Taichung Time

Sunday, December 30, 2012

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!!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

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!


Sunday, December 16, 2012

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!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

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...


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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!