I'M GOING TO TAIWAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Sister Manzer's year mark celebration

The miracle text

Elder Danklef from the office texted me on Tuesday and I've been waiting all week to tell y'all!! Actually, the text was supposed to be a secret, but President Harding called me on Wednesday and made it official! He said I'll be leaving June 23rd at the end of the transfer.  I cannot even express how grateful I am for everyone's prayers and fasting and faith. I know that Heavenly Father has heard them, and He answered in his perfect timing.  

I just have a few experiences from this week that stuck out to me.  First, we went to Coke World with the Smyrna sisters, Sister Gubler and Suda.  A member in their ward got some coupons, so we went for really cheap! We're real good friends with them and it was way fun! 

5 min nap/make a million calls

Then on Tuesday, we had such a good district meeting! We basically just talked about the mission age change, our experience with it, and the effects of it.  It was cool to hear everyone's stories and to share mine.  I am so thankful for President Monson and the revelation that he receives, or I would not be out here right now! Then we watched the Joseph Smith video of his story and the first vision, and it was so powerful.  I feel lately like I've been more in tune with the spirit, which is awesome! Well, I'm not sure about perfectly following promptings, but when I listen to words or watch something, I can tell when I'm feeling the spirit.  We went on a little field trip across the street from the church to a grove of trees. We all found a quiet place, and we just prayed for like 15 minutes. I asked Heavenly Father if I have fulfilled my purpose in Georgia, and I just kept praying and I hadn't received any answer.  Then a bug came so I had to open my eyes, and I saw the Book of Mormon just chilling beside me, so of course, I had to pick it up.  I read in Alma 23 where my "My Family" booklet was, and read verses 6-18. I thought that was my answer.  People will be saved all throughout the land, whether in Taiwan or Georgia.  So I'm here in Georgia now, and that's where I'm supposed to be.  I'm fulfilling my purpose.  It just made it even more miraculous later that day when I received that text from Elder Danklef as a second part of my answer.  It's finally my time that I'm needed in Taiwan to help save the people who have been prepared for me over there. I'm going to need to pray in the woods more often! I was just flooded with the spirit the second I began praying, and that was really an awesome experience for me.

 Me, Manzer, Sis Creech, Manakofua

We went on three exchanges this week, and that was insane! We had one on Wednesday with the Sandy Springs sisters, Sister Manakofua and Creech.  I stayed here with Sis M, and we had an absolute miracle! We were walking around a huge park before a lesson, and we heard this girl, LaToya, talking on the phone, saying someone told her that she'd have 3-6 months of damnation.  I listened for a second, then turned around and asked her, "What did you just say??" she told us again, and we told her we represent Jesus Christ and we have a message that will help her.  We sat down and laid out the restoration, and she cried through the first vision.  I love when that happens. She was so excited to read the Book of Mormon, and we committed her to be baptized on June 20th.  What do you know, me and Sister Manzer were checking out the Saturdays that very morning, and the 20th is the last one before I leave! Sister Mana kept getting the prompting to invite her to be baptized on the 20th.  The spirit wins every time! LaToya knew that we were sent from God, because that morning she was praying that He would send someone to help her.  Man, the spirit was so strong! It was so awesome to know that we had listened to the spirit (apparently) and were lead to her as an instrument in the hands of God to answer her prayer and help her find the restored gospel! I'm so excited to see her again! 

Exchange with Sis. Gallardo from Mexico

Sisters Percival, Cortez, Manzer, Gallardo, and me

We also went on exchanges with the Chamblee sisters, who serve in the Spanish branch. Sister Percival, Cortez, and I went with Sister Gallardo.  Ahh I miss speaking Spanish! It was so sad that I could hardly think of words to say and them get them out, but I did a decent job considering my mind is on Chinese right now.  But I can't wait to hear my family speak Spanish again! Si se puede! Hahah. We had a back-to-back exchange with the Twin Oaks sisters, Sister Lund, and then I went with Sister Olsen.  

                                                      Exchange with Sis. Olsen

Sister Olsen, Lund, and our tongbantuan at Savage Pizza

We saw a million miracles, including a baptism for a family of 6! That was awesome.  I've gotta find one of those! I keep praying for the Stowe's, but for now I'll just find 6 YSA's (:

It's kind of weird teaching YSA.  It's like they're my own people, you know? It's not someone older and wiser than me that I respect, and it's not a little 9-year old that I have to teach very simply.  It's just like one teaching my friends.  I hope this will be good practice so I can go home and be an awesome member missionary! I love YSA though.  Our ward is so awesome, and they rock and fellowship everyone, especially all the RM bug seller guys!

 

My heart is just so grateful. I seriously can't say enough prayers of gratitude.  I still don't know exactly why this has all happened, but I have complete faith and trust in the Lord and His perfect plan for me.  I know that I need to savor and make the most of my time in Atlanta while I'm still here.  But my time has finally come :)

Love, Sister Facer

                            Coke World! Sister Manzer, me, Sister Gubler, and Sister Suda (:

Millions of Miracles

Hey y'all!

This week was just fine and dandy (: I'm just starting to get the hang of things, and how it all works with YSA and in the big city.  It's a huge change, but I'm loving it! We drive a ton more, so we don't have as many appointments throughout the day, and if we ever have a spare second, we're street contacting.  I WILL get good at it! It's just taking a little extra time. Oh by the way, before I forget, here's our new address if anyone wants to write or something:

3311 Renaissance Way NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

I forgot to write this, but as we were saying good bye to Shira last week, she asked me if there was one thing I've learned from being in Barnesville.  I think it would definitely have to be patience, trust in the Lord and His timing, and that everything works out for our good. I feel like I've gained all the patience in the world, which I'm sure will help me in the future one day.  

                                                             My favorite bridge 

So some updates on the people we're teaching: Jordan has had a bipolar week, unfortunately. He totally dropped us on Tuesday, then on Saturday we asked how his week was, and he said he's been thinking a ton and wants to meet with us again, and he came to church on Sunday! He got all hung up on callings, and then we realized that he doesn't even know if he has faith in Jesus Christ, but he wants the meaty doctrine because he's a philosopher… He's a tough one haha.  Last week, we sang some song about the prophet, and he wasn't too fond of that.  Sister Manzer and I joked that we'd sing "Praise to the Man" this week in church, and we actually sang "We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet,” the next best song.  And he actually sang the last verse! We think that his heart is slowly softening. 

                                       Sister Manzer, Mika, and me.  Mika just got back from
                                                       teaching English in China 

I TAUGHT MY FIRST ASIAN!!! CHAO is so legit.  Other missionaries were teaching him before I came, but he's been in Utah, and he saw the 'big, beautiful Mormon temple' (I love when he texts us and uses bad grammar.  Haha it's so cute.), and I actually understand why he says certain things according to his language, so it's cool. He said his first prayer in Chinese, and it was so precious! I'm excited to see him grow (: 

 We had a million miracles this week, but I'll just share a few.  So we met a guy named Carl at a mall somewhere, and he was awesome! He started giving us his number, and then just decided to call us so we'd have his number, and then we totally forgot to save it :/ So we prayed all week that he would call so we could see him again, and yesterday he texted us! Heavenly Father is a God of miracles! I'm excited to teach him this week (: 

                                     This is Hannah, who is incredible.  She was baptized the
                                        Saturday after I got here, from the North mission.

Also, on Saturday night, we got out of a lesson late, and got home late, which meant we weren't able to get gas for the car, and it was already on empty! We still had all of Sunday to drive, 30 mins to the church, 30 minutes back to an appointment, and 10 minutes home.  We were debating on whether we should call someone to bring us gas just in case, or just buy like a gallon of gas, but we decided it would be best to just pray really hard and let Heavenly Father do the rest.  Ah, the Lord always provides (: Blessings of keeping the Sabbath Day holy! 

Speaking of the Sabbath, we also talked about that this week.  President Harding went to a leadership training thing, where they talked about the leadership training for all the general authorities.  They spent two whole days talking about the Sabbath Day! Let's stick to the basics, y'all. Since we're sister training leaders, we got to go to the mission leadership council and hear about it all.  We even got to meet at the mission home (: It's beautiful, by the way. I felt that I don't think we realize how important the sacrament is! They said something about when we take upon us Christ's name, that entails taking upon us all of his works and his thoughts.  Do we really do that every day? We've all got room to improve.  Anyway, it was really cool to have a little bit more personal meeting with President and Sister Harding.  Of course, Sister Harding pointed out that the lowering of the mission age change has spiked marriages of people from the same mission! Haha so I guess it had more than one perk (: 

                                        Leadership Council at the mission home.  Looks like
                                                    a Utah wedding reception.

                                          And this is Stockton Harding, the mission's son :)

Well, I better finish up.  Things are so awesome, I can't even express how much I love it here. I know that this is truly the Lord's work, and His hand leads every second of it.  I love this gospel so much, and I'm so grateful to be a missionary at this time in my life! I love you all, y’all!

Love, Sister Facer

                                             Look at me--killing a bug!  How brave is that??!