December 30, 2012

Utah (and Nevada, and Idaho, and California, and anybody else who is reading this letter), HELLO!

     This week has been really awesome! I guess I'll just start with Monday night! We got back to the apartment at about 9, and we started planning. About half-way through (as we were talking about what time I would be skyping you guys the next day) Elder S says: "Oh, you're going to have to call home really quick tonight and set up your time with them."... I thought I heard him wrong! hahaha so I call and I hear dad's groggy voice saying: "Hello?" I started laughing as I greeted him back and asked who it was! His answer was the funniest I've heard in a while! I said, "hi, who is this?" and he says, "GB..." hahaha! I've never thought to call you GB before dad! He goes on to finally say... "oh! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' MAN??" I laughed for a second and then set up the time to call. It was so nice just to hear his voice for those 3 minutes or so, and as hard as it was to hear about Grandpa, I've felt the love of our Savior and His Atoning sacrifice more this week than usual as I've poured my heart out to Heavenly Father asking for the protection that grandpa needs. Dad, Grandpa, God is watching over both of you and He's going to do what is best. I know that that is true and I know that God is always with us. I've thought more this week about how hard it must have been for God to watch as the world rejected and crucified His Only Begotten Son. Elder Holland, in an MTC talk, talks about those last moments on the cross as our Lord cries out: "Oh God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Elder Holland said something to the effect of: "There probably isn't a corner in Heaven where God could watch His Son suffer through that ordeal without suffering along with Him." I think of God watching US as we suffer, whether it be physical (in Grandpa's case) or whether it be emotional (which I know I feel right now, and I know that Dad is feeling this as well) God is suffering with us. One of my favorite poems of all time is "Footsteps on the Sand." It talks about a conversation that a man is having with Christ. The man tells the Lord about a dream that he has at certain times in his life. When times are good, he sees a beach with two sets of footprints, one right beside the other, going down the shore. When times in his life have been rough, and he felt like he couldn't push through, he saw the same beach, but there were only one set of footprints. He looks at the Lord with tears in his eyes ( and I can only imagine the pain, hurt, betrayal and anguish) and says: "God, why did you leave me when I needed you the most?" The Lord, our Savior who loves us more than any of us could ever comprehend, looks at this beaten down, dispairing man and says: "Those times when you saw two sets of footprints walking along the sand, I was walking with you. Those times when you saw only one set of prints, I never left you, but I carried you along the way."

      I know that it's hard sometimes to believe that we are being carried along when the world seems so dark and so dreary. I know that when we feel so beaten down, and we are dispairing, that it feels like the Savior is so far away. But the Savior is always there. He will never forget us. He has "graven us upon the palms of His hands." (1 Nephi 21: 14-16) As I've prayed each night for Grandpa's safety and for the comfort that the rest of the family needs, I can't help but think of how much the Savior loves each one of us, and He will take care of us. "He will not leave us comfortless." (John 14:18) I promise that God is looking over each and every one of us. He always knows best what we need and what will benefit us most.

     So, on to the rest of the week! Tuesday, after skyping you, we ended up getting lost for about an hour and got back to the apartment just in time, sweating and breathing hard after our roundabout tour of Tainan! Wednesday, we got to go to a recent converts house so that Elder S could skype, and I found the most beautiful sight in the world. There, in the corner by our recent convert's bed, was the most welcome sight I've seen since coming to Taiwan... yes. It was a guitar. So I played some soft background music (ripping my fingers up for the better part of 40 minutes) while Elder S talked with his family! That just made the whole rest of my day! After that, we got to go to a college and talk with the English students for a while, they gave us lunch and just asked us questions about America mostly. We contacted for a while and then went to the chapel for our English class at night. I love that class so much! It's so fun to talk to everyone in English for a while and tell them about all the different ways to say things! Last week, they decided to ask me about what words you should or shouldn't say... that was a fun little topic! There was this guy in the back (his English is awesome) and he kept spelling out cuss words and asking me if that would be okay to say!! Ah, I just had to laugh and tell him no, they are not ok to say! I told him to use dad's personal favorite instead, "Rats!" They all seemed to like that, and now they all think dad is kind of a weirdo but they use "Rats!" anyways! haha, sorry dad! The rest of the week has just kind of flown by! It's been pretty freezing these past two days, I'm all wrapped up in scarf, gloves and sweater as I ride my bike against the wind! During the night, it really sounds like the world is ending! ha maybe the Mayans were right! It's really not that cold, I think I'm just becoming Taiwanese and now I'm ultra Pa leng (scared of the cold weather)... or maybe I've always been Pa leng, it's just worse now! I'm going to have to bring a space heater everywhere with me when I get home! It's way funny, at our apartment we have a guy that sits at the front desk, a guanli (I'm not sure what you would call him in English) and he is so pa leng!! It's so funny, the past two days he's been wrapped up in this HUGE jacket (which he proudly bought in America, he loves the fact that, in English, it says "bear" on it) and a big, fluffy beanie, with gloves and a scarf! Everytime he sees us, he just shakes his head and says we need to put more clothes on! He cracks me up! Yesterday he was talking about the time he went to Alaska and he froze to death! He was trying to say that he's cold blooded, like a snake, but he was using a Chengyu, like and idiom, to explain it and so I had no idea what he was trying to say! He was pointing at his heart and then saying something about a snake, so I kind of got it, but the overall message was there. He really hates the cold. Other than that, it's been a great week! Even with the cold it's been great! It's really flying by, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was sitting at the same computer, writing you and telling you about the last week! I'm doing good, I'm passing off my first phase of Language study, and I'm continuing to work with Elder S to become the best missionary that I can be! He's awesome by the way, I wish you could have talked with him more, he's so great with the people here and his Chinese is incredible! He understands everything!!

     So things here are going great, I'll be sending off your Christmas package today with all the stuff in it for you, hopefully it'll get there pretty quick! I got your letters this week and I loved them! I wish I could answer all your questions right now, but I left the letters at my apartment, so I'll have to answer questions next week! I want to wish Macy and very happy Birthday, I hope you had a blast! You're all great, and I miss you all tons, but the work is moving forward! Jess, I'm so stoked for you to get your call (to Taiwan, of course) and I hope you're doing all you can to prepare yourself NOW, which I'm sure you are! You're going to be an absolutely incredible missionary! Alec, you've gotten crazy ripped in just the past 3 months! I'm sure it was all the wrestling! You keep ripping it up little man! I hope that you keep that Wrestling fire going for the next 10 years!! You'll be even better than Grant La'mont! Macy, one more thing! I know guitar is crazy hard, and it probably hurts your fingers a ton! But don't give up! Learn some songs that you like to listen to, some T-Swift songs and such, and then just play them until it sounds good! That's how I learned! Use the ultimate-guitar tabs website, it helps a lot!

     Mom, Hello dear mother! I love reading your e-mail every week! It makes me so happy to hear all about the stuff going on at home! I love reading about your reactions to all the snow, haha! Reading your letter this week was such a boost too! I've been really trying my best to always be positive here and to not let anything bother me, and you know what? It's really not that hard! It's easy to just sit down and quit, but you know, the more I think about it, the more I know that I never could. I feel like I've gotten a taste of what the real purpose of missionary work is, and now that I've gotten that, I could never just give up! As easy as it might have been at first to let someones rejection tear me down, now it builds me up! Knowing that I've at least given them a chance to accept the Gospel is all that I need to know! As long as I'm doing my best to talk with everyone, I'm fulfilling my purpose!

     It was so good to see you! I miss you a ton, and I think about you always, but I want you to know I'm happy! I'm starting to get into the Taiwanese habits, and it's not really all that foreign anymore! Weird huh? Well, I love you! I'll talk to you next week!

     Dad, I still am in shock that you're growing a beard! I didn't even recognize you! It looks good! You should keep it!

    I've been thinking a lot this week about you, how you're doing. I can't comprehend the feelings that you must be going through right now, with Grandpa, but I can tell you that the Savior knows. Coming unto the Savior is the entire purpose of our lives here on earth, and It's the center of my purpose as a missionary. I'm to "invite others to come unto Christ..." That's not just limited to the people here in Taiwan, but I'm extending it to all that I come in contact with. Dad, the Savior's arms are open for you to run into.... and for all i know, you've already accepted those arms. Everything that I've learned here, I see in you. I see the strength that you emulate for everyone around you. You are that person that helps others. You are the opitimy (I'm sorry, my English spelling is pretty screwed up!) of Charity. I know that if anyone ever needs anything, you are there to give it to them. Whether it be physically moving something, or just being the shoulder to lean on, you're there. I want you to know that you don't have to go through this alone. The Savior is standing at your door, asking to be let in so that He can carry you. If I know you as well as I think I do, you've already opened the door long before you read this e-mail. But I just want you to know the revelation that I've received this week. The Savior loves us and will never leave us!

     I love you dad! I constantly think of the accumulation of advice and wisdom you've given to me over the years! I'll never forget the words of wisdom you've given me since I've started driving (every time I walk out the door) something along the lines of: "don't share needles, drive 2 under, and Return Honorably." You've told me for a long time now, to always Return with Honor. I promise to do so. I look up to you more than you know, and I've looked up to you more here than ever before. I love you!

     Just to finish up, I want to follow up with everyone! Does everyone have there copies of the Book of Mormon?? Did you get some for Grandma and Grandpa? How about your marking pens? Keep going, and don't try to just fly through it! Internalize it, let it become the foundation of your testimony! Search for specific questions, and keep a journal where you can write your revelation down, because I promise you'll receive a boatload! I love you all, Jiayou!!

Week 2 in Taiwan

Da jia hao!

 This week has been awesome! Last Monday night, we met with a group of investigators for dinner and they were nice enough to order me, being the new foreigner to Taiwan, a pidan... which is translated as 1000 year old egg. It was the weirdest looking thing I've ever seen. It was literally black, with a bunch of tofu on the side that you could eat it with, all smothered in a sauce that looked the same as the egg... I was a little more than scared!! But I surprised everyone, including myself, when I ate it and actually liked it! I ate the whole thing, and then one of the guys who ordered it for me looked at me and said..."Oh my gosh, you are Taiwanese!" haha that was one of the funnier experiences this week. We finished eating with them, and then taught a little about the Plan of Salvation. It was a great feeling to just talk with these people about the beautiful plan God has for us. There's nothing better than sharing the Gospel in a place where everyone who wants can stop in and listen!

     Through out the week here in Taiwan, I was getting more and more discouraged. Not with the Missionary work itself, I was so disappointed in myself, and my limited ability with the language, and just in my own attitude! I felt like I wasn't doing as good a job as I should have been doing. So, after having a little sit-down lesson at a 7-11 where I didn't understand much of what was going on, I ended the lesson by just sharing my testimony with this guy. He smiled at me and gave us his number, and then we left. As we rode off, I was so mad at myself, why I don't even know. I just know that I was so mad that I didn't understand everything that he was saying, and it didn't help that all of the buildings we were passing on our way to dinner were all in characters and so I didn't understand anything at all. I was just really discouraged and so disappointed in myself... as these feelings were all hitting me, I thought to myself "all I have here is a testimony. I can't teach to peoples needs because I don't understand what they are saying to me!" As I thought that, I felt this overwhelming sense of love literally hit me as if it was a gust of wind. I felt the love and gratitude that Heavenly Father has for all of His missionaries worldwide, and I knew that He was recognizing my effort to preach His Gospel here in Taiwan. I'm still having a hard time with the Chinese, and I don't always understand what is being said, but since Wednesday, I've been able to understand where we are in a lesson, what the speaker is talking about in Sacrament, and I've been able to actually be a contributing part of this Companionship. It's such a blessing to me to know that Heavenly Father is watching over me and helping me with the challenge of this language! I know I could never do it without Him!

     Thursday was the Christmas activity! The entire mission got together in Taizhong and had some fun! We went to a big Budhist temple up in the mountains, took some pictures and just socialized as missionaries! It was a blast to see all the people I was with in the MTC! I talked with Elder V, Elder W, Elder G, Elder W and a bunch of other people from my Older Generation at the MTC! I also so Elder W(Riley W)! He was actually standing right behind me during the picture and I didn't even know it for a while! When I got there, I saw Young (remember K's friend from Thailand, he went to Springville High School and was in D's ward?) and I talked with him for a while, and I saw a lot of people from Springville that I hadn't seen for a long time! I saw Sister W, and I met a missionary who Brother V (my MTC teacher) trained! Crazy huh? It was a blast! After the Temple, we went to one other stop where they had some fun little places to take pictures and such, and then we went to a big huge steakhouse to eat dinner! You'd never believe some of the food they had there. They had these little tiny octopi (plural octopus?) that looked like they literally just pulled them out of the water and put the in a bowl to serve!... Yes, I ate one and it wasn't bad, it didn't really have a taste, it was just kind of chewy! After dinner we went to the chapel and had a really nice devotional where we sang a lot, and listened to the Christmas story, and then listened to President B talk to us for a little bit. It was a really great day!

     On Friday, we had a baptism!! It was really awesome to see this guy get baptized, and to watch his life change forever! He's a great guy, and he's going to be such a strong member of the Church! Saturday was the ward Christmas party, where there was SO much good food, and some great desserts too! All of the missionaries got a chance to do a singing program where we sang 3-4 songs.... in English! Kind of funny, because no one understood the lyrics, but they seemed to like it anyways! After that, they had the Primary program, where Elder S and I sung in the Choir (I told you about that experience right?). It was all going good, until the last song... We were singing a song where the kids sing for a little while, and then the rest of the choir joins in at the chorus for a really loud, powerful effect. So we sung the first 2 verses really good, and then came the 3rd verse. Elder S and I saw the chorus coming up, so we take a deep breath and then belt it out.... and then we realize that the 3rd verse chorus is a nice, soft SOLO!!! We sang the first three notes at the top of our voices and then the guy next to us smacks us with his music and starts laughing! The worst part was that half of the ward was videoing this song! Ah, the joys of trying to read music and characters at the same time! It was great!

     So that's the week! It's still kind of new, but I'm getting pretty used to it! Dad, you'll be happy to know that I'm back up to about 170, and I'm hoping it's muscle! I've gotten down to about a 6:30 mile, so I'm still working out, I promise! Other than that, not much is new! hahaha kind of a weird thing to say being in a completely foreign place, but I'm really starting to get used to it! I've been thinking a lot lately, and I know what it is about missionary work that makes me so happy. It's that feeling you get after bearing your testimony in sacrament meeting, you know that rush of relief and then the burst of happiness and strength that follows you throughout the rest of the day? That's what missionary work is like. No matter how many people reject you, no matter how many times someone yells at you as you ride by, no matter how much I don't understand of the language, being here is a constant strength to my own personal testimony, and as I share and strengthen my own testimony, I'm bringing others closer to Christ. And that's our end purpose isn't it? In the end, you can have 5000 baptisms, or 5, but if you've diligently worked to bring others to Christ, that's what a mission is all about. Don't get me wrong, baptism is ABSOLUTELY crucial, it's most important step in bringing someone unto Christ, it's essential to salvation! But as long as I am helping people prepare to be baptized and setting them on the path to Endure to the End, I'm fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. I love this work so much, I've only been here a week, and I already know that I'll cry like a baby when I get home! I'm so grateful to be here doing my best to help the people of Taiwan come unto Christ, and I will work my hardest to fulfill that purpose!!

     I love you all, and I challenge you to be the missionaries that God wants you to be at home! You can do so much to share this wonderful message with everyone you come in contact with! They all need it!

    Love you all tons! I'll talk to you on Wednesday!

Finally in Taiwan!

Ni hao!! Wow, this has been kind of a crazy week, as I'm sure you can all imagine!! Starting at the end of the MTC stay:

     So I said goodbye to my companion, Elder L., last Sunday night. That was definitely a hard thing to do! Being with him for 3 months and then just saying goodbye like that was hard for our whole District. I think we all cried a little that night! That Monday was really weird! I acted as a solo missionary the whole day, so it was the sisters and I, and then a teacher in the classroom pretty much all day! I never thought it would be so weird not having a companion! But wait, it gets weirder! When we got to the airport, I realized... "Oh, wow. I have no companion at all!" Talk about crazy! It was super weird. So you all know most of this, at the airport, after we all got through, I called you all and got to talk to you for quite a while! I got a little choked up quite a few times (I'll admit it!!) but it made me so, SO happy just to here all of your voices! The plane ride to Seattle was pretty uneventful! It was pretty funny because Sister G. decided to take pictures of everyone while they slept, so we all had a pretty good laugh about that at the airport! We were all very impressed that Sister W. could sleep through the ENTIRE landing (which was really NOT smooth!) and then we finally stepped off the plane into the "real world." I don't think I can even explain how "out of this world" the MTC really is! When we got to Seattle, we were like aliens landing on earth! Ha I'm serious! Missionaries stand out SO much, especially when there's 10 of them walking around together trying to look for phones and food! We met a couple of people in the airport who were members and we talked with them for a while, we even found a member family who were living in American Fork, but from Hong Kong! Way cool. Definitely a humbling experience to know that I REALLY don't speak Chinese!

     So we got on the plane to Japan o.k. and then had a very long flight. 11 hours, is a lot longer than it sounds!! We all joked about how hard it was going to be to sleep on that plane, and it was... for everyone except for Sister W.! Ha, if we flew for a total of 18 hours, she probably slept for 14 of that! Ha not really, but we all gave her a hard time for it later. It was really hard, because obviously as missionaries we can't watch the movies or listen to the music, so most of the time was spent setting goals, or reading in the Book of Mormon, or trying to catch little bits of Chinese from the couple behind us (without a whole lot of success!) And so, after a LONG flight, we landed in Japan! The descent was absolutely beautiful, honestly, it was so cool. The sun was just setting over the island and everything was lit up, you could see the beaches and everything! Japan is a whole different world! Every thing kind of has this awesome, cartoon quality to it! Even the airport itself, speaking of which, I don't think I've ever seen a cleaner airport! It was immaculate! Japan was a very fast experience, we had about two minutes to get through customs and then we were racing to the gate to board the next plane. Once we got on the plane in Tokyo, I really felt like my mission had started. Sister W. and I attempted talking to the people next to us in Chinese, and we actually didn't do too badly! The people are just SO SO nice, and willing to help so much! That flight went by really quickly, I slept pretty much the whole way, and then.... we were in Taiwan. Wow. Taiwan is incredible! I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it wasn't this! It's like a mix of New York City, Hawaii, and then a mix of about a hundred different smells (not all of them pleasant, but then others that make your mouth water haha)! We were met by the mission president and his wife and the assistants to the President, and had a very, very quick goodbye with Sister G. and O. I really wish we could have had a little more time, I really hope they're doing good! So we took a quick picture, and then it was onto the bus for orientation! Orientation was just a basic overview of what they expect of us, and then we all introduced ourselves! It was pretty difficult, because Sister W., Sister R. (a Sister who left Taiwan because of health issues and now came back) and I were the only Americans! So I felt a little bit disappointed that my Chinese wasn't all that great! It's hard to communicate with people when you're not entirely sure what they're saying to you! haha but the other missionaries were so nice, and so willing to help out. We finished out our long night, by splitting up and going to the separate apartments to sleep. I and the other Elders went to the Zone Leaders apartment for the next 2 nights. Everything is so incredible here in Taiwan. It's really crazy, because even though the buildings and city is so big, everything is totally jam packed into it! All of the stores are tiny, and the doors and every thing is miniscule! It's so cool!

     So the next morning we went on a run, and then to the mission home for an incredible breakfast of Taiwanese fruit and delicious food! Oh my gosh, the food is so good here!! You'll be surprised, dad, I've eaten some pretty weird stuff already! I'm pretty surprised at some of the things I've eaten, because I don't even know what some of the things even were! So that morning, breakfast was heavenly, I even used chopsticks (for the enjoyment of all the natives and Sister W. especially found that funny!)! That whole day we had orientation. For lunch we went to a place for a "hot pot." You just grab a bunch of veggies/meats and throw it into some boiling water! Not really sure what I ate, but it tasted awesome!! We continued orientation, and then we started in on some real missionary work. Contacting!! That was a blast, kind of nerve racking, trying to talk to someone in a language that you can barely read let alone carry on a conversation, but I loved it. We then went to a very nice restaurant, where I ate a fish eye (can you believe that one?) and then went on to do "Dan Jones!" You may have gotten the video of that and all the pictures, but basically we all took turns standing on a box and preaching! haha It must have looked pretty funny to see a bunch of people standing there yelling in broken Chinese! We then contacted for about an hour and a half, and then went to sleep for the night! I needed it, wow I was dead! The next morning we met our trainers, and then left to our areas! I'm in Tainan (a little more southern) and my trainer is Elder S. He's awesome! He's got some crazy good Chinese, and he is so good with people! He is really good at making people feel comfortable, and he loves doing it. I'm learning a ton from him right now! That first day in Tainan was a little difficult, it's kind of like the MTC adjustment... times about 100! It's so beautiful here and everyone is seriously so nice!!

     I've been trying to figure out if you guys would or wouldn't like it here!! Basically, imagine New York. The buildings, the overall feeling of business, and the amount of people. Got it? Now times it by about 10, and that's Tainan! The traffic is SO crazy, and so much fun to maneuver (I'm now forgetting how to spell those difficult words...) around in! Dad, I'm pretty sure you would be going crazy here! And Delyla would have a heart attack! There are literally THOUSANDS of Mopeds. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. At every intersection, we pull our little bikes up next to the mopeds and just start talking to people! Some people give you the weirdest looks, but they're generally so nice and listen for at least a little while! Our Chapel is just about 5-8 minutes away from our apartment, and I think I've gotten the route down so that I could probably find my way now... maybe! I'm amazed at how my companion just knows where he's going all the time, everything is so similar! So basically, I love it here. The food, the people, the atmosphere, my companion, and everything!

     Church yesterday was an awesome experience! I didn't understand a whole lot of the talks, but when I talked to members afterwards, I was able to communicate really well! I'm so grateful that I'm learning Chinese as a missionary, because there's no way I'd be able to do this without Heavenly Father's help! After Church, there was a little lunch meeting next to the Chapel, and then choir practice for the Christmas play! I think that the rehearsal was possibly the most comical thing that I've ever seen! There were about 20 Taiwanese kids running around yelling in Chinese, and then they would have us (in the choir) run up on stage randomly and sing a song... by the way, dad, if you thought that singing in an English choir was difficult, try reading Chinese characters (which I failed at pretty badly!!) and music at the same time!! Talk about hilarious, watching the Waiguoren (foreigner) trying to sing on stage! hahaha. At the end of the day, we had a family home evening activity which we take our investigators to. The investigator that came last night is actually getting baptized this Saturday!! So the activity was possibly funnier than watching the play practice! It was some crazy star wars game where the pieces move around the board by rolling some dice, and then using a measuring stick to move them around, and then shooting another piece... I still have no idea if I won or lost...

     It's definitely different from anything I've ever done.... including the MTC experience, which was pretty foreign in the first place! I miss my District and my Companion quite a bit, but it's worth it being here in Tainan and doing some real missionary work, and I know I'll see all of them after my mission anyways, so no worries! I'm doing great here, everything is all unpacked and I'm all settled! Our apartment is actually pretty spacious! I love it! We each have our own bathrooms, which are so funny I'm going to have to figure out how to sent you pictures soon, and a big bedroom, and then a big study room with a couple desks! So I just want you all to know that I am safe here in Taiwan, I'm loving every minute of it and working hard!

Travel Day!

Today's post is not in the form of a letter - Today we got to talk to Elder Noll while he was at the various airports... His first flight took off from Salt Lake City at 8:30 am, heading for Seattle. He landed there at about 9:30am their time.We got to chat with Ryan for about 40 minutes. He is healthy, happy and ready to go!! He has a couple of long days ahead - traveling for the next 20+ hours to get to his final destination - Taichung...and then meeting his new companion and settling in.  Hopefully he will be able to (or possibly his mission president) email us upon arrival to let us know he is safe and sound. For now, here are some pictures of Elder Noll and his district the last few days before they left.

Elder Noll with his companion, the three sisters in his district and one extra missionary...

Elder Noll obviously being silly!!

The day before Elder Noll leaves the MTC, his companion left and Ryan got to hang out with this nice group of Elders:)

The stockings I made for Ryan and his district...

Last letter from the MTC

Wasai!! This definitely snuck up on me!! Wow, the MTC has just flown by! I am so excited to get to Taiwan and really start working, but I'm definitely going to miss the MTC. I'm going to miss my companion, my district, my teachers, and I'll definitely miss the overall feeling that the MTC holds! But I know that the Lord needs me now and I need to really start putting out the effort to help move along this mighty work!

You'll never guess what happened this week... ok you can probably guess. TRAVEL PLANS!!! I'm so stoked! And guess who is the travel leader? ME! They had a pretty big group to choose from... Sister Ward and myself! haha so not exactly that special of an assignment but I'll take it very seriously, don't worry! All I really have to do is make sure that Sister Ward and I are both on time to the plane. It'll be a really nice flight actually, we're flying over with all the other Taiwan missionaries, so I'll be with Di Zhanglao (Elder Dwiggins) and Sisters George, and O'Brien, and others from my zone. After that, we have a 15 hour flight (wasai) to Tokyo, Japan!! So cool right?? And then from there we go to Taiwan. We will be getting there around 10 or 11 at night, and then we have about a 3 hour bus ride to the mission home in Taizhong! So I've got a long couple days ahead of me! I'm so stoked right now, every time I think about it I just get so excited (maybe a little scared too)... but it makes me so excited!! So that was definitely one of the highlights of my week here at the MTC!

Ok, so here's the week laid out for ya!

     So this week really didn't have a whole lot in it! The travel plans were the most exciting thing that happened by far! But on Saturday, we had TRC again.... with a REAL investigator!! Crazy, right?? She was from Mainland China and spoke real Chinese, not just Missionary Chinese! It was definitely a humbling experience for me, but the lesson (which I thought went terrible at the time) actually went well. The Spirit was there very strong as we discussed Christ's Atonement and how we can implement it into our lives. She told us about things that she was worrying about in her life, and we taught her about how she can receive revelation for those things during Sacrament time. So even though I thought it didn't go all that well, my teacher (who was listening in) told Elder Luke and I that it really wasn't a bad lesson. This sister also gave me some good feedback which has really helped me progress my teaching skills! TRC is so great! It's humbling, uplifting, Spiritual, and overall nerve-racking! But it's such a blast to sit down and try to really help real people with real problems! I love it so much!!

     We had a great fast Sunday this week, where we got to watch the Christmas devotional that night! My favorite subject that was mentioned was in President Uchtdorfs talk, about becoming better "receivers." I really liked that, how we all need to give, and we all need to have that humble Christmas Spirit, but we truly bless others as we receive their gifts!

     Well, I'm out of time. I will write you all letters today and get them in the mail ASAP. I love you all, I miss you all, and I pray for you daily! Merry Christmas! Remember what Christmas really is about, and it will become something so much more special to you and to everyone who sees you living the Gospel! Jiayou!! Zaijian!

Week 9

Ni men hao!!

     Jiating, wo hen xiangyan nimen! Wo hen ganxie nimen suoyou de xin zhe ge libai! Just wanted to say thanks to you for all of the letters! That was so fun reading those letters from all of you!! And the Pumpkin bars!! Oh so delicious! We've got such a small zone that we've been handing them out to some of the Korean missionaries too and they now love you mom!! One of them, last night, told me to tell you that you are an angel! So you have quite a few admirers here, on the first floor of 7m. This week was so incredible! I've got lots to say, but only a little time to say it, so bear with me!

Starting on Thursday:

     The day started off with a surprise visitor from the Quorum of the Twelve... I don't think I'll tell you who it was though... Houlun Zhanglao!!! Elder Holland came to visit us!! It was actually kind of funny, that morning Sister Ward bet the district (the winner could pick the hymns we sing for the whole week) that it would be Elder Holland, so when he walked in the room I was totally surprised!! Come to find out, Elder Holland has a niece in our zone and this Sister told Sister Ward that he would be coming already! Not a fair bet!!

     It was so incredible to watch him. Not just when he was speaking to us, but as he sat on the stand next to his wife. It was such a testimony to me that families are forever... and Elder Holland lives that way. He was just sitting peacefully, holding his wife's hand, as he listened to his Grandchildren bear testimonies, sing musical numbers, and play instruments. It was incredible for me to witness that! And then, after I had thought about how important families are, he gets up and starts talking about family and how grateful he is for his. He didn't even need to say anything, I would have known just by watching him. He went on to talk about how blessed we are to have the Gospel in this dispensation, and how hard it must have been for previous dispensations knowing that they would lose the battle eventually and fall into apostasy. But for us, we will win. We are going to see this battle to the end, and that end is the imprisonment of the Adversary. The exaltation of our souls, and the Second Coming of the Son of God! I wish I could continue to talk about his remarks, but I'm short on time!

     Next, we had Thanksgiving Dinner. As thankful as I am for the food here at the MTC, I miss your food so much mom!!! I miss those mashed potatoes, the real turkey, the yams!!! (Jessi, just thought I'd let you know that they did have some yams here, not good ones, and I choked one down just for you!). But as I was sitting there eating this "dinner" (it was at about 11:30 in the morning) I looked around at all the faces in my zone, I saw my companion, and the Sisters in my district, all smiling and laughing and eating turkey and it was just really comforting. I missed you all a lot more than usual on Thursday, but I'm so, SO, grateful for my district and zone. It really feels like my family away from family. We're all very close, and it'll be a sad goodbye!

     And now for even more "sentimental Elder Noll," as we watched 17 miracles Thursday night, I cried like a baby! It really helped me know how lucky I truly am. I don't know why this time was so different as I watched it, but it was just a feeling that pierced my heart! I didn't even laugh during that part where the couple is skipping around playing with the blanket (Jessi)!!

So that was my Thanksgiving day!! It was incredible, but I promise, I thought about you all quite a bit!

Friday:

     Friday was a lot more normal and back to the regular schedule. The biggest surprise was the GIANT sheet of pumpkin bars along with all of the notes! Best thing in the world!! I sat there and read, and read, and re-read all those letters and I love each and every one of them! Thanks!!

Saturday:

     Saturday was really awesome! Dad, you'll be so proud! I woke up, worked out, showered, got dressed and then started brushing my teeth. I walked into the bathroom, toothbrush in my mouth, and saw an elder from my zone sitting on the floor, towel still around his waist and as pale as can be! I quickly put the toothbrush down and started my assessment! Luckily it was just a quick fainting spell, and he was just really dehydrated, but I just felt so grateful that I had the tools and knowledge available to help him out! And now after that little story, Dad, I was wondering if you could send me a layout of medical and trauma assessments just so that I can keep it fresh for the next two years? That would be great! I feel like I'm starting to forget some of the smaller steps!

     Later that day, we got to go to TRC (the teaching volunteer place where we teach in Chinese) and I had a great experience! We taught a guy from BYU, and he turned out to be one of my teachers' 2nd companion in Taizhong!! But as Elder Luke and I were teaching, I just realized... "we're talking in Chinese right now... AND I UNDERSTAND!!" It made me pretty happy... I'm sure that will change once I get to Taiwan!! "ting bu dong!"

Sunday was great, I got to make myself a scripture box for my Chinese Book of Mormon and it has pictures of all of you all over it! Along with pictures of Christ, Moroni, and Book of Mormon stories! 

     I'm looking forward to talking to you all in around 2 weeks! I'm so stoked! I get travel plans this week! I love all of you so so much! Sorry, this letter didn't have much of a message in it, but here goes! Stay strong, read the Book of Mormon everyday, and pray like it's the first time every time! Loves!!

Week 8

Da jia hao!! Hello everyone! It's that time of the week again where I get to ramble on for the next thirty minutes! Ready??

     Before I start, how is everything? Life sounds pretty good at home! It's getting a little warmer again, which is always a good sign! Mom, I'll bet you're pretty happy about that!! So I got those pictures! Wow! Jessi looks so different!! My first thought was, ''Oh man, we really do look alike!'' When we both have short hair, I can actually see a slight resemblance!! Seeing those pictures made me realize how much I miss you all! In a good way though! No worries, I'm still so happy here, and I promise to remain that way for the next two years!! So I don't know if you've heard the rumors, but here in the MTC, we get more and more people telling us about China opening up. (Elder Noll talks a bit more about this possibility in the full version of his letter)

     Well, now that I've gotten all that exciting news out of the way, we can talk about the MTC! Haha, I wish I could give you more input about this wonderful place, but as wonderful as it is, it can be so very normal at times! Most of the time! This week was a little special, because on Wednesday I had the chance to Host for the new Missionaries! After this experience, I know just how miraculous it was for Elder Ockey to have been my Host. When hosting, you never know who it is, where they're going, let alone be able to find a specific person to host! I had the chance to host for two awesome Missionaries this week. Two very different experiences, but with one of them I felt it was a little more special. Do you remember when you dropped me off? Remember how crazy it was? Well I can only remember a few blur of things. I remember looking around at all of you, knowing that it would be a while until I would see you again. I hugged each and every one of you, until I got to dad and then I lost it! Dad, I still tear up when I think about our goodbye, but my eyes are not full of tears of sorrow, but tears of love and pride. After I hugged dad goodbye, I remember hugging mom. Mom, I tell you every week how much I think about you, how much I miss you, but I don't know if you truly understand or not so I want to tell you. I think of you when I wake up, I think of you as I eat your granola in the morning now (thanks by the way!!), I think of the different things you would have to say about this or that, I wonder how you would react to certain situations, or even just look at the picture of you and dad in the front of my photo album (which, btw, I carry with me everywhere in my scripture bag, and I show each and every investigator that I have). There is not an hour that goes by that I don't think about you, or tell a story about you, or just wonder about how you are doing. I love you mom. I always will.

    I feel like I have a story about each and every hug that I gave each of you that day! And this week I got to relive those hugs!! Jessi, when I hugged you, I still remember the awkward cast on your arm, I remember tearing up as I knew I would be missing my best friend for the next two years of my life. I can barely hold it together right now, embarassing huh?? Macy, as I gave you that hug, I remember picturing you and being so sad about the experiences I will miss with you these next two years and then thinking of how much you will grow, and how I want so badly to be a part of that!! So I promise you, I will never forget to write to you, I will always think about you and pray for you. You're so special to me. I love you Mace. You're definitely my favorite sister!! ;) but for reals, I couldn't have received a better person as a sister. You are the most strong, beautiful, and talented little girl I've ever met. And guess what?? I get to spend Eternity with you!! I love you little girl!! Alec, I don't know if I can even explain to you how special you are to me. The memory that has stuck out to me the most since coming to the MTC is the memory of you wrapped around my legs. I'll never forget bending down to give you that last hug. Alec, you are such an incredible kid! You are so strong, and so happy! I want you to know how much I love you, and how I look at your picture every single day! I love you buddy!

That's all the time I have!! I love all of you! I'll write more in a letter today and hopefully it'll be there by Thursday or so! Love ya!

Zai Jian, Elder Noll

Week 7

Ni men hao!

Hello all! I have to apologize in advance, this letter may not be as full of stories as any others because I don't have my journal with me! So bare with me for a while! This week has gone by so fast! It's crazy how fast things start going towards the end of the MTC stay! I'm going to miss the MTC (maybe not the food) so much! It's been great having missionaries around me 24/7 and knowing that we all share one purpose, but I know that I'm needed in Taiwan, and right about now I need Taiwan! I'm freezing! ;) (Speaking of which, Mom, if you could send me a scarf that would be great!)

So like I said, this week has really flown by! On Wednesday we got all of our new Chinese speaking missionaries and they're great! It was great to meet them! The only downside of it, is I feel like their Chinese was 10X better than mine was when I first got to the MTC!! But no worries, they are all incredible and really hard working! It's been really weird, being the "older generation." The Elders that people come to for questions, I feel like I'm still asking questions myself! But it's also been so interesting to see how much I've progressed since I've come to the MTC. Looking back, I don't think I'd even recognize myself! Funny story about people recognizing me, just a couple hours ago, I was walking to the Temple with my District and I saw Brother Gee at the stoplight in his van!! I started waving like crazy, and he didn't even recognize me! He gave me this funny look and then drove off! Haha my District got a good laugh out of that! 

Another funny story that I'll share real quick! I don't know if I said this last week or not, but last Saturday we were teaching at the TRC (which is the volunteer service where people who speak your language come in and you teach them) and we had just finished up with one of our lessons. My companion, one of my laoshi's, and I all went into a room to evaluate the lesson really quick. We sat down and I immediately said to my tongban: "ok, what do we need to work on and how can we do it?" My teacher immediately looked at me, laughed, and said: "Come on! Let's start with what went well!!" .... and then (joking) under his breath loud enough for all of us to hear, he says: "WRESTLERS!" hahaha I thought that was pretty funny, seeing as he was a wrestler himself! So that taught me a lesson (along with all the advice from you, dad, that week) that I need to be a hard worker, but I also need to recognize the success that I've had in the past weeks!

I've got plenty more stories to tell, but I'll save those for the hand written letters, hao ma? 

It's so incredible to me how much easier it is for me to study the scriptures here at the MTC. Back at home, I had a hard time reading for even 15 minutes!! And now, I have a hard time stopping after a full hour! I feel like I had a testimony of the Book of Mormon before going on a mission. But now, after studying the Book of Mormon so intently, I feel like my testimony is strengthened dramatically every day! I love the Book of Mormon more than any other book in this world! I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it's true. That Nephi was a prophet, that Alma the younger and the Sons of Mosiah truly did convert thousands of the Lamanites, I know that Captain Moroni truly was one of the best men to walk on this earth throughout all of time! I know these things because as I read these stories, they grip me. They're more gripping than even Harry Potter is! I know these things are true, because as I put myself in these stories, I can feel the story unfolding. I can feel the way these people felt and I know that God is there! I just finished reading in the book of Mormon (not the Book of Mormon, but the book of Mormon... ya know?) and I've been receiving a constant feeling of truth since I started reading when I got here. Every time I open the Book, I feel the power of God, and I feel His love for us as His children. I feel the power that Joseph Smith used to translate this Book, and I know that he was, and continues to be, a prophet of the Lord! The Book of Mormon is truly the most true book ever to come forth among the children of men. I know this and I testify of this with all of my heart and soul. I love this Book. 

I challenge any who are reading this to start doing something today. I know that life is busy, and you don't have a set hour for you to study scripture like I do right now, but I challenge you (if you are not already) to drop what you are doing and start on the introduction page of the Book of Mormon. Start there and read every word. I challenge you to read for at least 1/2 an hour a day. I promise that if you do this, you will know that this Book is truly of God. You will know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. But most importantly, you will know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Savior and Redeemer of our souls, our Loving Lord. Through this Book, you will come closer to Christ than you could by doing anything else. I know this to be true. And even if you've done this before, do it again. Even if you already have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, read it again... and again... and again! And as you read it, let it change you! Don't remain the same person!! Unless you are constantly becoming a better person, you aren't using the Atonement the way it is meant to be used! Let Christ change you, let Him mold you! I promise that as you do this, you'll feel Him closer than you ever have before!

I love all of you so so much! I miss you every day, and I look through my little photo album with tears of joy in my eyes knowing that each of you are safe and that each of you care for me! As much as I miss you, this is a sacrifice that is well worth it. I'm leaving you, so that I can bring other families together. I'm leaving you, so that I can bring this Gospel to others who need it SO much! I love you all more than I could ever express!!

Jiayou!!

Zaijian!

A Chinese Testimony

This just came tonight...from a sweet friend who works at the MTC. He took the time to record Ryan speaking his new language!! I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life who care enough to do things like this. Tender mercies!!:>)

Week 6

你好！

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! Tuesday's are probably my favorite days of the week because not only do I get to write to all of you, but we go to the Temple!! The Temple is truly the best place in the world!

     So this week has been very fun! I got to dress up a little on Halloween, I'll send you the picture, and I've been plowing through the Book of Mormon! I love to read that book so much! It's incredible the power that it can have on our life when we read from it daily! I challenge all of you to read 1/2 an hour each day from the Book of Mormon, and keep track of the differences you feel in day to day life! I promise it will bless you more than you could ever imagine!
     This last week I've been studying in the end of Alma, all the Moroni chapters which are incredible!! But I decided that I wanted to study some New Testament stuff one of the days, so I was reading the story of Christ walking on water. I went to each Gospel and studied the story from the different perspectives and my favorite by far is in Matthew 14. It starts by talking about John the Baptist dying, and when Christ is told of this he is exceedingly sorrowful. He goes up to a mountain to be alone, but a large multitude follows him. As he turns about and sees the multitude, he "is moved with compassion towards them." Isn't that an incredible sentence?? Our Savior, who knows that these people in just a short while will deny him and crucify him, is moved with compassion towards them! Christ loves all of us SO MUCH!! So he is moved with compassion towards them, and after that, he commands that his disciples should feed them. His disciples look at him and ask him how this is possible?? They've only got 5 loaves of bread and 2 little fishes! How are they supposed to feed thousands?! Christ tells them not to worry about it, but he blesses the bread and then passes the basket around. Everyone ate and was full. Everyone ate and was FULL! That's incredible! It's so different if we start to try and imagine these settings isn't it? Can you imagine being in that multitude, and eating the bread and fish that Christ himself has blessed and brake? So incredible! Once the multitude is full, Christ tells his disciples to send the people on their way, and that they should go and he will meet them later. Now he is finally able to be alone for this small moment in time. He goes deeper into the mountain where, we can only assume, he prays unto his father. For what? I don't know, but I can imagine he is praying for John (who by the way is Christ's earthly cousin by birth) and strength and praying to know what His father wants him to do. After praying all night, he comes down and sees his disciples out on the water, being blown all over the sea! He sees their trouble and decides to walk out to them. Let's say that one more time. He WALKS out to them. Yes. On top of the raging sea. No boat, no floaty toys, he simply walks out to his friends. As his disciples see them, they are afraid and think that it's a spirit! He tells them to be calm and that it is him. Peter asks Christ if he can join him on the water. Imagine the faith it would take to ask that question! But as steadfast as Peter's faith was at that moment, it faltered once he was out on the water and then he began to sink. Does the Savior reach out to him then? No. He cannot take our agency away from us. He must wait, as painful as it is for him to watch us sink, He will never force us to use his Atonement. He waits until Peter redeems himself and cries out: "Lord, save me!" And the scripture says, "Jesus IMMEDIATELY reached out" and he pulled Peter to the surface. At this point I can imagine the Savior embracing Peter and softly telling him, with a loving manner, "oh ye of little faith. Wherefore did you doubt?" The Savior will always save us. He always wants to, but it is ALWAYS up to us to take that step toward him. We must let him in.

    On a different note, I went and saw Brother Glazier yesterday, and I think he has a little surprise for all of you! ;) Jessi, we were talking a little bit about you! He told me he wants to take you to the MTC maybe one day, but you have to do something first! You gotta cut that hair! haha. Your doing great man, from what Brother Glazier tells me, and from the letter you sent the other day, you sound really good! I love you man! I just want to continue to tell you to focus with all your heart, might, mind and soul on the things that are truly important. Do you know what those things are? I bet you could guess! Did you say a mission?? That's right! Mission is at the top of the focus list for a young man at your age! Keep yourself worthy, but do more than that. PREPARE. I know that I'm preaching to the choir here, because you are one of the most incredible young men I know, but I want you to ALWAYS have your mission on your mind. Work on scripture study, work on normal school study, and work on giving of yourself to all others! I know that you're already great at these things, but we can always improve! I know Brother Glazier wanted you to maybe take some stuff out of this letter to share with the Priest Quorum this week, so if you want to share this then go ahead! This can apply to anybody! I love you more than you can possibly know, and I can't wait to see you again!

P.S. The sisters in my district saw the football picture of you with Jake and they honestly thought that it was me. Maybe we do look a little alike!

 Zaijian!

Dear Mom

How are things? I want to write a lot more, but I'm over time as it is! I'm going to write you a personal letter today but I just wanted to let you know how much I love you! There isn't an hour that passes where I don't think of you and all of the things you have done, and continue to do for me! I love you SO SO MUCH!!

Week 5

Ni men hao!

     Hello everyone! I'm stoked to write to you today! I don't even have much to say but I just love writing! How is everybody doing? I'm doing great at the MTC, our older generation just left this morning which was pretty bitter sweet! They've been such great examples to all of us and they're going to be such incredible missionaries, but i'm going to miss them! They've really been great resources to go to if I had any questions, and in a week from now I'm going to be in the "older generation!" Isn't that crazy?? I don't feel like I've been here that long! My Chinese is coming along but I feel like it's nowhere near what I want it to be. This week was a little harder than any of the others so far, for no reason in particular! Just a little slow and I'm really trying to give it all I've got but my results aren't what I want. Which makes me feel kind of bad! Do you remember the story in Alma (chapter 27 or 28 i think) when Alma is talking about how he wishes he were better, but he feels guilty because of that wish? He talks about how we shouldn't want more than what God already gives us because we don't even deserve those blessings, but he then goes on to talk about how God will give us what we want if we are righteous. I feel like that right now, God has given me SO MUCH and yet I still want to improve more. I know that I can't do it on my own, and I know that God WANTS to help me! I just need to ask!

     Well I'll get off my soap-box now, I'm so happy here at the MTC! A little stressed at times, (ok who am I kidding, all the time) but just being here and doing the Lord's work is life changing. My Companion and I have 2 investigators at the moment, (our teachers) and they are progressing well. One of them is actually supposed to be "baptized" this saturday! I'm stoked, and it's weird because it's not even a real baptism! The other one is progressing but I'm having a hard time connecting with him, and giving him what he needs. Yesterday we had a great lesson on faith, and I was learning from it as I was teaching it! It's an interesting thing isn't it, faith? What in the world is the difference between having faith, and just believing something to be true? It's something I'm still pondering on but I know that there is a big difference! Dad, you and I have had discussions on topics related to this, and I'm really beginning to understand your view of it much better. Every one believes in something. Whether that's religious or not, every one has something that they believe to be true, and yet they can't see it. Dui ma? But when does that turn into faith? Faith, in my opinion, is something that penetrates much deeper. A belief, stays near our brains, and we continually ponder it. But faith, faith penetrates striaght through our hearts and into our very souls. Complete Faith is something that doesn't need pondering, because it is something that we know to be true! When Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ, he later said something along the lines of: "I had seen a vision. I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it." Now, I'm not saying we need to see visions in order to gain this type of thinking, but this is a statement that I've loved ever since I very first saw the Joseph Smith movie at Temple Square! God knows that WE KNOW we have received revelation! In Alma 26, Ammon and his brothers return from their missions and Ammon "boasts" of his God! Our God! He knows and loves each of us, and we cannot deny that.

     I love our Heavenly Father, I know He loves us. He watches over us daily and HE IS INTERESTED IN OUR LIVES! I'm so greatful to be here at the MTC and I know that God is helping me always. In the name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Week 4 in the MTC

How is everyone?? I'm honestly not sure what week number this is! By MTC standards, I'm starting week five, but in the real world (yes the MTC is its own world) I'm almost 4 weeks out! haha it's really easy to lose track of time in here! It feels like the first week was a month! But now it feels like the weeks are days! I just got back from the Temple, and on top of the incredible experience that the Temple is, the breakfast is celestial! Wow, after eating MTC food all week, going to the Temple cafeteria is just an added blessing to the Temple experience! Not that the food here isn't good, it's just incredibly heavy and it's definitely not mom's cooking! 

I'm so grateful for the MTC though, it's an incredible place. Everyone is here to serve the Lord and everyone has a mutual purpose! I've been seeing Sister Lancaster and Elder Johnson everywhere!! Sister Lancaster has Sacrament in the room right next to our zone, so I see her at least every Sunday. Yesterday I saw Brother Glazier, and it turns out that he worked with my laoshi (teacher) a little bit just a couple months ago! Small world huh?? 

Time is really flying by here! Our older generation of Chinese Elders leave next week, which means that my MTC stay is half over! It's exciting and scary all at the same time! My Chinese is really starting to improve though, so that's a comfort! I'm constantly reminded that the Spirit is absolutely essential to day to day activities! Without the Spirit, we are nothing! Without the Spirit we could never make it back to our Heavenly Father's presence, I'm so grateful for that Spirit of love and comfort every day!

So basically the MTC is very... I don't know the word for it! Redundant? Repetitive? I don't know how to describe it, it's amazing. I love everyday of it! But there aren't a lot of exciting moments to share haha! Wake up, do pull-ups, eat, read BofM, gym, eat, learn chinese, eat, learn chinese, and last... learn more chinese. And despite what you might think about my incredibly boring, but busy, schedule I love it!! I actually like learning this language! As frustrating as it might be, it's so interesting! It is actually a very simple language, which is why so many English speakers struggle with it! English is so complex that it makes it difficult to learn such a simple language! I've been working on a lot of Vocab and some characters lately, and I feel like I've been improving immensely! I just started a new Language Study Plan, so I'm really excited to see how much progress I can make with it!

So tell me about life! Macy, I just got your letter and I loved it! I'm glad your doing good! Don't let those meanies get you down, just keep being the best person you can be and love everyone that you meet! If you do that, people will look up to you so much! Guess who the greatest example of that is? Can you guess? Our Savior, Yesu Jidu! He was such a great example, the BEST example, of perfect love! No matter what people did to him or said about him, he always loved them. He always responded with love! If we could all strive to be like our Savior, can you imagine what the world would be like?? It would be so wonderful! So keep going, Jiayou! I love you Mace!

Jessi, how ya holding up? I want to hear all about your life! How's the hand healing? How's school? How's Jake doing without Tyler (oops, Elder Johnson)?? I want you to know I think about you, and I pray for you everyday! I want you to know how much I love and miss you! I hope your doing all you can to prepare for a mission xianzai!! right now!! Because if you come in here pre-prepared, then you will not only be a good missionary, you'll be the best missionary. One piece of advice I want to give you really quick that everyone has been giving me for the past 4 weeks, DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. Compare yourself, to your BEST self. Use the person that you want to become as a comparison and don't worry about anyone else! I love ya bro! Keep on being the best 16 year old I've ever known!

Alec, I love you little man! I miss you everyday! I even miss when you would be mad at me for teasing you! Is that weird?? I want to hear your voice so bad! I can't wait until I can talk to you on the phone about everything that's going on! Don't worry, only 7 more weeks! I'll write you a real letter today ok? I love you buddy!

Mom and Dad, I'm sorry but I've only got a minute to say what I want! I'm a slow typer! How is everything? I hear that things are going really well... I saw Bro Glazier yesterday. I hope that your all doing great! I miss you all, but I know that your safe because I ask God to keep you all safe every night! I love you all so much! Zaijian!

Luo Zhanglao

First Pictures!

The first (of many) gift baskets...

Look Mom...It fits!

Ryan and his companion

Hi everyone!

Ryan's District

Takin' A Break

The Provo Temple