Hey, so another big change has happened this week. Sister Nielsen got moved back to Hong Kong to serve, so, actually, right after we emailed last week president hawks called and told us the news. So Sister Chan and I will be staying here. I am now senior companion, and another sister missionary come to Macau but she is in a tri companionship with the other sisters. Interesting, huh.

I'm loving Macau. We've just had the best week ever. Today we hiked in haak sah and played on the beach, then climbed the mountain to see a beautiful temple. probably the biggest and most ornate one that I've seen on my mission so far. Sunday we went finding and met some really cool new investigators. Saturday we had a cookie making activity and English class. We got this Po Po to come to church twice! And because she liked English class so much, she will bring all her grandchildren next week! Life is just great. We have a couple of pretty solid investigators, but they seem to have really hard challenges getting in the way of their baptisms. Nothing new, parent permission, Word of Wisdom problems, and other things... But we've really been trying to help them.

Being Sister Chan's companion is just the most wonderful thing ever. She's so sweet. Her English isn't very good so we speak mostly in Cantonese, but we have no problem getting along. She's a powerful teacher, but she's a shy girl. So we're working on her taking the lead as much as possible. It's been turning out really good. I think we're both really happy. Living with sister Hintze again is a blast. Sometimes when she comes home at night we have random 5 minute dance parties. I'm just so happy right now.

Being in Macau is like..."being in a hospital...for your heart" as Sister Chan said. At first I didn't realize it, but Macau is actually just a peninsula on the border of China. An hour away from hong kong. It has different money, and is it's own country. I've ran into people that only speak Portuguese and then pretty much everyone else speaks mandarin or Cantonese. There's lots of prepared people. And lots of drunk people too!

I heard Obama won the election. Is that true? Good thing I'm in China. And Ryan left for the MTC? Did he go early to stay with Hoffs? Are they dropping him off at the MTC? Whats his address? When I explain my little brother is serving in Russia everyone here thinks that's so awesome and scary at the same time.

So I just want to bare my testimony real quick. God answers prayers. I prayed to come to Macau and I'm here. I prayed for comfort that I could serve these people and I've been given an opportunity to serve in a leadership position at that. I was kinda having a hard time before wondering why I hadn't become senior companion yet, but I think it just took longer for me to learn how to be a junior. God knows what we need and now It's my turn to pay him back by working hard. I know the gospel is true! I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost and for how it guides us every day. Helps us to know who to talk to and what to do when we're uncertain.

Also, I heard a talk this Sunday about being prepared. And I don't know why but I wanted to ask if you guys are up to date on food storage. Make sure you're listening to the prophet :)

I love you all! And I got the Hoff's package this week! I will try to write back soon but I'm so grateful! I love you all!

Sister Gou

hope wherever you are, whoever you sit down with for dinner, and whatever you eat, that this thanksgiving you can know I'm thinking about each and every one of you. I'm thinking about Cooks in Florida, Truetts in Ohio, Hoffs in Utah, and Ryan in the MTC. I was also in the MTC last year for thanksgiving and Christmas and I really enjoyed it. Ryan will be fine and will be with 2000 other people in the exact same situation, and I'm gonna be here in Macau with 10 other missionaries eating chicken wings because turkey is really expensive. But I'm going to be really really happy doing it. :)

This week we had a lot of finding miracles, and Macau had the yearly Grad Prix. 2 people died apparently. but I saw some of the motorcycle races and it seemed super scary. I've finally figured out what Macau is like. It's like Vegas. Its the Vegas of China, because it has about a million casino's and everyone works for the casino's and we went in the Venetian for dinner once (largest concrete building in the world) and It felt like the great and spacious building. But, I still love Macau and I know that God has some big things in store for here.

Our mission president visited our branch on Sunday and gave a super spiritual talk about sticking to your commitments and loving God. We were able to get the Au Yeung family to come to church! I met their dad on the street last week! So it was cool that they got to meet the mission president. And then we found this other Grandma, who wants us to meet her entire family and bring them all to church. She will come this Sunday. It's on fire here!

I LOVE you all so much, I just want to take a minute to tell you what I'm thankful for. Recently I have been pondering the value of my mission. I have been through some hard times, and some really great and amazing things have happened as well. The other day in personal study I was reading in Alma 5 and decided to read out loud verses 7-9. I encourage you all to do that and to think about your life and the role that the savior has played. I know that these experiences have shaped my soul. It's sometimes really tough to be stretched and pulled in painful ways by the challenges around us, but you have to tear down a muscle before it can become stronger. I don't know in what ways yet, but I know that I am stronger. I know that my mission has taught me a lot. I know that I still have a lot to learn. But I will be forever grateful for this experience. I'm so glad that I have a family that supports my decision to serve, as so many people I've met do not have the same blessing. I am grateful for my mom and my dad, and how hard they work. I'm grateful for my little brother who worked so hard to prepare for his mission. I'm grateful for Justin, who's gonna be the big brother now. I'm grateful for Mitchell because he lets me tease him all the time and he's fun to joke around with. I am grateful for Emma and Jackson and their combined overpowering cuteness. I am grateful for Hoffs and Truetts and Grandma and Grandpa and Nana. And I'm grateful for Pa. And I know he's with us too. And so is Stan. And so is the combining power that holds us all together, even the Holy Spirt of Promise. We are so lucky to have what we do. And almost no one in China knows about it at all, so I've got a lot of people to talk to and a lot more teaching to do. And so do all of you. We have the best thing you could ever have. And that's a testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Happy thanksgiving

Sister Cook

thank you! that made me really happy to hear from everyone. It's really funny to hear how Ryan is reacting to MTC life. I have to tell you guys though, it's hard in the MTC. people who grow up in utah (which is like 90% of the MTC) get like two letters a day from their families. Its crazy. I remember that my companions that and at least 1 package every week. So even though I didn't complain as much as Ryan, it was still hard. Being in the MTC is a weird time and you really need lots of support. It's even harder in the mission field, the truth is you guys do need to write as often as possible (and write me too!) , because if you feel like your family doesn't support you, it makes everything that much harder, But I know you area all doing your best and he also needs to chill out and be grateful for what he has. I've been waiting for Ryan to start to see how he would react for a while, And I think it's funny he's getting so touchy about it because I remember feeling down around the time of my birthday and he wrote me this preachy letter that said i need to be grateful and stop complaining. It's ok, the mission will humble him. I promise. haha. :)

I sent him a package last pday though, with a picture of our family and a missionary planner that i decorate for chirstmas, along with two talks that really helped me in the MTC. I think it will be a good chirstmas present, It should probably get there before the 25th, but mail out of Macau is really slow because it's such a small country. I remember the package you guys sent for christmas and how much it meant to me, hopefully that help ryan feel better.

Mom, I have been taking about 30 minutes every pday to write a little bit of my essays for BYU, The mission president did the interview over the phone last night so i should have the application in before Christmas Sounds like you're doing good with your nursing stuff. I'm proud of you. Like I told you in my email last week, I lost my scriptures in a taxi. I fasted and prayed but still haven't found them and it's been almost 3 weeks, If you could just put about 100 dollars in my account i'll buy a new pair at the DBC next time I go to hong kong. I'm really sad cuz i've had those scriptures all growing up, but I've been wanting to buy a smaller pair anyway for a while. I would also like you to get back on top of updating my blog please, lots of people have no idea what's going on and I have no idea how to communicate with them. So that would be great if you could just start putting my emails up again for me. It's something I want to be able to look at when I go home as well.

Dad, I miss you too, I was wondering how your health is. Is the kind of diabetes you have really hard? do you have to monitor everything you eat like hannah? take care of yourself, you've been in my prayers. I'd be happy with working for you again, just maybe on something a little more difficult than scooping ice cream. I was planning on seeing if there were any Chinese resteraunts that would hire me to do a hostess or something for a few months. :) My mandarin is getting pretty good :)

Mitchell, Justy, Emma: I've been missing you guys a lot lately! My companion has never had a real Christmas in her life. In china they don't really do anything because most of the people don't believe in Jesus Christ. But we're going to have a little Christmas this year in our apartment. I am going to buy her a present today and we'll decorate tonight and drink hot chocolate, it get's pretty cold and rainy here but I think it will still be fun. Our mission has a Christmas eve party in hong kong on the 24th, I'll be singing at it! I'm helping all the missionaries that want to sing in the choir practice their parts on the piano every week, because we can't practice with the rest of the missionaries, they live really far away. Anyway, be good! Santa is coming!

So I have some pretty big news for everyone. Apparently the church is changing how they do mission transfers, with the amount of new missionaries coming in next year (all the 18 and 19 year olds) the transfer period will be 9 weeks instead of 6. this will go into effect the same month that I finish my mission, next april. Why is this important? It means that I will be coming home two weeks earlier than originally planned. My new end date is the 5th of April. I will be home for general conference in America. and I will have two weeks longer to be with you all before I go to school again. But this means that my mission is cut short. When sister Hintze and I found out we were pretty mad. But it quickly dissipated because we realized that the reason for this change is because the gospel is starting to spread in bigger ways than it ever has before. And then I got swallowed up in the joy of knowing that the second coming of our savior is closer than we think. There is a group of 15 coming in when I die, and even more after that! our mission is going to be huge and mainland china is going to open. And I am on the brink of it all. How lucky am I to see that? I wish I could extend another year, I have full confidence this mission will be the gateway into china, and in the future 90% of the worlds missionary force will be sent there, to teach these people that I love, who have never heard of the savior. It's an amazing thought.

Last week sister chan and I found 11 new investigators. Our numbers are really awesome and we're working really well together. I love my companion! Shes the most adorable little chinese woman in the world :) One cool miracle is a boy that we found, wilson (14) who we turned over the the elders is getting baptized. and in the last week he's brought a total of 12 friends to church! That kid has public appeal! He told all his little friends to give us their numbers and to come to church every week! What a blessing! He's got a testimony of the savior and now of the restored gospel. We found him on the street, because we listened to the spirit and talked to everyone. (Normally I don't go for 14 year old boys...) haha, that sounded sketchy. Anyway. It was cool. And Ha jeh chenged us out to a buffet! And she is golden too! I hope I can stay in Macau for christmas, moves is already next week! I don't have much time left and everytime I think about it I want to throw up. :(

But I'm working hard, I love my mission, and I have no regrets. I'm really happy and I feel like I make other people happy too. Sister Lau (mom, you talked with her on facebook) came to visit Macau this week. She's from my baby area and it was like seeing family! Even though I served there a year ago they still remember me! I made a difference!! :) This is a great feeling. She will undoubtedly post pictures on facebook. She wants me to live with her daughter at BYU next year. I'm up for that :)

I love you all!

Sister Gou

I have to tell you guys something. You are all kinda bad at writing me. Every time you have news for me, you tell me the bare minimum. For example "maddie had her baby" :"Ryan got called to Russia" (you explained this one ok.) ; " The hoffs and truetts moved" "Sister Darcey got engaged" and other various examples. What I learned from middle school english class essays is that if you have a topic sentence, you normally have to support it with evidence and explanation for the next 4 sentences at least. For example:

What city are the Hoffs in now?how is my Trainer Engaged? How is my cousin? I got a letter from Conner and Nathans EFY leader last week, he's from hong kong but had time to write me before cousins did. repent! REPENT ALL OF YOU! haha.

Just Kidding. I know you're busy. But I feel like I need to tell you these things, so we can all be happy.

Here is what is up with me:

This past Saturday I got to go to my old area, Kwun Tong, so that I could play guitar and sing in the stake talent show. It was really really fun. It felt like coming home. People missed me! Especially one of our old investigators, A-yih. Who recently got back from mainland where she took a hard beating from her Friends and relatives about coming to church at the Mormon Church. She seemed really confused about a lot of things, but during the talent show I got to have a good talk with her. I feel like it helped, and I feel like heavenly father has been really guiding me lately, and still giving me chances to carry on relationships with old investigators even though I live far from them.

Interestingly enough, I read something cool from the scriptures this week, that has kinda helped me to have a better view on my mission. It's the parable of the secretly growing seed, in Mark. I think chapter 7. In this parable Jesus explains that when a farmer plants his seeds, after he cultivates the land, and does what he can to nurture the plant, and help it grow, he goes to sleep. When he comes back later, the seed has sprouted, and as he continues to care for the plant, it grows into a crop. But the cool thing about this parable, is that the farmer is not actually the one making the crop grow. The farmer does what he can, but all in all, God is the one that makes the seed grow. The farmer has little to do with if it sprouts or not. He just does what he can to help it on its way.

As missionaries we can't be too concerned with our seeds. We need to do everything we can of course, but we can't sit there and will the seed into growing, it will do it by itself, with the help of God. I know that as I just trust god and have faith that he his leading this work, that my seeds will grow. Some won't of course, some will get choked by weeds, or wither, and die, but if i do what i can and leave the rest up to the lord, I'm not responsible for those seeds.

I shared this with my Zone leader. He didn't get it. But that's OK, because he's dumb. I mean...because he's a seed too. And even though I may not agree with the way he does things, I trust that God is helping him to grow at his own rate.

So yeah, the scriptures are awesome. They help me alot. But anyway, the talent show was great! guitar class and kids English class have just started in Aberdeen and West point now, and they are bringing lots of people to church, this Saturday we will have girls night and I'm really happy. Sister Mercado and I are working hard and I'll send a email with some pictures from last week.

Moves are next Thursday, I hope that I can stay with sister Mercado. We're having a lot of fun together! We'll see what happens though.

I love you all!

P.S. So happy Ryan is going to the temple this week. He'll enjoy it a lot, i'll be praying for everyone. Make sure he gets to participate in everything and tell him to write down his thoughts and send them to me.

Sister Gou