Elder Thomas Jensen: TiaoZhan

my view every morning

So from the sounds of the fam I don't elaborate on my struggles here enough hahaha so imma just share typical Taiwanese struggles since this week wasn't overly-exciting.

We taught 24 lessons this week. We friggin slaughtered them streets! That is exciting. But as for struggles with teaching the Taiwanese:

Missionary work is friggin tiring for one. It is hard to always be your sharpest on the streets and in lessons because sometimes you wanna just close your eyes for 30 seconds haha. So sometimes I'll slaughter a contact because I'm just tired as I'll get out for one..

The Taiwanese people do not think deeply. Like they don't ponder life questions at all. It's because they flat out just don't have time. They work from 6am to 10pm and get 5 or so days off a month. Total. Haha sounds pretty similar to us missionaries, so we don't have any sympathy here. But regardless they don't think about any deep questions. When we ask them about their beliefs, they often times don't even know. Hahah. Lots of people believe there's a God but they know nothing about him. No concept of God. So that is sometimes frustrating I'll be honest. But it makes us teach very very simply which is the idea, what PMG wants of us.

Then theres the nice people we'll talk to that are not super devout Buddhist (devout Buddhists won't talk to us "amens") and willing to talk to us, but we start asking them about their beliefs and they say things along the lines of "Jesus, Buddha, they're both good." "When I need Jesus he's in my heart. When I need Buddha he can be there too." "Jesus was a good guy, but doesn't fit us over here in Asia." etc......

Elsewhere in the world I would imagine people being very proud about their religion and not willing to listen because they are pretty convinced of their own beliefs, however in Taiwan it's often totally different. These people are so humble and so accepting of others' beliefs that it becomes impossible to tell them there's only one true church. Haha they'll be loving our message and then we pop the baptism question and they suddenly turn "bu yong!" (no use) "Jesus, Buddha, both are good. I don't need to be baptized."

Typical struggles.

I do want to delve in a bit and tell you about one of our investigators, Lai JieMei (Sister Lai). She straight up cracks me up. For one she doesn't stop talking and she speaks faster than the speed of light hahah. But she's super solid. We found her on the street in my first week and we didn't meet hardly ever, so we almost dropped her. Then by a funny miracle we met with her and she LOVES us now. this morning we get a call during studies to come outside because she bought us three bags full of food!! Gotta love those calls :-) She's one of those investigators that is already a Mormon mom. She's gonna be baptized. We love her.

Mission life is happening, regardless of the clueless Taiwanese. They're fun. Except the girls here make me mad, I don't like talking to them because they just giggle and don't say anything. I've been asked a few times what I think of the girls here and every time its the same answer!! "Ehhh.... All girls are beautiful in their own way." hahaha this one isn't larrying thats for sure!

Love you all!!