August 5th

Move calls!!! :) yeah!!! I can't wait to get move calls:)   

This has been a great last few weeks. It's been interesting to see our president's differences. Because there definitely are Big changes in the way things are run. In short with the new president came with less rules and more trust in missionaries (in my opinion, a very good change) I still feel that there a lot of missionaries who will do their own things but that would break rules or short regardless of strict or not. This transfer I feel all four missionaries in "Bade" learned a lot. I know being with and where I am has changed a lot of my thoughts about... life. There is a quote I feel is very appropriate for some important things I feel all missionaries (everyone actually)  could learn and implant this principle deep in their heart;

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important then a person to be loved"  It all comes down to "just as vital as what you do is who you are" 

I know while on this earth God gives us peace, because lately I have felt his peace in my life and know it's value.
As I have been sharing this great message with others I have seen them change. But these changes are nothing I have done, it comes in a form much to powerful to come from a little man as young as I. This change is something I can't explain without using the words of a man much wiser then I. I can say however that this change is from trusting things on earth to trusting things in heaven. "If all you know is what you see with you natural eyes and hear with with your natural ears, then you will not know very much"     

My goal is to learn to not rely on earthly matters to "choose" what I want to do with my life but make sure heavenly things take a vital part in all my decisions.

Well that's it for this week:)

Love ya'll

July 29th

This week... wow well lets just say this

 

"if you look towards the sky you'll see two kinds of light. light of the day which helps you see things on earth, and light of the night which helps you see things in the heavens. I believe there is a reason starts help a restless soul. God want us to look towards Him for help"  

 

This week is share a poem I wrote:

 

I want to change my life around, 

 from in independent me

But not quite sure the starting step,

 to change that destiny

I plead dear Father help me know,

 the path I aught to travel

I'm awfully lost, the path is dark,

 my shoes are full of gravel

God listened to my childish plea,

 and answered right away

Just give me both your heart and mind,

 and you won't be led astray

He gave me hope and peace of mind,

 then said lets carry on

I gladly took the heavy load,

 in the new a brewing dawn

We started with a few small steps,

 good works or some small deeds

We gave our friends and family things,

 we thought they might just need

We often stopped to move the stones,

 that cause a man to trip

Or even stopped to take the straps,

 for those right at the whip

We worked all day and sometimes night,

 just carrying the frail

Or skipped a meal to feed the poor,

 wher'er we were assailed

But at the end He asked me there,

 to see where we had some

I turned and looked but all I saw,

 was the place where we'd begun

At first I felt the frustration,

 but then began to see

The change was not the path I took,

 but the change inside of me

 

by 

CR 

 

Hope you all enjoy

July 15th

WE HAD A BAPTISM!!! Tao yin hong "Hillary"

I feel being out of Taipei has it's pluses and minuses but I am loving it no matter what:) I Love the fact that no matter where we are we have an awesome opportunity to see miracles. Here in Taiwan they have this saying "yuan fen de hua." I Think the best translation is "if destiny permits" there is no REAL translation for this because it can be used in ten hundred way but I think it stems from a deeply ingrained culture in Taiwan.  This culture is in many ways exactly like the rest of the world. The difference is they use Chinese words and actions to express the feelings every human on this earth has. I have such a firm conviction that we must all be from the same source because of what I see everyday. I love learning, seeing, loving and sharing that showing that love by giving what I know had made me happy and I know can makes others happy. 

Lately I've felt a strong urge to improve my life in a bigger way. I've always thought there was a lower and higher way to live, and always felt I never reached it. I think I've kinda looked at it the wrong way, it's not just two ways it's millions and we are all on a different lifestyle. That's why we are here to make our lifestyle slowly (preferably quickly) better and better. So while in this life, live, look at the stars and always remember I love you all:)   

Well we are in the heat of summer here in Taiwan and I love it;) There are sometimes I feel like I spent an entire day in a new world, one where you are at the bottom of ocean and yet it's as hot as the Sahara dessert. but the plus side is that Mangos are in no short supply:) yeah!!!

Well that's it for this week

July 10th

This week has been GREAT!!!! We have met lots of new people including our new mission president. I think it's gonna be a great next year. It's weird to think that I have less then a year and I'll be home chilling on American soil with my. I have never used a bicycle as much in my life as I have this past week I think I could now compete with lance Armstrong and make him start a whole new level. I am so glad I have this opportunity to learn and grow in such a beautiful country like Taiwan. I  sent some pictures of my birthday and such. :) hope you all enjoy :)

June 24th

Well I'm moving out of Taipei:( I'm going to taoyuan!!! It's about two hours out of the Taipei valley. I'm excited and a little nervous. I'll being have some leader responsibilities so i ask for your prayers I can fulfill those in a outstanding kind of way. I have learned a lot on this island. I think most important is the fact that I love these people, I love this language and I love serving God. I will miss all the amazing people I have met in Taipei.  The end of this last week ended up a little crazy because I am moving, I shipped all my stuff out a while ago and now I don't really have anything left to study with. I am also super excited the my new companion is Taiwanese. He will be my first Taiwanese companion YEAH!!!! my Chinese will be the most fluent on island after being with Elder Li!!!! I'm sooo excited!!!! I would say more but all I can say is get out is I hope it all works out:)

 

Well this last week I've been studying a lot about the Taiwanese religious epistemology. I have learned a lot. I hope some day to write a book about it. I think the one thing I learned is "the best part of any situation is your attitude, likewise so is the worst." :) 

 

Keep up the work :) 

June 17th

Well here we are... a week after my birthday and I don't feel any older. :) I hope that it is a good thing. I think the mission is going smoothly. This last week mu jia has been blooming. I've found as we reap sow and continually do what God asks of us we the work turns into the miracle ground we always pray for. We have some awesome Investigators. We had an awesome opportunity to teach a Mister zhou yesterday. I met him on the street with his girlfriend. He gave me his number but at that time he definitely had interest in one thing... it happened to be girl from the green island by his side. Well I called him up and he said he would love to meet with us. A little shocked I set up a time and finished the phone call in the usual Elder Reynolds " bu yao tai shui, hao bu hao" Well last night we met with him and He was GREAT. The spirit was super strong and At the End we shared about baptism and asked if he would be willing to prepare to follow Christ's example and... at this point he said "I'm willing. What date and when?" we almost started laughing. He was so willing to learn about Jesus and see if he really could get an answer to prayer. It was amazing. Well as always it's summer here and　ＢＵｒＮＩＮＧ  Hot and sweaty. :)

 

 

My thoughts:

 

I've found That no matter what I do I can only end up where God wants me. In short God still has his destiny for me. I'm learning as each time you've given more then you thought you could, you reach a point of understanding... one where you know all you've given is not enough. It happens regularly to me throughout me life and now I'm getting the pattern down. Goes like this

 

1. we make a goal

2. we accomplish, fail or miss the goal

3. either way, failure or success we realize we didn't do all we could and can actually do more.

 

Step 3

This is what I wanna focus on. No matter if we have success or not, the truly mature realize after success that they still can do better. That's why every Olympics world records are broken. That's why every year fortune five companies exist. It's all because someone understood after success still comes a realization that the accomplished goal was not the end nor the top. Bad can get good, good CAN get better, better Can get best and best can always get closer to perfect.  Now this may seem simple enough and yes we may all agree this is a true principle, but I want to ask one question. When was the last time you accomplished something? After you accomplished whatever it was did you think you could have done better? Sometimes I find myself so overjoyed in the fact of accomplishment I miss the great learning process that the best of the best use everyday. It all comes in the words "what could I have done better, Even form what I did well." I find I need to ask myself this more. I made a goal of everyday asking myself this andFINDing an answer. I encourage all to do the same.

 

"Never let success be your ultimate failure." Because I promise one be learning about failure from success brings a whole kind of successes all waiting for YOU.

 

 

Thanks  for all your love

June 10th

"The most important part in life isn't isn't if you're willing to work hard to attain, but if you're willing to work hard to sacrifice"

by Chris Reynolds

 

I think as I study every morning I have two thoughts, "will I always be this tired" and "will I always learn this much". I can Honestly say my second favorite (first being left to meet and helping these Taiwanese people) part on the day is studies. I Absolutely love being filled with inspiration and knowledge. I can't think of anything I love more then then true and inspired, genius thinking. I have to admit I have not yet unrevealed the secrets I wished to share last week. But once i get them in fluent English I will post them:)  

 

This last week was great. I got to see Jerry Again. Jerry is like the only Taiwanese I know who has better English then 75% of Americans. He literally could have been born in a America and be teaching high school English for a living. I love the man. Every time I see him it makes me happy inside. He gave me a B-day present that I don't think I can ever re-pay him for. A jian guo zhong xue school shirt with me Chinese name on it. Thanks Jerry!!!! I also got to meet with all our regulars and help them feel the spirit in a new way. I thank God for the positively splendid times I have had serving him.

 

I am so excited to eat the Peanut M&Ms that I received for my birthday:) Thank you all for the great love and help!