Last week at the MTC!

Dear family, it's finally here....I'll leave next week for Taiwan!!!! This is my last p-day in the MTC and I am both excited and scared out of my mind to leave. Last Friday we got our flight plans and it was honestly the highlight of my week. After being here for nine weeks the MTC does tend to drag on quite a bit. Elder Larson is our District Leader so he gets to check the mail and so we were all like "okay after lunch we are all going with you to the mail room to get our flight plans." When we got back from gym and were studying in our classroom before lunch, Elder Larson says, "So Elder Turpin and I may have taken a slight detour after gym..." and then proceeds to open his jacket and we all see these bright green packets that are our flight plans. We all started screaming and there were hands flying trying to get the flight plans. All in all, we all got our visas and we all leave the same day (Dec. 27)!  

We leave Provo at around 4:50 am (that's when we meet at the travel office but that's not the time we exactly depart from Provo) but our flight from Salt Lake to San Francisco is at 9:40 am so I am not sure when I will call??? When is best? Will you guys be awake? I don't have much of a layover in San Fran before Taiwan. We are estimated to arrive in San Fran at 11:12 am and we leave at 12:20 pm. I am the travel leader so I am in charge of all of us leaving the MTC and going to Taiwan, so in total five people including myself. Elder Turpin has never been on a plane so we all have to help him out. I'm emailing so early because we have to clean the temple at 8 and that's three and a half hours of service. I'll be back on later, but then after that I have to pack. Once I finish packing I will know how much stuff I have to send back. 

Also, on Christmas we get to call you guys for half an hour!! Our time is at 4! Who should I call? It's not a Facetime or anything but you do get to hear my beautiful voice. 

Also, I got the package with the music and food. Thanks!!

Love,

趙姐妹

--

Sister Tiffany Chao

Taiwan Taipei Mission

4/F, #24, Lane 183

Jin Hua Street

DA-an, Taipei 106

Taiwan

Week 7!

I'll get my flight plans this Friday!! I'm the travel leader since my last name is C. This week was all good！I have been having a bit of a cough but it's all good. Thanks mom for the care package of cough medicine stuff. 

Yesterday we got to hear from ELDER HOLLAND. THE LEGEND. He is like the most loving person. He talked about how the greatest tool we've ever been given in this dispensation is the Book of Mormon. The integrity of this church stands on the Book of Mormon. It's a do or die stand with the restored gospel/truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. God expects us to read, love, and embrace the Book of Mormon. He then gave us some advice as missionaries - 1. Be the best you can be. 2. Be yourself 3. Be the best self you can be 4. Give all your glory to God. In Alma 26:8 it talks about how the blessing we have is to be the instruments in the hands of God! So the question is: What kind of instrument are you going to be? If you were to go to a surgeon for a life or death situation, you'd want him to have the best tools possible right? God's ability to spread his work is dependent on his tools! Missionary work is hard because salvation is not a cheap or easy thing. Everyone's salvation goes through Gethsemane, it cost Christ everything so it's okay if it costs us something. In verse 11 it talks about how "my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." Missionary work is really...really...really hard but I have never had so much joy. 

Non spiritual stuff:

We did service last night and there's this part where we have to fold this giant gray mat. So half of us are lined up on one side about to pull it across and when we start folding it I have to start holding down my skirt so it doesn't fly up. One Elder in my district was running so fast next to me that I slipped!!!! I tried to get up but they kept running so I was being buried by the mat...so I just laid down on my stomach and just died there. Even when they noticed, stopped pulling, and Sis. Kim came to help me I just laid there giving up.

I might need you to send me a flash drive with music and some Mormon messages that are in Chinese and English cause Annie Brinkerhoff (from Jr. high) is in Taiwan and that's what she recommended. 

Love,

趙姐妺

--

Sister Tiffany Chao

Taiwan Taipei Mission
4/F, #24, Lane 183
Jin Hua Street
Da-an, Taipei 106
Taiwan