Dear Family and Friends!
I just want to thank everyone for their incredible support! The last week was really hard but things were a lot better this week! I am doing well! I am ready to work and enjoy these next two years as best as I can!
Alright, Monday, right after I got interrupted emailing for a lunch I don't know about because my companion didn't tell me, I had my worst day on the island. It was supposed to be my P-Day and time to relax but I didn't feel like I was relaxing at all and I was pretty much set on going home. But our Zone Leaders here are really a gift from God. One of them, Elder Hammond, took me on a much needed exchange and we went with his recent convert friend to get ice cream and bike around to some awesome places in our area. It really cheered me up and I got to ask him all the questions I still had and couldn't ask my companion. We also went to Costco and I got plenty of food for me to have at home in case I don't like the food that much. (Costco is awesome, everything is in English. I could be convinced I was back in Orem if there weren't so many Taiwanese people.) But food actually isn't really a problem too much anymore. Since day one I have been trying everything! And slowly but surely I am finding things I like and liking things that I didn't like at first.
Tuesday, was rough again but not nearly as bad and luckily we get to meet with the other missionaries in our zone often so when I am in desperate need for English I just try to make it to those times. I am getting quite good at understanding my companion though and I find that I have to translate for him more often than he translates for me. I may have found my first investigator while finding. I can't speak super well with anyone but I started the conversation and Elder Liao picked up where I couldn't continue.
Wednesday, my companion went to Taipei for a district leader meeting so I was on exchanges with the other ZL, Elder Lin. He is a native but he is so awesome and he not only is super good at English but also super good at teaching me Chinese and showing me how to do things like how to do street contacting or how to find my way around. We taught English Class for the first time and my class wasn't awesome but I survived!
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we did a lot of work but didn't really get any success out of it. A lot of our lessons just change times over and over and then eventually cancel completely so that is really frustrating and I am trying to figure out how Liao and I can work better to keep them interested.
Yesterday was pretty busy but I got to share my testimony in Sacrament meeting and that went really well. All of our meetings and classes are in Chinese but I am already understanding a lot of what is said. I can't wait until I can contribute all that I am capable of. We met an awesome member family. The Wang Family. They often do exchange students with people in Utah so their English is pretty good and they know Utah super well. They are so loving and kind!
That's kind of how everything went this week. I am starting to really love Taiwan and the people here. The language is coming along really well even if it is slower than I want it to. (Maybe that's just because I am following my native companion all the time.) I am finding lots of ways to be and stay happy and every time that I hit another rough patch, God always sends something to get me out of it. I know he is watching out for me and I am so thankful.
Love, Elder Holderness
P.S. Next week we are going to the Temple in Taipei so my email won't come until Wednesday. Don't worry! I am ok!
Also, a funny little design flaw joke! Hahaha I don't know if "Hello Kitty Hell" was what they were going for.
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