May 6th, 2013

MAY! Happy may! it's getting hot here in gaoxiong. but it's so good. this week was amazing and crazy and we have seen so many miracles. we had a lot of meetings this week and a big miracle was that, despite all the time we spent NOT in our area (at meetings and stuff) we were blessed to still have many lessons with investigators and help them progress. we had 6 investigators at church this week! that's a record for me and i was so grateful. they are all such miracles. 

there is one sister- a Han JM. she was a referral to our area from zuoying and she met with us for the first time last week. she said that she has been searching for a church and praying for a chance to come to church. three days later, she met the sister missionaries on the road. her family is christian but she never felt comfortable going to that church with her mom. she was so happy and excited to come and learn. she said that she just felt a peace here that she hasn't felt in a long time. we shared the book of mormon and the story of the first vision with her. she was so touched and just really felt like she is a lot like Joseph Smith- searching for the truth. she feels like she has found it here and she has a baptismal goal for june 1. she is so great!

another one of our investigators in a hou JM. she has had a really hard life. her family situation is complicated and has left her with a lot of pain. every time we meet with her, it's amazing to see her faith in Christ grow. we had a really amazing lesson this past week with her. she was stressed about church and baptism and her husband opposing her getting baptized. she felt like everyone at church was perfect and some things about her past made her feel like she was not worthy of coming. we said a prayer with her and sister Tanner bore her personal testimony of the power of the Atonement to change. we read with her from Alma 36 and she was just crying. She has been developing her faith in Christ and i feel like this lesson was pivotal in helping her understand the power of the Atonement and the blessings of baptism. she is amazing. i love meeting with her. i feel like Heavenly Father has blessed us right now with so many amazing investigators whom i love so much.they are all so different. i feel like i need to take more time to write in my journal and record all their stories- they are all such miracles. 

we went to a leadership council in taizhong on wednesday and met with all the zone leaders and the assistants. it was interesting and exciting to be trained and to learn from president Bishop again. he is the greatest mission president. i just feel like he has such a love for us missionaries and for the people in Taiwan. it's great. going on exchanges with the southern zone sisters has been so much fun! it's really great to be able to support them and compliment them and inspire them. and to LEARN from them. i have seen so many miracles on exchanges and it's just great to be able to serve with so many amazing sisters. 

i think this move call, i have really learned the power of making people feel loved and taking the time to develop a relationship with them. i have had the quote- never let a task to be accomplished become more important than a person to be loved- running through my head. i am grateful that Heavenly Father is teaching me that it's not about WHAT we do, it's about how we make people feel. i am very grateful for the special relationships that i have been given on my mission. i love these people, these women so much. i love my companion so much. our investigators are amazing. being a missionary is such a special blessing. i feel like i'm getting more than i could ever give in my service. Heavenly Father is so good. He is perfect and He is perfectly blessing me.

i'm so excited to talk to you on sunday at 1pm!!! i i can't even believe its that time again. i'm so excited to see each of you. have stories!! and i'll have stories! and you can meet my companion! i am so excited!! life is good

love you all so much

Sister Newman