September 28, 2016

Hey Family!

So pretty much this whole week I have just been counting down the days until I finally get to leave! Everyday here makes Taiwan just look a million times better! Hahaha! This week was actually a lot of fun though! We taught our final lessons to our teachers but they still are going to teach us one more time each.

Last Thursday we had our first of two birthdays in our zone so we decorated someone else's classroom so ours wouldn't get in trouble and sang Zhuni Shengri Kuaile (Happy Birthday).  On Saturday, we had both our second birthday and our second Christmas.  I was in charge of all the Secret Santa coordination and decorations.  It was a lot of fun! And of course, we did the birthday decorations again! (This time to a different room than the first time, but still not ours.)

On Friday of this week we final got our FLIGHT PLANS!!! I am so excited!! We leave the MTC at 5:20 AM October 4th. (Happy Birthday Mom!) Our first flight is at 10:25 AM going to San Francisco arriving at about 11:40 AM.  Then from there, at 1:55 PM we leave for Taipei to arrive at 6:30 PM on the 5th! (14 hours of flying, 14 hours lost) I have plenty of time to call you guys in the airport, but I have to wait until I pass security I think. That way I can wish you Happy Birthday on the phone!

We had our final Skype lesson on Monday and it was actually a lot of fun for the first time! I feel very happy with my Chinese and I am totally ready to be humbled in Taiwan! I cannot wait to learn that language.  I have always loved it so much and it makes me so happy when I speak it.  I may not know a whole lot right now but I just smile so much when I realize that I just said my whole personal prayer in Chinese without thinking or listen to my teachers' mission stories and don't really translate, just listen.  I am so excited to realize I don't actually know anything but then to learn!

Most of the week besides that was just us getting as excited as we could for Taiwan and preparing to go! My next letter will be from there and I am guessing it will be a bit more interesting than these ones that I have been writing at the MTC.  Love you all!

Elder Holderness!

September 21, 2016

Alright, looks like it's time for another email.  Which doesn't seem right because I'm pretty sure I wrote one of these two days ago! Hahaha!

This week just blurred together so quickly that I don't know how much I'll have to say!

First off, that Elder with the back problems that I talked about last week, Elder Johnson, is actually home now.  We kept waiting everyday to hear about what was going on and finally on Thursday night we got called out of class to meet with the district president.  After waiting in the hall for about an hour, Elder Johnson returned and told us that he has been reassigned to the Boston Mission and he will still be speaking Chinese.  He was so excited to hear this! We helped him get off on Friday morning but so far, he doesn't know when he will be able to return to service.  I was so thankful for the time that I had with him because he taught me how to be a better missionary.

We didn't have any general authorities speak to us this week, but we did have some good devotionals and the spirit is strong no matter who speaks. This week I have been studying the Christlike Attributes and it has helped me in all my activities here.  Teaching, studying, giving service.  They are incredibly powerful and very interesting to study.

This week we finally heard about the General Conference Choir.  I have been looking forward to it since we got here and wanted to be in it really bad.  They decided to take 600 missionaries and were choosing based on surveys they passed out during practice.  I have been going to choir every week just for this opportunity.  But even though if with all the musical experience I had written down, I was not selected for some reason.  It seems that they did it at random.  Some people in my zone put down they had no experience and they still got chosen.  So no, I am not going to be in the choir, I wish I was.  My companion will be though so I'll be on splits for the whole day.

On a happier note, even though I'm sad about that, we got our Chinese name tags this week! We're aren't allowed to wear them around the MTC because no one can read them here; but, they look really cool and I can't wait till I get to wear them all the time!

Chinese is still coming well, I have kind of slowed in progression.  Mostly because it's hard to keep up all the vocab and grammar without using it all the time and no one besides our zone speaks Chinese here. Hahahaha!  Our lessons are going fantastic though! My companion and I were able to teach an entire first lesson, invite to baptism, church and prayer and answer all our investigator's questions in just 28 minutes.  (Which is better than our original one point of a lesson in 30 minutes like we used to do! Hahahaha)

Oh yeah! I almost forgot! This week I actually got assigned as District Leader so I've got a little bit more to worry about now, but I also am very thankful for the opportunity to serve my district and help them grow and prepare these last few weeks at the MTC.

This week is another 25th so we are doing Christmas again on the 24th! It's gonna be fun! I'm in charge this month so I got all the Secret Santa names out yesterday!  What ever keeps us sane here!

Also, as usual I am still exercising and playing everyday.  But yesterday, while I was playing volleyball, I went up for a spike and got pushed in the air so I landed straight on my ankle.  It's really swollen and a little bruised and hurts to walk on.  But it got a lot better last night so it should heal quickly!

We get our Travel Plans on Friday! I can't even believe that it's almost been two months! I think that your birthday pretty much doesn't exist for me this year Mom. Sorry! We leave that morning and cross the date line and skip to the 5th. Don't worry though, I have something planned for you!

I'll send another email with pictures of my name tags, some of the district with our matching Taiwan shirts and just the normal crazy personalities we have here!

Love you all so much!

Elder Holderness

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Hello Everyone!

Hmm, where to start?  This week just blurred together so much.  Our zone took a tough loss this week.  We lost 23 of the missionaries but we are only getting 7 today.  All those missionaries that left are some of my best friends ever.  The brotherhood that we have in the Mandarin branch is incredible.  Especially because we are here for an eternity.  I really can't believe that September is already half way over though.  It seems like yesterday was the first.

This week I hit my first wall with Chinese.  I'm not having a hard time learning anything really; but, it seems to me that I really can't learn much more here in the MTC.  I just want to get out in the field and meet all the people and just see how little I actually know!  We did a Skype lesson today with a member in Taiwan and it was so fantastic!  The whole time we couldn't really understand here though.  And it wasn't because of the language, just the technology.  I could understand a lot of what we could hear and that made me so happy and excited! All the Taiwanese people that I have met are so happy and kind and I just love all of them already! I keep getting videos and pictures from the groups that left before me and I cannot wait to be there!

Yesterday, Elder Cook gave us our devotional and he spoke about the four loves that we need for our missions.  1) Love for our companion.  2) Love for the people.  I already talked about that a lot but I just love the people of Taiwan so much already! I want to help them with whatever testimony I have.  Be it small or large, I know that I can make a difference and help at least one person! 3) Love for the Mission President.  He shared an incredible little insight with us. He said that more often than not, the mission that they decide for the missionary is because of the mission president and how they can learn and grow from them.  I don't know much about mine yet but I am so excited to meet them and interact with them.  And finally, 4) Love for the Lord.  I know I have this one already, I wouldn't be out here still if I didn't.  But I know every person in the world, even the prophet can work on this each and everyday.  He gave us everything that is good in this world.  Every time I go to the temple I am just reminded of this again and again.  His love for us incredible so we should try to do the same for him.

I really loved this talk because as I hit this Chinese wall, I fell back into just studying the gospel as much as I can and it has boosted my testimony so much.  I know that if I can accomplish these things and gain love for each of them then I can be the best missionary I can be.

We also had Elder Ballard here on Sunday night and the spirit was just as strong then.  I know for sure that there is no way the Apostles would give up everything that they have if this Church wasn't true. Every time that the speak with us they make sure to bear their witness and their testimony to close. I love it so much.

This week we also had a sad yet happy story.  Elder Johnson, one of the Elders from the transfer just above us, (He was supposed to leave yesterday)  went to the doctor to check back up on his back problems that made him delay his mission for awhile got told that he would not be flying to Taiwan with the rest of his district.  Instead, he has to stay here for another week and then go home and recover.  He doesn't know if he'll be able to serve at all or if he will get another delay. The first presidency is deciding today.  But for now, he is in our companionship so we're back to three again! He really has been just a blessing for us all though.  His testimony is so strong even though all these problems are happening to him.  It's hard to see him go through this however.

I love you all! I don't have a lot to talk about right now though so that's all I think! Here's that picture I talked about last week of our whole zone.

Love you all so much!

Elder Holderness

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Hello Everyone!!!

This week was another great week in the MTC! Even though we never seem to keep our teachers here, we finally got one that is going to be with us for the rest of the MTC. And he is the best teacher of all! In this one short week he has completely changed all of us.  His name is Brother Lee and he is so incredible.  He's funny and witty but also spiritual and teaching.  Without him I wouldn't be as successful as I am right now.

Chinese this week has been coming so well! I can now learn about 50 words, review 100 and learn a scripture every single day.  I know that is a lot because of Heavenly Father's help and our teachers help.  I love learning it so much!  I really don't think I've shared any stronger testimonies than the ones that I can in Chinese now!  Nothing makes me happier than trying to say something in Chinese and realizing I can totally do it or the times when I find my self thinking or saying Chinese on accident! And I can't even read a character yet! Hahahaha!

I am doing so well! I'm happy almost all the time.  Which is surprising for me because of how much work I have to do and I'm really not the least lazy person in the world!  Also, to answer your question mom, I haven't gained or lost any weight in the MTC, I am eating well but not a lot and I am still running and working out everyday.  I love being able to just run now (never thought that day would come! Hahaha!)

Ok, this week we got 13 new Cantonese missionaries in our zone.  About half of them are from the UK and they are some of the funniest best people ever! I feel like I'm living Harry Potter sometimes! Hahaha!  There is only one Sister so she is a Solo Missionary here.  So she is with the Sisters in our district most of the time.  Her name is Sister Percival and she's from Wales.  She also loves Harry Potter so naturally Elder Driggs, her and I get along so well! Hahaha! Our zone just keeps being the best! I love them all so much!  We tried to take a picture of all of us together at the temple this Sunday but it wasn't on my camera so I'll have to try and send it later.

This week we had devotionals from Elder Christofferson and Chad Lewis so those were some pretty powerful speakers and experiences! They were so different in their way of teaching and yet the spirit in the room was the same for both of them!  Speaking of Chad Lewis, I am happy to hear BYU won but I also heard that they're not looking so good this year! Uh oh! I guess I'm glad I don't have to watch any stressful games!

Also to answer your other question and mostly to just share and awesome experience:  no, I do not need anymore names to do at the temple because Brother Lee actually asked us to help him do some of his family names.  So starting this morning as the first time, we got to do Chinese names at the temple for everything! It is so cool and I love it! It just makes every trip so incredible! This morning I just couldn't stop smiling while I was doing initiatories.  (That may have been because I also got to hear those old people try to pronounce all the names though! Hahahah!)  I love being able to go to the temple as often as I used to still!  We're lucky we live so close to one.

Also, this week we lost Elder Willes, the solo missionary that joined us late.  He finally got a companion of his own so it's back to just the two of us! Things are going well.

This week I really learned how to rely on the Lord.  I learned how to have a conversation with him while I pray rather than just talking at him.  I know he lives, I know that Christ is our savior and I know that the Holy Ghost is the most powerful tool of conversion, for ourselves and investigators.  I love this gospel and I love my family!

Love,

Elder Holderness