August 14, 2013

Hawlo! (Yes, tha'ts how they say "hello" here...) WOW!!! What an absolute incredible week, all because of today! We just barely got back from the Temple!!! Taipei is super awesome, and SUPER different than Taichung is! The buildings were absolutely MASSIVE and the temple was right in the middle of all of the concrete jungle! It was a little similar to the one in New York, just cause you don't even expect it, but you turn a corner and it's just THERE! I had a great time sitting with Elder B and just talking for a while on the way up there. That was super fun to see him again... it's weird having him in my Zone now! I've seen him a lot in the past couple weeks! I even got to do a practice teaching session with him yesterday! Talk about weird! I never thought I would be speaking in Chinese with J.B... we both thought that was pretty funny.
     So! This week! First of all, the package is AWESOME! I love it so much! I gotta say, I'm not sure how much I can wear the hat(I bought Ryan a birthday hat to wear...his b-day is the 18th) this sunday! I've got to be at Church and meetings all day!! haha, but I'll try my best and get some pictures! And the FOOTBALL!!! I've been teaching Elder L all about it this week, and I think he's just super confused... it's hard to explain this kind of sport in Chinese!
     Questions for the week:
*Baptisms:
     I've had 4 baptisms so far *Language phases:
     Once you finish Phase 1, the rest is a lot harder to track. Phases 2 and 3 are just boxes full of flash cards (vocab and characters). Right now I've basically got most of the phase 2 words memorized, I'm mostly working on phase 3 and reading and writing... honestly, it's been hard to keep myself really focused on studying Chinese this past month... living with a Taiwanese person and speaking Chinese 24/7 is just kind of part of me now... I find it difficult to think and speak using only English... the majority of my thoughts, conversations, and even dreams are in Chinese! So I'm having a hard time staying really motivated in studying!! any advice? *American Accent:
     Everyone has an American Accent... people tell me I sound like I'm from the South in Taiwan, because when I talk it's a little more feminine. That's just how the accent here in Taiwan (especially in the southern parts) is! *I'm turning 20?
     Super crazy! I totally forgot until I got your package, and forgot again until I read your email today! So nuts!!

     Well, I feel like this week has been 2 days longer than usual... wait, it has. It's weird having P-day on a Wednesday! I get to go teach English in just a bit! Highlights/weird times of the week?
     -eating cow stomach (not a highlight...)
     -making Father's Day cards (Taiwan's father's day is in August!)
     -teaching the intermediate class for English
     -watching (for the 10th time) the Joseph Smith movie and receiving yet more and more revelation from it! I love that movie!!!
     -The Temple of course!

     I don't have a whole lot of time today, so I can't give you too many details on all of these, but they were all super fun and incredible experiences to me!... maybe all except the cow stomach. That was gross. I'll see what I can do to bring some home with me. The Father's Day cards were super fun! I won't say too much about them, because I'm gonna send one home so you can all see it. Intermediate English is a little harder than teaching the Advanced class, but I still love it! It's super fun to joke around with the students!
    

     Spiritual highlights: A quote from the Joseph Smith movie and the Temple trip today. First, the Temple. Wow. It's been really hard not being able to go weekly like we did in the MTC! Today was so nice just to sit in the Celestial room and ponder. The feeling is absolutely unreal. I encourage all worthy recommend holders to go to the Temple as often as possible!!

     "Sometimes the Lord brings us low before he can lift us higher.” One of the important truths of this teaching, in my opinion, is the fact that WE have to recognized how low we truly are. We don't have to be passive, we don't have to wait to BE humbled. We can act, we can realize what we actually are and humble ourselves before the Lord in order to allow Him to lift us higher. Later in the movie, a man says: "Brother Joseph, my pride has brought me very low." which is answered by: "Now the Lord can lift you higher." I was brought to tears as I saw the humble manner in which this man reached out for help. This is the attitude we need. We need to understand that, although we mean absolutely everything to the Lord, we are NOTHING without Him. I know that this kind of humble attitude will bring us to heights we've never dreamed of! I love the Lord. He is my strength and my everything!

     You guys rock! Love ya!

Elder Noll