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!

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY ! KELSIE

Dear Family & Friends!

 

Wow! It's the end of April - where did time go? Tomorrow I turn 21 and feel like I haven't done enough in my current lifetime! Wow, what a thought! There is so much more I desire to do and learn. Being on my mission though in Taipei Taiwan I've been given the opportunity to do just that - to learn, experience, change, live to the fullest, chase after something good, come closer to my Father in Heaven, build His Kingdom, find myself, and love like I've never loved before.

What a thing for a 21 year old women to say. What a great experience I've already been given. I have a lot to give and gain here in Taiwan! I've learned about humility, mercy, and true charity.

 

This past week we had a Mission Tour by Elder Gerriet W. Gong of the Area Seventy - He is President over the Asia Area. He counseled and trained us. What a spiritual meeting we had. He talked about the Eight Delights we as seekers and knowers of the Fullness  of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. These 8 have already blessed my life.

1. Families

2. Doctrine of Stakes and Priesthood

3. Temples and the Gathering of Israel

4. Having the opportunity to share of it's goodness

5. To prepare to meet God

6. Teach those you love

7. Be Spiritually bold and steadfast

8. The simple message of the Restored Gospel

 

Elder Gong and President Day counseled with us all about how we need the faith, energy, and love to press forward in this unkind world we live in.

I know that there are a lot of things that unseen by most people but I know that the Lord works my small and simple means to being about His work. I see it first hand because I am a consecrated missionary dedicated to this work. I see my God 's hand everyday that I'm here serving and the loving the people I cross paths with. 

Your prayers and love have truly helped me in this worthwhile and hard work. I'm very very grateful for all the experiences and tender mercies of the Lord throughout my years that have truly been my anchor and have led me to where I am now!!

 

 Love you all dearly!!!

Sincerely, Sister Komatsu 小松姐妹

Serving in the Taipei Taiwan Mission

For address please email me or my mom at komatsu.ohana@gmail.com

First Week in Taiwan !

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I survived my first week in Taiwan!! YAY!

Wow, I'm still shocked that I'm here in Taiwan and serving my mission! Serving in the Boston Mission was a huge blessings that the Lord gave me! - Now, I'm starting a new chapter in the Mission life. This chapter is full of high expectations and the feeling is overwhelming! Let's be honest, it's no walk in the park! Culture shock finally hit me just like the earthquake we had this morning. It was a small earthquake that shook our building for awhile but it wasn't damaging - like this culture shock thats accuring! The language is hard. I already love the people here and care about them so much but it's hard to express how much you love them when you can't speak the language. I've been learning a lot! A ton actually in the first few days! I'm excited and scaried all at once!

Another exciting and scary thing is riding a bike on Taiwanese streets in the pouring rain! That was exciting! I've learned so many things about myself and about the mission life! Like how I don't know how to ride a bike, Elder's are good at eating food when members give us even if they're full, I learned that this language is more complicated then I originally thought, that it's actually a little expensive here, and that there are soo many prepared people here in Taiwan ready to hear about the the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!!

Heres a little miracle story: Last night we were walking purposely, finding the humble soul that was prepared to be taught. And we found her. She was awesome and she really was a miracle! She's comingthis sunday to church and meeting with us :) She speaks english so that was a relief! There is so much work to be done here and I already was church and the Spirit was full within my heart. Bishop had called me up and asked me to introduce myself - in my broken chinese I did - I told them that I'm Japanese (b/c apparently they love Japanese) and that I was happy to be with them in Taiwan. Then said that "My testimony is small and that my chinese is bad but that I was called by a Prophet of God to share what I know. I know this Gospel is true. And I love you all." This was my simple testimony because that's all I could say. Family, I know this true because I am here on a mission - learning a language I could never learn without my Father in Heaven's help.

Thank you and I love you all!!

 

-- Sincerely, Sister Komatsu 小松姐妹

Serving in the Taipei Taiwan Mission

Dear Sister Komatsu,

The Missionary Department has advised me that your visa to Taiwan has been granted.

President David Day Taiwan Taipei Mission

(Bolded and enlarged for dramatic effect!)

WHOOP WHOOP!! TAIWAN HERE I COME!! AHHHHHHHHH!! WOW!

Yesterday, some missionaries and I went to Stake Reporting early in the morning before church. The Stake President and the Mission President, President Packard, were there for the meeting. LOL! President Packard sat down next to me and said that I got my visa and that I'm leaving on the week of April 6th! I was in shock!! > Forwarding a couple days ago my companion, Sister Moss, comes and tells me that she had a dream that I got my visa and she cried! Let's just say it came true and that I was shocked!!

It's a bitter sweet moment! I've come to love Boston and the people here! I'm really really sad to leave! We've been working with this progressing investigator who is awesome! We had a very spiritual lesson yesterday and I really hope he gets baptized and has those spiritual experiences he's looking for! And I've made so many connections with the people in the ward and I love walking around and talking to people in Boston. And it's finally getting warmer and the snow is melting. It's been amazing here and I'm glad to say that the Boston Mission is apart of my whole mission experience - not because I was reassigned and forced to come here but because I learned to serve and love the people. Because I really care and love the missionaries in this mission. I wouldn't have met such wonderful people and done such wonderful things if wasn't here. At the Stake Reporting meeting I bore my testimony in front of the missionaries, the stake and the mission president and said that I am grateful to have stopped here and had the opportunity to learn what I've learned. Elder Ballard said, "Through examining the trends in the missions, we find that it is not the area, it is not the people, and it is not the time of year. Instead it is the attitude of the missionaries and their ability to utilize and apply the talents that they posess. We know that a missionary with a good attitude produces good results; fair attitude, fair results; poor attitude, poor results. The missionary with a good attitude works with the people and not through them."                                                                       

I love this because it's so true. Your attitude or your outlook is the difference between the good and bad, the wrong and right, the "what ifs" and "what happened", and sorrow and joy. I don't know how I literally made it through this snowy winter. I don't know how I walked in knee deep snow to hasten the Lord's work but I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to test my faith and my abilities. I believe I did some good here in Boston. I'm not sure how but I feel like I accomplished and learned so much! I'm thankful for this experience!

Now, it's time to say good-bye to people that I'll never forget and turn my focus on the work and the people in Taiwan. It'll be a hard transition but I have faith in the Lord that He has prepared me and chosen me to move forward in the work in Taiwan. 

Thank you family and friends for support and love! Write me!

Sincerely, Sister Komatsu 小松姐妹

Dear Family & Friends!

ALOOOHA!

This week has been actually a great week! This pasted week was transfer week! And thank goodness I'm not getting transferred and I'm staying with my trainer!!

This new transfer is going to be great! I'm so excited to really start working.

Last week.. actually these pasted two months have been kind of a ruff. The weather has really gotten everyone down. It's been tuff all around. The MBMission has also been in the "slumps". Our goal for January was to have 70 baptisms and I believe we had less than half. It was definitely disheartening but it just means that we've got to work even harder in the month of March!

Last week we had to admit to ourselves that we were both depressed for a while :( Sad but true. My companion and I haven't been very busy with teaching appointments or really anything and it's just been even harder on everyone with the winter being so bad. But I know that's not an excuse!! We talked about how we were depressed because it was snowing/cold, no one wants to meet, and how we never see the sun.  Sister Moss & I were going home and we always walk pass this flower shop and as we were talking about being depressed - we STOPPED & decided we needed flowers in our new apartment! So we bought some!! It was great! (There's a picture)

Another thing is that we moved apartments! Finally! This apartment is smaller but there are two bathrooms and a really nice living area. It's nice and cozy which feels more like a home! We love it! So, there are are four of us together! We get along really well - they're amazing girls and I love them! Sister Meireles is from Brazil and speaks Portguese and is learning to speak english and I'm learning to speak Mandarin! So her and I decided that in our new apartment we would put up labels to better learn our languages. Here's a picture!

Also, our ward just had their Ward Mission Fireside! It was awesome to see how many people loooove being member missionaries! These member missionaries are great people to work with! They really know b/c they were once missionaries!! MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK IS THE BEST!! 

Okay, so the really amazing news is that I'm now in The Digital Mission! And our Mission in the Digital Mission is to find those that need the gospel through the internet! WOW! Technology is such a great thing! This happened all of sudden b/c Sister Moss & I are Sister Training Leaders in our zone and the leaders in every zone in the mission are what they call "extenders" which are missionaries that take 3 hours out of their day to do digital missionary work! So if you saw my post on Facebook - now you know why. I'm not going "apostate" or being disobedient from the rules it's just that I'm a digital missionary! And I'm loving every second of it! This is an amazing opportunity in this day in age. Digital Missionary work is the going to be the future of missionary work! IT's so true! So, our mission is one of those "special" missions that is experimenting this and I'M APART OF IT! Through digital missionary work I can talk and teach people all around the world. I heard a story from the digital missionaries that work there that there was a missionary that found and taught this guy from Scotland and right after his mission flew to scotland and baptized him! How amazing is that?! Wow, things are changing and I'm so happy to be apart of it! 

Well, I did promise that email I'd write less so I apologize! But here a spiritual though before I send this off. This week I fell in love with this verse in Alma 26:27 "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." I love this scripture b/s it is through faith and enduring to end that the Lord will grant us success in our goals, our righteous desires, and much more. I love this gospel and I've never been so close to our Heavenly Father. I love missions and everything it offers to others and to us as missionaries. This is an amazing time to be apart of the gospel. I challenges and invite you all to cherish your beliefs and faiths b/c it will led you down paths that many will never have a opportunity to live in. 

I love you all! And I pray for all you everyday! Thank you for all your love and support! 

P.S. Go to bostonmission.org to check out my mission Then click "Photos" and you'll see some pictures of the crazy winter we've had!!

Sincerely, Sister Komatsu

Hey Sorry Family but I made a mistake on telling you my new address.

It's 157 Sixth St. #204 Cambridge, MA 02142

:( If you did send something then you'll either get it back or like my companion she got a letter with the wrong address on it but it still came. LOL

Thanks! And sorry!