Can you believe next letter/e-mail you get from me will be from Taiwan? I hope all is well at home. Today I am packing to go to taiwan. I feel very un.. ready? well you get my meaning. :) This week we had an awesome opportunity to teach a Chinese girl who just joined the church three months ago. IT WAS CRAZY! Thank God she understood. :) Last week we got travel plans. Here at the MTC its about the change in any schedules so it is THE most anticipated moment. I can't tell how funny it was when we walked up to get it (me and my comp are DL, but we had a missionary who left early so his comp stays with us.) and our companionship's third member (Elder Griffith), started banging on the mailbox door yelling "we got them!" my comp looked at me and we both had the same idea. We turned around and walked away from the mail room to go to dinner. Elder Griffith started screaming and saying you guys(I'll edit his language to say Elders) cannot be serious. we laughed and kept walking. Now before I go on it must be stated that Elder Griffith often breaks into random spells of miniature break downs where he cannot stop laughing or crying. At this instant one of these started he was crying/laughing so hard he could breath. everyone that passed thought he was dying (probably thought we were the cause as well.) But soon a medic arrived, who was very unhappy. people had been saying someone was having a heart attack. Well after dinner we opened our travel plans and everyone was happy and learned never to let Elder Griffith have a spasms in public.

So this week we started missionary things.. (I think were losing our minds here) for me and Atticus (from bountiful high, went to Harvard last year)started racing home after class just to hide in Elders closet and surprise them when they arrive home. It actually helps us get back and get started on needed tasks faster and give everyone a little... surprise? :) anyway I'm loving my mission and know that God is watching over me and You.

Chinese is coming. I can understand gospel conversations and the meaning of normal ones... usually. All thanks to the wonderful mercies of God. This week we got natives in our class. They have helped us improve a lot, in exchange we have helped them learn church words. This week is going to be crazy. I pray for you every day.. :) I love you all. Never forget that. :)   

wo ai ne

Quan zhanglao

08/23

I leave to Taiwan next week. I'm not even sure I can spell it right let alone speak its language. Every day I pray for you. I miss and love you. I love every word My family write me. makes my day happy and whole. 

Soooo MTC life. I realize I've done horrid at keeping up with what all is going on. so here is my report. 

This week we have native speakers join our class... I'm nervous I won't be able to understand anything they say. I think it will work out. :) I hope. This week we had an Elder leave to England. He left one week early because of transfers there. He however insisted that it was because of his advanced chinese. The younger generation believed him. In fact, day after day EVERY sister member alive in this world brought him letter of encouragement(love letters.) and wished him luck with a VERY long goodbye handshake. I think no one really cared to destroy his fame. He was a good kid and we all thought, ya know whatever we all are just here to serve God and be happy. 

This week we have had very little classes because we hosted new missionaries and had to attend "in field training"(tells you what the mission really is like.) We had this training because of the Elder leaving in our district. 

At this they had a play.. now I may not know much about acting. But I have had a lot of background in this area. The play was a crude recreation of Milo and Otis. screeching birds were the missionaries jokes, cats drowning in rivers were the investigators faith and giant bears were the wards members. I believe they were giving an example of missionary work at it's best.. but I feel I only derived what it must feel like to pluck and skin a chicken. 

This may also be described as my alarm in the morning. When I first arrived here I awoke to the LOVELY sound of my alarm (i never thought i'd miss that.) but when the new missionaries arrived we have a amazing son of God who loves to work out in the morning. I now have a new Alarm. One which I will never forget. for the cries of pain? (I'm not really sure if it is pain, joy, hate, anger, love or war cries.) I Will never again complain about alarms. NEVER! as long as they are electronic noises, and not that of man. 

Anyway Remember I love you. Remember that I pray for you. I love you. You are amazing.

Love Qian zhanglao(they changed my name)

08/16

I just erased MY whole letter.. Crazy little system. No good.

Well this week our district got to be an "example" district for some (none LDS)ford owners executive people. Weird but good. I was chosen to give my testimony in chinese.. wow It was a growing experience. After they left the head of them told their guide "when that young man talked I felt his power of what he was saying" though none of them knew chinese, I'm glad God helped them feel my meaning 

The MTc stays the same. I wish it changed. LOL we get travels plans this week:) soooooo excited.:)

I got to go to the dentist with my comp because he had some teeth stuff to fix. SO crazy. everyone asks where we're going. I also heard Real music. VERY weird. and I saw the first argument between a man and Woman in 9 weeks made me realize how much the spirit DOES drive away contention. 3 Nephi 11:29

Well sorry if it its short But since this little computer friend of mine had a bloop, I have no time and I must leave. Love, Chris

08/09

This week on monday I finally got pictures. :) I'll send them this week
This week has been crazy I think as I study and learn more I feel more and more stupid. Weeks are flying by now. Every letter and e-mail help me feel loved, secure and cared for.

So needless to say chinese is tough. But I am learning(which is good) but I need to learn faster. This week I actually felt slightly (and by slightly I mean ever so slightly) like a chinese native. why? well I have a STORY!!! So we got new elders a while ago, and this week I was talking to a new Elder who knew chinese before coming to the MTC. we started talking and I used a word that had several meanings. He didn't get the context so I started to draw the character with my left finger on my right palm without even thinking. He knew the character and we continued talking. later the zone leader came and said "good job," I said "for what?" he then talked about the experience of earlier that day. I hadn't even realized I was doing it. I felt good. :)

Everyday I''ve been running one-three miles depending on hao..(Chinese is catching up to me) how fat I feel. ;) I love the gym time here. It's the only time I can relax. I know running doesn't sound relaxing, but it really is. I miss sleep.. lol I think I have never slept this little in the summer...I think it is good for me though. 

Sometimes I wish I could come home just for one week and fix, thank, and prepare all over. I feel I could have done much better.

Well lastly Just want to say thanks again. :)

08/02

The MTC is awesome. This week i got the rain Ponchos I asked mom to send me, and me and my comp wear them to the cafeteria. Not only do we prevent the occasional spill but also are the "crazy missionaries" LOL. It's fun to have people come up and ask all sorts of questions as to why we wear them, then to walk away laughing when they find it's only to protect our ties.

Every tuesday we go to the temple. Its kinda funny because I never really thought temple food was that good till I ate MTC food for 6 weeks. I thank God for that one good meal a week. I hope as these next four weeks pass I can be prepared to teach and share this powerful and loving message of our Savior and his divine and eternal role in our lives. I thank you for all you do. Every letter and Everything recieved from you makes that day easier to smile, have love and happily teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I tore a muscle in my ankle last week, it swelled and changed colors. I shall send pictures soon. It is healing but still hurts to walk or run. I am learning Satan will do all he can to stop us. we must watch and pray for God's help in helping protect us from falling and heal us when we do.

This week we get new Taiwanese missionaries. So weird. We are already getting ready to go to Taiwan. As we get ready every sunday random mandarin missionaries are called to speak. Everyone has to prepare and not until the actual meeting are they called. It has been stressful this week with all the new things at the MTC but okay. So as of yesterday we are no longer the pilot program. 8/1/2011 was the day they changed all the mission rules and such. It is going to be interesting to learn all about these rules.

This week we are to the point teaching a lesson is more trying new harder words and less what to say. I still am not anywhere good enough at chinese, but as we allways say here "wo you xinxin" which is "I have faith!" said wow yo sheen sheen.

I am Learning a lot here. I really miss you. I dont think i ever realized how much of a blessing spending time with you was. Please be safe and know I am praying for you all.

 Love Elder Reynolds

Song