Miracles

​This is a fruit exclussive to Taiwan.. ba?? its called Leechee I think I know the chinese name. Lizhi

​The coolest thing ever. Went to the dragon boat festival and this was going on there. They are some crazy martial arts people. The one with the two men is a long iron rod that they mangaged to get wrapped around their throats. Coolest thing ever.. 

then we got to meet him. what!!! His muscles are bigger than my head!

 oh also the hair wrap she puts on every night to keep her locks a flowing

this was a hike we did last week got up to the top and there was a buddist temple that we got to go in. This is the fountain of the holy dragon water. Or translation regular water coming out of a statue dragon mouth so they think its holy and that if you drink it it will give you luck. Well you know what we say as missionaries. Try it and if you feel its right. so we drank it. No feeling. 

 A wishing well

 The great STONE DRAGON!

we found black and white makes us look less fat.. so yes. Black and white here we go., The district. Asian up! 

We found an american hamburger shop!

who also had a cardboard cut out of my man Obama! 

Also.. I have been told that I will be leaving Yilan this week. My first time moving. So took tons of pictures with my sweet yilan members.

Its been great.

This is Sister Liao Xu Rou Jun the one getting baptized this Thursday. I find it is easier to pray for them if you can see them. Shes beautiful huh?

Well everyone. This week was one to be remembered. I got an email from My mission President that told me that this would be my last week here in Yilan so I needed to do all I could to save the souls of those I loved here. No pressure. We worked really hard and both of us prayed and fasted to help them this last week. I have never been so grateful for the guidance of Heavenly Father. we saw so many crazy miracles. No time to write them all. But Thank you all for your prayers they paid off. And the biggest miracle. Sister Keung and I will see one last baptism together the last night here together this Thursday a mom and her son. Pray for them Sister Liao. and her son. Their english names are anderson and jane. classic :) I love the work here. Never in my life been so happy! greatest feeling ever!!!

I love you all be safe and wise and full of the spirit. ps Kyle Bryan havent heard from you twos in a while.. still alive???

The week to be remembered

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

yep that about explains it. 

love you all have a good week!

okay no I am kidding. Lets start the update for you all. So this week I was not here in YiLan for much of it. I really really love this place with all my heart. But we had some cool meetings. In which we were trained on how to get back to the basics to improve our teaching skills and help people prepare for baptism. It was really good and led to a lot of personal reflection. The other fun parts of it was at the meeting I was called to translate! WHOOT WHOOT promotion! Okay acutally it was really humiliating and a nice reminder from Heavenly Father that I cant just pray for the gift of tongues I need to use all I have to improve my language ability. So I will begin to do better at that but it was still a cool experience speaking at the speed of light translating the english to chinese for those there who dodnt speak english. 

The other fun part was I went on two exchanges this week. One I stayed here in LuoDOng and worked with a SIster Steed who is going home in two weeks. She is really amazing and a huge blessing came from it. My sweet little Sister Keung came back and said to me, "Wow Sister Thornley I really take you for granted. I am really glad to be back here with you." Melted my mommy heart. Haha I really love this girl so much its gonna kill me to separate from here. The second exchange I was blessed to go up to Taipei. And work with Sister Barden I learned so much. A lesson I learned that she taught me came from Jesus the Christ. He teaches that there is a unified disunity in the way Christ teaches. For instance with one blind man he literally touches him. Another commands him to form clay and another he spit to another his words alone. The principles are the same but the way he reaches them is different. And I saw whoa, yikes I talk to everybody the same. Whoops time to change it up and follow the spirit better to know when to tell others when to touch when to get to spit in their eye... okay no just kidding but yes :) 

Then the greatest miracle of my life happened! I called our investigator Yan Jie Mie I called her sunday morning to check she was up and coming to church. She told me that last night was really hard and that she has a report she needs to do with her classmates at ten and that they got really mad at her when she told them she was going to go to church. I told her to stop pray and then read the book of mormon and THEN decide if she was going to come or not. As soon as we hung up my companion and I knelt in prayer praying that she would be touched by the spirit and make the decision to follow the commandments. We went to church and didnt see her there. I sat pondering and praying that she would be touched and that I could know what to do for her. If she didnt come this week she wouldnt make her baptismal date. My phone then rang. It was her. She said, "Sister Yao, I am downstairs. I dont know where to go." We ran downstairs and I hugged her so hard! SHE CAME!!!!!!!!!! and now she is going to be on track for her baptism next week. But still many obstacles to jump over I ask you all please be mindful of her. We are doing all we can to help her. 

And oh! also we met a boy from germany who is now going to get baptized when he gets back. Your welcome berlin! ;) As my mission President says, " We help other missionary's we give referrals because we are a team. We are TEAM JESUS!" Love it :) Greatest mission ever! So so happy!!!

Love you all! 

-Sister Thornley/Yao

The Week

Well guys I only have 16 more days with my sweet little kiwi bird. Yep. Realized that last night and it pretty much ripped my heart in half. I really have such a strong testimony that every single companion we are paired with here is all really REALLY hand chosen by Heavenly Father. I love all my companions so much and am so grateful for all of them especially you Sister O'Brien! ;) haha! 

So for the week we saw so many miracles all from a huge test of our faith. We as I think I told you all recently have been very investigator-less and so our time is required to be out on the streets or knocking doors. So thats what we have been doing. It took so much prayer to accept this. I think sometimes I feel that if we are not teaching in a lesson at every half hour and getting a baptism every week then I am not doing the Lords work correctly. I know it is so important to do this effectively and we have the potential to get a baptism each month but I hope to also keep it in perspective. But the fruits of our labors as my companion says are starting to bloom. 

We found 5 new investigators this week! SO GREAT and as we did this we were able to be happy the whole time! Another huge miracle was that we have been praying for someone to be able to be baptized while we are here together and werent sure how this could happen because they have to come to church several times before they could be baptized and the past 3 weeks we had had NO ONE at church. :( But we got a miracle call. A girl who had been an investigator for years and years and never got baptized called us and told us, Hey Sister Yao. I went to my friends baptism. And I want to come back. I wanted to start crying. I am so excited to see where this goes. 

I also realized this week that our motives are very important to the work. We are only able to do as much as we think we can and as our faith requires. I realized that my purpose my drive before was to be an exactly obidient missionary and do whatever the Lord asked of me with full heart and be valiant in doing it. Then I was thinking, So Kim, why do you want to help these people be baptized? My answer at that time was, because thats my purpose thats how they come unto Christ and because President Day expects us to get one a month. WHOA! Slapped myself dont worry. I did it. Then I took some time to pray really hard to help me have more love for these people and desire their eternal salvation. I learned from my companion that I need to look at these people as my brothers. My sisters. And I need to really WANT to live with them MY FAMILY for eternity and thats why I want to help them. So that they can be there with me. It worked. IT was that night that we found the investigators. I really do love them and I am excited for it to keep growing. 

Okay so for the funnies of the week. We were biking at night among the houses inbetween the rice fields. I am in the lead and I see a huge black dog in the field tense up as we come up. I get a little afraid that it will chase after us. Well I pass and it didnt come. I look back to check on my companion and right then I hear her scream WHOA SISTER THO(R)NLEY (the parenthesis are so you know to put in a new zealand accent on the r) DID YoU SEE THAT?! and yes yes I did I did see the dog jump at her but thankfully it stopped. SHe then starts laughing that was the first FROG I have ever seen here! -okay so yes I am like HUH? That was not a frog darlin and turns out the Lord blessed her to not get hurt by distracting her from teh dog jumping at her by catching her eye on a frog that was on the other side of the road. She didnt even see the dog at all. 

Next thing so sometimes we get little critters in our houses here.. Well I am also a bit paranoid we are going to come home and have a stranger in our house so I always check and flip on all the lights as we come home. Well I came into my studies room flip on the light and see something black move out of the corner of my eye,  scream and jump. It was a little lizard on the wall. HAHA Then it was right next to me this morning as I was studying good little guy eat ALL The mosquito! 

Well that is pretty much it! I love you all! Have a great week!

-Sister Thornley

Let it Rain

This week we got lots and lots of rain. But don't you worry good thing I LOVE the rain! HAHA it was so much fun it started POURING it down like literally the drops were HUGE and you know me I am a dancer it was super fun but no worries I also stayed a very dignified respectable representative of Christ. Also.. the movies that make it seem like Asians are either good at math or music.. Half of it is true. We were knocking doors and I heard this super cool violin music playing inside I thought, yeah I could be this guys friend I like this music... knocked and a little girl opened the door holding her violin and bow looking at me like, Excuse me I need to practice you are destroying my future. Yep... well I apologized and said we would come back later. Really though. like I almost wanted to ask for her signature she was THAT good. 

We are finding ourselves in a spring cleaning of our investigator pool. Drain them out and fill it up again. Its not always the most fun but its what needs to happen. Its sad to see the people we love not keep commitments and put other things before learning about our Heavenly Father. But, I know that there are those who are going to put it first. 

Yesterday I translated a Temple Recommend interview for Margie! Thats right everyone! She is AMAZING and so so so excited to have a recommend. Even though her work she has now wont permit her to make the trip to Taipei to go to the temple she is so excited to be holding her recommend to enter the House of the Lord. I love her so much! aLSO she was just given a calling as a ward missionary. She is to invite all she can from her country to accept the gospel and learn from the missionaries. I am so so so happy for her she is the best ever. Also her family is going through a bit of a hard time right now we hope this experience will take them to a place willing to hear the gospel. 

I went on exchanges this week with a Sister Edwards here in Luo Dong. we had two people take us to eat and whoa like I have never been more full in my life! And actually it wasnt that bad of food! Miracle! ;) When we were on exchanges we were knocking doors and found a woman. Her xing is Lai. xing means last name sorry. So Sister Lai. She is abused by her boyfriend and has permanent damage from it. I ask you all to please keep her in mind this week and pray for her protection. I was very impressed with the thoughts throughout this week that every child is a child of God. When we forget this we begin to judge others. It cannot be so. They are my family and I am here to help them return back to the fold. Yep. 

So I am doing very good I love it its getting warm here again so its time for wet from my sweat period of time again. Lets embrace it! Have a good last week of school Utah! love you all!

-Sister Thornley

Well thanks guys. No emails from home huh? OUCH. 

Well then here's my response. This week was good and I am still alive. 

-Sister Thornley

______________________________________________

Alright so I feel to bad not really sending you an email. Especially cause I read in Matthew 18:21-35 today.. So I will write to you. 

This week was really awesome. We got to go in for interviews with the President this week and WOW he is the greatest ever. So inspiring. When Sister Keung came out of hers she was like, "Whoa! Okay NOW I get it why you are so devoted to following everything they ask us to do" Haha! Truth. Very grateful for such incredible leaders to be working under. 

We saw a great miracle yesterday night,So, Sister O'Brien and I had contacted a Less Actives husband at Chinese new years and he gave us her cell phone to get in contact with her. we called many times and she was always to busy to set up so we let her rest for awhile. but in Saturdays planning i realized we were going to be on her street and hadn't bee to visit her in a while. I called that night and she did not answer. We decided we would try to go to her house anyways. We got there and she lives in a little village place with gates on both ends and a long path with two rows of many houses facing each other. We went to the front and rang in. No answer. I saw a woman walking around on the path and tried calling to her but she was on the other end and didn't hear. I felt like we couldn't just give up and knock more doors.I felt we needed to keep trying. So we walked around to see if there was aw ay to talk to the woman on the back side. WE found it and even better the gate on that side was open.The woman was gone but we were able tot walk in and ring the doorbell on her step. We rang and she came! She is a very broken hearted woman. We are not sure of much yet she was really closed off to us and not willing to say much but expressed she really didn't want much to do with anymore. I think that something much have happened in her past where she felt Heavenly Father didn't hear her. She doesn't want us to come back.  But we prayers with her before we left and the Spirit was there. As we walked out the door she said, My husband told me he would like to meet you. I will have him call you.  So crazy. I love being a missionary. Well till I hear from you again keep praying and doing all that you should! Love ya!!
-Sister Thornley

Well I just saw you all... well some of you all. I'm Back!

Wow so grateful for technology to let me see all the beautiful faces and hear the changed voices of all my family! What a fun time for me! However I will say it was a bit awkward cause man I felt like a really nutter when I didnt recognize or couldnt remember who was talking to me and how old they were... whoops. know that I love you to death and that I havent forgotten what you looked like sounded like or how old you were when I left... Not my fault.

Really though all of your voices have changed its super weird. I am not making this up its true you are all different now. Stop changing hao ma? 

SO the things I didnt tell you from this week on skype.

We had SEVEN less actives at church yesterday WHAT?!?!?!?!?!  Thank you so much for your prayers in our behalf the Lord is really changing our area into a miracle bomb shell watch your step brothers! 

The next miracle the Cai family that we found last week is amazing. they have set a baptismal date for June 21 and so please begin to pray for them. They will need a lot of motivation to come to church. I ask you to begin praying that they will have a desire and a way to come to church this week. For Grandma- its pronounces "ts eye" and say it like you are trying to trow it on the floor with your mouth and youve got it!

Next miracle we visited a three less active part member families who have opened their doors to us to begin teaching their families. 

Next miracle my companion and I didnt die from carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Next miracle it is a BEAUTIFUL day outside didnt think I would miss the feeling of sun and sweat but I have! 

Last miracle that I will write about. We were knocking doors last night we found a jackpot houses galore which really in itself is a miracle but it was the classic. Trial of our faith after knocking and being rejected for an hour over 50 doors we found one last one to knock down a little sad alley. a man answered and began to tell us how his background is buddist its not that he opposes others its just what he knows. I held out the Book of Mormon and said Sir, we respect your beliefs we know that this is what you have known all your life. We do not want to take that away from you. But we have evidence that what we are teaching is true. You can hold it in your hands and if you will read and pray about it you can know that what we teach is true for yourself. May I invite you to do an experiment and to begin reading this book. If you will be open to at least see what we have I know you will find the answer for yourself. 

He accepted. And he is willing to let us come this Thursday to see what he thinks. Please pray that Brother Wang (I think that ones easy enough to say) will have a meaningful experience as he reads the Book of mormon. 

Well family and friends, I know that what we are sharing is true. Christ has given himself a sacrifice for sin. It is available to us all and I ask you to join in the Team of Jesus as my mission president says and invite others to hear of it too. Open your mouths. Its your responsibility to share. I love you and support you I ask you to please tell me who I can pray for for you all. This is the most important work you could be doing. Dont get distracted. Dont forget. 

-Sister Thornley

THE WEEK

It was indeed THE week of my life! So many crazy miracles I am so so grateful for the Lord in all he does for me!

 

We had set a really high goal to get 8 member present lessons and we got 7 we set a goal for 8 new investigators and got 9 I have NEVER seen such an amazing week before EVER.

 

So we were trying to find a less active to leave her a note to help her feel loved and maybe welcome us into her home well she wasnt there so we said a prayer and started knocking doors. Now normally if there is a big mean dog I will not knock the door or the neighbors either I would like to keep my legs thankyou. However my companion has not yet learned that. She went on and knocked it anyway. Good thing too. A man answered let us into his home and we now have a family all interested in playing a game with us this week to learn what the Plan of Salvation is. We are so excited please PLEASE pray for them their family name is Cai 4.

 

Our relief society president really stepped up last week and helped us twice with teaching an investigator Lin Qiu Hua. She is progressing like crazy now and has a baptismal date. I ask you to also include her in your prayers.

 

We went knocking again and found a house I had been to before with Sister O'Brien. It is a less actives home. I had forgotten the name of the less active and the floor that she lived. We walked up to the door and the door man said, Are you looking for your member said the name and we said yes she said go on in and told us the floor and house number. The member wasnt home but her 19 year old non member daughter was and is now going to meet with us to learn about our church and its restoration.

 

We were biking in Su'ao after miraculously visiting a less active and we had prayed beforehand that if it could it wouldnt rain. It hadnt for the first hour we were there and then began POURING. We started biking back and I saw we had 3 seconds at the light. I saw a boy sitting on his scooter in front of me and decided to ask him to pull over even though I had less time than I would need to say that in chinese. He pulled over we had a lesson on the side of the road in the pouring rain and he is set up to meet with us again this wednesday.

 

We were knocking doors again in an area I and Sister O'Brien had already knocked a thousand times. But we felt impressed to go again. We went and found a woman from the Phillipeans that was baptized 8 years ago there into our church but hasnt come sense moving to Taiwan. We are taking her a new Book of Mormon for her tonight.

 

We were calling to set up visits for this week my companion was calling our potentials I was calling less actives. In the time of 10 minutes we had 5 visits set up with less actives we have been trying to reach for months.

 

Those and many many more. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father and I know as we contimue in faith we will continue to see miracles. I love you all so much. Be safe and I will see you all next week!

 

-Love Sister Thornley

 Margie getting baptized again because we found out the elder didn't say her full name the first time... whoops.

 My darling kiwi :)

 The asian street play

 A golden Pig

 My Kiwi

 A rice field

 An outside clothes mall- Wu Fen Pu

 Cute asians take pictures here at this cheesy park all the time we had to join in.  

  I wanted to help him carry his bag

 Sister Keung wanted to give them an English Book of Mormon!

 Wait for us train!!!!

 Many people ask, "what's the grossest thing you have eaten?" Any guesses on what these are???

 My little black mosquito bitten ankle

 My language study some days....

 compared to my companions...