Chapter 73: Railways, Rats, and Really Scary Dogs

Hello.

This week was actually crazy. So crazy imma just make a list of things that happened and try not to add too many details so that we can have a jam packed email party this week.

• Biked out to our friend who lives really far away everyday. Our bodies and bikes are tired
• On the way to said friend's house, got chased (Like actually chased) by scary, vicious, barking/screaming dogs. Not one, not two, but a pack of at least 10 dogs
• Said some very short, very loud, very sincere prayers
• Made it out alive
• Got fed a $30 6 course steak meal. It was delicious
• Promised our friend if she would prepare for baptism, her son would get a job
• Said son got a job that very afternoon (God is so good and answers our prayers!!!!!!!)
• Threw away our friend's coffee. Most satisfying feeling ever
• Had great zone conference in Hualian (2 hour train ride north up the coast)
• Almost missed our train coming back, but barely made it by 2 minutes through the grace of God
• After coming back from Hualian, we got invited to a party from a member who lives in an aboriginal village. We went, there were drunk people, they had us say things to them in their tribal language, then made a toast (ours was guava juice) and bowed to them
• Proceeded to eat the meal. Rat head and rat meat was a component. I would not recommend (It was actually one of the worst things I've ever eaten in my whole life)
• Biked out to a different aboriginal village the next day and had no place to do comp study, so we did it on the side of the road
• Proceeded to get yelled at by an Ama who didn't speak Chinese
• Almost got eaten by dogs again (but didn't!)
• Had a great sacrament meeting where my best friend named RenRen spoke (Our Bishop's 5 year old son who likes to touch my hair and take out my earrings and put them back in) and gave me a little shoutout
• Came home on Sunday night and slept like a rock
• Did some calculations, and we biked over 114 kilometers just this week
I love missionary work and I love being a missionary! I love seeing miracles and I'm just having the time of my life down here in Taidong!
Love,
Sister Larson

Pics!!

1. Last week we went to the beach! It was so beautiful!

2. Us with MeiJin and her coffee that we promptly threw away and her Book of Mormon! She's 77 and she's the cutest.

3. Lol we're such cute mermaids

4. More fun beach pictures

5. "Part of your woooooooorld"

6. When you try to take one of those cool panoramic pictures with yourself in it but it doesn't work like you planned rip

7. Almost district picture at the east coast! Just missing one companionship of elders. Lol our district is so big haha.

8. We threw away our friend MeiJin's coffee this week! Greatest thing I've ever done haha.

More pics!!!

1. Someone in our English class took us out to a $30 6 course steak meal. It was amazing. And they served us Honey Pomelo tea at the end that was actually amazing.

2. The rat head. It was actually the worst tasting thing I've ever had.

3. Dinner appointment at an aboriginal village where they fed us the rat head

4. Exchanges with my best pengyou Sister Meeks 

5. My best pengyou Sister Meeks and my cute comp Sister MacCabe at Zone Conference

6. Hualian Zone!!!!

7. Crazy story. We literally almost missed this train coming back to Taidong from Hualian but we ran as fast as lightning through the train station and barely made it! It was such a miracle. Also I don't know if you saw on the news about the train that derailed in Taiwan, but the train that we are riding in this picture is the same train that crashed, but 2 days earlier. God watches out for His missionaries.

8. Sitting on the side of the road doing comp study in an aboriginal village before our lesson that included 6 huge terrifying dogs that I'm not kidding actually almost killed and ate us.

9. Got a massage by my favorite little friend who is in love with me haha

10. Taidong rice fields. Gotta love 'em.