1/2/11 Email

Dearest family!

Yes, it is getting cold, I have been so cold lately and our apartment is so cold I bundle up in blankets and layers and mittens, but then step outside and take off the mittens :) the middle of the day gets nice but mornings and evenings are really cold. But I know it is nothing compared to the snows of Idaho or the ice of Alaska :) Xingku nimen.
Yes, I've been writing Christmas letters to my new members and friends and sending that picture collage with it. And yes, by been writing' that means I have also inherited the Ko family tradition of sending christmas letters weeks after it has already occured :) Oh well, chinese takes me a little longer to write than english so some of these people will have to wait a bit.
Oh so much has happened this past week and I still don't have enough time to tell it all. First of all, I miss Sister Lai so much more than I could possibly imagine. I loved being with her and the miracles we saw together. And I miss eating pig feet, squid, bian dang, and all sorts of different desserts with her. She had the most amazing personal stories that helped our investigators so much, and she was so helpful and the best de-stresser I have ever met. She is one of the most patient people ever. I just wrote a letter to her family thanking them and I was able to talk to her today to get her new address and send her luggage to her. I miss her. Could you also send a letter to her sometime soon? She is a convert and doesn't have too much support from home, just address the letter: Sister Lai (Taiping Sister) and it will get to her.
But! Big changes and big miracles to come! On Friday we went to the mission home to pick up my new companion: Sister Peterson! She is straight from the MTC and full of testimony and optimism. She is actually a convert from Alabama and joined the church when she was in high school. And, (you'll love this) she is pretty much the tallest person in the mission :) She stands at almost 6'1'' and people on the street love looking at her. She has gorgeous curly blonde hair that I'm sure many a taiwanese has not seen before. She has a quiet voice and a big heart and a willingness to share during lessons or go talk to people. When I need to go make phone calls I'll ask to go and talk with people and she will give me the biggest smile and say yes, I can. She is so brave. I was so nervous to do that on my first week. Not understanding people is hard. But we have already seen miracles and seen so many people come to church this week, so many new investigators. She is finding new investigators all over the place. It's a little hard, not going to lie, you need to remember everything and now I don't have a wonderful Taiwanese companion to help me when i don't understand. But, it's ok, I'm not too bu hao yisi to tell people I don't understand. It's better to stop and ask than assume incorrectly. :) And, this is so good because I really need to rely on the spirit. Lately I have been needing to be more humble and this experience is really helping me. It is really humbling to know that so much goes on around you and there is so much to do but you can't do it alone. This is the Lord's work. We need to ask for His help. We really aren't doing much. We are doing our best, but it is His work and when you exercise faith and do all that you can, it is up to Him to help. No matter my weaknesses and insecurities, if I put my trust in Heavenly Father He will help.
I love you all! Pray for us!
-sister ko