Happy Easter ! ! ! Wait . . . .

So yeah... we're a little behind, haha. 

We had our English Easter party this week, just the way the schedule worked out, but it's okay, they don't know when Easter is anyway. It was great! And a great turn out! 

We split in to two groups; one colored/painted eggs while the other went outside with flashlights for an ultimate Easter Egg hunt, then they switched. Turns out since most of them had never had an easter egg hunt before it was pretty hard, but it was fun. Then we shared 3 Nephi 14:7 "Seek and ye shall find" The way we seek for spiritual things is through sincere prayer. When we pray sincerely and diligently to seek spiritual truths, God will reveal them to us, maybe in a different way than expected or not quite as fast as we'd like, but He will reveal them.

So here's Taiwan:

Yesterday we went to tract and we met this cute old lady. She only spoke a little Mandarin (the old people here speak Taiwanese) but we could communicate just a little bit. But before we left she shuffles over to a table and gets a papaya to give us. She then shuffles back to the kitchen to get a bag to put it in. Then gives us a firm hand clasp and sends us on our way. So cute.

Well, have an amazing day everyone. Enjoy whatever and whoever is around you. Remember to smile.

-Sister Biancardi

Still Here!!!

I'm still here in Taiwan in case you were wondering :) In the wonderful place of QiShan.

On Wednesday we had a member drive us to a couple appointments, that was super nice. I forgot about cars.

Thursday we had interviews with President and Sister Blickenstaff. They're the best. Then Friday we had a Follow-up Training meeting. (went to GaoXiong twice in a row!) I feel like these meetings were a nice mirror that helped me see where I need to improve. Sometimes we go along and do our stuff and don't realize (or worse, (realize but ignore) our faults and weaknesses. When we are accountable to someone it forces us to stop and evaluate and improve. Super good!

On Sunday we had an Area Seventy come to visit our little ward. That was fun. Lots of people showed up, haha.

Also one night Sister Hancock had a giant cockroach crawl over her foot. That was fun.

Have a good week!! Remember to stop and evaluate. And be grateful for your blessings.

-Sister Biancardi

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

Ok, I know I'm a little late, but we didn't get to watch conference until this week. But it was so great! Twice a year our prophet and apostles speak to us and just like prophets of old preach of Christ's gospel and how it applies to our day and age. It's so fun!

Here are some of my favorites:

"When we repent He atones, and when He atones, that settles it" Boyd K Packer

"Belief is not passive" L Whitney Clayton

"We cannot be good enough relying solely on our own effects" David A Bednar

"Your life is not confined to a 4 inch screen" Jose A Teixiera

"Being charitable is not a duty, but a joy"

I loved Wilford W Anderson's analogy of dancing and music. Here's a good quote from it, but you should just go read it! It's really good!

"We learn the steps with our minds but hear the music with our hearts"

Well, I know what these prophet's and apostles have told us this past week are true. I know they are called of God, and I know that by hearkening  unto their counsel we will find more joy and purpose in our lives.

 Go on lds.org and listen to a prophet's voice!

Love you all!

-Sister Biancardi

PS It was pretty funny; we went in the other room to watch the English while the ward watched Chinese, but since Elder Chen is Taiwanese and Elder Tearlink is American, Elder Chen had to sit in the hallway and we had to leave the door open so they could still see/hear each other. So we heard this Chinese echo throughout the whole thing, haha. But it was still good!

PPS - So one night we got home with a couple minutes to spare so we decided to tie a note to a papaya and give it to our neighbors. They didn't answer the doorbell so we just left it on the door step. Oh yeah, we live in an apartment complex, haha. It was fun.

The Phantom Fairy

So once upon a time there's this noise in our apartment sometimes and it sounds like little fairy bells. It kind of drives me nuts, I just hear it randomly during personal study time, haha. The end.

Sometimes I feel like the weeks are like 2 years long. Not because I'm not having fun! But because we just do SO MUCH. 

We went to GaoXiong this week for Zone Training Meeting.

We had English class outside because they did pest control in the building that day. (exterminated the bugs... how do you say that in English...). So that was fun!

Friday we went to a youth activity to play ping-pong (the first youth activity in a while, yay!)

Saturday we went to a members house for a BBQ. (again, not the hot dogs and hamburger kind...different) I've eaten squid a lot since I've been here and choked it down, but this was the first time I've eaten squid and actually liked it. Wow!

Yesterday was Easter... no one celebrates it here. But we did convince Bishop to let us sing and Easter song in church. We also showed lots of people that new Easter video the church put out this week. But mostly we just had Easter in our hearts.

I know Christ lives. I know He is my Savior and Redeemer. He's yours too! You can know by performing the following experiment:

"And now my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burden may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen" (Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 33:23-24)

I know if you learn about the word, ponder it in your hearts it will give you feelings of joy and peace and if you continue to nourish it by faithfully following the teachings you learn, you will receive the fullness of joy our Father wants to give to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Hope you had a happy Easter!!

-Sister Biancardi

Because He Lives!

Grave Sweeping - these next couple weeks is "Grave sweeping here" It's kind of a holiday. More of a superstition. 4 is an unlucky number in Chinese because it sounds like the word death. On the 4th day of the 4th month they all go and clean the graves so that their ancestor's don't get mad. So yeah, and around this time they eat spring rolls; powdered sugar, crushed peanuts, and vegetables and meat in a wrap thing (at least that's how the Taiwanese do it) Yum!

Hot Pot - This week we went with some college girls to eat hot pot, Yum!

Movie Night fail... Yeah.... we were planning a movie night for like 2 weeks and inviting a bunch of people and then the day of the one person we had confirmed to come canceled on us... Sad.

Teaching the Ward - This week we had an opportunity during church to talk to our ward about missionary work and help them with it (we taught the 5th Sunday combined 3rd hour). It was great!

People here don't know what Easter is, even more than they don't know what Christmas is. But I think it's fitting that their "Grave Sweeping" is so close to Easter. Christ overcame the grave. He lives. And because He lives, we all will too. We don't have to fear death, we don't have to mourn the loss of loved ones; we will see them again. As we come to learn of Him and accept Him as our Savior, we can better understand how he can save us, physically and spiritually. If you haven't seen it go online and look at the new Easter video on lds.org. I know through His grace and through our effort we can receive redemption as well as the resurrection.

Have a Happy Easter!!!

-Sister Biancardi

PS - Saturday and Sunday go online or to a local church building and watch God's living prophet and apostles speak to us! :D

Our Search for Happiness

Hello!!

This week....

Biked up the mountain to the college (thinking we could contact lots of people there)... It was quite the ride... But, apparently we went at a bad time....not very lively. But! We did get to talk to some people, so that was good.

I taught a real English class for the first time (not the little kid class). It was great. They actually listened and wanted to learn. Imagine that! We had fun.

Ate dinner at a member's house. She's a farmer and had little baby geese that had just been born that day. So cute!!

Taiwan is so different.... I can't describe it any more; I've been immersed in it for so long. But you should just come here and see for yourself; great place :D

This week I started reading a book again called "Our Search for Happiness" by M. Russell Ballard. It's a leader of our church who wrote it for the purpose of helping everyone come to better understand our church and our members and why we do the things we do. It's super good and not thick at all; you could probably read it in a day if you wanted. So if you have any questions or curiosity about our church, but don't want to talk to us scary missionaries, go read this book!! Or even if you don't....read it anyway! It's way good.

Have an amazing week! Remember to smile, and to help someone out.

-Sister Biancardi

Planning Ahead

Are they standing on a bench?

This week was great! Got a lot done and had a good time. Sister Hancock is awesome, she's teaching me so much. This week we focused on our goals and making plans each day to hit them. And you know what, it worked! We did super well this week and found so many awesome people ready and willing to listen to the gospel. So, moral of the story: when you make goals, make sure to make some plans to hit them.

One day this week we were sitting in the church and this American couple walks in and starts talking to us. Turns out they both served their mission here 12 years ago and are back for a visit. It was so awesome to talk to them! So glad I was called here to Taiwan to live and preach the gospel for 18 months. It's a great place.

Taiwan: One thing about people in Taiwan is everyone is so "buhaoyise" (which is hard to translate, but pretty much means don't want to offend people/just wants to agree/please people) So most people will use excuses to reject us, which is probably because they don't want to be mean, but it's so frustrating! So tip of the week: Don't be "buhaoyise" just say it straight. Haha.

Have an awesome week!

-Sister Biancardi

Filling up the rice fields