Fighting the Chinese New Year Feast with Fifty Pullups!

(Heads up to Andrew Schutts, Joe Aman, Gavin Deyarmin, Matt Hommel, Hannah Calligan, and other high school friends – Drew would love to hear from you if you have a minute – see the bottom)

 

This week was really great, it has been Chinese New Year and we've been fed a ton!!!  WAhooooo!!!  I personally don't feel any bigger, I've been working out hard too, but Jeff our investigator did say he thinks that my face is getting bigger...uh oh...not again!!!  I did several hundred pushups several mornings this week, have been running, and then do as many pull ups when I can get a bar!!!  But for now, only in two days did i get the chance and I did fifty! 

My highlight of the week may have been our trip on Sunday to Mingjian.  The branch President Chen called us to inform us he wouldn't be at church...nor would his Counselors...they are the only priesthood brethren.  So he asked if we could conduct...and preside, haha!  Well in that case..."sure!"  So we did.

While we were there though, expecting to not have many people because of the holidays...we ended up with 22 in attendance.  Not just any 22 either.  I knew a handful of these saints because they were all from my other areas!!!  Albert Zhen came from Nanzi with a Sister Li, his girlfriend, who had been a short term missionary in my district there (she's also an RM from the Boise ID mission).  Then this college student came from Xinying who is from Taipei but studied in Xinying!!!  So cool, so I conducted, my companions blessed the Sacrament, and all of us bore our testimonies!!!  It was so fun for me to see my old areas as well as friends from those areas!!!  I loved it!!!

Other than that, let me work backwards.

First off, Dad...I got that book for Characters, and I have just had time to read it's summary before I went to bed...I AM SO SOS O EXCITED!!!  Thank you so much Dad, that looks like just what I could use to amp my study!!!

Second off, Thank you Mom...I don't know how...but I just got our Christmas card...I love it!!!  Haha, I actually saw the front of it in President's office before I actually got to read it myself :)  I LOVE IT TOO!!! 

The boy playing computer next to me is smoking hard core, I asked him to stop but he doesn't want to and it's not a no smoke place.  So I prayed to be not hurt by the smoke...fortunately it seems...his smoke whiffs smell like campfire and marshmellows.  Hmmm, God works in Mysterious ways!!!

We ate at the Z family today and will go to the L family tonight!  Everyone tries to make us explode with food but they haven't yet :)

Oh no... Mom you asked me what I do as a Zone leader --

I go on Exchanges with District leaders as well as those who need it per transfer.

We attend leadership councils every month then turn and train our Zones in a meeting on what President does for us.

I collect and analyze numbers every week for English class and Key indicator work!

We try to work hard and smart to provide a model example for others.

And we unfortunately get a lot less study time some days as well as rush around a lot and stay busy, but it's good, I'll tell you if I think of any others!!!

Peter loved Church!!!

I love you all, 

Thank you!!!

Yes, H's family are the two boys in green!!!  We actually just ate lunch with them and the Z family for our second to last day of Guonian, the Chinese new year (there should be some huge pictures of our gathering!!!)

They are doing great, this was my first time to see H since Japan, and then this week I will go over and actually invite him to get ready to take his family to the Temple...Pray for me, and please follow up with me too!!! ;)

You should also see all our pictures of cleaning that Elder Gathright took for me, haha.  ALL MORNING and still not done, but I'm so grateful for comps who'll work with me to do what President asked us to do!!!  WAhoooo!!!

Then they must've announced Trevor so early because he's so AWESOME!!!  Nice work Trev...that's the way!!!

You can tell the Carter's Aman’s and Ross's: I had a dream the other night and it was just after the mission, I seemed to see many good friends who had also just gotten home, but three stood out.  David and Brandon did because before we had left the mission, they came to Taiwan (apparently the small branches they served in decided Taiwan would be a good middle place to meet, haha, as if!) and we had a church meeting together.  Then afterwards all of our mission presidents wanted to secretly talk to us about something...  But in the main dream, I felt like Alma in Chapter 17:2-3.  It felt so so so amazing to see these friends who I have missed for so long, and they were all studs.  Then, I saw another superstar who I didn't know had gone on a mission...Joe was there, and he was sitting in the chapel fellowshipping someone until I came up.  Joe Aman, one of the greatest friends ever, had gone on a mission too.  And now, this friend who I had invited to come to church with me long ago, but was often busy, was on his own mission (and helping other people to get to church!!!).  It was amazing!!!  I can't even explain how great I felt when I saw Joe, in his missionary attire, come up and give me a big handshake and hug, full of love and full of the Spirit!!!

I know missions bless our lives.  And even more so, it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that blesses us.  Because Heavenly Father loves all of his children dearly, and He wants the best for us, He Restored His Gospel in these Latter days!  This restored Gospel was brought about through a young man named Joseph Smith, and is led today by a living Prophet of God: Thomas S Monson!  I love learning and hearing the words of these prophets, which teach us God's will and guidance for us!  I know that the Prophets are directed by God himself and his Son Jesus Christ, that is true.  That is why I'm on a mission, because I want everyone to know this truth and let it bless their lives!!!

I am grateful for my experiences had and yet to come with sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I hope all my friends serving likewise will be strengthened forever from this experience.  And I often wonder how my other friends are doing as well: Andrew at Harvard, Gavin at EWU, Matt Hommel, Hannah Calligan, everyone!!!  I hope and pray that they're well.  I want them all to know that I know God lives and loves us. He is our Father.  And His Hand is in the details of our lives, but we ultimately decide whether or not to accept the fullness of his help!!!

Love Drew

If you want to email, the address is drew.brown@myldsmail.net

The Year of the SHEEP!

I've been waiting for this for so long...It's the year of the Sheep (Chinese New Year starts this week).

That means increased diligence, raised vision, extra focused effort, and...lots of woolen clothing!  In fact I might exhort the Zone to wear wool socks every day this year to remind them of this wonderful time to be a missionary, to be alive, and to be in Taiwan!

Anyways, ahem, we're doing great here in Caotun.  The work progresses well here.  I love Elders Turner and Gathright still.  We manage two areas, two church units, and we love it.  We have lots of great investigators with goals, but we realize the need for more new prepared investigators, and that's our goal this week, to find in both Mingjian and Nantou!!! 

We spent three days in Mingjian this week.  Absolutely crazy to spend time over there again, but so cool and worth it!!!  Best part is we helped a man that we've been teaching for three weeks or so be baptized on Friday night: Brother Zhang!!!  The Elder Lin (see picture) who started teaching Bro. Zhang at the College...also spent a year in our neck of the WA woods before his mission!!! :)

SWEET!!!

Go Cougars!!!

Wow, it has been a great week -- they're going fast!!!  Haha, and then yes; on the workfront:

D is doing great: He plays computer games all day since he's on winter vacation, haha.  But we got him out to exercise with our ward and played frisbee on Saturday.  In fact that morning we had ridden 10 or so miles back from Mingjian to Caotun, changed, taught a lesson, changed again (actually...come to think of it I think we just ended up having to teach that lesson in our sports clothes...;0), and got to the frisbee activity -- which is doing great by the way for fellowshipping and fun!!!

D will be gone this week to Taipei for Chinese new year, but we are meeting him tonight and we will give him the Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet to read while he's gone.  He's so willing and I think we're really bringing a light into his life.  D has grown up being a cool kid, but not very outgoing nor excelling.  It was so cool when he brought a friend to our lesson this week after frisbee.  His name is MT, he's from our English class.  In that lesson, we shared about the importance of the Book of Mormon.  You could tell that MT was the "cool" one, and he was used to telling D what was what.  But D just brightened up and very sincerely but confidently shared with his friend what he was learning, and why.  I think MT will have to be humble enough to listen, but they're both great, and I love seeing D build his confidence because he's found the truth, the Gospel, that can make life happy!!!

Next, besides D, we actually have lots of lessons set up for tonight.  I'm not sure why so many people are open on Monday night this week, but we're packed.  Perhaps and probably because this week is the start of 过年， or Chinese New Year (Wednesday) so everyone will be busy later.

Us missionaries are spoiled by the members at this time of year -- no more eating outside!  We get a full week of going to members houses for lunch and dinner...lots of missionaries get sick...but I'm excited :)  Hope we can all exercise well through it!!!  Elder Gathright wants to get skinnier and Elder Turner stronger.  They tickle tackled me again last night...humph.  I pinned them both though, haha, when we start wrestling or whatever at night our beds get destroyed...  Unfortunately, Taiwan is really dusty, and the dust just collects and collects everyday, even when we sweep.  So, if they ever tackle me and our room flies up and all over, I start getting really stuffy and teary eyed, like allergies, so I always take a benedryl when that happens and it works great!!!

We will meet with the L family tonight, they are our first counselor's family!  But his wife is not too fond of the Church.  However, last Monday night in fact we went on over there for a nice dinner they invited us too, and testified of the blessings of the Temple!!!  She said we could meet again last night, then changed to tonight!  I'm most excited for teaching this family!!!  Speaking of...

H's family is back from Japan, and we stopped by there yesterday because I insisted on it!!!  Others were nervous, but I firmly said we'll never know unless we invite him to listen.  And if we invite with love, nothing bad will happen!!!  They ended up not being home, but Jean, the member mom was -- so we visited with her, and she showed me a picture of Emma Harrison, a great friend that I home taught at BYU.  Emma is at the Tokyo Temple on her mission right now!!!  This family met her when they went to Japan. So cool!!!

We will also meet J, who is doing so good, but nervous for committing to be baptized.  We have an E who is new tonight, we found him yesterday just chatted with him outside his house!!!  Then we have S1 and S2, an investigator and our recent convert who both have been busy this last week.  Haha, S1 had work.  But S2 went to the beach to play...best part is, he went with the Chen family, they are members and S2 is dating their oldest daughter!!!  They're both around 30...I think they'll be in white sooner than we know it...who knows!!!  Then S1 is cool, he's a big biker and runner we haven't seen for three weeks or so!!!  (It's a bit hard to fit 3 bikes and 3 elders in the elevator).

That's that, we have biked back and forth.  I went to church in Mingjian this week -- that was crazy.  That branch is so young, and kids run amock, and speakers talk with the congregation (of 14 others) as they give their talk...but I love it, they are so strong.  The Lin family, whose dad I taught all the lessons but then Elder Buhler baptized him, have since been sealed in the Temple and he's in the Branch Presidency!!!  So cool!!!  

We are having fun, I fried potatoes for all of us this morning, and most mornings, we try to go big!!! 

Go Kyle GO!!!

Hurrah For Israel!!!

Love,

Drew

  Funny story -- 

We were sleeping in MingJian over three nights this last week, and one morning, I woke up about half an hour early just to go the bathroom.  The phone rang...  I looked and saw it was a home phone, so I silenced it (we're not supposed to answer or call after 10:30...and we unspokenly assume that lasts until 10;30.)  But, as I paced around, I realized <<1>> is not every home number, it's the international area code for America, then I thought about what I had seen after: 6265355884 or something like that -- I remembered that number!!!

Peter was calling us, I rushed back to the phone, but unfortunately it had already been missed. Blast, huh?!  But luckily, as I was laying in bed at like 6:15, he called back -- better believe that woke me up!!!  So I woke Elder Turner up and we got to talk international for like five minutes with Peter!!!  HE TOLD ME that you had contacted the Mandarin Branch and gotten the President to call him...He was so so so excited, because he's nervous for English!  But he told us he would for sure go, and we are so so so excited now!!!  Nice job Mom, and thank you so much --you're a life saver!!!  I love you!!!

Love Drew

Why do I always write the most important things with only the last ten minutes???

I promise to repent and change my ways next week!!!

This week went great:

There is a Li that we met at a restaurant last week -- he, much like Drake, came to play frisbee with us, then he came to the first hour of church...better than none!!!  We hope to add him for teaching this week, he's cool, on winter break, and 16 tyears old!!!  Really has desire!!!

James has no desire, we are leaving him for a season ;)

Next Drake, yes he came with a church friend named Ammon :)  Ammon brought three friends to English class!!!  Cool, only Drake met with us, but we hope to see Me-too, and Allen soon (haha, real names ;)

Elder Turner has corrupted Elder Gathright into tickling and wrestling me at nights...unfair, haha, but funny, we should have some pictures on his camera, haha there's this little stuffed grinch who terrorizes our apt...Elder turner hides him everywhere for me hahaha

Oh Mom, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CALLING PETER!!  Peter actually called us through his nephew, phone to phone type thing, so we got to say hi and not really understand him much.  In terms of Chinese, here is what might work:

"Ni2 Hao3, Pan4 lao3shi1 zai4 ma?" (1-high, 2-up, 3-low, 4-sharp down) Then "wo3 shi4 ta1de peng2you3!"  It means “Hello, is teacher pan there, I am his friend!!! :)”

I hope I got all the pictures to you and you liked them!  If I missed any between the ones I sent last week and the ones I tried to catch up with this week, let me know (did you see the morning at the train station when I was in my family tree and Elder Claflin was leaving Mingjian???)

I've been picturing a-lot more lately, hopefully it is all good and shows you some of our adventures!!!  One I never got to talk about was definitely Xitou, that mountain!!!  We actually went the week after we had originally planned...and it was so fun!!!  Elder Turner and I actually ran all over the trails and park because we thought we could see more, SO FUN!!!  (because of riding in between Mingjian and here every day (15 miles), our daily running is not too regular right now)  That run up there was great though!!!

Xitou has two "famous attractions"  One is a giant tree and rock, hahaha, hmmm (they're not as big as the Redwoods ;)  and the other is that sweet bridge I tried to do some polevault drills on!!!  The whole park was so so so cool though.  No pollution, bark or rock trails, thick forest.  It was reminiscent of home actually...I think because it matched the elevation, roughly, of our house and our area!!!  I love the mountains, especially the tops!!!  Fun stuff!

The rest of the pictures are us as we come and go, when I was in my old Mingjian apt., when we picked up Elder Gathright, when we rode our bikes from our area to his, about 10 to 15 miles, not bad.  We were on a train in Mingjian, and there was only us and one other man...he was listening to music and didn't respond to us....but those trains have rings...so what did we do, well, naturally...we started having a pull up competition.  All my fellow competitors dropped, and therefore, in my spirit of victory and adventure, I started acting like Spiderman. 

 Needless to say, after about 5 minutes...and 2 or 3 sweet backflips I did on the train, our neighbor started laughing, smiling, and took out his ear phones.  We learned he was an aboriginee from our mountains, so we exchanged info, and invited him to hear about the Restoration...I hope he will meet with us soon :)  So fun, I have a testimony of Talking with everyone, and safe backflips like spiderman ;)

Love Drew

For Church we went to Nantou this week, but we should go to Mingjian next week!!!  I'm so excited!!!

In Mingjian, we have a great new investigator in the Xinyi mountains, he said yes to learning more and is excited to see us again, bbbut he's busy this week, so please pray for Chen!!!

We do sleep in Mingjian.

We met with the Stake presuident tooo!!!

Very effective, that's a ZL thing!!!

I played frisbee, still got it a bit, t'was sweet, I can jump...but they're not too tall either!!!

Mission Leadership Council was sososososogood!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!

WAHOOOO!!!!!!

Can't wait to vault though!!!  A guy in my ward actually offered me to vault here -- apparently Nantou has the only high school in Taiwan (outside of Tapei) that has a pole vault pit, and lessons...wow, cool, wonder if I could???

Alright, here we go, let's answer the two most important questions:

Yes...it is almost very near to being close to bordering on a slight but perhaps just not quite yet BLIZZARD here in Nantou :)

And...well....if you're in Elder Lazenby's and Otte's district...the superbowl is a common metaphor for Christ's love for all people...as well as the fall of Adam...or (insert what gospel principle you will).  haha, Elder L's from MASS.

We are doing great here in our area.  ooohh...WE HAVE A THIRD COMP. :)

Haha, Elder Gathright, my great friend and a new missionary from Mingjian is here.  Elder Claflin will be a new zone leader in Gaoxiong and so guess what???

I GET TO BE IN CHARGE OF MINGJIAN for at least a week since no new missionaries are coming!!!  WAhhooooo!!!  So excited, Elder Gathright is big and Japanese...I know, paradox???

We found  a new internet cafe with no smoking, and here, we met a RC we haven't seen in forever as well as a cool new kid we are going to set up for this week!!!  He bought us drinks...but we had to say sorry cause we don't drink tea...but I got them exchanged for free for a no tea leaf drink -- this boy is so nice!!! :)

We are so blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives: why?  For m it comes down to my Family, the Temple, and right now: my Mission.  Heavenly Father is so good to us and is anxious to bless our every endeavor...we need to ask him though!!!

The baptism was so great last week.  This week we are so excited also because the Sisters have a great girl named Kerry who will be baptized.  PLEASE PRAY for Kerry, she is a sweet girl, actually in my English class, and her family opposition is unreal...but she's 23 and determined now, after about a year to make this covenant...she'll be blessed.

Speaking of girls, haha, they are all over us.  Last week in church, the little primary girls just started coming up and hitting me, then smiling, laughing, and running away.  haha, but more dangerous, there is a high school girl who walked into the church, golden interest in the church...she is now passed to the sisters.  However, she asked me after English (cause I was on an exchange and not here when she came first.) for my number, to which I responded it was Elder Turner's phone too. Then she asked if she could call us that night....ummmm, AH!!!  Then she calls us now to say she can/can't come to church, hahah, we're okay, but we hope she directs to the Sisters more :)  

Not to mention a sister in the ward cornered me telling me I have to come back for her daughter in a year.   AHHHHHHHHHHH...Mom, help me ;)

I got to spend Friday and Saturday with my dear friend: ELDER OTTE!!! 

He is not just an amazing friend,…he is in all honesty an incredible missionary.  We planned, found, taught, and invited others to come unto Christ.  Wahoo, and it went so well!!!!! A man on my exchange with Elder Otte gave me a nice compliment, he said I sound like my Chinese is mainland.  Not thick, but sharp.  He said it was the clearest he had ever heard.  I was shocked and grateful!!!

Elder Otte and I had so sososososso much fun, and we worked hard too!!!

Did you get my pictures???  Lots :)

Love Drew

I love that video, and Daniel and Trevor just look like two wonderful missionaries!!!  I hope I can find someone like Daniel to join our ward...he's just AWESOME!!!