Last Monday, we went to our Mission Leaders' home with the Elders and we made huge bubbles! (See pictures) We had a great time together! 
 

 
Tuesday: Had a great District Meeting on the Spirit and using the Spirit in every aspect of missionary work. We were able to meet with Yellisha right after District Meeting and review the 10 commandments with her. She recently just got a job to save money for college and she is required to now work on Sundays so we are going to have to work through that with her. :/ We met with Lai Ming Jin and Chen DiXiong Tuesday night at Yang Jiating. They are both progressing so well. Lai Ming Jin is so smart and has totally developed a love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ it is so neat to see the changes he is making in his life. We taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ tonight. Every Tuesday night we also go to the Night Market and hand out English Class tracts and invite people to English Class. 

Wednesday:Wednesday morning, it was really neat because Lai Ming Jin called us just to tell us thank you and how grateful he is to be learning about the church. He has these other Christian friends who are trying to convince them that their church is the true church and he always tells them they don't know what they are talking about and if they just read the book of Mormon they would know..haha..it's so awesome! Wednesday during the afternoon, the Elders asked us to peike with their new investigator. As we were waiting for her, Lu Pei Ling walked by and we ran over to talk to her! It was the hugest miracle because we don't really know if she still has interest or a desire to continue learning. We had a lesson with her and talked to her about baptism. She told us her concerns--her mom doesn't like that she was following the word of Wisdom because her mom and her go out and get tea or coffee together...we were able to share with her if she has the desire and tries her best, her mom will come to an understanding. She still wants to meet and learn so hopefully we can help her create the desire to follow Jesus Christ. Wednesday night we had English Class which was fun as always..

Thursday: We met with Xu DiXiong, had WPS, MM Meeting (with our mission leader) and met with Lai Ming Jin and Chen DiXiong again. That night we taught the 10 commandments, Sabbath Day, and Chastity. I was really worried because the first time we met with Lai Ming Jin, he told us he worships his ancestors every morning and night and that if he stopped worshiping them, it would be really bad. I was praying so hard he would understand and Heavenly Father would help him understand why it is no important to baibai his ancestors. As soon as he read the first two commandments in Mosiah 12, he looked up and said that he has stopped baibai his ancestors! It was honestly the coolest miracle ever. We had planned this huge lesson and scriptures to explain how we help our ancestors by doing work in the temple and how they are waiting in the Spirit world for the gospel and are learning just like he is right now but we didn't even have to get that far! I truly know Heavenly Father is well aware of everyone--Especially Lai Ming Jin as he continues to progress towards baptism. 

Friday: We did service at Zhang JieMei recycling center. We were able to break VCR and DVD players and separate all the pieces. Friday as we were waiting at the RT Mart for some members we were going to eat dinner with, we decided to contact some people. We were able to talk to this man, Chen DX and his wife, Hong JM and teach Chen DX how to pray and who God and Jesus Christ are. It was so neat! We extended a baptismal invitation on the street and he accepted for the 20th of June. President Day has invited us to be more bold on the street and in contacting and as we have been applying his invitation into our missionary work, we are really seeing miracles take place. It is so cool! 

Saturday: Had a great lesson with Gan JieMei.  We talked about temples. She still has many questions and seems content with the church she is currently going to though.  We then went and did some contacting in the park and headed over to the train station to head to ZhuBei for stake conference. 

Sunday: Sunday morning we had stake conference again in ZhuBei. Saturday night, we stayed with the Sister in XinZhu so we wouldn't have to come all the way back to Toufen and then back the next day. Stake Conference was really good. It was based off of the topics of eternal families and the importance of missionary work. Like dad said, the signs of the times are truly being fulfilled. Now is the time we really need to be spreading the gospel to all the nations, kindred, tongues, and people. 
BEST PART OF THE WEEK: FAN ZHU SONG GOT BAPTIZED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!! (He is the one that Sister Fisher and I taught almost all the lessons to and then we found out he doesn't have two houses and only lives in Zhunan so we had to give him to the ZhuNan missionaries) SO, earlier this week, the Zhunan Elders called us and told us Fan Zhu Song was getting baptized Sunday afternoon and we had permission to attend. So, we were able to attend and see him get baptized!!! It was the best moment ever. Being able to watch him get baptized and make a covenant with God was such a special experience. The happiness that was in the room was unreal. Fan Zhu Song is going to be such an amazing member! 
 

 
Overall, this week was great. It went by really fast. This coming week is the last week of the transfer. It is crazy how fast time flies. This week during studies I continued to learn more about faith Faith doesn't come by signs but signs come by faith. I invite you all to more firmly strengthen your faith in the Savior-whether that be more sincere studies, prayers, etc. 

I love you all!! 
Love, 
Sister Haacke
 
 It was Sister Fisher's birthday this last week! She turned 20! We celebrated with some ward members!!!
 
 Me and who we call KingKong. Yes, he is HUGE!
 
 Huang JM, Sister Fisher and I at Fan Zhu Song's baptism. Huang JieMei is such an awesome member. She is a member present for us in a lot of our lessons and is such a great friend!
  

Monday, May 11, 2015

Team Jesus

My dear family! 
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!!! I LOVE YOU!!! 
It was absolutely AMAZING being able to talk to you this morning on Skype for Mother's Day! I am glad you are all doing good and staying busy at home! 

Bryan, I hope you are safe and your area didn't get hit too hard by the Typhoon...Hopefully you and the rest of the missionaries in your mission are able to Skype home when you receive internet again! 

Since I just talked to you all this morning, I'll just share some quick miracles!

This week was a great week!!! We were able to find 5 new people to begin teaching the gospel to. We believe some of them do not live in our area but team Jesus! I am so grateful for the experiences I have on a daily basis and the miracles I see everyday. 

Friday afternoon, we were qiaomen down a small road and we went and sat down with an older man. We were beginning to teach him how to pray when a lady came over to us and sat next to us and told us she was a Christian. Five minutes later there was another man that walked over and joined in our conversation. In all, we were able to share the Book of Mormon and how to pray with four people just on the street! As we were sitting there teaching, I was reminded of the time when Christ was on the earth and how people would gather to hear Him teach. We, as missionaries, representatives of Christ, are doing the exact same things He did-the only difference is that He was a perfect teacher.

Another neat experience was this week at church. We only had two investigators at Sacrament Meeting but as soon as sacrament meeting was over, a former investigator called us and said he was at the church. We had never met him before but he came and finished church with us and we were able to teach him the first lesson after church and he accepted a baptismal date! Also, about half way through Sunday School, a Young Women came into Gospel Principles and said there was a lady (Liu JieMei) outside that wanted us. We went out to meet her and she was a potential investigator from two transfers ago! She also stayed for the rest of church. We were also able to teach her the first lesson after church and she also accepted a baptismal date! Both of their dates are for June 13! It was really neat because when we were meeting with Liu JieMei, she kept saying how Heavenly Father led her to meet the missionaries and led her to attend church today. When we invited her to baptism, she said of course! If I know these things are true, of course I want to be baptized!!! It was a great ending to a great week! 

Our most progressing investigator, Lai Ming Jin, is still doing really well. This last week we were able to teach him the Plan of Salvation. He thinks its really cool we will all be resurrected. Everyone here thinks that is the coolest part of the Plan of Salvation. He now has a baptismal date. The hardest thing with him now is that he has a couple of Christian Friends and they are telling him false stuff about our church that is making him really confused. We told him he needs to pray for himself and just believe the things he thinks are true. But, he's been at church for the last three weeks! 
We were also finally able to meet with Liang Man Ting again! She is super cute and so prepared! Our only worry is her parents not allowing her to be baptized. He parents don't mind that she comes to church--so hopefully that is a good sign! 

I know Heavenly Father really listens to and answers our prayers. He has helped me so much in not only learning the language of Chinese but also getting out of my personal bubble and talking with all those I come in contact with-even when its' super awkward! I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love Taiwan. I LOVE TouFen! 

Love, 
Sister Haacke

 Another picture when we were knocking doors.
 
 Zone meeting this week.
 
Sister Fisher and I while we were qiaomen.

 A huge cow in the back of a truck.
 
 Sister Fisher and I with one of our branch members-Cheh Pin Jun-She was our member present for Lai Ming Jin.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Second Chances

FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

WOW It's been a great week! 

Family, I will be Skyping home Monday morning my time around 7:30ish....be expecting a call between 5 and 6 on Sunday night! I can't wait to talk to you all!! Sounds like you all had a busy week! Staying busy at the apartments and getting ready for summer! Alexa, Sorry you have a cold! That's no fun, Lachlan-glad you are having fun with baseball! Marissa-I cant wait to play tennis with you! I'm glad you have come to love it! Keep working hard and stay focused! :) 

Funny story--we are currently working with a less-active and helping him prepare to receive the Priesthood and he speaks really good English. When we talk with him, we use half English and half Chinese in our lessons. So this week, while I was on the phone, he was telling me how he went to get bread at a 7 and he said "Earlier today as I went to go fetch some bread at the 7....." it made me laugh and reminded me of Alexa when she was doing her homework and she asked me to 'fetch' her pencil for her...:)  

Since I just wrote home on Wednesday (due to a change preparation day last week), there's not too much to say...But, the work here in TouFen is awesome! I love this area with all of my heart. The people here are amazing. This week, after working so hard, we finally got 20 LESSONS! That is the mission golden standard and its' been our goal this transfer to make it to the golden standard--I'll get to that here in a sec. 

So, Wednesday after the temple and quickly emailing home, we took the MRT and went to Shiang Kai Shek with some other Sisters-Sister Jensen and Sister Phelps. I have a picture with me when we lived in China and visiting Shiang Kai Shek with Marissa, Bryan, and I in front of it. It was cool to be there again! We were able to watch the changing of the guards too--so neat! 

This week we were able to meet with quite a few people. Lu Pei Ling cancelled on us again this week--which is really sad...she reads the Book of Mormon and feels the Spirit but is just really nervous to get baptized and doesn't quite understand why it is important to come to church. Gan Qiu Yi is doing really good! Hong JM was our peike this week and we discussed the fundamentals of the gospel and gave her the articles of faith to study this week. Liang Man Ting hasnt been to church for 2 weeks and our only way of conversation with her is through her aunt and Facebook. Her aunt has told us she has been really busy with school and her parents are making her study. Yellisha accepted a baptismal date this week for June 6th! She is very confused about the Priesthood though because she got baptized in Indonesia a couple years ago. 

This week, we also had a great lesson with Lai Ming Jin, he read 1 Nephi 1 and told us all about it. He keeps telling us he is not very smart because when he was young-starting at age 17, he would drink all the time and that made him not so smart so we have to keep reminding him he is smart. We talked to him this week about Joseph Smith. He doesn't quite know if he believes it is true--BUT he came to church again this week and brought his friend again like he did last week!!! He loves church!!! Sunday night, Yang JiaTing also invited him and his friend over for dinner with us missionaries and their family and he asked Yang DiXiong so many good questions. What is so neat (I think I said this last week...I can't remember) is that Lai Ming Jin and Yang DiXiong used to be really good friends but then they lost communication. Then through attending church, they were able to see each other again. Yang DiXiong has been great fellowship for him. 
I really am so grateful that life is full of second chances. Heavenly Father is telling me I just need to give people more than one chance to hear about the gospel--good thing I'm learning that now right? I think back though with my first lesson with him when I was on exchanged with Sister Smith and then now and he really is prepared. It might take him a while to overcome his bai-bai, worshiping his ancestors, habit but it will come slowly but surely. 

QIU DiXiong also came to church this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saturday night, we decided to call him and invite him again. Sister Fisher told me to use my 'magic fingers' to call him. Whenever she calls him, he either doesn't answer or says that he can't meet but for some reason when I call him he answers and normally can meet haha...We we called him we invited him to church and he said OK I'll be there! But call me at 8:30 and wake me up. IT WAS SO NEAT to see him there! He was 30 minutes late due to a phone call but I really hope he learned something. When I was also talking to him, he told me he feels like he has no purpose in life. I told him we can help him find  a purpose. We met with him Sunday night and started to discuss the Plan of Salvation. He believes in reincarnation and that life doesn't really matter that you are just supposed to bear through it and hope for a better 2nd, 3rd 4th and so on lives....I really hope his heart can be softened to understand the love Heavenly Father truly has for him. 

We also we able to meet with Li XianShang on Saturday night. We talked to him about the first half of the plan of salvation as well. He is Buddhist but knows a lot about Christianity. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and asks really good questions. For most of our lesson with him, we were discussing why God commanded Nephi to kill Laban. 

Saturday night, as we were doing DPS, we figured we needed just 4 more lessons to reach 20 lessons this week (Lesson is with a less-active, investigator, or someone on the street, has to have 2 prayers and a doctrine from Preach My Gospel has to be taught) I wanted badly to get 4 lessons on Sunday. Knowing it was possible, we scheduled as best we could. After church, all of our plans basically went down the drain but we were still determined to get the lessons we needed. We called Xu DiXiong since we weren't able to meet with him during the week (The one who we are helping get the priesthood) and Qiu DX and we had some plans to stop by some less actives and investigators homes. It was all looking good until Qiu DX called us and said he couldn't meet anymore....After dinner, we needed just one more and what is crazy, is literally as we were leaving Yang JiaTing home, Qiu DX called us and asked if he could meet with us right then. We quickly found a Sister to help us peike and we met with him. 
Miracles happen so often on the mission. Yesterday was a more obvious miracle but everyday, Heavenly Father puts miracles in each and everyone of out paths to keep us going and tell us that He loves us and is aware of us. I know He loves each and everyone of us no matter who we are, where we are from, or the mistakes we have made in our past. 

I love missionary work. It is so great. I know this church is true! I am so grateful I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. and now, I have the privileged to be able to bring others to the knowledge of our Savior. 

Love you all!! Have a great week!!! 

Love, 
Sister Haacke 

"Therefore, be ye strong...; fear not, for the kingdom is yours." D&C 38:15
 ShiangKaiShek:


 
 I also realized I never sent pictures of lions head mountain... (above and below)


 
Yang JiaTing, Lai Ming Jin, and his friend Chen XianShang