Blue Sky in Taiwan

Hop Pot lunch ...This members kid fooling around ....

So windy in Taiwan is blew our bikes down 

My Book of Mormon Scrap Book

Dear Family & Friends,

Love and miss you all!

This week was a beautiful week! The sky in Taiwan was finally blue. Ever since I got here it has always been dark and cloudy but this week was gorgeous! 

I love it so much here in Taiwan! The people are the sweetest people ever! This little old grandma sees us and tells us that were so cute! I turn around and tell her that she's so pretty. She stops in her tracks and stomps her feet and says "Naa" (which means no in old people language). It was so funny that we just laughed. The people here are such beautiful people - not in appearance per say but in their hearts - they have the sweetest hearts and they are always looking out for you. 

There we're so many tender mercies from the Lord this week! It was such a fun week full of new faces, new streets, new door bells that were rung, and much more.

The most amazing one was having lunch with May and Rosy, who are sisters. A few weeks ago we were "contacting" (which means that we were walking through the park purposefully looking for people to teach the gospel to) That day we talked to so many people but none we're interested. Then I saw this girl working out and stopped to talk to her. She was so friendly and her english was haihao (okay) so we chatted for a while about the weather and even about religion. I ended up giving her a Book of Mormon and a Plan of Salvation pamphlet while she gave me her number and facebook name. I called her the next day and we set up a time to meet and have lunch. On saturday we went to the restaurant and there she was with her sister! It was the greatest lesson we've ever had - not just because we converted them or that they wanted to be baptized immediately but that they were very sincere people. We talked about our religion and they talked about their religion. It was a beautiful setting - they even took us to a Christian restaurant - It was called 5 loaves and 2 fishes (LOL) They we're so cute! The sister kept saying that we were very brave for coming on missions. It made me grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve something as worthy as serving others. It also seemed like she wished she could be us, serving people in an unfamiliar place. We talked a lot and they promised to meet us for dinner at another time. 

This mission has been so worth while. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Rosy had asked us what we learned so far while being on our missions. My companion talked about patience - patience in herself and patience in this work. I found myself talking about change. About how I've learned to keep progressing and changing myself for myself, for others, and for the Lord. I also talked about having a good attitude. People here say "xinku" which means "hard or sucky life". Yes, missionary work is a "xinku life" but I know that through a good attitude it doesn't have to be "xinku". It can bring about the greatest achievements you could ever achieve and it can completely change you're perspective on the "xinku" life that we all experience and turn it into the points in life we're we seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

These pictures are of our beautiful week - I hope it describes what I've just written! I love you all!

This is my email this week! I hope to hear from you all next week!

Sincerely, Sister Komatsu

Rain, Rain, and more Rain !

Dear Family & Friends!

Miss and love you all!

This is a new transfer within my mission which doesn't mean anything at all to me and my companion because we are staying together in the same area! YAY!

I've excited and nervous for this new upcoming transfer. There are going to be at least two baptisms that we're going to have - and hopefully more!

But Clare and Chin Chin are going to get baptized! They are two extraordinary people with wonderful spirits! They are excited to be baptized and learn much more.

I'm excited to be apart of their conversion story!

Chin Chin is a sweet women that just makes my day whenever I see her!

Clare is this amazing young women that has been prepared all her life to be baptized! She told us the other day that she was so glad that we were her missionaries! She couldn't express enough that we we're hers! It just sent a realization through me! We are apart of her story. 

There are many more that we work with. Some other progressing investigators and a lot of less-active families. 

I really wish I would write about them all but I'll save them for later!

This week there was a lot of rain, hot pots, and mosquitoes. 

A lot of rain which is normal (Here's a pic of my comp in the rain by our home.) Hot pots are amazing here in Taiwan. You just turn the pot in front of you on and they give you stuff to put inside. Hot pots are always a treasure hunt because you find soo many different things in there! I don't even know what I'm eating half of the time! It 's great though! Also, Sister Akita and I found our favorite place to eat at. We don't know what it's called but it wonderful because they have Char Su (Cha Xiao) and vegetables! The only down side is, is that there are always ducks hanging from their window and we didn't realize it till we were taking pictures! Also there are a ton of mosquitoes here in Taiwan! A TON! More than Hawaii and they don't just bite you - they attack you. Here is a picture of my legs just for photographic evidence!!

Okay, I have to get going but I love you all!!

Thank you for all the photos and lovely emails!

Hope all is well! I pray for you all!

Sincerely from a little island and a little islander, Sister Komatsu

More From Kelsie !

Tender Mercies of the Lord

Dear Family & Friends,

This week in the South of Taipei my companion and I saw tender mercies of the Lord. The Lord here is working hard to help His missionaries by giving them subtle  mercies that full their souls with joy! It's been a hard few weeks for me and my newly just trained trainer, Sis Akita. We are inexperienced sister missionaries doing the best we can. We've received a few miracles that the Lord has truly prepared for us to teach. 

One of our new investigator!! She is a miracle from God! She just showed up at church last week and bore her testimony that she felt something good when she was in America and attended church with a friend. She has this burning desire to know who has been giving her strength throughout her difficult life. She expressed to us that she wants to know the message we have to share. She has true potential and I can see her being baptized soon. She is a Daughter of God. We are excited to teach her about her divine nature and potential. I expressed to her that many people don't think about who their Creator and God really is. I said that He is great and loves her. She expressed that she loved prayer and has been studying up on the books we've given her. She is truly wonderful and has great potential that will bless her life!

Another brother is a miracle  - one day I was randomly calling people to set up lessons and to practice my Chinese. I called him from our ward list. Turns out that he's less active and that he is a 14 year living with his nonmember parents. We met him and all I could see was a young 14 yr old boy with parents that just didn't understand. He seemed lost and confused - he loves basketball and wants to go to America and play pro ball but his parents wont let him. I could feel his struggle and we left with just a simple plead that he should pray and fast for the Lord's hand in his life. We also, invited him to church that sunday. I left feeling like I could have done more - my Chinese is bad and could not tell him everything I wanted to say so I left with a heavy heart- hoping that something good would have come out of it. Then we closed and left. Discouraged we went to church that next day.I sat down next to a sister and bowed my head to pray while the sacrament was being pasted - The next thing I know my companion shakes me and I looked up to see this young man passing the sacrament! he smiles and waves at us - we both smiled and wave back! He was dressed in his wrinkled white shirt (from afar you could still see the lines where it was folded up) and tie - what a change! He was a young discouraged boy in his home but while passing the sacrament he was a honorable, worthy priesthood holder who was happy to pass the sacrament. To me my heart was truly touched. I bowed my head and prayed for him, that the Lord would help him as he grows in the gospel in faith towards Christ! How simple and small was this experience but it meant the world to him and to us!

Our next miracle is a family ! They are crazy! Their dad is less active and they are a crazy family of 3 kids! I prepared the lesson like crazy the day before. I talked about the home and about temples - They expressed that their goal was to all go to church together and the dad expressed that he doesn't go because it's confusing sometimes and has a problem understanding - We've been visiting them for a while and have been wondering what their problem was. We left feeling better and more hopeful in helping them succeed to become an eternal family!

I love missionary work because all we do is help people and sit to listen to them. I'm still learning the language but they still talk and ask for our help in their personal life and in their family life.

How blessed and grateful I am to be with the amazing people of Taiwan! This is what my work consists of and I love every part of it!

The scripture for the week: Alma 37:6-7 by small and simple things are great things brought to pass!!

Love you!! Thank you for all the birthday wishes and your support!