Sister Cecily Roberts: Week 34: New Area & I'm Training!!!

HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO!!!!!

OH MY WORD YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK WITH TRANSFERS!!!!!

So it's Tuesday, and we just finished planning. Wednesday morning we find out about transfers, so we are super excited about that. Except that we heard from this one Elder (Elder S, the Olaf Elder) that Sister Wong and I were both leaving, we we were really both so ready to hear what happens. Well I was in the closet folding my clothes, and suddenly we get a call from the Bu. (The mission office) and it's one of the Assistants. My heart is pounding and I answer and he says "Is this Sister Roberts?" I'm like... Yes. He asked me how I liked zone meeting and just kinda did some small talk then he said "President prays a lot about who should train, and he's asked you to train" Or something along those lines......WHAT! MY 5TH TRANSFER AND I'M TRAINING??????? WHAT???????? He goes on to talk about how it's a really really important calling and that I set the expectations for this missionary's mission. Well wow...so of course I said yes. SO WHAT??? I'M TRAINING!!!!!

Right before studies are about to end on Wednesday, I get a call from our zone leader and he's like "He congratulations! I heard what's happening" And I was like "Um yea haha thanks?" And he asked where we were going. I told him we hadn't checked yet, and that we were going to check now. So we go check, and we have to go this machine at a 7, because we get an i-bon code texted to us, and we use that code on the machine that allows us to print our transfer information. Well, we go to the i-bon code and didn't know how to use it, so I call our zone leader back and ask him, and he helps us. Then we look at it, and it says I'M GOING TO YILAN!!!!! WHAT?????? And Sister Wong is going to Zhu Dong! SO our area is being white washed and I'M WHITEWASH TRAINING!!!! WHAT???????? You don't understand how in shock I was. Our zone leader was still over the phone and I'm like practically yelling at him like "How could you not tell me? You didn't even hint at it!" Etc. So yea.....my new area is Yi Lan :) Which is so so so similar to Tai Dong!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!! God knows me :)

My new companion is Sister DeWitt. And she is the most sweetest, funnest, coolest Sister missionary you'll ever meet! Seriously. I'm so impressed with her. We get along so well and it's so so so fun! She is so much more prepared to be on her mission than I was. She's always thinking about the investigators and her Chinese is also better than mine was. She's so great! She's from Utah and yea. I don't know what else to say. We have been here 5 days together and we just are having so much fun!

So my are is completely different from the area I had in Tai Dong though. In Tai Dong, I was in the city area. But here, I'm in the rice fields....so like there is literally no one. Seriously. I'll send you pictures. There was an area like this in Tai Dong, and the other Sisters were in it. So I'll have to ask them for advice. It's kinda hard though cause we have no idea where we are going, and there are no people so we're like "Um how do we find?" Seriously haha. Anyway!!! I love this area and I seriously feel like I fit so so well! It's interesting because I never felt this with San Chong. I never felt like I quite fit. But I'll be here in Yi Lan for the summer so wish me luck!!!! AHHHHH I'M JUST SO HAPPY!!!!

We've also seen so many miracles already. Including the pouring raing stopping just long enough for us to walk to another house, then as soon as we got under the cover, it rained again. And yea. We also have found two new investigators and we've only talke to like 10 people haha. Seriously, the houses are I swear a mile apart from each other! It's so great! It's such an adventure and Sister DeWitt is such a good sport about it. We have so much fun. The past week it's been raining, and what can you do but laugh?

Only bad thing is our apartment....it's awful. We have a whole in our wall that is covered with tarp and duck tape hahahaha! I also haven't gone a day without seeing a cockroach. Don't worry, I've already talked to the mission office about it. We will probably move. President wants us living in nice apartments because he wants us focused on missionary work. I seriously...it's gross. Anyway.

I've been pretty nervous about white wash training, but really I haven't. And it's a miracle. Our last zone training was on fear and how to overcome it, and I swear it has changed my mission. In our zone meeting, President said (he stopped by for a little cause I was in the Taibei central zone which is the zone that the mission office is in), anyway, President said that in the MTC, Elder Bednar said "There is one emotion that the quorom of the 12 never feel, and that emotion is fear". I learned that it is possible to not fear, and I've also learned that that's why I've been having a hard time mentally. Is because I'm afraid. I didn't realize it, but now I know. Everything has changed since then. I can't explain how amazing it is to just completely rely on the Lord. That's what I've learned to do, and I just wish I had learned earlier. I just have so much confidence that God trusts me to do this. That he trusts Sister DeWitt and I to do this. And I haven't come into this area thinking "Man this is probably gonna be hard" Or "I don't know what I'm doing". Or "My Chinese isn't good enough". Etc. I have come in saying "Wow, this is crazy that I'm doing this BUT I know that everything will be ok, and God won't let me fail" Basically. I'm obviously had a lot more thoughts than that, but yea. It's rockin. I love it. And we're killin' it.

I've really learned to rely on the Spirit. We had an awesome lesson with this investigator, Lin DX. And I really felt the Spirit so strong. I felt the Spirit guide my words and also, I've learned that I actually ting de dong (understand) a lot more than I thought I did. Well, I know that God is helping me a lot. But I've really learned these past couple weeks to listen. Really listen to them and focus on them, and it's changed my whole Chinese experience. It's so amazing!!!

This whole things has been a little stressful, but it's bu cuo. I'm having a good time. And really, It's not stressful, it's fun. I LOVE THIS WORK!!!

I know this church is true. There is no power in this world that could ever make me deny that. God is leading His church. He knows His children, and He helps them. Just have faith and not fear. I invite you to watch the bible video on lds.org of Jesus feeding the 5000 and I want you to think about fear vs faith. What you notice. Who has fear? Who has faith? And discuss with someone. It was kinda an eye opener for me. The natural man fears. Even when they are standing before Jesus Christ himself.

I love you all so much! I hope everything is well and just have faith and not fear!!!! It's possible!!!

Love,

Sister Roberts