Happy Christmas Eve- December 24, 2012

shengdan kuaile! merry christmas!

oh my sweet buttery family. these past few weeks have been totally crazy but totally wonderful and also really hard but i'm so happy!!!!!!!!!! missions are totally wild, i tells ya. ok so let's first start with a bit of dramatic news....last week i found out that my release date has been changed. because of the huge flood of missionaries that is going to be exploding across the globe the timing got kind of messed up so now instead of coming home on november 19, 2013 i will be coming home december 10, 2013. when i first found out i kind of freaked out and panicked just because since the beginning i had november 19th engraved in my mind. i was only going to miss one thanksgiving and so on and so forth. basically it was embarrassing because i was totally selfish and being all like "3 extra weｅｋｓ？？？ ｎｏWAYＭＡＮ！！！！！！！！！！ ｏｋ ｔｈｉｓ ｃｏｍｐｕｔｅｒ ｉｓ ｆｒｅａｋｉｎｇ ｏｕｔ。 ｎｏｗ ｉ ｇｕｅｓｓ ｗｅ’ｒｅ ｕｓｉｎｇ ｔｈｉｓ ｆｏｎｔ。 ｒｏｌｌ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｅ。 ｓｏ ａｎｙｗａｙ ｉ ｗａｓ ｋｉｎｄ ｏｆ ｆｒｅａｋｉｎｇ ｏｕｔ ａｎｄ ｊｕｓｔ ｂｅｉｎｇ ａ ｈｏｒｒｉｂｌｅ ｓｅｌｆｉｓｈ ｗｒｅｔｃｈ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅｎ ｉ ｗａｓ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｍａｄ ａｔ ｍｙｓｅｌｆ ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ ｉ ｒｅａｌｉｚｅｄ ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ ａ ｗｏｎｄｅｒｆｕｌ ｏｐｐｏｒｔｕｎｉｔｙ ｆｏｒ ｍｅ ａｎｄ ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｂｅｅｎ ｓｏ ｈａｐｐｙ ｏｎ ｍｙ ｍｉｓｓｉｏｎ ｅｖｅｎ ｔｈｏｕｇｈ ｉｔ ｈａｓ ｂｅｅｎ ｓｏ ｓｏ ｈａｒｄ。 ｉ ｗａｓ ｈａｖｉｎｇ ａ ｈｕｇｅ ｗａｒ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｙｓｅｌｆ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅｎ ｔｈｅ ｎｅｘｔ ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ ｉｎ ｐｅｒｓｏｎａｌ ｓｔｕｄｙ ｉ ｆｌｉｐｐｅｄ ｏｐｅｎ ｔｏ ２ ｃｏｒｉｎｔｈｉａｎｓ ４ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｅｎｔｉｒｅ ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｂｌｅｗ ｍｅ ａｗａｙ ａｎｄ ｉ ｆｅｌｔ ｌｉｋｅ ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ ｆｏｒ ｍｅ ａｎｄ ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ ｉ ｗａｓ ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ。 ｔｈｅｒｅ ｉｓ ａ ｖｅｒｙ ｓｐｅｃｉａｌ ｐｏｗｅｒ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｎｅｗ ｔｅｓｔａｍｅｎｔ。 ｉｔ ｍａｋｅｓ ｍｅ ｗａｎｔ ｔｏ ｂｅ ｖｉｃｔｏｒｉｏｕｓ ａｎｄ ｍａｋｅｓ ｍｅ ｆｅｅｌ ｌｉｋｅ ａ ｗａｒｒｉｏｒ。。。。ｌｉｋｅ ｉ ａｍ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｂａｔｔｌｅｆｒｏｎｔ ｏｆ ａｒａｇｏｒｎ’ｓ ａｒｍｙ ｆａｃｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｇａｔｅｓ ｏｆ ｍｏｒｄｏｒ。 ｉｔ ｍａｋｅｓ ｍｙ ｓｐｉｒｉｔ ｆｅｅｌ ａｌｉｖｅ！！！ ｐｌｅａｓｅ ｇｏ ｒｅａｄ ｉｔ ｗｈｅｎ ｙｏｕ ｈａｖｅ ａ ｃｈａｎｃｅ。 ｉ ｄｉｄｎ’ｔ ｂｒｉｎｇ ｍｙ ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ ｓｃｒｉｐｔｕｒｅｓ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｅ ｔｏｄａｙ ｓｏ ｉ ｃａｎ’ｔ ｐｕｔ
ａｎｙ ｑｕｏｔｅｓ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｅｍａｉｌ。 ｉ ａｌｓｏ ｒｅａｄ ｉｎ ｍｏｓｉａｈ ５ ａｎｄ ７ａｎｄ ｔｈｅｙ ｃｏｎｎｅｃｔｅｄ ｓｏ ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌｌｙ ｔｏ ２ ｃｏｒｉｎｔｈｉａｎｓ！！！

 ｍｏｓｉａｈ ５：１３ ＂ｆｏｒ ｈｏｗ ｋｎｏｗｅｔｈ ａ ｍａｎ ｔｈｅ ｍａｓｔｅｒ ｗｈｏｍ ｈｅ ｈａｓ ｎｏｔ ｓｅｒｖｅｄ， ａｎｄ ｗｈｏ ｉｓ ａ ｓｔｒａｎｇｅｒ ｕｎｔｏ ｈｉｍ， ａｎｄ ｉｓ ｆａｒ ｆｒｏｍ ｔｈｅ ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ ａｎｄ ｉｎｔｅｎｔｓ ｏｆ ｈｉｓ ｈｅａｒｔ？＂ ｍｏｓｉａｈ ５：１５ ＂ｙｅ ｓｈｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ｓｔｅａｄｆａｓｔ ａｎｄ ｉｍｍｏｖａｂｌｅ， ａｌｗａｙｓ ａｂｏｕｎｄｉｎｇ ｉｎ ｇｏｏｄ ｗｏｒｋｓ， ｔｈａｔ Ｃｈｒｉｓｔ ［。。。］ ｍａｙ ｓｅａｌ ｙｏｕ ｈｉｓ。＂

 ｉｓｎ’ｔ ｔｈａｔ ｍａｇｎｉｆｉｃｅｎｔ？？？ ｔｈｅｓｅ ｓｃｒｉｐｔｕｒｅｓ ｓｔｒｕｃｋ ｍｅ ｌｉｋｅ ＬＩＧＨＴＮＩＮＧ ａｎｄ ｍｙ ｗｈｏｌｅ ｂｏｄｙ ｆｅｌｔ ｌｉｋｅ ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｏｎ ｆｉｒｅ ａｎｄ ｉ ｊｕｓｔ ｋｎｅｗ ｔｈａｔ ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｗａｙ ｉｔｓ ｍｅａｎｔ ｔｏ ｂｅ。 ｉ’ｍ ｓｏ ｇｒａｔｅｆｕｌ ａｎｄ ｉ’ｍ ｊｕｓｔ ｇｏｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｔｒｕｓｔ Ｇｏｄ ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ ｉ ｔｈｉｎｋ ｉｔ’ｓ ｐｒｅｔｔｙ ｃｌｅａｒ ｔｏ ａｌｌ ｏｆ ｕｓ ｎｏｗ ｔｈａｔ ｉ ｐｒｏｂａｂｌｙ ｃｏｕｌｄ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｕｓｅ ｔｈｅ ｅｘｔｒａ ｔｉｍｅ。。。。ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｌｏｔｓ ｏｆ ｇｒｏｗｉｎｇ ｕｐ ｔｏ ｄｏ。
 ｍｏｓｉａｈ ７：１８－１９， ２３， ３３ ＂ｍｙ ｐｅｏｐｌｅ， ｌｉｆｔ ｕｐ ｙｏｕｒheads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies...yet i trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made." "therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God..." "and now, is not this grievous to be borne? and is not this, our affliction, great? now behold, how great reason we have to mourn." "but if ye will turn to the lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you" i know i'm just being very dramatic but i think i've just been full of emotions lately because it's weird to be here and not home but everyone has been so good to me. these past couple weeks have been full of tons of little interactions that have meant so much to me as it's been easier for me to miss home.

 yesterday our district went caroling with some people in our ward. my companion and i were totally car sick because we aren't used to driving anymore and taiwanese people are totally crazy
drivers. one of the little old ladies we went and sang to burst into tears after our first song. it was so great because about half the people were totally off pitch and one guy who was with us is intellectually disabled and he was singing louder than everyone and trying to make us all laugh but she just said "thank you...thank you all so much. i'm so lonely here. i've never had this many people come to visit me before." it was such a happy little moment.

after church we had like a big lunch party and everyone was eating bread and noodles and then i sat at the piano learning the alto part to some christmas songs with sister guo, a darling little lady from indonesia. then we sat on the floor and just talked about god and her conversion story. she is so beautiful. tonight we are going to sister li's house for dinner. she is extremely good to us and helps us with lessons all the time and she is going to help us skype home this week and made arrangements with her friend who has skype. i always feel so happy when i am with her because i just feel like even when i don't understand everything she says that we are such great friends. she is a very warm and loving person. i'm excited for you all to meet her this week. her testimony is very powerful and she has helped so many of the people we've been teaching lately even though she has a lot of her own trials.

 well i'm pretty much at a total loss for words. i have been filled with the spirit this week in a very healing and peaceful way. i have felt the love of god so many times through the people i am so blessed to work with and know. i've never had a christmas quite like this....and i probably never will again. it is strange for me to be in a completely separate world from all of you but i feel tightly bound to each of you in a very deep and meaningful way. it is one of my sincerest desires that the things i do here will influence our family for good and will bring greater joy and happiness into our lives and our relationships with each other. thank you for being the people that you are and for supporting me and loving me even though i make so many stupid mistakes and i am slow to change and slow to learn...your love is uplifting and strengthening to me. your lives have shaped mine permanently. i could not have been more richly and tremendously blessed....you all mean so much to me.

i know that christ really came to this earth and because he lives i live. because he lives i have hope and joy in the present and in the future. because he lives i came to taiwan and am learning chinese and am trying to be a more valiant publisher of peace and goodness. he loves us. he truly loves us and he loves us perfectly. it doesn't matter who we are or how many times we mess up or seem to live short of the expectations set for us by others or ourselves. in christ we can do all things. we can change and see miracles and lift up the hopeless hands and give strength to the feeble knees (even when it is ourselves who have lost all hope). his arms are ever stretched out. he will never leave us. "WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST?" nothing can except if it is we who choose to turn away. but even when we do we can choose at any time and in any place or condition to turn back to him. i know this is true. i feel it every day that it is true for myself, for the people i teach, for the strangers i talk to on the street. his love is for every single person.
 i love you all so much. merry merry christmas :)
sister coco

CHRISTMASSY GREETING FROM TAIWAN- December 17, 2012

dajia hao!


well once again i find myself at the end of p-day with about 30 minutes to write to you and to my mission president! yaaaaaaaay! today was really crazy cause a bunch of missionaries were going home so we went to see them at the mission office and then just partied it up downtown shopping at the market and running around like chickens with our heads cut off! did i ever tell you about all the dead poultry i see around here? it's kind of horrible because there are stands with turkeys and chickens and stuff...all plucked and ready to go just lying on their backs and their little legs stick straight up into the air! this and so much more are the decorations that create the precious and unique atmosphere of this island that is too big to fit inside my heart but at the same time is becoming my whole heart. that doesn't really make sense but i just have to try to explain it as best i can....i love this island. i love these people. they are my whole world and thinking about a life beyond this is terrifying and very unsettling so it was very surreal to see all these missionaries leaving especially my trainer!! oh man. thank GOODNESS i still have like 11+months to soak it all up.


this week was a little bit hectic. my companion and i both got sick....i was throwing up all night on tuesday and then my mission president saw me at the chapel the next day and told me to go home. i'm trying to be a really obedient missionary so i did what he said and we passed out for about 4 hours. it was glorious. some elders in my district gave me a totally sweet blessing that made me cry (they always do) because they talked about how heavenly father is so grateful for and mindful of my service and sacrifices i am making on behalf of his son and i just needed to hear that.....sometimes i feel like missionary work is way too big for me. i try so hard to do good and to be good and to change and help others that most the time i feel like i am barely scratching the surface, barely making a dent or a difference. but then i read mosiah 2 this week and i was flooded with the spirit. i also realized that even if i am just doing a lot of little things, i am doing good things and ultimately being a constant source for good my entire life will have a tremendously more positive impact than if i was being a bad person. right? right.

 so anyway back to mosiah.....i was totally undone by verses 20-22, 25, and 41. i love in verse 21 that it says "I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants." but not to worry because in verse 22: "and behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper." and later it talks about how when we obey we are immediately blessed. these words were very comforting to me as this year of 2012 draws to a close and i have been reflecting on my service as a missionary. there are still times...lots of times in the day when i am blown away by the fact that i am here right now....doing what i never thought i could do and struggling so hard in the spirit just like enos as i try to be more than i ever dreamed i could be. it's so beautiful. i never want it to end!!!!


this morning i read a talk by president monson from the last general conference....it was in german so i don't remember what the english title is but it was pretty much all about how if we are willing to act immediately, god will trust us to use us to help other people and make their
lives better. god is so mindful of all the details of our lives and he loves us so much and wants to bless us. i have decided that i want to be that person that god trusts and who is naturally service minded. it's gonna be a long road but i'm workin hard to get there yessirree!!! oh man. i never know how to adequately express all the things i'm feeling. let's move on.


sister t. and i had the really cool opportunity this week to participate in the "dan jones" activity with all the new missionaries. when we first get on island we go to a night market, stand on wooden stools with a book of mormon in hand and hold it up in the air as we shout our testimonies out to the masses in CHINESE!!!!! and then we partner up with an experienced missionary and go contacting for like an hour. it was so bizarre to think that in august that is what i was doing and i had no idea what i was doing or which way was up. i got to be like the host missionary for a taiwanese sister. it was a really beautiful experience just me and sister jiang hittin the streets and talking to everyone. i felt like the chinese was flowing off my tongue, i was bold and confident and even a bit brassy at times! i felt so good.....like i was doing missionary work and being me and using the talents and characteristics god gave me to spread this message and i just loved that feeling. i crave it. no one was super interested but we had some really cool interactions.


NOOOOOOOOOOO i am so out of time. i promise next week i will share some cool stories and write back to james and cajin. i love you all sooo so much. have a very merry christmas and remember the reason for the season :) just think of how different the world is because of jesus christ. there;'s a quote i love from sister elaine s. dalton she said "if you want to make a difference in the world you have to be different from the world." it's so true. being different is hard sometimes but we already know how the story ends and god has promised us so much more than we could ever fathom. god loved us so he sent his son. oh remember remember him. his arms are stretched out still. i know it is true because they are the only things holding me up...they are the reason i am here.

i love you.
sister coco

A Few Things-December 10th, 2012

dajia wan an! well i have about 36 minutes to write this email so let's see what we can do! we're a bit pressed for time today cause we went to beiqu (the north district) to get our hair done and my comp got her hair permed and who knew those things took 6 hours?? not us! hahaha she looks adorable though. i got tons of layers i will send a pic next week cause i don't have time to work with this slow computer. the good news is i wrote a lot of letters while we were at the salon. and then afterward treated myself to some fancy taro bread from the bakery (this week has been a pretty crummy one for the diet...crummy because i ate a lot of chocolate and bread and pretty much everything i knew i shouldn't. changing is hard. but i'm not giving up yet!!!!)

there are just a few little things i wanted to share with you sweet dearies.....

on friday our little 11-year-old friend sister chen [not her real name, you know i never use real names, right?] got baptized! it was a little bit zaogao (embarrassing, "oops", etc) because well we're just a couple of kids trying to put together a baptism. probably the worst thing that happened was we spelled her name wrong on the program which was actually hugely upsetting because it took us forever to put the thing together (we typed it in chinese characters and then had to go to a 7-11 and figure out the obnoxiously complex copy machine....it was quite the ordeal) but we spelled her name according to the way it was written on the ward list so it really wasn't our fault and her mom was super nice about it but we just felt like idiots.


THEN we did like a musical number which was us missionaries singing the "I like to look for rainbows" song in chinese and i played the ukulele (we found it in the coat room a few weeks ago) but right before the performance it got way out of tune and we messed up the fancy way we had arranged to sing....i felt bad. but then i think the beautiful parts of the baptism far outweighed my foolish errors. i introduced sister chen which i had not really planned on doing but then got all emotional and just told everyone what a special child she is and although she is so young she has such a strong testimony and understanding and a very special light about her. sister t. said that sister chen was bashfully smiling the whole way through and seemed to really like it so i'm grateful for that. and then her testimony was AMAZING. she talked about how she knew the gospel of christ was true and that it can change our lives....i loved it. most of the people who came to her baptism don't really know her that well and she didn't know them...and in fact there were probably more missionaries there than members ofthe ward but somehow it was just so special that they were there supporting her anyway. one of the ladies who spoke at the baptism is this darling sister from indonesia. she has the cutest accent when she speaks chinese. i just...i don't know. it was not very fluid at all and a lot of things did NOT go according to plan but sister chen got baptized and everyone really tried their best to make it a great experience and that is why it was so beautiful to me.

 here's your laugh for the week......a while ago the ward announced this potluck activity for this last saturday and so we got really excited and invited tons of people to come. i called to invite one of our recent converts and she was like "oh no my brother said they changed the time." except oh no we already invited like 4 investigators and a bunch of less active members and several of them confirmed! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! so we had like 2 hours to throw this activity together. we called some of the elders in our district in a total panic and begged them to get some investigators to come. then we grabbed almost all the food in our fridge and flew out the door to hurry and buy some things from a bakery and some rice. when we were at the rice place i asked sister t. "do you think we should bring chopsticks?" so she grabbed a massive handful and we were laughing uncontrollably and the people who sold us the rice thought we were insane (and really we kind of were) but i gave them some cookies (thankfully earlier that week one of our investigators gave us a box of cookies she got from a wedding she went to. like a HUGE box of cookies).


Sister T. and I sped over to the church to put everything together. she was chopping up fruit and bread and i was making soup and fried eggs when suddenly the fire alarm started going off and we were about to start tearing our hair out. NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME FOR A FIRE!!!!!!! it wasn't because of us and actually it turned out to just be a drill for the third floor to make sure it was working. well, it works in case anyone is wondering. so after a series of very stressful and ghetto efforts, we ended up throwing a small and perfectly awkward dinner party! 2 of our investigators came, one whom we had never met but i sat with her after and she's totally amazing. i talked to her a little about why she is looking around different christian churches and then i gave her a book of mormon and she was totally overwhelmed. she was like "you want to give me this??" and seemed really excited to have something to read to help her on her search. i love moments like that. finding these honest seekers of truth...sometimes they actually progress really slowly (we aren't meeting with this girl again until december 23rd) but it's a beautiful thing to be in the right place at the right time and to help people on their spiritual journey.

 ok ONE MORE WONDERFUL THING: last week we were visiting with sister jiang who has heard the first and second lesson but hasn't really been reading or praying but she is so cool and really does want to find answers and find the right
church so we said, "what can we do to help you start reading and praying every day?" and she was kind of embarrassed but finally asked "could you come over and read with me?" ummmm....yes. YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so we have started going over 4 times a week to read the book of mormon with her. you should have heard her prayer after we read 1 nephi 1....she said "Heavenly Father we just read this story about Lehi and his son....I really like the way i felt when i read it, and i hope that i can know it is true." it was so INCREDIBLE my soul was on fire! she was a little less excited about chapter 2 because it kind of scared her.....i don't know what we'll do when nephi kills laban but i'm not really worried. i was ordained to "preach [the] gospel by the spirit, even the comforter, which was sent forth to teach the truth" (D&C 50:13-14) so if we stay worthy to wield that power i know the spirit can teach her and help her to understand.

i love you all so so so so so so much.
wo feichang, chao, yongyongyuanyuan,
 hen ai nimen.
sister coco

MTC Flashback Photos

I love my life!- December 2, 2012

gewei de jiaren he pengyou ZAAAAAAOOOOOO AAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!! (and now you all just say, zaaaaao, in response :D)
 first i need to apologize for the email last week.....i know it was awful. i was dead tired when i wrote it and i felt really bad about it after. first you thought i didn't write you at all, and then you got a surprise email that was totally lame. i'm making up for it this week though. i have some really great stories for you :) PLUSSSSS>.........the first half of my top 10 for my 3rd transfer on island! (yeah, YEAH!!!) ok this first small set of stories can probably collectively be entitled something along the lines of.....hmmmm...i dunno...."a host of wild animal attacks"? "sister mack suffers psychological damage from encounters with some of the most wretched creatures in existence, and other stories"? i'd think of more but i'm feeling lazy so just take your pick and get ready for some hilarity/gut wrenching stories!!!

* a couple of weeks ago sister t. and i decided to take a little road neither of us had been down to get back from an appointment. it was right along the river, so we knew it would lead to the bridge we needed to cross to get home. the sun had already started to go down but the night was warmer than it has been lately. as we went further down the road, we started to see some bats flying around about 15 feet above us. we made some dumb jokes about bat sonar (what is that thing called that they have?? i can't remember anything about bats now except the song i learned in 2nd grade: "oh did you know did you know did you know that bats are mammals? they don't lay eggs they don't lay eggs and they have fur and they have fur!"). we made a few high pitched squeaking noises to try to communicate with them, which to our horror seemed to work, because the further down the road we went, the more bats were starting to flutter madly above us. then they started darting around right by our heads so that we both started screaming and pedaling as fast as we could. sister t. kept using her sonar thing, which seemed tomake them angrier, so i was yelling at her to stop. it was really funny but also scary cause they were going crazy. a couple rode past us on their scooter, and then when we got through the flock and storm, we were all at the same stoplight. sister tanner and i were panting and laughing ,and she just looked at the couple and said "there were a lot of bats back there..." and they ignored us and ran the red light. ok maybe i didn't do a very good job explaining this but just imagine if you were there! what if one had flown into my face and i had to go get a rabies shot??!?! we were both hunching down as low as we could on our bikes so we wouldn't get hit!

* sister t. and i had a goal this week to go running every morning for 30 minutes, and we pretty much failed epically, mostly because it rained a lot this week (the taiwanese have told us not to go out in the rain for a long time with your head uncovered cause it'll make your hair fall out. apparently the rain is somewhat acidic in nature because of all the pollution). BUT on thursday we finally were able to go. i was sitting on the floor putting my shoes on when i saw a big, dark thing darting around under our shoes by the front door. i squealed and leaped up on my feet. it was an ENORMOUS cockroach, the biggest i've ever seen. now we couldn't leave without taking care of the problem, because he'd just go hide and then crawl on us when we slept or something else horrible, so sister t. grabbed a huge can of RAID and let him have a face full. i was swinging one of my shoes around wildly trying to smash him, but i was so afraid that it made my naturally horrible hand-eye coordination skills even WORSE. he made a run for it under the couch, which i swung out of place in one swift motion, allowing my companion to strike him with my tennis shoe. her hand was steady (cause she's an amazing rugby player), and the hit was deadly. then we went for a run. but when we came home we found another surprise waiting in our kitchen. an even bigger cockroach was sluggishly moving toward the door. we think the raid in the air from our first battle that morning lulled him out of hiding and weakened his senses. he was so heinous and ugly, i wanted to start crying. i was terrified, but we were laughing the whole time because we were both too scared to move. this time i moved in with the raid, which seemed to give him a strange burst of energy. he started to charge, and we were both screaming. thankfully sister t. is a fast thinker, and she moved in with the broom, managed to get our back door open, and swept him out. a few of our neighbors were standing outside staring at us. we just laughed and pointed at the beast, and all we could manage to say was"it's so BIG!!!" they all just walked away. so basically wild animals have just made us look like total idiots in front of a bunch of taiwanese people.

* the third and final attack happened one night when we were totally lost while trying to find this family who lived in a really twisty neighborhood (and by that i just mean tons of tiny little streets with really faded signs). my companion was asking a woman for directions. a cat (which as most of you know i HATE because they scare me and always seem to purposely startle me and upset my poor nerves) walked out of someone's house and sauntered over to us. it came over to me, and i just stared at it trying to stay calm. it was meowing really loudly and so i responded with some kind of clicky noise which i guess made it feel pretty comfortable, because the next thing i knew, it was standing on its hind legs stretching right up on me, claws extended. "Sister T.!!!!" I whispered with a strained voice. She didn't hear me, but then the cat got off my leg and was just kind of sitting there, so I started paying attention to the conversation. all of a sudden, that cat jumped up onto my hip and clung on, scaring me so badly that i wobbled and almost fell over as I cried out and then started laughing because i KNEW that cat was up to no good and that it was going to do something like that!!! why do they always do that to me?!??!?!! in case anyone is wondering....our raw diet went pretty well last week. that was the best i've ever done with a diet, though it wasn't perfect. i was especially proud of myself cause one night we were making no-bake cookies (to get rid of our nutella and peanut butter so we wouldn't be tempted to eat spoonfuls of it/to give to some of our investigators) and i didn't lick out the bowl, i didn't lick the spoon, and i didn't even lick off my fingers!!!! it was extremely hard, but i was so proud of myself while also somewhat hating myself because i really really wanted to do all those things and then some. i felt that it was very nearly exactly like that part in lord of the rings when frodo offers galadriel the ring. she almost takes it, then gets all scary and demon-like (being on a diet makes me somewhat agitated, i'll admit it) but then ultimately "passes the test and remains galadriel". however, we were forced to break down when we got invited over for dinner and this woman made us stinky tofu (which i LOVE). i also ate pig blood.....it was super weird. it wasn't like straight up blood...they make it in a little block with like weird rice....hmmm....phew this email is gettin long. let's get on to the first 5 of our top 10 and wrap this puppy up (like a christmas present :D)
 1. this week we taught one of our investigators, sister chang, about the plan of salvation. she's so adorable. she's like 22 and just graduated. she studied environmental science. also remember those crazy rainbow velcro sandals i got in thailand (i'm wearing them in like every picture that was taken of me there)? she has some too! she's so great. anyways we were talking to her about the spirit world, and we told her that there are missionaries there teaching the people who didn't receive the gospel while they were on the earth. then we asked her what she thought about the spirit world, and she said it sounded really amazing, then laughed and admitted that the first thing she thought of when we asked her that question was to ask us: "do the missionaries ride bicycles in the spirit world?" it was so cute :) i just love teaching her because we are friends, and she's so willing to try and to learn. she has a very open mind.
2. one of my favorite people in taiping is a member named sister liu. she has helped us peike (accompany lesson) a couple of times. on saturday sister t. and i had to split up to teach 2 different lessons. sister liu totally saved me (because my chinese is still chugging along slowly but surely!). i was chatting with her after the lesson. it just felt good to be able to talk to her and understand her. she's incredibly sweet. i just felt like i was talking with a friend. then she up and invited us over to her house for dinner on christmas eve, which made me want to cry, because it is so weird to be away from home--from everything i know...especially this time of year. but i know i could feel that sense of home with her. i already do. people are so good to us here!
3. we've met with a little girl, sister xu, a couple of times this week because she's getting baptized this friday!!! her mom is a member and actually sister xu got baptized before, but never got confirmed, so she needs to get re-baptized. the bishop asked us to meet with her. she is so prepared and amazing...it's incredible. it's one of those things where we feel like we literally did nothing but are being blessed and successful in establishing God's kingdom....i like to think that this tenderest of tender mercies (which came last week after a really hard day) is a result of our hard work with the other people we are trying to help. all our investigators and progressing pretty slowly....and we find lots of new ones everyweek that then drop out before the week is through...sometimes it feels like we aren't succeeding. but then God does things to let you know He's proud of you and our efforts are noticed. ANYWAY we were asking sister xu what she thought about when she thought of Jesus. she's pretty shy, so first my companion and i answered the question and said like "love" or "kindness"....and this little 10 year old said when she thought of Jesus, she thought of forgiveness. it totally blew us away. she's an extraordinary child. we love her so much and are so happy we can help her finally get baptized (even though it really isn't us. at all.)
4. a couple weeks ago on the way home one night, i tried to contact this lady on her scooter. she wasn't really interested but as the light was changing, she reached down and pulled two yellow passion fruits out of her bag and was like "do you want some fruit?" i took one, totally in awe and so grateful and then she was like, "wait, take one for your friend." i loved that. i can never say enough about the generosity and the big hearts of the taiwanese people. they never stop giving, even if you don't know them. i like to think that this woman, who is already so Christlike, will just keep being prepared to hear the gospel someday. anyway...don't really know what else to say about it but it was just a nice little moment.
5. beautiful city: this area is so incredibly beautiful. not only is it much bigger than my last area....it's just more...open. i can see the sky stretching out above me much more than i could in gaoxiong. we're always crossing a lot of huge bridges and there's this one in a more rural (but not really rural) part of our area that we usually cross at night. but a while ago we happened to go during the day. it was just after a big rainstorm, and the sun was starting to set. i've never seen more glorious sunsets. it makes me so happy. and it also makes me think of that scripture in D&C that talks about anyone who has seen the creations of God on the earth have seen Him moving in His majesty....God is all around me!! it's so so beautiful.
last thing: 2 Nephi 16:8. "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me." i've been reading the isaiah chapters lately and have had a really hard time grasping the full meaning, but every once in a while i find little gems like this, really little things that are plain to my level of understanding. i want this scripture to be true for me, that i could say this every time, with a puredesire to serve God and sacrifice everything--personal convenience, desires, etc. sister t. and i have been talking a lot about sacrifice lately. i re-read that talk by elder oaks from april 2012 general conference. in it he quotes lectures on faith, and says that a religion that does not require its followers to sacrifice everything to come unto Christ cannot produce faith enough for salvation. or something along those lines. i love that. i think about my life and i realize i've never really give up very much. i am so prone to look for the easy way out, the simplest way to do things....how much have i really sacrificed? i just feel like bursting....my life has been so good...too good. it keeps getting richer and richer. i have so much more to give.
 i hope that spirit of giving can keep burning in me and in all of you...especially this month as we remember the birth of our Savior. i love you all so dearly. sister coco

All is well- November 28, 2012

My dear ones.... I'm sorry I am such a thoughtless fiend and completely forgot to tell you that I would be sending out the email a little later this week. We didn't have a normal P-day this week because our zone had a temple trip today (Wednesday). It was very exciting. Sister T. and I woke up this morning at 4:45, got ready as fast as we could, and sped across town to the mission home which is normally like a 30ish minute bike ride but a lot of the traffic lights were just flashing cause it was too early so we were just FLYIN'. Then we got on a huge bus with about like....20 other missionaries, and we made the trek to Taipei. It is the smallest temple I've ever been in, but was still so beautiful. While we were in the temple, I just kept thinking about the first time I went through to take out my endowments....just me and mom. It was one of the happiest days of my life and I felt like my soul was expanded beyond anything I ever knew it could....does that make sense? I love the temple. I miss going there every single week. It was so wonderful to be there with my dear Taiwanese brothers and sisters and...I don't know. It just made me so happy to be here with them. Lately I've been thinking a lot about why I was called here specifically to serve in Taiwan. I am still not totally sure, and maybe I'll never completely know why, but I am so glad that I love my mission the way I do. I love that Taiwan is a part of me. These people are a part of me even if they never fully understand how much I love them, how invested in them I am. Ok enough bumbling and not making any sense while trying to analyze and process my feelings and the things I am learning. STORY TIME. One of our recent converts is a really sweet hearing impaired lady named Sister Cai. Sister T. and I feel like she gets the shaft and kind of neglected by missionaries/ward members because well...how are they supposed to talk to her? Anyway we decided to go visit her, and before we went in, Sister T. said a prayer and just asked Heavenly Father to please help us to be able to communicate that He loves Sister Cai. We went in and decided to teach her the plan of salvation, and I had some little pictures so we couldlay them out on the table and point at them. She started to teach us Chinese sign language, and sometimes she would write stuff down to communicate when we couldn't understand. It was so fun, and the Spirit was so strong. By the end of the lesson, we could sign: "Heavenly Father loves you. We love you. You are our friend." It was so cool and a complete answer to prayer!! I love those teaching moments when you really are seeking out the one who other people might forget about, and God works through you to touch the hearts of His children because each one is so precious. 2 Thanksgiving dinners!!!!! Yeah. 2. On actual Thanksgiving DAY, Sister Tanner and I went to this little turkey rice place by the river. We had vegetables and some freaky bread from a Taiwanese bakery. I talked to her a little bit about James cause it was his birthday, and I had been thinking of him all day. Then we just kind of quietly ate and watched the traffic and the sun go down. It was strange and didn't feel like Thanksgiving, except that I got really full, but I was really happy. So happy to be in Taiwan and so happy to be with Sister T., my kindred spirit. THEN on Saturday we went to a less active member's house for a real Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and all. Plus some Taiwanese elements: duck, sushi, guava....also my companion and I made no-bake cookies to take with us. And we got sent home with an entire pumpkin pie and can of whipped cream, which we wanted to devour ourselves, but we ended up sharing up with the Elders in our district. It was a very interesting dinner......at the end we were sharing a little message about the Book of Mormon. Then the less active sister divulged everything about why she is less active....quite a bit of drama. It makes me so sad when people leave because they were offended. She was really hurt by what happened to her. I felt so sad that she let that get in the way of her choosing to use the Savior's Atonement to heal her...we love her so much, and you can tell it's hard on her husband because he tries so hard to be active with their kids......man I'm sorry, I am so tired so I am not being very eloquent. Just know I had the classic Thanksgiving: turkey, pie, family drama. You can find it anywhere you go ;) Last thing.......Sister T. and I have started this crazy diet. For one week we are only eating raw food. I am going crazy. My sweet tooth has been controlling my life for so long, but Sister T. helps me stay strong....it has been extremely hard though haha. BUT! I am determined to learn self-discipline in all areas of my life. There are just way too many tasty treats to eat here, and you can get them anywhere, anytime for not verymuch money. But I have to start controlling myself now because Chinese New Year is not too far away, and my trainer said she ate so much last new year that she gained 4 pounds in one week!!!! WHAT!!!!!!!!!! That is just a little glimpse for you of how incredibly generous these Taiwanese people are. They are always giving giving giving. Sometimes it's hard to get them to take (food or the gospel) because they are so bu hao yisi, but God is softening the hearts of the people in this area every day :) I feel so strong even though my weaknesses are so clearly laid out before me. It's like that scripture in Corinthians....for when I am weak, then am I strong.
 Love
 Sister Coco

HOWEVER LONG AND HARD THE ROAD- November 19, 2012

Dajia Hao.

"As you wage such personal wars, obviously part of the strength to 'hang in there' comes from some glimpse, however faint and fleeting, of what the victory can be. It is as true as when Solomon said it that 'where there is no vision, the people perish' (Proverbs 29:18). [...] What if it is the fight of your life? Or more precisely what if it is the fight for your life, and your eternal life at that? What if [...] you really can see and hope for all the best and right things that God has to offer. Oh, it may be blurred a bit by the perspiration that keeps running riverlike into your eyes, and in a really difficult fight one of the eyes might even be closing a bit; but faintly, dimly, and ever so far away you can see the object of it all. Like Coriantumr, you will lean upon your sword to rest a while, then rise to fight again. (see Ether 15:24-30). --Elder Jeffrey R. Holland ("However Long and Hard the Road")

My dear ones....I am so full of joy I feel that I might burst. I am finally learning to really glory in tribulations. It's a topic Sister T. and I discuss a lot. I feel like it is too big for me to try and fully explain all the things I feel about it...this week we had some general authorities come through Taiwan for a mission tour. Elder Wilson's last stop was here in my area and Elder Walter F. Gonzalez was flying through from another assignment and decided to stop by! It was so incredible and I felt like I learned so much about myself....I got a lot of answers to prayers.

One of my favorite parts was getting to see Boden. He looked very handsome and happy, and I can tell he is just flourishing. My other favorite part was that after the meeting was over we had a special sisters-only meeting with President Bishop's wife and Sister Wilson. Sister Wilson talked about mistakes and being refined. She shared Zechariah 13:9 (a new favorite) which talks about how God refines us...we are His people, and He is our God. It was so beautiful. Then we had a chance to share something we've learned on our missions so far that has changed our lives forever.

I talked about how before I came on my mission, I felt so weak. I really, really wanted to come, but I didn't know what I was doing or how I would do it. I talked about how grateful I am that in the process of helping other people learn about God and Jesus Christ I have brought myself so much closer to them than I ever could have dreamed I could come. I'm so grateful that this mission was part of Heavenly Father's plan for me, that I have been snatched and can never be the same person I used to be. I can never leave God. I will never leave my Savior. I'm so grateful I am learning to rely on their grace, love, and power. Day by day I feel like my weaknesses have never been more prominent andnumerous, but somehow God can work through those to accomplish His wonders, and He can even turn them into strengths. I'm so overcome with joy to know that as I'm serving this mission, I'm really learning how to put God in the center of my life....the way I always knew it should be...but never quite had strength enough to do by setting aside my own selfishness.

It has been an extraordinary week. Sister T. and I are quite the kindred spirits....I love our long, deep talks. She teaches me so much and I feel like every day we explore the deep questions of our souls....it's a sublime experience.

A few other experiences from this week....

We went to go visit a less active Hu JieMei, but she wasn't home. Her dad came out to talk to us...he's extremely old and hard of hearing. His eyes are really small and his tan skin is folded and stretched across his face. He is always wearing the same old brown sweater when we go by. And my favorite thing about him is his fine, healthy, PURPLE HAIR. It's a very light shade, but it's definitely purple. We talked to him for a little on his doorstep and prayed with him. He rocked back and forth on his feet and told us he was so happy that we came to see him. I don't think I stopped smiling for the rest of the day. I love doing what Sister T. calls Ninja Missionary Work....the little things that no one ever knows about. I've spoiled this one though, cause now you all know. But our area is so huge, and there are so many people we are trying to work with who are moving so slowly that it feels like all the things we do are just so small.....but it is through small and simple things that great things are brought to pass. I love feeling that that is true.

We started teaching a family!!! One of our investigators, Wu JieMei, decided she wanted her husband to hear what we were teaching her, and he is an extremely prepared person. Poor Wu JieMei....she doesn't really have much interest, though she likes what we teach her, and we can see how much it has made a difference. She just isn't progressing very fast cause she won't act. Well, "man man lai" as we say (slow slow come). Her husband, Jiang Dixiong, is doing really well. He came to church this Sunday even though his wife was too tired to come. He felt bad that he can't come next week cause he and his wife booked this thing months ago that they already payed for, but said he was going to be careful never to do that again because he doesn't want to miss church. When I think about our lessons with him, I just feel like he is a shining example of the honest seeker of truth...he really wants to know if what we are teaching is true. He really wants to know if what Sister T. said about this gospel making him more happy is an actual feasible thing. I'm so excited to be teaching them. Hopefully their son will start meeting with us too.

I'm sorry...I feel at such a loss for what else to say. I'll just tell you that I am happier and more dead tired than I have ever been. Sister T. thinks we are so exhausted every night because we are so incredibly happy every day. This is a hard area, harder than my first area in a lot of ways. I just want you to know I love every second. I feel very strange thatmy release date is exactly one year from today...how can that be? I love this country. There are mountains here, and they are covered in trees. Yesterday the mountains were hemmed with fog. I don't think I'll ever get over Taiwan...it is too beautiful. I still can't believe I'm really here that this is my life...living in Asia, doing small and simple things and usually not seeing the fruits of my efforts....it makes me think of another quote from Elder Holland....

"Blood, toil, tears, and sweat. The best things are always worth finishing. 'Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?' (1 Cor. 3:16). Most assuredly you are. As long and laborious as the effort may seem, please keep shaping and setting stones that will make your accomplishment 'a grand and imposing spectacle.' Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow. Dream dreams and see visions. Work toward their realization. Wait patiently when you have no other choice. Lean on your sword and rest a while, but get up and fight again. Perhaps you will not see the full meaning of your effort in your own lifetime. But your children will, or your children's children will, until finally you, with all of them, can give the Hosanna Shout."

We are all enlisted till the conflict is o'er. Happy are we! Happy are we!!
Open the gates and seize the day, my friends...know that I'm doing my best to do that myself all the way across the world.
Love love love
Sister Coco
Ke JieMei