Taichung Time

Monday, January 27, 2014

January 26, 2014

 When I was at home, I was just like any other teenage kid... I thought that Stake Conference should have just been "Stake Day Off!" Now on my mission, this is the 5th Stake Conference that I've attended... I can't even begin to explain to you how difficult it is to stay awake during a Stake Conference when everything is in Chinese... but I did it! And I learned some good stuff from it! :D
We had a pretty dandy week! Lots of exchanges again, and some fun finding activities, along with a whole lot of lessons! On Monday, we went up to Taichung to see all of the missionaries who would be moving and to hang out with my recent convert, L. (have you met him  through facebook yet? I know that F has...) It was so much fun to see everyone and to be able to chat with them. Elder B is doing great and he's really happy right now, Elder H is just duggyin' like a boss in the office, and Elder W is heading home! I'd never tell him this, but he's been one of the most influential role models to me throughout my whole mission! One of the most exciting events of the new move call? Elder C is coming into my zone! He's serving in the mountains of Puli! I had a chance to go on exchanges with him last Tuesday and we had a blast together! It's so weird to be his zone leader now! All of my memories of Elder C were from Daya, so it was a little different to be taking him around Caotun!! He's doing great though! His Chinese has gotten a lot better and he's super happy to be in Puli!
We've been working really hard with a few people for the past month or so, and they really are not progressing at all. So we discussed our situation for a while yesterday during our companionship study, and we decided that we were basically going to be starting over here. We need to continue meeting with those people we already have, but we won't spend so much time on them. What we hope to do is use our faith, and go find those people whom God has prepared to hear this message! We're totally pumped to get out there and start tearin' up the streets! Both of us are really excited and we've planned out a lot of fun activities to find this next week!
We're also excited because the Chinese New Year is here!!!!! I'm gonna gain a lot of weight. As of now, we have 12 different people lined up to feed us HUGE meals over the next week and a half! The members of Taiwan are so incredible. They have such huge hearts and they love to show us how much they care for us by stuffing us full of incredible (sometimes incredibly weird) food! But don't worry... Elder R and I have decided that we will be going on a vegetarian diet to lose whatever weight we put on once the New Year holidays are over... we'll see how it goes.
I don't have a lot of time today, so I'll end with a quick share about something I've been thinking a lot about this week. I'll be totally honest and tell you all that I didn't understand the commandments very much before coming on a mission, and as a counter effect, I didn't understand the law of obedience very well either. I'm not saying that I understand perfectly now or that I could ever become perfect, but I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have obtained over the past year and a half. 
Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 
The commandments that the Lord has revealed unto us are not simple guidelines that can be forgotten or even changed on a whim. We are invited and expected to be perfect. To follow ALL of God's commandments to a tee. Obedience is a choice, and it is the only way that we will ever become what God has planned for us to become.
I hope you guys are all doing great! Love ya!
Love, Elder Noll

Monday, January 20, 2014

January 19, 2014

Hey fellas! Wow. Another transfer has gone by! I feel like it was only yesterday that I moved to Nantou! 6 weeks went by like it was nothing!!! Elder R and I both made it through the first round, we're still together for at least another 3-6 weeks in Nantou! We're pretty stoked, we've got quite a few people that have set goals to be baptized in the next coming month! Please help me pray for these guys! They're great people and just need a little more of a push! I'm loving my life out here! It's so much fun to be able to interact with all the missionaries in my zone so often! We are constantly around them and talking with them on the phone! It's great to be in a position where I can serve so many people so effectively! 

This week... So much happened, but I don't even know where to start! 

Mon:
     We partied it up at a GIANT buffet called "Qian Ye Huo Guo." It's kinda like "The Melting Pot" but a LOT cheaper and not as delicious. You basically just eat until you explode, and then grab a couple more plates after that... The Argentinian Elder in our district ended up eating 5 HUGE plates of just meat. We were all pretty impressed! 

Tues:
     More exchanges! We seriously go on a LOT of exchanges. I led another Elder around our area for the day and we had a blast together as we learned and preached. It wasn't much of an eventful day, but we did meet a lot of different people, including a family from Mainland China who were actually really interested in the Church! It's too bad that they already headed back to the Mainland the other day! 

Wed:
     This was the day that changed the schedule for the whole week. We tried to set up with our CRAZY ACTIVE Christian investigator, and he said he couldn't meet with us because he was going to help a family move out... so we told him that we were more than willing to go and serve! We went over and met this other family. The mom is also Christian (one of the Christian's that say 'hallelujah' and 'amen' all the time) and the dad was a hardcore daoist guy. Their house was ENORMOUS. 6 stories full of a whole lot of stuff! Big stuff too! Beds, cabinets, book cases, coffee tables, etc. you name it, they've got it!! We spent the next 4 days at their house moving stuff. We didn't have time to spend 4 full days obviously, but we were there from 9 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon for 4 days straight!!! 
      The family was so great! They were very kind and treated us like we were their own sons!! They even called us long, lost sons! It really made me remember home a lot. I couldn't help but think of all the times that Dad had to drag me along to some member's house just to move a bunch of heavy furniture. It really made me appreciate the example that Dad has set for me. Growing up, I've never seen my Dad shoot down an opportunity to serve others. No matter what the project, no matter how dirty you had to get or how heavy the stuff was, my Dad was always there. There were times when I (being the bratty, selfish teenager that I was) would flat out reject him and think up of some excuses as to why I couldn't go... but the fact that my Dad ALWAYS went has influenced who I am today. When I heard that somebody was moving and needed help, my next sentence was: "Where do I need to be and when?" I'm grateful for that example that my Dad has set for me, and I hope that I'm makin' him proud... I didn't just hold the cord either man... ;)

On Saturday night, we got a fax! It told us who was all going to move and what was all happening throughout the mission! It's pretty exciting to be a Zone Leader on move call night! We were waiting next to the fax machine with Big League Chew in our mouths and wearing our new robes for about 20 minutes until the fax finally came! We're stoked for the start of a new transfer!! 

I already shared the spiritual share for today... The effect that our actions and our choices have on others is often much bigger than we could possibly imagine. Don't just do things "to be seen of men" though, if we act with purity of heart then our Father in Heaven will shower us with blessings in ways that we couldn't ever understand.

Get r done mi amigos.

Elder Noll

Monday, January 13, 2014

January 12, 2014


What up peeps? How's it?
We had a pretty good week this week... as a companionship and as a zone! Elder R and I found 5 AWESOME new investigators and set a few new baptismal goals with them, and we also had a blast while doing it! We're pretty similar guys... we both love sports, we're both incredibly sarcastic, we both love the Lord and missionary work, and we both love to bet... yeah, we made another bet on whether or not he would become the next assistant... I'm a little worried now!
Welp, onto this week's new adventures!
Mon:
     I saw Elder, I mean Brother S! It was way too weird for me to call him M, so I stuck to Elder S. He was back in Taizhong, checking out all the different colleges and such, so I went up to Taizhong for the day and had lunch with the duffer! He's doing great and planning on working for an airline as a flight attendant soon! Pretty crazy, right? It was so great to see him and have a chance to talk with him for a little while!
Tues:
     Zone Training Meeting. The first Tuesday of every month, we have to run a Zone Training Meeting for the entire Zone. The Zone Leaders get to relay all the messages and announcements that President has for the Mission, and we get to do some specific Training on any problem areas in the Zone. It was so Spiritual, and ended up going really well! We didn't think it went all that well, but when we asked the District Leaders how it was afterwards, they told us it was the best ZTM they'd ever seen!... I think they might have just been kissing up a little bit, but we felt a little better about it after that. We're really working on inspiring the Zone to reach their full potential in the upcoming months and to really see the kind of missionary that they could become, so we hope to really set a good example to lead and guide them along the way.
Wed:
     The story I have for Wednesday is a story so epic that I don't think I'll tell it to you over e-mail... you'll have to wait until I"m home for this one! Sorry guys! :) (Don't worry, I wouldn't get in trouble for it or anything!)
Thurs:
     Thursday was a little hard for us. We had a good amount of lessons, but they didn't go so well. We met with a VERY devout Christian who knows the Bible like the back of his hand, and also a VERY Athiest man who just likes to be around missionaries because, let's face it, we're awesome and funny... These two lessons specifically left me drained and a little bit depressed. We basically spent over an hour testifying to them and all they would do was cut us off and deny what we were saying. I felt a little abandoned. I didn't feel like the Spirit was doing Its' job! As I got to the depths of these feelings and felt like they were almost ready to consume me, I said a simple prayer. I just asked God: "why?" Why can't they feel it? Why is it that I and my companion know the truth of this message so strongly, but these other people blatantly deny it? Why couldn't God give us an answer to our prayers, and manifest himself unto these investigators? I felt a warm feeling of love come over me. I couldn't help but know that God loved these men FAR more than I would ever understand and that He would work with them according to His own will, and in His own time. I am but the tool through which He will prepare His children to accept His Gospel.
Fri:
     I spent the day stuck in the beautiful mountains of Puli. It was gorgeous out there! Tons of trees and a nice little breeze, and on all sides, you're surrounded by mountains. I went on exchanges with an Elder there and had a great time watching him work and assisting him where he needed it. We had some great lessons, one of which I'd like to share more at the end of my email...
Sat:
     We saw the NASTIEST spider I've ever seen as we were waiting for the bus to get back to Caotun... it was the size of one of those little cuties (the oranges) but super flat, and it was METALLIC SILVER. Gross, right? We started throwing berries at it (cause like, what else would we do?) and it freaked out. It started rocking back and forth and kind of flinging it's web back and forth in a really violent manner!! We were done by then and just walked away from that sucker!
     We spent the rest of the day going from lesson to lesson to lesson to lesson! Tons of great lessons and tons of progress with our investigators! Life is rockin' mi amigos!
So, hopefully you can tell, I'm having the time of my life right now. It was a week of ups and downs, but I'm definitely on a high note right now... even if I did lose the bet and I have to buy Elder R lunch.
The Spiritual Share I have goes along with the lyrics of a song.

 "Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly. In the hollow heart is hidden, sorrow, that the eye can't see. Who am I to judge another? Lord, I would follow thee."

On Friday, in Pulu, we went to visit a member who had recently suffered a severe stroke. When I first saw him, I saw a man who kind of creeped me out with a blank stare on his face and a house full of garbage and some mysterious disgusting smell. I wasn't really thinking anything bad about this man of course, but I didn't actually feel anything special towards him. But then I saw a picture of Christ next to the small mattress he had rolled on the ground... and another plastered on the fridge behind me. As I looked into the eyes of our Lord and Master, a strange feeling came over me. I turned and looked back at our quiet friend, and broke down in tears. As I looked back at this poor, lonely, crippled man, I was filled with the most pure love I've ever felt in my entire life. I couldn't control myself to be honest! It was as if I heard a voice in my ear whisper: "Do you see? Do you understand now why you are out here?" I finally got it. I finally was humble enough to understand. I used to have a pet peeve about people sharing their testimonies and using the words 'I know...' But I can write these words with no shame at all now. I KNOW that the Lord loves us. No one can know how much He does, but I got a taste of that love last Friday. The only thing I want you all to get out of this e mail is that I KNOW the Lord lives. He loves us. He is waiting with His arms wide open to engulf us with that love. Use your faith, and take the Leap towards Him. He will catch you.
I love you guys! Have a good one!
Elder Noll

Monday, January 6, 2014

Jan 5, 2014

What is up e'ry body?? How was the start of the new year?? It's 2014! I really don't feel all that different, so I'll stop pretending like it's such a huge deal... :D

We had quite a great week here in the Zhongxing Zone!! Being busy with a few exchanges, Jedi Council, eating until we explode, working with drunks, and falling in pitch black ditches, made for quite an exciting week! 

Monday:
     4 characters. 石頭烤肉. I know that you have no idea how to read that out loud, let alone understand what it means, so I'll explain. Imagine a BBQ with a never ending flow of meat... basically the Taiwanese version of Tucanos. We went there last Monday and brought along the member who let us use his Skype stuff so that we could thank him for helping us out. SO GOOD. I haven't been so full since that one time we ate at that buffet at the New Orleans man! 

Tuesday:
     Exchanges with Elder W! He says he actually knows Aunt Sherri and Uncle Gary... You'd recognize his mom. She plays the mom who leaves her husband in "17 Miracles." He's an incredible missionary and he's an absolute blast to be around! I was a little put out at first when I found out we were going to have to be exchanging on New Years eve so Elder R and I wouldn't be together, but Elder W was really awesome and we had a great time together. We carried on the fruit ninja tradition and drank some papaya milk to toast the New Year. That night was supposed to be full of golden investigator lessons and different recent converts that we were going to be visiting... basically a full plan, but it all fell through and we ended up knocking doors for about 2 hours straight. We met some really cool people and saw a giant, super nasty and venomous spider. Not cool. 

Thursday:
     Jedi Council. It's really called Mission Leadership Council (MLC), but come on guys, Jedi Council is so much better. Master Yoda (a.k.a. President Blickenstaff) is such an incredible example to me. I love talking with him and listening to his shares about things going on in the mission. We, Elder R and I, were pretty over the moon to share with the other leaders and President that our zone, along with one other, had the highest amount of baptisms and confirmations throughout the mission. A total of 12. We're especially proud because our zone is known for never baptizing. We were only expected to get around 4, but we  found some great miracles. We expect to do it again and get at least 10 this next month! Please pray for us! 
     We also met a guy who was totally sloshed that night. He couldn't even talk. He was sitting on the ground outside of the 7-11 that we were eating in and he kept trying to stand up... he finally did it and then went crashing down against the glass of 7-11 and then smacked his head on the ground after that and didn't move. I honestly thought he was dead! I went over and checked to make sure everything was okay, looked for any injuries and miraculously there was nothing! I picked him up, put him in a chair and told him: "DON'T MOVE." He tried to thank me and started blabbering in a language that no one understood so I looked at him and told him again not to move, then we left. It's pretty fun to be a missionary and come across these kinds of situations! 

Saturday:
     Fell in a ditch and almost broke my wrist by stopping myself and trying to save my precious bike. I was singing a song in my head and didn't see the hole 'cause it was so dark outside, then I scared myself when I started plummeting towards the ground. In the end, my bike only took a little bit of damage that I'll probably be fixing today and I wasn't injured at all! The Lord takes pretty good care of His servants!

I only have a little bit of time to give a quick spiritual share, so I'll be quick and to the point. The Lord Atoned for us so that we could change. If you feel like you're stuck in a rut, or you feel like it's impossible to change, look to the Lord and allow His Atonement to shape you. Let it become the very nucleus of your being and let it shape your entire life. I've felt this power so much on my mission, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that the power is real. 

I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Elder Noll
 
LDS Chapel

Ryan...still being Ryan :)