Haha what is the cruise!? Well it is the district joke haha. Anytime we do something that is 'legendary' or super great we yell "cruuiiissseee!" It is becuase we have an elder here named Elder Stark! He is super super awesome. He keeps talking about this cruise he is going to go on when he gets home (5 weeks) and so we yell cruise because THIS IS OUR CRUISE! THIS WORK IS WHAT BRINGS US AND EVERYONE ELSE TRUE HAPPINESS! This is the real Cruise :) This week is also a little low on time because we had to go out early this morning to pick up our 段傳. I really don't know how to say it in English...It is someone that comes on a mission for 1-6 weeks and lives with us and does everything with us? Like a short term missionary! He is super cool! I will probably follow up on it and send pics next week about it, but know that they are commin! :)
So before I get too distracted I wanted to do a few shout outs! SOUCY FAMILY AND SISTER WILSON! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Those letters you write are so amazing and truly do help to through a smile on my face! Plus Abby....you are right...this world is one big pig, I couldn't say it better myself ;) haha.
The Chinese is REALLY coming along now! I am in Mosiah for the Book of Mormon reading ( in chinese) and I can write enough to randomly write letters to people! It is something I have started doing a lot lately! Just randomly pulling out paper and writing a note to investigators! I have a goal to be the best on the mission! I want to do it for the Glory of my Lord and for the bringing of souls unto him! With better chinese it will be so much easier to help these people that I love, that our savior loves!! :)
Oh so the pics, one is from the MTC, why you say? BECAUSE I MISS THE MTC haha. For all of you you are ABOUT TO GO ON MISSIONS! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY SECOND IN THE MTC!!! It might get boring and you might just want to leave (after 12 weeks it happened...) haha But i regret that now! JUST LOVE IT! Soak it all in because you WILL MISS IT< I promise you! The others are of me with my cool glasses and face mask! The glasses are for characters...they hurt when you read too small of text! The mask...that is just s joke haha.
Okay, now on to the good old land of Taiwan. So I figure I will start with a funny story this week because...well this one is really funny haha. I hope it is as funny to read as it was for my companion to actually watch haha. So we were biking in a mini Typhoon. So the wind was CRAZY! We were standing up to peddle and it was tough! Then the rain is insane! I was soaked from head to toe and the rain feels like bullets as you bike! So I have my head down (we are on a BIG empty road, because people here HATE the rain so no one goes out) and I am peddling super hard, just go, go, go and don't stop (something my awesome Dad taught me ;)). But anyways I am biking and then something tells me to look up (spirit? maybe?...yes haha) I see about 5 feet in front of me is a HUGE truck stopped in the road! I of course slammed on the breaks! See...the good thing about breaks is that is stops your tires, the good thing about smooth tires is they slide on water haha. I skidded still going SUPER fast right into the back of the truck! BAM! Slammed so hard haha. It must have been hilarious to watch! I was so embarrassed haha, I must have looked like I have never biked before in my life haha! Oh gosh....well yeah, so now I know that even in heavy rain it is important to look up haha.
You know what else is great about Taiwan? Really old really drunk guys! We decided one day to go out and tract at a place we don't usually go. Before we even tracted our first door a super old guy walked up to us and said "HEY! I LOVE JESUS!" Of course, even when people are joking with you or teasing you...you never pass up an opportunity like that haha. I said "well he loves you too!" We got talking and I found out quick he was drunk. It wasn't just the slurred chinese or the wobbling as he tried to stand but it was the smell haha. So anyways we walked him back in his house and sat with him! We set up another time to come meet him. He said he doesn't drink on sundays because that is the Lord's day haha, well atleast he respects the sabbath! So anyways we left there to start tracting and within about 30 sec guess who comes out....OUR NEW FRIEND! He started trying to tract with us and teach the gospel to people! It wasn't great missionary work but it was SUPER funny! Eventually we got him to get in his house and let us really go back to work. We got in with another family which was awesome but when we walked out...there he was...sitting on the floor. He said "where have you been!? I have been waiting FOREVER!" haha. I couldn't help but laugh. But then, he stood up (slowly and wobbly) Then you could really tell how drunk he was since he started turning and couldn't quite make it. He tried to regain balance but just stumbled backwards! I saw this all starting to go down so I jumped forward to grab him but it was too late! He fell backwards and smacked his head on the floor! There was a moment of silence as my companion just sat there completely stunned! Then he started to get up, I half expected to hear him start to wail like a small child that falls over! But he just got back up and blood started pouring out the back of his head...oh it was so scary! We got him back in, made sure he was okay and basically locked him up and got out! IT WAS CRAZY! I can't wait to see him not drunk!
So my new companion is so awesome! He is super obedient which is incredible! I love the power that can come form the testimony and teaching of two companions that are 100% (or striving to be 100%) obedient! It is truly indescribable! My little piece of advice is to all NOW AND SOON TO BE MISSIONARIES!!! BE 100% OBEDIENT!! DO NOT CHEAT YOURSELF OR YOUR COMPANION OUT OF THE BLESSINGS AND POWER THAT COMES FROM obedience! Just go and do! Like Nephi!
This week we actually ran into a lot of apostasy...it was crazy! Our big focus this week is how to help people put their stake in the ground and stand firm! That is what we must do first! Make sure that our roots are DEEP in the gospel! Then go and share our fruit and prune and work hard!
NOW TO EVERYONE! WE ARE ALL HERE IN THIS TIME, IN THE PLACES WE ARE FOR A REASON! God's hand is in our life! Pray about what God wants you to do, then write it down...finally...go do it! :)
I love you all!
Shine Bright! 發光吧!!!
Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao
葛勝龍長老
