Sister Nicole Scharman: Thanksgiving in Taiwan

HAPPY THANKSGIVING I hope it was full of being grateful, sleeping, and eating.

Well this week started off in a really good way... I got binglang spit in my face. Binglang is a type of drug. The English name is beetle nut. When I first came to Taiwan I thought peoples mouths were bleeding.. but nope. They were just chewing binglang. And I got the stuff spit in my face.

This week in English class I taught them Thanksgiving words, and we made turkey hands! They LOVED IT. I had them write what they were grateful for on the fingers of the turkey hand, and they wrote their teacher.. they are too kind to me. LOVE THEM. I left beaming.

There is a couple here visiting Yuli, their names are Travis and Navi Ely. Travis served here in Yuli ten years ago!! They are staying here for a little bit and they are so fun. I love being around them and we are going to help Travis get in contact with his old converts! Goals. He is giving us so many good ideas from when he was a missionary.

This Thanksgiving was like any other day of missionary work. We didn't have any special party, no special dinner. I did love to yell at people while I rode past them "GAN AN JIE KUAILE" (happy thanksgiving) almost everyone yelled "kuaile!" back. That made me happy. But no one really celebrates it here, unless they are apart of the church and they are familiar with missionaries. We did have a Thanksgiving lunch after church this Sunday. We had rice, and other Taiwanese foods. It was good.

This weekend was really busy and really tiring. Thursday night our smoke alarm went off at 2 in the morning and we couldn't get it to stop beeping and yelling "FIRE FIRE". Then the night after that we only got five hours of sleep because we had to wake up at 4 to get to Taitung on time for our 60th year anniversary activity!! Its so special that I am able to be in Taiwan serving at this time. I also was able to go to the activity that was in Taipei when I was serving there. Such a fun experience! This activity in Taitung was a 5k and a 10k. It made me miss running so much (the 30 minute "exercise" isn't quite enough. It was so cool to have one of our investigators go, and to meet so many people there! There were members and non members from all over Taiwan! We got to pass out Book of Mormons and fliers. They even had us missionaries run a little lap lol. OH and Sister Xie is in my zone now!! I got to see her on at the activity! Love her to death.

This Sunday was a fun one, the stake presidency came, and I spoke again. Have I mentioned that I also have a calling to teach gospel principles class? When they asked me to speak I decided I was going to plan my talk during language study so I could get it really good. Which I did, then Saturday night I felt like it was all wrong. So I prayed changed the subject and planned it really fast. Yikes. But it went really good. I talked about who the Holy Ghost is, and his role in missionary work. I shared some scriptures and I shared my experience with my convert Lan Jiemei. Our branch president, who spoke after me, used part of my talk in his. So hopefully that is a sign that I did alright. Since Navi Ely was here, I got to translate for her during Relief Society. It was a cool experience remembering when Chinese just sounded like funny sounds to me. But now they are actual real words.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be in Taiwan. I am grateful to have the knowledge of the gospel and to share it with others. I am grateful for my Savior and his infinite atonement. I know that through his atonement we can be healed from sin, physical pain, and heart break. I know that no matter what is going on in your life right now, you can find true happiness through Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary in Taiwan!

and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TYLER I LOVE YOU BUDDY

Sister Shi

Banannanananananas (they are so cute and tiny even though you can't tell from this picture)

My english class. I love them so much I can't explain it.

Streets in Yuli

A little boy in our branch, it was his birthday!!

The birthday party, this is our branch president barbecuing seafood for us, and chicken butt. yes I ate the chicken butt.

The race!

(the trees are broken from the typhoon not too long ago)

Our investigator, a family in our branch finishing, and some cute kids!

The video, we are all warming up together for the race!

Another adorable baby from the race I can't leave out!

If you zoom in on this picture you can see the pure joy between me and Sister Xie. I love her so much lololol "we endured to the end together" is it possible to be companions twice??