Trying to make phone calls...it's pretty rough, but oddly fun

Hey everybody!

This week was pretty good actually. There were lots of interesting things that happened this week. One of things was the death of Elder Hampton. It was very sad to hear what had happened. We were informed 30 minutes after it had happened that he was injured and to pray for him. When we woke up the next morning we were told that he had died. It was very sad. I actually knew Elder Hampton. We talked a lot in the MTC, and it's so weird to think that he's dead now.  Elder Hampton was a really good Elder and a cool guy.

This week was basically full of me trying to make phone calls to members/recent converts/less actives and stuff. Which is hilarious. So my Chinese is pretty terrible still. Like basically not understandable. So when my trainer tells me that I got to make this call I get giggly. So the phone will ring and 25% of the time they answer.  When they do it just goes straight down hill from there. I can't even pronounce their names right, so there's immediately confusion and such.  They'll hear my American accent and then they just go to town with yelling at me and saying stuff I don't understand. I'll just start laughing, and then they'll hang up or something. It's pretty rough. But, oddly fun.

We also went and hung out with one of my trainer's not so recent converts. He's a really cool guy and was super nice. We never actually ended up going to the museum, because it was closed, but we hung out at this really cool park in downtown Taichung (we got permission). It was really fun and I got to eat a hamburger and a coke--delicious.

Our branch is really new, so there's like 10 people total that are active and going to church on a fairly regular basis. It's kind of hard to teach lessons there, because they're basically having a lesson with like 2 people. I can't really understand/say anything, so I just keep quite and read the Gospel Principles.  I do teach English class on Wednesdays and I really like it actually. I teach the highest English class, so they basically know English. I just talk with them about what they like to do and where they like to travel to. They all love to travel, and it's really fun to hear stories about all the places they go. I'm not the best English teacher, but I like to talk to them and actually understand them.

One of my experiences this week is we were making calls in a Family Mart and we were sitting next to this window. My trainer pointed out a man across the street in the rain. Then he told me that he's a monk because of his clothes he was wearing. I don't know how to describe it.  He just looked like a monk. I don't know why, but I was just like fascinated with his guy and he walked into the Family Mart and bought some tea and gave the cashier some beads or something. Then, as he was walking by he smiled at me and did a little bow. I felt like I should talk to him, but I was too chicken. Plus he probably wouldn't have been able to understand me, but he left and smiled. I feel bad, because I definitely should've tried to talk to him.

I'm also learning a lot about the Taoist religion. They have parties like every night and they have these fireworks every night. They also like to have parades. During these parades they worship clay statues and stuff. They also have pole dancers on moving cars. It's really awkward. We had to bike past one and we had to keep our heads down as much as possible. I don't get that religion. It makes no sense.

Other than that, this week was pretty good. Sorry to hear you're a Gospel Doctrine teacher dad. RIP. Glad to hear things at home are going well. I'm doing well here and doing a lot better. I've eaten at McDonalds... twice.. It's kind of the same. The meat is slightly different. Their menu sucks super bad. They force you to buy stuff in combos, so if you want chicken nuggets and a Mcflurry you have to buy some tea with it and stuff.  You can't get it just with a Mcflurry. It's super stupid. McDonalds is also kind of expensive, but it was refreshing to have some McDonalds. All in all my favorite place here is Ba Fan, the Vietnamese fried rice place. That place is so good. We go there like 5 times a week. 

We went to a cool park in Dajia District on a hill overlooking the city.

I'm doing well though! Taiwan is an interesting place. I have lots of pictures and not enough time to write about everything!  The guy next to me is blocking the port for uploading pictures. See you next week!