Sister Cecily Roberts: Week 28: I'VE BEEN TRANSFERRED! & BIKE ACCIDENT #1

HI HI HI HI HI!!!!!!

So I'm not in Tai Dong anymore!!!! Surprise!!! :D I'm in San Chong which is basically the heart of Taibei....and I must say I have quite a lot of a culture shock. Tai Dong is so not a city. I've been really nervous and anxious biking here. It didn't help that I didn't have my bike, and that the brakes don't work very well. Oh and it REALLY doesn't help that I got in a bike accident the night before I left Tai Dong. SURPRISE! :D I'm ok. Don't worry. All I will say is that God is a God of miracles, and that I basically shouldn't be alive and should have broken a bone. The "shouldn't be alive" is a little dramatic, but at the same time not really. I'll just stop rambling and explain :)

We were on our way home from English class (Wednesday night). We had like 2 minutes to get home and we were almost home, but we were biking fast. I was in front, then Sister Child, then Sister Hickenlooper (I was on exchanges with them because Sister Hadley is training! So she went up to Taibei early for the trainer-trainee meeting). Anyway, I was in front, and I was biking fast, and I see this scooter on the left that I am about to pass. Well he slows down a little and starts moving into me and I realize that he's turning into the street to my right. But of course it's too late, then I scream a little as he t-bones me. The next thing I remember is rolling, catching my breath, sitting up, and looking down at my skirt and thinking "oh no my garments are showing". Haha kinda funny. Anyway, I sit on the ground for like 10 seconds and stand up, pick my bike up as the poor man tries to help me and just keeps saying sorry. I tell him it's ok and thank him for helping me pick up my bike. Of course I'm in shock and don't really realize what's going on. But yea. I look at his moped and see his grandson on it, and I waved goodbye, then walked away. The other sisters are freaking out and are saying "Oh my gosh, are you ok? How are you walking? Etc". They said I flew in the air, and rolled three times. And I just can't tell you how much of a miracle it is that I'm ok. I walked away with no pain except for road rash on my arm, a cut on my ankle, and a bruised tailbone. A few days later, I realized I had very tiny scratches on my knees and my left arm felt like I had gotten a shot... like my muscle was sore. But I hope you all understand how miraculous it is that my hands weren't scratched, I didn't have a headache, my bike didn't land on me, in fact my bike wasn't anywhere near me. How did I get off the bike? How did it not crush my leg? Sorry now I'm just rambling. Before I left for my mission, in my setting apart blessing, my Stake President blessed me with safety, and Heavenly Father definitely protected me. I was truly blessed with safety. It was interesting because for the days leading up to the accident, I had been thinking about how he had pronounced that in my blessing. I feel bad for the man, and I hope he knows that I'm ok, and that he isn't feeling guilty. And I'm so glad that he and his grandson are ok.

My bike is a little scratched up. The rear wheel is also a little warped but you know. After the accident, I had to finish packing because we were leaving at 5:30 the next morning for transfers ...it's hard to pack while in shock. Ok i'm done talking about it. Every time I think about it, I want to tear up because I'm just so grateful that I'm ok. It has definitely caused a lot of stress and anxiety biking in the city. I just feel so frazzled every time I get off my bike. The first day biking in the city, I was on the brink of tears the whole time because I'm just so terrified to be on a bike right now. Anyway sorry... now that my e-mail is half about my bike accident.

Monday night at FHE I found out that Sister Hadley is training (woohoo for her!) so that meant I knew before everyone else in Tai Dong that I was leaving. I also got to say goodbye to everyone, and it was such a tender mercy because we had set ups with almost all of our investigators and I got to see all of the members I love so much. In the midst of saying goodbye though, I realized that my whole life has been goodbyes, and I got a little teary eyed because goodbyes are hard. I realized I will never be in Tai Dong that way again. Living among the people and having responsibility to find the prepared.

So I'm now in San Chong, and we have the nicest apartment!!! Like oh my goodness I feel like I can live again. I'm not worried about cockroaches or anything like that! it's so amazing! They are new apartments and it's literally called A+ Mansion. LOVE IT.

It's been a little weird adjusting to a new area, but I love my companion, Sister Wong. She's from America. ABC (American Born Chinese). Her family is from China. She didn't speak any Chinese before she came and her Chinese is already basically fluent, which that was kinda discouraging because I thought I was doing well, but yea she's awesome and has worked hard. Oh sorry I forgot to mention, I'm breaking her, which means I'm her first companion after training. Because I'm "breaking her" of her habits with her trainer. So we are both very new missionaries. It's so exciting though! I've been here for about 4 months and she's been here for about 3. Yikes! President really trusts us I guess. Well and God :)

I haven't really gotten to know the investigators yet so I'll "report" on them next week. The one challenge we've had is keeping the time limits. As in, how long we are with members, how long we teach lessons, and just using time wisely. So hopefully next week will be better. I just have this gut feeling of being guilty because I know that's not what God wants. But that's just how the missionary work was done here before. I'm gonna change that though. We will be 100% obedient.

I love this area or I'm learning to love it haha. It'll be a while getting used to the city but we will see. I know that God wants me to be here and I love Sister Wong! We get along well and I'm so excited for this transfer! It's amazing to see how fast time goes. I know that God is real and I know that He loves these children.

I'm working on being humble, and not worrying about my Chinese. I'm' just doing the best I can to learn and not comparing myself. I love this work so much and I'm so excited to help this area explode!!!! I love you all!!!

Love,

Sister Roberts