Ohhhhkay so people I love are just chilling with Mean Joe Greene and olympic gold medalists? Okkkay  Elder Ford's step-dad just sent him pictures of himself with Tom Brady -__- So we're eating chocolate and making ourselves all feel better over here. ;) 

Confession: 

It's time to be honest and come clean about the parts of a mission I haven't been telling you in my weekly emails home. 

I really really strongly dislike contacting. 

And look, it's not the people. I love talking to people. And it's not that it can't be fun, because every week I really try to make it fun for myself (see previous letters).  And often hilarious things happen when I talk to people (see 5 most creative rejections in previous letter).  BUT contacting is a) the least productive use of time b) often puts a bad taste in people's mouth c) is not a creative and d) is not the only way of finding. That's why we have websites like mormon.org people. 

So I've been doing some serious reflecting, and I was told if I filled my schedule so full of appointments and teaching that I didn't need to go contacting, then I didn't need to go contacting. :) :) :) I haven't contacted in a week. 

Did you know that in almost two decades we've had the same baptismal rate?  Even with all the new missionaries and missions?  Why?  I think it’s because the number of missionaries doesn't make the differences [we've raised our numbers], or sometimes even the quality of missionaries doesn't immediately raise baptisms [we raised the bar already], but it's the members that make the whole difference.  You can’t just have great missionaries.  The Lord has to trust the whole ward.  President Hinckley said if the members will work hard to find the prepared, we can double those who have the gospel. 

As it says in John, some sow and some reap, but both rejoice together. 

Anywhoo, 

5 (or more) Ways to Describe This Week:

1. Cold mist and no boots
2. Easy new companions
3. Chinese accents
4. Stuffed schedule 
5. scan alllll the copies
6. Baptism! 

My Baby is All Grown Up

So the first non member I ever found and taught, so precious, now has a baptismal date! I feel like a proud parent and best friend all at once. I’ve really got some emotions to straighten out, but that’s a personal problem, lol. 

Really though, I'm so proud and happy. We had a great lesson where basically I talked a little and the member talked a lot with "Omgh I totally know how you feel moments", and in that lesson she got her answer! It was the coolest moment of my mission. Hail to the power of member missionary work. 

Also, she went home with members to clean out her closet of immodest clothing. We haven't even taught her about that yet... 

My Mailman is My BFFL. No, but for real. I leave him sticky notes every day and he answers. This week, I really need to get better at asking everyone for referrals, but we just got new instructions about doing more service (SO PUMPED), so I write a note to our mailman asking for suggestions, and he totally gave me SUCH a good list of community service things and even set up appointments for us!  He's the best.  Also, he's a Saints fan.  Which is brave in Seattle.  Even wears his hat.  I can respect that. 

Chin-Easy. So I've been so so worried about Chinese.  I'm supposed to be learning, but it's hard, and who knows when I'll go to Taiwan, and I'm not learning at the same rate, and yadda yadda yadda.  But miracle or miracles!  Awesome ward missionary Laura found me “Phase One" and printed it for me! Phase one is the program of language learning you receive when you get to Taiwan.  All the missionary lessons we teach are broken up,  and are really hard,  and you have to learn all of them before you can learn any other every-day words.  So!  I get to start on it now!  SUCH AN ANSWER TO PRAYER. And I had two realizations this week