Week 78:

Hello Everyone, 

This week, because my companion Is new to the ward and area, we have been having many visits with the members. This has also been a new movement pushed by the mission president, to visit 2 members a day, to invite the spirit and serve them in any way. In Taiwan, by tradition, most people are in dependant and won't accept our service. Through next week, we will be offering to clean members cars, something in my mind that can't be turned down. We have also been eating with the youth in our ward. The gig? We are paying for there meal. As we create a stronger relation ship with the youth and encourage them to go on missions, the ward is willing to provide us with a special fund to buy meals for the youth. 

There has also been a miracle between our companionship that has been ongoing this whole week. We were able to find 9 new friends and get 2 less active members back to church. This was the highest number of people that we have found in a week and I know that God is putting people by our side that need the blessings from the church. I have also been using scriptures more in my first contacts, what I believe may be a reason for this week's success. 

The 27th of this month will also be my 18th month mark on my mission. Thank you everyone who reads this, supporting and encouraging me for the course of my mission.

I also haven't taken many pictures this week.

I will take more next week.

Week 74:

For those that have been waiting paciently for the last couple weeks and anticipating greatness in this email; I thank you for your support. After reading Elder Alan's mass email, I was inspired to write one as well. 

I'll start with today's activities as they are the most fresh in my mind. 

My companion and I were able to eat lunch with the other missionaries serving in our district. For the first time in the last 18 months, I ate real Mexican food. We held a Fiesta and used near sacred spices that were sent to Sister Maccabe. Her sacrifices and contribution allowed everyone to have an experience that is too often not found in Taiwan. Later, we played basketball and volleyball with Elder Larsen and Elder 李 and finished with a cool drink from Cocos, a very popular tea shop. Here I am now. 

Zone counsel was also held this week with an emphasis on making goals, having faith, and effective finding methods. There was an activity I really liked because I learned the importance of using scriptures to find people. We role played a contact on the street and our goal was very, very simple, use a scripture! Before this counsel, I only used scriptures in half of my contacts on the street, not to say that the other half of my contacts were fails, but they could have been much more powerful. Using scriptures, words straight from God, in all my contacts has helped me become better finder and preacher of this Gospel. I am trying hard to implement and know that there are going to be people that will be blessed from my change. I was also able to meet the Legend, Elder Settles and see his improvements in Chinese and adjustments to missionary life. 

I'm out of time! I hope everyone has a great day! 

Email me! 

Elder Yang 

Your Morning Email

Week 69:

I will attempt to write a quick email for everyone in the last 10 minutes I have of my Pday. This week I was able to serve with Elder Kirkman, one of my old companions, on exchanges this week. He is going home this week on Friday, but has continued to provide me with a great example on how to effectively do missionary work. We were able to talk to many people and visit a friend for lunch appointment. The Friend bought us some really delicious sushi, especially great since I have been living off eggs, banana smoothies and instant noodles for the past week due to serious money issues. 

These new Sunday meetings have also been great. Our Investigators have been more willing to attend. Last Sunday, we were able to bring 2 friends to church. After church, my companion found that his back tire had a flat. Thankfully members were able to help us resolve. 

Today was rainy, so we had made it a priority to buy foods (more bananas and noodles) to eat inside for this week. I am living day by day until I receive more money. I consider it an art. 

I'm out of time so here are some picutes. 

We went to a wedding reception

A church member bought us some soup

A couple district photos because some sisters are moving

Elder Settles and me in Taipei last week

Me and Elder Kirkman eating sushi

We also received new Book of Mormons from our mission president

One last thanks for all the support. I know this church is true, and this work is sacred in bringing more people to Christ, and I'm blessed to be a part of it. 

Email me back if you have read down this far :) 

The Email That Everyone Has Been Waiting For

WEEK 68:

Hello Everyone, 

This week and the last, me and my companion (for those English scholars reading this email, my companion and I) had made a goal to find more people as that has been the main concern with our companionship and zone recently. With Chinese New Year coming closer, many people have been moving out of town and preparing for this week long holiday. The Ward has also been supportive of missionaries with finding people and feeding us, they are currently, making a timetable in order that the missionaries will be fed lunch and dinner everyday during the Chinese New Year. 

Back to the goals we had set, this week we were able to find 3 new people and 2 the last week, a real improvement over the last couple weeks with 0-1 new people per week average. Looking on the streets have been particularly uneventful because the cool and very windy weather make strangers much less willing to talk. We have been getting most of our new people from English class and members, hence the aforementioned. Through our continued diligence, we are continuing to see God's blessings being given to us, a matter that can be sometimes too often overlooked. 





With English class being a successful source of people to teach, we have been spending more time to make comprehensive lessons. many blessings have come from this, one in particular this week, a student gave me an apple (we recently taught about teachers and how students in America would give an apple to the teacher as a sign of respect) and a nice watch that I have been wanting to buy! We now have matching watches. 

We are also the movers of things. Two members needed help moving some large and heavy furniture up and down Taiwans very thin staircases. The first family had many large pieces of art that needed to be moved, while sounding not very difficult, the ceilling was very short and I needed to duck while walking on the stairs, adding a new degree of difficulty. The 2nd member only needed one thing moved, a very large and very nice wooden table, weighing over 100lbs, easy right? I should have taken a picture of the staircase, which is hardly wide enough for 2 Taiwanese walk by each other. And another point, we had to wear flip flops (strictly no shoes worn inside the home, only these slippers) and mine, like always, were way to small (I am convinced that you can buy the right size slippers for me nowhere in Taiwan), so walking down the stirs was quite dangerous. I'm extremely thankful for these oppertunites to serve because the oppertunites are rare. Many people just aren't willing to accept help. 


Thank you for everyone's support and emails, unilt next week
Elder Yang
楊長老

An Embellishing Email

WEEK 67: 

Hello everyone, before I start talking about my week, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Happy 2019! I hope you have all had some time to reflect on your new and old years resolutions and are making a game plan to exceed your goals and exceed greatness. 

These past couple of weeks, finding people has been difficult. Finding new friends while training a new missionary that has only been on island for 2 months has been quite interesting. I do wonder how much the local people understand me and my companion. Despite this, we have been able to find 2 new Investigators, one of them being (mostly) fluent in English, an answer to the prayers from my stress. We have made appointments to meet with them again in the near future. 

We also had companion exchanges with the zone leaders, and I was able to serve with Elder Fernandes outside of my area. He is super positive in the way he does missionary work and communicates with others. He is also very good at basketball. We were able to play basketball with some youth that night and he is pro. 

Today we are planning to eat lunch at Pizza Hut 吃到飽, I'm not sure why the American Pizza Huts haven't implemented this years ago (and if they have, why one hasn't opened right in front of my house in my lifetime) because the pizza brings people together in an undistructive unity that comes from the pain from eating 21 slices (my personal record) of PIZZA (with a couple squares of brownies, chicken wings, and plates of spaghetti). 


Happy new year!
--Elder Yang

Start your Year off great by sending an email to the address below!
Andersen.j@myldsmail.net

The Patterns of the Universe and why It's Important 2019

Week 66:

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone was able to have a great Christmas!

This week was very exiting for me as two of my friends were able to accept baptism on the same day. One was part of a part member family and the other has been investigating the church for over a year, it was such a blessing to see them both get baptized. We were able to invite a diffrent friend to witness the baptismal service and I was also able to run into Elder Settles. 

Also this week has been filled with lessons. Coming into the area, We have 3 friends that are already so close to baptism and we have been working hard to keep preparing them more towards baptism and more especially, the blessings that follow. 

Today was raining, so we coordinated with Elder Settles and Elder Henderson to go to Taipei. We were able to eat a nice lunch (orange chicken) and shop in a really nice mall and run a couple small errands. 

Other Highlights of this week:

My companions bike tire had popped after our last 3 hour church service, thankfully, we were able to switch the tire from an old bike 

We were able to play basketball with these group of the kids. 

Its new years eve! Happy 2019!

聖誕節快樂！

楊長老

Elder Yang

Other pics for the week:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Week 65:

ELDER SETTLES AND ELDER ANDERSEN, BEST FRIENDS!

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Today I was able to call my parents and share my stories and experiences. It was nice being able to be updated on there life's and capture a glimpse at our new house. Afterward, we were able to have a small Christmas Italian lunch with some friends and other missionaries, including one of the Greats, Elder Alan Settles. Every reunion continues to be as great as the last. Tonight we are going to play some Board games and have a district dinner.

This weeks highlights: My bike wheel, in Profesional terms, exploded. The rim cracked and I needed to change the inner tube because it had a hole, even though I had done just that less then a month ago. There was a bike shop within a 30 minute walk from our house, where we were at the time, luckily. The bike shop had a nice used bike rim that they practically gave me for free. The tube and rim was only $600 元 so that was a blessing. 

And my friend Elder Settles bike also broke on the same day. His bike also exploded, exept with him it was with the chain. 

I have 2 friends investigating the church who are getting baptized on the 28th, frank and 毛弟兄。They have both passed there interview and I'm so exited for both of them. 

I'm still adjusting to my new area and the new church members which has been a challenge. Pingzhen is my 5th area and there are so many friends that I have made. Amazing. 

It has been a great Christmas season, listening to all the fun Christmas songs were we do studies and teach people. It's a great time to remember Jesus Christ and what has come because of his birth. Remember him and the sacrifices he made for us. At the same time, remember sacrifices others have given to you and how you will honor those sacrifices. Continue giving, and you will recieve, Merry Christmas! 

聖誕節快樂！

楊長老

Elder Yang