Townsend 2 taiwan

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Family, Friends and everyone else!


Family, Friends, and everyone else.
Hello!
Things are going great here in Hualian. It is still my little world out in the middle of no where but I know the Lord loves his little world  out here because of all the blessings we saw!
This week we had a very special specialized training. We learned about sisters' fashion and we also learned about how to be more obedient. It was really cool (The obedience part) Pres. Day talked aobut how the Lord already trusts us and how he trusts so they are taking all the previous rules and throwing them out you can say. We are just going off Preach My Gospel, The Missionary handbook and the scriptures. He talked about governing our lives by principles rather practices. It was powerful and it puts a lot of responsibility on us. With that said, we still have to be obedient and work even harder for the spirit.
This week was fun as Elder Fang, the assistant to the president came on exchanges with us. We really saw so many blessings and miracles. One of my favorites was when we went to teach the Pan Family. It was fun and they were a happy little family. We meet with mama Pan, her oldest daughter 19, youngest 10, and her niece 7. The lesson was going really well, but Mama pan was wanting her daughters to get baptized but for herself, she was willing. SHe wanted them to have them to have the change but she was good. At that point I remember Elder Gong from the Area authorities gave us a special promise if look our investigators in the eyes and ask God what they needed, it would be given to us. So I did. I was impressed to share Mormoni 8.10. As we read the scripture it really hit her hard and she was willing. In fact she was quite excited for the baptism invite. I know the Lord answered my prayer and provided that miracle.
Next This week I went on exchanges with Elder Bowler to YuLi! It was fantastic. We actually did a bit of travelling. We took our bikes to train station and throw them on and went to ruisui. It was fun. When we got there we went to work. Its a really small town but we went and found a cute little family! Its going to be some work with them but get there faith up and they will see miracles. Also we went and blessed the sacrament for a lesson active you can say who couldn't come to church. So that was cool. Elder Bowler is a great missionary. One of the Gilbert, Arizona boys. This Elder Has some pretty intense faith and puts it to action. He loves to find and share the gospel. It was fun to work to the side of him and learn about his passion for missionary work. He is good one and will do great things there.
Finally Peng peng passed his baptismal interview! Big blessing but satan is already trying to eat him. On the way home he found work. But his new job requires him to work on sunday. He really wants to get baptized but he doesn't know what to do. So we will just have to wait and see I guess! Lots of prayers.
Well lots of Love!
Elder Townsend


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Hello



Hello!
Wow I am glad to hear all the new news! Sounds like everyone is out finding jobs and staying busy!
This week, thinking about it now it was filled with miracles.
On Monday I ran into this christian family. They told me to sit down and to start sharing so I did, ask them them questions, bore testimony. It was really cool, I felt the spirit as I taught. It was also fun to use a combo of the bible and the book of Mormon. It was fun because they loved the Book of Mormon scriptures and understood them better than the bible ones. I just think they (the Book of Mormon and the Bible together) are fantastic. I also think it was the first time I have ever testified that I hold the priesthood, the same one that was restored through Joseph Smith by the Apostles Peter, James, and John. They live in Tai Dong so they will have to take care of them.
Next on Tuesday I went to my old town of.... Tai Dong! It was fantastic! Wang ba picked us up and he did a double take. Startled the good old man. Elder Peterson here did a marvelous job at leading the Tai dong district in his meeting. After I went on exchanges Elder Relyea, his trainee. What an amazing Elder. He has a happy upbeat personality. I think the attribute that I admire most about him is his ability to love. After everyone we contacted he couldn't stop talking about how amazing they were and how much he loved them. Really a pure innocent love. I believe thats what the savior meant as he said we need to become like little children. During that day I also saw lin Chao wei (Elder Sessions and I baptized him on my first transfer) He is doing alright, having some difficulties but is willing to restart and change his life again. Also saw Jerry lin! He is still Jerry AKA the man. It was cool because now he will speak Chinese with me now. Ha as before he would speak both but mostly english.
Friday ate a few pigeons (when someone doesn't show up its called a fang ge zi or place pigeon) but we still saw a few mircacles meet a Mr. Wu is willing to learn and grow. He owns a cake shop so we will also see how that goes. :)
President day changed a rule which we now can open letters on any day. Doesn't change that we can write anyday. I am grateful for that. I got a note on Saturday that helped me keep going. I was feeling a little frustrated, not seeing the progress I wanted and feeling my contacting is horrible, but the not had a name on it of my convert up in the Neihu. For some reason it just made me excited for the work.
Sunday we taught a family! They are so cute. They have a year and half old son. They are just cute, but we share a little message and promised them blessings and they commited to be baptized.
Well out of time LOve
Elder townsende









Lots of pictures












New Mission President Day and Sister Day

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Hello!


Well Hello!
This week was pretty fantastic! I got to meet the new President! President day! He is the man. His wife is fantastic as well. I love how they have a good ol' southern accent to them. Makes me feel like I should be in a southern home with some good cookin' in front of me.
2012.7.2 10.20 am gave my native companion his first stick of deodorant.
2012.7.3 6.16 am Hit the train back to taipei to have my first war council aka zone council. It was a little weird at first. I kept expecting President grimley to walk in but I felt at peace with our new president so I didn't worry too much. It turned out to be natural. While I was in taipei the weirdest thing happened. I actually missed the place. Obviously I did NOT miss the stuffiness and the pollution, well maybe a little, but what I miss is that city feel. Its a completely different style of missionary work. Who would of guessed right?
2012.7.5 4.24 pm Go on exchanges with Elder De Visser. What a champ. It was so good to be with a fellow foreigner. We went and did service at a hospital. It was weird we were teaching the nurses english. We were in the wards as the were checking patients. We just walked up to them and asked them if they wanted to study English and they would drop the patient or whatever work they were doing to study a little English. It was a bit strange but it was ok. However the hospital was a HUGE buddhist hospital so we couldn't proselyte.
2012.7.7 President day came to hualian. Got to him and his wife. They are a completely different style. President Grimley has the military feel to him and President day is really relaxed but still obedient which is great.
Our investigators are doing great. One of them zhang wei kai is fantastic. He slipped back into smoking and drinking. We bumped into him on the street. He's buddy knew that he shouldn't be doing that. It was cool because he has been inviting his friends to church.
Lots of love!
Eldrer townsend

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Hualian- back to the land of Paradise


Hello!
First week down on the East coast. IT was great! For this week we were in a threesome as Elder De Visser is waiting for his little (well actually not so little) trainee to come in. It was pretty funny to try that out. It was a little weird because the two of them have been down here so long that they have developed really similar teaching styles which was a little difficult at first to adjust to but we got it down a bit in the end.
So my new companion is Elder Huang. He is from Zhang hua. He is a little older 25 years old. He is awesome. He is a very diligent worker. He loves finding, he sets a great example, and he is just fantastic. I am also picking up chinese at a new level now. Everything is starting to be done in chinese so I am being work. Giving me lots to do.
Well this week we had you zi zheng's baptismal service this week. Funny kid. We meet with him during the week and being a cute little 9 year old was climbing around in his seat. By th end of the meeting he had flipped completely upside down in his seat. Provides some pretty good entertainment. Little bit hard to have a spiritual experience but we had it through in the end.
This week I definitely put on some color. We were outside a lot. I think I need to pull out the sunscreen. I am rocking some awesome tan lines.
However I love being outside, even though its hot and a bit humid it is so much fun to work amongst the people. When I first got down to hualian it was a little bit harder but after a few days and many prayers, the people's hearts started to warm up and change. I probably changed as well but it is so warming (in more ways than one) to work.
ltos of love

ELdr townsend