Sister Cecily Roberts: Week 9: Crutches/Chopsticks/Sympathy Sticks & Packages

Hey everyone!!!

This week was full of a lot of different emotions. And packages!!!! Thank you so so so so so much for all who sent me a package. I got three one day, and two the next, I can't tell you how much that means to me!!! Seriously! I am so blessed and thank you so much! I love you!!!

Monday: We had a TRC Skype lesson. Which if I haven't explain before is a lesson with a member in Taiwan. The member we Skyped was so fun and so silly. He spoke English so occasionally he would slip an English word here and there. The lesson was so fun though. He was sad that we weren't going to Taichung, and he took a picture of us, got our e-mail (so we could follow up with him), and told me I looked like a certain actor. We taught about faith and trusting in the Lord, and it was amazing because we had specifically prayed to know what to teach in this lesson, and we truly felt that it was directed and intended for this young man.

Tuesday: The few days before, I had this pain in my foot. It was a sore on the bottom of my foot, and I didn't know what it was. Since I was leaving soon, I wanted to get it checked out. Plus it was causing me more pain because I was walking on the outside of my foot trying to avoid the pain. I hope that makes sense. Long story short, the MTC doctor didn't know what it was, so he sent me to a foot specialist. So I got to leave the MTC. He also gave me crutches so that I could allow it to settle down, and to get off my foot. The foot doctor did an ultrasound and diagnosed it as a cyst. Gross I know, sorry :). He then stuck me with a needle (to numb my foot) which I have to say is the absolute worst shot I have ever had. Then he stuck a bigger needle in and proceeded to try to get the liquid out. Maybe I shouldn't be so "graphic". Sister Hughes wanted to watch, which I thought was crazy because she hates needles. She said that she doesn't mind them on others, but when she saw the second needle go into my foot, she got all pale, and lightheaded and had to sit down. Silly Sister H.

Oh I forgot, before I went to the foot doctor, the lady who was scheduling it, had to call Mom because I forgot Dad's birthday (for insurance). And I got to hear her voice!!!! So so so awesome! I'm just grateful it didn't make me homesick. It really made me so happy! The lady said that she (mom) took it really well. I asked her what that meant and the lady said 'Usually they freak out, and ask all sorts of questions". I said "Yea, my mom's pretty cool", the lady then said "You must be the youngest", I said "No actually I'm the oldest" Kind of a funny conversation. But I gotta love my mom!

I left the foot doctor very grateful for crutches, and I went back to the doctor the next day for a recheck, and the doc told me to stay on the crutches. So I was on crutches all Wednesday, and Thursday. It was miserable. By the end, my arms and hands hurt more than my foot did. But I'm perfect now :) I kept wanting to call my crutches chopsticks, and one Elder called them sympathy sticks. I didn't use them all the time so he would kind of get on my back about it and say "Luo Jie Mei, where are you sympathy sticks? Go get them". It was fun. He also said something along the lines of "Wow Luo Jie Mie, look at you go, you should be in a marathon or something, you just fly". Because I hate going slow, so I continued to book it everywhere. :) Silly me.

Wednesday: So I just need to say again that my Taiwanese teacher Wu Lao Shi, is hilarious. She had us do an activity where we wrote down our "weapon of war" as talked about in Alma 26:32 (my favorite chapter btw), and she had us literally go outside, and bury the piece of paper in the ground. Gotta love her. It was actually pretty cool though.

I don't really remember anything else that happened on Wednesday, other than being in pain and hating my chopsticks/sympathy sticks. And being a little discouraged because this happened right before I left.

Thursday: Sister Hughes had to go get her hand checked out by a hand specialist because her hand wasn't healing as fast as they though. So Thursday morning we had to miss gym (worst thing ever...) and leave the MTC...again. :) There was "real" music playing in the waiting room, and I gotta tell ya, I had to try so so so hard not to sing and not to listen. They took x-rays again, and determined her thumb had been broken, so she has to keep her brace on for another three weeks. She's not supposed to take it off except for showering, and washing her hands. But of course, being Sister Hughes, she takes if off to type, and write. Silly her. She doesn't everything so fast, and she hates being slowed down by the brace. Gotta love her.

Oh my goodness we had the most amazing lesson with our investigator!!!! We committed him to baptism. Finally! We didn't know if he would accept, but it was awesome!!!!! The spirit was so strong, and it was even more amazing because I got a little taste of what it will feel like when these people that I love accept baptism, and even more so when they are actually baptized. I loved it! And am so so so grateful. Our teacher/investigator gave us a thumbs up for the lesson, which has never happened so it was a good confidence booster too! :D So happy!

Friday: Friday was in-field orientation. It was so long. It started at 8 am and went to 5 pm. But it was a bunch of workshops and stuff preparing us for the field. It was good, and I don't remember much of it, but I just remember feeling like I can do this.

This week Wu Lao Shi had all the mandarin teachers come in and bear their testimonies and share advice and such, and it was awesome. Because the Spirit testified to me that I can do this. I don't have much confidence in myself in learning Mandarin, but I know (as I'm sure I have said before), that God has called me to do this, so that I can share the gospel with His children. And as long as I do my part, I will not fail, and that I will do this. My confidence is in God and Christ, not so much in myself.

So we have three elders in the other zone who have this inflatable Olaf that sits in the hall by their room, Sister Hughes and I went and deflated it and left an anonymous note. Then acted like we didn't do it. Then the next day, we stole it and left another note. Kinda childish but we gotta do something to have a little fun!!!

Saturday: Full of goodbyes to all the teachers, and a lot of pictures! It was fun though. Elder Ramanlal also had a bunch of leis from Hawaii, (he's from Hawaii) and we gave them to our teachers. We went around the room, and we all put one on their neck. It was great. I love my teachers and am so grateful for all of the other mandarin teachers. They have taught me so much and I have grown so much from their examples.

Wu Lao Shi gave us individual interviews and it was really nice. She told me that I was going to be great. She told me she and Ge Lao Shi could tell that I had been blessed with the ability to talk to people, and to really love them. And she said this is such a great gift and that the people in Taiwan were really going to love me. She also gave me some tips about learning Chinese. She also told me that both her and Ge Lao Shi could see that I had the very important trait of pushing myself. She said they never had to help me improve or anything because they know that I am always looking to improve myself. It was really nice to hear, because that's definitely how I feel I am, but hearing it from someone else was a bonus.

Packing hasn't been stressful at all, and I really should be more freaked out. Last week I was more afraid, and I wasn't sleeping or eating well, but this week, I have only felt peace, and I can't tell you how much of a miracle that is. If you think about it, what I'm doing is crazy. I'm 19 years old, and I've given up everything in my life to go to the opposite side of the world to teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, in one of the hardest languages to learn. From someone else's perspective this is crazy, but I can tell you with all of my heart and soul that I know I am doing what God wants me to do. I know there isn't anywhere else I am supposed to be, and that there isn't anything else I am supposed to be doing. I have been called of God to teach His word. To wear Jesus Christ's name next to my heart, and visible for the world to see. I am His representative and I have His power to find and teach those who are ready to hear the gospel. I know that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel, and although it may sound a little crazy the way it happened, it's true. I know that it is, and I encourage all of you to find out for yourself. God loves every single one of you, and He knows you by name. He cares about you, and in your life. He wants you to be happy, and as long as you turn to Him you can be happy. He trusts you. He has confidence in you. This has brought me so much hope and happiness. As I said, I should be so scared, but I'm not. I'm completely at peace, and I have felt the Spirit testify to me that I can do this, that I can and will learn Chinese, and that I will make my Father in Heaven proud.

I don't have an invitation for you this week, sorry, but just know that I love you all so much. Even if we aren't close, it's amazing because I can truly say that I love you! I miss you all and I wish you the best of luck. I will admit, I am scared, and I know this is by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and I'm ready for the challenge. I hope you have a great week!!!!

Love,

Sister Roberts

Luo Jie Mei