Eighth week in the MTC

Monday we had Skype TRC with a person who speaks Chinese. The person we skyped with was from Taiwan, and is in Hawaii going to school. It was really nerve-racking to speak to her. But it was really cool to listen to her, and be able to understand some of it, and to share our testimonies with her. Then Tuesday my companion, Sister Knight and I, and Elder Brinley and Elder Ensign were all filmed. We represented all of the MTC. The video is suppose to explain what we do in the MTC, and how we feel about it and our companions. They asked us about what we do all day, and what we do during study time, and how long we have to prepare in the morning. Then they filmed us having class, and studying, both companion study and personal study. They also filmed us playing volleyball, and the elders playing basketball. We were filmed all day. It was really weird, but fun. Wednesday we hosted. We welcomed the new missionaries into the MTC and took them to their rooms, and then got their books and brought them to their classroom, and we start from 11:30 to 2:30. It was fun to see all of their bright smiling faces. To hear where they’re going and to see their just ready to go out and serve. Thursday the new companion arrived Elder Sheanshang was supposed to have this companion several weeks ago, but he just arrived. He seems to be able to understand Chinese pretty well, and is able to speak pretty well. We also received our full character name tags!!! We don't wear them until we arrive to our respective fields. Friday was the last day with one of our teachers, since school has started again so the schedules changed. Very sad! But the new teacher looks really nice, so it will be really cool to hear what her experiences were from her mission, she also knows Jack Gong. Because our teacher is being moved to a different class we are losing an investigator, Lin Jiemei (our teacher role plays one of her investigators she had in the field, and we teach her investigator). So we finished teaching all the commandments, and she was "baptized" this week. It was a really cool experience. To look back on where she started so many weeks ago, and to see the change and the desire to follow Christ, it was awesome. She bore her testimony with us several times, and to hear it each time, it strengthened mine. It is also sad that we won't be visiting Lin Jiemei anymore.

Tuesday was the second time an apostle came and talked to us at devotional. Neil A. Anderson and his wife spoke. They talked about how if you try your hardest to do what the Lord wants, no mission will be a failure. An experience was shared, and the moral was; If there is a day you don't feel like being as prepared as you could be, that could be the day that Holy Ghost is not with you. That could be the one day that there is someone ready and you were not prepared to help them. Never let one of those days happen, everyday is important because that might be the day that someone really needs help, and you need to be ready to help them. Then during Sunday devotional the things that really stuck out to me was how important love is. You need to love everyone; through our love we are able to understand others better. If you do not fully love everyone you do not fully acknowledge who God is. God is love, and He knows everyone and loves them. Love is the only thing that can heal pains, and help us to work together with unity.

Love Sister Basko

Wo Jiemei

Rachel will be leaving for Taiwan next week, please pray for her safe travel. Thank you, Jeri