Witty

Wasn't the subject to this email super witty? i thought so....

Alright so obviously because of the super lame title of this email and the dumb mistakes of sending emails off too early and stuff you can tell that i am SUPER tired. If you couldn't tell...well, now you know.

This morning we woke up at about 5 o clock to go out with our ward mission leader on a hike! It was pretty dang fun! We saw these HUGE spiders, I mean...HUGGGGEEEE and they were fast as lightning! (kinda like my dad huge and fast as lightning!) It was sweet. we also talked to him a lot about buddhist beliefs since he used to be a super devote buddhist. I'll be totally honest...it makes no sense. On top of that it is just a little depressing...#SOgratefulforthePlanOfHappiness! we also got to watch him do tai chi (is that how its spelled in english? the martial art, tai chi). It was really funny because there were all these people around and they were soooo impressed and asked him all these questions and he felt like a super star and it was awesome! :) The top was also so beautiful! i tried to take pictures but none of them did the scenery justice so i just deleted them...haha...I guess i will just have to take you all up to Taiwan at some point in your life! :)

Other than waking up that early today I am just exhausted from the work this week! it was a bit of a slow week and man-oh-man did we get put to work mentally physically and spiritually! It took its toll talking to so many people and trying to focus on so many people with so many problems and stuff. But these are the kinds of problems that I love...too many people with too many problems that the gospel can fix :). #IwantMoreProblems.

Elder Flint gave an awesome DTM this last week (Shannon here: District Training Meeting)....I don't really know what i can say that would relate the awesomeness of it...just know that i got pumped from it and i hope the rest of the district did too! Our zone could use a boost...we put a lot of stress on the District Leaders since they have so much more contact with the missionaries than we do....they are all super good missionaries and i am so happy to be able to work with so many! Chase...that’s you too man! Do work son!

Last monday we went out to shi tou kao rou! Its a place where you can cook your own food and stuff! I kinda forget how to say it all in english...but long story short it was SUPER good and super fun! Ali came up from donggang Ryan came up from gaoxiong and Tony and Alexis came up from Taiping! It was a super party and i love all of them so much! I am so grateful for the amazing friends that the Lord has given me out here! Afterwards we went up to a mall in this arcade area and watched our friends play games...missionaries can't play....lameeeee haha. But it was still fun to be with them and watch them and laugh with them!

Another super cool thing is that we have a deaf investigator! I think i talked a little about him before..maybe. But anyways he is totally deaf so in a lesson I wrote everything we wanted to say and he would write and use sign to communicate with me! It was super awesome and luckily in our ward is a deaf family and a woman that translates so he was able to come to church and get fellowshipped like any other investigator and receive revelation and love just like anyone else! I will keep you updated on him! I am learning some fun chinese sign language because of it :)....its pretty dang different from ASL apparently...either that or I forgot everything I learned in college haha (i might have just forgot everything...).

Tomorrow is going to be our zone conference so I will let yall know how that goes next week!

I think thats really it for this week! we met cool people, taught awesome families, felt loved, loved back, people gave us fruit, it was a wonderful week in the small little paradise we call taiwan! oh yeah! and an invite.....this week....give someone some fruit :) It really is an awesome gift :) haha.

Love you all!

Shine bright!

Elder Gish

You Call Me a Mountain and I Call You the Sea

Anyone know that song? It is flippin sweet! but the next line "ill stand tall and certain and watch you swallow me." i know that last part is a little weird but i totally love it! that is totally how i feel about the Lord and this work! i will stand tall and certain like a mountain and let the savior and his influence wash over my like the sea! i have had a few really cool experiences this week that helped me to really strengthen my testimony in this work....thats right...watch out satan! you can't stop this!

 

so in order to end this email with a bit more of a power spirit punch let me quickly run though the fun funny events of the week. first off, right after getting off the computer last week we went down to a sushi bar!!!!! oh man it was soooo sweet! you just feel so classy eating those small dishes....even though we were eating boiled octopus and fish eggs and other interesting dishes, i felt like Gatsby with all those tiny dishes flying by! it was awesome and really it was sooo tasty! so don't worry mom, when i get home pretty much ANYTHING  we make for dinner is going to be SOOOOO tasty ;) haha

(edamame shot for gage!!!!1 :) thinkin about him!!!!!)

After that we also went out and bought ocarinas...Zelda anyone? yes? I hope so. we are learning Zelda songs on them....can't wait till I get my magic powers and can go back in time! :)

We did our ZTM last week and it was a huge success! we had snickers, we had a didgeridoo(spelling), we had pokemon, jedi, and wizard training, and now we are ready to go out and kick some booty! It was actually super awesome! I really know that the success that our zone is seeing has nothing to do with the leadership that Elder Baker and I provide (even though Elder Baker is a mission BOSS), but it is because of the faith and diligence of all the missionaries in our zone! They work so hard and it is awesome to see the fruits of faith, obedience, and diligence! It brings results 100% of the time!. It reminds me of a quote from national treasure2. There is a seen where Gates is talking to his wife and she says, "you just think you are so smart, you get all these clues and you think it is just you but you just get lucky!" Then he looks at her and with a slightly sarcastic tone he says,"oh yeah....well...i get lucky A LOT" hahaha. The point of it is that he was just right. It makes me think about the success of missionaries and the amazing blessings that living the gospel brings! some might say, you all just get lucky or you are just lucky to get put in good situations...well boys and girls....we get lucky A LOT haha. Point being, this work is true and is run by God and this is the ONLY true and living church on the Earth!

I was privileged this week to go on two sweet exchanges, one being with Elder Anderson, the same Elder Anderson that I was just with down in DongGang!! Oh man it was a blast to be with him again! We talked, and talked and talked, and chatted, then laughed then found some AMAZING PEOPLE! then talked some more haha. We were up so late talking about how to be a good senior companion and what to do when we running into struggling missionaries. #zoneleadersdontsleep. But it is all worth it! He is totally a stud and we are so glad to have him here! while down there I actually met one of the coolest dudes I have met so far on my mission. I saw from afar...a shirt with what...a couple huge letters...what did it say S.H.I.E.L.D. You know I was ALL over that haha. I ran over and we chatted for a good 20 min about how awesome Iron man was and our favorite super heros (i love talkin about my Dad ;) haha) but then that conversation slowly slipped into the savior and his atonement...how did that transition happen...i'll be honest....i have no idea, but it did and it was awesome #thankyouHolySpirit! he had so much interest and is so prepared and I am so glad that I was able to help that area and that cool young man! 

What stinks is that after the exchange I got super sick...stinkin lack of sleep! But nothin stops a pure bread lean mean proselyting machine! so we still went out and worked super hard...it was getting worse and worse though and i started feeling bad because ONE I got a cold-sore (comes up when I get sick sometimes....rawr) and so when i contacted people they would just be like, "hi....WOW what happened to your face!?" atleast I got their attention...haha but also because we were supposed to go on exchanges that week again and i like to be at the top of my game for exchanges so that we can see huge miracles! well...the time came to it and I brought a 'newer' elder back to my area and worked super hard out here. He is from Idaho and is such a stud/bro. We had a ton of fun and then I figured out that he was a junior champion boxer and a hard core wrestler...well that just turned into me talking about my love for that kinda stuff which turned into us deciding that we were going to wrestle that night! he has me by about 40 or 45 pounds...and i was soooo worried that night cause even though we had a ton of fun and stuff I was feeling ill....but i couldn't let this kid down! so i rolled up my skirt and after planning we went at it! I won't reveal the results of the wrestling matches (but it was SUPER fun!)...the sad part is that after words I just puked my guts out for a few minutes haha....gotta love the work! atleast I feel bettter now!

We got a funny letter from our investigator, picture is posted below. let me know if you can't read it...it was SUPER funny.

TAIWAN has 2 krispy kreme shops, both are not in our mission....but luckily I have some good friends!....there is a picture below about the patience of a missionary after fasting ;) haha. remember to pray ;) it is the most important!

This week really was awesome, Through the bearing of my testimony and my sincere asking of God I know for myself that this church IS TRUE. I hope you all can find out as well...it means everything to me.

love you all so much!

SHINE BRIGHT!!!

this week go make someone you love just laugh until you both can't breathe :) My mom is super good at that :)

-

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

Lord of the Pings

get it...ping...like the sound that every american thinks of when they think of chinese? hahaha....okay...maybe not the most witty starter I have had, but atleast I am trying right!? ;) hahaha

This week was honestly pretty bland.......wait what? what am i saying!? This week was incredible!!!!!!! how could it not be!? I am on a MISSION for GOD in TAIWAN!?!?!? hahaha come on people! this just reminds me about a comedian that talks about people complaining about things that they experience during a flight while they are sitting in a CHAIR in the SKY!!! how can we still find so much to complain about when the works of God are moving so incredibly around us!? (mom maybe you could help find that link?)

some may say, well Elder Gish, you are spending two years away from family and friends and school, had to give up almost everything you knew and loved before, not get paid and go out in the dying hot sun to talk to people that more often than not reject you. Where is it worth it? Well let me first clarify something...i don't HAVE  to be out here, and even being out here I don't HAVE to walk out into that sun and talk to that huge dude smokin a ciggy and drinkin a beer. i do it because i want to. because i know that this is all true. i know that God exists and loves all of us, especially that man, and i don't dare to tempt God by denying his work or not doing the things that he hopes I will do. I do it because i see that man and i see what he could be and who is really is and love him and want him to return to that angelic and godly state that should be in. And second, what is not to love?  this is the most important thing I have ever done and love every second of it. Do you really think that I work my tail off for something that i doubt is true? heck no. I work my tail off every day because of how true I know this is. I have said it a million times and I will say it a million more, THIS IS THE TRUE AND RESTORED CHURCH OF GOD. I know it will all my heart, and whether or not you believe in this church now I implore you to do as previous prophets have challenged, even as our savior challenged, and that is to experiment on the word. I promise that if you do it with real intent that you will know, you will receive your answer. so tonight, EVERYONE pray and ask God some of those questions that trouble your heart, secure your testimony.

Alright, i'll end my little soapbox talk....but for real yall....this is true ;)

But this week was fun! I have a new really good friend out here! His name is Joe (鄭弟兄)(jeng dee shioung....wow...spelling in englishese is the hardest thing ever......) we will just call him Joe. He is soooo awesome! seriously an incredible person! we taught him about giving to the poor and needy and getting blessings in return (he brought up the question cause of reading scriptures) and after the lesson we went out to eat. well on the road he found a 100dollar bill (in taiwanese money....so thats like a 5dollar bill in america kinda). And immediately I though "LUCKY!!! thats a free meal!" But this awesome young man picked it up and said "hey cool! now I can use that principle you just taught me! I am going to go donate this in one of those funds that go to children that need it!" i just shut my mouth all embarrassed for my greedy and prideful thoughts! but really how cool is that! i am telling you all...the gospel is not just a cool thing to learn, it is the way that we are supposed to live our lives! he is super awesome and i am really excited to see him continue to progress! I feel like when I teach him that i actually really focus in on what it is that he needs and not as much on getting through a lesson. please pray for him to get an answer to his prayers!! :)

We also had an investigators entire family come to church with us! It was a big miracle! I am hoping that they felt the spirit....one thing that i everyone does is to go out on your own (without the missionaries asking you) and find those faces that you don't know and welcome them and introduce yourself. people can feel the spirit so much easier when they feel comfortable and they will feel much more comfortable when they feel loved and welcome!

well i am almost out of time!........as a last thought I have found a new love...she makes me so happy, i love her so much. i can't stop thinking about her....i want you all to get to know her one day....her name is Banana Milk...haha oh my gosh it is so good! i think i am getting addicted....time to repent haha.

love you all so much!! have a wonderful week!

shine bright!!!!!!!!

-

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

pic1:having fun serenading old people outside our apartment.....goood thing they all can't hear ;)

pic2: what taiwanese people think of when they think of an AMERICAN meal....hmmm...

pic 3: the dedication of an elder...kneeling and spending time to break his fast of 24 hours while smelling krispy creme all day.....(there is only one or two in taiwan and both are not in our mission....this was a gift from god hahaha)

KRISPY CREME!!!!!!!!

missionaries I am with. on the right is a brand new missionary (deer in the headlights....on the left is the brand new assistant (again....deer in the headlights hahahahah)

It Always Works Out

It really is so so so so so so incredible to me how no matter how hard the week seems or how slow it seems to be going, how in the very end it all works out and is wrapped up all nicely! The week was tough at first and there was a lot that we had to do that made it tougher than normal, but it worked out :) Thank goodness!!! To start things out on a positive note we were invited by an Area 70 to go with him and give a blessing to a man who is about to pass away. That was a really spiritual experience, but i have really NEVER seen someone so on the brink of death...it was tough to watch him and his family. However the blessing was powerful and so clearly from God, so it was all worth it.

This week in our english class I had the opportunity to show a video and bare testimony of a few things and it was one of the most powerful experiences i have had yet on my mission. standing in a room with about 30 other non-members and then having about 20 min to just talk and testify...it was an amazing amazing experience and i really was able to feel and experience how real my own testimony was. i love this gospel so much and i KNOW it is true. when i say true I don't mean that it is one of those things out there that was become a 'truth' or a good 'thought process' I mean that as real as me being in taiwan, God exists and loves us and is a REAL LIVING being!! This is the video I shared (we translated as it was playing so that everyone could understand) (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001) 

I had the awesome privilege of doing an interview with president this week for a new temple recommend (yeah...its about that time...). He is so full of wisdom and knowledge. I also really enjoyed the interview because as i was 100% honest with my thoughts and feelings I felt as though I was able to receive personal revelation as to who I want to be and how to accomplish that purpose. I just can't seem to express how much I love this gospel!!!

I exchanged with an awesome elder named Elder Lazenby, we had a lot of fun. He is from Boston (wootwoot!!!!) we worked hard and saw miracles (but what else is new! haha diligence and obedience brings miracles!!!)

Oh we also had this hilarious experience where we were waiting in the chapel and these two girls randomly walked in and started talking to us. we figured they were members of another ward because they new so much about missionaries until randomly they asked for copies of the book of mormon! turns out that the met the church while doing student exchanges in Idaho and they went to the same higshchool as Elder Baker!!! small world! totally Gods arranging :). But they came to church with us yesterday and will now be meeting with the sister missionaries! suuuper rad experience!

Yesterday we taught mr Bruce Lee again...i love that guy! please pray for him! His name is Raymon. He is progressing really well...we just hope things will continue to go this smoothly!

sorry this week there are no pics...it was a busy work and nothing really worth picture taking haha, i will try to get more this week!

Shout out to Stephanie Sloan on her mission call!

Love you all!

shine bright!

p.s.this week i want you all to read the front of the book of mormon, the 3 and 8 witnesses....powerful testimonies of truth. :)

-

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

Movin in to the top 2!

Oh man....what am i to do? only 2 movecalls left? thats only 3 fast sundays, 12 weeks....12 pdays....oh no!!!!!!!!! i will explain my feelings more as time goes on, but i will say now that as long as i work my tail of now and do all i can then i know that when the time comes I will be content with the service and effort that I have put in to taiwan! I love it here so much! and i am lovin it even more now since elder Baker and i are going to be together for another 6 weeks!!!! we have a lot of big goals and great visions for how to help those around us! lovin it! #chosenones

oh so small hilarious interjection....so I went to a noodle store with elder Baker this week (sorry about the lack of caps....this comp is broken...) and while I was in the store i was buying my noodles and all the sudden I feel a hand on my waist. i ignored it at first but then it started moving up and down and the fingers started trying to tickle me....i looked back and there was this short guy....glasses, short hair....creepy...just staring at me and then he just took his hand off and said "heeelllo" i just turned around and walked away. totally sketchy right!?!?!? but really it was pretty hilarious...we laughed about it forever.

We also got this super sweet drink this week....when you come out we have to get it for you...and for those of you out here.....GO GET IT it is called dong gua mu si (dong gwa moose) but really....it is totally a freakin tiny little slice of heaven!!!!!!!!! oh my gosh...it is crazy good.

sorry if this is a bit random...but i am a bit scattered at the moment (it is move day and we are realllllllyyyy busy today and trying to take care of a lot of stuff!) so elder Baker and i have recently discovered that wrestling is a good way to build companionship unity (i am also training him to do some really manly things hahahah) but in our wrestling matches sometimes we get to into....and then the blood gets all over the shirts...he is way stronger than he looks so it is super fun and really good practice for me! (don't worry pops, we are still obeying every rule in the white handbook ;))

My mission pops came back and visited taiwan! this is a pic of us and the old ballin assistant Ryan Allen, they are both super cool and doing super cool! it was weird being together again...just like when i first got on island! But it was super fun! We went to go eat burgers and I gathered all the wisdom i could! :)

So here is a super amazing miracle we saw this week! We were teaching this active member because he had been feeling a little down. then he asked us a question about temptation....we sat there stunned because it was a deep question and was really sudden (i wont write it down here but in order ti better understand...just know it was really deep haha). we sat there thinking for what seemed like eternity, then i just opened my mouth and words came out that I hadn't been thinking and it was in the most fluent chinese i have ever spoken and the spirit came so strong! we testified about satan being the exact opposite of the atonement in every way and about our role as children of God having Jesus Christ as our leader and great examples like Adam to look to for help (i have really gotten into the role of Adam and Eve in my studies lately). It was just so powerful and now the kid is preparing to serve a mission and everything is going super well and it was just a huge miracle!

we are having a ton of fun out here and so excited for the next move call!! I will keep writing about the miracles and funny stories ;)

PS happy birthday CARTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how does it feel to be a man now? ;)

-

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

No Companionship Left Behind

This week really was incredible, yeah i know.....every week on a mission is just incredible :) but this week was especially crazy awesome! mostly because we decided as a mission that this week we want every single companionship to find three new investigators....so what did we do? Well as the Zone Leaders it was our responsibility to help the other companionships!

So Elder Baker and I went out and quickly found our 3 investigators early in the week (huge blessings that we were able to so quickly meet with and find three new friends!) and then the rest of the time we spent out in other peoples areas contacting and finding! Yes...we just left our area cold...no missionaries in it...ohh noO! Well you see...the Lord takes care of his servants! That I can promise you. With less than half the time as normal in our area our efforts were doubled! We were still able to hit the mission standards and to continue to lead and provide an example ans so much help for the Zone...how can anyone deny this work?? it is 100% absolutely the work of God and therefor is true...i know that with all my heart. Our first day in preparing for this activity, my first contact of the day was a nice humble man that agreed to meet with us and learn about christ. He never really understood a lot about his other religion and felt that the doctirnes were missing #restoredgospel. so we taught him and it was awesome!!!!!! :) We also RIGHT AFTER got self contacted by a nice young woman who had lived with a mormon family before and was suprised that the church was out here too and wanted to learn more! BLESSINGS!!!

this is the last week of this move call...next move call Elder Noll dies (Shannon here: Die is missionary language for going home.)...he was right above me in the MTC....so scary...ahhhh pray for us :) but to celebrate Elder Baker shaved his chest....oh my gosh it is so funny...we are working out super hard together #3monthstosexy and he thinks that when he shaves his chest that his chest looks bigger #itsstillflatasaboard But i sure love this kid haha.

So this week we saw huge miracles! Sorry i don't have a ton of time today! I gotta cut it extra short to go meet with an investigator! :)#workinhardonPdays we can't waste any time! :)

Love you all so much! Please look for an opportunity this week to help someone come closer to the savior! :) I also would love to hear about everyones family and how things are going! keep me in the loop so that in november i won't have to be totally lost! ;)

Also...i believe fully that a lot of the blessings were from the temple trip! It is soooo worth it to get up early! No matter how tired you are and how early you gotta get on a train :) so get up to the temple for yourself and get these blessings!!!!!!!!!

love you!

shine bright!

elder gish

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

A Week of Realization

 

This week was pretty incredible! I just got back from the temple (probably the reason I am so happy right now...as a side note if you haven't been to the temple in a bit then get the flip up and go cause you NEED to go and if you can't go then get worthy and get there, if you aren't a member of the church yet then what are you thinking? meet with missionaries, get baptized, get to the temple and enjoy the truth and love and amazing blessings that comes from this restored gospel! I know it is true with all my heart.) So I don't have much time and will have to type fast so forgive me!

This week I went on exchanges with two awesome missionaries (lots of exchanges up here...) one was with an amazing young man Elder Dayley, we have super similar pre-mission experiences and so we got a long great and we learned a lot from each other! The other was with our wonderful Assistant Elder Vandiford. He really is such a good man and we had a good bit of deep talks and were able to share wisdom with each other which really edified and strengthened each of us! Love those deep talks! But the best part of the exchange was the end (no not because it ended haha) but because we had President Blickenstaff come pick us up and drive us over to a part member families house for their first sons first birthday! It was super fun! It is the Bruce Lee guy! His name is Raymon and I love him so much! I really hope that everyone reading this can pray for him! We are working hard with him and he and I get along REALLY WELL (thanks for the Bruce Lee training Dad!) :) So now finally after years and years he is taking the missionary lessons with us and actually slowly but surely progressing! So please keep him and his family in your prayers!

We also were able to head up to MLC (mission leadership council) Where are the leaders in the mission gather together for a big long meeting and are able to strengthen, uplift, and train one another! I loved it so much! The best part though was for sure Sister Blickenstaff’s food....oh my gosh that made me so stoked for a home cooked meal! I love Taiwanese food, but there is just somethin about Mamas home cookin! :)

 

This morning a cool miracle happened. Because the Temple is in Taibei we had to wake up at about 4 to get ready and get our zone on a train that would take us to a bus that would take us to Taibei! Well I woke up at about 3, which is pretty frustrating as a missionary since we don't sleep a ton. And usually when I wake up I am SO TIRED and struggle to get up and do what I need to do (I do it...but I might murmur a bit...i know...I need to repent.). But this morning I was up and SO AWAKE it was wild. And as soon as I woke up I saw my companion sit up and I heard him sigh. I guess he had just gotten up and was feeling stressed and couldn't get back to sleep. I started talking to him and then he asks for a blessing which of course I said yes to. It was my honor.  But I gave this blessing and it was incredible! So clearly from Heavenly Father and FOR my comp. It was incredible. Tears were shed. Hugs were givin. Love was felt. Testimonies were strengthened. I know the Priesthood is real and I know that GOD is our HEAVENLY FATHER, he loves us. All of us, no matter what. I also loved the little miracle of my waking up and being so wide awake that I was able to notice my comp and talk to him. Super awesome experience.

Other than that this week was and is two of my best friends B-Days! Tony and Leon!!!!!!! Happy birthday boys!!!!! I love you both! Leon, have fun in the military service and Tony, be good and be safe down in Taiping. Both of you....read your scriptures and go to church! :) haha.

That is really all I have time for today! Sorry! And I forgot my chord today....dang....but I have some sweet pics to send from the temple. Lets just say...i might be practicing my modeling skills....thats right zee...i'm practicing. (Shannon here: No pictures attached to this letter from Elder Gish. The pictures from this email are courtesy of the official Taiwan Taichung Mission Blog.)

Love you all!

Shine Bright!

Dont think I would forget an invite :) haha. Study 2Nephi2 and look at the fall of Adam and how ONLY through Jesus Christ can we conquer and become who we were always meant to become!

xoxoxoxoxoxo loves and all that good jazz

Oh and Dad....your letters mean the world to me....thank you so much!

OH hahaha man... sorry this is going on forever but thanks for the awesome package and everyone that wrote on it! But no more writing about how I have no time left out here! If I keep getting reminded I might just go 3nephite status and go rouge missionary and miss my plane ;).

on a side note....I got to see Elder Roberts all week! I love that kid so much! He came up to the mission office cause he got a bad paper cut....wuuuusssss haha just kidding, he got cut pretty bad...but you can go look up his blog for details if you want. (http://elderbradenroberts.blogspot.com/) Long story short, got to see my boy and he is all grown up and SUCH AN AMAZING MISSIONARY!!! He is going to blow me away and its going to be awesome!

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老