Ello everyone! I hope all things are going good for you, and all your little chiddlers too. things are startin' to pick up down here in the dirty south. Our investigators were all not progressing really. So we fasted. And then we gave two investigators week b goals. means they get baptized in two weeks. Hopefully they hit it! Then we started looking through all of our old records in our area book. There are some real funny stories on old records. you never know what you'll find. one record said the family was pretty bummed because their oldest son was conned on the internet and then kidnapped and sold on the blackmarket!!??? we have yet to visit them. We found this old record of an old man that was writing a book about all the religions on the world, so he would talk your ear off and meet anytime, but wouldn't progress or keep commitments. But we went to visit him. Turns out his 17 year old grandson answered the door. so we sat down with him instead. He was real golden! then his grandpa came down and started talking at us, and ruined the lesson. So we visited again, and I sent Elder Chen to sit and talk with the grandpa on one side of the room, and I taught the kid a first on the other side.
Then we saw a teaching record that said he was a ninety year old man that played violin. He'd been called a month ago and didn't have interest, but that's okay, we called him and said we wanted to come play violin with him. old mr. Yang said okay. We got there and he was so excited, he pulled out his little old violin and played happy birthday (that's about all he could still play). So I played a couple hymns for him, and then he said "ohhhhh, your vibrato is so good! Teach me vibrato!" He used to teach violin back in the day, but he retired about 30 years ago. He really liked hearing me play. So then I told him about Jesus. He said, "ohhhh, Jesus probably doesn't exist does he?" I said, "Yup, he's real." and he said, "oh, okay." So, hopefully we can teach him and get him baptized. That would be really fun.
After we visited him, we went to a ward activity, where everybody ate together. I mentioned to the bishop that I had my violin and if they wanted I could play a hymn. I usually wouldn't have done that, but I felt like I should. It was just an idea that came to me. The bishop got up and announced to the ward that I would play a hymn for everybody. hahahaha. this is the best part. I opened up my case, and there was no BOW!!!!! Yikes, that really gets my heart rate up. so the bishop got back up and announced to the ward. "Elder Vernon was going to do a musical number, but it seems he has forgotten his bow!" Everybody laughed. I remembered then that I had left it at the old man's house. So we rode really fast and he was still there awake, and we found my bow and it was all safe and sound.
This made me feel good to know the spirit was looking out for me. Because if I hadn't had the thought to play for the ward, I might not have opened my violin case for a week or so, and noticed that I was missing my bow! and now the whole ward knows that I play violin.
Well, today for preparation day, I think I'm going to go to a batting cage and hit baseballs! maybe that'll be fun! See you all. Be really good church members, and help out the missionaries. Give' em referrals and stuff. And also do missionary work everywhere you go, build up the kingdom! Jia you. Add oil!
Bubye, Elder Vernon
p.s. just so you know, everyone in Taiwan just says Bubye. it made me laugh when I first came. I thought they would say zai jian, but everybody just says "babye!" there are also a couple other english words that have made it into their language. If you say "schedule" or "morning call" anybody will understand. It's funny. Elder Vernon
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