December 31, 2017

Hello my amazing family!

Well it was so much fun to be able to call you last week and I can't believe I only get to do that one more time!

I didn't write you last week so I'll try to catch up on some of the stuff we did the last two weeks.

These last two weeks are what are know as the holidays in good ole America but here in Taiwan it's pretty much just a couple decorations and activities put together by some of the Christians here! That includes us in! We held some pretty big events in our mission. The week before Christmas we held two conferences so that all the mission got a chance to come to Taibei and receive training/have a small Christmas party. The training the Jergensen's did was really amazing about how we can use our personal scripture study to continuously add oil to the lamp of our lives like the parable of the 10 virgins. That story is really amazing and I learned a lot from their training!

Another thing I learned about that story is that it is incredibly hard to translate some of those terms and the different analogies everyone was making! Hahaha! President got us a couple of notes the day before the meeting and we stayed in the office until around 2 am just translating all the slides for their presentation. We didn't get any preparation for the actual live translation of what they were going to be saying! Hahaha! Even more unlucky, the next day my companion woke up sick with food poisoning so he laid in the back of the Chapel and tried to sleep for the two conferences! I felt so bad for him, it lasted about 5 days of just pain and stomach problems.

Christmas Eve we had sacrament meeting only just like everyone else in the world and that night we held our mission's annual Christmas Nativity Concert. It went so well and the spirit was so strong in the room! The confirmation that Jesus Christ is our Savior that I received while listening to all the Christmas songs was truly incredible. I loved being able to commemorate Christmas that way.

Christmas morning was fun opening presents with the AP's and the Zone Leaders. The rest of the day we didn't do very much but relaxed and talked with other missionaries. President and his wife held a waffle brunch for anyone that wanted to come.

Every year the 101 does a crazy firework show for the New Year, so last night we held a Book of Mormon finding activity nearby it! We started around 8:30 and the streets were already filled with people! It was a lot of fun and I think it went pretty well! Sadly the fireworks are at midnight so you can't watch them as missionaries. (Unless you're stuck in the office doing weekly reporting until that time.)

I am super excited for the new year but I really can't believe that 2017 is already over! A whole year of my time on this amazing island in this incredible work is over! I am so grateful for this opportunity and wouldn't trade it for anything. The Lord is truly leading the work along in its progression and he is truly at the head of this church. If we just humbly follow our leaders and do what is right we will do what is needed and what is best for us and others we can influence for good! Make sure to consult with our loving Heavenly Father as you make your goals for the New Year, only he knows our true potential.

I love you all!

Elder Holderness 洪長老

December 24, 2017

Brian did not write due to calling for Christmas.  It was so awesome to see him and see the environment of where he is living and working currently.  He's loving it all!!

December 10, 2017

Hey everyone! I hope your week was great like mine! Mine was a little crazy because we ended up having 4 meetings for different groups of missionaries and all the new missionaries arrive all at the same time. As it turned out the AP's and my companion went to MLC and I took the new missionaries around to do everything they needed to do. Including exchanging currency, ensuring their missionary debit cards worked and buying their smartphones. It was a little stressful and took way longer than planned but it was pretty good for our first time ever buying phones for new missionaries.

Last Monday for P-Day we had choir practice and then a lot of us went to the shops by the 101 and ate lunch together. The rest of the week was just making sure all bikes and luggage got taken around to their new areas.

Our new ward has the strongest YSA group in the whole mission (maybe the only one) and last night we had a big FHE with all of them. It was super fun and we were really able to meet all the members pretty well! They had so much fun with us 6 missionaries! I love this area a lot!

December 3, 2017

Well this week really wasn't the most interesting week ever for all of you but it was crazy for me! I am in charge of all transfers now and it is very stressful. Have you ever tried to move around 50 people through public transportation in about 3 hours? All while never letting them or the person they are leaving behind be alone for longer than 3 minutes? It takes quite a lot of time to figure out that puzzle! Hahaha

For P-Day we went to a really awesome part of Northern Taiwan called Elephant Nose Rock it was really fun to just run around and be with all the other missionaries that came with us.

Monday and Tuesday I was just getting it all sorted out and typing everyone's instructions. On Wednesday we woke up to a call from President and a message that none of the new missionaries were going to make it because of Visa problems. I then had to go back and change all the plans I had before and redo them so that I could send all the instructions off by noon.

We also had to shove a lot of bikes in the Van so we could ship them around the island!

This week was also really fun though! I love Elder Qiu, my new companion! He is the best and we have a lot of fun! Yesterday was my first time translating for our Recent Convert Fireside and I was nervous at first but we made it fun the whole time and it went pretty well!

Taiwan is beautiful and I love it here so much! I love my mission here!

Love you all!

Elder Holderness