Elder Anthony Buckwalter: Taiwan week 3: Game Day

Dear family and friends,

This past week has been very eventful. I don't quite know how to organize it in this email. I guess it all started last preparation day after emails, us and the ming jian elders spent a lot of the day in Nantou city and just adventured around. Every move call, we go on exchanges with the district leader and another exchange with the zone leaders. One of the ming jian elders is the district leader, so we planned to just do it after the training meeting on Tuesday. But last Monday night while we were teaching an investigator at the church, we asked one of our recent converts to peike for us (help teach the lesson). He was baptized a few weeks before I got here and is so solid. We also planned to meet with him afterwards and have a lesson with him. He said he was going to try to bring a friend from work too. So he showed up a little late with a girl to peike and we let him in and asked if the girl he brought was his girlfriend. He said "nope, this is my wife." What?! Elder Allen was one of the elders that taught him and baptized him and didn't even know he was married. And she's 6 months pregnant. That was a shock to both of us. It turns out he normally lived in mainland China and came down here without her to find work first, which is where he ran into the missionaries and got baptized. So she just got here a few days before that and is interested. So now we're teaching them as a family. Which is so amazing! But she really has no knowledge of Christianity. It really shows us the need to teach for understanding and teaching simply. But we love teaching her and having her husband there as another testimony.

I got to go with Elder Croft to ming jian for a day. It was really cool. I could really see the emphasis of being a friend to everyone we come in contact with. He is so friendly to everyone. He said "after the first few seconds of looking at someone, you have the automatic assumption of what kind of person they are. If you can push past that an instantly think they're another brother of sister, a son or daughter of God, you'll develop the love and desire to help them know and partake of this gospel." I learned a lot about sincerely listening and seeking to understand the needs of people. That became our focus of the exchange. It was so amazing. We also got lost because we were involved in a deep gospel discussion and got on the wrong train back to the apartment. We actually left our zone and had to call President Bishop and let him know we were going to be late getting back. It was funny. He thought it was funny. I also passed off the first lesson to Elder Croft and am actually passing off the 2nd tomorrow! Learning the language comes faster and faster through listening and speaking.

For some mysterious reason, we've run into a lot of people that speak really good english and have been teaching them a bit in english. It's kind of weird. We have a family, a guy that comes to our english class, and these 3 students. Of of them was born in LA and knows really good english. It was really cool though being able to teach them. Right now, it was a lot easier to teach them and get more involved because I could understand everything they were saying. A good relief for now!

We have a secondary area called Zhong liao that is pretty far away in the mountains. We have a potential investigator up there and we went to meet him. And that was easily the most painful bike ride I've ever been on. It was the hottest day I've experienced so far and it was completely uphill. We were drenched in sweat. But it was so great. We got to meet with a less active on the way and invited him to come back to church. Then when we got to the guys house, I learned that he is in the airforce and is a pretty intense guy. But so nice. Although he seems a little more interested in being buds than learning about the church. We had dinner there, and I'm still in shock. I ate fish. Like it was a full fish staring at me while I ate it. It was so interesting. Still trying to get used to it.

I thought that was an intense experience, until the next day... We went to something like an outdoor food court and just ordered these noodles that we weren't sure what was in them. To my utter shock, it was noodles with squid, clams, crab, fish ball, processed fish patty things, and some other kind of fish. I still can't believe I ate it. And that has set the standard for most interesting food so far. I'm trying new stuff everyday!

Sunday was absolutely amazing! Our main three progressing investigators, one of them a family, all came to church. Plus 2 that are still a little curious about meeting with us. On top of that, all our recent converts were there, and 4 less actives that we have been working with. Including the one from Zhong liao. It was so great! We were having a party getting all of them involved in the lessons. It was so much fun. They all really loved it. I was so happy. I was especially happy to hear the father of the family say church has strengthened his faith so much and his whole family loves it. The wife of our recent convert says she understands so much more now and is excited to learn. And our other main progressing investigator said he loved the peace he felt there and all he was able to learn. Attendance at church jumped from in the 80's to 103. What a great Fast Sunday!

We have also started up a single's family night every Sunday night. So it was a lot of fun getting all the single members there to get to know each other more. They all had fun. And there are still so many more that haven't come yet.

I'm so excited to see what happens this week! So many great experiences are ahead. I love reaching out and serving everyone here. I'm learning so much and seeing miracles everyday. The life of a missionary is so different, but I'm loving every bit of it.

I love you all! I love hearing about everyone's lives back home. Please continue to write and keep me updated! The Lord loves each and every one of us. Look for and be thankful for all the blessings in your life. This church is true. It has blessed my life so much and I can see it blessing the lives of all those who are learning more about it everyday. It's such a blessing to have the scriptures to learn from everyday. I love having all the guidance of the scriptures. Continue to read and pray everyday and I know it'll bless your life. I love you all! Until next week.

Love, Elder Anthony Buckwalter