Mom!!
Yep, made it through my first week in the field. It was quite okay, easier than the MTC in fact. Mostly because I am serving in the Berkeley University ward, so a lot of students went back to home for the summer. There is less people here. I'm not in the San Francisco zone, so I can't go there. I am in the Oakland zone, so I can go around here.
Got your two letters today, and read your third letter in the email. What did people say on facebook and blog?
P-days are going to be on Monday at least until 7/22. 23rd is the transfer day, so I'll find out later what happens. I might stay in the Berkeley since my companion, Sister Sampaio, is actually leaving on that day.
So my companion is actually from Brazil, English speaking mission. I don't use Mandarin much this six weeks, maybe next transfer. She is really cute, I'm her first trainee. She likes to cook her pastas so I had to go to Chinatown this morning. If you see my bank account, you'll find out what happened. I had to stock up everything, so I had to buy everything.
Food, well, everything is so much more expensive in CA. Milk is more than 3 dollars and such. We get some food from the mission home, but the rest we buy. We get 150 dollars every month, which is what I spent just this week. I can't go to Chinatown except on Monday, because it's out of the way.
Dear elders arrive here on time, but I can only get it on Mondays, so if you want me to have something to read in my apt, continue sending it to dear elder. If not, you can send me emails now. :)
I hope you got the package already, and the card :) plus everything in it.
I don't need the small pot, we actually got a rice cooker and we have a full kitchen to cook, so it's all good. We just cook whatever, sometimes we cook together, sometimes not, depend on what our time is like.
Mission is pretty good so far. I'm less busy than I was in the MTC, surprisingly, and I stopped having the headaches. I miss the devotionals and firesides at MTC. Things are quite different here.
We do tract sometimes, but less than the full proselyting missionaries because we are at visitor center half of the time. Most people aren't home, then there are those who are not interested but take a card, then there are those who don't even want a card. We had nothing more dramatic than that yet. We got a Chinese investigator from Taiwan. She wants to learn English so wan ts all the lessons in English. Hopefully she'll be interested about the gospel rather than just English.
We don't really have much people to teach because most of the people are not here. They go to school in University of California in Berkeley, which is one of the top schools in the U.S. Lots of smart people.
Our mission president, President Wade, picked us up at airport. He worked in the church missionary dept. He is nice. We got to each lunch at this really nice buffet restaurant, they had fish eggs and everything. I was quite happy.
Visitor center is really quiet most of the time, we don't get a lot of visitors, but enough that we have 3 companionships here most of the time. Friday was the busiest. There is a lot of good stuff here though. It's always the best to see the spirit touches people. We don't know what happens to them after, but hopefully they'll change their lives.
Hmm... I'm good. Not getting sick, eating well.
Well, I'm gonna be here until six, so write back before that and I'll try to reply. If can't catch you, then lots of loves, Mom, and write you next week :)
Meng
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Father's Day card from Ashling
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Ashling left MTC to Oakland today - June 13, 2012
(This note is from Lena)
YEAH!! My daughter called me this early morning from airport! Even it was only 5-7 minutes but she make my day!!
Thanks for the lady who works at airport and gives my daughter 25 cents coin so Ashling can talked to me a little longer. You know, every secound counts :)!
She said there are 4 sisters and 4 elders fly together to CA today.
Also, a lot of THANKS to the friends who sent letter to Ashling -- Ashling wants me say Thanks to you here!
YEAH!! My daughter called me this early morning from airport! Even it was only 5-7 minutes but she make my day!!
Thanks for the lady who works at airport and gives my daughter 25 cents coin so Ashling can talked to me a little longer. You know, every secound counts :)!
She said there are 4 sisters and 4 elders fly together to CA today.
Also, a lot of THANKS to the friends who sent letter to Ashling -- Ashling wants me say Thanks to you here!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Ashling will leave MTC on Jun 13, 2012
Hi Mom!!!
So happy to write you again. Hope you are okay and everything is going well.
Mother, I Can actually read in Chinese, you know :). So yes, I read your letter and understood all. Plus, my Chinese sisters here all like your handwriting.
Stomach still feels a bit weird. I think it might be the stress, but I'll be okay. I've been eating hotter stuff, soups and such.
I am sharing what you sent me. We haven't gotten through everything yet, but so far everyone likes the chocolate waffle thing. The lichee was super awesome though. Love it :)
You can send the medicine to MTC, If you send it on Monday, I should at least get it before I leave for the airport Wednesday morning.
Thanks for keep update on the blog. Could you post that I'm leaving June 13 so people know?
So this week in the MTC is rather emotional. First of all, all of my district left except the four of us going to Oakland. I love our district. We used to laugh so much and joke around with each other so much. Now, meal times are boring and we just sit and eat. But, I'm okay. Slowly getting over them. It's funny how someone you know only for three weeks can be such good friends with you. I think sharing testimonies together so often probably adds to why. THis, I guess, is my first transfer, I'll have to get used to it.
We read a scripture this week that I think is super great. 1 Nephi 7:17. When Nephi's brothers were binding him and saying bad words to him, he asked for the strength to burst the bands, but not for the Lord to burst the bands. It shows that we have to act instead of just get the Lord to do everything.
We went contacting this week, on the streets in Salt Lake.. We actually met a son and mother who was coming to SLC for tour. We totallytalked to them about the temple, how important it is, and my companion even got him to get a Book of Mormon. We got so excited when we left. I know not every street contact is like that, but I really like it. Surprisingly, since I'm not a people person.
We also went to referral center this week. It's this program in the church where the visitor center sisters get to chat with people who want to chat on mormon.org. It's really awesome. Some people have really sincere questions, but I was surprised at how many poeple just come on to waste our time. The few peopel that are sincere are worth it though. We talked to this Chiense person from Canada, he is really looking for God and had all these good questions. We got his address and phone so we could send the elders to him in Canada. Meanwhile, before the elders get there, we are gonna call him and make sure he is alright and teach him a bit. The whole program is so awesome. We don't just meet someone and never see them again. We keep track of them, which makes us see that we are not just saying hi to people but actually changing lives as Visitor center sisters. The church missionary dept came and talked to us five VC sisters. They said the VC sisters bring a lot of new peopel into the church. I'm actually now really happy that I get to be a VC sister. It's amazing the thigns we get to do on the computer to bring people to the gospel and give them hope. And of course, it just feels awesome to be a missionary at all.
I can't believe 1/18 of my mission is already over, I felt like I haven't nearly leanred enough. I guess that's why we have the rest 17/18 months. It's crazy to think that in a few days, I'll be out in the field on my first day and contacting REAL people and teaching them about the gospel. Scary, but for some reason I'm not too scared. It'll be alright.
Tons of loves, Mom. and I forgot to send you the exercise cards, so I'll send it with last package. Meanwhile, just keep swimming. :)
Loves, Meng
So happy to write you again. Hope you are okay and everything is going well.
Mother, I Can actually read in Chinese, you know :). So yes, I read your letter and understood all. Plus, my Chinese sisters here all like your handwriting.
Stomach still feels a bit weird. I think it might be the stress, but I'll be okay. I've been eating hotter stuff, soups and such.
I am sharing what you sent me. We haven't gotten through everything yet, but so far everyone likes the chocolate waffle thing. The lichee was super awesome though. Love it :)
You can send the medicine to MTC, If you send it on Monday, I should at least get it before I leave for the airport Wednesday morning.
Thanks for keep update on the blog. Could you post that I'm leaving June 13 so people know?
So this week in the MTC is rather emotional. First of all, all of my district left except the four of us going to Oakland. I love our district. We used to laugh so much and joke around with each other so much. Now, meal times are boring and we just sit and eat. But, I'm okay. Slowly getting over them. It's funny how someone you know only for three weeks can be such good friends with you. I think sharing testimonies together so often probably adds to why. THis, I guess, is my first transfer, I'll have to get used to it.
We read a scripture this week that I think is super great. 1 Nephi 7:17. When Nephi's brothers were binding him and saying bad words to him, he asked for the strength to burst the bands, but not for the Lord to burst the bands. It shows that we have to act instead of just get the Lord to do everything.
We went contacting this week, on the streets in Salt Lake.. We actually met a son and mother who was coming to SLC for tour. We totallytalked to them about the temple, how important it is, and my companion even got him to get a Book of Mormon. We got so excited when we left. I know not every street contact is like that, but I really like it. Surprisingly, since I'm not a people person.
We also went to referral center this week. It's this program in the church where the visitor center sisters get to chat with people who want to chat on mormon.org. It's really awesome. Some people have really sincere questions, but I was surprised at how many poeple just come on to waste our time. The few peopel that are sincere are worth it though. We talked to this Chiense person from Canada, he is really looking for God and had all these good questions. We got his address and phone so we could send the elders to him in Canada. Meanwhile, before the elders get there, we are gonna call him and make sure he is alright and teach him a bit. The whole program is so awesome. We don't just meet someone and never see them again. We keep track of them, which makes us see that we are not just saying hi to people but actually changing lives as Visitor center sisters. The church missionary dept came and talked to us five VC sisters. They said the VC sisters bring a lot of new peopel into the church. I'm actually now really happy that I get to be a VC sister. It's amazing the thigns we get to do on the computer to bring people to the gospel and give them hope. And of course, it just feels awesome to be a missionary at all.
I can't believe 1/18 of my mission is already over, I felt like I haven't nearly leanred enough. I guess that's why we have the rest 17/18 months. It's crazy to think that in a few days, I'll be out in the field on my first day and contacting REAL people and teaching them about the gospel. Scary, but for some reason I'm not too scared. It'll be alright.
Tons of loves, Mom. and I forgot to send you the exercise cards, so I'll send it with last package. Meanwhile, just keep swimming. :)
Loves, Meng
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Hi Mom,
MTC is still good. My teachera are saying I'm really getting better at lessons. It's surprising how hard it is to teach. You have to ask the right questions the right way. Ask them often. consider their feelings. So my mind has to be contantly thinking (1) What the spirit wants to teach them, (2) how can I tach them, and (3) what they are saying. Triple-tasking is hard. But, I'm even suprised at how much I'm getting better. So it's all good.
I see Tim everyday. We have class together & we are in the same district, so we are teach together, have meetings together. Say hi to the ward people.
Keep posting on blog what you want to post.
Tell me more about your day.
Lot of love!
Meng
MTC is still good. My teachera are saying I'm really getting better at lessons. It's surprising how hard it is to teach. You have to ask the right questions the right way. Ask them often. consider their feelings. So my mind has to be contantly thinking (1) What the spirit wants to teach them, (2) how can I tach them, and (3) what they are saying. Triple-tasking is hard. But, I'm even suprised at how much I'm getting better. So it's all good.
I see Tim everyday. We have class together & we are in the same district, so we are teach together, have meetings together. Say hi to the ward people.
Keep posting on blog what you want to post.
Tell me more about your day.
Lot of love!
Meng
The 3rd week at MTC
Hi hi hi Mom,
(mommy-dsaughter secret personal talk is always deleted here.., such as what she forgot to bring..... Lena's note)
Okay, so this week there is a lot of stuff going on. I can't believe I have already been here 2 and half weeks and I'm leaving in 1 and half week. It felt like I just got here. I feel like there is so much to learn still, but I'm also seeing that I learned a lot since I got here.
The fireside we had on sunday was awesome as always. Brother Allen of the church missionary dept came and spoke to us. He talked about landing an airplane on an aircraft carrier. How hard it is and how precise it is. If you don't follow the numbers exactly and adjust according to weather, then if you don't land right, you will die. He related it to us and said that we must be precise in following the Lord, follow all of God's commandments to the point. It was really inspiring.
This week we got one of the people we are teaching to set up a baptismal date. We know she might not even be a nonmember, since they do this in hte MTC for our practice, but we still was superbly happy. Especially since she said no at first and we convinced her to set up date at the end. So cool. I'm just thinking, if I'm this happy with a possibly fake investigator, wonder how I will feel in the field. :) It's different this week, I think, because I finally learned how to teach with teh spirit. Having the holy ghost with you as a constant companion I just usually took for granted, but I had to learn to leave a part of my mind open to the spirit when I teach, while listeining to the investigators and thinking of what to say in my own head. It's hard, but I like it. :) I'm finally getting things.
We had a thing called the in-field orientation yesterday, it's basically telling you how to do things when we get to our mission. We talked about how members are so important in conversion. Made me think about you, Mom. The ward missionaries are so important in taking the investigator in to the ward after they baptize and relating to them before they baptize. I don't know what our ward's lessons with the missionaries are like, but we really do appreciate comments and espeically testimony from a member throughout the lesson. It helps them see that normal people [non-missionaries] actually believe all we teach too.
We had a workshop on the Book of Mormon [BOM]. It's kind of surprising to me to realize that BOM is the center of our religion because God revealed BOM to Joseph Smith first, before anything else.
We also talked about how as a missionary, getting people to trust you is so important. They have to see that you are a representative of God, not just a person who wears a tag. Elder Bednar said he would not give a referral to a missionary unless they acted like one. Really made me think.
A scary thing we did yesterday. We practiced briefly teaching peopel at the airport and at a park, and on the bus. It's really terrifying. I don't like talking to people. But, at least I tried. It's really scary for me to think that next next wednesday when i fly out in the morning, I will have to talk to people at the airport, on the plane, and in Oakland. It's totally gonna be terrifying, hopefully I won't stumble over myself and totally ruin it. But it can't be too bad, right, I mean the worst is just that they say no and walk away... At least in the MTC, peopel are nice and never say no, unless it's my teachers when they try to pretend to be investigators...
Okay, I'll stop.
Love you bunch, Mom.
Don't forget to exercise, be happy, laugh, smile. Say hi to grandparents and our ward friends. They are great people and I love them too!
(mommy-dsaughter secret personal talk is always deleted here.., such as what she forgot to bring..... Lena's note)
Okay, so this week there is a lot of stuff going on. I can't believe I have already been here 2 and half weeks and I'm leaving in 1 and half week. It felt like I just got here. I feel like there is so much to learn still, but I'm also seeing that I learned a lot since I got here.
The fireside we had on sunday was awesome as always. Brother Allen of the church missionary dept came and spoke to us. He talked about landing an airplane on an aircraft carrier. How hard it is and how precise it is. If you don't follow the numbers exactly and adjust according to weather, then if you don't land right, you will die. He related it to us and said that we must be precise in following the Lord, follow all of God's commandments to the point. It was really inspiring.
This week we got one of the people we are teaching to set up a baptismal date. We know she might not even be a nonmember, since they do this in hte MTC for our practice, but we still was superbly happy. Especially since she said no at first and we convinced her to set up date at the end. So cool. I'm just thinking, if I'm this happy with a possibly fake investigator, wonder how I will feel in the field. :) It's different this week, I think, because I finally learned how to teach with teh spirit. Having the holy ghost with you as a constant companion I just usually took for granted, but I had to learn to leave a part of my mind open to the spirit when I teach, while listeining to the investigators and thinking of what to say in my own head. It's hard, but I like it. :) I'm finally getting things.
We had a thing called the in-field orientation yesterday, it's basically telling you how to do things when we get to our mission. We talked about how members are so important in conversion. Made me think about you, Mom. The ward missionaries are so important in taking the investigator in to the ward after they baptize and relating to them before they baptize. I don't know what our ward's lessons with the missionaries are like, but we really do appreciate comments and espeically testimony from a member throughout the lesson. It helps them see that normal people [non-missionaries] actually believe all we teach too.
We had a workshop on the Book of Mormon [BOM]. It's kind of surprising to me to realize that BOM is the center of our religion because God revealed BOM to Joseph Smith first, before anything else.
We also talked about how as a missionary, getting people to trust you is so important. They have to see that you are a representative of God, not just a person who wears a tag. Elder Bednar said he would not give a referral to a missionary unless they acted like one. Really made me think.
A scary thing we did yesterday. We practiced briefly teaching peopel at the airport and at a park, and on the bus. It's really terrifying. I don't like talking to people. But, at least I tried. It's really scary for me to think that next next wednesday when i fly out in the morning, I will have to talk to people at the airport, on the plane, and in Oakland. It's totally gonna be terrifying, hopefully I won't stumble over myself and totally ruin it. But it can't be too bad, right, I mean the worst is just that they say no and walk away... At least in the MTC, peopel are nice and never say no, unless it's my teachers when they try to pretend to be investigators...
Okay, I'll stop.
Love you bunch, Mom.
Don't forget to exercise, be happy, laugh, smile. Say hi to grandparents and our ward friends. They are great people and I love them too!
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