Sister Richards takes Taiwan: Week 21: Seventh Floor, Last Door (December 25, 2016)

Happy New Year! Sorry I am a week late...we were out of town.

First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all had the most wonderful holiday season, and enjoyed a nice white Christmas! Unfortunately, there is no snow to be found here, but we have the most wonderful ward family that makes us feel so loved and (almost) feel at home this special time of year!

Guys this week was hands down one of the best of my mission. Heavenly Father gave us our own Christmas presents of blessings this week, and we couldn't be more grateful.

To start out, last P-day was my first time being in nature since literal JULY before I went into the MTC, so I was PUMPED. Besides the fact that Taiwan is unreal beautiful and the mountains look like a straight painting.. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes people. From incredible scenery, to so many new investigators, to accidentally calling a number and then setting up over the phone, to our RC's Serena's ENTIRE FAMILY committing to a baptism date down in Pingdong, to our other RC Yi Chen's dad agreeing to meet with us to take the lessons, to members doing the most awesome missionary work and us having TWENTY FIVE investigators at sacrament meeting yesterday, having our Mission Christmas Party and seeing so many dear friends, having one of those "4th floor last door" moments while knocking and finding a golden investigator in the last 30 seconds of the night (unfortunately he is a single boy so he was passed to the elders, but he set a date!!), being a part of the missionary Christmas Choir up in Taibei, Christmas:))), members feeding us every meal, and most of all... our 7TH FLOOR LAST DOOR experience. Ok ya'll buckle up for this one. it's a good one.

Ok, so this is a story about a sweet girl named Jessica. Jessica is 15 years old, and an eternal investigator. She has been through so many sets of missionaries, but in the end always isn't able to be baptized because her mom disapproves. We met Jessica right when we got to Zhongli, and have been meeting with her consistently, but have had the same problem. We have fasted and prayed and done all we can to overcome this problem, and to soften her mom's heart, and this week we saw some of the results of that!

We met with Jessica at the beginning of the week, and decided to be bold and give her baptism papers and said "Jessica, take these home, share your testimony with your mom, and then ask her to sign them." We even role played with her. It all seemed so solid! Until we called her that night and she told us her mom wouldn't sign them. UGH. try #7860606 failed. BUT, we didn't give up.

We met with her at another point in the week by her request, and we got together and just read scriptures with her and tried to strengthen her and help her keep up the faith. At the end of our lesson, the spirit kicked in and we said ok Jessica we want to come and visit your house and talk to your mom. Her eyes got about as big as her head and she turned white, and looked like she wanted to DIE. haha it was so funny. but we kept going and pulled one of those "how badly do you want to get baptized" kind of things. haha so we sat there until she gave us her address, and then all said a prayer. In the prayer, Sister Cullen said "Heavenly Father if this is the right thing for us to do, please help us to feel peace." Right at that moment I felt a wave of peace rush over me and so much excitement for what was to come. As soon as the prayer closed, SIs C and I looked at each other both smiling because we knew it was right. Then I asked Jessica how she felt, she shrugged (typical, this girl is the SHYEST person in this world), and then we said " Well, Jessica, we feel peace and know it is right, so we are going to visit your house tonight!" hahah Again she wanted to die. But she didn't argue. We met with some other people, and then after headed out to find her home. After backing to literal China to find that her street name didn't exist, we realized that she hadn't given us her complete address. She lives off of a big street and left out the section number, so we had to go to each section of this huge street to find her right street name.

An hour later, we FINALLY find it, only to realize her apartment building has TEN floors and she also didn't tell us which floor she lived on... Jessica.... So there started our trek up each floor knocking each door. First floor- no answer.. second floor- no answer....... Seventh floor- no answer. When we got up to the eighth floor, it was a literal horror movie scene with no lights, doors hanging off their hinges, creepy noises, and just freakayy. BUT we still tried. ha Well, turning on the lights that is, and then we heard scary noises and lost our minds and started booking it down the stairs. I was about to pee my pants I was so scared, but as we passed the 7th floor again, Sister Cullen says "WAIT. We are trying every door one more time." This time when she knocked, a little hand pushed away the curtain and we see a little Jessica just sitting in the pitch black for some reason waiting for her mom to come home! hah WE FOUND HER. Literally TWO hours later thank you Jessica, just to find it was 10 minutes from the church, but it is ok. Anything is worth it for the salvation of souls. I'll save some of the dramatics here, but long story short, her mom came home and we were able to talk to her, friendship her, and then ask if her daughter could be baptized. SHE SAID YES. She even signed the papers right there, so no going back now:)))) THE LORD IS SO GOOD PEOPLE. Thank you for your prayers too, because this was no ordinary thing. She has told so many missionaries "no" in the past, and has said "no" every time Jessica has asked her, but for some reason. December 23rd, 2016 she said "yes!" I know this was such a blessing, and now Jessica will get baptized this week!!!

The biggest lesson I have learned lately is that of following the Spirit. God has a perfect plan and a perfect way, and if you ask and really listen, He will let you know what that is. Ask. Seek. Knock. and you WILL receive.

Guys the mission is the best thing ever and the Lord is so good. I just cannot say that enough. We see miracles every single day, and honestly it is just so fun. We are constantly laughing and are having a blast! This week is transfers and end of training, so Sister Cullen and I are SO sad to be saying goodbye to each other, but I am so excited to see more of what the Lord has in store for me and my mission!

I love you all! Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Also, thank you for all of the notes, letters, and packages!! I love them so so much! You are all the best!

xoxo

Sister Richards

李姐妹

Lǐ Jiéměi

Sister Micah Richards

Taiwan Taipei Mission

4/F, #24, Lane 183

Jin Hua Street

Taipei, Taiwan 106

1-3 Taiwan...man I'm telling you