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

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

Moving Time

Well. I am moving again. I guess I did ok here as District Leader so they are throwing me down to the east Coast aka Hualian to be Zone Leader.... I am so excited! I am pretty much going back home! I am a bit nervous though, I have sooo much to learn. First I have to be a Zone Leader which is crazy and second I have my first native companion, Elder Huang! I am really excited! I have never had a native and I have meet him a couple of times, not too familar with him, but I have heard lots of great things. He probably things I am some weird missionary, but I am sure it will work out. In Church I was thinking how I could be more in God's will for this next transfer especially with all of these new things. One of the speakers just mention a little story about two kids on a plane flying to place. One of them was nervous and ask the other why he wasn't nervous. The other confidently replied, he doesn't have to worry because he knows the pilot, his dad. This next little bit will be like this except I we are driving in a car. (This way I have a little bit more of a responsibility, I can adjust the air conditioning and the music every once and a while)

 

Well this week was slow, fast a mixture in between. Things started of a bit slow, but got better. Maybe one of the reasons why this week went a bit slow was I had a few bike problems again. This week I popped 5 tires. Everytime I got a new tire it popped within 20 minutes. It was a bit frustrating. I ended buying a new front outer tire just to avoid any problems all together. I have to admit though it was kind of fun to get to know the bike shop guy. He was awesome. Hopefully Elder Montalto will keep following up with him. He is a good man (They both are). 

 

Next we shared with Ellery Han This week, he is really digging prayer. He has been praying for his girlfriend a lot because she has heart problems. We gave him a Book of Mormon this week as well and hopefully that will help him out a bit. Probably my favorite thing about him is when we follow up with him on the phone. He has the best Hello in the world. I really will miss it. (He is wearing a pink shirt inside a class room)

 

Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder VanDrew. He is fantastic. I have looked forward to working with Elder VanDrew since my second transfer. I always heard his stories so I am lucky to work with him right before he goes home. We met with a couple of his new members and friends. It was fun, free and a good time. We also had a really interesting lesson with sister Tian. She is hilarious. She has this wild personality. She is married and stuff fortunately oh is also from mainland. Oh she also sells airsoft equipment and is on a girl's team. Anyways her lesson was special. When we were walking with her to the park to meet with our members she asked us if we knew where we were. Obviously we didn't. She said good because now she could sell us and our moms can come buy us back. 

 

Well my time is almost up.. Let you know I love Neihu I love these peeps! I also love all of you, you are in my prayers! Jesus Christ is my savior, redeemer and best friend!

Elder Townsend  

Gnarly International Sandcastle Competition Fu Long Beach

Hello to everyone!

Hello Everyone!

Well it this week was nice and rainy! It poured and poured some more! It was a lot of fun. We saw miracles. The Taiwanese people probably didn't enjoy it as much as I did that is for sure! During on our fang'd lessons and because we planned with the spirit we were able to tract into a man who was willing to the Gospel. He is looking for something and I know what we are bringing will help him. Its very rare from hitting the doorbells that we'll get let into a building and then climb the stairs up and then have them let us in. However, it happened! It was fantastic.

Other than that we were riding our bikes around like crazy in the rain. It was a little dangerous but it we were safe don't worry. Still it was amazing. There is just a sense of happiness in it for me.

This week we had five investigators come to church! They all loved it! It was so much fun. We had Weng Yu (Later that day we bumped into him on his scooter with some not so modest french or something like that type woman) Jimmy lee, Bro. Qiu, Wu jing hong, and steven wang. It was a great spiritual manifest. We had a great time and learned lots.

This week I went on exchanges with Elder Yang a elder from my district. He is awesome> I learned so much from him.

Well lots of love

ELdler Towsnwedn

Zhang Family Dinner

Weng Yu Big Man and Jimmy Lee

Hello

Well I guess the first thing I want to say is that I am glad everyone is alive in some way or form this week. The Lord extends different forms of mercy. I don't know how things are wrapped up into everyday plans and in His Scheme. However I do the Lord will take care of everything. I trust Him. I know following Him and keeping HIs commandments bring safety.

Well let me share about how the Lord listens to every prayer, even if we have dumb little requests.

Monday 6/4

6.00 PM. Realize that once again that our house keys are once again locked in our house. (our door locks by itself.)

7. 40 PM. Decided better go and try to get our door figured out so we don't get locked out for the night.

7.50 PM. Go to Church to get a hanger to see if can open the door from the outside. However we also realize the church is lock. We decided to go try the church's back door real quick. It was locked, but not closed all the way so we were able to get a hanger!

8.00 start working at the Door. No success. Inside the door is a little lever that we can grab, but everytime we try we can't see to get.

8.25 Elder Montalto suggests we pray. Says a beautiful prayer.

8.28-9ish The door is open and the lock is caught in the most magnificant way and how it held is amazing!

8.30 Gratitude prayer and thanking our Heavenly Father for listening to our dumb plead as we did not want to go get the locksmith and He answered.

So moral of the story. Always be grateful, humble oneself and ask for help and go do it.

This week I went on exchanges with Elder Hall. He is great, serving over in Tian mu. It was a lot of fun. We did a lot of teaching and some finding which are some of my two most favorite things in the WORLD. I love being able to bounce from person hearing stories, bearing testimony, sharing scriptures, and inviting them to study the Gospel. Teaching is greatest to have the spirit bear testimony as you apply the doctrine to their needs. Probably the Highlight of this exchange is that we sat down with a 30 year old texas baptist preacher. It was fun and interesting. My love for that man is great. The greatest thing I learned was in the last three minutes. Elder Hall need to find the nearest bathroom prompto and He just said I know the things we are talking about all depend upon whether Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know is he is a called prophet of God. At that time the spirit hit and it was overbearing to me a least and I continued to feel it as I added my testimony and my testimony to the Book of Mormon. As I was waiting in the Subway I asked Heavenly father if it was true and I received that quiet reassurance it was. Doesn't matter where we are we can always pray and receive answers.

This week we found some amazing people again. One is sam She. Poor kid. He is Taiwanese. His chinese is ok and his english is alright. He was in Burnea or something like that for 11 years of his life attending an asian school. However it didn't help his chinese and his english wasn't as great. I am not sure what his language is now. I had to read out of the Book of Mormon for him. I know Lord loves him and he has a great desire to follow Christ and I know the Lord will help him out.

Finally last week we meet chen yi zhang. This man is practically Golden. He is eating up the Gospel as fast as we can give it to him. He said as he as ask God if Joseph Smith was a prophet and his experience is true, he said he had the most unique feeling come upon him. It was really touching, moving, almost like a feeling of sadness, but it wasn't sad, he said it was really good feeling. I testified that was God answering his prayer and when he came to church is Gospel principle class the talked about the spirit. He was really surprised and liked it a lot. I told him that was god answering him by the holy spirit. He was excited and he is excited to learn more.

Well I love all of you. Thank you for all your examples.
Loves,

Elder Townsend

Modern Toilet and other good things

Hello Da jia!

It sounds like everyone is doing great from the emails! Love the pictures and all the happy news.

Well I am doing really well! This week was really busy, but it was fun to watch as the Lord puts his hand in the work. I really have learned as I strive to put all I have in the pot and a little more that the Lord will bless. Its when we have done all that we can is when we see it turned over to the Lord.

So the pictures real quick. On preparation day we went to a restuarant called the modern toilet. As the name suggests, yes, it is toilet theme. Also yes, I couldn't resist making toilet puns in there. Don't worry nothing to childish, just talked about john, etc. So one of the pictures is Elder VanDrew and I with our mini toilets with corn soup in it. The other is my curry and finally my lovely ice cream.

Well this week we met lots of great people! I think one of them that was really cool for me was a Chen yi zhang. We are not quite sure where he came from. Elder Montalto called him and he set up. We sat down with him and still both us of were clueless on where he is from. He was a little nervous at first when we met with him. He mentioned something pretty interesting during the lesson and it sparked a question you can say in me. So I asked him the question and it brought out a lot of crucial things. For example, how to know which church is true, how to find it, what do you have to do to follow jesus christ. He also shared some spiritual experiences he has had lately and wants to act upon them to follow the example of jesus CHrist. He his really amazing guy.

Sorry this week is a little short but I love you all!

ELder Townsend

Last picture is chen ba.

Why am I not surprised he would like this place....Modern Toilet