We're basically white washing the area here

大家好!

Hello! This week was super freaking crazy. Where do I begin.....

Well for starters this area is super cool. I really like it here. It's downtown 台中. I really like it. I think it's really pretty here because there's all these skyscrapers and stuff. Our apartment has a pretty nice view of the skyline. It's also really pretty here at night because all the buildings are lit up and it's just really pretty.  We don't really have AC. So.... It's like 35 C/95 F in our apartment. I don't sleep with any blankets or anything. That sucks. There are just the two of us in the apartment, so it's really quiet at night. We mostly just do our own thing and language study the entire time. Haha.

This week has been super tiring. We're basically white washing (starting out from scratch) the area here... Most of the time here we run around contacting on the streets. Most of our investigators are 還好 (below average.) So it's kind of hard to set up times. So we hit the streets and talk to people all day. I personally really suck at it. I can't ever get any numbers or anything. I just end up getting hit on by Taiwanese women of all ages. I don't know, they basically think me and my companion are idiots. Our language skills are pretty much on the same level.  We don't understand like anything ever.  They have to say it 4,000 times. They get frustrated. We laugh about it though.  Our language skills are improving though.

The ward has made me feel pretty welcome here for the most part. We've been meeting with Jones a recent convert (RC). He used to be a pilot in the Taiwanese Air Force and now he just flies planes for fun. He's super fun to talk to. He also takes us to KFC 1-2 times a week. So we just eat KFC and then it's all military talk with him...haha! I love him so much. He's super nice. He want's me to join the US Air Force for some reason. He also love's Top Gun.

Our English teaching program is super wack here. Not the actual English program but the students here. It's a lot different here. The range of people you get here in the city is crazy.  You have people of all ages and all backgrounds here, so we even have prostitutes and stuff taking classes. They'll offer you very inappropriate things. It was super awkward. One came up and asked me for something inappropriate. She said it would only take 5 minutes. It took all the energy and willpower invested in me to say no, of course...haha.

Last night we went to a family's house for dinner. They're a white family that lives in our ward. They're super cool and all of their kids speak Chinese and English. So they all gave me a ton of crap when I had to give a 5 minute talk in church. Just kidding.  They all were very nice and pity complimented me. They made us chicken taco's which was the bomb because there's NO Mexican food in TaiZhong. It was super good. Then he brought out Tim-Tam's. He showed us what a Tim-Tam Slam was. You basically bite the Tim-Tam and then suck warm milk using the Tim-Tam as a straw and then eat it super fast so that it melts in your mouth. It's pretty much the best thing I've eaten. I want you all to try it.

There's a Costco in TaiZhong.  Apparently, it's like 40 minutes away. They even have Pizza there! They import stuff from America too, so there's good stuff. Lots of missionaries like to go, because it makes them feel like they're home.

I really do love you all so very much!

  

Transferred to PeiTun Ward with Elder Hatch

Hello!

What the heck is going on in the house? That's super weird about the glue board disappearing... So my question is are things cooling down in UT or is it just hot still?

Sounds like Kayleigh might be going to UVU. Right on. UVU is a cool place. I wasn't much of a fan...

Yeah, so Scott heard wrong. That is understandable, because we were all talking about how it'd be cool if I got transferred to GaoXiong. But no. I'm in TaiZhong. Literally the chapel is 5 feet away from the mission home. Therefore, I'm literally in downtown TaiZhong. I've only been here for an hour so I don't really know the area. My companion is Elder Hatch from Bentonville, Arkansas. He's just a generation above me (got to Taiwan six weeks before me), so our Chinese is relatively close. With the pattern that President Teh has shown, I wouldn't be surprised if I was training/senior companion next transfer... There are people in my generation that have gone senior companion/district leader.

So yeah, the move wasn't that big. I'm about an hour and half away from my old area. So I got kicked out of my area SUPER quick. I got a call one night that my companion would be training. So they kicked me out like the next day. So I didn't even get to say goodbye to anybody in the branch. I tried calling some people but they didn't answer since this week was Mid-Autumn Festival. So I spent the remainder of the transfer working in Daya with the zone leaders. I literally did nothing. I just basically followed them around. I'll miss QingShui. Apparently everyone there is super upset because we didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. My old branch president almost cried when he found out I had already left. I don't know, I feel bad about the whole thing, but it wasn't my choice. I will try to see if I can send him a message.

I don't know, my new area doesn't seem too bad. It's super hot and there's tons of stuff to do. I'm in the PeiTun Ward. Our apartment is on the 7th floor. The roof is the next floor up. Apparently it's got a good view from the roof and there's a antenna tower you can climb to get really good pictures of downtown TaiZhong. It's pretty nice though. I have my own bathroom. The view is pretty good. I have a nice view of some skyscrapers and downtown TaiZhong. So I'll be trying to adjust to the city life for a little while. My companion’s only been in the area for 3 weeks, so we're bound to get lost in the concrete jungle. I'm doing really well though. I don’t have a whole lot to talk about this week…just lots of moving heavy stuff and cleaning. 

I'm in Asian New York City. There's these massive skyscrapers on every street. So it boxes in the heat. The good news is they have a drink shop right across from the apartment that sells DongGuaCha, which is basically water at this point for me. It's like 20 cents US. It's super dope. There's tons of food around here. TONS.  It's pretty cool. I'm genuinely excited to serve here. We're getting Qing'd today. Qing'd means fed food by a member. 

I love you guys a lot! I don't have a whole lot of time. Things are really busy here!

The Mid Autumn Festival is this week

您好家庭!

I'm not sure where this week went. It's almost the end of this transfer and with that I speculate that I will likely move. Due to the fact that I have been in the land of 清水 for almost 7 months. I hope that I move down south! But, I don't know if I'll move for sure because it's basically unpredictable. Fingers crossed that I'll move. But, unfortunately I'll have to leave behind one of my favorite companions. Elder Storey. He's a good guy and its been a super fun transfer. But this is all speculation.

This week was full of weird stuff. The women in QingShui have been very flirty with me for some reason. Maybe I'm just understanding more or something but, it's super awkward and makes me a little uncomfortable. Love is in the air as well as the deafening sound of fireworks and the smell of mysterious meats being cooked in the streets. This week is 中秋節 (Mid Autumn Festival.) Which means that people get like 4 days off of work and it's the Taiwanese equivalent of the 4th of July. But everyone celebrates a week early so there's been massive amounts of fireworks. The fireworks here are super sketchy because anyone can just buy whatever. So there's constant fireworks at night. So contacting people is super hard. I've compared it to trying to preach the gospel in Afghanistan, because of all the fireworks going off. They give each other moon cakes for Mid-Autumn Festival to show that they wish each other a long and happy life. They are many types and they usually have filling in the center.  The cakes are round to symbolize the reunion of family. Apparently the ancient Chinese observed that the movement of the moon was related to the seasons and farming. So, to express their thanks to the moon and celebrate harvest, they have offered a sacrifice to the moon (moon cakes) on autumn days when the moon was bigger and brighter in the sky.  The festival dates back over 3,000 years!!!

I have tons of weird stories to tell you guys but I just don't really have time ever or the memory to bring some up... Recently one that comes to my mind, is what me and Elder Storey call the 7-E-Lesbians. While making calls one night we were in front of a window that looks out on to the street. Well we see these two girls holding hands which is kind of normal in Taiwan. Then they came right up to the window and kissed each other. Horrified, and in the middle of talking with Mr. Jesse Wang I looked away. Then I heard one of the most terrible things, the good old ding dong thing that goes off when someone enters the store. Regrettably I looked over and they walked in and were talking in one of the isles. Then in the reflection of the glass I see them both go into the bathroom. Together.... It was horrifying. A line started to form and then they finally ccame out of the bathroom and left... Super nasty. We see them all the time... We hate making calls at that Seven Eleven.

Other than that, our investigators are doing well. Lots of weird problems like money and court. One of our investigators got into a car accident and has to pay $200,000 US dollars total for the accident. He just rear-ended a car which led to that car rear-ending 3 other cars. But, he showed us pictures and it's just super ridiculous. Nothing really new. This week will be super hard. No one is going to talk to us because it's a festival. Oh yeah, apparently there's a typhoon coming this week.

I love you all so very much! Did I mention that?

Kayleigh's new room looks good.....Why did she switch rooms again? Nonetheless, glad to hear it's not full of ferret poop.

Well I hope things for the most are going well! Today for P-day we're going to go eat all you can eat pizza. I was also thinking about sending a package home. Probably when I get to my new area *cough* Speculation *Cough*

Something Gross...

Hello! Family!

Looks like you guys at a lot of fun this week. So you guys were out trying Chinese restaurants? That's pretty cool! Oh man, I can't wait to come back and speak Chinese to the waiters/waitresses. Then again, at this point I'm thinking that's the only way I'll be able to communicate with anyone. My English is so trash. Anytime we run into white people here it's hilarious. 1. Because all white people that come here won't talk to us and have kind of a, "Alright we know, don't worry, we know the scam you want us to join your cult." 2. We usually respond with broken English. It's super funny. We always laugh at each other. Honestly, Chinese is just starting to sound like English to me. When me and the other Elders use Chinese it just sounds like we're all talking in English. I text in Chinese now... Yeah... So their keyboards are half Chinese half English. So I can switch the keyboard to Chinese. 簡單. That picture was Preach My Gospel. I'm learning how to read right now.

The pictures looked really good. It doesn't look too far off from what I eat everyday. Mine just looks more 3rd world and sometimes tastes 3rd world. Don't judge me too much, but while driving home with a member he was talking a lot about sweet potatoes. Then he pulled over and went over to an oil drum and bought some sweet potatoes. Yes, the potatoes were cooked in an old oil drum. I have pictures... It was very 還好.

When you guys sent the pictures, the branch president and his wife were super excited! They love seeing pictures of you guys. She came up to me at church and was showing me that you guys replied and stuff. I think she really liked it. She was asking me questions about Mango and stuff. They all thought it was super weird that Mango was eating a fortune cookie.

This week was super busy! We found a lot of people to teach this week. The good news is my RC 林 Lin Jun Fang got re-married to his wife. So now they're preparing to be married in the temple! Which is awesome! His wife cooks really good food, so we ate a little at his house.

We ate at a lot of people's houses this week. Which is good. Nothings really new, just teaching people and talking to people. Some days I feel like my Chinese is pretty okay. Then other days I feel, to quote my good friend Elder Fuller, "autistic."

The other day we found this HUGE spider next on our balcony. It was nasty. We killed it... Yeah..

But, I'm doing pretty good. Transfers are in two weeks. I'll probably be moving south. Hopefully out of Taizhong.

I love you all so very much! 

President Hsu and his wife sent us pictures!!!

We received the following email this morning:

Hello Americans I have your sons over for dinner! Yum! Noodles!

Thank you for taking care of our Elders and all of your good work with the branch!!! Our missionaries learn so much from your great examples, wisdom, and testimonies.