Sister Nicole Scharman: Zao an!

OKAY HONESTLY I AM CRYING BECAUSE OF JOY RIGHT NOW. MY INVESTIGATOR LAN JIEMEI IN WANDA GOT BAPTIZED! When we found her on the street it was one of the sweetest experiences on my mission. I emailed about it a few months ago but I am going to retell the story :)

We were out finding and we met 藍姐妹 (Lan Jiemei) at a park. We talked to her, then asked to pray for her. When she said yes we asked her what we could pray for. She told us about some health problems she has been having. So when I prayed for her, I prayed for her to get better. Immediately after the prayer she put her hand on her heart and told us that she felt a very warm, peaceful feeling. We explained that it was Gods love for her, who God is, how we can communicate with God through prayer, and then taught her how. She said her first prayer that night. I've witnessed and heard a lot of first prayers, but this one was so special and sincere. Before we left she thanked us for stopping to talk to her, and for helping her understand that God answers prayers. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost and that I can see the hand of God touching lives through a simple prayer. Now she is baptized. Wow my heart is so full.

Well this week was a fun one! It started out with me eating octopus.. yep. It was really chewy but not bad.

This week we met this couple, turns out they are the parents of one of our English students! They are so cute. Everyone here pretty much has a English name and if they don't, we give them one. The mothers name is Mary, but surprisingly the father didn't have one. So guess what I name I gave him.. Bill :) I tell them they are my Taiwanese parents lol. They are really cute and we are so excited to start meeting with them! That same night we met a whole group of girls and one boy from Malaysia! They were also here for some service, and they were really interested in missionary work! It was really fun to talk to them!!

On our way to English class in Ruisui we met a member who lives in California! He is Taiwanese, and used to be Bishop for the JinHua ward. (in the huge chapel in Taipei) The funny thing was that we were just walking and said hi to him. You never know who you are going to meet. He is really cool! Our English class in Yuli was about the elections hahahah. Everyone here is obsessed. (Trump in Chinese is pronounced trumpu)

This week we had two really good lessons with our investigators Yang JM and Ding JM. With Yang JM we talked about the importance of prayer, asked some questions, and then related her to Enos and read his story together. The spirit was strong and we found out some of her needs. Ding JM's was about baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, sacrament, and enduring to the end. It was so good. She really understands, everything just makes sense to her. YAY!

We had Stake conference this weekend up in Hualien. We were lucky enough to have a member drive us! Its about a two hour drive, and so beautiful. All the talks were amazing. I especially loved President and Sister Jergensen's. Sister Jergensen even spoke in Chinese for a little bit (: Ding Jiemei came, which shows how committed she is. I am so lucky to be able to teach her.

Transfers are this week! I feel like I am going to stay here another transfer, but anything can happen. "the only thing you can expect from life is the unexpected" lol

I am reading in Alma right now, which I love. Alma and the sons of Mosiah are such amazing missionaries. I am so grateful for their story and their examples. I was reading in Alma Chapter 29. I am in love with this chapter. The whole thing is so great but I want to share two verses.

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

This chapter and these verses really stood out to me. Especially because what has happened the last couple months of my mission. When I came to Yuli, we were basically going through the refiners fire. We had no solid investigators. I probably taught a solid 5 lessons that whole transfer.. and it was hard. So hard. But now I look at what we have and I can see how Heavenly Fathers hand has been in everything. The blessings are so great we have been getting calls from our zone leaders telling us that President said that "Yuli is on fire" and asking us what we have been doing. And all this progress is not because of us, but because our Lord is blessing us. I am reminded everyday how I am so reliant on the Lord. I am literally nothing without him. The song Holocene//Bon Iver has a line that says "and once I knew I was not magnificent" If you think you can do anything without our Savior please, attempt to learn Mandarin Chinese and get fed pig intestines with rice for dinner. lol, but really. We are NOT magnificent. Our Heavenly Father and Savior are so good to us.

Love you all! Thank you for all of the love and support! Be safe and have a good week!

Shi Ni Ke Jiemei

施妮可姐妹

(if you google translate my name.. thats not what it means lol)

Lan jiemei!!