Taichung Time

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

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

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

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!!