The Last Letter

Yikes. I feel like sense its the last it has a lot of pressure to be a really good letter to you all... unfortunately I will not stress about it too much so it will be a pretty average letter! HAha! I can tell stories way better than write and you will all get to hear them soon enough!

What a wonderful week it was! Christmas is always lots of fun as a missionary! It was really nice being able to talk to you guys you are all still super cute and I am SOO proud of Tacie loosing a tooth! 

Okay so for the week here. Well its true that in the last week of your mission weird things happen. It happened with Sister O'Brien and with Sister Gagon and now to me too! But mine was on a way less scale than both of theirs! My favorite flash back from just barely was that I thought of the time when in YiLan with Sister O'Brien some creepy little old man stopped her then tried doing some really weird stuff! HAHA mine was more like this, we had a ton of people set up to meet with us and then they all canceled on us like 5 minutes before their lessons. And our poor Rockstar Brother Qiu got an ear infection this week so he wasn't able to meet with us at all! But he is doing really good thank you all for your prayers for him. 

UHMMM... We had a lot of members take us out to dinner this week sense it was Christmas! One of my favorites was with the Xie Family. They had set up with us for 6 and then the day of it got changed to 7 and then when we got there the whole place was super booked which they weren't expecting and we didn't start eating till 8... sometimes in life there are things you just can't control. 

My next favorite moment was on Sunday. I was sitting in the waiting room before sacrament waiting for investigators and then two women walk in the door. I stared at them for a bit unsure of who they were but they looked super familiar and then it clicked! YILAN SISTERS!!!!!!!!! Two incredible members came to visit me on my last week all the way from YiLan! They are so nice I love them to death! 

Uhm, any other fun moments??? OH! I remember my silly little body decided that it wanted to get a cold this week. That was super inconvenient but pretty funny as I talked to people with a dripping nose and hoarse throat haha they were all looking at me like, "What the heck are you doing outside ya crazy!!!!" its cute of them because the Taiwanese go to the doctor for a cat scratch they were dying that i was out in the rain with a cold. It was fun! And good news is that I am getting a lot better and am able to breath out of my nose again now so that is great progress!!!

Well, that is pretty much it I wish I had more cool stories but okay well I do but I'll just wait to tell you them in person! Wish me luck on the 21 hour travel process to get back home to America!!! Love you all so much!!!

-Sister Thornley 

Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone! I am so sorry we don't have much time here now for emailing I am sorry. 

The good news is I am still alive and happy! And I will talk to you all soon so its okay I am emailing short. I want you all to know I love you and don't have time to email today cause I need to go buy you all presents so I am sorry but you will all love me for it later. 

-Sister Thornley

Submissiveness

This week was a fun week! It went by so fast! And I don't know if I have ever been so tired in my whole mission! Apparently Heavenly Father wants me to really make sure I run all the way to the end and leave nothing on the field cause thats what training a new missionary is making sure I am doing. Sister Cardon is doing really well I am so happy for her! She is starting to jump into conversations on the streets now and even starting up small talk on the bike! She is doing really well. It got SOO cold here this week... okay now you can all laugh at me when I tell you what temperature it was here... ready? 16 degrees Celsius. Do any of you know what that is in Fahrenheit?? Good I'm not going to tell you or you really will laugh at me. I was FREEZING wearing 3 coats huge gloves and a scarf and super thick tights and still shivering in my skin... okay I'll tell you... its 60.8 degrees fahrenheit... I only have one thing to say, PLEASE BRING ME A HUGE COAT GLOVES AND BOOTS TO THE AIRPORT. Okay that is all :)

Alright for the other fun adventures this week! We met with a Brother Huang who met with missionaries before about two years ago was taught all the lessons and even had a baptismal interview but then ultimately didn't end up getting baptized for some reason. Anyway we met with him and he completely forgot everything. However he still had a Book of Mormon. The cool part was the lesson got started off all awkward as Sister Cardon and I were trying to get a feel for each other and in what she was going to want to say in the lesson and then the spirit just took over and words came flowing to both me and her as we taught with great clarity and power of the book of mormon. I am not bragging it was NOT me. I have never done that before and if its not the Lord's will I will never be able to do it again. All I know was that it was one of the coolest lesson's I have ever been in and it really strengthened me. Let me quickly share with you all, it is TRUE. The book of mormon really is true. The accounts really did happen and what does that mean why would that be important?? Because that means that Christ really is risen and he really is our savior just like all the prophets said he is. I know that it is true. 

Next cool moment. We had just biked back home from an appointment and started DPS I asked my companion if she could lead us the next day to our lessons. She looked at me and shook her head a little. I chuckled and asked, "do you know where the McDonalds is that we JUST came from? Can you get us to there?" she looked at me in deep thought retracing how we got back home then looked again and shook her head. I started laughing super hard as I told her "Its just down the street no turns or anything you get on the street and go straight :) " Then we were both laughing as she told me "Okay look its not my fault I can't pay attention to where we are going I'm trying not to get killed!!!" haha shes right the streets in Taiwan are a little scary I don't blame her! Then the next day she really did lead us there! Haha too fun! LOAM! (life of a missionary) 

UHmm... okay trying to think of another story I could tell you...UHMMM... Oh! Yesterday we were biking to a dinner appointment with a member here and Sister MIller and her baby were leading the way we were biking pretty fast cause we were almost late well I have been very good recently at checking behind me to make sure my companion is there and safe well I hadn't looked back for a while  and suddenly got a yucky feeling and thought to look back I was worried she had gotten hit by a car.... I looked back and saw here there but suddenly she stood up on her bike pedals and stopped. I had just rounded a turn cause I had saw she was safe so kept going then saw the had stopped. So I waited for a few seconds she didn't come so went back to check and her bike chain had popped of in the moment she stopped the same moment I felt to look back. Now maybe she wasn't in huge danger but if I hadn't looked I wouldn't have known she had stopped and I would have kept going yes I would have looked and noticed soon enough she wasn't there but it would have made her super nervous and worried. We got the chain back on and got going again! I love the Spirit. He's a super cool guy to have around.

Okay I think thats all the stories that I have left in me... hope thats okay! Love you all!

-Sister Thornley

Stressed.

Haha okay well I need more prayers guys. ;) So I have my new missionary here in NanKan with me! Her name is Sister Cardon she is a doll I love her a lot shes got a lot of desire to do the work. She is 21 and already graduated from college she majored in Linguistics with a minor in Japanese. Unfortunately that won't help much here in Taoyuan more so in Taipei city. I am sure she will get a chance. While she was waiting for her visa she was serving in Georgia yes... I just spelled that wrong I think but I don't know how to spell it right. and you all know what I mean. but  yep she is now here in taiwan with me!!!! Her chinese is INCREDIBLE. I talk to her in complete Chinese so either her chinese really is that good or she is a really good actress and makes it seem like she understands. Super impressed with her! 

Funny story from our first night out on the streets I invited her to lead us that night for the hour we had of contacting. She looked super nervous at me but I wanted to push her so she could get used to contacting really fast and I had already spent a day leading it so I figured she was ready. Well I helped her get started by stopping a man then looked at her to talk she looked panicked back at me so I smiled and helped her out. After we finished the contact I laughed with her and asked why she froze up and all she needed to do was teach the gospel to which made me laugh even harder when she said "I FORGOT THE GOSPEL! " Haha it was adorable! So after we finished laughing we turned and saw a couple walking towards us I turned to her and said, "Okay your turn!" She said a nervous Ni Hao then let them walk past. I looked at her she looked back at me and shrugged her shoulders we continued to walk then all the sudden she collapsed on the ground! It scared me to death I though she had passed out! But she hopped up quick after and went to walk another step I had put my arm around her and she collapsed again! I forced her to sit down after her protesting that she was fine and we could keep going. After some intense pointing at a chair and a loud voice telling her to sit down she sat. Turns out that when she gets tired or nervous her left leg gives out and looses all strength to support her weight. She has had doctors test her before and there is nothing wrong at all just the way she is :) So lesson learned I need to go a little slower with her than what I originally was thinking. Which is TOTALLY fine she is so great and incredible she will get it down in no time. And this is how great she really is. Even after I did that to her she still loves me and will laugh with me about the whole thing! What a rockstar!!!!

Okay now about the Baptism we had!!!!! Lily and Liu Mama are baptized!!!!  It was such a beautiful night! They came dressed in some super asian china style dresses that were SO beautiful the pictures do not do justice as you can't tell the material and texture from it. And it all went really smooth only one time and good! 

This sunday was a really special sunday probably the buisiest sacrament meeting I have ever attended as we had FOUR confirmations THREE baby blessings and FOUR new missionaries bearing their testimony! IT was so incredible! Three of the four confirmations were ours and all three of the babies were from our recent converts children! IT was incredible. I was close to tears. I really love this area so much there are so many miracles the Lord is giving to us. 

Okay I need your help. We have two investigators right now that are really progressing towards baptism but they need more prayers. Qiu Ming Su and Zhang Jing Ping. They are both brethren. They are incredible. Brother Qiu is fighting to quit some WOW problems and Brother Zhang just needs a confirmation its true. Thank you for your help from the other side (of the world) we really can feel it. 

Next story. This is before the new missionaries came Sister Miller and I were studing at our desks when suddenly we heard a humming bird in our apartment. We looked around to see where it was coming from and it scared us to death when we saw not a cute harmless bird but a HUGE GIANT hornet!!!!!!! It was terrifying and took us a good hour to kill with the assistants from our gaurds downstairs! 

Uhm... yep I think thats all. I love you all have a good week! 

-Sister Thornley 

Sister Cardon eating lunch

 Okay no judging. For some reason ALL baptismal pictures are really terrible.

With four sisters in our TINY apartment this is what we are living in now...............

dont worry today is pday it will get better

a good ol picture of Sister Millers BEAUTIFUL face!

 Okay rest at peace in knowing these are NOT my legs. They are Sister MIllers. Look close. she hasn't shaved her legs the entire time she has been a missionary. 

dont worry I shave all the time!

Okay all you, Crazy good news that you probably won't appreciate as much as I would like you to. So as I am sure you know I have only 4 weeks left :( I was sure I would finish my mission in peace with my calling as a Sister Training leader here in nankan. Well then tables flipped Saturday. Here in our mission we get training calls Saturday which means the assistant to the president will call the few lucky missionaries that are now called to train a new missionary. Well my companion and I were ridding home in peace when our phone rang. We ignored it and quickly biked home. Then they called again we looked and saw it was the assistants I was really happy for my companion knowing it would be for her cause to train a missionary takes 12 weeks! She goes home next year in april so I was so happy for her that she would be training! And then the assistants chuckled and said, Sister Thornley, we also need you to come to the trainers meeting Saturday, you will be training too! 

So my mission has been officially extended! I will now be coming home in Feburary of next year. The Lord needs me to stay here a bit longer to train this new missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too cool huh?! Okay not true. But I really will be training a new missionary as well as being a Sister Training Leader. Please pray for my new baby she will have to work really hard to get all the training done in the 3 weeks we will have together that are supposed to have 12 weeks to do. She must be incredible!!!!!

Hehe hope that made you all chuckle a little! I really will need extra prayers I am not sure how this is supposed to work out. So now let me tell you about the rest of the week! 

I want to share with you a miracle we saw yesterday. We had met a girl last last week and she was really awesome but super busy and wouldn't be able to meet with us until yesterdays Sundayshe told us she would come to church. our hopes were really high but we were secretly really sad inside cause we didn't think she would really come. But she DID!!! As we met with her yesterday we taught of the resoration of the gospel and she accepted a baptismal invite! She set the date for Dec 27! GO Meghans Birthday! We are hoping to have at least 2 baptisms that day! Please pray that they will go through! 

The next really incredible miracle to which I need to thank you all for your prayers for is that this saturday our two beautiful Sisters from China have passed their baptismal interviews and are recieving baptism this wednesday! Thank you so much for your help in their conversion process they have felt the added prayers in their behalf. They are so incredible! i'll send you a pic of Sister Lily's son you will fall in love he is so adorable! 

Last fun story for this week This morning as Sister Miller and I were studying this morning we suddenly heard a really strange noise it sounded like a humming bird as we looked up their was a HUGE bug flying above us. It scared us to death it was huge! We werent sure what it was either never seen anything like that. Then it did the worse flew toward us. Both Sister Miller and I scram and dove under our desks. Then  the humming stopped. It had flown onto a ledge thing in our apartment that holds the lights. As we tried to get it out to kill it we saw what it was a huge hornet  litterally about 4 inches long with a yellow orange head and you could see its stinger poking out about 3 cm. We got too scared and called our door man to help us. He came in with a misquito killing wracket thing anyway he did kill it for us but it took steping on it about 3 times to really kill it. Terrifying. Then the next fun part we went out to a flat tired bike of mine. Poor little guy had ran a real good course. and I needed to go buy a new tire for the last month of my mission. huu :) smile and take it all in right?! 

Well I love you all have a great week! 

-Sister Thornley

Thanksgiving dinner!!!!

 His name is QIQI :) haha sound asian to you??

 and then a member surprised us and invited us over for dinner. I about dropped dead~!

Repent

Haha oh man this week was so much fun!!! 

From day one- monday was super fun my poor companion got an asian haircut on accident and so we went to try to get that fixed... it didn't work. She is really patient though so its okay! Then in the night we went to see Lily and Liu mama! They are so incredible! I love them so so much! They are starting to read and pray today every night together as a family! TOo stinking awesome! and Liu mama is really starting to develop her own testimony i was almost in tears i was so excited for them! We then went and visited our cute new member family. They are doing so well. And very excited to go to the temple and do family history work`1

Tuesday- Okay i can't really remember tuesday very well. . oh wait no its comin back to me! So I went on exchanges with Sister Beazer and it was so COOL we had a lot of contacting time in their area we said a prayer to get started and set a goal of two lessons and two new investigators and in the hour we HIT THE GOAL and a bonus we got a new baptismal date investigator~! It was relly awesome!

Wednesday- English class rocked this time! Normally it is really hard for me cause i can't answer their questions about english and feel like they don't like me but this time it went really well and i thikn they like me know! SCORE!

Thursday- interviews wit Pres Day ended up being behind schedule and needing to race home for the dinner appointment. But so much fun I love our other RC she is to die for with such a strong testimony!

Friday- We were able to refind a family we were teaching before but dropped off- they are back!!!!

Saturday okay this is where the story gets cool buckle down fellas~!

SO it was stake conference this week end and we have an area 70 come to it! Reflect for a moment to this last conference remember how they had the sweet cantonese speaker?? MMMHMMM he came here! And his english is crazy good and his chinese is super cute and funny! HE is such an awesome man I look up to him. He teaches a lot like Elder Holland, very bold with no fear and calls us to repentance. Really though he said this line, "missionaires, you know that working with the members is the most efffective way of missionary work right?" We nod and say yes to which he says "THEN WHY HAVE YOU NOT REPENTED? I invite you to repent now. Tomorrow in your companionship study you think of ways you can better work with the members and then do it okay? And memebers when they call you up to ask your help you don't say that you are too busy with work or with this that and the other you realize..". and continued on it was AWESOME! haha it was really so so so cool. All the missionaries faces were huge with smiles as we laughed at his sarcasm  but truth to the challenges that we have here in taiwan of people being too busy for God. And i realized that actually its not just Taiwan. everyone everywhere is getting sucked into this trap from Satan to be so busy with maybe even good things that we don't have time to do the Lords work. And I promised myself that I can't let that happen. And then today in studies it was perfect I was in 3 NEphi 13. Go read that chapter. 

I love you all so excited to hear from most of you. Some are too busy to write the missionary now but hey thats okay so long as what your doing is going out with the missionaries ther to do work instead of writting me. if not... Well I won't share with you the good presents i was planning to bring home to you all. ;) Haha i am just kidding i will still share! Love youall!!!

-Sister Thornley

A beautiful winter week

Well you guys all jinxed us here and sent the winter winds the weather litterally changed over night from sweating in my cool shirt and skirt to freezing in my thick tights and coat! It was a pleasant surprise and actually I like the weather here in the winter its really pretty. The clouds roll really fast and really low dropping out their rain. Its not to bad except when biking it gets really really cold as the puddles splash up but i like it a lot! 

So many cool things happened this week! We are starting to have more success on the Less Active front which I love working with. They are such special spirits. I love helping them come back and feel the spirit and remember why they were drawn in in the first place. They are such important people to work with. And usually the hardest. I was reading in Alma 24 this morning and read of the conversion of the lamanites and that there was not one of them who once knew and were once nephites that came back. Well, its true its hard to get them back when they turn away but its so important to invite them back! Please add in this man to your prayers he will really need extra help, Brother Yang Jian Bing. He is willing just nervous of failure. 

Last night was super cool we had lessons set up every hour and as we just left a members house who had had us over for dinner our next appointment canceled. So we were off to find some new people on the streets but as we turned a corner I noticed a street and slowed down. I asked my companion if she had ever been down there finding before she said she had not but that she didn't want to either. We thought of some more options then turned it over to the Lord in a prayer. And as we finished the prayer I turned my head back to look to the street and saw a woman turn off it walking toward us. We smiled and said hello. THEN SHE STOPPED. She herself stopped and began talking with us. To our surprise she knew a lot about our church and had been to it before as well as a lot of our English classes but it was a LONG LONG time ago. At first she seemed so nice and then all the sudden the conversation spun and she began telling us of all the terrible things she had heard of us and that she couldn't believe we would support that and in one breath and a sentence said some very hurtful things. My body shook a little with anger as I wanted to clarify the horrible things she had heard of us. And then a peace. no not a peace... a different route came into my mind and I began to testify to her of a Living God and the love that He has for her. And that he is there. It was suddenly as though a warm energy pulsed around the three of us. And the spirit was there very thick. The woman's expression changed and the scripture came to mind that we would not be confounded. I was very touched as the feelings had done a 180 from my frustration of her saying that to us to a love for her and a deep compassion for the pains and trials she has gone through and a hope for her and the life she could have with a hope of a Father in Heaven. She did not end up accepting our invitation to learn more but she and I went our ways a different person. 

We also have two beautiful women working towards baptism. I ask that you all may also add them into your thoughts and prayers a Sister Han LiLi and her mother Momma Liu. They are from CHINA here to hear the gospel and be baptized! (okay so not the reason they would say if you asked why they are here but the reason I am convinced of) It is a mother and a daughter but the daughter was once married and has a small son QiQi They are incredible and so full of faith. They love the church and love the family feel that they have here. Please pray that they may gain a testimony they want to be baptized so badly their desire is there now they just need to be able to have a tesitmony to pass the interview! Please pray for them especially Momma Liu.

Well family, I love you all so very much. I am grateful for your prayers and encouragement for me. I love this work so much and am so grateful to have come. I love the people here and love you! 

Be safe 

-Sister Thornley

Be Still and Know that I am God.

This week we saw many many miracles! It was really awesome and I was very grateful for the tender moments this week that I was able to be still for a moment and recognize where Heavenly Father was. And I am finding that I need to have more quite moments in my life. This week I reflected a lot on the conference talk about which way we face. I don't know its actual name we haven't gotten the Ensign yet but you should all know what I am talking about. Anyway and found that I can do a lot better about making sure I am facing towards my Father and not inverting the greatest commandment with the second to Love God and then to love our neighbor. Its a lot like in the Missionary White handbook that tells us our first loyalty is to God then to the mission president and then to our companion. And I want to really focus on that and ensure I am not backing down to what I know to be right. :) 

This week I got lost. It was terrifying. I was on exchanges with the ZhongLi Sisters and we were biking home at the end of the night and needed to be going pretty fast cause it was close to 9. Well we stopped at a stop light and so i started to talk to the girl next to me while my companion was in front leading the way in her area well the light turned green but I hadn't given the girl I was talking to any kind of invitation and felt bad so quickly asked her to pull over to let me give her a flyer with our name and number and such to my surprise she did! But my companion didn't see and bolted off forward. So I frantically scramble in my bag to grab the  flyer but then felt I needed to do more so then miraculously the woman gave me her number so we could get in contact with her later. Well... my companion is long gone and i have never been there before. So I rack my brain to know how to get back home. and i remembered it was a straight shot so I started biking really really fast hoping to see her stopped waiting for me on the road but i didn't see her. I was getting a little frustrated and began to bike faster. Then a thought came. That i may have passed it already. That i should ask for directions. The light turned red upahead and next to me was a woman. I pulled out a flyer to ask her if I was heading the right direction. And my prideful self was sure I was. I also had just noticed before my companion star on another flyer before which chapel was theirs so I knew which one to ask about. I leaned over and asked Excuse me, I am looking for this address, its just up ahead right? She looked at me and the address then started in broken english No No No you past. its back. I look at her in confusion and ask again. No it can't be its just up ahead right? She warmly smiles and says somehow in really good english now, No its back there, you've gone too far.  My heart sinks and I am panicked I DID pass it. How on earth will I find where I need to turn. She then must have seen my face and again smiles and says  Here, I will take you there. 

Relief washes over me. as I bike after her. I had missed a turn and was two blocks down from where the chapel was. Then another problem arises. My companion. Now i am at the church but I don't know where she is and where our home is from the church. I then remember I had just written down President Day's number in my planner two days before. I ask the woman where the nearest pay phone is. She looks around and seeing none pulls out her phone. I quickly call President Day and so so SO embaressed explain the situation and ask for my companions phone number. Then my poor companion when answering the call says in relief Oh good I was praying you would be smart enough to get to the chapel I will be there soon! 

Then I find out that my then companion had also called my companion Sister Miller in our area and told her I was lost and she didn't know what to do. To which Sistert Miller said, Sister Thornley's a smart girl she'll get to the chapel don't worry. We'll pray for her too. They knelt in prayer and asked that I would be able to find someone who would take me to the chapel. 

I testify that Heavenly Father hears prayers and answers us. I know that we are not here on this earth alone to wander aimlessly lost. But that we have His spirit with us to lead and guide us safely home. 

I love you all, I am so grateful for this gospel and the peace it brings to us. I know as we listen to the spirit we will be guided safely home. 

Have a beautiful week, remember to listen to the spirit!

-Sister Thornley

Okay :)

This week I promised you all I would try to write a bit funner. So here we go :)

BAPTISM!!!!! oh yeah! We had a family get baptized this saturday! It was so awesome they are so incredible!!!!

Okay last night as we were biking back from the chapel on our cute super asian cool foresty swampy road then I saw something hoping and as I looked down quick I saw a little frog hoping along with me! It was SO CUTE!

We have an investigator we are working with right now her name is Lily she is a single mom who has a little 8 month son who is adorable. I love  meeting with her! Everytime we meet to teach teh gospel such incredible things are said. I find myself really learning as we teach. Just like the scripture says those who learn and teach are edified together! I lvoe it!

Another fun moment this week, we had just finished up studies and were calling some former investigators to see if they would be willing to set up another time to meet with us again. When my companion called up a Jehovah's Witness. She starts out the conversation very politely responding to why our nickname is mormons and yes we believe in Christ and yes we also believe in God and yes we also even believe in the Spirit. Then I was super impressed as she started to ask some very deep thought provoking questions from the bible and then... then it gets a little intense. What I learned from it- that I need to really remain calm and help people see that our message is an invitation. That is to consider the truth that we have of the Book of Mormon and invite them to pray and ask if it be true then leave it to them to use their agency to choose. 

This morning i had a really cool study on finding the doctrine that teaches that Jehovah is Jesus. I invite you all to do it and then please share with me what you know. Don't worry I won't bash them or anything I just want to have a better understanding for myself so that I can better answer them!

Anything else that I could share with you all.... OH! Yes my companion just reminded me. I wish you could all see the interesting buildings here. SO we went door knocking the other day in this pretty... run down place and anyway its a seven story building that we walk up the stairs knock the doors talk to the people walk up the next flight do it all again. But the fun part is that here in Taiwan when you get to the top its not just top. On the roof there are also little shelter things built that we get to knock too, well heres the fun part of it all was this time we also found this funky secret backside entrance to a whole other side of the building that also has homes. It was creepy and I have no way of adequately telling you all what it was like but lets just say very grateful we are led by the spirit and fear no man! 

It was a really good week we had tons of really cool experiences and met a lot of really great people! I love you all have an awesome week! 

-Sister Thornley

Temple Day!!

Sorry I didn't write monday our p-day got changed to today so that we could go to the temple today!!! I loved it! I love the crazy cool insights and revelation that come to me inside the temple. I was also able to do some of the stuff in chinese which was WAY cool and crazy hard to understand but it really made me listen really hard. I liked it a lot! 

Oh also, I MOVED! Haha :) Yes!~ I am now in a place called NanKan its in Taoyuan. I love it here already! My companion is Sister Miller who is so fun and full of energy. Its a little humbling being in a place I don't know once again and am becoming grateful for being able to be in Yilan that long where I could know where we were going who to call and such. I love it though. There are so many fun miracles going on here. The first night we were here we set 6 new baptismal dates with investigators. SIX! In ONE NIGHT. All I can say is that I said a very long gratitude prayer that night. I am so grateful to have been able to meet such prepared and incredible people. It was such a good feeling. 

My new apartment is cute. We live on the 23 floor so imagine our building its HUGE however our apartment is a little baby guy. But its nice and hommy. The washer machine shocks you if you touch it without rubber shoes on. It will only take me a few times to get into the habbit I am sure. Another fun thing is that the district here is SO close it really feels like a family here. Very different from anything else. I have realized from moving here that I have always been a little... lonely?? Not really though just like super tight with my companion and chill with that and now I have a lot of really close friends here all pulling together as one. ANd it really makes a difference the work here is way faster than anywhere else. The work is not meant to be done just by two little missionaries we really do need us all including the members to pull it together. It is an awesome feeling! 

What else happened this week?.... hmmm... OH! Mom dad! I can't do anything fun on the first with you all cause I need to go to a wedding! Sister Gruwell is getting married on the first! So anyway... sorry to throw that wrench in the gears for your plans. 

Uhm... What else to tell you all??? I don't really know yet so next week I will tell you all more about what its like here right now its all really new and crazy I like it a lot. Its slower than taipei like people and car and building wise but faster than yilan. its a good pace I like a lot. 

Well sorry for the mushy letter all about my feelings and takeing on the move mom just asked me to tell her more about the way I am and not the stories that is going on. so I can't really do both my brain is not that smart. Simple. I have been working on being able to have more simple thoughts so that I can teach the lessons easier.. and... anyway :) yes. Love you all will try to write you all personal letters! BYE!!!!

-Sister Thornley

"This week was full of trials but optimistic for next weeks adventures!"

The subject line is a quote from my cute companion as we were reporting our week last night to the District Leader. So this week let me tell ya'll some fun stories hao bu hao?!!

(AWKWARD I just found this email in my drafts I am not sure if i sent it or not... sending it now this was from 2 or 3 weeks ago...)

Well I was on exchanges with the Sisters in WanDa and I have never felt like uhm... worried in Taiwan about stuff getting taken from me except for the pamphlets I am trying to give out to people on the streets. Well anyways there we were in their area but actually we were in their elders area passing out our english class flyers anyway so we were kind of far away from where their area was. Anyways so the time comes that we need to get going to their next lesson so we walk back to our bikes and what would you know my helmet has been taken. I was so angry! Then the weirdest thing happened. We in TAIWAN the land that sells EVERYTHING did not have a bike shop selling helmets anywhere near by. And because we are not allowed to ride without a helmet we needed to walk until I could buy one. We were already late and I was getting more and more frustrated because that is not what is supposed to happen on an exchange then angry at myself for being angry and praying for help then getting more upset when it started raining too. Moral of the story I was so grateful to be with the sister I was with. A cute sister Smith. She was so patient with it all and so helpful to me and really helped me laugh and breathe. Prayer answered. Then after we had found a helmet we were stopped at a red light and one line came into my head. "come what may and love it" anyone remember that talk?? I was so grateful for the Holy Ghost and the truth that in moments when we need it He will talk to us. It was comforting to be reminded and assured from Heavenly Father that he knows I am doing my very best and sometimes there are things I can not control. Then to cheer me up some more the Sitster Smith turned to me and said, "Ya know, I bet the guy who stole your helmet today is going to get in a wreck today and it will be your helmet that saves him. Then years down the road missionaries will knock on his door and ask him when in his life he has felt God's love and he will remember that moment that he took the helmet off a missionaries bike and that it saved his life and he will know its true get baptized then become an apostle. All because of YOU!" It cheered me up :)

This week was really great I learned so much and have really started to get glimpses of what the Lord wants me to be. I am still a far ways away from it but I am doing my best and thats what I can do for now. I am so excited to hear the prophets voice this weekend! Thank you all for not spoiling it for me! I love you all have a beautiful week!

-Sister Thornley

Good afternoon you all :) 

I told you all last week that I would write a better letter this week... well the problem is that now all the missionary days are mooshing together and I can't really tell apart whats cool and whats normal. SO the problem is that I am not sure what you all want to hear. Uhm...

 Okay so this week, our second week in a trio companionship. Fun :) Haha Still getting used to it but I really do like it its nice to have an extra person here to help out with all we have to do. This week we were really blessed! We have been meeting with a young girl named yun qian. She is adorable. 17 years old, her mom is a very less active member but her mom wants her to learn the gospel so we are meeting with her! She is so sweet however super super shy. ITs hard because she wouldn't be so shy to just us but because she's 17 we have to have an adult member with us for her lessons and it makes her super nervous but she still is so cool and will ask really good questions I LOVE HER! Please put her in your prayers she needs some help to get her to church. 

We have also been meeting with a new man Brother Hu (who) he is SO funny haha! Any of you heard of a religion called Ghostisicm? yep spelled wrong but basically its... well we aren't supposed to critise other churches lets put it like this, its so different from anything else that I have a hard time understanding his chinese because of the funky beliefs but he's really cool and willing to read and pray and search for the truth. I like him haha he could also use some prayers. Both of them have baptismal dates we really hope that they will be able to make it. 

JOY is BACK! YEAH!!! You all remember her right?? Our new convert? Well she went to India for a while and anyway now she's back it makes me so happy! P.s. mom and dad we are coming back here next july to go through the temple with her swinging by the phillapeans to go with Margie then to New Zealand to pick up Sister Keung from the airport okay?? ;) 

I was thinking how cool this mission has been because I have met so many really incredible people here from all over. I am so grateful for this experience. 

Okay... trying to think of some funny stories to tell you all yikes... not coming up with any.. OH! Haha the other day our apartment was out of Book of Mormons which is a big NO kind of thing for missionaries. So we went to go pick some up from the chapel and strapped them on the back of Sister Chamberlains bike, I wish I had a picture of it haha poor girl those things are HEAVY and then after we took her up to visit a member who lives on the mountain hahaha sucker "jia you" getting up that hill!!!!  Oh do you all know what "JIA YOU" means?? I think I have told you before it means add oil and its what they say here to encourage others. So I thought it was super cool when in conference they talked about the ten virgins and oil and how we need to add our oil drop by drop. My new thinking phrase. I love the chinese language cause it just works so perfectly with teh gospel. 

Okay so cool miracle from this week. This week we had been trying really hard to find new investigators on an average in our mission we can find about 3-6 new investigators a week. Well it got tosunday and we had only 1. I was a little sad as You could guess then last night Heavenly Father gave us a huge miracle so thank you all for your prayers for us last night they worked in 30ish minutes we found 3 new investigators! IT was SO COOL!!!!!!! 

Well I am doing really good. This week is transfers... I have a pretty big possibility of getting moved but... well according to past experiences I am kind of a once I come I stay for a while kind of a missionary so we will see :) 

Love you all very much!!!

-Sister Thornley

Hello!

Conference was soo good huh?! I loved it! We get it a week late here cause it takes a while to translate to Chinese. 

So this week our companionship got a surprise. We have a new companion with us! Sister Chamberlain from the MTC oh yeah! Party trio goin on! It was a very interesting week. My first time in a trio. And I am learning lots. We had some really cool miracles this week!

We met a guy named Triston he was sitting outside an american restaurant smoking If I remember right. Not really sure anymore so then we started talking to him and he turned us down like a bedsheet but then as we kept pushing we found a click and were able to keep talking. Turns out he met with the missionaries before in Australia when we was working there. And when we asked if we could meet again and help him learn more about baptism he was like, Ya know what? Why not? I must have some pretty good fate with the Mormon church yeah I'd like to learn. 

It was super cool. We don't get that often.  

Oh man! Cool moment. Last night my companions and I had a member come out with us so we could divide and conquer sense there are 3 of us. It was so cool! I took Sister Chamberlain Less active hunting with me while sister Nelson worked with the member on the streets. And we had gone searching for 3 families we had thier addresses and the first no one home. THe second they had moved away I was sad cause our time was short and we hadn't found anyone... again. But the last one. Knocked the door and the man came he smiled and said. How do you have time to come here tonight? (okay the translation in english is weird. they ask questions we don't ask) So we told him we felt a prompting to come visit him. He smiled bigger. He told us he had gone to conferece that day. We hadn't seen him cause never met him before. IT was SO cool!!!! Then he set up for us to visit him again this week. It was so cool to see a less active ready to come back to church again. Miracle.

I am really sorry my letters lately have been stinky my thoughts are a bit all over the place and all... i promise a good one next week okay?? Love you all!

-Sister Thornley 

Pictures

Hat made out of a fruit peel!  That's what the little kids do here on Mid-Autumn's festival.  

Outdoor Zone Conference.  I love hiking in Taiwan!

This week was really good! It felt like time was slowed down a bit and Heavenly Father gave me some time to focus my thoughts and get some things figured out so that I have a better vision for myself and the last stretch of my mission here in Taiwan! I was really grateful this week for all the answered prayers and help that I received from Heavenly Father. I really worked this week to slow down a bit. To not get sucked into the rush of the city and just breathe and listen to the spirit. It was nice! And I recommend that you all back home also do the same. Stop for a second and look at your day. What is it full of?? And are you listening for the spirit?

We had a very incredible miracle this week. One night every single one of our appointments canceled and we were left to find for the next 3 hours. Which is actually not that bad but it can get really tiring. My companion and I were unsure of our plan to be there at that spot to find so we prayed. After the prayer we looked up and saw a woman pacing back and forth. We were outside of a very large hospital so that wasn't a good sign. We went up to talk to her to attempt to comfort her. And I can testify to you that Satan will make you feel inadequate or frustrated to try to prevent you from performing a miracle. Because if we hadn't stayed there and talked to that woman her faith in Heavenly Father and Christ would have taken a hit. She was there waiting for a doctor to tell her the results of her baby. She had been trying to get pregnant for months and it just wasn't happening. Finally this month things started looking good. And she had offered a very fervent prayer to our Father. But sense that time two weeks had passed. Because her condition is so fragile she needs to do check ups every week to check the baby. She was only on her 4th week and the doctors told her if she could stay stable that the chances would be a lot better after the second month into the pregnancy. We were there for her 4th. and in that moment she was so heart broken she was afraid that because throughout the week she had forgotten to pray. As we talked with her and assured her of our Fathers love for her I thought of the many miraculous times in the bible where the Lord blessed women to be able to have children. However I was a bit afraid to tell her of these and to promise her the same blessing because I am not God and I don't know his will. But as we prayed with her again before leaving a very peaceful feeling came to me and I remembered the scripture that teaches us of an unchanging God. I knew that if He could do such miracles before to the faithful women he could do it now. As we looked up all of our hearts full we embraced the woman and ensured her if she would keep faith and strive to come unto Christ the Lord would bless her to be able to have a miracle. She was so full of hope. And she looked at us with tear streaked cheeks and thanked us for being there for her that night as Christs messengers to give her faith. I too am thankful for being a representative of our Savior and to be here to declare as ministering angles of the message of peace and hope. 

I love you all very much. I am grateful for your love and support. I am looking forward to hearing how your prayers worked this week to know how to better help with the Lords work. 

Be strong and of a good courage!
Philipeans 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me!

Sister Thornley

Typhoons:)

I wish you all could have as much fun as I do here in Taiwan! Let me tell you all a little about the Taiwanese and the typhoons. Alright, so here if there is rain there is NO WAY the taiwanese people will leave their house. NONE. So when typhoons come its like... hmmm.. how can I compare this so you can all understand... it would be like If in America we heard that there was going to be raining hail the size of bolders and that it would kill everyone in sight.. OKay so when Typhoons come it become literally imposible to get anyone out of the house to meet with us. Well this week my companion and I really focused on inviting everyone we met to come to church with us. We had 5 people who were going to come. Then saturday rolls around and we start to hear on the streets that there is going to be a typhoon that night. Well we began to worry. Because if there was a typhoon none of them would come. I was so sad. And my companion and i began to pray. I prayed so much that the typhoon could hold off until today so that our investigators would be brave enough to come to church so they could progress to baptism. And my dearest family. Just as in the New Testament when Christ calms the storm I bear testimony that Heavenly Father still has power of the storms today. We walked out the door sunday to go to church. There were clouds but no wind. And no rain. We got to the chapel and began to ask some of the people there about the typhoon when it would be coming. To our surprise (but not really) they were all astounded that it would be coming in Monday and not today. I about fell over with relief!!! However out of the 5 only 1 really came but it was the beautiful new investigator of ours Cindy. She is such a miracle and such a brave woman! She stayed all 3 hours!!!! Then the next miracle. After the closing prayer in relief society our bishop came in and said to us all, Sisters we must cancel all your appointments today and go straight home the typhoon is coming. Heavenly Father held back the storm until after church!!!!! 

Then that night because of the typhoon and we missionaries are to use our best judgement of safety to decide whether to go out and work or stay inside in this case because it wasn't rated as a serious typhoon. WEll my companion and I went out! And in the typhoon and pouring rain we found 2 new investigators in two hours. I testify that Heavenly Father is aware of us. 

This week was absoluetly amazing. I am so grateful for the Lords hand in this week. There is no way the success that we had was from Sister Nelson and I. I know that the work is the Lords. and we are merely tools in his hand. 

My invitation to you all is to pray right now. And ask Heavenly Father what it is that he wants you to do to help his work. And then call the missionaries and plan it with them. Please do this. We have the responsibility. I want to hear how it goes next week when you all email me okay???

I love you all so much. Have a wonderful week!

-Sister Thornley

 a nasty picture of us but it was moon festival that day and the moon was right there we had to stop at the light anyway and got the picture

 asian tacos...

rice onions kewi tomatoe peper in lettuce

 my first letter to a recent convert here :)

me and my companion in front of 101