This morning we went on a walk around the lake. We had to wake up real early (get permission from district leader) and get there before six o clock, because then it still counts as exercise time at the lake, and you don't have to pay to get in and walk around. It was really really pretty, and I enjoyed it alot. We ran into an old man that could play songs blowing on a leaf, and also playing the saw. That was real real fun to be outside and see nature for a little bit. Along with a bunch of cool taiwanese bridges and pavilions and stuff. Last week me and Elder Chen were riding around on preparation day and he said, want to go bowling? And i said I was no good at bowling, but I'd go if he wanted to. So we went, and then we made a small wager, that the loser had to buy the other mcdonalds ice cream. It was close the whole time, but then i got a strike on the last turn and beat him, and he was a little bit mad. Hahaha it was so fun. the batting cage was lame, maybe i'm just not good at baseball, but I missed most of them, and then didn't want to pay a whole nother dollar to try again.
Anyways, my mission is really really fun. Since none of our progressing investigators are getting baptized yet, I'll just write stories about myself. No, actually, i have to tell you about pan dixiong first.
We have an investigator, Pan zhao qi. He sells houses, and he's great. He says real simple prayers, but he has soooo much faith. Every time he says a prayer, he gets an answer. when he first started investigating, he decided to try a prayer to see if the book of mormon was true. right after he finished, the phone rang and it was the missionaries to follow up about the book of mormon. If he has problems, he just opens up the book of mormon, and the verse he finds answers his problem. This week, we had a pivotal lesson with him, where we were going to tell him that he had to attend all three hours of church in order to get baptized (which is true, they do. which is annoying because the other two hours are real real boring). We knew it conflicted with his work real bad, but we were going to challenge him to somehow find a way to completely keep the sabbath. (sundays are his busiest day at work), He came, and before we started, he shared with us that he had randomly opened up to two scriptures in the Book of Mormon. one was about the sabbath day, and the other one was about baptism. and that he had been thinking and praying about it. And then he told us that the day after he had found those scriptures and prayed, he found out that he could switch from selling houses to selling factories, and that if he does that, he has saturdays and sundays off! So we just sat there and laughed and said, god really does answer prayers Pan dixiong! Lets set a baptismal date! So hopefully we'll baptize him soon.
Our other investigator didn't stop smoking, and now he switched to a work that he will always have to work on sundays. Noooooooo. and the old man that loved me so much because I could play violin said he couldn't investigate the church anymore, because his wife opposed it. so we went and talked to his wife, and she was mean.
But i'm still having such a good time on my mission. Me and Elder Chen have a really good companionship, I miss Elder Kossman too though, because he was just really nice and made a great companion. And I'm also super excited to see my trainer again the first time at zone conference this thursday. I realize now that I learned sooo much from my trainer Elder Adams. He's a really good missionary. He'll probably be the assistant someday.
Well, taiwanese word of the day is Hello. or Ni Hao. In taiwanese, Ni3 Hao3 is pronounced Li4 He4 (Lee Huuh!) or depending where you are it might be pronounced Lee Hoe.
The other day the bishop called us and said a member needed help finding his friend who ran away from the hospital. the member and his friend are both about 87 years old and from mainland china. The hospital was huge and we got lost, so by the time we found them, the police had found the old guy and brought him back. He was suuuuuper mad, and did Not want to be stuck in the hospital room any more. So he was sleeping, but every ten seconds or so he would wake up and look around and then get real mad and yell "Shenme DONGXI!!!????" and then fall back asleep. It was really really funny.
Oh! last night was such a good experience. Our bishop is absolutely wonderful. Liu zhujiao invited us and a couple new members over to his house for dinner. I had the thought to take my violin and play for them. So we ate a good dinner and then I played a couple hymns for the bishop and his family. He loved it. So then I asked them for referalls, and they realized that there was a kid that lived right above them that was always practicing the trumpet and the piano, and because i was a missionary and a musician, they thought it was a good opportunity to share the gospel with their neighbor family. So they called the family and we all went up and listened to their kid play trumpet and piano, and then I played a hymn, and invited them to church. It was a door that wouldn't have been open to us if I hadn't have taken my violin. It was really great. Especially to do missionary work together with the bishop.
Well, times up. I love all of you so much! Pray for you, and even fast sometimes too! Keep up the good work and the blessings of the Lord will come!
Bubye,
Elder Vernon
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