Like Zoro...With a W

LAST FULL WEEK AT THE MTC!

So its official- we got a letter from the church travel office saying (and I quote) "Sister/Elder, You visa has not arrived. You will receive a temporary reassignment call Thursday or Friday or next week." Nothing more. The rest of the paper is blank. 

So that about sums up what I know. I'm being reassigned stateside for a few weeks. I have no idea if I'll be there a whole transfer or not. The Taiwan-Taipei mission president has asked that his missionaries be sent as soon as their visas come because he will have all but three companionships training. All but there! he said he can't handle the next group if he doesn't get this group on time. I hope President Blickenstaff wants us as bad (I'm sure he does) but they wont tell us that here. Apparently it takes 30 days to reapply for a visa and we're already about 20 days is sooo... who know. It would be really cool to see what a stateside mission is like for awhile- I'm looking forward to that- but not long enough I cant remember Chinese. There's a very good chance I'll be reassigned to Utah, because about half the last missionaries were, but I'll email Thursday/Friday and let you know when I get it. 

I wrote about it in my letter to the President this week. It'll be quicker if I just paste it below:

Things at the MTC are going well. I know you've heard about our notes saying that we "will be temporarily reassigned", but that we won't know where until Thursday or Friday. Behold, the waiting game. There is a rumor floating around that we may only be stateside for a few days, because our visas should come within two weeks. Who knows. I feel like the likelihood of my visa coming on time and the likelihood of me being translated are about the same-- it's not likely, but I'm not gunna rule it out. It's really 50-50 right now (about the visas. . . not the translation). Who knows though; we aren't allowed to ask the travel office anymore questions. My guess is someone else abused that privilege. . . I can't imagine who. 

So yes the MTC is going just fine. Starting to pack is surreal but, happy day, all is well. Chinese is a slow train that is coming up the mountain- slow and steady. Some days are steeper than others, but everyday it moves up. 

And should I die, before my visa comes, happy day, all is well. 

President responded with: 

Thank you so much for your wonderful letter.  It made me laugh although there might be a 50-50 chance you will be translated. 

So at least he took it well, I think. Anyways, so on to other things. 

There's a fungus among us: 

So in other news, I've been super sick. Everyone else got this horrible stuffy cold that I managed to avoid but... I got something worse. I was running a fever for two days straight and had the sorest sore throat and all I wanted to do was lay on my couch and watch political commentary all day and eat a bowl of stew. With chopsticks. But I couldn't do that. 

One morning, my companion came over and asked me something. I still have no idea what she asked but I tried to respond. Then I woke up at 10:30. No idea how that happened. I was so out of it, but I was determined to go to class. So, I got dressed and we went to the end of class. Apparently though, I thought I was fine, but I wasn't. I was still running a really bad fever and I was saying things that made absolutely no sense. I thought I made perfect sense though, so I kept talking. My district just started writing down the things I said. Here are five of my favorites: 

1. Whispered really loudly (loud enough for everyone to hear) "I'm just gunna flip through these pages so it looks like I'm doing something."
2. Okay so Jerusalem has really small mountains... and the Americas have really BIG mountains [motions with hands]. So.. what did Nephi think? How did he emotionally handle that? 
3. Don't move my cup... its very important.      ... Don't do it. 
4. (Said while I was sleeping and they tried to wake me) Don't let the ZLmen know I have a cheetah print blanket! Its a mimi (mimi is secret in Chinese). 
5. Is this orange? Or red? Or...purple red? Don't toy with me Bi JM.... I've been really confused with my colors lately. 

So that's my sickness in a nutshell. Today we went to the temple in the morning, and then I took an accidental nap until 11:40. Good things it's Pday. 

Speaking of this morning...

So I went to the temple and found something out that will bless generations to come! I'm not sure how I didn't notice this before! But! So I was just so tired of trying to explain how to say my last name. And my throat hurt and I didn't want to talk anymore. I kept trying to break the word in half- "war- oh" or tell them the 2nd W silent and then BAM! It hit me! "It's like Zoro.. with a W." Then everyone could say it! I don't know how I didnt realize this before! It's perfect! I'm using it forever plus- my last name is 100x cooler. As if it needed to be. 

You're welcome. 

Also at the temple, sooo.. I was trying to be gallant. I was trying to do a good deed. Let me just start with, its not my fault. I saw this poor trickling little flower. It was dying. So I thought, "oh! I'll prop it up!" Nope. Came right out of the ground. And guess what- it was 3ft tall. So I thought to myself, in my wisdom, "Self, listen here, you cant leave this on temple grounds! You have to take it and put it in the bushes or dirt somewhere now." So, in my gallant efforts to do good I'm walking off the temple grounds with a 3ft flower and people and pointing and starring at me. And I realize what that looks like. It looks like I'm digging up flowers at the temple and stealing them. As a missionary. But its just too late to go back now! I'm pretty much outside the gates now with my dying friend in my arms! So I run into the Elders in our zone and they're all teasing my about the flower and blah blah and then I walk in the MTC with it because apparently no one though to leave a patch of dirt or bushes between the MTC and the temple and I get more weird looks! Finally I just took the flower from the top and but the rest on the bush behind the residence of my building. And the flower is now on display in my room. 

I choose to see the flower as a representation of my good intentions, rather than a representation of stealing from temple grounds. Nevertheless, thou may chooset for thyself.

Okay so just a few other things: 

• I don't have many spiritual insights this week, and I feel bad about it but I think its mostly because I've been running a fever since last Thursday. I'm sorry. 
• We are expecting someone BIG for our devotional Tuesday because they're recording it and gave us a lecture on not shaking apostles hands. I have to say the closing prayer at the devotional Tuesday... as Elder Stuart said, "I'm so nervous my hands are gunna be sweating til Tuesday. I'm losing weight through my hands!"
• Our district did all the musical numbers for the big devotionals at the MTC. I told you they were talented.
• I wanted to sing, but I was so sick that I changed the song to Abide With Me! last minute because they were the only notes I could hit and still sound good. I made her rewrite the end of the song and the versus to minor, with one major chord at the word death and yadda yadda. She didnt like it at first but she did it (she's way talented. She could play it in her sleep). It was fantastic when it was done. So cool
• I can do my purpose and the baptismal commitments and the first vision in Chinese! Except that D&C 4... that's a tricky one. 
• Thank you so much for my pictures! Everyone was so jealous and they keep asking to see them. I love it. They're so helpful in lessons. Proof my daddy takes care of me. Ask and ye shall receive. 
• Also, that dictionary. There's no English section (so I cant look up words in English first) but it is SO good. Every keeps borrowing it and I have to fend them off so I can use it! It's the best definitions for Chinese words. Even my teacher said she used that dictionary to learn English (shes Taiwanese). \
• So Elder Stuart- he had a great birthday. Thank you so much. Hes was so excited. He figured out the brownies were from dad because his name was on the package and he was really touched. He told me he loved my family in the most sincere voice ever. He had a really good birthday. 
• I could hear the football game Thursday night. It was horrible. Horrible. It's the only reason I'll be glad to leave the MTC.
• Thank you again for sending Elder Stuart birthday wishes. It made me so happy. 
• Funny moment: The other sisters in my room were playing foursquare with these new elders. After they were going on and on about how fun they are. Elder Shi freaked out and was like, "ya but... not more fun than us right?" Bi JM turned to him and said, "Read my lips. More. Fun. Than. You." He freaked out and he's been trying to do things to prove how fun he is for a week now haha. 

Anyways, I could keep going but that's all I have time more this week. It seems like a lot anyways.  Love you all! Things here are going well. Hope they're well for you. 

Much love. 

P.s. Aunt Michelle- you've got one last week to rival Andrea in the MTC. I know you've got a creative mind ;). LOVE YOU 

This better be what Taiwan is like

see how wet?? poor elder

                                      
                                          caught them rapping in the bathroom (younger sisters in our zone). Ha!

Forgot my landry and came back to find it in this cute little bag! 

We had a storm here and seriously flashflooding! They're soaked to the skin and I'm sick with my blacket afraid to touch them! 

I wasnt kidding about flashflooding. 

Bi and Kang JM dancning in the rain... we have bno entertainment here. 

So I fogrot this funny sotry. Newbies get this organe sticker on thier name tags when they come in on wednesday. So, we decieded to have a competiton to see who could get the msot hellos on that day. I won with 59 hellos! The Elder... got two. ouch. 

birthday party! He had a great time!

This is sis Jenkins

And this is now we do our laundry. Thats Elder Redding (left) and Elder Varvel (right). And my companion and that dashing young woman in the back... well... 

Here are some of my favorite Elders who left this week for Canada and New Zealand and what now. The two on the left are fluent in French and now have to learn to speak Chinese! What the!