Earthquake can't shake the work in Nantou!

You asked about fluency -- speaking yes, and I do dream in Chinese all the time, but reading and writing...ahhhh, tougher, but they're coming :)

And we did have a Rainstorm...no thunder, but it was cool and wet.  Gave us a cooler week too!!!  We also had a small Earthquake this morning, our desks just started wobbling, super cool...stomach weezer!!!  But it was only like 20 sec...

We had a wonderful chance to present a training to our ward in the form of a missionary fire side. 

I DID SEE H, YES!!!  He came to our missionary fireside!!!  I asked if we could help with anything at their house, and how he was recently, etc... good follow up.

P is still locked up in his house.  I think the ultimatum though is going to visit him this week, because he can choose to come to church, he just has to!!!!!

Which Brother Y was I looking for?...OH YEAH. that Brother Y, no...unfortunately, he's still lost, we found the other 99 sheep though, hahah, they were easy!  So we have to keep looking!!! :)

At church we had five interested friends -- amazing, J, SZ, a new boy who played basketball with us and the young men on Saturday named XZ, another who came to Family night on Sunday with a member family and us, and last – Z2 a great new investigator!!!  They all should be set well for learning and on track to be baptized within months!!!  Finding, two young men who stayed for a spiritual share we did after basketball, and then a Chinese woman we met who makes ash bins for the burnt deceased...she wants to know about the resurrection!!!

So I didn't get the suit yet...but I will, they originally said today, but apparently they forgot the pants!!!  Haha or something like unto the pants which are very essential according to all my understanding of clothing!

I had a dream about a family reunion recently.  Aunt Sara asked me to change a diaper, and Aunt Sallie to put her boat in a river.  So I guess upon my return Uncle Eric will have a lot of new diapers and Everal a lot of new boats...

Will we have a reunion in June or July...or I guess where?

There is a Boy in our ward named Chen Rong, he got called to serve in the Michigan Detroit Mission.  But all his stuff got sent in English, so I went and translated it all for them for like an hour on Thursday, they had two little nieces at their house, so funny, one wanted to bump my head and give me noggin'

This week has gone very well!!!  We have our good friend SZ who officially quit smoking and will be baptized on Saturday!

Then Z2 looks very solid and willing to hit his goal of the 9th!!!

J is not showing much interest again, because he doesn't do the commitments...haha, he is at this wanka right now, which means he's probably playing lol or wow or something!

A X looks great too.  We took him and Z2 to a members house (our ward mission leaders) for FHE yesterday night and we had a spiritual then a game -- all fun and helped both feel very comfortable with members!!!

Ope darn it I've got to do numbers... be right back I hope!!!

I love you!!!

Love Drew

Brother Hansen...take a bus down to Nantou and come see me bear my testimony on Sunday, there is a bus from Taipei to Nantou...Probably only like three hours long ;)

Hey Mom, I am healthy and well...the sickness I felt two weeks ago wanted to come back with a headache and throw up several days ago...but I conquered the last wave, and should be well!!!

Ah -- stress, haha, I have learned to overcome, and am not worried by much anymore.  That being said, when my companion is stressed, I get a bit stressed simply because I am not them and therefore do not know exactly how to address their concerns.  But God does, and as I pray and tactfully predict their worries, I can help them and myself have fun and move on.  As for myself.  I've learned I have an incredibly PAINFUL Guilt complex that can be triggered on my mission; that's just to say, if I feel guilty for something, or make a mistake, then I can start feeling horrible both physically and otherwise.  So, haha: that kind of stuff dealing with Obedience stresses me sometimes if I let it.  Just because this is a sacred calling, and if I mess up on God's time, and representing his name, I feel really bad, and get down on myself.  Those times are few and far between though.

I have learned on my mission, when other usual stressed come, to grit it out with a smile, and pray for help, and work happy.  That has blessed me to maintain a better, stress-free time, emotionally and spiritually on my mission!!!

Thanks so much Mom...Hah, that really is the ONLY stress that gets me on my mission I feel -- stress I create for myself.  However, you are exactly right, God knows just what's right, and regardless of the frequency or amplitude of our choices...He wants to help us DO what's right, and make what's not already: right!

Only Satan wants me to have headaches and be not fully functioning.  Haha, those situations are pretty silly, and don't happen often but then just happened to be the week you asked me...probably because I needed that reminder, thank you so much!!!

Yay for General Conference!

It threatened to be so hot again last week, then cooled off this week...I don't particularly want to suffer the summer again, but it does have some perks...like water tastes a lot better, and the soaked (in sweat) days make for good journal entries and memories ;)

 

Caught in the rain!

Elder Jiang and I are still happy and healthy here, and the work is going well, we were able to help a-lot of the cool individuals we've met recently feel the spirit and accept Baptismal Goals.  We though, outside of these individuals, are very concerned and hopeful for several families we are teaching.  We hope and pray they can feel the Spirit as well, prioritize their lives, and bring their family righteously into the Eternities!!!  Not least of those families is the Zone family, we are still going strong and working to inspire and lift our zone missionaries!!!  It's going well!!!

One of our friends disappeared, very sad. Last week his cell phone just became somebody else's, super weird.  The new guy doesn't know him, doesn't have any idea, and doesn't speak great chinese, so I think he is like a Phillipino or Indonesian worker...prob indonesia because he speaks no English either...anyways we have to hunt for our old Bro. on the streets now, but no luck yet.

The other came to Conference.  Then we met him again just last night and taught the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, and the Law of Tithing all in one...he loved them.  And he will have Elder Smith interview him on Thursday at noon!!!  Pray for his continuing progression, he's great!!! :)

PY CAME TO CONFERENCE!!!  We brought him a poster from the Ward, and then we invited him to come on Saturday...and he did.  Now some members will be in contact!!! 

A sister sitting across from me, Sister Hong (Lisa), a single Mom of three kids, very nice and hard-working but also very funny, thought me watching conference in the back with my wool socks was hilarious...so she took a picture, and I had her email to you instead of me!!!  Glad you got it.  We've finally had some wet rainy days recently, hence the wool socks!!!

Conference was so so so so so so good, I think it always will be, but it's up to the individual what they will take out of it!!!

I especially loved Elder Michael Ringwood's talk about Shiblon and Zone leaders (or not)...it was a great reminder to be good people, no matter our circumstances!  So important!!!  I loved Uncle Pearson's Talk too, Every day every day every day!!!!!  So well put!!!  Then Poor president Monson, yes, his body's hurting, but he was so funny!!!  I also really loved Elder Cook's address: He talked about us following Christ like an obedient and beautiful sunflower, then he also coincidentally talked about an Uncle Vaughn (not Ransom) who was killed at sea, very touching.  Going on to say FAMILIES are the thing, everything!!!  So true!!!!  I loved his testimony, he also said the Church is Stronger than ever, quelling doubts/rumors...now let's just keep getting stronger!!!

Meet in EUGENE?!?!?!?!?!  SO COOL!!!  No Pasco, yeah bummer, but Oregon will be sweet...I bet Coach Mahoney is especially excited!  Rock it Trev, and Own that 15 pole, you got it!!!!!  I didn't try it early enough in the season, and it bit me at state...ahhhh, but you got it, jump hard!!!  Love DRew

Feel free to snag me  in Seattle...as far as I'm concerned, I'm yours to snag!!!  As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine anywhere.  And as for a missionary at a track meet...you bet I'll do it!!!

I'll ride a bike from Provo to Spokane just to have Easter with you Mom and Dad!!!

And Conference touched on many things, not the least of which it looks like, yes...looks like I should get married when I get back...but not before Kyle for sure, I'll follow his example of dating well and gentlemanly :)  

You bet we met with J this week, he himself is great, but he associates with some bad influence friends, not in bad substances, but just apathetic lazy friends, so please pray he will follow the spirit and hit his goal of May 9 for baptism!!!

Love You,

Love Drew

Basketball, bad milk, and Soaring Spirit!

I accidentally drank some bad milk or ate some bad bananas this morning...but despite the state of my head and stomach, My Spirit is Soaring!!!

The highlight of our week was certainly J's Baptism!!!  It went great!!!  Member support, he was all ready, his non-member Mom came and supported him, the Bishop and J both bore great testimony, I showed everyone "Because He Lives," in Chinese of course, and the Spirit was there!!!

We had a little scare right before the baptism because our water went down big time without anyone even touching the drain...but we got it fixed and luke warm water at that point was perfect because the weather is getting so hot now a days here in Taiwan.  Chen Rong, a great young man preparing for his own mission baptized J!!!  Super great!!!

J himself said he wants to go on a mission also as we taught him this week!!!  That makes me so happy, I hope he is a recent convert like Pierrick!!!  (maybe he'll even serve in Africa!)  Haha, he is so great!!!

After J's Baptism, we got to give a priesthood blessing to a former investigator, who, for whatever reason LOVES coming to church activities but has no interest in getting baptized or believing...hmmm.  But As Elder Jiang blessed him, I felt lots of strength come from the words and the Spirit.  The next day he came to church, sat behind me, and as soon as our Easter Sacrament was over...he said "Luo zhanglao (Elder Brown), I want to take the lessons again." then "can we meet this Wednesday, and I'd like to review the Sabbath day and the law of Tithing."  Ummm...YES!  Who says that???  I'm very excited, because I know the power of the spirit, and the word of God, worked on him to the point that he realized he really does have a desire to come closer to Christ!!!

That really is our goal in life.  No matter who we are, no matter what we do, as Moroni states in Moroni 10:32: ...Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

All of us need this, we just need to realize that our hearts have been longing for it much longer than our minds have known!!!  If you think you feel that desire, want to learn more, or don't know what I'm talking about: email me your address and current phone number.  I can invite your missionaries to visit you!!! Drew.brown@myldsmail.net

Earlier that Saturday, I played Basketball with some new members, young men, and investigators.  It was a blast, and I think I sweated out the last of my sickness.  Better tell the Elder's quorum back home to get ready...I play basketball like Jeremy Lin (LA Lakers - he's Taiwanese[AND he's christian]) now!

Right before that b ball activity, we actually got invited to eat Spring rolls with a family who was having a family reunion of sorts!!!  The Zhu family!!!  They were pretty good, not as good as Mom's cooking though!!!  And the get together was cool to chat with the family, three of whom came from Taipei and are not members!  (the young boy of one of those families played basketball with me afterwards!)  Anyways, they all loved me describing our family reunions!!!

This last week during the other times, Elder Jiang and I taught Z and G who both are quitting smoking this week and set for baptism on the 25th!!!  Both are humble and doing well, they both need the blessings of a healthy gospel life so bad!!!  One emergency though, G has changed his cell phone...and we can't get a hold of him right now...I'm sure he does not mean this, cause he loves meeting with us, but we need to find him soon, haha, Mission...Impossible!!!  I think not!!! ;)

We have a good pool of like 20 people we've found recently who are all able to meet and willing, but, Elder Jiang and I want to help all of them feel the spirit and be willing to keep commitments now, and then also help our zone do the same!!!  We will!!!

Elder Jiang and I have an even broader focus group though, and it's not just investigators: We prayed and fasted for inspiration as to how we can help our Zone become powerful "tools in the hands of the Lord."  That is our my biggest desire right now. 

How are we going to do it??  We've already been given the answer, nothing needs to change drastically.  Things just need to be done, and they need to be done Right, and most importantly, with the Spirit.  We are going to exchange, train, practice, challenge, follow-up, and inspire the socks off of the 中興Zone.

We trained the Zone on Thursday morning, instead of Tuesday, haha because our stake sprayed bug poison in all of our chapels on Tuesday!  It went well though!!!

Also I am healthy I believe!!!

I have barely ever had milk on my mission, but Elder Jiang really likes it, and we had some I drank to finish this morning, and then Elder Jiang pointed out it was expired...ahhhhh...so I don't know if that was it or not, but my stomach was not good this morning!  Now I'm over the stomach, the cold, and everything though, so I should be GOOD TO ROLL!!!  Also, pray for me -- the Taiwan heat is upon us, I was dripping sweat the last two days...winter time always makes me forget how HOT Taiwan gets!!!

Haha, speaking of I DID get my own Easter Basket!!!  I LOVED IT, WE LOVED IT, and no worries...P hasn't seen the dangerous duck and bunny-fighters ;)

I realized how much I love sixlets...太久沒吃了！

Nice hiding spot Mom!!!

Oui. Le Cote d'Ivoire Temple, SUPER!!!

Speaking of French, or Speaking French ;)

Kyle, do you know that Frere qui a dans la "Because He Lives" video???  Je l'ai vu, et il est certainement Francais...looks familiar too?!?!?!

YES, I'm so so so happy for Brother Brown!!!! :)

Thank you so much for your prayers, for P, everyone else, and me!!!  I will finish strong, it's time to turn my kick into top gear!!!

Wahooooooo!!!

Love Drew

P.S. Speaking of top gear, I really would love to get with brother hunter and anyone else (trevor, you guys, corey...oh, he's a missionary, huh?) and do a sweet bike race in the summer.  I remembered Bro Hunter talked to me about triathlons before or something...just thinking how fast I could go on a roadbike now...

Love you all,

WAhooooooo!!!!

Love Drew