萬聖節快了!

Our Halloween party was a good old time. I had my face painted up all pretty and was handed a huge bag of candy to give out to the trick-or-treaters. The Taiwanese don't celebrate Halloween here, so thanks to our American family living here, they were all able to experience a little of what Halloween is all about. The chapel where I'm serving is one of the biggest in Taiwan, so that helped as well. We all went up to the top floor and stood behind all the doorways down the hall and handed out chocolates as the little ones came by and knocked on the doors. Elder Dong and I had a system where he opened the door and I jumped out at them to scare them! Fun stuff. I also ate half a bag of chocolates, so call that a success if you will.

We also made it out to that hole in the wall Texas Steakhouse again. I had three coupons for free steaks, so we hit it up. It was the closest thing I have had to American food in a long time. Notice I say "closest" thing to American food. The Taiwanese also have steakhouses out here where you can get a Taiwanese style steak. They are half decent, except they won't cook their steaks past rare. And for those of you who haven't had raw beef before, it's less like raw fish and more like overcooked octopus. You simply cannot cut it, let alone eat it. I hoped that going to an American steakhouse would mean they would cook it past rare, but I guess you still have to cater to the local opinions to have business. The fries tasted good though.

On the contrary, we had a night where we ate at a member's food stand. I ordered noodles with some 滷味, which included some stewed chicken hearts, tofu, seaweed, and pork blood cake. I left that place a thousand times more satisfied than the American steakhouse. Perhaps I really am becoming a little Taiwanese...

And to further prove that point, I went on exchanges with an kid from Utah this past week. I felt a little out of place speaking English with him, not to say I feel more comfortable speaking Mandarin than English now, but my English has gone to trash lately. I struggle to express myself at all anymore I guess. As long as I keep my sentences simple, I'm pretty good to go though I guess.

This week brought the worst smog I have ever witnessed. I almost died. We couldn't even see the buildings 1 km away from us. We lived in a strangely lit orange bubble for two days. Glad to be past that.

Last Monday we made it to Costco again. I got all the stuff to make myself some world class breakfast burritos. I made myself and Elder Dong some good quality potato, green pepper, bacon, ham, pepperjack cheese, egg, and salsa burritos on authentic Mexican tortillas. Good news is I still have the same taste buds for Mexican.

Elder Dong sleeptalks. And when I'm really lucky, sleep-screams. One particularly fun night I woke up to yelling and sat right up to see him screaming at his wall in some slurred Chinese. At the moment I thought he was yelling at me so when he got up to go to the bathroom after he woke himself up I got in a feetle position thinking he was gonna come at me. LOL. We laughed about it the whole next morning.

Fun stuff going on here in Taiwan. I love it here.

Hope you all have a good week!!!

習慣了

After thinking of how I should start this email off for a few minutes, I'm just not even going to try.

When we have temple days, the five days between emailing always seem to be less eventful for some reason. Unfortunately.

Last week, I sent pictures of our hike we did. I feel like I should restate how awesome that day was. We woke up and got right with it, expecting it to be a lot more difficult than expected to get ourselves across the river to the busstop that we didn't know where to go to get to it. But in the end it was super smooth and reminded me how tiny Taiwan truly is. "Far" here means more than 3 km away. Perception of distance here is much different.

Speaking Chinese all day everyday has its perks. It's fun, helps you feel more intune with the culture and people, and improves your language abilities of course. However, it's surprisingly easy to forget you are a foreigner. Besides the occasional struggles with the language, it like weirds me out in a sense now when I talk to people about America because I know I'm from there, but for some reason it has that same feeling of when I had just gotten home from a long trip and telling people about the place I just visited. Almost this subconscious feeling that I literally live in Taiwan and am going back to America for a "vacation" I guess. It's a hard feeling to describe but it literally turns your world upside down. I'm sure you RM's understand.

I can't think of any incredibly funny stories from this week.

The coolest experience I guess of the week, if you want to call it cool, was while in the Temple last Wednesday. I remember back during my first day in the MTC walking through the back rooms getting handed 100 books with Chinese language material and thinking the day would soon come when I could actually read all those scribbles. While we were sitting in the temple, I picked up a Bible and flipped its pages with ease, turned to the part I wanted to read and read it, not even hardly noticing what I was reading was Chinese. I mean of course I knew it was Chinese, lets be real, but it ALMOST felt natural!!! Super nuts. I had that moment where I officially realized the dream that I had that first day back in the MTC. A sense of accomplishment you could call it.

Chinese is a beautiful language. I love it. I'm so excited to show off to my family and friends. Best part is you'll all have no way of verifying whether I can actually read it or not, but I'll know. And that is satisfying.

I love telling people that one of my favorite activities back home is shooting skeet. They cannot grasp the concept of shooting guns for entertainment. A few of them tell me they are coming to find me in America once I'm home so I can take them out for the experience. I'm excited.

Love you all!

We realized we hadn't taken any new pictures to send.

So this is some last second posing last night. lol

瘀傷 October 21, 2015

I have no time to write my emails yet again. Terribly sorry. Elder Dong and I are just outside having too much fun to take time to be on the computers anymore!

Bike thugs. (pre-wreck)

This week was epic. Of course we saw some miracles with all our people we are working with. And of course we had some fun out on the streets. But this week wasn't epic because of the usual missionary life occurrences.

I wrecked so hard.

Good close up

My arm was locked in this position for a good two days.

I don't bruise easily. But the fact that I wrecked last Tuesday, 8 days ago, and my entire right arm is still straight up yellow and black up and down should suggest that it wasn't some soft landing.

Angels caught me. Nothing broken. Really absolutely no damage at all. Just a friggin SWOLE right arm. At first glance, you'd be like, "Woah, have you been working out lately?" but at your double take you'd notice that it ain't muscle. lol

The story goes like this:

Last Tuesday we had a lesson set for 7:00pm. We had tried to move it to 6:30, but our investigator couldn't make that work. Expecting it to be at 7:00, we didn't rush to eat dinner, until at 6:30 we got a call asking where we were. We were forever away. We got right on our bikes and started booking it! Good news I remembered to put my helmet on. (I've never ridden without it, don't worry mother.) The only thing missing on my bike was a light on my handlebars. So as we were HAULING down this nearly empty alleyway, which happened to not be quite as lit as they are normally, I didn't expect much to happen. There was one parked car on the side of the road with no sign of life in it or near it. Expect the unexpected. The timing was so perfect I don't think Hollywood could reenact it. (Note: Taiwanese people usually crack their door open and peak before they slowly open their door to avoid traffic incidents.) But this man must've swung his door open because I didn't even see anything until there I was lying on the ground with the wind totally knocked out of me. I didn't slam into his door perpendicularly (as if it had been all the way open), no, I hit into it as it was still not even halfway open yet. My feet flew up over my head as I front flipped and flopped onto the ground first landing on my head and then my poor back. When I realized I hadn't died and opened my eyes again, I was staring into the eyes of a frantic man who had me cradled like a baby and my companion's face next to hit with his eyes wider than you'd think Asians are capable of going. I went to stand up, fully expecting to have multiple shattered bones, but fortunately all I had was feeble knees! I wanted to throw up, but I managed to keep my dinner down, saving me the $100 it would've taken to replace that food. :-) And even more fortunate, I was given $500 to go see a doctor (ended up buying desserts with it instead lol) and then was still able to get right back up and ride up an 89 degree hill to get to our appointment at 7:00 on the dot. 

Elder Dong and I got a kick out of it afterward. I probably the best bike wreck stories of most missionaries these days, not to brag.

Love you all! Have an amazing week!!!

We're posers.

Owning this place!

Went hiking this morning!

A missionary that served in Tom's mission found the Elders.

October 11, 2015

I'm not in the "writing weekly emails" mood right now. Let it suffice to say this was such a fun week. I love Taiwan. I love life.

The funny experience of the week happened at our LA's house up on the mountain in a traditional style (two centuries old at least) house. We went to her neighbors house in the other wing of the building to teach her. As I set my stuff down, I noticed a massive spider chilling up on the wall holding what I thought was a stone honestly at the time. Elder Dong tells the old Amah right before we begin our lesson with our LA and Amah leaves the room. We start singing a hymn with our LA who actually loves to sing. And sings loudly for that matter! Seconds later Amah returns with her big swatter and starts hammering that spider hard! Of course, what I thought was a stone turned out to be her baby pouch that exploded with mini spiders all over our stuff on the chair below and kept smacking them everywhere while we are trying to keep it together and just sing! Elder Dong and I couldn't do it. We busted up. But our LA held it together. We finished the hymn successfully and Amah killed them all about 20 minutes later. Good times.

Next week I might write a better one. Have a good week!

Carrying on the tradition of getting Thai after Conference.  It was to die for!

The best Wonton Noodles in Taiwan happens to be run by our member.

Taiwanese cockroaches are much tastier than they are back in America!

Living in paradise.

救助

Today is my "year on island" mark. Technically. I guess really we set foot on Taiwanese soil last night? But today is my first full day! This morning I was pondering back on how crazy its already been a year. This past year has easily the richest year of my life.

My title means "Deliverance". This past week we also were able to go down to Taipei again to attend some of the training meetings for Elder Dong. It reminded me a lot of the same meetings I attended 6 months ago with Elder Miner. (Where does time go?) Back then, I had no idea what I would be shortly in for. That period of time following my call to train the first time wasn't the most smooth period of time for me. Lots of rocky patches that made me wonder if I would survive. I remember thinking back then how when the day finally came that I was "delivered" from all that pain, I would use this title. Long story short, today is the day. Today my life rocks!

I didn't take hardly any pictures this week, I'm sorry ahead of time.

Last P-day we made it down to Taipei Main Station mall to eat some good food. A couple from Sweden came and sat next to us. I tried my best at telling them the places in Stockholm I thought were beautiful. I guess my Swedish accent could use some work. They couldn't understand me lol. Maybe it's my bloody Taiwanese accent now.. Its a real thing sadly.

Then after that we were locked up inside for the night because the Typhoon was so intense. This year we've had so many!! I love these crazy experiences. Also, lots of earthquakes here as well lately..

You all would love to know that there is a family that is here for a while living in our ward from Logan. They are all super young, but they brought a girl over with them who is a senior in high school, the first high school American I have seen since I got here probably. There was a bit of a miscommunication between the mom and my comp, so we assumed the girl wasn't a member and Elder Dong made me be the one to go get her number. I talked to her, found out she was actually a member, and discovered my ability to talk to white girls no longer exists. That was a fun discovery...

There was an art festival going on all weekend in Danshui. That was so dang fun! There were all these local bands out on their stages rocking. It made me miss concerts. I'm going to a million more before I die!

The most interesting experience was last night. We ran into a Divination Guru. He taught me how to see ghosts. The secret is if you look into the shadows long enough they appear. We talked to the "Road People" around us together for a few minutes. The most entertaining part of it was I don't think he ever felt me pulling his leg. Elder Dong and I laughed about that one all night!

I might be becoming Taiwanese. I speak Chinese all day everyday. I eat Chinese food all day everyday. I am always the only white kid within a 3 miles radius. I never thought the day would come when I would say that my best friend is a Taiwanese kid, but I seriously love Elder Dong so much.

Time is going too fast now.

Can't wait to see you all tomorrow ;-) Seriously though.

Elder Dong and I eating like kings

Elder Miller and I together for a night

中秋節

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!! 

Apparentally this holiday is usually pretty happening, like halloween in a sense, but not at all either. That is, when it's not ruined by a typhoon. We are lucky to be having our 4th one this year. But I mean, Saint George never had any typhoons so its still an awesome experience!

I have eaten so many moon cakes here its ridiculous! Hopefully those fat calories don't add up to much against me...

Last night was especially fun as we went to a member's house and had ourselves a feast! The Taiwanese know how to throw a party!

This week had some fun things occur, mostly in regards to crazy transfers. Last Friday was supposed to be our normal transfer meeting, but it didn't happen because the group that was supposed to come in once again had VISA issues. So I was not planning on anything happening. Until Wednesday afternoon, we go to visit an LA in the hospital, and just as I go in to give a Priesthood blessing, I was interrupted by a curious telephone call from President Jergensen. So of course I answer. He tells me there were three people coming in the next day and I would be training one of them! I was so stoked!

It ended up there were some flight delays so I ended up not getting my new companion until two days later, but it was worth the wait.

We get Elder Brandley all packed up and head down to Taipei Friday morning. I get into the office and wait for a few minutes before President calls us all in to his office. When he told me I would be training Elder Dong, from Tainan (southern Taiwan), I was stoked out of my mind! 

So I'm training my first native companion (theres like 4 total Taiwanese elders in the mission right now) in my favorite area. Elder Dong and I had to have been friends before, it feels like we've known each other for years already! These next two transfers will be my favorite ones. I'm so dang stoked!

Funny thing from yesterday, embarrassing on my part, but a result of being on a mission for a while now. We go contact a man who ended up being from Buenos Aires Argentina. So here we have an Argentine, a Taiwanese, and an American trying to communicate in the most broken English I've ever spoken bahaha. At first I was the one laughing as I was the only one who could really speak English, but someone mentioned Jinobili from the San Antonio Spurs being from Argentina and I literally had no idea who they were talking about for like 5 minutes. I have forgotten everything to do with sports, movies, music, anything, you name it, I don't remember anything about it. LOL.

But besides that, this week was the best. Elder Dong and I have stayed up late talking every night thus far, so that will have to change if I am going to survive. I love my mission.

Have a good week!

Mid-Autumn Festival feast! (missing some dishes)

Three generations

Costco mega cinnamon roll

Chips, Salsa and Guacamole for English class!

傳道的關鍵

Some weeks truly fly on your mission. Perhaps the biggest reason is love. But here are some highlights first:

Last Monday, we made it out to the zoo for my third time now. Something about seeing the same animals in the same positions in the same cage didn't interest me too much. But my companion was a little kid in a candy store. I actually enjoyed being there again.

Tuesday I was planning on going on another ordinary exchange. Little did I know that we would be called on to go to the temple for the night to help with baptisms! I'm pretty sure that is as rare as it comes for a missionary. When getting there, we found out we would be for sure doing it. I got dressed and was way excited to step into some water for the first time in forever! And better yet, I was the one of the group called on to do the baptizing! I had over 100 baptisms in a single night. I wonder how many missionaries could measure up to that? :-)

Baptism night! If you look close my hair is still wet!

One of the names was from 17 AD. Cool thing here in Taiwan is they have their family lines traced pretty well.

On the way home, we decided to take a quick pitstop with the RC that was with us to get him his first Krispy Kreme donut to try. I ended up getting, get this, a donut with a mountain of ice cream and chocolate sauce dumped on top of it in a cup. I'm glad they didn't post any calorie values to that.

While we were out doing service at an LA's house up on the mountain, we had an extra few minutes before the bus arrived. We were able to take a quick peek at this enormous Chinese temple that I guess is one of the main shindigs here in Taiwan. It was honestly a thing of beauty. They had the floors layed out where it represented their "ascension process." The top floor of course was very pretty. All white, very peaceful. Much like another place many of you are aware of.

That temple is so beautiful!

Another night when we were about to head home, I was surprised with a call from some old friends that had come to DanShui to find me. That was a warm reunion to be back with Sam and Fly and some other friends from XinZhuang. I got some Turkish Ice Cream, but I ruined the show... Those of you who have had Turkish Ice Cream might understand...

All my friends for a night visit to DanShui!

So back to love. This week flew. I think it was because I literally loved every second of it. Not to be the over-jubilant missionary who wants everyone to think that every second of his mission is better than sugar and a cherry on top, those who have served know that everyday frustrations are inevitable. I'm amazed at the depth of appreciation I've developed for what I'm involved in right now. Encouraging everyone and their dog to love each other and to believe in God is a remarkable thing. And making some friends doing it along the way makes it all the sweeter. 

This week as I talked to an old woman with a little tree branch in her hand smacking herself on her neck and her back with it, I loved it. As I ran alongside the Tamsui riverside each morning this week observing the dog-walkers pick up their dogs' remains off the sidewalk with a plastic bag, I loved it. As I sat in church with the rowdiest and craziest little boy at my hip pulling on my arm and kissing my hand the whole time, I loved it. As I rode my bike home last night on a narrow bike path with the whole population of Taiwan walking and riding bikes as well, I loved it.

When I drank sour milk this morning on accident, I didn't love that as much, but as I think about a new week ahead of me, I love that too.

Life is to be lived. Life is beautiful.

Keep smiling. And have a good week!