"The Jade Neighborhood", Meaning of YULI

How are the pumpkins, leaves, and fall weather in America? Here it is still either, really hot, or pouring rain. Sometimes both! (trying to figure out a way to carve something here on a p day.. I might have to get creative) 

This week we got THREE NEW INVESTIGATORS. We are seriously so blessed. Heavenly Father is so good to us here in Yuli. 

Yang JM is such a stylish 33 year old. She is also a psychologist and very smart. She met the Elders nine months ago and started to meet with them on and off. She really likes this gospel, she is just waiting for her own testimony that God is her Heavenly Father. We asked her what her favorite part of the missionary lessons was and she told us it was faith. PERFECT. So we are helping her develop faith! She hasn't been consistently reading the Book of Mormon so we are encouraging her and helping her develop that desire. Because that is what is going to help her develop faith. She came to sacrament meeting and "geng geng hao" the topic was faith. A member came up to us after and said Yang Jiemei was practically glowing (:  

Luo Yu Ting is a cutie 17 year old. She also has previously met with missionaries (It seems like everyone in this town in a former lolol) She really progressed but her mom is "fandui" so she wont allow her daughter to get baptized. We are hoping and praying for a miracle this time around and hope that we can meet her mom soon (: Me, my companion, and Luo Yu Ting have quickly become friends. 

Huang JM is a 12 year old. So cute! We were out knocking, and her father let us in. Him, his wife, and son were in the room so it was safe for us to go in. But then right as we sat down his wife left hahhahah. We were like, "oh shoot what do we do?" We can't be alone with two guys! So we got up quickly to leave but then the daughter came in the room so we were safe. We got to know them, then started to apply the gospel to their lives. The father and son were not interested.. at all hahaha,  but the dad kept pointing to the daughter and told us to share with her. We said a prayer with her, taught her how to pray, and gave her a Book of Mormon. We have a set time to go back this week, we don't know if she has that much desire, but we are hoping she continues to meet with us!

We also met other really awesome people this week. Some cute old couple in Lehe, a cute mom with two cute kids, an Amah and her granddaughter. These were some really special experiences for me and I am grateful Heavenly Father allowed me to meet them, and share my testimony with them.  

As I was thinking about all my past/present investigators I felt really thankful. I haven't had as many baptisms as I would like, but I realized something new. Every investigator that I have had, and that I am currently teaching, are more like an acorn instead of a sunflower seed. They maybe are slower in growing, and gaining a testimony, but when they grow to be a tree, they won't wither and die like a sunflower. Yes, some investigators get baptized quickly and stay active. But I am grateful for the acorns that I have been able to help in their growing process.  

Lehe is this little town filled with aboriginals. It is about a 30+ minute bike ride from our area, which is super close. It is really cute and small. There are so many nice people there and the town was super humble. The old man and his wife were really fun, we talked and shared with them.

We are going to visit more members this week, give them cookies, and invite them to pray and fast for their friends who need the gospel!! I hope this can help them have more desire toward missionary work! 

Me and my companion came up with this fun song

REFLECTION...of key indicators. (from Mulan)

"Look at these, I will never pass for a chinese speaker, or a perfect teacher,

Can it be, I am meant to play this part?

Now I see, if I sent these numbers in on Sunday night,

I would break my district leaders heart.

What are these numbers I see, staring straight, back at me?

Why is this a reflection of numbers I don't want?

Somehow, I cannot find, a new investigator, though I've tried,

"When will my key indicators show, how hard we are working?"

"When will my key indicators show, a baptismal date in Yuli?"

We are working on "baptism... is an open door" (from Frozen) and many others.. my personal favorite is probably our uncompleted version of "I'll make a chuan jiaoshi out of you" (from Mulan) 

Its part of our companionship unity goals, and just really fun. 

I figured out that the exact translation or meaning behind the word "peanut butter" in chinese is.. "flower blossom, give birth, thick sauce." Chinese doesn't make sense to me quite yet. 

Thanks for the kind words, prayers, and support! I AM SO GRATEFUL. Have a good week xoxo

Sister Scharman

Shi Jiemei

施姐妹

Pictures from a little aboriginal town called Lehe 

And we made cookies for our members. I had real milk and cookies for the first time in forever.

Nine Months Down, Nine Months to Go!

Hey guess what! This week I hit my 9 month mark!! Isn't that crazy? 

Well I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Brinkerhoff. She is from Indiana!! Fun fact: She is in the same generation as me and she was one of Sister Miller's companions in the MTC! She is cute, and fun. I am sorry we have not had the opportunity to take pictures together since Thursday. 

This week was super hot to begin with, then got super rainy. We were lucky it was a nice sunny day last p day when we went to the ocean and a famous bridge!! The first time I've been to the ocean here! It was very beautiful. And very fun! Taiwan is gorgeous! And I loved being able to sit on a big rock look at the ocean and ponder about everything.

We had Zone meeting in Taitung!! I love Zone meetings and I got to see my old companion Sister Davis!! Our zone leaders are so good and always make me feel so excited. Grateful for that.

Sister Davis!

OH... this week I also tried stinky tofu... It doesn't taste like it smells, but not much better lol. I probably will never try it again.

Transfer days were crazy.. My companion Sister Weaver was moving up to Taipei and left in the morning, But my new companion Sister Brinkerhoff wasn't coming till 9:20 that night. So I stayed with a few members in between that time! I was really thankful for their patience and letting me stay with them! They are so kind and sacrifice a lot.

The main highlight of this week was GENERAL CONFERENCE! So good! I am so grateful for all the words that were spoken and how we can take them, apply them into our own lives and improve! I am so grateful for our Prophet Thomas S. Monson. We had it playing in Chinese in one room, then me and my companion and the Elders and another American member whose name is Brother Gunn (geng dx) watched it in English in another.

We met this one guy on the street that... All he wanted to talk about was stocks, money, and aliens. There are people here willing to talk to us but once we try and bring in the gospel they.. well usually start to ignore us and pretend like we aren't there haha 

I am so grateful to be teaching Ding Jiemei. She is so special and I hope we can help her overcome her concerns and get baptized. She can do it!!! 

Honestly, this is the hardest time I have had on my mission. It is really hard. I often feel really inadequate, my Chinese is not good enough, and I feel like I haven't been making a difference. I want these people we meet to accept this gospel so bad, it breaks my heart that they aren't even willing to listen. We don't have many investigators, but I am grateful for the few we have and that they are willing to listen to learn. I am trying my best to be grateful in every circumstance. Sometimes we find ourselves out on the street riding our bikes trying to find someone to talk to alllll day. But with the Lord's help we can do hard things. 

I love this quote that my wonder friend Mistilyn sent me (: 

"Can we, even in the depths of disease, tell Him anything at all about suffering? In ways we cannot comprehend, or sicknesses and infirmities were borne by Him even before they were borne by us. The very weight of our combined sins cause Him to descend below all. We have never been, nor will we be, in depths such as He has known. Thus His atonement made perfect His and His mercy and His capacity to succor us, for which we can be everlastingly grateful as He tutors us in our trials. There was no ram in the thicket at Calvary to spare Him, this Friend of Abraham and Isaac." -Neal A. Maxwell

I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember that Heavenly Father loves you no matter what. He has loved you, He loves you now, and he will always love you. 

Me and Sister Weaver!

Just for fun

The bridge. it was so pretty

 Elder Xiao and Elder Carson

My area!! Welcome to Yuli! 

Days Feel Like Weeks, and Weeks Feel Like Days

I have lots to talk about this week!

TYPHOON DAY we were still up in Taipei and it was crazy! Definitely the worst typhoon I have experienced so far. We were called to stay in all day but then we got a call from the Assistants asking if we wanted to help with a service project. So we went out into the typhoon to walk to the chapel. The wind broke my umbrella so we were soaking wet when we got there. President Jergensen felt bad for us and got us towels. We helped with putting together boxes and cards for our new language learning program. After a few hours of that. President and Sister Jergensen were so kind and bought us pizza after. But to eat it we had to walk from the chapel to the mission home. Where the wind broke a second umbrella and I was soaking wet again. The typhoon got really really bad so we stayed in the mission home until they decided to drive us all home. That night the wind got so bad my bed was shaking. My companion slept through it all haha. 

Taipei getting soaked!

The next day I was supposed to have a endoscopy, but because of the typhoon everything was closed. So we met with my surgeon. I can't spell what he thinks I have, but what apparently a lot of people get it after having surgery and it gets worse when you have lots of stress. (wow perfect that's me) So basically my stomach just stopped working and It caused air to be all over my body including under my ribs. I still might have some ulcers so they wanted me to have my endoscopy today, but I called and cancelled it. I want to see if this medicine will help me first. It is still a guessing game but I am slowly getting better so I think we are guessing right! THANKFUL FOR SISTER VATCHER.

Mom Note: Medical Office in the background where Sister Scharman saw the surgeon.
Sister Vatcher the very loved Mission Nurse ( Surrogate Mom and Angel) took this picture.  

Mom Note: Special Visitors! Jenny Buck in our Lehi Ward, Parent's who were just visiting Lehi and just returned to Taiwan made a special trip to Taipei to visit Nicole when she was there having test run.  It's amazing how small the world is when you belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! We hope Sister she gets to serve in their ward sometime :D
Meiling was in the Lehi word for 2 months so she feels like family to us! 

We got home late Wednesday night and Thursday we started missionary work in Yuli again yay!! I have been really wanting to do simple services for people on the street, but people are always refusing my help. But we met the cutest old man, he was so happy and smiley. He drove into his home with his old man cart (I have a picture I will send) and started sweeping up leaves in front of his house. He was deaf so I acted out that I wanted to do it for him. He smiled and waved his hand saying no. But I REALLY wanted to help him. So I started picking up leaves with my bare hands. We finished and it looked very nice. In sign language I told him that Jesus loves him then we left.

We met another funny old man (also have a picture of him on his old man scooter) He rode up to us and told us his teeth were missing.. we asked where they went and he said "Wo bu zhidao!" (I dont know!) and then rode away. 

We met with a lady we call her Pan mama. We taught her half of the restoration. She has a son, that is almost eight! He is really cute, and outgoing. He came and sat on our members lap while we said the prayer. Pan mama couldn't come to church on Sunday but we asked if pan didi could, she said yes so our member Xin Jiemei went to pick him up... and he ran away from her hahahahahahaha. Maybe next week?

We visited Shen Dx the one that clapped for me in sacrament meeting to see if the elders could teach him, he said yes! He showed us his cute little puppy that he loves. We had a really good talk, said a prayer then said goodbye. I felt really good after visiting him. I hope he can progress and continue to learn about the gospel.

We met with our member referral! Her name is Ding Jiemei! She is so cute. I have grown to love her so much already. She cried and told us that buddhism gave her no happiness and peace. Then she continued to say "bai bai zhende hun xingku" hahhaha I wish I could accurately describe what that means. It pretty much means it is very hard.

She loves Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Her family situation is also very hard for her. I know this gospel will help her life. We Invited her to baptism, and she brought up the concern that a long time ago she was baptized in a different church, so why does she need to be baptized again? We taught her more in depth about the priesthood, and invited her to watch General Conference this weekend! We will help her learn and understand this gospel. Super excited for her (: During this lesson I remembered the scripture "And whoso receiveth you, there will I be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." D&C 84:88. I really appreciate my companion and our members. They truly are angels. And members are so important in missionary work. We are nothing without them! 

On my mission I have grown to appreciate the priesthood so much more in multiple ways! I am SO JEALOUS OF EVERYONE that watched conference this weekend.. I can't wait to watch it!! I totally read Mosiah chapter 2 this week in studies pretending it was conference. I hope it was everything you hoped and prayed it would be! I am thankful we have so many amazing leaders, apostles, and a living prophet! Also conference brings back memories of when I opened my mission call one year ago (crazy right?!) and then went to a session of General Conference! Very special time (: 

Zhang Dx came all the way from Taipei to visit me at church!! He met all of the members here in Yuli and they call came up to me asking why he isn't baptized yet... ahh that is the biggest question in my life right now. He is going to take us out for p-day today!! 

Thank you for all the love and support, these simple acts of service bless my life so much. I know this church is true! Have a good week! 

1 Typhoon damage

2 Happy smiley agaog :-)

3 Teeth missing agong (grandpa)

4 Shen Dx and his puppy

5 Late night bike selfie. you can't see but I am completely surrounded by rice fields. And the stars were the prettiest I have ever seen that night. We could see the milky way!

6 Zhang Dx in YULI 

 7 Xin Jiemei a Sister in our Branch

8 He's SO cute!